Location: Echohold-09 (Outside Area)

  Time of Day: Morning

  Hikari narrowed her eyes slightly. "So... it's you, huh?"

  HUMM! Her drone responded, hovering beside her.

  Hikari's eyebrows lifted. "Mimiris."

  The cyan blob wobbled once in front of her, just calmly staring at the team with quiet curiosity. Its five floating eyes drifted slowly inside the gel, orbiting, then all at once they aligned. Click! Locked onto Hikari.

  Slayer blinked. "...Did that blob thing just bounce out of the dirt?"

  Captain muttered, hand resting on his rifle. "The hell did that come from?"

  Lumina crossed her arms, eyes fixed on the blob. "It certainly looks... unusual." She glanced at Hikari. "I'm guessing it's another Echo?"

  Hikari gave a light nod. "Yes, it is. And I'm quite familiar with it, too."

  BLOOP! The blob wobbled softly, almost like it was greeting them.

  Hikari spoke calmly. "That... is a Dormant-Type Echo." A brief pause. "And its codename is Mimiris."

  Slayer raised a brow. "Mimi-what?"

  Lumina placed a hand on her hip, turning to Slayer. "Mimiris, Slayer. Listen." Her tone carried a hint of playfulness. "So we're dealing with another Dormant-Type Echo, then." She glanced at Hikari, voice now firm. "Meaning they aren't aggressive unless they're disturbed, correct?"

  Hikari nodded, lifting a finger and slightly delighted. "Yes, exactly, Lumina."

  Captain muttered under his breath. "Someone sounds excited."

  Hikari smiled faintly. "Hey, it is exciting when a Hollow is being born right in front of us."

  Lumina glanced toward Mimiris, a faint smirk forming. "Hm. Don't get your hopes up now. I'm Just making myself familiar with these Echos, that's all."

  Hikari lowered her arms. "Aww, bummer." She stood up, brushing off lightly. "Oh well... can't say It didn't sound exciting at first."

  Slayer shifted his eyes on Mimiris. "Anyway, so what makes this one turn aggressive then?"

  Hikari placed a hand on her chin, thoughtful. "That's the issue with this Echo. We've never found a method to make it act aggressive. Or... maybe it's never had a reason to."

  Slayer gestured toward Mimiris. "So it's just... always docile?"

  Hikari continued, voice steady. "Well, in some cases, we could've classified it as a Null-Type Echo. Which will be identified as almost harmless. But we didn't, because it possesses copying abilities." She paused. "And that alone makes it a potential threat."

  Captain raised a brow. "Copy as in... just objects? Or also copy us?"

  Hikari looked at Mimiris. "It can replicate anything with living matter or biological material. Objects too, if they're not too big, of course." She paused briefly. "It can't copy entire structures though, but... limbs, materials, abilities. Stuff like that."

  Lumina narrowed her eyes slightly. "I see. Then I believe it'd be best to just pass through safely without drawing any attention to it."

  Hikari paused, thoughtful. "Well... yeah. I'm just curious why this Echo is even out here in the first place, though." She gestured around the area. "No one here but itself."

  Mimiris gave a gentle wobble - almost as if it wanted to play. Then, its five eyes floated upward, aligning at once. Scanning. Slowly... they rotated toward Slayer.

  He stiffened. "...Uhh. Why is it looking at me like that?"

  Hikari spoke calmly. "I think it's trying to copy you."

  SHLP! Mimiris stretched, its gel-like body elongating and limbs forming - until it stood upright. An exact copy of Slayer with the same outline and stance. Just... made of cyan gel.

  Slayer stared. "Hey, look that's me!" He laughed, clenching both fists in front of him. "How cool is this? I finally have a twin brother!"

  Captain exhaled. "Great. Now there's two of them."

  Lumina blinked once, unimpressed. "Definitely not made of skin and flesh... but at least the outline is accurate."

  Hikari nodded, calm. "Yes, its gel-like substance stays the same no matter what it copies, but it still behaves like whatever it replicates. And it only scans external structure such as surface features, height, shape. Anything visible, it can copy perfectly." She paused briefly. "It doesn't copy internally though since it can't scan what it can't see."

  Captain muttered, "Then again, I don't think it has to since it's literally just gel either way."

  Hikari crossed her arms. "Guess so."

