Chapter 2 [Build Up]

Marideth took a step back and smiled, her little top hat staying balanced atop her head.

"It could be fun, but I don't think any of you would want to be my partner. So instead!" Marideth lifted her hand as a flicker of light went past everyone's vision before vanishing again. She then elevated her hand over her shadow that was being cast and slowly raised it. Before everyone's eyes, the shadow began to rise from the ground as an amorphous figure before being twisted into an exact replica of Marideth. The figure then split and both sides fixed each other until there were three Marideth's. The Marideths smiled and tilted their heads opposite one another and spoke at the same time.

"I'm sure this may suffice?"

Having finally decided to get cleaned up, Kiru felt well enough to drop by the arena where she saw almost everyone gathered, "Oye, what's happening here?"

"Oh. A spar is about to happen. Right now, it's 3 on 3, and Jaden and I are just waiting for a third member on our team. Care to join?"

"A Spar? Y'know I might be up for a spar but.. I'm really only good with swords, no special powers. And if we were using swords, well... I'd have to fight all of you at once for it to be fair."

The three Marideth's tilted their heads the other way before the middle one stood back.

"Perhaps a two-on-two, then? I don't have much luck with swords myself. I use...other weaponry." Marideth smiled as another light flickered through the air.

Jaden smiled and lookEd at ECho "okay ready to do this Echo?" Jaden asked before looking at marideth

"Nah, wouldn't be fair for me with "other" weaponry, and it wouldn't be fair for anyone else if you used blades. Maybe that Tara, Gajeel, Fire and Eric all at once."

Echo nodded, crouching slightly as she pulled one of her daggers from her sheaths.

"Ready."

Jaden grinned and bolted off to the left, charging at the cloNE before disappearing and reappearing behind it

Echo raised her hand at the original, shooting of a blast of sound at Madireth.

-2
48/50

Marideth smiled as she wriggled her fingers at her sides. In response, the clone arched back halfway so that she eyed Jaden whilst upside-down, its own hand swinging through the air as a flicker of light dashed toward Jaden's position at approximately 30 MPH. The second clone spun in a quick circle so as to land behind Jaden as well, sandwiching him between the two clones. As it spun, the clone wriggled her own fingers to cause a second flicker of light to dash toward the lower half of Jaden's positioning at the same speed as the previous clone's flicker.

The original Marideth swiftly performed a split so that the blast of sound would merely pass overtop her head. Upon standing back up, she shouted over to Echo.

"Oi! This is a two-on-two! Your priority is the clones, not me!"

"Ah. That suddenly makes more sense." Echo shrugged and darted for Jaden's position. She jumps towards the first clone, swinging her anti-heal dagger towards the clone's head.

The first clone paid no mind, as its head was equivalent with Jaden's stomach. The clone wriggled the fingers of its right hand, causing a third flicker of light to dash toward Echo's position at rapid speeds. As Echo jumped toward the clone, the flicker would be set in the perfect position to meet her in midair with enough speed to catch her in approximately 1.5 seconds. The second clone shifted its eye to Echo as she lept through the air and activated its Blacklight ability, preparing to ignite Echo whilst she had very little room to avert the position that the clone locked onto.

Jaden smiled "too slow!" He yelled out, his wings flap and there is a mini boom and suddenly Jaden is flying in the air avoiding the flickers of light "I'm able to fly at Mach speeds, your gonna need to throw stuff faster then that"
Jaden then for Echo, grabbing her so she wasn't hit by the light and landing away from the clones

As the two of them avoided the flickers, the lights suddenly vanished as the clones went back to their previous positions. Chuckling, Marideth clapped.

"Well done well done! Not a lot of people can dodge both Blacklight and the lights at the same time! I knew I chose the right people! But I still have to test more..." At that, both clones locked their eyes onto the floor surrounding Echo and Jaden. Within an instant the floor was lit ablaze in black fire that circled around the two of them. Then, raising their arms, the clones manipulated the fire into giant pillars that surrounded them on all sides.

"Will you jump through the fire? Or will you burn? Let's find out!"

Echo chuckled, dropping swiftly to her feet.

"I could have dodged that. But thanks for the sentiment. Now... let's do this." Echo grasped her left arm. It begun to glow brightly, and energy crackled around it. She could see the clones' auras through the inferno, and she motioned Jaden to wait. Suddenly her body turned to shadow, and she jumped cleanly though the fire, aiming a jab at the first clone.

-15
33/50

As the clones saw the shadow that was Echo, they both flicked all of their fingers. Within an instant, there was a barrage of 20 flickering lights all approaching her body fast from every and all angles whilst she was approaching.

"Dodge this!"

Jaden smiled and took a deep breath "Black Fire!" He yelled out as he breathed the black flames onto the current ones, reducing the heat as he closed his eyes and scales covered his body, he quickly jumed through the fire and flew into the air
-7
43/50

shina was whatching there fight examinating every power that the new girl has thinking to herself about echos new ability "strange... i thouhg i was the only one with shadow abilitys

"You guys just won't quit." Marideth giggled as she swung her hands in opposite directions. In response, the clones turned and met back-to-back. Both of them lifted their hands as the flickering lights suddenly rose to the air above the two of them and began to dance. Closer inspection revealed the microfiliament wires tying themselves together into a giant net. The clones then slammed their hands onto the ground, causing the net to speed down at a high enough velocity to meet them within approximately 1.5 seconds. The net's length stretched to where the initial Blacklight fire was cast, and was double the width of both Marideth's pressed back-to-back. Marideth called out.

"If you can dodge this, you win!"

Jaden yelled"Divine Roar!" He screamed, his voice deepening as the arena shook, the wires vibrated before all snapping before they could come in contact with him or Echo
-20
23/50

((Kk nvm I'll delete these last few posts. New action.))

Echo teleported behind the clones, leaving the net's area of effect. She immediately cancelled her shadow form as she did, sending a punch flying to hit one of them directly in the face

-6
27/50

As Echo reached the clone's positioning, Marideth snapped her fingers with a smile on her face. As she did so, both clones simply liquefied and fell to the ground, vanishing within the shadows cast by the lights of the arena. Clapping, Marideth giggled.

"Well done, well done! You guys are better than you look. Especially you, for having no sight." She smiled over at Echo. Walking up to them, she tilted her head.

"I guess my clones need stronger wires if a vibration like that could snap them. They are weaker than mine. But I'm still tinkering with them. Excellent teamwork, you two!"

I sigh in relief, nodding in response.

"Thanks. You did well, too." Echo began to walk back towards Jaden, but stopped before turning her head back to Marideth.

"I know very well you could have potentially killed me after my last attack attempt there. In a real fight, I'd love to see what the actual results would be."

Marideth blinked a bit, surprised at the reaction she got from Echo.

"If I saw you couldn't dodge it I would've immediately called off the attack. I would never kill someone in a friendly spar, especially someone I want to be friends with." She smiled wide and held her hands behind her back.