Location: Golden Field (Inner Forest)

  Time of Day: Evening

  BOOOOM! Blue light flared across the battlefield as Slayer swung his blade in a wide arc. "Oathblade Surge!" His strike tore through the air, blasting the Clockwork Reaper back several paces.

  From the opposite side, Captain's rifle lit up with red aura. "Pressing fire!" BRRRR! He fired a barrage, crimson shots tearing into the Marionette Mime. The impact forced it to stumble back as cracks split wider across its porcelain body - revealing more of the raw red flesh beneath.

  Both Echos steadied themselves - the Reaper's pendulum ticked with each swing, while the Mime only tilted its head in eerie silence.

  Then Hikari called out, "We're here!" She ran with Lumina at her side, regrouping with Slayer and Captain.

  Slayer was the first to speak, his tone bright. "Heh, look who's back on her feet! You missed one hell of a creep show!"

  Lumina smirked faintly, tightening her grip on her blade. "Did I now?" Her gaze shifted to the Echos standing across the field. "Well, looks like you handled things well enough."

  Captain stepped forward. "Welcome back. Glad you're still alive and swinging."

  "Thanks for the kind words, Captain. It's good to be back," Lumina replied with a small nod. "Now, what do you guys say we end this swiftly?" She reached up, tying her hair into a ponytail.

  Above them, Hikari's drones hovered into formation, pink aura flowing around them. "Alright," she said, her voice firm. "No more holding back. It's time we end this here and now."

  Lumina's gaze locked onto the Clockwork Reaper. "Hey, Hikari," she said, her tone sharp. "I think it's time for you explain what the hell is going on with that thing." She turned fully toward her. "No matter how many times I hit it, it doesn't seem to take any damage... it's like it regenerates instantly the moment after each strike."

  Hikari nodded, resting a hand on her chin. "It feels that way, huh? But that's not what's actually happening." Her voice steadied as her eyes narrowed. "After it's struck, it can rewind itself a few seconds into its own past - erasing any damage and restoring its body completely."

  Lumina lifted an eyebrow. "You're kidding me... So you're saying it's not actually healing, but rewinding to a past timeline where it was never damaged?"

  Hikari nodded. "Yeah. But it can only do that within a short time window. Once that window closes, it can't rewind itself anymore, and any damage it takes after that stays with it."

  Captain frowned. "Hmph. Great. So we're dealing with an Echo that can reverse time on itself. What a pain."

  Lumina crossed her arms. "Hmm, I wonder... how long is that time window, Hikari?"

  "Based on my past research on the Echo," Hikari replied, thinking aloud, "it has about four to five seconds before that window expires."

  Lumina's eyes narrowed. "I see... so we'll need to stop it from rewinding by keeping it distracted or disrupting its focus somehow."

  Hikari sighed softly. "If only it were that easy."

  Slayer grunted, resting his sword against his shoulder. "Yeah, well, that's not our only problem. Remember, Lumina that thing outpaced you when you fought it. Didn't think anything could match your speed, but somehow, it did, haha."

  Lumina's voice came quick, a hint of frustration slipping through. "Hey, not my fault it can manipulate literal time itself." Her voice then came sharp. "And speaking of - don't think I forgot what you did, Slayer. Running off right when I was fighting the Reaper."

  Slayer raised a hand in mock surrender, shrugging. "Sorry?"

  Captain and Hikari both looked down, nodding sideways at the same time.

  Slayer glanced between them. "What?"

  Lumina's tone hardened as she refocused. "But you're right. Even when I used Chronus Overdrive, it felt like its speed rose right along with mine."

  Hikari snapped her fingers. "Good observation, Lumina - but that's not what actually happened. It's not getting faster per se... instead your speed is decreasing."

  Lumina's expression hardened. "What do you mean decreasing?"

  Slayer blinked behind his visor. "Wait, you mean it's slowing us down?"

  Captain lowered his rifle slightly. "So you're saying that thing has the ability to somehow slow time around us?"

  Hikari lifted a finger. "Exactly. To be precise, It actually generates a temporal distortion field in a short radius around itself that makes its opponents perceive its movements as faster than they really are. That effect triggers mainly when its speed is challenged. So the longer we stay within its range, the faster it'll seem... and the slower we'll actually become."

  Lumina exhaled sharply. "Makes sense why every time I pushed it, I felt like it made no difference. It always managed to outmatch my speed."

