Mira finally arrived, panting and complaining at Jelo for rushing off without her. Her face was flushed from the sprint, sweat beading on her forehead, and her breathing came in ragged gasps. "You can't just… run off like that!" she managed between breaths, doubling over slightly.

But even as she spoke, her eyes were already taking in the scene—the massive ihe standing in the center of the street, Ken barely upright, Atlas motionless on the ground, and Jelo facing down the creature with flames flickering around his fists. Her complaints died in her throat as the gravity of the situation hit her.

She straightened, her expression hardening with determination. Without another word, she split into a clone. The air shimmered for a moment, and suddenly there were two Miras standing side by side, identical in every way. They exchanged a brief glance, a silent understanding passing between them, and then they moved.

Immediately the three of them attacked the ihe. There was no coordination, no plan—just desperate, synchronized violence born of necessity. They came at the creature from multiple angles, giving it no time to focus on any single target.

Mira and her clone immediately attacked it from different angles. The original rushed in from the left, her fist crackling with energy, while the clone came from the right, low and fast. The ihe tried to track both movements, its head swiveling, but the speed and unpredictability of their assault forced it to react defensively.

Jelo sent fireballs into the ihe's torso, forcing it back step by step. The flames exploded on impact, scorching the creature's smooth scales and leaving black marks across its chest. Each hit drove it backward, its feet scraping against stone as it struggled to maintain its footing. The fire was hot enough to make even the ihe wince, its movements becoming more cautious.

Ken attacked from the side. He was moving on pure willpower now, his body screaming in protest with every motion. He hardened his shadow into several small spikes and then stabbed the ihe's arm. The darkness solidified into sharp, needle-like points that pierced the creature's flesh, drawing dark blood. The ihe snarled, jerking its arm away, but Ken held on for a moment longer, twisting the shadows deeper before pulling back.

For a moment, they gained ground. The ihe stumbled under the combined pressure, tail striking wildly as it tried to keep up with Mira's speed. Its attacks became less precise, more desperate. It was being overwhelmed, forced to defend against multiple opponents at once, each one exploiting a different opening.

Jelo landed a solid fist to its jaw. The impact was thunderous, fire and force combining into a devastating blow that snapped the creature's head to the side. The ihe staggered, its balance faltering for the first time since the fight began.

While Ken was able to land some slashes with his shadow. The darkness cut across the ihe's torso and legs, leaving thin but visible wounds. They weren't deep—Ken didn't have the strength for that—but they were adding up. The creature was being worn down, bit by bit.

Hope flared in Jelo's chest. They were doing it. Against all odds, they were actually pushing this thing back. Maybe they could win. Maybe they could survive this.

Then the air shifted.

It was subtle at first—a change in pressure, a distortion in the light. Jelo felt it before he saw it, his instincts screaming that something was wrong. He spun around, searching for the source, and his blood ran cold.

A second ihe stepped into the fray, shocking Jelo, Atlas, and Mira. This one was even larger than the first, its body covered in darker scales that seemed to absorb the light around it. Its eyes glowed with the same inner fire, but there was something more calculated in its gaze. This wasn't a creature playing with its prey. This was a hunter.

"No," Jelo whispered, the word barely audible over the pounding of his heart.

The new ihe moved with terrifying speed. It slammed its fists into Mira and her clone. The double impact was devastating. Both versions of her were caught mid-attack, their bodies lifted off the ground and sent flying in opposite directions. The clone hit a wall and dissipated instantly, vanishing in a shimmer of light. The real Mira crashed into the street, tumbling end over end before finally coming to a stop, groaning in pain.

The two ihes then fought together. Their coordination was flawless, as if they shared a single mind. One would attack while the other defended, creating openings for devastating counterstrikes. They moved in perfect synchronization, their tails whipping in tandem, their claws slashing from opposite angles.

Ken was grabbed mid-attack and hurled aside. The darker ihe caught him by the throat, its massive hand engulfing his neck, and threw him like a ragdoll. Ken's shadows dispersed as he hit hard, his body slamming into a pile of rubble with bone-jarring force. He didn't get up. He couldn't. His body had finally given out.

Mira reappeared and struck, only to be swatted away, tumbling across the dirt. She'd managed to create another clone, sending it in from a blind spot, but the lighter ihe had anticipated it. Its tail whipped around, catching the clone mid-leap and destroying it instantly before backhanding the real Mira. She hit the ground hard, rolling several times before coming to a stop. Blood trickled from her nose and mouth, and her vision swam.

Jelo fought alone now, flames blazing around his fists as he tried desperately to hold them off. But it was hopeless. Every attack he launched was countered. Every opening he tried to exploit was closed before he could capitalize on it. The two creatures worked in perfect harmony, and he was hopelessly outmatched.

A clawed hand caught him across the chest, tearing through his shirt and drawing blood. Jelo gasped, stumbling backward. Before he could recover, a tail slammed into his side, lifting him off his feet and sending him crashing into the street. Pain exploded through his body, and his flames flickered out.

They were overwhelmed, tossed and broken apart. Ken was down. Atlas was down. Mira was struggling to stand. Jelo tried to push himself up, but his arms gave out beneath him. This was it. They'd lost.

Until a heavy presence dropped between them and the creatures.

The impact was like a thunderclap. The ground cracked beneath his feet, dust and debris exploding outward in a perfect circle. The air itself seemed to compress, and for a moment, everything went still.

Olmo stepped forward, stance perfect, power contained. He stood with his hands loose at his sides, his posture relaxed but ready. There was no tension in his body, no visible strain. He looked completely at ease, as if he'd just stepped out for a casual stroll rather than into a battlefield.

But the energy radiating from him was overwhelming. It pressed down on everyone present like a physical weight, making it hard to breathe. Even the ihes hesitated, their eyes narrowing as they assessed this new threat.

Olmo's voice cut through the chaos as he demanded to know why Ken and Atlas disobeyed him and entered the portal. His tone was calm, almost conversational, but there was an edge to it—sharp and dangerous. "I'm going to need an explanation," he said, not taking his eyes off the ihes. "And it had better be a good one."

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