Iris didn't flinch.
Marionox attacked from the front, four blades cutting through the fog in sharp, angled sweeps. Behind her, Gabe lunged with his talons, limbs jerking like a puppet yanked by tangled strings.
Her left sword caught Marionox's strike. Her right met Gabe's claws in mid-air.
For a single heartbeat, she held them both.
Two killers. Two threats. One in front, one at her back. Their weapons pressed in from both sides, close enough to kill her if she slipped for even a second.
Silver threads glinted along Gabe's arms, elbows, and legs. His wings trembled under the tension. His joints moved, but his face didn't. He was locked in position, body pulled forward by control that wasn't his.
But his eyes were his.
"I'm fighting it," he growled. "You have to cut it."
His movements were strong but erratic. Wild. Not precise. She could feel the difference. He was slowing himself down.
Iris shifted her weight, holding both blades steady as she pivoted. Then, with a sharp spin, her right sword arced upward and sliced clean through the glowing thread trailing from Gabe's back.
The line snapped.
Gabe collapsed to one knee, breathing hard. The tension in his limbs faded as the string control vanished.
But the cost came instantly.
The thread Iris had severed didn't fall. It coiled around her sword like a living wire, twisting tight and pulling with sudden force. Her grip slipped. The blade was yanked from her hand.
She staggered forward.
Marionox struck.
One of his remaining weapons came crashing down, swinging with crushing force. Iris had no time to dodge. She raised her last sword and blocked it with both hands.
The impact sent a shock through her arms. The blade cracked down the center.
Marionox pressed in with another swing.
Iris twisted her body, found an opening, and struck back.
Her sword sliced through one of his arms, severing it clean at the joint.
Wood splintered. Another limb hit the ground.
But her sword shattered from the force of the blow, the pieces scattering into the fog.
She stood still, breathing hard.
One weapon broken.
One taken.
Her spear was gone. Both swords were lost. One of her hands bled, scraped raw from the recoil.
She was close to Stage Three. She could feel the tension in her aura, ready to break through, but it hadn't yet. Her weapons were still man made. And now they were gone.
She had nothing left to fight with.
And she couldn't run.
The Duel was still in effect. Breaking the distance would trigger the backlash. It would punish her. No retreat. No mercy.
Iris stood one foot from Marionox.
Unarmed.
Across the battlefield, Gabe dropped to one knee, breathing hard. The thread was gone, but the aftershock still lingered in his limbs.
Sly blinked beside him and grabbed his arm.
"Get up. We're not done yet."
He pulled Gabe back, dragging him to a safer range. They didn't know how far Marionox's control could reach, but they weren't about to test it unprepared.
"If he tries to string you again, I'm cutting first," Sly muttered, eyes locked on the fog.
Gabe nodded, his voice low. "Same goes for you."
They stood side by side, weapons ready.
Neither moved forward.
Not yet.
"The Duel's still active," Gabe said. "We step in now, it could backfire on her."
Sly didn't respond right away. His jaw was clenched, eyes tracking every twitch of movement between Iris and Marionox.
"She's holding on because of that skill," Sly finally said. "But if it breaks... we're going in."
Gabe nodded again. "No hesitation."
Sly adjusted his grip. "No mercy either."
They stayed locked in place, watching. Waiting. Ready.
If Iris fell, they would move.
And consequences be damned.
Marionox leaned in.
He didn't need to move forward. The distance was already set. His arms were long, precise, and cruel.
Iris stood her ground, unarmed, blood still dripping from her hand. Her body swayed slightly, but she didn't back away.
He slashed across her forearm. Then her thigh. Then her ribs.
Each cut was intentional.
A flick to the shoulder.
A drag across the side of her leg.
A stab that barely missed her stomach.
Marionox laughed softly at first. Then louder. Then louder still.
"Hah... ha-ha... ha-ha-ha!"
He spun one blade lazily in his hand, watching her try to cover up.
"You're holding on so well," he cooed. "Should we give the crowd an encore?"
There was no crowd. Just fog and blood and pain.
But he moved like he was center stage.
"Flinch again," he whispered, striking low. "Good. Again. Beautiful."
Another cut opened across her calf. Another across her back.
