Lucy's words struck like a blade.
"Pathetic," she said, her tone flat, unshaken. "That's all you are, Sasaki."
Sasaki's eyes twitched.
"…Pathetic, you say?" His voice trembled with rising fury. "I can't believe you'd call me that."
His teeth clenched hard enough to crack.
"I don't know who brought me here… or why. But for you to insult me—" his voice rose to a roar, "—I won't accept it, you lowly life!"
"Pipe down, you moron," Lucy shot back, unflinching. "You think I've been using my full potential against you? Don't get the wrong idea, kid. You've still got a long way to go before you can defeat me."
Sasaki's jaw worked furiously. "I'll cut off your tongue!"
With a burst of speed, he charged—his two Alpha Darkside Spirit lookalikes flanking him, blades ready.
Lucy's twin swords glimmered, fusing together into a single, gleaming silver greatsword.
"Let's get back to business… Damascus," she whispered, her eyes narrowing.
Switch Mode activated. She appeared directly before Sasaki—only for one of the Alpha lookalikes to come from behind.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The air became a whirlwind of steel. Lucy met Sasaki head-on, Damascus carving deep gashes across armor flesh alike. The lookalikes pressed from every angle, but Lucy's counters were relentless—each strike faster than the last.
The Alpha darkside spirit lookalikes faltered first. Their swings slowed. Their forms wavered. Lucy's blade blurred, cutting them down piece by piece until they dissolved into drifting dust.
Sasaki's own body was failing him. His wounds no longer healed. A slash across his chest burned with a silver light that refused to fade. He staggered, collapsing to one knee, clutching his head. The two extra arms of Renshi on his back evaporated into mist.
Lucy rested Damascus against her shoulder.
"I told you—I was never serious," she said coolly. "Damascus has many abilities. Don't think we were fighting on the same terms. I can help you take control… if you want to be human again."
Sasaki glared up at her, blood trailing from his lips. "Hahahaha… you think I lost? You're too optimistic—that'll get you killed even if you're stronger!"
With a snarl, he hurled giant fire shurikens from above, each one blazing with dark Renshi.
Lucy exhaled. "Always fighting until the end, huh?"
The shurikens descended… and then froze, suspended in the air just meters from her.
Sasaki's eyes widened. "What—?!"
"There's no way such weak dark Renshi could touch my light Renshi," Lucy said. She snapped her fingers.
Fwoosh!
The shurikens crumbled into dust.
"Now you see the difference between us, Ripper," Lucy said, voice steady. "Devouring Darkside Spirits made you stronger, but you've relied too much on your Renshi alone. You don't even know how to use all of your abilities. If I were your enemy… you'd already be dead."
She turned to walk away.
"Wait…" Sasaki's voice cracked. "Who the hell are you?"
"There's only one way to find out, Ripper," Lucy replied without looking back. "Come with me. I'll help you master your Renshi—and teach you techniques you've never imagined."
"I'm more interested in that last technique you used… the one that stopped my regeneration," Sasaki admitted, struggling to his feet.
"Oh? That?" Lucy smirked. "One of Damascus's abilities. It's called Range Absolute Erase. It eliminates any weaker dark Renshi it touches. Your dark Renshi was weaker than mine, so every cut was an erasure."
Sasaki's brow furrowed. "Does that mean… my Renshi is gone?"
"You moron," Lucy said flatly. "If your Renshi were gone, we wouldn't be having this conversation. I've only suppressed the excess—the part that was fueling your rage, hatred, and hunger for power. What you're feeling now… is the human part of you."
Her eyes softened slightly. "I suppose I should drop 'Ripper' now. You're still sane enough to be a man."
Sasaki's voice was low. "…I have no idea why I keep doing the things I do. Killing. Devouring. Conquering… I enjoyed it all. But now… it feels unnecessary."
His tail retracted into his spine. The crimson in his eyes faded, replaced by black and white.
"If you want my help controlling your dark Renshi, come with me," Lucy said, turning away once more. "We need to leave quickly. Powerful Shinras will be here soon."
With Switch Mode, she vanished toward the direction of Alfie and the others.
Sasaki followed without hesitation.
Back at the battlefield
Alfie was still locked in fierce combat, bare fists clashing against the Alpha Darkside Spirit's relentless blade strikes.
Above, Lyon descended from the barrier's edge. The frozen fireball attacks had ceased. The forest's flames were dying.
"This battle is going nowhere," Lyon muttered, preparing to activate Switch Mode. "I'll end this—"
A hand caught his wrist.
"Stop it, Lyon," Bash said firmly. "Leave it to the kid. He needs to grow—fast. Greater trouble is coming for him. Sooner than you think."
Lyon's jaw tightened, but he let go of the Renshi flow. "…Okay, okay. I understand. I just hate standing here doing nothing."