The battle grew more brutal with every passing second.
Sparks erupted as Rhino's Twin Hammers clashed against Pascal's twin swords. Each collision sent shockwaves through the underground chamber, cracking stone pillars and shaking loose chunks of the ceiling.
Blood ran down Rhino's chest and back, but he refused to give ground.
He blocked another slash with one hammer, then pushed forward, forcing Pascal to retreat. A downward strike came next. Rhino deflected it before swinging his second hammer toward Pascal's ribs.
Pascal twisted aside, allowing the weapon to pass inches from his body.
Rhino narrowed his eyes.
"How far have you progressed through the Chronicles of Bloodline, Pascal?"
Pascal grinned, his twin swords glinting in the dim light.
"What's wrong, Special Darkside Knight? I thought you wanted a fight to the death. Show me everything you've got."
He tilted his head, his smile growing colder.
"Don't you dare hold back on me. Because if you do..."
Rhino suddenly lunged, bringing one hammer down toward Pascal's head.
"...I'll carve you into pieces."
Pascal didn't even flinch.
CRACK!
The hammer smashed into his skull, scattering sand across the chamber.
Before the grains could settle, they began gathering together, rebuilding his head as though nothing had happened.
Pascal's voice emerged from the shifting sand.
"I'll carve you into pieces."
His head reformed completely, and his mocking smile returned.
Rhino's expression changed.
He swung again.
And again.
His Twin Hammers came down in a relentless barrage, striking Pascal's head, shoulders, and chest. Every impact shattered parts of his body, only for the scattered sand to gather and restore them moments later.
Pascal no longer bothered defending himself.
He simply walked forward through the assault.
This is bad...
Rhino took a step backward, watching Pascal's wounds disappear almost as quickly as they appeared.
No matter how hard I hit him, he recovers almost instantly. If his body turns into sand whenever he's struck, ordinary attacks won't be enough to finish him.
His grip tightened around the hammer handles.
I can't keep fighting like this. I'll run out of Renshi before he runs out of sand.
Pascal suddenly vanished with Switch Mode.
Rhino barely had time to turn before a sword swept toward his neck. He raised his hammer to block, but Pascal immediately followed with a second strike aimed at his chest.
The blade cut through Rhino's armor, opening a deep wound.
"Gh!"
Rhino staggered backward, blood running down his torso.
Pascal landed lightly before him, his crimson eyes gleaming.
"You finally understand, don't you?"
He raised both swords.
"Nothing you do will work. You can't destroy sand, Rhino. My body will always recover."
His smile twisted into something cruel.
"The ground starts vibrating..."
He spread his arms slightly.
"I am unkillable. A mere Shinra like you couldn't even scratch a finger of mine."
Rhino gritted his teeth, ignoring the blood dripping from his chest.
If this continues, I'll lose.
His gaze shifted toward the Twin Hammers.
I can't keep defending forever. It's time to stop holding back.
Rhino leapt backward, putting some distance between them. He then brought his two hammers together.
CLANG!
The metallic ring echoed throughout the dungeon.
He began spinning the weapons in opposite directions, gradually increasing their speed until the air around him started to tremble. Powerful gusts swept across the chamber, scattering dust and sending loose stones skidding away from him.
I know he's up to something...
Pascal narrowed his eyes.
"Another trick huh?"
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"You never disappoint me, Rhino. But do you honestly think spinning your toys will save you?"
The ground beneath Pascal's feet began to tremble.
Cracks spread across the chamber floor, widening as enormous quantities of sand surged through them. Pillars of sand erupted into the air like geysers before breaking apart into swirling clouds of grains.
Then the sand began to change.
Hundreds of sharp spears formed within the swirling mass, their hardened tips pointing directly at Rhino.
In moments, the underground chamber had become a deadly maze.
"Nothing surprises me anymore, Pascal."
Rhino roared as he increased the speed of his spinning hammers, creating a powerful barrier around himself.
Pascal extended one hand.
"Then try surviving this."
The sand spears shot forward.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
They crashed against Rhino's rotating hammers, shattering on impact or flying off in different directions. Each collision sent a jolt through his arms, and the constant barrage gradually forced him backward.
