"DXD: Infinite Loot System"Chapter 267: Madman's Gambit
"Clones?"
Tenra's eyes narrowed at the three Cao Caos arrayed before him. Sure, plenty of spells and techniques could conjure duplicates, but those were little more than shadows—pale imitations, nowhere near the real thing. They always came at a cost, draining the original's power and rarely worth the effort in a real fight.
But these three? Their auras were indistinguishable. Not a hint of dilution. No sense that the original had paid any price at all.
Tenra's instincts screamed: This wasn't smoke and mirrors. He was staring down three genuine Cao Caos.
Cao Cao grinned, chest heaving. "This move—Householder Treasure—creates clones. But not ordinary ones. They're me in every way. Clone and original, no difference."
He shrugged, lips curling with pride. "Right now, I couldn't tell you if I'm the original or a duplicate. Doesn't matter. I am Cao Cao."
"How's that for a trick?"
Tenra's shock was plain. Clones that were as strong as the real deal? It was absurd—impossible, even. One Cao Cao was a nightmare; three were a death sentence.
"There's got to be a catch," Tenra said warily. "A time limit, maybe?"
Cao Cao nodded. "You're sharp. Maintaining three of me burns through my spirit reserves. I can only fight at a third my normal duration."
"But if I finish the battle before that runs out, who cares?"
The words were barely out before the three Cao Caos split, attacking from three directions.
Sparks flew—a holy spear slashed at Tenra, scraping his armor. He dodged, but the other two Cao Caos closed in, spears whistling through the air.
"Damn!"
Tenra shot upward, a streak of light. The three Cao Caos followed, Elephant Treasure boosting their speed, luminous tails trailing as they hunted him through the sky.
Explosions thundered across Kyoto. The battle had escalated—three times more intense than before.
One against three, Tenra struggled to keep pace. His armor shattered, skin split by True Longinus, blood streaking through the air.
Against average foes, Tenra could take on armies. But against three masters, perfectly synchronized, every attack a flawless combo—this was a whole new level. Not one plus one plus one equals three, but three times three equals nine.
Danger pressed in from all sides.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Tenra conjured twin demon swords, parrying holy spears in a blur of movement. In the span of a few breaths, they'd clashed thousands of times.
But the demon swords couldn't hold. With a shattering crack, both broke apart.
Tenra's swords were as good as any artifact, but against the first and strongest Longinus, this was the limit.
A spear swept in, catching Tenra in the gut.
Blood spurted as he crashed to earth, tumbling through ruined buildings, finally buried under rubble.
But it wasn't over.
"HA!"
A surge of spiritual energy blasted the debris away. Tenra rose, hands spinning like wheels, hurling a storm of energy bullets at the three Cao Caos overhead.
Even they flinched, spears whirling to deflect the barrage.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The sky erupted, shockwaves rippling—but the three Cao Caos held firm.
As the last bullet fizzled out, their eyes sharpened. Holy spears elongated, shadows multiplying—a hailstorm of spear thrusts rained down on Tenra.
He dodged desperately, each missed attack gouging craters in the ground. In minutes, the battlefield was a wasteland.
Finally, Tenra seized a moment, shooting skyward, chest heaving.
This couldn't go on. He'd be dead before Cao Cao ran out of steam.
But as the trio closed in again, a savage grin split Tenra's lips beneath his shattered armor.
Crisis always woke something primal in him.
Let's see who laughs last.
A wild plan blazed in his mind. Tenra spread his wings and charged.
"Forbidden Balor View!"
"Darkness Aegis Embrace!"
A domain rippled out from Tenra, freezing time for a split second. His shadow twisted, splitting into three—each lancing toward a Cao Cao's shadow.
Against weaker foes, these Sacred Gears were unstoppable. But against equals, especially those shielded by the holy spear's power, their effect barely registered—a tenth of a second, maybe.
But a tenth of a second was enough.
Tenra poured his spirit into a single punch—striking one Cao Cao dead-on.
The clone exploded, body vaporized.
But Tenra's back was exposed. The other two Cao Caos struck instantly, holy spears punching through him.
"Hah… hah…"
"You trying to take us down with you, Tenra Kamiyo?"
"Too bad—you've only got one life. We've got three."
The surviving Cao Caos were shaken, but with Householder Treasure, as long as even one remained, the legend of Cao Cao endured.
Tenra's lips curled in a cold, victorious smile. "Then you die, too."
He gripped both spears impaling him and unleashed Kusanagi's forbidden power.
"Heavenfall Cloud Sword!"
The sky turned violet. A colossal sword beam ripped down from the heavens, swallowing Tenra and the two Cao Caos in a storm of energy.
"NO—!"
Too late.
BOOM!
Blinding light. Deafening thunder. Tenra and both Cao Caos vanished into the chaos.
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