Chapter 40: CLASH OF SHADOWS
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Chapter 40: Clash of Shadows
The eerie silence lingered as Rio, Retina, and Iris advanced through the ancient corridor. The air grew heavier, laced with an unsettling aura.
"Something's not right," Iris murmured, her beast vision flaring.
"Another ambush?" Retina asked, her magic already gathering at her fingertips.
"Worse," Rio muttered, his grip tightening on his sword.
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The Unseen Foe
Without warning, a chilling gust swept through the corridor, and from the darkness emerged twisted shadow creatures—tall, with glowing crimson eyes and elongated claws that scraped against the stone.
"Shadow Wraiths…" Retina's voice was barely above a whisper.
"Not ordinary ones," Rio murmured. "They're being controlled."
Iris growled lowly, her sharp eyes spotting faint magical threads linked to the wraiths.
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A Sudden Attack
The creatures lunged.
"Get ready!" Rio shouted.
Iris transformed into her beast form, her fangs and claws gleaming as she met the first wave. She tore through the wraiths with raw strength, but they kept reforming.
"Damn it! They're regenerating!" Iris growled, frustration building.
"Leave them to me," Retina said calmly, her eyes glowing with power.
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Retina's Deadly Precision
Retina unleashed Dark Nova, sending a pulse of magic that shredded through the wraiths, severing the threads controlling them.
"Got them," she muttered, but her victory was short-lived.
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A Greater Threat Emerges
A deep rumble echoed from the end of the corridor.
"Something's coming," Rio murmured.
From the shadows, a towering figure stepped forward—a Shadow Lord, draped in dark robes with a cursed blade pulsating with black energy.
"So, you're the ones causing trouble," the creature hissed, its voice echoing unnaturally.
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The Real Battle Begins
"Retina, back me up. Iris, flank him," Rio ordered, his tone deadly serious.
The Shadow Lord attacked first, his cursed blade slicing through the air. Rio parried just in time, the impact sending a shockwave through the corridor.
"Fast," Rio muttered, eyes narrowing.
Iris circled around, striking at the Shadow Lord's exposed flank, but the creature blocked her with inhuman reflexes.
"Not so easy, huh?" Iris growled, baring her fangs.
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Rio's Unleashed Power
"Time to stop holding back," Rio muttered.
Shadow Step.
In a blink, Rio vanished and reappeared behind the Shadow Lord, unleashing A Thousand Slashes in a blinding burst.
The Shadow Lord barely had time to react as Rio's blade struck with lightning speed, cutting through its defenses.
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Retina's Final Blow
"Finish it!" Rio shouted.
Retina summoned her strongest spell—Void Collapse, creating a vortex that pulled the Shadow Lord into a crushing abyss of darkness.
"Now!" she cried, her magic straining to hold the creature in place.
Rio lunged, delivering the final blow, his sword piercing through the Shadow Lord's core.
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Victory… for Now
The Shadow Lord let out an ear-piercing shriek as its form disintegrated, leaving only silence in its wake.
"Is it over?" Iris panted, her claws retracting.
"For now," Rio said softly, his eyes scanning the darkness ahead.
But deep down, Rio knew… this was just the beginning.
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To Be Continued…