Extra: First Kill

So he strode forward and engaged Clinton in fierce combat.

"Even though it's not you in Copy, the sense of oppression you give me is still so strong." Clinton dodged left and right, narrowly avoiding the opponent's attacks, constantly adjusting his breathing and stance.

He concealed his longsword beneath his sleeve, and the rapid movement of his clothes caused them to ripple like water, thus obscuring the weapon beneath. This prevented the Copy from knowing how he wielded the sword within his clothes and from determining the direction of his strike.

In fact, as long as Clinton secretly changes his grip on the sword and adjusts the movements of his wrist and elbow, the longsword can be swung in any direction, even into blind spots behind him. This is a sword technique he has figured out through repeated failures.

Even so, his honed skills were completely useless against the overwhelming reaction speed of the opponent's Copy.

The powerful force was transmitted to Clinton's wrist the instant their weapons clashed. Sparks flew like crimson clouds at the moment the blades met. Such a violent impact would be manageable if it happened once or twice, but with the continuous tremors, Clinton still felt a sense of being unable to withstand it.

Without realizing it, the steps beneath my feet began to move backward.

On the other hand, the Copy are getting stronger and stronger as the battle goes on.

As Clinton retreated, it continued to press forward.

The sword blade moved swiftly through the air, its movements fluid and varied, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, agile and unpredictable.

Swing, step forward, side slash, then turn and strike a second time!

When used, this sword technique resembled a passionate battle dance, pushing the fight between the two to its climax.

Clinton knew this move; he had seen his opponent use it to defeat a Demons swordsman in the past, making it one of his most powerful techniques.

This was a move he had never used against himself in their previous duels.

Perhaps it was because he was afraid of getting hurt; after all, it was just a cut, and seeing blood was never a good thing. Or perhaps it was because he wasn't qualified to let him use that move.

But whatever the reason, today I finally made the opponent use this move. "So it seems... I have... improved after all, haven't I?"

Clinton smiled, a hint of self-deprecation in his expression.

Under the opponent's almost seamless sword skills, he gradually fell into a losing position.

Right now, let alone defending, even keeping up with the opponent's movements and successfully swinging a sword is extremely difficult for him.

Its attacks not only restricted its own movements, but also continuously caused damage to itself.

If I hadn't made thorough preparations beforehand and worn sufficiently tough armor, I would have been killed by the enemy's sword long ago.

"Looks like even now, I still can't beat you."

He said with some relief, even knowing that his opponent wasn't him but a Copy —a heartless killing machine that would never respond to him—that Clinton still kept saying, "But this time, I'm not fighting alone!"

He took a sudden step forward, blocking the other's foot, and then met the sword blade coming straight at his face. Just as it was about to cleave his head, he turned his head with astonishing speed, dodging the fatal blow.

Immediately afterwards, he twisted his Copy to the side, trying to trip the clone to the ground. However, after realizing that the other's thighs were as stable as an elephant's sturd, he immediately abandoned the idea and instead pressed his sword against his shoulder, using the strength of his body to firmly restrain the Copy's weapon.

In this situation, although he could no longer make any moves, he also ensured that the other party could not make any moves for a short period of time.

But this was only a temporary measure. With his current strength, he couldn't suppress the monster for long. Its powerful force was almost breaking his bones. It was as if he was trying to hold down a tiger with his bare hands while the other was struggling to break free from him.

But Clinton won't give it that chance again—now!

Without him needing to warn them, Pass, who had already reached behind the two, seized the opportunity and swung his axe at the back of the Copy's head.

This time, because Clinton had his hands firmly bound, the Copy was still able to sense the danger from behind with exceptional agility and quickly turn its head around.

But in the end, he couldn't withstand the blow; his head shattered into a pile of rubble, which flew to the ground with a crash.

Even though its body was as hard as a rock, it still couldn't withstand Pass's full-force attack.

"Captain! Are you alright?!"

Although he acted with unwavering focus and extreme decisiveness, he knew that Clinton must have paid a considerable price to create such an opportunity for him. He quickly ran to the other man's side, anxiously checking whether there were any fatal wounds on his body.

"It's alright, it's alright... Luckily, I was well-prepared..."

He lifted his outer garment, revealing his chainmail, which was already riddled with holes. After countless slashes, his skin was covered in bruises. Blood continued to flow from some of the unavoidable wounds, staining half of his chainmail red.

He originally intended this action to reassure the other party that he was not in any life-threatening danger, but in Pass's eyes, Clinton's body had practically been soaked in a pool of blood, and he couldn't help but burst into tears.

"Captain! It's all my fault... I've ruined everything for you?"

"You're not dead, why are you shouting like that!"

Clinton was completely baffled by this simpleton in front of him. Looking at his mournful expression, anyone who didn't know better would think he was beyond saving.

She's clearly older than me, how could she be like this...?

"Alright, stop wasting time, hurry up and help Lucina and the others!"

Galan remained calm as he watched the Copy circling around him.

As a fellow warrior, he was confident that he was no less capable than his opponent in any aspect, and that he could deal with it even without using weapons.

However, he couldn't possibly achieve a quick victory right now.

The opponent is not a reckless person; they won't so easily leave themselves a fatal weakness.

The safest approach is, of course, to wait for the other party to make the first move, thus giving yourself an opportunity to retaliate.