  Mimiris-Slayer tilted its head.

  Slayer stepped forward. "Doesn't matter what it is. I'm going to spar with it."

  The copy tilted its head again, wobbling and curious.

  Slayer smirked, eyes on his copy. "That sounds exciting right?"

  Lumina sighed lightly. "Come on, Slayer. Don't draw any more attention to it. Let's just get to the facility."

  Slayer held up a hand. "Wait, wait - just wanna test something." He took a stance. "Okay, me. Let's see if you can do this!" FWOOM! His Emanation State flared to life. Blue aura ignited across his armor, tracing along each engraved line. His eyes lit up, bright and blue.

  The blob's five eyes widened. BWOB! BWOBBWOB! It bounced, excited. Then FWOOM! Something ignited, but it wasn't blue at all. It was something different and yet strangely familiar. Its once-cyan gel darkened - turning near-black - as a deep purple aura emerged, wrapped in a black outer glow. It didn't flare like normal Emanation, instead it was unsteady and wrong.

  Slayer tilted his head, confused. "That's... not blue."

  Captain raised his rifle, voice firm. "Yeah, that doesn't scream friendly to me."

  Lumina felt it before she spoke, a weight pressing against her chest. Her eyes widened. "That energy... It feels... different somehow."

  Hikari watched closely, eyes bright with curiosity, her drones hovering at the ready beside her. "It's definitely never done that before when we researched it. I mean, I did say it could copy abilities, but... I didn't expect this outcome." There was a hint of excitement in her voice. She turned to Lumina. "But what's up with that aura? Seems similar to ours."

  Lumina narrowed her eyes, studying the unstable purple glow wrapped in black. "It definitely feels like Emanation... but this pressure is unsettling." She paused, gaze fixed. "And its aura flow is unsteady... that certainly tells me that It's not used to wielding that kind of power."

  Mimiris-Slayer stood perfectly still, its eyes now glowing purple as streaks of black gel slowly slithered down its form. SHRRRK! Gel stretched outward from its hands, forming sharp edges - hardening into translucent, black-tinted armor and blade. A sword formed in its right hand and a shield in its left, both wrapped in that unstable purple-black aura.

  Slayer stared. "Hey... it copied my gear!"

  Mimiris-Slayer lifted both weapons - testing their weight, adjusting its stance like it was still learning how to wield something it had never held before. Then CLANG! It slammed the sword against the shield. CLANG! CLANG! It felt like a signal, challenging them into battle.

  Lumina raised an eyebrow. "Is it... inviting us to combat?"

  Hikari placed a hand on her chin, intrigued. "It's showing signs of aggression... Mimiris was always so passive, but now - for some reason it's behavior completely shifted."

  Captain scowled. "It all happened the moment that damn aura got involved." His eyes shifted to Slayer.

  Slayer looked away, whistling innocently then glanced at Captain. "...What?"

  Lumina sighed, unsheathing her katana. "Forget it. Let's just get this over with."

  Hikari smiled faintly at Slayer before looking toward the copy. "Well, I'll just warn you guys that this won't be an easy fight." Her voice grew steady. "Because a Dormant-Type Echo has just awakened right in front of us."

  Mimiris-Slayer stepped forward, slowly over the dry dirt. CRRK!

  Captain checked his rifle, then lifted his eyes. "Careful. It's closing in."

  Slayer pulled his sword free, shield raised. "This is gonna be one helluvah a blob show."

  Lumina slid into stance, katana ready. "Just like old times." Her gaze flicked toward Slayer. "Although... this time it's not actually him."

  Hikari's drones floated into formation around her, humming with pink aura. "Alright, everyone... Let's Echolock this thing."

  Then after a few more steps FWOOOM! Mimiris-Slayer lunged forward, shield raised and sword ready.

  Hikari didn't hesitate. Her aura flared hot pink. She threw her arm forward. "Drones, engage!" PEW! PEW! PEW! Three pink aura shots launched in perfect sync.

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  Captain's aura burst to life as he took aim. "Joining fire!" BRATATATAT!

  Pink and red aura rounds rushed across the clearing. But Mimiris-Slayer raised its shield just in time. CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! Every blast was deflected.

  Hikari's eyes widened. "It knows how to use the shield..."

  Captain narrowed his gaze. "Then we'll need to find another way to hit it."

