" No... No, no, no. This isn't real. They're all hallucinations. There's no way Jackson is here..."
Lyon kept repeating the words under his breath, desperately trying to convince himself that what he was seeing wasn't real.
His heart pounded against his chest. His vision seemed to flicker between the battlefield and the image of his son standing before him.
But Jackson's voice was unmistakable.
"I'm here, Papa. We've been following you and hijacking your teleportation circles this whole time. We got lost in an unknown kingdom, and some weird man attacked us. Mister Bash rescued us."
Jackson stepped closer, his expression serious.
"We're here to stop you from making a mistake you'll regret for the rest of your life."
Lyon stared at him, struggling to process everything he had just heard. A part of him wanted to believe that this was truly his son, but another couldn't shake the possibility that Sasaki's domain was already playing tricks on their senses.
"This isn't the best time for a reunion," Lucy called out.
The tornado continued spinning around them. Then, something began emerging from its centre.
A humanoid silhouette gradually took shape within the swirling red energy. Its body was twisted and distorted, surrounded by a corrupted Renshi aura.
"Watch out for the tornado..."
Lucy activated Switch Mode and vanished.
In an instant, she reappeared behind Lyon. Drawing her blade, she delivered a swift horizontal slash across the emerging creature.
SHHK!
The creature split in two before bursting into red smoke. Its remains dissolved into the swirling energy, leaving nothing behind.
Lyon clenched his fists. His heart was still pounding, but he forced himself to think clearly.
I still don't know if this is real...
He glanced at Jackson.
But there's one way to find out.
"What's the name of our bloodline?"
Jackson answered without hesitation.
"Tentacles, of course. We can create them from any non-living object."
Lyon narrowed his eyes.
"Then why can we create tentacles from our own bodies if we're alive?"
Jackson smirked and raised one hand.
Ten tentacles burst from his body, each taking on an appearance resembling him.
"Because we're the casters. We can reshape our bloodline Renshi into our own form. That's the primary skill of Tentacle users."
Lyon stared at the tentacles for a moment.
Jackson's answer, along with that familiar expression, finally began to break through his doubts.
Sasaki slowly approached them, his massive body towering over everyone nearby. Two blood-red swords extended from his elbows, their blades formed from densely concentrated Renshi.
As he walked, the weapons scraped against the rocky ground, sending sparks into the air.
Lyon stepped forward and activated Switch Mode, positioning himself near Sasaki. Keeping his eyes on the monster, he spoke to Jackson.
"You're definitely my son... But give me one reason why you'd risk so much just to follow me here."
"You moron!"
Lucy's voice came from behind him.
"I thought you'd switched sides."
Lyon glanced over his shoulder.
"Don't get the wrong idea, woman. I'm taking this kid back to Guhan."
He then turned toward Bash, his expression becoming serious.
"And don't try anything stupid, Bash. I won't hesitate to hurt an old friend."
A soft laugh escaped Bash's lips.
"Hahaha... I never thought you'd recognize me after all these years."
His smile faded as he raised his head.
"But I can't let you take this kid with you."
Bash spread his arms. Blue Renshi gathered around his left hand, taking the shape of a massive bow. Its refined aura spread throughout the surrounding area.
Suddenly, a voice entered Lyon's mind.
I know you don't want to fight your son. But I've got a plan. I'll hold you off while you let her deal with Sasaki. I can sense a powerful Renshical aura coming from that woman. She can handle him. If not for my sake, then do it for your son, who's been chasing you all this way just to stop you.
Lyon frowned.
"Stop jumping into my head just because you've got my Renshi signature," he muttered.
Then a grin spread across his face.
"But that was my plan from the beginning. Let's finish what we started years ago."
Bash smiled back.
Suddenly, the tornadoes surrounding them began to change.
Hundreds of creatures poured out of the swirling red energy, dropping onto the battlefield and spreading across the ground.
Their bodies resembled Beta Darkside Spirits, with humanoid forms and blades extending from their elbows. However, their entire bodies were composed of blood-red Renshi.
