The clones fighting Helena Gyan all disappeared.
Now she stood alone.
Her heartbeat thundered in her ears.
Across the broken battlefield, Saponu's shadowy form slowly turned toward her, blood dripping from his hand.
Thomas's body lay crumpled at his feet.
A warning.
A promise.
Helena's fingers trembled, but she forced herself to stand straighter. Her long black coat fluttered in the rising wind. Her golden eyes gleamed.
"You'll regret that," she whispered.
Saponu smiled faintly. "Will I?"
"The shadows around him twisted, swallowing his figure for a moment. When they faded, he stood there, silent and unmoving."
Helena's mind raced.
"For just a second, Helena thought she saw two figures standing there... but when she blinked, only one remained."
Think, Helena. Think fast.
She thrust her hands forward.
FWWOOOM!
The ground in front of her shimmered—then tore open.
From the rift, a creature burst forth.
A towering beast made of bone and smoke, with six crimson eyes and blades for arms.
A Phantom Beast.
It let out a shrieking roar that shook the sky.
Saponu's smile widened in approval.
"Interesting."
Helena wasn't finished.
She whispered under her breath.
"Dance, illusions."
The world around her fractured.
Suddenly, ten copies of Helena blinked into existence, surrounding Saponu on all sides.
Each illusion crackled with fake power, their auras indistinguishable from the real one.
The Phantom Beast lunged.
BOOOOM!
Its massive claws slashed down.
Saponu moved, blurring through the attacks, striking at the illusions—only for them to vanish into mist.
Helena weaved through her illusions, staying hidden among them.
Every heartbeat mattered.
Every breath could be her last.
Saponu's fists tore through another illusion—and paused.
His eyes narrowed.
He sensed it now.
The real Helena was preparing something deeper.
She gritted her teeth, raising both hands high.
Dark energy coiled in her palms, forming a second, even larger Phantom—a shadow dragon with wings wide enough to cover the battlefield.
The air grew heavy.
Even Saponu tilted his head slightly, cautious.
The dragon roared, shaking the heavens.
Helena pointed at Saponu.
"Devour him!"
The dragon lunged, jaws wide.
The Phantom Beast followed, striking from the side.
Saponu stood still.
And smiled.
"Nice tricks," he said.
CRACK!
With a snap of his fingers, a giant rift of pure shadow tore through the battlefield.
The illusions shattered.
The Phantom Beast howled as it was ripped apart.
The dragon screamed, wings crumbling into black dust.
Helena staggered, feeling the backlash tear through her mind.
Blood trickled from her nose.
Saponu appeared in front of her.
Closer than she could react.
His hand rose—claws forming from his fingers.
SHING!
He slashed—
But Helena twisted, just barely dodging.
The claws tore through her coat, leaving a burning cut along her ribs.
She grunted, stumbling back.
Saponu's eyes gleamed.
"You're fast," he said. "But not fast enough."
Helena wiped the blood from her side, breathing hard.
She couldn't win.
Not like this.
But maybe—
Maybe she didn't need to.
Saponu lunged, faster than thought.
Helena shouted a command.
"NOW!"
Beneath her feet, the ground exploded upward—another hidden Phantom Beast, perfectly timed.
It slammed into Saponu, knocking him off course.
For a split second, Helena saw real surprise flash across his face.
She spun, summoning every ounce of her power.
A wall of phantom fire roared up between them.
A desperate barrier.
Saponu snarled, shadows pounding against the flames.
Helena didn't wait.
"I will not die like this."
Her phantom energy surged, twisting into new monstrous forms.
"ATTACK!!!"
Her creations charged.
The first to strike was a hulking, four-armed beast, its body made of black mist, its fists crackling with phantom energy.
The second was a levitating wraith, its body shifting between existence and nothingness, a long, jagged spear in its hands.
The third was a massive, many-eyed hound, its glowing fangs dripping with spectral venom.
They lunged together, their combined force powerful enough to tear through reality itself.
For a moment, it seemed as if they had overwhelmed the clone.
Then—
WHOOSH!
The he vanished.
Helena's stomach dropped.
CRAAAAACK!
A brutal kick smashed into her ribs, sending her flying backward.
