Dakota and Henry trudged onward, scaling the towering mountain that stood as the final obstacle in their mission to escape this seemingly endless illusion. The jagged cliffs and biting wind made every step a struggle, but determination burned in their eyes.
Dakota glanced at Henry, his breathing labored but steady. "We're almost there, Henry. You holding up okay?"
Henry wiped sweat from his brow and grunted. "Not really. My hands feel like they're about to give out, and my body isn't far behind."
Dakota smirked, trying to inject some optimism into their dire situation. "Well, once we're done climbing, your hands and body will heal. So don't sweat it too much."
Henry huffed a laugh. "In that case, let's pick up the pace and get this over with."
With renewed determination, the pair pushed themselves harder, climbing faster despite their exhaustion. The peak drew closer with every painstaking effort, and soon enough, they reached the top.
The moment they stepped onto the summit, they both heaved sighs of relief. But their brief reprieve was cut short as they spotted a lone figure standing at the center of the plateau, waiting for them.
Dakota's eyes narrowed as he drew his sword. "So... you're the one who trapped us in this illusion."
The man tilted his head, a cold smile spreading across his face. "Indeed, that would be me."
Henry raised his sword defensively. "Why? What's your reason for doing this?"
The man's expression darkened. "Simple. You killed my friends."
Dakota blinked, taken aback. "Your friends? We didn't kill any humans."
The man's smile grew sharper. "Who said anything about humans? I was referring to the four Djinns you slaughtered three days ago."
Realization hit Dakota like a bolt of lightning. "Wait... You were friends with Djinns? A human?"
"Yes, indeed. Surprising, isn't it? Everyone is shocked when I tell them that."
Henry scowled. "Why would anyone willingly associate with Djinns?"
The man shrugged. "Because I wanted to. The Djinns were evil—just like me. We got along perfectly."
Dakota's grip on his sword tightened. "So, you're just another evil bastard. That makes things simple. We'll kill you here and now. You seem weaker than the Djinns, so this shouldn't take long."
The man chuckled. "You're right—I am weaker than the Djinns. But don't think for a second that killing me will be easy."
Dakota didn't wait for more banter. He lunged forward, his blade aiming straight for the man's stomach. The strike landed true, and the man coughed up blood.
"Impressive," the man said weakly. Then his body flickered like static. "Unfortunately, I'm just an illusion."
"What?!" Dakota exclaimed, spinning around as Henry shouted.
"Dakota, behind you!"
Dakota twisted just in time to see the real enemy lunging at him with a sword. He barely dodged, but the blade nicked his side, drawing blood.
"Ah, damn it!" Dakota hissed, clutching his injury.
The man smirked and flew into the air, hovering above them. "You look so small from up here."
Dakota glared up at him. "I figured you could fly. Think you're safe in the sky? Guess again."
Without hesitation, Dakota and Henry launched a barrage of fireballs at the man. He deftly dodged and slashed through the flames, weaving between their attacks. But Dakota had already anticipated his movements. He appeared behind the man in an instant and drove his sword forward.
The blade connected, but instead of blood, the figure dissolved into smoke.
"A clone?!" Dakota growled. "When did he even have time to create that?"
Meanwhile, Henry felt a presence behind him and barely sidestepped in time to avoid a fatal strike. However, the attack still grazed his left side, leaving a deep cut.
"Damn it!" Henry spat, his frustration mounting. He retaliated immediately, swinging his sword in a ferocious arc. The man blocked it with his own blade, but the force of Henry's strike shattered the weapon. The man leapt back to avoid the follow-up slash, but not before Henry's blade left a shallow wound on his stomach.
All three combatants were now injured, but Dakota and Henry were at a significant disadvantage. Exhaustion from climbing the mountain, combined with the lack of food and water, was taking its toll.
Dakota panted, wiping sweat from his brow. "Henry... we need to end this fast."
Henry nodded grimly. "Agreed. Let's double-team him."
"Good plan. Let's do it."
The two launched themselves at the man in perfect unison, but he smirked and conjured three clones.
"Three clones?!" Dakota exclaimed, his frustration mounting.
The man and one clone engaged Dakota, while the other two clones attacked Henry.
"Ah, crap," Henry muttered, bracing himself.
Dakota dodged and parried as the real enemy and his clone coordinated their attacks with precision. One of the clones lunged at him, but Dakota leapt into the air, using his flame magic to boost himself higher. He tried to outmaneuver the man by attacking from behind, but the clone intercepted the blow, sacrificing itself to protect its master.
"Damn it! So close," Dakota muttered.
Henry, meanwhile, was fending off the other two clones. He dodged their strikes with practiced precision and countered with a fireball that obliterated one of them. Turning his focus to the last clone, Henry attacked relentlessly, his sword moving in a blur. The clone struggled to keep up and eventually fell, its head severed in a single, decisive strike.
"Even if it was just a clone, it still feels wrong killing a human," Henry muttered to himself before glancing over at Dakota. A small smile formed on his lips as he saw Dakota gain the upper hand.
"Go for it, Dakota!" he shouted.
"Don't worry," Dakota replied with a smirk. "I've got this."
The man flew higher into the sky and then dove toward Dakota at high speed, hoping to finish the fight in one decisive blow. Dakota leapt to meet him, their blades clashing mid-air in a fiery explosion. The impact knocked them both back, but Dakota recovered first.
The man charged again, but Dakota sidestepped and prepared a killing blow. Just as he moved, the man flickered and vanished—it was another clone.
"Damn it, not again!" Dakota growled, realizing too late that the real enemy was behind him.
The man thrust his sword forward, aiming for Dakota's heart. But before the blade could connect, Henry appeared out of nowhere and cleaved the man's head from his shoulders.
The man's body collapsed to the ground, his final words a faint whisper. "Ah... shit..."
With his death, the illusion shattered, and the oppressive atmosphere dissipated.
Dakota and Henry stared at each other, exhaustion etched into their faces.
Dakota chuckled weakly. "We did it."
Henry nodded. "Yeah, we did. Finally free. That was insane for our first duo mission."
"Insane is an understatement."
The two of them laughed and shared a fist bump, the bond between them stronger than ever. Together, they descended the mountain, ready to leave this ordeal behind and face whatever came next.