Jackson narrowed his eyes at the bloodied girl lying on the ground. His gaze shifted toward the criminals surrounding her, and his expression grew serious.
"They're not our problem," he muttered, clenching his fists. "But we can't just abandon her while those bastards are molesting her."
"That's the answer I was hoping for," Marcel replied, stepping forward beside him.
The girl coughed weakly, struggling to lift her head.
"Run away... These guys are dangerous. You can't beat them..."
One of the criminals sneered before stomping down on her back.
"Shut up. We're done with you, so stay down."
He turned toward Jackson and Marcel, motioning for the others to follow. Their heavy footsteps echoed through the narrow alley as they approached the two boys.
"Hey, Marcel," Jackson said calmly. "Take two. I'll handle the other two. Let's finish this in as few moves as possible. We don't have time to waste."
"Sounds good to me."
Marcel cracked his knuckles and stepped forward.
The gang leader burst into laughter.
"You two little brats think you can take us on? Without swords, you're nothing. Hell, even if you had swords, you'd still be useless."
He waved his hand dismissively.
Three of the criminals immediately charged forward, their blades gleaming beneath the dim light filtering into the alley.
The narrow space left little room to manoeuvre, but Jackson didn't need much.
He sprang into the air, landed lightly against the side of a nearby shop, and dashed along the wall with a burst of Renshi-enhanced speed.
"What the hell? Did that brat just run along the wall?" one of the criminals shouted, skidding to a halt.
Before anyone could react, Jackson launched himself downward, driving his fist toward the gang leader.
The man crossed his arms just in time to block the blow, but the impact sent him stumbling backward. Jackson didn't give him a chance to recover. He pressed forward with a relentless barrage of punches, each strike coming faster than the last.
"Not bad for a kid," the leader grunted, retreating several steps. "But I've got something you don't."
Jackson narrowed his eyes.
"I don't have time for this, you fat rat."
Renshi surged around his clenched fists, forming blazing gauntlets that illuminated the alley.
The gang leader's grin widened.
"So, you're a Renshi user. Now things are getting interesting. But don't think that makes you special, brat. I don't need fancy Renshi when I've got this."
He proudly raised his sword.
"This is a Renshical sword forged by a powerful mage. It once took down a Shinra, and now it's going to take you down too."
He lunged.
His sword tore through the air in a series of vicious strikes. Jackson ducked beneath the first swing, twisted around the second, and somersaulted under the third.
As he spun, he gathered the Renshi surrounding his fists and channelled it down into his legs.
In one fluid motion, he sprang upward and delivered a powerful double kick beneath the man's chin.
The gang leader's head snapped backward as his body staggered away. Jackson flipped backward and landed gracefully on his feet.
Blood trickled from the man's lip.
"You little..."
Jackson didn't give him time to finish.
He surged forward, his fists blazing with Renshi, and unleashed another devastating combination. His punches hammered into the man's stomach, chest, and jaw, each strike driving him farther backward until his legs finally gave out.
The gang leader collapsed onto his knees.
Watching from the side, Marcel stared in disbelief.
Since when could Jack use his Renshi like that? I've been slacking off, haven't I?
He looks like he's from the Martial Bloodline... but it's just Renshi control.
Meanwhile, two of the remaining criminals turned and fled.
"Oh, no, you don't!" Marcel shouted, charging after them.
The third criminal swung his sword downward, attempting to stop him. Marcel ducked beneath the blade, slipped behind his opponent, and leaped onto his shoulders.
Before the man could react, Marcel struck a pressure point on his neck, a trick he'd learned from his papa.
The criminal's eyes rolled back, and he crumpled to the ground.
Marcel landed lightly beside him, snatched up the fallen sword, and turned toward the two fleeing men.
"Where do you think you're going?"
The gang leader groaned as Jackson grabbed him and dragged his unconscious body toward Marcel.
"It's over," Jackson declared.
The last two criminals froze, staring at their defeated leader.
"This... This is impossible..." one of them stammered. "The boss lost to a kid?"
Neither waited for an answer. They immediately turned and fled down the alley.
Marcel wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Wow... That was fast."
"You idiot..." Jackson snapped. "We don't have time to waste."
"Huh? Oh, right... The plan. I completely forgot."
Jackson opened his mouth to scold him again, but a weak voice interrupted them.
"Um... I hope I'm not interrupting anything. I just wanted to thank you both for helping me..."
The girl had managed to stand, though her legs trembled beneath her. She wiped the blood from her face and offered them a faint smile.
"It's fine," Jackson replied with a nod. "You should go home now. They're both unconscious, so you don't have to worry about them."
The girl nodded gratefully before limping out of the alley.
Marcel watched her disappear around the corner, then turned toward Jackson.
"What do you think happened here?"
Jackson shot him an incredulous look.
"You idiot. Weren't you listening? They were trying to strip her. And judging by the way things looked when we arrived, I'm sure they stole something from her too."
"Then why didn't she ask us to help her get it back?" Marcel asked, genuinely puzzled.
Jackson's expression grew serious.
