"I have a plan," Adrian said, his voice steady despite the crushing weight forcing all of them against the ceiling.
"Plan? You do?" Luca replied, genuine surprise cutting through the tension in his tone.
Anthony and Adrian had already faced Ren once before. They had teleported him to another planet in a desperate attempt to contain him. Anthony had slammed him into the ground with overwhelming force while Adrian chained portals together to disorient and relocate him repeatedly. Even then, Ren had barely tried. He had likely been using no more than twenty percent of his true strength, and even that fraction had nearly overwhelmed them.
"This clone is weaker," Adrian explained quickly. "Ren was holding back against us. If that was only twenty percent, then this version can't possibly match the original."
Luca narrowed his eyes at the floating figure before them. "Then I'll distract him," he said. "But attacking him like this won't be easy."
The gravitational pressure in the room pinned all three of them unnaturally against the ceiling. It felt as if the world itself had flipped, and their bodies strained simply to move their limbs. The clone raised a hand calmly, condensing gravity into a dark, swirling sphere before launching it toward them. Despite the oppressive force, the three managed to twist their bodies just enough to avoid direct impact.
"The pressure's weaker than before," Anthony observed through clenched teeth. "We can move, even if it's barely."
Without waiting another second, Anthony forced himself forward through the distorted air and charged straight at the clone. His fist connected with Ren's guard in a thunderous collision that rippled through the room. The clone blocked the punch, but the sheer force behind it left cracks spidering across the floor beneath him.
As the clone focused on Anthony, Luca seized the opening. He propelled himself awkwardly through the altered gravity and slashed from behind. The blade struck, but before the hit could land cleanly, a sudden gravitational burst exploded outward. Both Anthony and Luca were hurled into opposite walls, the impact leaving fractures in the structure and drawing sharp gasps from both of them.
Adrian teleported instantly, appearing directly in front of the clone. He unleashed a rapid barrage of punches and kicks, his movements precise and relentless. Each strike was blocked, but not without cost. The clone staggered slightly under the continuous assault, damage accumulating with every exchange.
Then the clone's expression hardened. He lifted his weapon and activated Ren's dreaded technique.
"Sword of Gravitational Pressure."
The atmosphere shifted violently. The entire room seemed to groan as the pressure multiplied and stabilized at an unbearable level. The change was permanent, suffocating. The memory of Cosmic's death flooded both Anthony and Adrian's minds, and for a split second their bodies hesitated, gripped by the trauma of that moment.
"You damn clone!" Anthony roared, rage overpowering fear.
He lunged forward recklessly, but the clone vanished and reappeared behind him. A precise slash carved across Anthony's back and slammed him face-first into the ground, the gravitational force pinning him there.
However, this was not the original Ren. The technique lacked its true depth and lethality. Though wounded, Anthony gritted his teeth and forced himself upright against the crushing force.
He charged again, this time reading the clone's movement. When the slash came, Anthony twisted out of its path. Channeling everything he had left, he drew back his fist and unleashed his ultimate technique.
"METEOR PUNCH!"
The blow detonated upon impact, a shockwave ripping through the chamber. The gravitational field destabilized instantly as the clone's body shattered under the force, dissolving into fragments of fading energy.
Silence followed, heavy and exhausted.
"One clone did this much to us," Luca said in disbelief, staring at the destruction around them.
"It was Ren's clone," Anthony replied quietly. Even he struggled to accept how overwhelming the original must truly be.
"We can't stop here," Luca said after a moment, forcing himself upright. "We have to keep moving."
Hours passed as they pushed deeper into the facility. Eventually, they reached what appeared to be the inner section and stepped inside.
The area resembled a fully functioning medical complex. Bright overhead lights flickered against pristine white walls. There were patient rooms, a reception counter, storage units, and equipment that showed clear signs of recent use. A few unfamiliar clones moved silently through the halls, dressed like doctors, their expressions hollow and mechanical. The place was not abandoned. It was operating.
As they advanced farther in, subtle details began to shift. The lighting dimmed gradually. The sterile white floors became stained with dark, dried blood. The air felt heavier, colder.
"Are we sure this is the right place?" Adrian asked, unease creeping into his voice as he studied the crimson trails along the walls.
"I think so," Luca answered, though doubt lingered behind his eyes.
The deeper they walked, the more the facility felt less like a hospital and more like something far more sinister waiting at its core.