Kitsune's katana carved through the air with a sharp arc, the force of the strike blasting Xue backward. The clone twisted mid-flight, his blade spinning to break the momentum, and landed lightly on the ground—graceful, steady, eyes locked once more on Kitsune.
Wei chuckled, baring all his front teeth in a grin that looked more demonic than amused. Planting both hands on his sword's hilt, he raised the weapon high—like a batter preparing for a home run. White liquid light coiled around the blade, flaring like ghostly fire. Then—
WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
With each swing, spinning blades of condensed liquid tore free, screaming through the air in deadly arcs toward Kitsune and Raki.
Across the room, Xue mirrored his master, his own blade igniting with crimson energy. One after another, blood-red crescents ripped outward, weaving into the storm of white slashes.
Raki's hand shot to his side. With a sharp click-clack, a blade snapped open—a butterfly knife, but unlike any ordinary one. Its steel shimmered, the handle snapping into place as the weapon unfolded to its full length. In his grip, it stretched not as a street blade, but as a sword—sleek, lethal, and ready to carve through the storm rushing at him.
Together, Kitsune and Raki surged forward, their blades flashing as they cut through the spinning liquid blades screaming toward them. Each slash from Kitsune multiplied into afterimages—phantoms of steel—that intercepted the barrage with impossible precision.
Raki, knowing brute parries would only drain him, clenched his jaw and unleashed his power. Lightning burst across his body, wrapping him in crackling arcs. In an instant, he blurred into motion, zigzagging like a stormbolt tearing through the battlefield.
As he raced closer to Wei, a massive figure suddenly charged into his path—Hino, the towering liquid behemoth, thundering forward to intercept.
Raki's lightning-clad form streaked across the room, his blade sparking as he aimed for Wei's throat. But Hino crashed into his path like a wall of stone, his colossal frame shaking the ground with every step.
"OUT OF MY WAY!" Raki roared, lightning bursting from his fists as he lunged.
Hino swung a massive arm down like a hammer. Raki met it head-on, his blade igniting with thunder as steel clashed against liquid muscle. The impact exploded with blinding sparks—lightning colliding with raw force—sending shockwaves rippling through the chamber.
For a heartbeat, they were locked in place, power grinding against power. Raki's teeth clenched, electricity surging violently from his body, while Hino's towering form held steady, white liquid swirling around his arm like armor.
Then the pressure broke—BOOM! Both were blasted backward, the shockwave tearing through the floor like a thunderclap. Hino's massive body skidded across the tiles, liquid splattering in his wake. Wei, unfazed, pivoted sharply to the side, slipping past Hino's crashing bulk with a mocking grin.
The air still trembled from the echo of their clash, dust raining from the ceiling. Wei's eyes gleamed as he steadied his stance, sword humming with white liquid energy.
"Tch. Even my own monster gets in my way," Wei muttered, his grin sharpening as he steadied his stance. His gaze snapped back to Kitsune—still standing firm, his blade a blur of steel and afterimages as he parried every spinning liquid blade hurled his way.
"This fox needs to stay down for good." Wei smirked, his steps pounding against the floor as he charged toward Kitsune. Xue mirrored him, dashing close behind, their movements a perfect echo of one another.
"Tsunami Slash!!!" they roared in unison.
Wei's blade unleashed a towering arc of searing white liquid, blazing like a crescent moon of destruction. From Xue's sword, a blood-red arc surged forth, snarling with violent energy. The twin slashes carved through the air and collided with Kitsune.
The impact detonated in a deafening explosion, the blastwave rattling the walls as smoke and debris swallowed the room—Kitsune's form seemingly obliterated within the chaos.
The smoke churned, heavy and suffocating, as fragments of shattered wood and stone rained down. Wei grinned through the haze, his chest heaving with satisfaction.
"Pathetic. That's what happens when you face me."
But then—
A sharp gust cut through the smoke, scattering it like curtains drawn aside. Wei's eyes widened. The Kitsune they had struck down flickered… then dissolved into shimmering fragments of light.
"An afterimage?!" Wei spat, his grin faltering.
From behind him, a voice whispered like a blade at his ear.
"Your slashes are strong, Wei… but too predictable."
Wei spun, just in time to see Kitsune materialize—fox form glowing faintly, his katana already drawn mid-swing. The afterimages of Kitsune split around him like a pack of phantoms, their blades striking in perfect harmony, each slash aimed to carve into Wei and Xue's exposed flanks.
Wei's instincts screamed as steel kissed the air around him. He whipped his blade upward, sparks bursting as he barely intercepted one of Kitsune's phantom strikes.
Clang!
But another afterimage blurred past his flank, the katana slicing a shallow line across his arm.
"Gh—damn it!" Wei snarled.
Xue fared no better. He swung wildly, his red blade carving through illusions, but the real Kitsune was already gone—slipping like smoke between the barrage of his own shadows. One afterimage feinted high, another low, and before Xue could react, a cut blossomed across his shoulder, staining his tunic crimson.
"Fight me head-on, coward!" Xue barked, staggering back.
Kitsune's fox-like grin flashed as he and his mirrored forms moved in perfect unison, circling them like predators. "Head-on? Against the goddess's 'legion slayer'? Only a fool would fight you on your terms."
Wei roared, swinging his glowing white blade in a wide arc, liquid energy bursting outward in a wave. The shockwave tore through three afterimages—shattering them into fragments of light. But Kitsune's real strike came from above, his katana slashing down toward Wei's crown.
Xue leapt, intercepting just in time, his red blade clashing against Kitsune's steel. The collision forced all three back, the floor groaning beneath the pressure.
Wei wiped blood from his mouth, eyes blazing. "You think you can out-trick me? I'll tear through every fake until I cut the real you in half!"