More spears formed to replace the ones he destroyed.
Pascal watched calmly.
"How long can you keep that up?"
Rhino ignored the taunt.
He lowered his body and charged forward, using the spinning hammers to deflect the incoming spears as he forced his way through the storm.
Pascal's eyes narrowed.
"He's coming straight at me?"
He activated Switch Mode.
In a flash, Pascal disappeared and reappeared behind Rhino, bringing his sword down toward his spine.
CLANG!
The blade struck Rhino's back, but instead of cutting through his skin, it produced a metallic ring.
Pascal's eyes widened.
Rhino slowly turned his head.
His skin had darkened, now covered in thick, hardened plates. His muscles bulged beneath the armor, and a sharp horn had emerged from his forehead.
The Renshi surrounding his body had grown heavier, pressing against the air like an invisible mountain.
Pascal immediately jumped backward, putting several meters between them.
His mocking smile faltered.
Rhino faced him, his crimson eyes burning.
"You should feel honored, Pascal. Very few people have ever forced me to reveal this form."
He took a step forward.
The stone beneath his foot cracked.
"You keep calling me a Special Darkside Knight who relies on brute force. But you don't even know my real name."
Pascal said nothing. He watched Rhino carefully, his swords ready.
"Rhino isn't the name I was born with. My kingdom gave me that name when I was still a boy."
Rhino clenched his fists.
"Do you know why?"
Pascal tightened his grip on his swords but remained silent.
Rhino's expression hardened.
"Because I never felt pain the way ordinary people do. Blades, spears, and hammers couldn't pierce my skin. My bones were harder than iron, and my strength was beyond what anyone expected from a human."
He lowered his body into a fighting stance.
"That's why they called me Rhino. No one could break through this body."
His figure suddenly blurred.
Pascal's eyes widened.
So fast!
Before he could activate Switch Mode, Rhino appeared directly in front of him.
BOOM!
Rhino's fist struck Pascal squarely in the face.
The impact sent him flying across the chamber. He crashed through a stone pillar, smashed through a wall, and disappeared beneath a mountain of rubble.
The entire underground structure shook.
Rhino rushed forward. A powerful mechanism built into his elbow flared with Renshi, accelerating his punch and adding even more force to his already overwhelming strength.
He slammed his fist into the rubble.
CRAAASH!
The remaining stones exploded outward.
Pascal's body scattered into sand, allowing him to escape the full force of the blow. The grains gathered several meters away, and his body quickly reformed.
He stumbled upon landing, one hand pressed against his face.
"Tch..."
He wiped the sand from his cheek.
"It was a mistake to underestimate you, Rhino."
He raised his twin swords again.
"I acknowledge you as one of the strongest Special Darkside Knights."
His eyes narrowed.
"But don't think that means you've won."
Rhino answered by charging at him again.
Pascal activated Switch Mode, disappearing just as Rhino's fist came within inches of his face.
He reappeared to Rhino's left and slashed toward his neck.
Rhino turned and blocked with his forearm.
The blade scraped across his hardened skin, throwing sparks into the air.
Rhino immediately countered with a punch.
Pascal vanished again.
This time, Rhino's elbow booster ignited, propelling him forward before Pascal could move far enough away.
BOOM!
Rhino's fist smashed into Pascal's side.
Pascal's body partially dissolved into sand, but the remaining force sent him tumbling across the battlefield.
He barely managed to regain his balance before Rhino came after him again.
He's keeping up with my Switch Mode? No... those boosters are allowing him to close the distance almost immediately.
Pascal's expression grew serious.
What kind of monster is this human?
He raised both swords and attacked, unleashing a rapid series of slashes.
Rhino blocked the first strike with a hammer he summoned, avoided the second, and caught the third against his armored forearm. He then swung his other hammer toward Pascal's ribs.
Pascal turned his body into sand at the moment of impact, allowing the weapon to pass through the affected area.
Rhino anticipated the move.
He activated the booster at his ankle and drove his knee into Pascal's torso before his body could fully reform.
BOOM!
Pascal was thrown backward again.
He landed on one knee, breathing heavily despite his body's ability to recover from physical damage.
