Saponu's grin widened as he stood amidst the duplicates. His dark aura pulsed, distorting the surrounding air.
Thomas's clones wasted no time.
BOOM!
The Super Strength clone lunged first, his fist cracking the ground beneath him as he launched himself straight at Saponu. The air rippled from the sheer force of his punch—
But Saponu tilted his head slightly, dodging at the last second.
Before the clone could react—
CRACK!
Saponu's knee drove into his gut, sending him soaring into the sky.
Before he could land—
ZAP!
The Lightning clone appeared midair, hands charged with electricity, and slammed both palms into Saponu's chest, releasing a massive voltage surge!
CRACKLE—BOOOOM!!!
The battlefield flashed white as electricity ripped through Saponu's body.
Smoke curled from his skin.
But instead of collapsing—
He vanished.
"Where—?!"
The Rock Skin clone barely had time to react before—
BAM!
Saponu reappeared behind him, plunging his fist into the clone's hardened chest.
"Tch. Tough."
Saponu's eyes gleamed—
And suddenly—
SHLIIIK!
His hand sank into the clone's chest like a blade, piercing straight through his stone-like skin!
The Rock Skin clone gasped, his form crumbling into energy before dispersing.
"One down."
The Weapon Conjuration clone seized the moment, summoning a massive spear and hurling it at Saponu's head.
But—
SWOOOSH!
Saponu caught the spear midair, spun it around, and threw it back—twice as fast.
SHNK!
It pierced the clone's chest, nailing him to the ground.
Another gone.
The Fire Manipulation clone roared, unleashing a massive inferno, flames rushing forward like a tidal wave.
Saponu lifted a single hand.
FWOOOSH—
The surrounding shadows shifted, absorbing the fire completely.
Before the Fire clone could react—
SLASH!
Saponu appeared behind him, a dark shadow blade protruding from his palm.
The Fire clone froze, a look of shock on his face before his body disintegrated.
The battlefield trembled.
But Thomas still had six clones left.
And Wisdom wasn't idle either.
WHOOSH!
Wisdom appeared behind Saponu, his hands glowing with a strange telekinetic energy.
Before Saponu could react—
BOOM!
Wisdom lifted him off the ground with pure force and SLAMMED him into the earth!
The moment Saponu hit the ground—
BAAAM!
The Gravity clone activated his power, increasing the weight of Saponu's body a hundredfold.
Saponu's form sank into the earth, the pressure crushing down on him!
Wisdom didn't stop.
With a flick of his wrist, he teleported above Saponu and dropped a massive boulder straight down!
KRAKOOOM!
The boulder exploded into dust on impact.
Everything went silent.
For a moment.
Then—
SHOOOOOOOM!!!
A dark pulse erupted from beneath the rubble, tearing through the battlefield.
Wisdom's eyes narrowed.
Saponu emerged, completely unharmed.
"You think weight and rocks can stop me?" Saponu's voice was calm, but his aura had shifted.
Then he smirked.
"Let me show you why they call me the Shadow King."
Suddenly—
The battlefield twisted.
Shadows stretched unnaturally, the air warped, and the world darkened.
Thomas's remaining clones staggered, struggling to maintain their form.
Saponu lifted his hand—
And reality split open.
A massive rift formed above them, a swirling vortex of black energy.
"Fall."
The Illusionist clone screamed as he was sucked into the rift, disappearing forever.
The Time Acceleration clone tried to react, but the moment he moved—
Saponu froze him in time.
With a smirk, he casually tapped the frozen clone on the forehead.
SHATTER!
The clone exploded into fragments of light.
Wisdom's eyes narrowed.
This was bad.
Thomas was already down to three clones.
And Saponu was still just warming up.
Wisdom gritted his teeth.
Enough playing around.
He teleported instantly, appearing behind Saponu again—
But this time, he slammed both hands forward, sending a telekinetic blast straight through Saponu's back!
BOOOOM!
Saponu lurched forward, coughing up black energy.
Finally, a real hit.
But—
He turned his head slightly, smirking through the pain.
"That actually hurt, Wisdom."
Wisdom frowned.
Why did he sound... excited?
Before he could react—
Saponu's shadow extended, wrapping around Wisdom's leg—
And YANKED HIM INTO THE AIR.
"!!!"
Wisdom twisted his body midair, teleporting away before the shadow could crush him.
He reappeared beside Thomas.
The last three clones stood at the ready, battle-worn but determined.
Saponu rolled his shoulders.
His grin was gone now.
Instead, his eyes gleamed with something deeper.
Something deadly.
"You lasted longer than I thought."
The battlefield was now his completely.
The remaining ancestors were fighting his clones in the distance.
