A heavy silence fell over the battlefield as the underground prison trembled under the weight of an overwhelming presence. Dust and debris drifted from the ceiling, and the air became thick with oppressive energy.
David, Saponu, Peter, and Randy all felt it—the sheer power descending upon them.
Then, in an instant, seven figures appeared, standing atop the ruins of the battlefield like gods surveying their domain.
At the front stood Monica Kwashi, her golden amulet pulsating with a faint glow. Her brown eyes, once filled with warmth, now burned with cold fury as she scanned the fallen ancestors.
Beside her, Joseph Obuko crossed his arms, the shifting numbers in his eerie white eyes flickering as he observed the battlefield with calculating precision.
Richard Mawunyo, his albino-white skin shimmering under the dim light, let out a low chuckle. "So, this is what we're dealing with?" he mused, cracking his knuckles. "I was expecting more of a challenge."
Thomas Mills, silent and deadly, stood still, his sharp white hair barely moving as his deep brown eyes locked onto Saponu. His fingers twitched, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
Helena Gyan sighed, brushing invisible dust from her robes. "You made quite a mess," she said, her voice calm but carrying an unmistakable undertone of disapproval.
Epson Nii Nortey exhaled sharply, his glowing green eyes narrowing at David. The sigils on his arms pulsed, radiating ominous energy. "That prisoner…" he muttered, almost to himself. "I want him."
And finally, at the rear, Wisdom Wokata adjusted his dark research coat. His deep blue eyes, tired yet unwavering, examined Saponu and David as though analyzing a complex equation.
Then Monica stepped forward, her gaze locking onto Saponu.
"You," she said, her voice sharp with restrained rage. "You've done enough damage."
Saponu smirked, unbothered. "Oh? And what do you plan to do about it?"
Monica raised her hand. A golden light flared around her fingers, forming intricate symbols in the air. "Kill you," she said simply.
Before she could attack, Saponu raised his hand, his Copyeyes glowing intensely.
"David, Peter, Randy," he said without turning to them. Get out of sight. Now."
David's eyes widened. "What?"
"This isn't a fight you can win," Saponu stated firmly. You did your part. Let me handle this.
Peter clenched his fists. "But—"
"No buts!" Saponu snapped. "This fight is beyond you." Do what I say and hide!
Randy hesitated, but seeing Saponu's unwavering gaze, he grabbed Peter and David, dragging them toward the shadows.
As soon as they vanished, Saponu's Copyeyes flashed brilliantly, and in an instant—
Seven perfect clones materialized beside him, each identical to the original.
He smirked. "Let's see if you can handle this."
Seven Against Seven
The seven ancestors wasted no time.
Monica lunged forward, golden energy surging. Joseph calculated the best trajectory for attack. Richard cracked his knuckles, preparing for brute force combat. Thomas vanished, moving with deadly precision. Helena raised her hands, already distorting reality. Epson summoned his cursed chains, and Wisdom…
Wisdom simply stood back, his deep blue eyes observing everything, not making a single move.
Saponu noticed. He's not attacking?
He didn't have time to think about it—his clones had already engaged in battle.
One clone clashed against Monica, dodging her golden strikes with inhuman reflexes. Another clone went after Joseph, moving unpredictably to counter his calculations. A third clone exchanged heavy blows with Richard, their raw power shaking the ground. Thomas' clone engaged in a rapid, high-speed duel, while another clone weaved through Helena's illusions, trying to keep its sense of reality intact.
Meanwhile, the real Saponu and one of his clones stepped toward Epson.
Epson narrowed his eyes. "Trying to double-team me? A mistake."
Saponu smirked. "No, the mistake was underestimating me."
Epson raised his hand, and instantly, chains of cursed energy erupted from the ground, aiming for Saponu and his clone.
But this time, Saponu was ready.
His Copyeyes flashed as he dodged smoothly, the clone following his exact movements. The cursed chains missed completely.
Epson's eyes widened slightly. "You—"
"Your tricks won't work on me this time," Saponu cut in, his voice cold. "I know all about your stupid abilities, and you're not going to get me a second time."