  The copy lowered its shield - its purple eyes drifting toward Lumina and Slayer.

  Slayer stepped forward, aura flaring blue, sword and shield at the ready. "I'm not letting some wannabe be better than me."

  Lumina's aura ignited, green and sharp as her katana lifted into stance. "Let's see what this thing is capable of."

  They moved FWISH! Lumina dashed right, Slayer charged left. CLANG! Slayer's sword collided with the copy's shield. SLASH! Lumina struck from behind SPLAT! Pieces of black gel splattered across the ground, but almost instantly shlp... shlp... shlp... The fragments slid back toward the main body, reforming where the slash landed.

  Slayer jumped back, shield raised.

  Lumina landed beside him, blade ready. "It's reforming where it was hit," she observed.

  Slayer narrowed his eyes. "Like it was never damaged..."

  Mimiris-Slayer straightened, purple-black aura flaring. Then CLANG! It slammed its sword against its shield as if saying it was ready for another round.

  Slayer tightened his grip on his sword, voice sharp. "You want more? Fine - take this then." He raised his blade. "Oathblade..." FWOOOM! Blue aura ignited, bright and burning hot. "SURGE!" He carved crescents of light through the air - one strike. Then another. Then three rapid swings in a blistering arc.

  CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! Mimiris-Slayer met every strike, shield raised and blocking them without flinching. But while it was occupied, Lumina moved. Her eyes glowed green. "Chronus Overdrive!" She vanished. FWISH! Emanation flared - launching her forward. She reappeared behind Mimiris-Slayer, blade already descending. "Now!"

  Then FWOOM! Mimiris-Slayer's shield burst outward, a wave of swirling purple-black aura, spiraling violently from its surface. It was MOMENTUM GUARD - but much more stronger. THOOOM!

  Lumina was knocked back hard, sliding across the dry, cracked ground. She caught herself, one hand pressed to the earth, breath sharp.

  Slayer froze. "...Did it just use Momentum Guard?"

  Lumina rose slowly, eyes wide, a streak of blood across her cheek. "Tch... That ability felt much stronger than Slayer's original momentum guard." Her voice was low, steady now. "It's safe to assume its other copied abilities will be just as strong."

  Mimiris-Slayer straightened, its purple eyes glowing, watching them closely.

  Hikari called out to Lumina and Slayer. "Guys tell me you felt that too!"

  Slayer exhaled, blade still raised. "If you're talking about that attack it just used, then yes!"

  Hikari nodded, eyes fixed on the copy. "I'm not entirely sure why it possesses such power... but we're going to have to learn while we fight!" She stared at its purple-black aura. "That aura and those copy abilities are a perfect death duo against us!"

  Captain raised his rifle, expression cold. "And the fact it's gel makes it nearly unbeatable."

  Mimiris-Slayer didn't follow up with an attack. Instead it began to wobble. SHLLLP! Its form collapsed inward, melting back into it's original shape, but still having black gel.

  Slayer stepped back. "It went back to its original form...?"

  Then Mimiris bounced, once, twice, its gel jiggling. SHLP! It split into two. Then SHLP! SHLP! Those two split. Now, four identical black blobs stood before them.

  Captain's voice hardened. "It multiplied..."

  Hikari stared, voice low, stunned. "There's never been any record of it doing that before..."

  The four black blobs stood in a line. Then their eyes began to move, slowly rotating and scanning - until they locked onto each one of them. Then, individually - each one began scanning its target, eyes tracing height, posture, movement, and observing every detail of their outer form.

  Hikari muttered, "Not good... everyone move! They're scanning us!"

  It was too late. SHLP! Each blob shifted, black gel rising and reshaping as it became them. Four black gel-copies stood before them - Mimiris-Captain with a rifle construct, Mimiris-Lumina with a katana, Mimiris-Slayer with sword and shield, and Mimiris-Hikari with three gel drones hovering beside it.

  Slayer raised his sword and shield. "Now we all have twins... great."

  Lumina wiped the blood from her cheek, katana raised. "As if one wasn't enough trouble."

  Captain slowly leveled his rifle. "Not good."

  Hikari stared at her own copy, its gel-drones hovering beside it. "...Those drones."

  The four copies stood across from them, weapons ready. Then they began walking - each one heading straight toward its mirror.