  Slayer shook his head. "So how do we beat something that rewinds time and slows us down?" He looked at Lumina. "Hey, can't you just use your Elegant Form like with the Siren and call it a day?"

  Lumina sighed. "Didn't you hear what Hikari just said? Brute force and speed alone won't work. It'll just rewind itself again and slow me down. Using it now would only waste stamina and time."

  TICK... TOCK... The Reaper's pendulum swung once - a reminder it was still watching. Nearby, the Marionette Mime tilted its head, applauding silently as it watched them plan.

  Slayer's grip tightened around his sword. "Then that mime freak just gets stronger with every hit too."

  Lumina raised a brow. "Oh yeah? What's his deal?"

  Slayer groaned. "Oh, nothing much - just that it gets stronger with each hit and makes literal copies of itself!"

  "Yeah," Hikari said, her tone steady but grim. "We're definitely dealing with a deadly duo here. How convenient for us."

  Lumina motioned subtly with her hand. "So, what's our plan of attack, Hikari?"

  The group went quiet. Hikari rested a hand on her chin, eyes narrowing as she stared at the two Echos ahead. "Hmm..." Everyone waited. The sound of ticking and distant cracking filled the air. "Let me see now..." she muttered, thinking hard. "If we combine our - no... that won't work either..."

  A few seconds passed.

  "Yeah..." she finally said, lowering her hand with a straight face. "...I got nothing." THUD! The entire team stumbled back in unison, cartoonishly deflated.

  "You're kidding me..." Slayer groaned.

  "We're so dead," Captain muttered flatly.

  Lumina sighed. "Great. One of the Institution's top Hollow agents can't even tell us how they captured something like this to begin with."

  "Hey!" Hikari puffed her cheeks slightly. "I'm thinking under pressure, okay?! It's not easy when two nightmare puppets are working together!" She looked away, muttering, "Besides... I never got to read the 'Capture' part of the file, okay? So don't judge me."

  Captain pinched the bridge of his nose and spoke flatly. "Yeah, we're definitely dead."

  Then Hikari's eyes sharpened. "Well, at least the Mime should be easy to Echolock."

  "Echolock?" Slayer asked, tilting his head slightly.

  Lumina tilted her head. "Oh, didn't you mention that means to eliminate the threat but in Hollow terms?"

  "Yes exactly," Hikari said with a quick nod. "So I don't see any other choice but to simply use brute force on that one."

  Slayer's face lit up as he clenched a fist. "Hah, should be fun then."

  Lumina gestured with one hand. "So we brute-force the Mime... even though it gets stronger with each hit?"

  Hikari nodded once. "Right, but just a heads up that whenever it feels threatened it will try to spawn more clones to hide itself. So, don't lose track of the real one when that happens. If you do, hitting the real one bleeds while the copies don't." She pointed at Captain and Slayer. "You two will take on the Mime. Keep it pinned and Echolock it."

  "Got it," Captain said, gripping his rifle.

  Slayer swung his sword. "Don't Mime if I do."

  Hikari turned to Lumina. "You and I will handle the Reaper. I believe we'll be a perfect duo for this one."

  Lumina's eyes narrowed. "Okay. Just tell me what I must do then."

  Hikari raised a brow. "Hey, earlier, I saw you make a copy of yourself. What did you call it again... I think you shouted Twilight Twin, right?"

  Lumina blinked. "Yeah. What about it?" She went still for a beat, then froze in surprise. "Wait - how do you know about that when you were knocked out cold? Were you watching me fight the whole time or something?!"

  Hikari rubbed the back of her neck, half-smiling. "Maybe..."

  Slayer chuckled. "She was getting bullied around while you had a free ticket to her show."

  Hikari protested, crossing her arms. "Okay, okay I admit it. I was up, but that's because I was healing myself! Can't jump back into a fight half-dead, or we'd all be dead too."

  Captain's voice came firm. "Well, she's not wrong."

  Slayer pointed at Hikari. "Seriously though, how did you get up? You were literally sent flying across the field without your Emanation active."

  Hikari waved him off. "Eh, I'll save that talk for later. Now's not the time to explain."

  TICK TICK TICK The Reaper's pendulum swung, impatient. The Mime's smile faded as it raised its hands, spreading into a wide stance - ready to strike.

  Captain glanced at the two of them. "Looks like they're getting impatient."

