After the intense battle against Shadow Knight and Obsidian, Hana and Rina knew that the Shadow Generals' attacks were becoming increasingly dangerous. They needed to train and strengthen themselves to face what was to come.
However, their enemies were not standing still either.
In Noctis's dark domain, a new strategy was being devised.
Shade, the master of illusions, watched his sisters fail one after the other.
– Selene bet on manipulation. Obsidian bet on strength.– He smiled, bored. – lt seems that no one here understands true terror... the fear of the unknown.
Noctis stared at him with his lightless gaze.
–So, Shade... do you have a plan?
– Of course, my lord.– Shade smiled, his voice echoing as if spoken in several dimensions at once. – If strength and corruption have failed, then let us play with their minds.– I want to see how long they can hold out before they lose their sanity.
With a gesture, he summoned a new monster.
From the shadows emerged Phantom Trickster, a tall, thin creature with a face split in half—half smiling, half crying. His hands were long and thin, and his body distorted like smoke.
— Go, Phantom Trickster. Take them to a nightmare they can't wake up from.
The monster laughed in a distorted voice before disappearing into the darkness.
---
In the city, Hana and Rina were gathered in a café, trying to better understand the enemy attacks.
— They're coming too fast. — Lunar Bloom muttered, looking at the teacup in her hands.
— They're testing our limits. — Sakura Eclipse agreed, crossing her arms. — And if they keep increasing the difficulty, I don't know how long we'll be able to hold on.
It was then that a strange sound echoed through the street.
A laugh... faint and distant.
Hana and Rina exchanged glances.
— Did you hear that? — Lunar Bloom asked.
Sakura Eclipse nodded.
— Let's check it out.
They ran out of the café and followed the sound. It was coming from a narrow, mist-covered alley.
As they entered, they noticed that the world around them began to distort.
– Something's wrong… – Lunar Bloom said, looking at the surrounding buildings that seemed to shimmer like a mirage.
Suddenly, a laugh echoed above them.
– Welcome to my theater, Warriors of Light.
The two looked up and saw Shade, sitting on a lamppost that seemed to constantly melt and reshape itself.
– Shade,– Sakura Eclipse growled.
– Oh, how serious! – Shade sighed, feigning annoyance.
–But let's make this fun…
He snapped his fingers, and the air around them distorted.
Suddenly, Lunar Bloom and Sakura Eclipse were no longer in the alley.
They were in a gigantic hall of mirrors, with endless reflections of themselves stretching out in every direction.
– What… is this?!– Lunar Bloom looked around in alarm.
Shade's laughter filled the air.
–This is Phantom Trickster's domain. A place where you can't even trust your own eyes.
One of Lunar Bloom's reflections smiled… and stepped out of the mirror.
–What?!
Before she could react, her copy attacked with a blast of lunar energy.
Lunar Bloom dodged at the last second, but was grazed by the blow.
– That… that's not me!
Sakura Eclipse jumped and tried to attack one of the mirrors with her Eclipse Blossom Strike!, but the attack simply passed through the surface and exploded into a false reflection.
– Our abilities aren't working properly!
Shade appeared in one of the mirrors, laughing.
– Oh, of course! This place follows my rules. You will fight your own fears, your own doubts... and in the end, you will no longer know what is real and what is an illusion.
Phantom Trickster appeared behind them, his arms extending and spinning like puppet strings.
– Let's play, little warriors... let's see who's the real one!
The copies began to appear from all sides.
Lunar Bloom and Sakura Eclipse were surrounded.
And the worst part... they didn't know which attack would come from a real copy or an illusion.
Shade smiled.
– Let the show begin.