Controlling the clone revealed itself to be much more of a challenge than Stark believed it to be, even more so since it was his first time with no prior testing.
Thankfully enough though, it seemed like the clone actively thought for itself and subconsciously did what Stark wanted it to do.
Which was why it also used [Aura Smash] when he did, copying him.
Both Stark and the clone's right hands began glowing with that ominous aura, and after a few seconds…
Stark punched the air in the Mayor's direction, sending a crimson fist of aura toward him.
"-3712!" a powerful blow to the boss, who was forced to back away because of the sheer damage.
But that wasn't all…
Stark immediately ordered the clone to repeat what he just did, sending another Aura Smash attack towards the Mayor.
The clone, without hesitation, mirrored Stark's movements perfectly, launching a second crimson fist at Malakar.
"-1727!" it was less powerful than the original, but still fairly good for a copy.
And also…
[Enemy stunned]
'OH MY GOD,' Stark was bewildered, he didn't believe that the clone could also cause status effects, but oh boy was he wrong.
The boss fell to his knees, unable to get up or move any of his limbs, and also unable to use his magic since it required him to move his hands.
'What the?' Lana thought as she saw both Starks suddenly run toward the boss without caring about anything, she wasn't even aiming with her bow anymore, instead just enjoying the spectacle before her eyes.
Stark ordered his clone to dash toward the boss as it was the perfect moment to cause a huge amount of damage, and so they both did just that.
The clone lunged at the stunned Mayor with a fierce battle cry, its aura-infused fist ready to strike. Stark followed closely behind, channeling all his energy into his next move.
As they closed in on Malakar, the clone unleashed a devastating blow, hitting the boss with unparalleled force.
"-2319!"
The clone backed away after this attack as Stark followed through with a kick to the jaw.
"-4312!"
Then Stark also moved to the right for the clone to punch Malakar in the face.
"-2129!"
Using the clone's back as a jumping pad, Stark then grabbed both its shoulders to jump in the air and smash the Mayor's head.
"-6462!"
They had just comboed the boss, and dealt almost 15K points of damage in a matter of seconds.
[Dealt damage to BOSS ENNEMY, regaining 158HP!]
[HP: 343/1200]
After receiving all these attacks, Malakar was finally able to move, and immediately used [Hat Trick], sending his hat toward the real Stark.
Taken aback, Stark asked his clone to place itself in front of him.
And so it did.
"-1728!"
'My god, the damage is insane, is something wrong with that boss…?' Stark would have definitely died if he had been hit, even if he deflected it or used his aura around his body.
The clone after being hit by this attack immediately vanished, and the crimson aura that formed it went back to Stark.
'You did well,' he smiled, almost feeling like he lost someone close to him, but instantly going back to serious mode as he needed to focus.
…
[Boss HP: 11917/45000]
[The boss is ENRAGED, be careful]
This panel appeared in front of them both.
It seemed like that in this world, when bosses reach their halfway point (or when their HP gets reduced enough), they go into some sort of second phase/frenzy.
And Malakar was no different.
"THE MAYOR'S DOMAIN!" he got up, lifting both his arms sideways as his eyes began glowing, and even his black sun mask was emanating a dark aura.
"-462!" but even mid power-up, Lana still shot an arrow at the boss.
'…' Stark turned to look at her, "Aren't we supposed to let him finish his transformation before attacking?"
"I think killing him while he is powering up is more efficient…" she replied, somehow during the fifteen minutes they had been fightning, she found it in herself to trust Stark.
"Fair enough, but I still wanna see what he does!" Stark smiled and waited.
As the Mayor continued his transformation, a dark energy began swirling around him, creating an ominous aura that sent shivers down Stark's spine.
He couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding as he witnessed the dark power radiating from the Mayor's form.
Lana, sensing the imminent danger, notched another arrow on her bowstring, ready to strike at any moment. The tension in the air was palpable as they all waited to see what Malakar's new form would bring to the battlefield.
And then…
~CRASH~
From all the nearby buildings, the mansion, and even the ground, monsters began to come out.
"Hey, that's not a transformation, he looks the same," Stark complained, although he couldn't deny the aura around the boss was more sinister, and its figure felt more imposing.
[Name: City Inhabitant lv8]
[Name: Businessman lv12]
[Name: Cursed Dog lv6]
All the different monsters they had met in the dungeon appeared all of a sudden: all under the control of the Mayor as they followed his every command.
Lana shot a monster, killing it, then armed her bow again, sweat pouring from her forehead as she knew the sheer number of monsters was too much for her to take currently.
"Survive, i'll go kill that bastard," Stark looked at her with his determined eyes, and all she could do was nod.
"Be quick… please…" she mumbled, low enough for him to not hear her.
With a nod of understanding, Stark focused his attention on the Mayor and his horde of creatures.
The monsters moved with unnatural coordination, their eyes filled with a malevolent gleam as they closed in on Stark.
But Stark wasn't interested in any of them, and so he began running toward the Mayor: his arms were still lifted up, probably because this is how he controlled the 'inhabitants of his city'.
He avoided most of the monsters, and occasionally killed some that were fast enough to catch up to him.
And so, just like this, Stark closed the distance between him and the boss.
And thus, the final showdown could begin.