  Hikari drew in a breath, placing both hands on her hips. "Okay... Let's initiate the plan."

  She looked at Captain and Slayer. "Remember. You two focus brute force on the Mime."

  Both nodded sharply.

  Hikari turned to Lumina. "For our plan. I'll give you the signal on when to activate Twilight Twin. For now, try not to challenge its speed or else you'll risk triggering it's field. So just stay in your base form and keep it distracted until I say so."

  Lumina nodded. "Okay. I trust your plan, Hikari."

  Hikari's eyes were steady, her mind racing. ("Hopefully what I'm about to do works. If we can combine our skills just right, we might have a chance to defeat it. If not... I don't see no other way to end this. So I'm gambling everything in this one move.")

  The plan was set in motion. The final battle between the Echos and the team was about to begin.

  HUMMM! Hikari's drones moved into formation above them. "Alright, everyone," she said firmly. "We move on my mark."

  WHUMM! TICK! The Reaper's pendulum swung again. The Mime began to twitch in place, ready.

  This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  "This ends now," Lumina said quietly, her blade sliding free with a sharp SHIING!

  Hikari's eyes narrowed. "On my mark." She raised her hand slightly, voice steady. "Three... two... one... Now!" she shouted, her voice cutting through the clearing.

  The team split instantly - Lumina and Hikari darting toward the Clockwork Reaper, while Captain and Slayer charged for the Marionette Mime.

  FWOOOOSH! Lumina dashed ahead first, no aura this time. The Reaper's pendulum swung hard WHUUM! unleashing a golden shockwave that tore through the air. Lumina twisted mid-sprint, spinning left to dodge it, her katana gleaming as it met the Reaper's claw. CLANG! CLANG! SHIING!

  Sparks flew as their weapons clashed in a furious exchange. The sound of ticking grew louder -TICK-TICK-TICK! echoing around them as the two blurred in a storm of blows. VMMMM! Hikari's drones shifted formation above them, pink aura flowing bright.

  "Assist fire, my drones!" she commanded.

  BZZHHHHHHMM! Pink energy bolts rained from above, striking the Reaper's flanks in rapid bursts. PEW! PEW! PEW! Lumina darted through the blasts, blade gleaming as she pressed the assault.

  - Scene Shift -

  With Slayer and Captain, the Mime crawled forward on all fours toward them - joints cracking, limbs bending wrong.

  "Ugh- creepy," Slayer muttered, stumbling back a step.

  "Move in, I'll cover you!" Captain barked, rifle raised.

  "You're lucky I'm built for defense," Slayer groaned, bracing his shield. "Otherwise, I'd be outta here." He charged forward, armor clanking. "Onwards!"The Mime crawled toward him, its porcelain limbs snapping into motion - then it lunged. CLANG! Slayer's sword met it mid-air, knocking it back into the ground with a heavy crash. CRRRSH! But the Mime quickly rose. Then-heh-heh-heh... it began to silently chuckle.

  The Mime's cracked fingers stretched outward FWIP! FWIP! black cords snapping through the air and wrapping around Slayer's limbs.

  "What the-?!" Slayer grunted, struggling against the pull. His body jerked violently, the cords yanking his arms like a marionette. "It's trying to control me?!"

  The Mime tilted its head, shoulders trembling in a soundless, eerie chuckle.

  BOOOM! Captain's rifle thundered - one clean sniper shot. The bullet slammed into the Mime's chest, shattering a chunk of its porcelain shell and throwing it backward. SPLAT! Black blood splattered across the ground as the cords snapped loose - freeing Slayer.

  "Phew... thanks for the save, Captain!" Slayer called, pushing himself up.

  "Be careful," Captain warned. "Those black cords... it seems like they control whatever they catch."

  Slayer nodded, tightening his grip on the sword. "Yeah... I could feel like it was trying to take control of me."

  The Mime rose again, cracks now spreading deeper across its whole body. Its grin widened... unnatural and forced. Then- CRACK-CRACK-CRACK! Copies began forming from the shattered pieces scattered across the floor, each one an exact replica of the true Mime - even its fleshy face. One by one, they straightened, forming a perfect line. Dozens of identical Mimes now surrounded the field. CLAP. CLAP. CLAP. They began applauding in perfect unison. Dozens of smiling faces... hollow eyes weeping streams of black blood as they stared at Slayer and Captain.

