"Wow, wow, wow!" Quincy practically screamed, flying in fast circles above the arena. "Who could've seen this coming? The Assassin's changed into an elf! And not just any elf—she's become her opponent's twin sister!"
A murmur rippled through the stands, a wave of shock and unease passing through the crowd like a chill wind. There was wonder in their eyes, but also discomfort—like they'd just witnessed a line being crossed.
In the back row, Zee's breath hitched. Her stare locked on the arena floor as her own face, her own movements, were mimicked below.
"Me?" she whispered. "She changed into me?"
"I-it makes sense, but…" Larkin's voice wavered as he sat stiff beside her. "Didn't think she'd do somethin' like that..."
"How is this going to affect Mae?" Nori scribbled hastily on his pad and flipped it toward Zee.
"I don't know…" Zee muttered, eyes fixed on Lexy with an unreadable expression.
In the fighters' waiting room, Ulrich let out a low, impressed whistle. "Wow. That's evil."
"Now they're matched physically," Bryanard said calmly, arms crossed. "But she's adding psychological pressure on top of it. A copy of someone Mae cares about—using her face against her."
"Her shapeshifting is terrifying," Xain said under his breath.
Back in the arena, Mae eyed Lexy from head to toe. Her brows furrowed slightly—not with fear, but calculation.
Lexy gave a twirl, emerald hair spinning behind her. "Well? What do you think?" she asked playfully, striking a familiar pose—one Mae had no doubt seen her sister use.
Mae tilted her head. "I doubt you got all of her intimate details down," she said coolly. "But otherwise? Pretty spot on."
Up in the stands, Zee suddenly felt her blood run hot. Her nails dug into the railing in front of her.
"Why do I want her to lose all of a sudden?" she whispered sharply to herself.
"Thank you for the compliment," Lexy replied with a dramatic bow, grinning. "But we're not here to talk, are we?"
She launched forward.
The copied elf's foot lifted high, targeting Mae's neck with a slicing kick. Mae dipped low and turned, catching Lexy around the waist with one arm while stabbing her dagger toward Lexy's knee—but for a split second, she hesitated.
And that second was enough.
Lexy's left leg snapped up with brutal precision. The heel drove into Mae's stomach.
Mae let out a short, pained grunt as she stumbled back, releasing her grip. She caught herself with a skid, but Lexy spun into another kick, this one aimed for her liver. Mae blocked with her forearm—but the impact thudded hard. A bruise bloomed instantly under her skin.
"Oho!" Quincy roared. "Looks like the tides are turning! What a comeback from the Assassin!"
The crowd erupted, thrilled by the reversal.
Lexy took a few slow steps toward Mae, smirking. "Aw~ what's wrong, big sister? Can't hit your little sister?"
Mae flicked her bruised arm once, her face unreadable. Then, to Lexy's surprise, she slid both daggers back into their sheaths.
"I have to commend you," she said calmly. "This is super clever."
Lexy tilted her head. "What are you doing?" she asked, her smile widening as if sensing something amusing.
Mae's expression turned… lighter. But her tone came laced with something sharp.
"Something I doubt you can do," she sang sweetly. "Even after you turned into an elf~"
In the stands, Zee leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "What is she…?" Her words trailed off. Then she froze.
"No," she whispered. "She couldn't—"
Somewhere else in the stands, Drack sighed and crossed his arms. "Honestly, I should've seen this coming," he muttered. "It's Ms. Mae, after all."
Back on the field, Lexy stood in place, watching Mae with a flicker of hesitation. Her copied expression shifted just slightly, the cracks of confusion beginning to show.
Mae drew in a slow breath.
She closed her eyes.
And then—
Her body snapped forward—not with a shout, but with a violent surge, like her entire frame had just released something massive and silent. Her mouth never opened, but her eyes… her eyes burned.
They locked on Lexy, cold and sharp. The air around her felt heavier now, pressure bearing down like a storm cloud had dropped into the arena.
Her stance was still.
But everything about her screamed rage.
She had entered Elven Rage.
Lexy smirked, lips curling with false confidence. "Hmm, are you angry because I—"
She didn't finish.
Before the words could even form, Mae was there, faster than her eyes could track. A sharp crack rang out as Mae's knee slammed into her gut like a battering ram. The impact folded Lexy forward violently, her mouth dropping open in silent agony. For a heartbeat, it was like something had skewered through her core.
"Not something you can copy," Mae muttered, her voice low and cold.
Her hands gripped Lexy—one clutching beneath her ribs, the other at her hips.
And then she pulled.
There was no dramatic scream, no moment of resistance. Just a sickening wrench of force, flesh ripping, muscle snapping, spine tearing apart with unnatural ease.
"Let's see you heal from this."
Lexy's eyes went wide, pupils quaking with panic.
"W-wait, don't—!"
Her scream split the air as her body was ripped in half.
The top of her, arms flailing, hit the dirt first. Then her legs followed, crumpling in the opposite direction. The silence that fell over the arena was instant—shock tightening around every throat in the audience.
Quincy hovered mid-air, her voice caught. "I-Is she—"
A twitch. A movement.
Lexy's top half shifted slightly, one trembling hand lifting weakly from the sand.
"I-I think I give up!" she wheezed, voice strained and barely audible as her torn body began to heal itself back together, very quickly.
The silence shattered into explosive cheers.
"And that's it!" Quincy roared, zooming high over the center of the arena. "With a forfeit—and utter dominance—the winner is Mae Eirina Qinra!"