The first exchange ended with William unleashing his second technique. He didn't just swing his blade; he released a fierce, explosive ball of multi-elemental power that erupted upon contact. The blast engulfed many of the fox clones instantly. When the dust settled, there was nothing left of them but scorched earth and dissipating mist.
"As I expected," William said, his voice filled with a grim amusement. He didn't stop moving, his body a blur. "You risked sending weak, unrefined copies to face me, thinking I'd be overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Or perhaps you thought you could turn the world upside down using these clones before I could react. Either way..."
His face turned savage, the mask of the calm guild master falling away. All the deep frustration, the years of hidden mourning, and the despair he had held within his spirit since the day he came back to this life, exploded all at once.
"You are going to lose every single one of them right here, right now!"