  - Scene Shift -

  Lumina and the drones kept the onslaught tight. SHIING! FWOOOSH! Pink blasts rained from above while her katana carved clean arcs through the Reaper's skeletal frame.

  The Clockwork Reaper staggered, its bones splintering apart - then the pendulum swung. TICK–TOCK... REWIND. CRACK! Its shattered bones snapped back together in an instant.

  Lumina skidded back, her ponytail swaying. "Tch... It's doing it again."

  The Reaper straightened slowly, unscathed - its hollow eyes locking onto her.

  "Hikari!" Lumina shouted over her shoulder. "That plan of yours - please tell me it's coming soon!"

  Behind her, Hikari stood with her hands in her coat pockets, eyes locked on the battle. Her pink aura flowed gently. "I'm analyzing its rewind ability at the moment," she said firmly. "Please, Lumina just stall it a little longer."

  Lumina let out a sharp breath, eyes narrowing. "Fine," she muttered. "I'll keep stalling - just make sure this thing stays down when it's over."

  FWISH! She lunged back in. Hikari's drones followed in perfect sync, circling fast and unleashing beams that lit the Reaper from every angle. The onslaught continued CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! a blur of parries, counters, and searing blasts with every strike.

  The Reaper's pendulum swayed, rewinding after each hit. The clash dragged on - minutes of relentless motion, neither side gaining an inch.

  Then- FWOOOM! Hikari's aura flared pink-hot. "Alright, it's time!" she shouted, voice cutting through the chaos. "Lumina - use Twilight Twin, now!"

  CLANG! Lumina deflected another claw, kicking the Reaper back before sliding into stance. "Here goes!" Her eyes blazed emerald, her Emanation surging to life. FWOOOM! Green light roared around her. She raised her blade high. "Come forth - my other self! TWILIGHT TWIN!"

  SHIINNNG! Light split from her body, forming a perfect copy beside her - translucent, glowing green, every motion perfectly mirrored. A second Lumina had stepped into the world, her aura humming. Lumina smirked faintly. "Now then..." She leveled her katana at the Reaper, her twin mirroring the motion beside her. "Let's try this again, shall we?"

  - Scene Shift -

  The Mime's copies stood across the field, each wearing the same grin - waiting.

  Slayer tightened his stance, shield raised. "Great... more ugly mimes." The copies began to advance, their movements jerky and unnatural.

  BOOM! Captain fired. The round punched through one Mime's face CRASH! shards of porcelain scattering across the golden grass. Every other copy turned in perfect sync, necks creaking as their heads twisted toward him.

  "Oops," Captain muttered, lowering his rifle slightly. "Didn't mean to ruin the party so early."

  Slayer chuckled beneath his helmet. "Nice shot. Keep the assists and the jokes coming."

  Then, all at once FWISH! the Mimes lunged forward in unison. Slayer swung his sword in wide arcs. "Oathblade Surge!" FWOOOOOSH! Waves of blue energy burst out, slamming into the advancing Mimes. But in eerie coordination, they spread their arms wide FWIP! and summoned mirror-like barriers. At first invisible... then flashing into view with every strike. The shockwaves rippled across the field, splintering harmlessly.

  Several of them mimed drawing swords. Slayer blinked. "...Why are they pretending to draw a sword?"

  The copies closed in, their movements perfectly synchronized. SWISH! SWISH! The air hissed invisible blades slicing toward Slayer from every direction. He blocked one with a heavy CLANG! but another struck his side, sparks flying. "Gah~ You've gotta be kidding me - they're hitting me with nothing!?"

  BRRRRRT! Captain's rifle barked from afar, shredding two copies off Slayer's flank. "Careful! More incoming!"

  "Take it back! Momentum Guard!" Slayer roared, slamming his shield into the ground. WHUMM! A pulse of blue energy erupted outward, hurling the nearest clones back. He then charged through the gap, sword flashing SHIING! SHIING! cutting down more copies as Captain's rounds followed in rhythm.

  Between swings, Slayer's visor darted across the field - no black ichor or any sign of the real one. "Where the hell did the true Mime go...?" Then FWIP! FWIP! from somewhere within the crowd, black cords whipped through the air toward him. "Hmph. Not this time!" Slayer roared, blue aura flaring. "Radiant Bastion!" A dome of blue light expanded around him. THUD! THUD! The black cords slammed against it - repelled instantly on contact. The Mimes closed in, slashing at the barrier with unseen blades. DING! DING! DING! Sparks flickered across the dome's surface.

