Saquin: Death To My Enemies

"Easterners killing each other. What a normal day," Relia remarked as she watched Sir Bret's punch hurl Saquin back into the forest.

She turned her attention to Saquin's doppelganger. Just how many people around here have cloning powers?

The clone re-entered the clearing, stretching his arms and neck while fixing his full attention on Relia.

The dragon, meanwhile, was bewildered. He wasn't quite sure how Saquin's cloning worked; he had lived centuries, maintaining the balance of the four hot regions, yet never had he seen a clone carry the same SP signature as the original body.

He looked between his opponents, trying to make sense of the chaotic dynamic. After a long, contemplative pause, he roared, "To hell with these insects. Let's go all out!"

Boom!

In a flash, he was encased within a massive block of earth ten meters high. Slowly, the block began to shrink, compressing until it stood at just three meters.

Crack!

The earthen block splintered, and—

Boom!

It exploded outward. Where the dragon once stood, a two-and-a-half-meter-tall humanoid figure emerged. His scaly head sported two winding horns, and his body was cloaked in armor-like earthen scales. Magma veins pulsed beneath his skin, visible through cracks in the scales on his arms.

"I am Dread, the Earth Dragon—Prince of Magma," he declared, drawing a black spear from the ground. The spear had a blade shaped like a shark fin and a handle resembling a dragon's tail. He stabbed it into the earth, then crossed his arms with a grin, sizing up his opponents.

"Name yourselves and show your true powers," he boomed. "I won't waste my battle state on nameless weaklings."

Relia, Sir Bret, and Saquin exchanged bewildered glances, their collective thoughts aligning:

Who announces their trump card and waits for the enemy to catch up?

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Slow, deliberate clapping echoed through the clearing as Saquin, the true body, stepped out from the shadows, his face healed as if nothing had happened.

"Tch, vampires," Sir Bret sneered, eyeing Saquin's restored face.

"Why are you clapping?" Relia asked, unfazed by Saquin's healing ability.

"I'm applauding his wisdom," Saquin replied with a formal smile. "I was about to suggest the same thing. This chapter has gone on long enough. Time to end the warm-up and go all out."

"Oh? So you think you'll win?" Relia asked, curious at his confidence. "Or are you planning to ally with the dragon?"

Saquin's smile held steady, polite but unnervingly cool. "No need to worry, your highness. I don't fight alongside XP. This will be a free-for-all—three parties, three fights. Luck may have given you the numbers, but victory isn't guaranteed."

Relia's eyes narrowed, glancing at Sir Bret, who awaited her command. "Sir Bret. Do it."

Blaze!

Sir Bret's coat ignited, the flames dyeing it a vivid red. His hair caught fire, and he slipped on a pair of black gloves and goggles. The transformation was seamless, and Relia smirked with pride.

She turned back to Saquin. "Aren't you going to power up too?"

"I'm a vampire, your highness. I don't power up," Saquin replied smoothly. "In fact, that's a question I should be asking you, your highness."

Relia's smile sharpened. "Do you think you can handle my full strength?" She dropped her gun and sword, and then slowly placed her hands into her pockets. Her aura surged, and the ground near her cracked, turning golden as tendrils of golden SP surrounded her.

Pointing forward, she traced a circle in the air and filled it with golden energy until it became opaque. The circle trembled, and then—

Roar!

A golden dragon burst forth, coiling around Relia. For a moment, she stood framed by the aura of a tyrant, the golden dragon radiating a deadly beauty at her back.

"Is that your ability?" Saquin asked.

"Yes. Scared now, vampire? I am worthy of being XP," she taunted, her smug smile unfaltering.

"Erm… first, I don't think you understand what happens to XP. Second, why would I fear a summoned beast?" Saquin said as his doppelganger took position beside him.

Dread, seeing his opponents ready, roared, "Let it begin!"

He launched at Relia, hoping to eliminate the strongest threat first. Saquin's clone, meanwhile, charged the golden dragon, leaving Saquin to face Sir Bret one-on-one.

Sir Bret grinned as he lunged forward, using his explosive power to close the distance in a flash. He threw a punch, and Saquin sidestepped with ease, responding with a swift roundhouse kick.

Boom!

An explosion erupted from the impact, sending Saquin skidding back. Sir Bret advanced, his fists blazing with energy. Saquin intercepted one punch, feeling the explosion burn against his skin, but he managed to grip Sir Bret's wrist and pull him forward, claws flashing as he struck for the throat.

Boom!

Another explosion flared, forcing Saquin to release him and flip back, his legs digging into the ground to halt his momentum.

But Sir Bret was relentless. He followed up with a rapid succession of explosive punches, each one detonating with the potential to blast Saquin away. Undeterred, Saquin deflected and dodged with vampire speed, weaving through the blasts and gradually closing in.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The relentless exchange continued, Sir Bret reinforcing his explosions to keep Saquin at bay. In a calculated risk, he unleashed five small incendiary balls that hovered around him and continued to explode in an unpredictable rhythm.

Saquin blurred into motion, bypassing the explosions almost effortlessly, reaching Sir Bret in an instant. He lashed out with a punch that collided with a wall of explosive energy.

Boom!

Instead of being thrown back, Saquin pushed through, his strength almost nullifying the blast. He unleashed a flurry of blows, hammering at the energy wall. Sir Bret, seeing the shield weakening, realized he'd have to take a risk. Timing it perfectly, he condensed the shield into a small disc just as Saquin's punch collided with it.

Boom!

The explosion sent Saquin hurtling back, his arm torn and bleeding. He crashed into the trees, but even as debris settled, he emerged, face set with determination, and sprinted toward Sir Bret once more.

This time, his punch hit the shield, and nullified the explosion on impact.

A normal person wouldn't have found anything wrong with this but as a top royal guard and royal scientist, Sir Bret is good at fighting but better at fast thinking. So,

With that speed and distance with his normal strength, he should have torn through the shield. So why did he not?

Sir Bret noticed the difference in strength almost immediately, and his eyes widened in realization.

"Another clone!" he muttered, shifting his stance as he scanned for Saquin's real location.

"Not your turn," the clone taunted, smirking as he held Sir Bret's attention.

"Time Brief," Saquin's voice rang out from Dread side.