The sky above was a storm of blazing fireballs,Lyon makes five tentacles of himself to block the fireball attacks that's already closer to them.
Lyon floated in midair, his eyes narrowing as dark tendrils erupted from his back. They twisted and interlocked, forming a massive, living barrier around the battlefield.
"TIK TAK!" Lyon's voice thundered through the chaos.
The moment the fireballs struck the black wall, time itself froze in the edge of the barrier. Flames hung motionless in the air, Renshi crackling within them, locked in a perfect still frame. Within Lyon's TIK TAK barrier, any Renshical attack would stay suspended, unable to move forward.
Below, the Alpha Darkside Spirit lookalike wasted no time. Its eyes burned crimson as it lunged toward Alfie with blinding speed.
With a sickening squelch, it molded a long sword out of its own blood Renshi.
"Alfie! Your sword!" Jackson shouted from the side, hurling the weapon with all his strength.
Alfie leaped into the air, catching the blade mid-flight. At the same moment, Marcel tossed him the scabbard, which Alfie snatched in a smooth motion before landing.
But the Alpha Darkside Spirit was already there, its blood-forged blade slashing from every direction. Sparks flared as Alfie's sword and scabbard collided with the darkside spirit's relentless strikes.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Each blow forced him a step backward.
Bash stepped in from the flank, his bow glowing with concentrated Renshi. He dissolved his sword back into its original form—a sleek, azure bow—and began drawing a massive arrow of pure Renshi. But no matter how he aimed, the darkside spirit's constant movement and vicious strikes made it nearly impossible to get a clean shot.
"You damn monster—don't underestimate me!" Alfie roared.
In one sudden motion, he tossed his sword and scabbard to the ground, planting his feet. The Alpha darkside spirit charged forward, sensing weakness. Alfie tightened his stance, eyes locked on the incoming attack.
The first strike came from the right.
Alfie swayed left—then drove his fist into the creature's cheek with explosive force. The impact released a shockwave, hurling the Alpha darkside spirit through the air.
Bash didn't waste the opening.
"Got you!"
He loosed the giant arrow—blue light tearing through the battlefield like a comet. It struck the Alpha darkside spirit as it landed, punching a gaping hole through its chest.
For a moment, it staggered.
Then—shhk!—thick blood vessels squirmed around the wound, knitting it closed.
"This is bad news, Bash!" Lyon's voice boomed from above. "Join the kid and eliminate that monster! Jackson, Marcel—watch for other intruders!"
"Got it," Bash replied, already vanishing with Switch Mode to reappear in front of the enemy.
"Don't leave me out of this, old man!" Rebekah shouted up at Lyon.
"Sorry, kiddo—join Jackson and Marcel on lookout. We can't risk being flanked."
"That's ridiculous!" Jackson snapped. "We're just standing here while they fight for their lives. There's no other Shinra coming! He's making us useless."
"Don't get ahead of yourself, Jack," Marcel muttered with a lazy yawn. "This battle's way out of our league. Best thing we can do is cover them."
"Shut it, you fool!" Rebekah fired back. "If you're fine being useless, I'm not! We fight when the people we care about are in danger."
Jackson said nothing, but his clenched fists told the rest.
Suddenly, the Alpha darkside spirit flickered—vanishing with Switch Mode. It reappeared behind Bash, blade swinging for his spine. But Bash mirrored the move, blinking away just in time.
"Careful, kid!" Bash warned Alfie, appearing beside him. "This thing upgrades after every powerful attack. The stronger the blow, the more it evolves."
"I'll manage," Alfie said firmly, his gaze never leaving the enemy. "Save your strength. I've felt this feeling before, it's not something I can ignore after what we're going through now… the same way we were attacked by that man above… and the monster who is fighting my master."
Before Bash could answer, the Alpha darkside spirit lunged again, this time with a sword growing straight from its left elbow. Alfie didn't block with his blade—he caught the attack barehanded.
Bash's eyes widened.
Alfie gripped the creature's wrist with both hands, his muscles straining. With a fierce shout, he swung the monster over his head in a full circle before smashing it into the ground with enough force to crater the earth.
BOOM!
Dust and shards of rock exploded outward.
But the Alpha darkside spirit slipped away with Switch Mode, reappearing meters away. Alfie didn't hesitate—he blurred forward, Renshi flooding into his legs, multiplying his speed tenfold.
The two collided again, a hurricane of slashes, feints, and counterattacks. The Alpha darkside spirit used Switch Mode to strike from all angles, but Alfie matched it blow for blow, bare hands catching and deflecting each strike.
The fight grew so fast that Rebekah, Jackson, and Marcel could barely track it with their eyes.
"Incredible…" Lyon breathed. "That speed—without Switch Mode? I can't believe such a talented kid exists."