Monica and Epson were already gone.
Only Thomas and Wisdom stood before him now.
Saponu took a single step forward—
And the ground shattered beneath him.
WHOOSH!
The battlefield shook as Saponu vanished in a burst of speed—
CRACK!
His fist collided with Wisdom's face, sending him flying across the battlefield.
Wisdom flipped midair, reappearing instantly—SLAM!—his boot crashed into Saponu's jaw.
Saponu skidded back, only for Thomas and his remaining three clones to charge at him from different angles.
The Metal Manipulation clone swung a massive blade-arm at Saponu's neck.
The Speedster clone flickered through the air, aiming a lightning-fast punch at his spine.
The Explosion clone lunged forward, hands glowing with unstable energy.
"NOW!" Thomas roared.
All three attacked at once—
BAAAM!
Saponu's hand shot backward, crushing the Speedster's throat before he could land his strike.
SHLIIIK!
He caught the Metal Manipulation clone's blade-arm mid-swing and tore it clean, sending blood spraying.
BOOOOOOOM!!!!
The Explosion clone detonated himself, engulfing Saponu in a fiery shockwave.
Flames and smoke billowed into the sky.
For a moment, silence.
Then—
SHOOOOOM!!!
A pulse of black energy erupted from the explosion, dispersing the flames.
Saponu stood unscathed.
The Metal Manipulation clone collapsed, blood pooling beneath him.
The Speedster clone's neck was bent at an unnatural angle.
Only Thomas and Wisdom remained.
Thomas gasped for breath, his ribs burning from the earlier hit.
Wisdom wiped blood from his lip, his expression darkening.
He clenched his fists—his telekinetic energy rippling around him.
SZZZZZHHH!
Wisdom vanished, appearing behind Saponu.
BOOOOM!
A devastating punch sent Saponu hurtling into the debris of a ruined building.
Wisdom lifted his hand—massive boulders and chunks of metal levitated above him.
"CRUSH HIM!"
He hurled them down at Saponu's impact site.
THOOM! THOOM! THOOM!
The debris buried Saponu.
Silence.
Wisdom exhaled. "That should—"
BOOOOOM!!!!
A massive shockwave exploded from the rubble.
SLASH!
A dark tendril whipped out of the smoke and pierced Wisdom's abdomen, sending him crashing into a distant boulder.
Saponu walked out of the destruction, unfazed.
Wisdom coughed up blood, unable to move.
Thomas was alone.
His clones were gone.
His breath came in sharp gasps, but his eyes remained defiant.
Saponu tilted his head.
"You're out of tricks."
Thomas gritted his teeth.
No. Not yet.
Summoning every ounce of power, he activated Randomized Duplication one final time—
And created a single, unstable clone.
A Suicide Clone.
The moment it formed, the clone rushed to Saponu, preparing to self-destruct.
But—
Saponu raised a single finger.
"No."
SNAP!
Reality itself folded—
The clone was erased instantly.
Thomas's eyes widened in horror.
Saponu appeared in front of him.
SHLAAAK!
Saponu's hand plunged into Thomas's chest, fingers wrapping around his heart.
Thomas choked, blood dribbling from his lips.
Saponu leaned in, whispering—
"You fought well."
Then—
CRUSH!
Saponu squeezed, and Thomas's heart burst in his hand.
Blood splattered.
Thomas shuddered—then went still.
Saponu pulled his hand free, letting the lifeless body slump to the ground.
Blood dripped from his fingers.
Wisdom, watching through blurred vision, clenched his fists.
His sinister smile had vanished.
His face was serious.
Saponu slowly turned his head.
His cold gaze locked onto Helena Gyan.
On the other side of the battlefield—
Helena Gyan was locked in a brutal fight with a Saponu clone.
Her phantom beasts surrounded her, monstrous and deadly—
A serpent with burning golden eyes.
A winged spectral tiger.
A colossal armored knight, its sword raised.
The Saponu clone stood motionless, its eerie, hollow eyes locked onto her.
Then—
BAM!
The clone vanished.
Helena's heart pounded.
Where—?
SLASH!
A razor-sharp claw tore through her shoulder, sending her spinning.
She gasped, clutching the wound.
The clone stood behind her, its fingers elongating into jagged black blades.
Her creatures lunged—
But—
With a flick of its hand—
The clone erased them from existence.
Just like that.
Helena's eyes widened in horror.
The clone tilted its head.
It spoke—
But its voice was Saponu's.
"Your illusions are nothing to me."
Helena gritted her teeth.
She would not die like this.
Her phantom energy surged, twisting into new monstrous forms—
"ATTACK!!!"
Her creations charged.
And the brutal battle continued.