One after another Tobias's men try desperately to push the clones off. Ifani launches an arrow straight at the head of one and the clone yelled as it echoed the room. A dust cloud formed into a silhouette of the clone, and the man thanked Ifani. But before he could turn around to draw another arrow the man cried out in pain. Another clone of the red cloaked teen, piercing into the side of his rib caged with his dagger. Ifani yelled out for his teammate, but it was too late he was bleeding too much and losing an immense amount of blood. "Aww what's the matter? Losing your cool after losing one teammate? You need to focus instead of worrying about others."
Ifani seething with rage draws his bow and fires into the head of the clone. The clone yelps and another silhouette of dust forms in his place. Jeune and Ifani stand back to back scanning the situation. The men that came into help are still struggling with all these clones, as one is eliminated, two more seem to appear randomly out of their line of sight.
"Gah! Where the hell is this bastard! He's genuinely pissing me off!" Yelled a frustrated Jeune.
"I don't know! It feels like we're not making any damn progress killing these guys!" As Ifani launches another arrow into the head of a clone that was charging at him. The dust choked Ifani as the momentum from the clone blew towards him. "Try to stay focused blondie!" Ifani looks up to see another one dropping down towards him with both daggers ready to plunge deep into him. He had no time to react to reach his next arrow. Suddenly a dagger flew past Ifani's head and struck the throat of the psychopath. He gurgled and grabbed his throat only to immediately turn to dust. Jeune dive rolls and catches her dagger in the process.
The other mercenaries are getting overwhelmed and slowly losing their numbers till it's just the two of them. Ifani and Juene huddled back to back again fending off the waves of these bloodthirsty clones. As Juene was looking around the room for any sign, anything to stop them, she notices a faint warped reflection on one of the high windows of the ballroom. "Hey, I have an idea, but it could be a hunch."
"A hunch is better than nothing, whatever you're planning, do it fast or we're screwed!" as he whacks one of the close with his bow straight onto his head.
She pulls out a small leather size ball with a short fuse sticking out. She grabs the tip of the fuse gently and lights it on the underside of her boot. It quickly ignites into a burst of white light and immediately chucks it at the wall next to the window. The force of the throw smashes the small ball into pieces and with a chain reaction creates a medium size explosion shattering the window. A loud scream of pain was heard and in a shocking moment all the clones shrieked in pain as well, and all turned to dust. Then a cloaked person with black smoke followed his trail as he landed and tumbled onto the floor making a loud thud sound. The shattered glass rained all over the cloaked man and sprinkled across Ifani and Jeune as well.
"What the hell?!?" Ifani yelled out flabbergasted.
"I... didn't think... that would actually work..." As Jeune said, unsure what she just saw. The cloaked figure slowly rose visibly shaken as he removed his hood. He had dark silver hair and red eyes and was younger than they expected now that they had a good look to his face. He could be no more than fifteen years old. "You...you stupid, stupid bastards. I almost had you finished... then you pull that stupid move... I should've just focused on killing you two from the start." His attitude seemed like a tantrum child.
"Pretty scary trick of summoning clones of yourself. I'm guessing that's dark magic you have." As Ifani said in an exhausted tone.
"Shut up! Shut! UP! No way I'm going to fail my big brother! No way! NO WAY! NO WAY!!!!" He reaches behind his waist and pulls both the serrated blades. He charges at both of them with a loud yell and goes for a strike at Jeune. She quickly side steps and kicks him from the back making him stumble. Instead of turning he continues running and straight towards Ifani. Ifani pulls a small knife from the side of his boot and prepares to parry his attack. As Ifani blocks the attack, he grabs his hand and disarms him. He yelps in pain but quickly turns to a sinister chuckle.
"What's so funny kid? This is serious, I don't want to hurt you. Even though you killed all our men, I still have a heart you know."
"You're just like them. All of you so high and mighty and righteous thinking you're all heroes. And let me tell you again. You need to focus instead of worrying about others."
Ifani was confused and suddenly he gasped for air to see a knife had jammed into his side. Juene screamed out to Ifani and charged straight at the kid to stab him in the head. As the blade plunged deep into his temple he turned to dust. "What... no, no no no..." The real killer was right behind him letting Ifani drop to the floor, but Jeune was there to catch him.
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"No, no you dummy don't... don't you dare die here... don-, don't die..."
"I... I... I'll be- okay... focus on him. Take him down... please and stop giving me that...look... it's hurting my... eyes..."
