It was an army of jackals, all wearing masks identical to their host's. Form variations were common among them. Differences in height, lopsided limb lengths, and oversized claws came in various combinations on the illusions. One giant clone, whose mask was nearly touching the ceiling, overshadowed all the others. Regardless of size, signals rang out from all the clones, one that hid the true Infinite's wavelength. His voice emerged from the crowd, but its location wasn't obvious.
"The world is descending into madness. Robotnik will be dead soon. The grand witch too. Meisters will become a thing of the past. All demon weapons will take their true forms and prey upon the weak like the monsters they are," Infinite ranted. "You won't be able to run from your past then, Shadow,"
"You think I'm running away? You're the one wearing a mask; using all kinds of weird tricks. I've had enough of you!" Shadow shouted.
"A new world is forming thanks to the kishin, and I intend on starting a new life. But I can't do that until I get rid of one last stain from fifty-two years ago. I refuse to share the new world with Black Arm scum!"
A steady flow of copies charged with claws ready to strike. Sonic cut through the first one easily. Then the second. More were dispatched, one after another, but there was always a new replica of Infinite to take the last one's place. Sonic mixed in less effective blunt attacks just so he could keep up.
He'd cut one in half, then slap another away with the backswing of his scythe's handle. He'd throw out a kick, or use wider swing arcs to catch as many enemies as he could. But there was only so long he could fight by putting everything into offense, and there were doppelgangers everywhere. All the risky plays he was pressured into were catching up.
First, it was just the occasional shallow claw strike, or a blunt hit that would knock him back. Then, a copy that was noticeably larger than the others caught Sonic's arm with its sharp hand. His sleeve split open; red blood flowed out. The pain made Sonic yell. He was in trouble, and Shadow was feeling useless.
Regardless of what really lied in his past, he still desperately wanted to get Sonic out of here. Unfortunately, the possibility of that happening was becoming less and less likely. The frustration made a fury build within Shadow.
When Sonic landed a desperate hit with the back of his scythe, red energy burst from the weapon and expanded outward. All of the illusions within a ten foot radius were dispersed. The meister retreated a short distance.
"What was that?"
"I'm not sure. My power changed suddenly," Shadow speculated.
Now the largest clone had drawn close. Many more of the smaller copies were following.
"We can stick to something more familiar for this next one," Sonic said.
Their resonance increased. Shadow was surprised by how much power flowed freely between their souls. He did his best to keep his soul in check. It was tougher than the first time, but he managed to find just the right balance. His weapon form enhanced again.
"Witch Hunter!"
Sonic jumped onto one of the pylons, then jumped again, giving him enough altitude to challenge the giant. He rammed the glowing scythe blade into the replica's shoulder. The weapon didn't cut far into the being, so Sonic channeled more power. He let out a yell, and the blade resumed moving until it had cut through the entirety of the giant's torso. The being's form broke up, filling the air with purple energy.
Now, Sonic was falling through the air. Two dozen smaller duplicates entered the area under him. Half of them jumped up to attack him midair, while the rest anticipated his landing. Sonic spun his transformed scythe and released the energy stored within. Energy slashes tore through the air, annihilating the first twelve.
"Figure-eight hunt!"
Additional slashes came when Sonic landed. The remaining twelve were gone before they could capitalize. A red loop of light stood out against the fading purple energy.
Shadow's scythe form normalized. Sonic assessed what was left of the illusory crowd while catching his breath. He'd eliminated the majority of them. Only one cluster was left now, and they were stuck protecting the real Infinite while he replenished his forces.
"If I can figure out how to do that blast again, I could clear out the fakes. Then hitting him directly with a witch hunter should be enough,"
Sonic shifted his balance, since was about to walk. His right leg gave out. He tried leaning on his scythe, but fell over anyway. Shadow shifted from his weapon form so he could catch Sonic.
"You're exhausted and hurt," Shadow looked over his meister, despite already being painfully aware of his condition. "You should focus on getting out of here,"
"But I want to win," Sonic pouted with weakness.
"I can still fight. Let me clear the way for you to escape,"
"You think I'll just leave you behind?"
"You have to," Shadow demanded. "This is all my fault,"
"Think I'd rather stay here with you," Sonic murmured defiantly.
"Sonic, I'm not arguing over this!"
"Good, neither am I. Looks like you're stuck with me,"
Shadow produced a combination of a laugh and an angry growl. "I hate you so much,"
"I bet listening to Eggman isn't looking so bad now?"
"Nah," Shadow helped Sonic stand on his own. "That's still worse than this,"
Both of the hedgehogs returned their attention to Infinite. They were disturbed to see that the jackal had not only replenished his army in such a short time, but added additional illusions in the next round as well. The other side of the room was brimming with figures now. Not just one distorted giant, but two stood over the new horde.
A small part formed inside the dense crowd. One figure stood out.
"How much of my power do you think you've used up? Go ahead and keep on fighting. I'm right here; maybe you'll reach me? But if your meister fails, I'll make you watch while I tear him limb from limb. Then I'll kill you once I'm bored,"
Even as the jackal spoke, more and more copies manifested around him. Hopelessness threatened to envelop the weapon and the meister.
Sonic examined his weapon. His clothes were intact. His fur was pristine. Even now, he had a stern expression that held some composure while he analyzed the situation in hopes of finding a way out.
"I'm a wreck, but you look good as new,"
"You made me into a powerful weapon,"
Shadow stated his reply with a quiet confidence, as if that were all the explanation needed.
Sonic chuckled. "Guess it wasn't a bad run,"
Shadow looked back at his meister. There was so much he wanted to say. So many things he still wanted to do. But he didn't want to do them alone. Having no past always brought a unique difficulty when it came to planning for the future. But now he could finally feel the life that was waiting for him outside. A hope flowed from deep within him that it up his soul.
"Thanks, Sonic. For everything," Shadow held out his hand. "I'll give you all the power I have left. I don't know what'll happen, but I don't want to give up,"
The weapon's words did bring a brilliance back into Sonic's soul that couldn't be suppressed by his failing body.
"Deal,"
Sonic took his weapon's hand. Everything went white.