Their hollow eyes glowed as they released piercing screeches and rushed toward the group from every direction.
Rebekah's eyes widened.
"Master... There are too many of them, and there's barely any room to move in here. How are we supposed to fight them all?"
Lucy activated Switch Mode and appeared beside Bash.
Leaning toward him, she spoke quietly.
"I like your plan. I'll leave the rest of these things to the kids. Consider it... training."
Bash turned toward her, his eyes widening.
Who the hell is this woman? She just entered my telepathy... How is that possible?
Nearby, Sasaki stepped closer to Lucy.
"I hope you're helping me willingly, Lyon. Stay out of this. I'll take her out with one strike."
Lyon immediately appeared in front of Bash, blocking Sasaki's path.
Bash gave him a knowing nod before activating Switch Mode himself.
He vanished and reappeared beneath a nearby tree, outside the tornado.
---
Meanwhile, Inside the Domain...
Marcel dashed toward Jackson and stopped beside him, positioning himself back-to-back with his friend as the red creatures closed in.
"Stay close..."
Alfie quickly assessed the situation.
Jackson had his tentacles, Marcel was preparing to fight, and Rebekah still had her sword. Without hesitation, Alfie threw his wooden sword toward Jackson.
Jackson caught it in midair and stared at him.
"What are you doing? You're going to be unarmed."
Alfie smirked.
"Don't get it twisted, redhead. I plan to take them all on with my hands. And you just didn't have a weapon. I'm a Shinra helping another Shinra."
Marcel glanced at Alfie's empty hands.
"How do you plan to fight those things with your hands?"
Alfie raised his fists and rolled his shoulders.
"I've been training my fists lately. Today, I get to put that training to use, Redhead and Second Honey Badger."
"Hah! Redhead and Second Honey Badger. You're still stupid as hell," Rebekah said with a laugh.
"Who the hell are you calling redhead?" Jackson shouted.
Marcel glared at Alfie.
"And don't call me Second Honey Badger again, I'm not even the first."
Alfie ignored their complaints and tossed his scabbard toward Marcel.
"Fuse your Renshi into the scabbard. It should make it more effective as a weapon."
Marcel caught it and immediately began channelling his Renshi into the object.
Meanwhile, Alfie turned toward the approaching swarm.
He tightened his fists and sprinted forward.
Five creatures rushed toward him at once, their elbow blades swinging from different angles.
Alfie lowered his body and slipped beneath the first strike. He stepped around the second creature, narrowly avoiding a blade that swept past his shoulder, then drove his fist into the third creature's torso.
BOOM!
The impact shattered its Renshi-formed body, scattering red fragments across the ground.
Before the remaining creatures could surround him, Alfie closed the distance.
He caught one by the skull and slammed it into the ground, causing its body to burst into red dust. Then he pivoted away from a sweeping blade and countered with a powerful punch.
Another creature crumbled beneath his fist.
The last two attacked together, attempting to catch him between their blades. Alfie ducked beneath one strike, stepped inside the second creature's reach, and delivered two quick punches to its chest and head.
Both bodies broke apart into crimson mist.
Alfie straightened and shook the dust from his hands.
Marcel stared at him in amazement.
"Impressive. Looks like you've got a rival in strength, Jack."
Jackson nodded, watching Alfie prepare to face the next wave.
He's not just some boy with a massive amount of Renshi. His Force Energy is impressive, too... That's what you get when you have lots of Renshi, anyway.
Jackson rushed toward the approaching creatures, using Alfie's wooden sword to cut through the first one that came within reach.
His tentacles struck at enemies attempting to attack him from behind, allowing him to keep moving without being surrounded.
Marcel followed close behind, gripping the scabbard infused with his Renshi.
At first, he struggled to find the right timing. One creature swung at his head, forcing him to raise the scabbard to block.
The impact drove him backward, but he managed to keep his footing.
He adjusted his grip and watched the creature's next attack more carefully.
When it struck again, Marcel moved aside before bringing the Renshi-infused scabbard down against its exposed torso.
