The courtroom crumbled around Joanne. Dust and debris filled the air as the ceiling threatened to descend upon her. Amidst the chaos, one of her clones surged forward, a mirror image that dodged falling debris with uncanny grace, the floor quivering beneath her.

In a chaotic ballet, her first clone engaged Leo and Anna, who valiantly guarded Margarita and Maria. Leo wielded a sword, clashing with her clone who had transformed DeVries’ cane into a sword. The metallic echoes of their confrontation reverberated through the crumbling hall.

“Fractus!” She repeatedly cast a red-flashed spell that erupted in massive explosions every time it hit something, shaking the already unstable roof.

Margarita, seizing an opportunity, targeted her clone with her pine wand, casting the same spell, "Fractus." A red flash flew towards her clone hitting her on the chest, then launching her against a wall. Chaos breeds chaos, and the vibration of her clone hitting the wall tore through the floor. A fissure opened a big hole in the floor where she could see the level beneath.

Anna, Leo, Margarita, and Maria tried to escape by stepping out of the courtroom, however, a second clone materialized to block their exit. This new clone hurled herself at Margarita, delivering a powerful blow to her face. The incantation "Tepes" followed; a black glow impaled Margarita like a spear, launching her to the other side of the room as a projectile.

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Agony painted the floor as Margarita convulsed, blood and screams stained the crumbling surroundings. Anna engaged her new clone with her sword, but the ground shook once more. Leo, carrying Maria on his back, attempted to help Anna fend off her two clones, yet a third clone appeared behind them.

The third clone punched Anna in the face, breaking her nose. Then the spell "Fractus" echoed, launching Anna towards Margarita.

Joanne reached and seized Anna's white fox ring. “Non Iter!” She cast twice. Two blue flashes came out of her wand. One hit Margarita who convulsed on the floor and the other hit Anna who lay unconscious.

She grabbed Margarita by her hair and forced her and Anna to kiss the ring at the same time.

"No!" Leo's cry echoed. Yet, he couldn’t get to them as the fissure on the floor separated him from the rest. Anna and Margarita vanished, leaving only echoes of their presence.

Joanne’s third clone grabbed Leo by the neck of his shirt and punched him in the face, while the second clone smashed Maria’s head with DeVries’ cane, and the little girl lost consciousness immediately. Her first clone yanked Leo's lion ring off his finger. Desperation fueled Leo's struggle, as his face contorted in pain and sorrow.

"Non Iter!" Her first clone cast. Two blue flashes of light hit Leo and Maria. Then she grabbed Leo’s ring and lifted it in front of her. Her two clones forced Leo and Maria to kiss the ring at the same time. Leo struggled, however, both his body and Maria’s turned to golden ashes that flew away.

"Only eight shadows," Joanne groaned. Her three clones approached and fused with her

Leo's and Anna's rings, once radiant with power, now dimmed into mundane jewelry. She pocketed them.

The building, a battleground, and witness to Joanne’s prowess, continued to crumble around her. Each tremor of the floor mirrored the upheaval within Joanne's heart.