Another clash. Another echo.
Jisoo slammed shoulder-first into the ground, breath ragged, sliding through dust and cracked tile. Her duplicate blurred past her, chasing that half-second of imbalance.
Yujin's clone struck in tandem, serpentine limbs flexing as it locked its jaws over her shifting wrist. She howled, morphing mid-grapple, slamming a clawed foot into its chest to break free.
They were being pushed harder. Again.
Each engagement was faster. Smarter. Their shadows weren't just mimicking anymore.
They were evolving.
And Jin saw it happen from across the plaza.
Every step he took was mirrored. Every twitch. His clone hadn't blinked since it reformed—eyes flat, hollow, still watching him like prey it hadn't decided how to kill yet.
Jin's pulse didn't rise.
But something behind his ribs began to twist.
His fingers gripped Muramasa's sheath as his voice cut across the battlefield:
"Change the way you fight!"
