Standing atop a jagged rock, Wisdom Wokata watched the battlefield with a sinister smile. His deep blue eyes flickered as he observed Saponu's clones clashing with the ancestors. He remained motionless, arms folded, as if enjoying a show only he could understand.
"Interesting…" he muttered, his gaze lingering on Saponu's display of power.
Meanwhile, Richard Mawunyo roared as he unleashed a blast of searing heat at Saponu's clone, causing the air between them to ripple violently. The clone barely had time to leap back before the ground beneath him was scorched black. But just as the clone landed, Richard's attack suddenly reversed—freezing the air instantly.
Saponu's clone shivered as frost clung to his body. His movements slowed, his limbs stiffening. Richard chuckled, eyes glowing with amusement.
"You're strong, I'll admit," Richard said, rubbing his hands together, generating steam as his temperature fluctuated. "But strength alone won't help when your body betrays you."
The clone clenched his jaw, then forced his limbs to move. His Copyeyes gleamed, analyzing Richard's patterns. With a flicker of energy, he vanished, appearing behind Richard with a spinning kick aimed at his head.
Richard reacted instantly. The moment the attack landed, his body flared with heat so intense that Saponu's clone flinched. The burning pain forced him to retreat, but Richard was already swinging his fist, the air cracking as it transitioned from molten heat to freezing cold in an instant.
The clone barely dodged, rolling to the side before sending a flurry of precise strikes toward Richard's ribs. But the ancestor laughed, his body shifting temperatures to block each blow. The heat melted away attacks, the cold numbed impact.
"It's useless," Richard said with a grin. "Your attacks can't harm me." Not when I control the very temperature you fight at.
Saponu's clone narrowed his eyes. Then, without warning, he lunged forward again—not aiming for Richard, but the ground. He struck the earth beneath them with immense force, causing the battlefield to shake violently.
Richard stumbled as the ground cracked and split. The sudden instability disrupted his control, and for the first time, his balance faltered.
Seizing the moment, the clone appeared right in front of Richard with a powerful punch aimed at his gut. This time, Richard was unable to shift his temperature in time. The force sent him flying backward, slamming into a crumbling wall of rock.
But before the clone could press forward, a rush of cold filled the air, and Richard emerged from the debris, grinning despite a trickle of blood on his lip.
"Now we're talking," he growled.
As their fight raged on, elsewhere on the battlefield,
Monica stood tall, her golden aura shimmering softly. She watched as one of Saponu's clones circled her, his Copyeyes glowing as he analyzed her every move. But Monica did not react, her expression calm and unreadable.
"You're different," the clone observed. Not attacking like the others. What's your game?
Monica smiled slightly, tilting her head. "I don't need to attack."
Suddenly, the clone's vision blurred. His thoughts wavered. He could feel something invading his mind, twisting his sense of control.
His hands twitched involuntarily. His legs refused to move the way he wanted.
Monica took a step forward. "Your mind… it's mine now."
The clone gritted his teeth, trying to resist, but his own body betrayed him. His fists unclenched against his will, his stance faltering. His Copyeyes flickered, losing focus.
"Fighting me with strength is meaningless," Monica whispered. "When I control the battlefield within your head."
The clone struggled, but it was as if invisible strings were pulling at him. His movements were sluggish, uncoordinated. Monica reached out with one hand, and his body followed—stepping toward her as if drawn by an unseen force.
"Damn it…!" the clone growled, forcing his mind to resist. His Copyeyes flared with a burst of energy, scanning Monica's aura, searching for a weakness.
Monica's smile remained. "Go ahead, analyze all you want. You will still fall."
The clone suddenly twisted his body, fighting against her mental grip. He needed to break free—fast. He had seen how dangerous her abilities were.
With a burst of power, he leaped backward, creating as much distance as possible. But Monica simply raised her hand.
"Stop."
The command rang through his mind like a bell. His body froze midair. He couldn't move. His own body refused to obey him.
Monica walked toward him, eyes glowing with absolute control. "You can't fight back anymore."
The clone's mind screamed, but his body stood still, as if locked in invisible chains.
Monica raised her other hand, and suddenly, the clone's arm moved on its own, twisting unnaturally. A sharp pain shot through him as if his own body was turning against itself.
"You think you're special because you can copy abilities," Monica said, stepping even closer. But you can't copy my mind. You can't copy my control.
The clone struggled desperately, his Copyeyes flickering wildly, searching for anything that could break her grip. But it was no use. The golden aura around Monica pulsed, reinforcing her dominance over his mind.
"Now," Monica whispered, her voice dangerously soft, "kneel."
Against his will, the clone's legs buckled. He crashed to the ground, his arms dropping limply at his sides. He was completely at her mercy.
Monica knelt beside him, tilting her head as she examined him like a curious experiment. "I could make you do anything right now," she mused. "I could force you to fight your own allies… make you strike down Saponu himself."
A wicked gleam entered her warm brown eyes, and for the first time, the clone felt true fear.
"Or…" Monica tapped her chin, as if considering. "I could just make you end yourself."
The clone's own hand began to rise, fingers curling into a fist aimed at his own chest. His breath hitched as his body moved entirely on its own. His Copyeyes blinked rapidly, desperate for an answer, a way out—
"That's enough," a voice interrupted.
Monica turned sharply, her grip loosening just enough for the clone to breathe again. She looked up and saw Wisdom Wokata watching from his perch, his sinister smile widening.
"Let him struggle a little more," Wisdom said, his deep blue eyes glowing with amusement. "I want to see how much further he can go before he truly breaks."
The clone gasped for breath, sweat dripping from his forehead. Monica, however, simply smiled.
"Of course," she said sweetly, turning her attention back to the helpless clone.
The battle was far from over—but Monica had already taken control.
BOOOOM!
A deafening explosion shook the battlefield, the force of it sending cracks through the ground. At the very center, Saponu and his clone clashed with Epson, their movements a blur of speed and power against the pulsing darkness of Epson's curse seals.
Epson's deep green eyes gleamed with satisfaction as the intricate curse symbols beneath them pulsed, growing stronger with each second. "You're caught," he said, his voice filled with certainty. "This seal will crush you."
Saponu gritted his teeth, feeling the immense weight pressing down on him. But at that moment, something else tugged at his awareness—one of his clones was in trouble.
His Copyeyes flickered, instantly recognizing the location. Monica.
Without hesitation, Saponu activated his ability. Another clone materialized beside him, standing tall despite the weight of the curse.
"Go," Saponu commanded, his voice firm and unwavering. Help the other clone. Don't let Monica get the upper hand.
The newly created clone nodded without a word and vanished in a blur, racing across the battlefield toward the fight with Monica.
Up above, watching with keen interest, Wisdom Wokata smirked. His deep blue eyes shone with amusement, his sharp gaze never missing a detail.
"Interesting," he murmured, resting his chin on his hand. His sinister smile widened. Even under Epson's curse, he could still create another copy... and yet, he's splitting his forces even more. "Just how long can you keep this up, Saponu?"
Back on the battlefield, Epson let out a low chuckle. "You're overextending yourself," he mocked. "Creating more clones while already under my seal? You're signing your own defeat."
Saponu, despite the crushing pressure, smirked. His Copyeyes glowed brighter. "Then I'll just make sure you don't get the chance to win."
With a sudden burst of speed, he moved.
The battle raged on.