His strength, his speed, that armor... I can't afford to keep exchanging blows with him.
Pascal raised his hand.
The sand scattered throughout the chamber began to move.
Rhino noticed the change and immediately shifted his stance.
What now?
Pascal slammed one of his swords into the ground.
"Let's see how you handle the desert itself."
The earth shook violently.
Enormous pillars of sand erupted beneath Rhino, tearing through the stone floor like massive spears.
Rhino reacted instantly, jumping away as the first pillar burst through the ground.
A second erupted where he landed.
He twisted in midair, using his booster to change direction before the sand could catch him.
Pascal smiled.
"Impressive. You avoided the first two."
He raised both hands.
"But how long can you keep dodging?"
Dozens of sand pillars erupted in rapid succession, each one rising along Rhino's path. Some shot straight upward, while others burst out at sharp angles, cutting off his escape routes.
Rhino weaved between them, his body moving with surprising speed.
One pillar grazed his leg, tearing away a portion of his armor. Another struck his shoulder, forcing him to change direction in midair.
He landed hard, rolled across the ground, and immediately sprang to his feet before another pillar erupted behind him.
"Tch..."
Rhino glanced at the sand spreading across the battlefield.
I can't keep wasting Renshi in this form. My body is burning through it too quickly.
He clenched his fists.
I need to finish this before my strength starts dropping.
Rhino leaned forward and charged directly toward Pascal.
The sand erupted beneath his feet, but he used his boosters to change direction at the last moment, narrowly avoiding each rising pillar.
Pascal's grin widened.
"Reckless, aren't you? Running straight toward me when the entire battlefield is under my control."
He raised one sword.
"But I'll gladly put an end to your foolishness."
Switch Mode.
Pascal vanished in a flash and reappeared behind Rhino, his sword already descending toward the gap between the armor plates on his back.
Rhino's attention remained fixed on the sand pillars ahead.
He sensed the attack too late.
SHIIING!
Pascal's blade cut across his back, slicing through his hardened skin and deep into the flesh beneath.
"GRAAAHH!"
Rhino roared as the force of the strike sent him crashing forward.
He smashed into the stone floor, creating a crater beneath his body.
Before he could rise, a massive sand pillar erupted directly beneath him.
BOOOOM!
The explosion launched Rhino upward, tearing through the chamber's ceiling and smashing through several layers of stone.
The castle above shook violently.
Walls cracked, pillars collapsed, and debris rained into the rooms above as Rhino's body burst through the floor and landed on the upper level of the castle.
CRASH!
He struck the ground on his back, leaving a deep crater in the stone.
Blood spilled from his mouth.
For several seconds, Rhino couldn't move. His chest rose and fell with each painful breath as he struggled to remain conscious.
Then he forced himself onto one elbow and coughed up more blood.
"Ghh..."
His horn began to shrink, and the dark plates covering his body gradually receded. The Renshi reinforcing his muscles weakened, leaving his skin thinner and his body closer to its original form.
He had reached his limit.
A shifting wave of sand rose through the enormous hole in the floor.
Pascal rode it upward, his body reforming as he stepped onto the broken stone.
He looked down at Rhino with a cruel smile.
"What's wrong? Have you reached your limit already?"
He approached slowly, his twin swords still in hand.
"Come on, Rhino. Don't disappoint me now. I haven't even shown you everything the Chronicles have to offer."
Rhino struggled onto his knees, clutching his wounded side.
His eyes remained fixed on Pascal.
"Pascal..."
He spat blood onto the cracked floor.
"I still don't understand why you people are targeting children. What do you want from them?"
He paused, struggling to catch his breath.
"And why isn't Miyamoto doing anything about it? I guess it's because he doesn't know, does he?"
Pascal's smile remained, but he didn't answer.
Rhino slowly lifted his head.
"There's something else I've figured out. You're terrified of Golden Katana discovering what you're planning. That's why you've been hiding your movements and killing anyone who gets in your way."
He tightened his bloodstained fist.
"Whatever you're after, it must be far more important than a few children."
Rhino's gaze hardened.
"So tell me, Pascal... what are the Reinforcement really planning?"