Mira pulled back, leaping backward just in time to avoid Marcel’s horizontal cleave.

As she balanced, a dagger was already in her face, slicing through the air with a soft whistle.

Mira moved instantly, her dagger brushing Marcel’s dagger to the side.

Marcel was already over her, scythe slashing in a wide horizontal cleave at her neck.

Mira’s eyes widened, her body dropping on instinct.

She drove her dagger up in the same moment, thrusting at Marcel’s jaw.

Marcel twisted out of the blade’s path, delivering a fast kick at her torso in the same motion.

The attack connected.

Mira was hurled through the air, crashing into the door at the far end of the roof.

The door broke into splinters from the force.

Mira straightened, her body flipping to the side as Marcel’s scythe cut through the space she stood just moments ago.

Mira looked at Marcel.

Marcel looked back with a calm smile.

Beside him, starlight seemed to converge, condensing into something that had form.

Mira did not wait for him to power up fully. She drove in, crossing the gap with a single step.

Aether flared across her body, enveloping her dagger in its blue aura.

Marcel moved instantly, catching the blade of her dagger with the shaft of his scythe.

The roof they stood on exploded, a deep crater forming as the blades clashed.

Mira withdrew her dagger quickly, already thrusting towards his neck.

Instincts screamed. Her senses were pushed to the max. Her body moved against her own will.

Her neck whipped back, bending her head backward slightly.

Then she saw it. The blade of the scythe flashed across her face, cold and deadly.

Marcel’s leg came from above, driving into her chest.

The floor exploded, giving way like it was made from rubber and not stone.

Mira’s body plummeted through the ceiling, crossing hundreds of floors as she neared the ground.

A flicker.

The clone beside Marcel disappeared, appearing just below Mira, scythe already held firmly to deliver the final slash.

Through her fading consciousness, Mira’s dagger still moved, slashing down at the scythe.

Marcel’s clone dropped, the force behind the slash too heavy for it to bear.

The floor beneath it exploded, destroying all the chairs in the place.

Mira’s dagger was not spared. As it collided with the scythe, a loud bang exploded through the living room and the dagger broke.

She landed on her toes, balancing just as quickly.

Her hand flashed towards her belt, unsheathing another dagger.

She sidestepped, avoiding the clone’s vertical slash aimed at her shoulder.

Mira drove her elbow into the clone’s face.

The clone shattered, dissolving into loose threads of starlight.

But Mira was anything but calm.

She knew her attack never hit.

A cold sound tore through the air as the scythe whistled past her head.

Mira had moved before it even reached.

She streaked forward, dagger a cold glint as it thrust at the clone’s eyes.

Again, it broke.

Before Mira could even register the change, Marcel dropped through the hole she had created, scythe trailing a ribbon of silver as it lashed at her head.

Mira ducked.

The clone dropped from above her, bringing its scythe down to cleave through her.

Mira rolled, the scythe grazing her hair slightly before piercing deep into the earth below.

Mira rose quickly, backflipping to avoid Marcel’s attack.

The clone was already there, scythe held in readiness.

It lashed forward in a quick slash.

Mira’s eyes widened as she maneuvered through the slash.

But it was not without cost.

She escaped the blade but not the shaft.

The shaft crashed into her stomach, sending her body flying through the living room.

She burst through the house entirely.

Before she landed, her body twisted, landing on her feet again.

Marcel and his clone were already closing in.

Mira could not tell the difference between them.

As they closed in, Mira slashed at the closest one’s chest.

It broke before the attack could even connect.

Before she could move, Marcel’s scythe tore upward, aiming at her jaw with brutal precision.

Mira stepped back quickly.

The scythe tore a deep wound in her chin.

Not lethal, but deep enough to draw blood.

Like she did not even notice the wound, she closed in again, driving her dagger towards Marcel’s chest.

The blade met air as Marcel ducked beneath it.

He came in with a knee strike as he rose.

Mira caught it with her own knee.

Before she could counter, a tearing sound came from behind.

She bent, avoiding another strike from the clone.

She jumped back, creating space to think.

A vial appeared in her palm.

She downed its contents quickly.

An invigorating feeling washed over her.

The wound on her jaw closed within a breath. Her dwindling aether was refilled in the next instant.

Marcel did not let her settle into the sudden change.

His body tore forward, his scythe switching to a sword mid motion.

He slashed down at her shoulder, aether flaring along the sword’s edges as it neared.

Mira caught it with the blade of her dagger.

Before it could settle fully, her body twisted, driving her leg backward.

The strike connected.

Her leg plunged into the clone’s chest, sending it flying.

Mira looked back at Marcel.

He was gone.

Her instincts screamed danger and she heeded instantly.

Her body bent from the waist until it was parallel to the floor.

Then, in her eyes, a sword flashed through the space where her neck had been just moments ago.

The sword burned blue with aether and pulsed with enough power to make the wind groan.

As the blade pulled back, Mira stood up, plunging her fist into his face.

No effect.

Marcel smiled as he brought his sword down.

In the same instant, a loud piercing sound came from behind.

It was the clone’s scythe tearing towards her neck.

Mira steadied her breath.

Marcel froze.

His clone dissipated into a mist of starlight.

"Override," the words came through Mira’s lips, calm and gentle.