The illusions hadn't ceased and several surrounded them at that moment. Some of them had targeted her master before, but only now did she sense that he was in imminent danger. She became convinced that the real assailant was behind her and so she made the split-second decision to turn around and face him.
That was when the jian of what she thought was a fake connected with the shaft of her spear, which she had raised to block, and feeling the weight behind it, she froze.
In her moment of hesitation, she noticed the devilish smile on the handsome man's face and came to a realization-- the clones weren't mere illusions.
"Ma-"
The entire world went white.
~[ ]~
'Shadow clones?'