  "They're cutting through!" Slayer barked. KRCK! The barrier shattered, and the copies lunged forward in unison. "You're outta here!" Slayer roared, swinging his blade in a wide arc. WHOOOM! A shockwave of blue energy exploded outward, blasting the Mimes back - several cracking apart as porcelain shards scattered across the ground.

  "Hey, Slayer!" Captain called out, voice cutting through the noise. "We're gonna burn out at this rate. The copies just keep coming. And the real one isn't even hiding in the crowd!"

  "I've noticed too!" Slayer shouted, slashing another clone apart. "No matter how many I cut down, none of them are bleeding!"

  "I noticed something earlier," Captain replied, reloading through aura reload. "When you threw that barrier up earlier, I caught something through my scope... none of these copies used cords."

  Slayer kicked a Mime back. "...Meaning?"

  "Meaning it's hiding somewhere distant, those cords came from somewhere else." Captain's tone hardened as his scope locked onto a copy. "Duck." BLAM! One shot. A copy's head shattered. "Duck." BLAM! Another down.

  Captain steadied his scope, shifting it away from the crowd of copies and toward the forest bordering the golden grass clearing. His eyes narrowed. "Goose." Through the lens, he caught it - the true Mime, crouched behind a tree and watching the battle from afar. Its fleshy face twitched, its body glistening with black blood. It hadn't noticed it'd been found.

  Captain's lips curled into a smirk. "Found you." His red aura surged - the rifle glowed crimson as he charged it up VMMMM... BOOOOOM!

  The Mime noticed instantly, spreading its arms in a wide arc. A glass-like barrier appeared before it, catching the shot. KRAK! The bullet struck but failed to pierce through. The Mime tilted its head and gave a silent laugh - like it was saying, those shots will never touch me.

  Captain exhaled slowly, steadying his aim. "Hmph. Don't think that'll save you forever." He charged another round VMMM! then fired. BOOOM! The bullet streaked toward the Mime. It braced behind its barrier, confident. But just before impact, Captain smirked. "Bingo." The blazing red shot curved midair, spiraling around the glass shield - then pierced straight through the Mime's head. SPLAT! It's head exploded - black blood spraying across the grass as its body collapsed. Cracks spread through its body, and every copy froze mid-motion... then shattered into lifeless shards.

  Slayer lowered his sword, catching his breath. "Wh-What... just happened?"

  "The true Mime," Captain replied, adjusting his scope with a click, "has been Echolocked."

  Slayer let out a short laugh. "Aw man... nice work, flame boy. You get ten Slayer Points from me!"

  - Scene Shift -

  Lumina and her twin stood tall, the Reaper's hollow eyes fixed on them.

  Hikari called out from behind, her voice steady. "Hey, Lumina - your copy. Can it stay even when your Emanation is inactive?"

  Lumina glanced back. "It can. Once summoned, it acts independently until eliminated, and follows my every command."

  "Good." Hikari tightened her gloves, her tone firm. "Then stay in your base form to avoid its distortion field from activating. I'll handle the rest."

  Lumina nodded once. "Understood."

  Hikari exhaled, stepping forward as her aura began to flare. "Alright... let's hope this works." Her pink light intensified FWOOOM! drones whirring into orbit as she raised a hand toward Lumina's twin. "Aura Tech Link engage!" Her eyes lit up, glowing bright pink as the link connected. The twin's form flickered BZTT! her body glitching between green and pink.

  Lumina's eyes narrowed. "What- what are you doing...?"

  Hikari focused, voice echoing through the static. "Just watch."

  The twin stabilized - her green light fading entirely. Standing before them now was a second Hikari, glowing in soft, translucent pink. True Hikari blinked, astonished. "Hah... it actually worked!"

  Lumina exhaled, in disbelief. "Amazing... you were able to turn my twin into you by hacking it."

  The duplicate turned toward Hikari, her eyes glowing bright.

  "Now my Twin. Activate Cognitive Acceleration," Hikari ordered.

  The copy nodded once. VMMM! The air shimmered as countless temporal paths spiraled around them, each one showing fragments of possible futures.

  Lumina watched, completely thrown off. "Woah... what's all this?"