Iris blocked what she could, braced her body for the rest. Her arms trembled. Her legs buckled for a second before she forced them to lock.
Her healing flickered behind the wounds, trying to keep pace.
It wasn't enough.
Marionox leaned close, voice just above a whisper.
"Bleed for me."
He stabbed forward.
Iris barely twisted in time to deflect the hit off her hip.
She dropped to one knee again, this time slower.
Her body was covered in red. Her weapons were gone. Her energy drained.
But her eyes didn't break.
Gabe stepped forward.
Sly followed, silent.
"She's done," Gabe said quietly.
"Almost," Sly replied. His grip tightened. "One more cut."
They watched.
Waiting.
The moment it crossed the line, they would move.
Marionox kept swinging.
His blades cut from different angles, sharp and playful, still treating the fight like a performance. Another slice opened on Iris's arm. Another on her side.
But something changed.
The next stab stopped short. A thin layer of fog shimmered across her skin, catching the edge like a shield.
Marionox didn't react at first. He struck again.
Blocked.
Another hit.
Blocked.
The laughter slowed.
Iris didn't move. Her arms were still crossed in front of her face. Blood ran down her arms. Her body trembled. But her eyes stayed locked on him.
She wasn't scared.
She was done listening to him laugh.
The sound faded.
And all she heard was a voice in her head. Soft. Familiar.
"I am fine, Iris. I am so glad to see you."
A memory. Her father's voice.
"But do not worry..."
That was the last conversation they had.
The fog thickened around her, rising like steam, then pulling inward. Not floating. Not drifting.
Drawn into her.
Marionox paused. His mask tilted. His arms lifted but did not swing.
He didn't understand what he was seeing.
Iris said nothing.
The fog twisted and rushed toward her body, sinking into her arms, her chest, her breath. Her aura flared and expanded, doubling in pressure, vibrating through the space around her.
Then it stopped.
Iris lowered her arms.
She closed her eyes.
Silence settled over the battlefield.
When she opened her hands, the fog ignited in her palms. Two blades formed, forged from pure mist. Sharpened. Solid. Surging with pressure.
She opened her eyes.
Iris had reached Stage Three.
Marionox stood frozen.
He had no words. No laughter.
He didn't understand what he was seeing.
Fog blades. Solid. Fast. Controlled.
Iris didn't wait for him to figure it out.
She moved.
In a single step, both swords swept forward. Two of Marionox's arms fell before he could raise them.
Wood hit the ground.
He twitched, jerking back, mask tilting in disbelief.
"What are you—" he started.
Iris didn't answer.
He swung with one of the remaining arms. She parried. The second followed. She ducked, then spun and slashed again.
The next few seconds were a blur.
Strike. Block. Counter.
Each time he attacked, she was faster.
Each time he tried to reset, she was already there.
Gabe watched from across the battlefield, fists clenched.
"She's cutting him apart," he said quietly.
Sly exhaled. "Finally."
Another hand dropped.
Then the last.
Marionox stumbled backward, arms severed, shoulders trembling. His blades were gone. His strings twitched and snapped around him, lashing blindly into the fog.
"No no no," he muttered. "This isn't the ending. This isn't the final pose. This isn't how it's written."
Iris stepped in front of him.
Her swords rose.
"Rewrite it."
She crossed her blades in a single motion.
The fog screamed as both weapons sliced through Marionox's head.
The mask cracked.
Then everything went still.
Everyone thought it was over.
Iris stood still, blades lowered slightly. Gabe and Sly kept their eyes on the battlefield, waiting for the puppets to fall apart.
But they didn't.
The dolls and broken marionettes that had frozen during the duel remained where they were. Unmoving. Watching.
Their heads turned slightly, as if still waiting for something.
The air didn't shift.
The aura connecting Iris to Marionox still shimmered faintly in the fog.
The Duel wasn't gone.
"What's happening?" Gabe muttered.
Then they heard it.
A laugh.
It started faint, almost like wind slipping through a cracked pipe.
Then louder.
Gurgling. Croaking. Mad.
They looked down.
The piece of Marionox's severed head lay in the rubble, the shattered mask still wrapped around part of his face. His mouth twitched.
And it laughed.
"Haha… ha-ha… you didn't follow the script," he said through blood and splinters. "We have to retake the scene."