[KEN'S POV]
The doppelganger lunged at me with blinding speed, its blade slicing down in a savage arc. I barely managed to raise my sword in time, steel clashing against steel. The impact sent a tremor through my arms.
Before I could steady myself, it twisted mid-air and slammed a kick into my ribs. Pain shot through my side. My suit absorbed most of the blow, and the psychic shielding dulled the rest, but it still hurt like hell.
I stumbled back, breath ragged, and coated my blade in psychic energy. It hummed, the weight doubling instantly—just like High Lord Inquisitor Marcos had warned. This sword wasn't normal.
The doppelganger mirrored my stance, its eyes glowing with the same psychic pressure I felt radiating from myself.
I charged forward and unleashed a crescent-shaped psychic slash. It responded with an identical strike. Our attacks collided mid-air, exploding in a shockwave of light and smoke. Trees swayed violently from the impact, leaves ripped from branches.
Hidden in the smoke, I repositioned, darting to its blind spot.
I emerged from behind it, blade thrusting for its back. At the last second, the doppelganger spun around and parried. Our swords clashed, sparks flying. I was forced back by the sheer force behind its block.
I clenched my teeth. No way… I'd assumed it shared my weaknesses. I thought the weight of the psychic blade would hinder its reaction time—just like mine.
But I was wrong.
Its movements were cleaner. Sharper. It wasn't just copying me. It was fighting better than me.
Frustration built. My muscles tensed. The doppelganger stepped forward with a chilling calm and vanished from sight.
—Behind me!
I ducked on instinct. A psychic blade tore through the air where my head had been. Another downward slash followed. I rolled to the side just in time, the edge of the sword grazing my shoulder armor.
Too close.
This is me? I thought. But stronger? Faster? Why does it fight like this?
Then it clicked.
I'd been using this sword like a normal weapon—quick, agile, light. But it wasn't. This was a heavy blade, a psychic weapon made for devastating, armor-shattering blows. Not finesse.
I've been using it wrong this whole time.
As realization dawned, the doppelganger rushed me again, launching a flurry of precise, rapid slashes. I covered my hands and blade in dense psychic energy and blocked each blow, my arms vibrating from the strain.
I waited for an opening. Then I struck—a wide, cleaving arc laced with psychic force. The doppelganger dodged, but the swing tore through the trees behind it, leveling an entire patch of forest.
Its eyes narrowed.
It charged again. Our swords met, sparks dancing with each clash. I threw my sword into the air. The doppelganger's gaze flicked upward.
That was my chance.
I surged forward and slammed a psychic-empowered punch into its face. It flew backward, crashing into a boulder with enough force to crack the stone.
My sword dropped back into my hand.
I stood tall, panting but satisfied. "Guess that's over."
But I was wrong again.
The doppelganger exploded from the rubble like a missile. I barely raised my blade in time to block, but the impact sent me flying. My back slammed into a jagged rock. Pain erupted in my chest. I coughed blood.
Everything ached. I couldn't move. My vision blurred.
The doppelganger approached with slow, deliberate steps. It raised its sword.
Damn it. Move. MOVE!
Just as the blade descended—
BOOM!
The doppelganger's torso exploded in a burst of searing psychic fire. Its body was torn apart, vanishing into smoking fragments.
I turned toward the source.
[THEO'S POV – moments earlier]
Perched atop the colony's highest tower, I adjusted the sights of my Vel'korr Talon. My breathing was steady. Calm.
"Got you," I muttered as I locked onto the doppelganger below.
Ken was struggling. Badly. I didn't have time to shout a warning.
I pulled the trigger.
The psychic-charged round roared from the barrel, soaring across the battlefield like a meteor—and hit dead center.
[KEN'S POV]
My comms crackled to life.
"Ken," Theo's voice came through—serious, sharp. Not his usual easygoing tone. "Focus. That's not the end of it."
I sat up slowly, muscles screaming in protest. "That's why you ran off? To find high ground?"
"Yeah," he replied. "I'm heading to support the others now. Try not to die before I get back."
"Thanks for the assist," I muttered, standing up.
My gaze turned toward the remaining enemy—the mage who stood calmly across the ruined battlefield.
I pointed my blade at him.
"Your turn now."