She hit the ground hard, pain exploding through her body.
SLASH!
A shadowy claw ripped through her shoulder, blood spraying into the air.
She barely had time to register the pain before the clone materialized again, its fingers elongating into jagged black blades.
Her creatures twisted in agony—
The phantom beast swung its massive fists, but the Saponu simply phased through its attack and sliced it in half.
The wraith hurled its spear—
FZZZZZT!
He erased it midair, snapping its fingers as if it were nothing.
The hound lunged, its jaws wide—
But the he caught it by the throat, twisting once—
SNAP!
The beast vanished.
Her illusions were gone.
Her greatest weapons are… useless.
Helena staggered back, sweat and blood dripping down her face.
Saponu tilted his head, observing her like an insect beneath his foot.
"Your illusions mean nothing to me," he said.
Helena's breath hitched.
Her mind raced.
Her phantoms couldn't harm him.
Her energy was draining.
She had one last move.
A desperate, final curse.
She forced herself to smile.
"You might kill me... but I'm taking you with me."
Saponu's eyes flickered.
He darted forward.
Helena let him.
SHLAAK!
Saponu's hand plunged into her stomach.
Pain exploded through her body.
She coughed up blood, her vision spinning.
But she didn't resist.
Because at that moment—
Her final parasite activated.
A Phantom Parasite.
A deadly, invisible curse burrowing into Saponu's essence.
His body stiffened. His form trembled.
The energy within him twisted violently.
He let out a distorted, inhuman shriek.
Helena grinned, blood dripping from her lips.
"You die with me."
Then—
BOOOOOM!!!
A pulse of phantom energy erupted from within Saponu, tearing him apart.
His body twisted and contorted, breaking into pieces.
Then—
It vanished like smoke swallowed by the night.
Helena collapsed to her knees.
Her body shook violently.
Her breath was shallow.
She thought she had won.
But it was only a mere clone.
A cold voice broke the silence behind her.
"You fought well," Saponu said, almost bored. "But it was meaningless."
Helena turned weakly.
The real Saponu stood there, untouched, his gaze empty.
Her vision blurred.
Faint voices whispered in her ears.
Then—
Everything faded to black....
The War Rages On
CRAAAACK!!!
A Saponu clone's fist smashed into Richard Mawunyo's ribs, sending him tumbling backward.
At the same time—
THWACK!
Joseph Obuko sent a punch into a clone's stomach, sending it flying.
The battlefield roared with chaos as Richard and Joseph fought side by side, taking on the last four remaining Saponu clones.
Joseph had already destroyed three, his gambling ability tilting fate in his favor. Every strike he landed carried the force of unbelievable luck, warping reality to his advantage.
BOOOM!!!
A devastating kick from Joseph shattered another clone's chest, its body disintegrating into shadow.
Four down.
But the remaining clones showed no signs of slowing.
They surged forward—full of energy, relentless, merciless.
This fight was far from over.
At the far end of the battlefield, stood the real Saponu.
Suddenly —
WHOOSH!
A sharp gust of wind rushed past as Wisdom Wokata teleported, reappearing just inches from Saponu with a fist aimed directly at his ribs.
BAAAM!!!
The impact cracked through the battlefield, sending shockwaves rippling through the ground. Saponu's body bent slightly from the force, but his expression remained unreadable.
Wisdom didn't stop—he vanished again, flickering behind Saponu.
CRACK!!!
His knee smashed into Saponu's spine.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
He unleashed a flurry of rapid strikes, teleporting between each blow, attacking from every possible angle. His movements became erratic—too fast, too unpredictable. It was as if Wisdom himself was being pulled deeper into the chaos of his own mind.
But then—
SHOOOOM!
A wave of darkness pulsed outward as Saponu exploded with power, repelling Wisdom with a sudden force that sent him skidding backward.
Saponu straightened, rolling his shoulders. His piercing eyes locked onto Wisdom, unimpressed.
"You're fast." His voice was calm. "But speed alone won't save you."
Wisdom grinned, but there was something off about it—something unhinged.
"That's fine." His voice was a whisper. "I don't need to be saved."
He disappeared again.
BOOOOM!!!
