Launching a frightening kick at Aloe, the copy sent her falling down.
>SHWUSH<
Right before the gleaming Aloe could hit the ground, she twisted her body in midair. Swiftly maintaining her balance, she returned to her comrades in a flash.
Asa's eyes sparked with relief to have Aloe back with him, while Maro nodded with gratitude for taking on her task with due diligence.
"So, did you figure anything out so far?" She asked, keeping watch on the three copies who hovered in the air.
"Yeah... I did. I think I've figured it out."
Maro's words were never to be taken lightly. The fact that he had taken some things into observation, and was able to offer a reasonable conclusion in such a short time simply spoke of his capabilities.
"I know how we can win."
"Oh? Pray tell." It wasn't easy restricting herself to a particular set of skills, so Aloe was pretty much prepared to end the fight and get their prize.
Besides, her copy seemed to be adapting very quickly. If she kept delaying, it wouldn't take long for it to catch up.
"From what I've observed, the clones can only mimick the power levels of those they resemble. As in Aloe's case, even though you were overpowering the three, only your copy became stronger."
Seeing that the other two still struggled to fight with her, not making any noticeable improvements, it could be posited that their clones could only match the power levels of their respective originals.
"I suggest we take on copies different from our own. That way, they won't be able to use our abilities when fighting." Maro continued by explaining what he meant.
By matching Aloe with Asa's copy, for instance, she could go all-out without the clone being able to evolve beyond its current limits.
Likewise, if Asa fought Aloe's copy, the same results could be seen.
"The best part about this plan is that you don't need to use too much of your abilities to handle Asa's clone, considering your limited self is already superior to both mine and his copies."
The real problem was Aloe Vida's duplicate. It had already reached a level that would make it quite difficult to catch or combat without having to resort to some degree of seriousness on the part of Asa or Maro.
"I suggest you leave your duplicate to us. You can handle ours, right?" The red-haired man asked.
"Yeah, I can. But are you sure you'll be fine? I mean... what if you have to resort to using more power and your duplicates match your power levels? Things could get more difficult for me."
That was where them problem existed. They were all in the same area, and so if any of them exceeded a certain threshold, the clones would respond in kind.
"Think we should split up? That'll be nice." Maro looked around him.
They could lead Aloe's duplicate through the entrance of the Boss Room and fight with it in a different location.
"The only thing were unsure of is whether or not they'll be willing to leave this place." Maro considered the fact that they spawned in the Boss Room.
Perhaps they were being too optimistic in thinking they could lure the enemy away from their territory.
"You guys... they're about to make their move again." Asa pointed at the hovering beings.
Just like he said, they seemed to be preparing for another charge.
"Both of you just try your best to hold my copy off until I destroy yours. Once that happens, you're free to go all-out!"
"Smart move, Aloe. Well said."
"Miss Vida is the best!"
As the two nodded in response, Aloe prepared herself for round two against her opponents. It would be a bit tricky, but they didn't stand a chance against her.
"Alright the—"
>BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!<
In an eruption of pure blue energy, the three copies were instantly engulfed in an explosion that consumed the air they occupied, and the ground underneath them.
The heat and pressure caused the three to brace themselves, shell-shocked by the sudden occurrence.
'W-what... just happened?!' Maro's thoughts rang.
Aloe and Asa had similar thoughts, wondering what could have caused such an explosion... possession enough power to easily destroy the enemies they had painstakingly strategized against.
Before they could make sense of what was occuring, the blast died down, and steam radiated throughout the area.
The icy surroundings began melting, sizzling like boiling water, as the floor turned wet with the heated liquid, leaving only a few sheets of solid ice floating around.
As the smoke permeated the surrounding, a splashy sound of approaching footsteps could be heard.
"Someone else is here!"
"This... this energy!"
"S-so strong..."
Maro, Aloe, and Asa jointly glared at the emerging being in front of them. He was a distance away, but the sound he made as he drew closer gave an ominous vibe.
"You people waste too much time." His voice was deep and commanding, enough to cause all three of their bodies to shiver.
Sweat fell from Maro's face as he could feel himself get overwhelmed by the Mana Pressure alone.
Asa and Aloe still seemed alright, but his head was pounding so much and he was slowly becoming light headed.
In the presence of this extremely powerful stranger whom he did not even know... Maro felt tortured.
"You could have just killed them in one blow... talk about a waste of time."
The mist around the stranger cleared, revealing his surprising form.
"Y-you are—!!!" Asa was the first to respond.
The young boy's body trembled as he fully captured the image of the person in front of him.
The man had two horns growing on his head, also possessing rough blue and red hair that flowed to his backside. His eyes glowed with both crimson and azure, having the glare of a beast.
He wore a long garb, though his bare chest could be seen due to its design. His bare foot and exposed portion of his arm showed scales, like those of a dragon. The scales gleamed blue and red, and they seemed incredibly tough.
There was no doubt. This man, whoever he could be...
... Was incredibly strong!