"That's a good question."
He clenched his fists, his instincts telling him that something about the situation didn't add up.
Something's definitely off here, but we can't afford to get distracted. Whatever happened to that girl, it's not our problem right now. Focus on what we're here to do.
Marcel nodded reluctantly.
Jackson took a deep breath before continuing.
"About a year ago, my papa gave me some hints about a Bloodline Tracking Spell. He said he'd teach me the actual technique once I turned sixteen."
Marcel blinked.
"A Bloodline Tracking Spell? I've never heard of anything like that."
"Then shut up and listen. I barely remember the chant."
Jackson crouched and picked up one of the criminals' fallen swords. Before Marcel could ask another question, he drew the blade across his palm, making a shallow cut.
"Hey... What the hell are you doing?"
Jackson ignored him. He dropped the sword, held his bleeding palm before him, and closed his eyes.
Then he began to chant.
"Blood is one... heart is one... bodies apart... bring the bodies of my blood together..."
He repeated the words, his voice growing more intense with each repetition.
Gradually, the blood pooling in his palm began to swirl. A glowing Renshical circle took shape above his hand, pulsing with an unfamiliar power.
Marcel stared, momentarily speechless.
You've really come a long way, Jackson... I guess I need to step up my game.
He leaned closer, studying the circle.
"You said you barely remembered the chant, you liar. You're practically reciting the whole thing."
Jackson didn't respond. His concentration was too deep for him to hear anything around him.
He continued chanting until the Renshical circle reached its peak.
Then, with one final repetition, the glow faded.
Jackson dropped to one knee, breathing heavily as sweat trickled down his face.
"Jack..."
Marcel rushed to his side and helped him stand.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah..." Jackson panted. "It just consumed a lot of my Renshi."
Marcel glanced nervously around the alley.
"So... Did it work? What happens now?"
Jackson nodded weakly.
"My papa explained how to interpret the spell's reactions. If I get a sharp headache, it means the person I'm searching for is nearby. A mild headache means they're farther away."
He pressed a hand against his forehead, grimacing.
"And my head nearly split open just now, so that means someone with the same bloodline is close. The headache comes from the reaction between my blood and theirs."
He paused, his expression turning uncertain.
"But that doesn't guarantee it's my papa. It could be someone else who shares my bloodline. Finding him is still a gamble, but at least we know we're heading in the right direction."
Marcel's face lit up.
"Then let's move. I'm going to stay optimistic about this. No more doubting ourselves..."
Before either boy could take a step, a deep voice rang out behind them.
"You two... What are you doing here? Was that Renshi flare yours?"
A Shinra emerged from behind a nearby shop.
Jackson's face fell.
"Crap, Marcel. Run."
He immediately bolted in the opposite direction.
"Wait for me, you moron!" Marcel shouted, racing after him.
"You brats... Stop right there!" the Shinra roared, giving chase. "The kingdom's Shinras are already on their way. You're not getting out of this!"
Jackson cursed under his breath as they raced through the streets.
Damn it... I forgot the spell would attract attention. We need somewhere to hide, and fast.
He abruptly veered toward the forest on the outskirts of town.
"This way! The forest is our best chance."
"The forest? Are you serious?" Marcel shouted as he followed. "We're still inside the kingdom. How are we supposed to find your papa if we're just running around?"
"I don't know, okay?" Jackson yelled without slowing down. "I'm just hoping he's close enough to find us so we don't have to go through all this trouble..."
The two boys disappeared between the trees, their pursuer close behind.
---
Deeper within that same forest, Lyon finally came to a halt beneath the thick canopy.
"This should do," he muttered, scanning the surrounding area. "I doubt anyone's around here."
Despite the aura-concealing spell hiding Sasaki's presence from others, Lyon still felt uneasy standing so close to him.
Even with that calm expression, his presence makes my skin crawl. One wrong move, and I'm dead. Just keep your cool, Lyon.
Behind him, Sasaki suddenly grinned.
"Partner, I've got an idea. It's a bit of a gamble, but I think it might work."
Lyon turned around with an exhausted sigh.
"What is it this time?"
"Teleport us three kingdoms ahead. That should put us close to the boy and the woman."
Lyon stared at him as though he'd lost his mind.
"Three kingdoms? Are you insane? What if we end up missing them entirely?"
"If they're nearby, I'll sniff them out," Sasaki replied confidently.
Lyon frowned.
"That's impossible. The woman sealed the boy's Renshi. Even if the tiniest trace leaked out, it would be drowned out by the countless Shinras in a kingdom this large."
Sasaki folded his arms, his confidence unwavering.
"Relax. I've already memorized the boy's Renshi signature. If they're there, I'll find them. And if they've already passed through, I'll know that too."
He tilted his head slightly.
"If they're not there, we wait until they show up."
Lyon stared at him in silence, still unconvinced.
"So, what? You expect me to gamble now?"
Sasaki flashed him a smug grin.
"That's the idea."
Lyon let out a long, weary sigh.
"Fine... I guess I don't have much of a choice."