It moved like him.
Not perfectly—better.
Host #05 circled the plaza with unhurried grace, the cloak fluttering behind it like smoke. Its eyes glowed with electric blue, cracking at the edges. As if the light inside couldn't be contained.
Ash's skin prickled with cold recognition. The system was pulsing erratically.
> [ALERT: Paradox Conflict Detected]
> System Core Detected: HOST #05 – Status: Deceased/Corrupted
Combat Protocols Engaged: LIMIT OVERRIDE ENABLED
[WARNING: Victory or System Collapse]
"So," Ash muttered, "you're me. Or someone I almost was."
The Echo didn't speak. It raised one hand—and the world shuddered.
A burst of force lashed the stone square. Cracks spiderwebbed beneath Ash's feet. Riven was thrown back, landing in a roll.
"Stay out!" Ash shouted. "This thing's mine!"
The Echo blurred forward.
Ash barely dodged the first strike. Not a fist—more like a system-charged pulse. A phantom limb of data-laced energy that cracked the air like lightning. Ash ducked low and countered with a kick, enhanced by the still-lingering stat boost.
The Echo blocked it. Not with strength—but by mirroring his own movement back at him.
> [Passive Leech Inverted]
> Power Surge: HOST #05 is hijacking sync feedback
Solution: Overload differential with system strain
"Cheater," Ash spat, staggering back.
The Echo vanished again. Appeared behind him. Ash twisted, catching a glimpse of the enemy's fractured face—half flesh, half code, flickering with broken memory.
Pain bloomed in his ribs.
> [-34 HP]
> Internal bruising. Sync corruption: 4%
Ash rolled, gasping, and yanked an iron bar from the wreckage. His hands trembled—not from fear. From too much energy. The system was boiling under his skin.
The Echo stood still for a heartbeat—then multiplied.
Three copies.
> [Phantom Projections: Host Ghost Protocol]
> Caution: Illusions reinforced by system stability. Real target is hidden.
Ash narrowed his eyes. "Fine. Let's see if your code's better than instinct."
He closed his eyes.
Blocked out the visual feed. Let his body feel.
He stepped forward.
The first copy—air. The second—barely weight. The third?
Real.
Ash swung the bar and it collided with solid resistance.
Sparks. Feedback. The real Echo hissed, stumbling. Blue lines flared across its face.
Ash pressed the attack, slamming the bar into its side again, then spinning into a low sweep kick.
> [Overdrive Activated]
> Temporary Boost: Strength +15 | Agility +12
Duration: 30 sec | Strain Risk: CRITICAL
He was a blur.
A dozen strikes in seconds. The system howled inside him—coding and warnings spiking like sirens.
The Echo fell back—glitching, staggering, destabilizing.
Then it smiled.
And lunged forward, blade of pure energy crackling in its hand.
Ash didn't move. He couldn't—not fast enough.
Until—
Riven's sword cleaved the energy blade in half.
The Echo reeled.
Ash roared and drove the bar straight into its chest. Through its flickering heart.
> [CORRUPTED HOST NEUTRALIZED]
> Assimilation Available
Do you wish to absorb memory fragment of HOST #05?
Ash hesitated.
Then: "Yes."
The Echo exploded into threads of blue light. They spiraled into him—data, memories, pain, fear.
Visions flashed through his head. Storms. Towers. A woman's voice. Laughter. Screaming. A number: 13.
Ash dropped to one knee, breathing hard.
The system went quiet.
Then—
> [System Expansion: MEMORY ARCHIVE UNLOCKED]
> Files from HOST #05 integrated
New Feature: Combat Memory Replay
New Alert: "They're watching you now."
Ash's head snapped up. "Who?"
The screen flickered.
> [Connection Lost]
He stood slowly. Riven was staring at him.
"…You good?" the boy asked, blinking. "You just kinda went full ghost-killer mode."
Ash forced a shaky smile. "Remind me to never meet me again."
---