Jeune, on the verge of tears, held back and nodded.She took her satchel off and gave it to him. He instinctively reached in and pulled out a small vile and proceeded to drink the contents.
"Awww touching but you're taking too long."
She quickly turns around and pulls her daggers to block and sure enough the kid was right behind her. "Ohohoh! You're pretty quicker than I thought."
"I'm going to take you in, alive, and make you suffer for your miserable spoiled life."
"Ehhh, you can try." suddenly several more of the spoiled psycho knife wielder stepped out of his side from behind circling around her.
"Let's see how long you can last hero."
"Let's see how long you can last hero."
"Let's see how long you can last hero."
"Let's see how long you can last hero."
"Let's see how long you can last hero."
"Let's see how long you can last hero."
"Let's see how long you can last hero."
"Let's see how long you can last hero."
"Let's see how long you can last hero."
"Let's see how long you can last hero."
Ten of them circle around her with their daggers at the ready, "I'm no damn hero." As she posed herself defensively waiting for him to strike. They all charge and yell a vicious war cry and amazingly she blocks one by one dodging and weaving each of their attacks. She is incredibly fast dodging each fatal blow. She even grabs the arm of one and tosses it to two others knocking them over to the floor. She runs and uses the head of the fallen clone to propel herself onto the long drapes and proceeds to climb up. As she reached the top she jumped and reached the top chandelier. It was swinging back and forth but had layers of rings for her to stand and hold onto.
She sees two of them are grabbing one getting ready to throw him to the top. And with astonishment they propelled him with inhuman speed. The clone grabs the bottom ring of the chandelier with the dagger in his mouth. Without hesitation she throws one of her daggers into his head and turns into dust. Suddenly an idea came to her again. She reaches into each of her many pockets of her pants and pulls as many of the small leather balls as she can and quickly hurtles the balls around the area. Without the ignition of the fuse the balls exploded into giant dust clouds. She scans the area and is able to see them waving the clouds of explosives away just barely.
She then notices one of them constantly rubbing his eyes while the others are just waving it away from their face. She found him. All her focus was set on him not taking her eyes off. Slowly she swings the chandelier side to side until she has got enough momentum and launches herself at him. Her feet aimed right at him and straight towards his gut. The kid heard her yelling and as soon as he looked up it was too late. The heel of her boot stuck so hard and deep that it nearly made him vomit. The other clones screeched in pain and incinerated into dust. The kid was gasping for air while Jeune held the blade in a reverse grip directly against his throat making him slightly bleed.
"You're finished kid, all these lives you have slain here were good men. I'll see it that you rot in a dungeon for the rest of your damn life." Quivering in anger she was tempted to slice his throat and be done with it, but she held back despite everything.
"You... you're all dead anyways. Big brother is going to come and rescue us all. You'll see... he will...save us. Especially me... do you even know... who I am... my name is-"
He was then interrupted with an aggressive forceful punch directly into his face. He passed out immediately and was profusely bleeding from his nose.
"Yeah, I really don't give a damn..." Exhausted she turned him over and placed cuffs on him. It bounded his wrists while a cap enclosed his hands. She kicked him away bound in place frustrated as he lay there defeated. She quickly ran to Ifani who was drinking all of the healing potions.
"He- hey... you finally got the little bastard huh...? That's... that's great..."
She lifted his head up gently and leaned him against her lap. "Please, please don't die. You're going to be okay, those potions made you a little bit better see!" She was speaking fast, almost hyperventilating as she was putting pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding.
"I... It's the first time I've seen... you so... worried... are you really the real Juene..." He giggles but is interrupted by a wheezing cough. Her tears slowly dripped onto him and choked on her words.
"You... you dummy I... I... don't want to pay your tab that you still owe on Tobias. You... you lazy bum..."
"...sure... sure Jeune." he smiles weakly as he slowly reaches her cheek and wipes away the tear sliding down while leaving a streak of blood across her cheek.
"I... hope they're... okay... I might just rest for a bit..."
"NO! N- no don't close them. Stay awake, stay awake, okay???"
"Okay okay... always so pushy... so... pushy..." saying with even slower breath.
"Yeah well... someone has to be responsible." As she laughs through her held back tears. She held him tight, not letting go, holding pressure on the wound, scared to leave his side. Afraid if she leaves to get help, he might die without her. So she waits and waits as a pool of small blood forms around him. Hoping they can finish this mission and get the treatment he needs.