  Hikari called out, eyes sharp. "Be careful everyone - here they come!"

  Slayer's grip tightened. "Alright then... let's try this again." FWOOM! His armor lit up with energy - shield and blade flaring bright blue.

  Opposite of him, FWOOM! Mimiris-Slayer mirrored the activation, its aura surging purple - outlined in black. It raised its sword, pointing it directly at Slayer. Ready to fight.

  Lumina took a stance, katana raised. FWOOM! Her green aura came to life as it swirled around her. “Fighting my mirror… hmph. Should prove a challenge.”

  Mimiris-Lumina mirrored her stance, its aura the same unstable purple-black as Mimiris-Slayer.

  Captain chambered his rifle through Aura Reload, red aura flaring sharply. “Time to see what my copy can really do.”

  Mimiris-Captain raised it's gel-formed rifle, purple-black aura surrounding it, unsteady.

  Hikari's pink aura gently unfurled around her. "Let's test what you're capable of." Her three drones synced into formation beside her HUMM!

  Mimiris-Hikari mirrored the command - three gel-drones hovering beside it, their cores glowing purple-black.

  Everyone was ready. Only the sound of aura humming was in the air. No more waiting. The copies moved first - breaking into a sprint toward their mirrors. FWOOM! FWISH! FWOP! FWIP!

  Slayer's shield caught the first strike CLANG! but the impact was too strong. He slid back. "Dam, that some serious power!"

  Mimiris-Slayer moved cleaner now, faster. It lunged, swinging its blade sword coated in purple-black aura, trails slicing through the air toward Slayer.

  Slayer raised his shield CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! blocking each strike, but every impact charged his shield faster than before. Power built. He grinned. "Momentum Guard!" FWOOM! The stored energy burst forward - blasting the copy apart. Gel splattered across the ground, shlp... shlp... shlp... but it began to reform. Perfectly as if nothing happened.

  Slayer exhaled, grinning. "Just as tough as I am, huh?" He lifted his sword. "Well then... in that case I'll just make you fall even harder than before!"

  - Lumina Scene Shift -

  Lumina yelled out, "Chronus Overdrive!"

  FWISH! Mimiris-Lumina activated at the same moment. For both of them, time seemed to slow.

  Then... they dashed. Katanas flashed CLANG! CLANG! FWISH! Steel and gel constructs parried perfectly in sync. Lumina looked for openings, but every strike she attempted, the copy was already there. Almost faster - one step ahead of her every time. Small cuts began to form along her arm and shoulder, but she didn't falter. She pushed through. Lumina spun BOOM! Her back kick slammed against the flat of the copy's blade. But by then - Lumina was already behind her. "Over here!"

  The copy turned - too slow - Lumina unleashed a somersault kick WHAM! It struck clean and sent the copy into the air. She focused green aura into her legs, and launched upward. FWOOOM! She caught it midair. Green aura flaring, katana carving in a flurry of rapid strikes. SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! Black gel scattered across the ground as Lumina landed on the dry, cracked earth.

  Lumina narrowed her eyes at the scattered gel. "Not yet..."

  The fragments began to move, shlp... shlp... shlp... pulling themselves back together. It stood again. It was good as new.

  Lumina placed a hand over the cut on her shoulder. "Tch... I have to find another way to take it down." "My katana alone won't be enough to kill it."

  - Captain Scene Shift -

  BRATATATAT! Captain fired, red aura-infused rounds slicing through the air. But Mimiris-Captain fired back FWUP! FWUP! FWUP!

  Purple-black shots tore through his bullets - unstable, overpowering, and kept coming straight for him. Captain saw it and rolled aside just in time. The corrupted shots blasted into the trees behind him THP! THP! THOOOOOM! Bark shattered and the trunks split into two.

  Captain crouched low, eyes on the impact zone. "...Hell. That was close." He looked back at his copy. "I have to keep in mind that its bullets don't match mine... they overpower them."

  Captain shifted his rifle. Configuration Shift - Sniper Mode. Mimiris-Captain mirrored instantly, its black gel-formed rifle reshaping into the same mode.

  Captain took aim, red aura charging at the barrel's tip. A crimson round formed. "Firing!" BOOM!