Epson gritted his teeth and launched another wave of chains, but Saponu countered with a black flame slash, cutting through them midair.
"I will surely get my powers back by killing you," Saponu growled, dashing forward.
The clone mirrored his movements, attacking from the opposite side.
Epson barely had time to react—one moment, Saponu was in front of him, and the next, the clone struck from behind.
Epson managed to block the clone's attack, but the real Saponu capitalized on the opening, slamming his fist into Epson's ribs.
"Ugh!" Epson staggered back, but his hands moved fast, engraving new sigils into the air.
Saponu's eyes narrowed. More tricks?
The ground trembled as black mist erupted from Epson's body.
"This is where you fall," Epson growled.
But Saponu only smirked, Copyeyes glowing.
"We'll see about that."
Meanwhile…
Wisdom Wokata remained where he was, watching everything unfold.
His deep blue eyes followed Saponu's every move, studying his clones, his techniques, his adaptability.
He exhaled softly. "Interesting."
But he still didn't make a move.
And Saponu… had no idea why.
The battlefield was filled with chaos—clones clashing against ancestors, golden light clashing against illusions, and brute force battling raw speed. But in the midst of it all, the real Saponu and his clone focused solely on Epson.
Dark mist swirled around Epson as he finished engraving sigils into the air. The symbols glowed ominously before shattering like glass, releasing an unseen force.
Saponu's Copyeyes gleamed as he instantly jumped backward, barely avoiding a sudden spatial distortion that cracked the ground where he had just stood.
His clone, however, wasn't as lucky.
BOOM!
An invisible force crushed the clone's right side, sending it tumbling across the battlefield. Its form flickered, struggling to maintain its shape.
Epson smirked. "You're fast, but my seals don't miss twice."
Saponu gritted his teeth. He could feel the energy radiating from the sigils—these weren't just ordinary seals. They were designed to bend space itself, warping the battlefield to Epson's advantage.
Without hesitation, Epson raised his hand again, and another set of six seals formed in the air.
"Spatial Entombment!"
The seals suddenly expanded, forming a cage of distorted space around Saponu. Inside, the very air twisted, making it impossible to tell up from down.
Saponu's Copyeyes rapidly analyzed the field. The space inside the entombment wasn't stable—every movement he made could be distorted, throwing him in the wrong direction or even crushing his own body against itself.
Epson grinned. "This prison bends reality itself." Struggle all you want, but you won't escape.
Saponu smirked. "Is that so?"
His Copyeyes flickered, locking onto the subtle cracks in the distorted space.
Without hesitation, he threw a black flame slash at one of the cracks.
The flame traveled forward, then suddenly curved backward, heading straight toward himself.
Epson's smirk widened. "I told you. Your attacks will only come back to—"
BOOM!
The flames didn't hit Saponu. Instead, they collided against one of the unstable spatial distortions, triggering a chain reaction.
CRACK!
The entire Spatial Entombment shattered like fragile glass, collapsing in on itself before vanishing completely.
Epson's eyes widened in shock. "What?!"
Saponu dashed forward, closing the gap instantly. His clone recovered, joining the attack.
Epson barely had time to react before the real Saponu appeared in front of him. A devastating punch slammed into his chest, sending him skidding backward.
But before he could recover—
SLASH!
The clone's black flame blade sliced downward, aiming straight for Epson's shoulder.
At the last second, Epson activated another sigil, vanishing into a black mist just before the blade could connect.
He reappeared several meters away, panting heavily. His hand clutched his side where Saponu's punch had landed.
"Dammit…" Epson muttered under his breath.
Saponu straightened, his Copyeyes glowing with confidence. "Looks like your little tricks aren't enough to hold me anymore."
Epson's face darkened. "I see. You're adapting faster than expected."
He raised both hands, forming an even larger and more complex set of sigils in the air.
"Then let's see how you handle this."
Saponu's smirk faded slightly as he analyzed the growing power behind Epson's next attack.
The battle was far from over.