The creature shattered on impact.
Marcel's expression hardened.
Nearby, Rebekah rushed toward Alfie with her sword drawn.
Eight of the red creatures turned toward her and charged.
She lowered her body to avoid the first blade, then swept her sword upward, cutting through the creature as she rose. Another attacked from her right, forcing her to turn and block.
CLANG!
The impact sent her stumbling backward, her arms shaking from the force.
She regained her footing before the creature could strike again.
How the hell is Alfie doing this so easily?
She glanced at him as he fought another group.
He's dodging their attacks and smashing them apart with his fists.
Rebekah tightened her grip on her sword and poured more Renshi into the blade.
Fine. I can do this, too.
She charged again.
This time, she focused on her opponents' movements instead of rushing blindly into the swarm. She sidestepped a sweeping blade, cut through the creature's exposed torso, and immediately turned to block another attack.
Her sword flashed repeatedly as she countered each enemy that came within range.
One by one, the creatures disintegrated into red dust.
Jackson and Marcel continued fighting nearby.
Jackson used his tentacles to control the space around him, striking at enemies while keeping others away from Marcel. Meanwhile, Marcel grew more confident as the battle progressed, gradually learning when to block, retreat, and counterattack.
However, the creatures showed no signs of stopping.
The more they destroyed, the more poured out of the tornado.
---
Outside the Domain...
Lyon and Bash had begun their own battle.
Their weapons collided in a shower of sparks. Lyon attacked with quick, precise strikes, while Bash relied on his experience to deflect each blow and counter whenever an opening appeared.
Both men repeatedly activated Switch Mode, vanishing and reappearing around the tree-lined battlefield.
Each tried to anticipate the other's next move, turning their fight into a contest of speed, technique, and timing.
---
Inside the Domain...
On the other side of the battlefield, Sasaki stood face-to-face with Lucy.
The red tornadoes continued to rage around them.
Sasaki grinned.
"So, it's finally just us."
Lucy returned his smile.
"Perfect."
She raised her sword and activated the third form of her sword change.
White wings burst from her back, spreading wide as brilliant Renshi gathered around her body. A white triangle appeared on her forehead, glowing with a steady light.
Her feet gradually lifted from the ground as she began to levitate.
Two white Renshi swords formed in her hands. She brought them together, and their blades merged into a single, long silver sword that gleamed brightly against the crimson domain.
A crest matching the symbol on her forehead appeared on the hilt.
Lucy held the weapon before her, studying its polished blade.
It's been a while... Damascus.
Sasaki's grin widened.
"Don't think being airborne gives you an advantage. I can increase the gravity inside my domain and drag you back down in an instant."
Red Renshi gathered beneath his feet as he launched himself upward, leaving a swirling trail of crimson energy behind him.
He rushed toward Lucy, ready to strike.
But when he reached the spot where she had been hovering, she was already gone.
His eyes widened.
"Where... did she go?"
"Furikaburi Iaido."
Lucy's voice came from somewhere behind him.
A sharp flash crossed the air, cutting into Sasaki's left arm before he could fully turn.
"What?"
Sasaki twisted around and raised his other blade just in time to block a second strike from behind.
CLANG!
The impact sent sparks scattering through the air.
But Lucy had already disappeared again.
Sasaki scanned his surroundings, desperately trying to locate her. He could sense her Renshi, but her movements were too fast for him to track accurately.
Lucy was using the legendary Iaido technique, one of the most advanced sword arts. It had two forms: Furikaburi and Nukitsuke.
Furikaburi Iaido allowed its user to move whenever their opponent blinked, striking at roughly twice the speed of Switch Mode. By exploiting that brief gap in perception, the user could change positions and attack before their opponent had a chance to react.
Sasaki's eyes darted from one direction to another.
He tried to anticipate her next attack, but each time he blinked, another cut appeared across his body.
One strike grazed his shoulder. Another forced him to turn and block at the last possible moment.
Lucy hovered silently within the crimson domain, her silver blade held at her side.