  The copy did the same. Charged then BOOM! Two bullets cut through the air, but Captain's eyes narrowed. Aura Pursuit. The crimson bullet curved midair - going around the Mimiris-Captain's shot, and pierced straight through its skull. SPLAT! At the same moment, Captain sidestepped. The copy's bullet hissed past him.

  Captain exhaled. "A clean shot."

  Mimiris-Captain's head was gone - black gel fragments scattered across the ground. But then they began to move. shlp... shlp... shlp... The fragments slid across the dirt, traveling back up its body and reforming the head. Purple eyes blinked open again. Unaffected and ready to go.

  Captain narrowed his gaze. "Hmph. What a pain."

  - Hikari Scene Shift -

  Hikari struck first, raising a hand. "Full speed ahead my drones, engage fire!" HUMM! Her three drones shot forward, streaking pink through the air.

  Mimiris-Hikari mirrored the command. Its black gel-drones launched - purple-black aura trailing behind them.

  Then PEW! PEW! PEW! Pink and purple-black shots ripped through the air - drones weaving, dodging, returning fire. Hikari lifted two fingers, commanding their movement, but the gel drones were faster. The drones pivoted sharply, dodging every shot, then chased down Hikari's drones with ease.

  "My drones are being overrun..." she muttered. "I need to close the distance another way." She extended her arm FWOOM! Pink aura surged into her drones, charging them with a sharp HUMMMMM! They accelerated - faster and stronger. But Mimiris-Hikari mirrored again. Its drones flared with purple-black aura, their hum deeper and harsher.

  Hikari's drones opened fire PEW-PEW-PEW! Pink energy shots streaked toward Mimiris-Hikari. But one of the gel-drones intercepted - firing with razor precision, shooting down the incoming rounds. That was Hikari's chance. Her eyes lit, soft pink glow. "Aura Tech Link - Activate!"

  A thin pink aura line shot straight from her hand to the gel drone. Connection secured. She hacked it instantly.

  Mimiris-Hikari attempted to do the same, but Hikari's hacked gel-drone dodged the purple-black line. "No, you don't!" Now under her command, the gel-drone turned. It fired a precise purple-black shot - straight at Mimiris-Hikari.

  The remaining gel-drones tried to shield it, but Hikari's pink drones flanked. PEW-PEW-PEW! Pink shots tore into their sides - catching them off-guard. The hacked gel drone's shot struck true SPLAT! Mimiris-Hikari's form burst apart - black gel scattering across the ground, along with its drones... and even the hacked one.

  Hikari exhaled. "Please tell me its own aura works against it..."

  Surprise, it didn't. shlp... shlp... shlp... The black gel fragments began to slither, crawling across the ground, pulling themselves back together. Mimiris-Hikari reformed and its drones too. Exactly as before.

  Hikari's eyes widened. "Impossible... not even its own aura works on it."

  The copies regrouped in the center, the team forming a loose circle around them. It didn't matter what they fired, slashed, or what aura they used on them. Nothing worked. Every time they would just simply reform again.

  Hikari called out from across the clearing, "Nothing is working! We need to find another way to take them down!"

  Slayer raised his sword. "Maybe if I tell them a joke, they'll go back to being passive?!"

  Captain didn't hesitate. "Don't be dumb, Slayer."

  Lumina stepped forward, eyes focused on the copies. "I have an idea that may work... but it’ll take some surviving!”

  Slayer shrugged. "Better than nothing I'd say!"

  Lumina continued, "I've noticed since the beginning that their aura was unstable. Remember what I said before on what happens when an aura doesn't flow well?"

  Hikari's eyes widened, realization hitting. "That's right. When aura is unstable, it drains stamina much faster than normal!" She looked at the copies. "So if we exhaust them... they won't be able to maintain their form. They'll just revert back to their original state!"

  Lumina stepped forward, calm and certain. "Exactly. We don't need to destroy them, we only need to survive and outlast them."

  Captain checked his rifle, eyes sharp. "Hmph. Worth a try."

  Their plan was set. All they had to do now was survive. Survive until the copies exhausted themselves and could no longer hold form. The copies flared their purple-black auras, unstable. The team responded - blue, green, red, and pink igniting across the clearing.

  Lumina raised her katana, her voice steady and composed. "Remember everyone, stay on the defensive until they wear themselves out."

  They all nodded. Then, the battle began anew.