  Hikari's eyes darted between the projections. "She's analyzing multiple timelines at once. Once I use Aura Tech Link onto her - and to one of the possibilities she's seeing - I can reprogram her timeline signature, shifting my duplicate into a neighboring timeline... all while keeping her anchored to this one."

  Lumina frowned slightly. "A different timeline?"

  "Exactly," Hikari said, nodding, the projections fading. "Two synchronized strikes in parallel realities - you in the current timeline, and Twin Hikari in the alternate. While your strike lands here, hers will land from the other side."

  A faint smile crossed Hikari's lips. "Fortunately, I've noticed the Reaper can only rewind one timeline at a time... so doing this will force it into a paradox."

  Lumina's eyes widened. "Meaning it won't be able to heal both wounds..."

  "Correct," Hikari replied, turning to her duplicate. "So get ready. "You'll use Cognitive Acceleration and strike when Lumina does. Meanwhile, I'll reprogram your timeline and stabilize the bridge through Aura Tech Link."

  The twin raised her hand, and with a pulse of pink energy, a katana materialized, its blade glowing pink. FWISH!

  Lumina smirked faintly. "Hmph. Very well... two blades are always better than one, I say." She slid into stance. "Now - let's finish this."

  Hikari's twin swung the sword once, its edge humming, then took position beside Lumina.

  Hikari nodded, eyes glowing. "Good. Lumina, when I give the signal, you both will strike in unison."

  The Clockwork Reaper loomed ahead, pendulum swinging. TICK–TOCK... TICK–TOCK...

  Hikari's voice cut through the noise. "Now, Lumina!"

  Lumina dashed forward FWISH! her blade cleaving across the Reaper's skeletal body, shattering part of its ribs.

  A second later, Hikari's twin followed through. Her katana gleamed pink. From afar, Hikari called out, her voice sharp and focused. "Now, my twin - activate Cognitive Acceleration!"

  VMMM! The twin's eyes flashed as countless possibilities unfolded before her, time fracturing into mirrored outcomes. Hikari extended her hand, pink aura surging. "Aura Tech Link! Redirecting your timeline signature... into the alternate thread!" The twin's form flickered between realities and then she struck. SHIINNNG! Her blade sliced through the Reaper's chest, the blow landing from another timeline. Bone splintered.

  Hikari's eyes narrowed. "Now... which timeline will you choose?"

  The Reaper's pendulum swung violently. TICK–TOCK–TICK–TOCK–TICK–TOCK! Time rewound - but only partially. Some of its shattered bones returned, while others remained broken.

  Lumina's eyes widened. "Unbelievable... it actually worked." She turned toward Hikari.

  "It's working, Hikari - it can't reverse the rest of the damage!"

  Hikari's voice sharpened. "Exactly. Now... full onslaught! Go wild, you two!"

  Lumina smirked. "Don't mind if I do." She glanced at Hikari's twin. "Alright, let's have some fun. Shall we?"

  The twin gave a silent nod as the Reaper hissed, preparing for its final clash. Both Lumina and the twin dashed forward, blades meeting the Reaper’s claws CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! their movements faster than sight.

  The Reaper tried to rewind again, but each attempt failed, undoing only half the damage with every swing. Frustration built. Its jaw creaked open as a guttural growl escaped. It honed its skeletal claws and unleashed a furious storm of strikes. Steel met bone CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! the air ringing with every impact.

  Lumina and her twin countered with relentless precision, their katanas carving through its frame while the Reaper’s claws slashed back. Sparks burst; blows landed. Lumina gritted her teeth as the claws grazed across her body, KRSH! while the twin flickered with each hit it absorbed. Through the feedback link, Hikari felt the knockback but stood firm. Seconds blurred in the chaos until Lumina slipped past a strike, pivoting sharply. Lumina grinned. "Sorry, but this ends now!"

  She flipped into a somersault kick THUD! launching the Reaper into the air. Both Lumina and the twin leaped after it, eyes gleaming with a sharp ding! Their blades crossed in unison, slashing through its body midair in a dazzling flurry of strikes. SHIINNNG! SHIINNNG! Then, with perfect synchronization, they delivered a final, heavy slash FWOOOM! sending the Reaper crashing into the ground. The pendulum shattered on impact, bones scattering across the golden field.

  Its skull hissed once... then went still - time no longer obeying its call...

  "Your aura doesn't contain me... I contain it." - ?