I told Blaze and August to gather at Kronos''s group— where he''s repairing the second stone pillar (from the entrance) at our left.

    "You alright— August?" I asked. "Are you in any condition to fight…?"

    "Huff… Huff… Uh… Yeah… I''m okay…"

    August''s face was drained white, and he looks exhausted. Looks like that moment of fear dried out his will completely.

    "Kronos, just concentrate on your stuff," I said to Kronos. "Kuroyuki is holding them back, so this will be a quick strategic meeting."

    "You seemed like you had some sort of idea in your mind," Persia said to me with a serious look.

    "Indeed. In a group of three… I want you guys to take turns supporting me to destroy those things."

    "…Our copies, you meant…?" August murmured.

    "Kuroyuki is maintaining the wall right now. One at a time... we let one of those things enter our territory… that way, we could gang up on it."

    "But how are you going to defeat those things?" Persia asked. "Aside from their weapons… our attacks would go through them."

    "I could destroy them with my ''Offensive Cladding''," I murmured. "I only need help to stop their movements."

    "Luc— pick my doppelganger first." He said to me. "I’m letting my guard down now… you might as well take the chance to kill him first."

    "Then, I volunteer." Blaze raised his hand.

    "Me too," Persia told me.

    "Then come with me," I told them.

    Saying that, I ran to Kuroyuki.

    "August comes first," I said to her.

    "…I want to fight him, if possible…"

    "Please don''t." I reminded her.

    "…Are you ready?"

    "Yeah, let''s do this…!"

    Kuroyuki made a hole on her wall right in front of August’s silhouette— just exactly as planned, August''s silhouette came in first.

    Then the second thing to do— is to push the other silhouettes back to their place…!

    "Eat this!"

    BAM!!!

    With my Black Sword acting like a baseball bat, I cladded it with ''Offensive Cladding'' and made a swing— sending Blaze silhouette''s back to the ice wall as he blocks.

    August''s silhouette did not miss this moment.

    It immediately swung his blade at me—

    CLANG!!!

    —and was deflected by Persia with a card in her hand.

    I thought I could follow up with a finishing blow— but something unexpected happened afterwards.

    THUNK— THUNK— THUNK! THUNK!!!

    Persia launched a four hit combo with her card— which August''s silhouette blocks them all.

    Then…

    Persia found a gap in his defence and took its right arm with her right hand.

    "Humph…!"

    She then tossed away the right arm and took a card at her right hand— slicing across the silhouette’s neck while leaving traces of a glowing golden line.

    I was expecting the neck to be cut, yet— the silhouette’s head was severed entirely.

    Then the body kneels down lifelessly and collapses, breaking down to black ashes.

    "………………"

    Such a scene made everyone stunned in silence.

    "Well done, Persia…! That''s one down!" I shouted. "Have you finally decided to show your true strength?"

    Except me.

    I don''t understand why they were tense about it.

    "No— w-wait— why did Persia have this sort of strength…!?" August yelled. “Even if I let down my guard… she insta-killed my doppelganger…!!?”

    "If she can''t— how could she protect humanity from all evil…?" I replied.

    "Lucifer…!"

    Persia seems happy for some reason.

    BAM!!!

    Once again, Blaze’s silhouette destroyed Kuroyuki’s ice wall.

    It was just behind us.

    I immediately cladded my entire body with ''Hard Defensive Cladding'' to shield Persia from the ice boulders.

    Persia was worried of me, but I’m genuinely okay.

    "Well then, I will leave it to you for a moment…!" I told her.

    Which, I took the largest ice boulder and push the rest of the silhouettes back to their wall, sealing them behind it. Kuroyuki seals the hole afterwards.

    "H-Help! I can''t win this…!" Persia yelled.

    TH— THUNK! THUNK!!!

    She was slicing Blaze’s silhouette with her cards, yet it bounces away from his body.

    I remember Blaze had a magical armour on him. This means— it even copied that…!?

    "Kyaa!?"

    Blaze''s silhouette succeeded in a takedown, mounting on top of Persia.

    "Grargh…!"

    Blaze then grabs onto his silhouette''s right fist, twisting and locking it behind with an armhold lock. He then carefully pulls it away from Persia.

    BAM!!!

    "Argh!?"

    The pain was so unbearable for him that he had to release his silhouette’s arm.

    Thankfully, Blaze moved away from it.

    That way, I can aim for its head without worries.

    “One-Handed Sword Arts— Swing!”

    I swing my sheathed sword for its head.

    “!”

    It dodged!?

    This is— the negativa stance used in capoeira…!

    "Ow!?"

    Then, a low heel kick to my shin.

    Because I haven’t cancel my ‘Offensive Cladding’, I can’t use ‘Hard Defensive Cladding’ to withstand the impact of his kick.

    I inadvertently took a step back to balance myself.

    Then, it rolled forward and got himself into a handstand, throwing a kick to my left shoulder.

    I guarded it with the Black Sword while throwing a left calf kick— intending to kick his hands to knock him over.

    "Argh…!?"

    It immediately takes a half spin and landed a right hook punch to my right medial malleolus.

    I tripped to the floor on my bu??.

    It grabs onto my right foot and executed a jiu-jitsu leg lock.

    Blaze’s silhouette had a bit more power in him than I thought.

    Thankfully, it isn’t Nightmare who’s in charge now. If not, my leg would be broken by now.

    In a contest of strength… you are nowhere near my level. There’s no way you could break my leg like that!

    Grabbing this chance, I hold onto its feet with my grip.

    "Blaze— NOW!!!" I yelled.

    "Helm splitter…!"

    WHAM!

    Blaze stomped his foot straight down to its face (probably, because its black).

    “Arghh…!?”

    Maybe it’s because the silhouette had its helmet on— Blaze’s heel bounces off from it.

    The silhouette quickly struggles to break free, but it’s not possible because of my hold.

    “Turn him over!” Blaze told me. “You split his head!”

    Following his order, I turned so that the silhouette had its back facing upwards.

    Blaze then sat on its back in a position where he is facing its legs. He locks both of the silhouette’s arms on his th??h and took over in my stead to lock its leg with his hands.

    I hurriedly took the sheathed black sword that was on the ground.

    The silhouette struggles as much as it could, but it can’t seem to get out.

    “Hah!”

    I cladded my sheathed sword with ‘Offensive Cladding’— hammering it downwards to its head.

    BAM!!!

    Blaze’s silhouette immediately breaks down to black ashes.

    C-CRIK!

    This sound… Kuroyuki’s ice is breaking…!?