"You're challenging the great Alfie to a rivalry contest?" Alfie smirked. "Count me in. With or without my full Renshi, I'll still be stronger than you."
"That's enough," Lucy snapped. "Don't get ahead of yourselves. If you two want to become rivals, that's fine. But from now on—no more talking. And I mean it."
She raised her hand slightly, her tone ice-cold.
"If either of you makes another sound, I'll seal your mouths with a sealing spell. Don't reply. Just nod if you understand."
Alfie and Rebekah immediately nodded in silence. The rest of their ride continued without a word.
As the sun began to set, back in the Kingdom of Guhan, Exca—the special darkside knight—was still deep in concentration. In the dim chamber of his castle, he knelt at the center of a glowing Renshi circle, casting the forbidden Mind Control Spell toward the darkest dungeon.
This was no ordinary task. His target: Sasaki the Ripper.
Even without direct contact, Exca could connect to Sasaki's consciousness through a drop of the man's blood—preserved from the day he was sealed. If not for that powerful sealing spell, even Exca and his pro darkside knights wouldn't have been able to subdue Sasaki.
The beast had devoured over three hundred darkside spirits—alphas, betas, and a special darkside spirit included. Sasaki had become something beyond human—a predator to darkside spirits, yet a threat to mankind itself.
Fifteen years had passed since his sealing. Most of the world had forgotten him.
As Exca poured the preserved blood into the Renshi circle, its glow changed from black to red. Stepping into its center, he closed his eyes, merging his spiritual energy with the circle. Within moments, his soul plunged into Sasaki's mind.
But what Exca encountered wasn't what he expected.
A city of horror greeted him. A blood-red sky. Rivers of crimson. Buildings drenched in decay. And worst of all—zombified spirits—the vengeful remains of those Sasaki had devoured. They staggered endlessly through the twisted cityscape, snarling and restless.
"This is madness," Exca muttered, ducking behind two tall buildings. "I can't get trapped in this realm. I have to find Sasaki's consciousness."
But finding it was easier said than done. As he navigated the blood-stained streets, he realized the spirits weren't just remnants—they were alive with hatred. Sasaki wasn't just a man. He was a vessel of countless doomed souls.
Then, Exca found it: a dojo—silent, untouched, and surrounded by a divine pressure no spirit dared approach.
"He must be in there," Exca whispered, stepping closer.
Inside the dojo, Sasaki sat cross-legged, eyes closed, his consciousness still and focused. The room was barren, save for his presence. As Exca took a step forward—
BOOM.
A surge of Renshical pressure exploded from the dojo, hurling Exca through the air, smashing him through buildings like paper.
"That pressure…" Exca gasped as he dragged himself up. "Unreal. His consciousness is stronger than my entire soul form."
He staggered back toward the dojo, panting. "If I can't get inside, then I'll complete the mind control spell from the doorway. As long as he's in sight, I can anchor the spell—it doesn't have to be perfect."
But the noise had drawn attention. The zombie spirits turned toward him, howling.
"I don't have time for this," he hissed.
Reaching the dojo's steps once more, Exca concentrated his Renshi. The door had shut again after the initial blast, but he didn't need to enter. He simply needed proximity.
"I'll place the duplicate mind control circle here, inside his consciousness," he muttered. "Leave a fragment of my soul. That'll be enough. When the seal lifts, my will becomes his."
Glowing sigils formed beneath his feet—red, swirling with twisted power. His Renshi flared as he gritted his teeth.
"This will drain me… but it's worth it."
With the circle complete and a shard of his will embedded into Sasaki's mind, Exca opened his eyes back in the real world, still standing inside the original spell circle in his castle.
His breath was heavy. His skin pale.
But he smiled.
"It's done."
Sasaki would awaken… under his control.
And the woman who traveled with the boy? She wouldn't live to see the next full moon.