Its entire torso ignited, not flame, but mirror-flame.
It copied the 4-strike rhythm and hit me with its own combo immediately: shoulder feint, leg trip, downward elbow. My head snapped sideways as it struck—
-
[ Burn Stack: 4 ]
[ Defense Reduced – 6.3% (1.5s) ]
-
I skidded across the stone floor, coughing blood. My system warned me—cooldowns delayed, pressure rising.
I stood again. Wiped my mouth. Gave it a slow nod.
"Alright." I sprinted.
One, two—faint steps. Ember igniting from heel to knuckle.
Feint. Real. Redirect. Snap.
I switched my tempo.
Strike 5 was a shoulder tap that became a knee feint. Strike 6 hit air—but it dodged late. Strike 7—
—caught its jaw.
[ Emberfang Strike 7 – Burn Stack: 7 ]
[ Critical: Disoriented (0.3s) ]
I kept going.
Strike 8: body hook. 9: step-through elbow. 10: backhand redirect.
The Manifest faltered—its mimicry starting to lag, unable to keep up with the broken rhythm.