Saponu blocked just in time as Wisdom materialized midair, bringing down a devastating ax kick. The ground beneath them cratered from the impact.
They clashed at impossible speeds—fists meeting fists, teleportation countered by rifts, raw force against sheer insanity.
Each attack was faster, more brutal.
BAM! CRACK! BOOOM!
Wisdom's teleportations became increasingly erratic, his body flickering from one side of the battlefield to the other, striking from impossible angles. Saponu was forced to react faster than ever before, weaving through each unpredictable assault with razor-sharp precision.
Wisdom vanished—
Then reappeared upside down midair—
BAAAM!!!
His heel crashed into Saponu's shoulder.
Saponu barely flinched—he grabbed Wisdom's ankle and spun.
WHOOSH!
Saponu hurled him like a ragdoll—
CRASH!!!
Wisdom smashed through a crumbling wall, flipping midair to land on his feet.
He grinned.
Then he flickered again—
WHOOSH!
Saponu turned, raising a hand to block, but—
SWIPE!
Wisdom's teleportation feint left an opening. His palm slammed against Saponu's temple—
BZZZZT!
A sudden burst of telekinetic force sent Saponu staggering back for the first time in the fight.
Wisdom's eyes gleamed.
"Yes… Yes… Let me see more…"
He teleported again—
BAM! A punch to the gut.
BAM! A palm strike to the throat.
BAM! A knee to the ribs.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Each hit landed.
But—
Saponu didn't move.
His body absorbed the punishment, standing completely still.
Then—
He exhaled.
FWOOOSH!
A sudden gust of wind pulsed from Saponu's body, dispersing the surrounding energy.
Wisdom blinked.
Saponu raised his eyes.
Then he was gone.
WHOOSH!
Wisdom's instincts screamed—
CRAAAACK!!!
A brutal fist collided with Wisdom's ribs, sending him flying.
BOOOOM!!!
He crashed onto the ground, coughing up blood.
He gasped, trying to teleport—
BUT—
Saponu was already there.
BOOOOM!
A devastating uppercut launched Wisdom into the air.
Saponu flickered—
WHAM!!!
A spinning kick smashed into Wisdom's side, sending him hurtling back down.
BOOOOM!!!
Wisdom crashed into the ground, leaving a deep crater.
Dust and debris filled the air.
Silence.
Then—
A laugh.
Low. Shaky. Growing.
Wisdom staggered to his feet, his grin splitting wider.
His eyes twitched.
His fingers trembled.
Then—
The voice came.
A soft whisper at first.
"Kill him…"
Wisdom's breath hitched. His vision was blurred. His heartbeat pounded in his ears.
Saponu's fist slammed into his chest—
CRAAAACK!!!
Wisdom was sent flying, crashing into the ruins of a broken building. Dust and debris exploded into the air.
But he didn't feel the pain.
Because the voice wouldn't stop.
"Dissect him… Study him…"
Wisdom's fingers dug into the ground, his breathing ragged. His head throbbed. The battlefield was still there, but his mind was unraveling, twisting under the weight of obsession.
Saponu watched him carefully. "Something's wrong with you."
Wisdom's eye twitched. "Wrong?"
He started laughing. It was low at first, then louder, manic, unstable.
"I've never been more RIGHT!"
BOOOM!!!
Wisdom reappeared in front of Saponu with a spinning kick. Saponu dodged.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
A flurry of attacks rained down, but they weren't the same as before. There was no longer a calculated precision to them—only raw, desperate madness.
Saponu caught one of Wisdom's punches and twisted his arm—
CRACK!
Wisdom screamed—but it wasn't a scream of pain. It was laughter.
Saponu narrowed his eyes. "You're losing it."
Wisdom's grin widened, his pupils dilating.
"Losing? No… No, no, no… I've found it!"
The voice in his head was no longer whispering.
It was screaming.
"TEAR HIM APART! TEAR HIM OPEN! STUDY HIM! UNDERSTAND HIM! EXPERIMENT! EXPERIMENT! EXPERIMENT!!!"
Wisdom's aura twisted violently. His body flickered uncontrollably.
He no longer fought with logic. He no longer fought with reason.
He fought like someone consumed by madness.