"We were never serving Golden Katana," Pascal said. "All we wanted was a place among the higher-ups. Nothing more. Everything we've done has been for our Lady, so don't get the wrong idea."
Lucy's eyes narrowed.
"That annoying attitude of yours… How are you still clinging to such a foolish mindset after all these years, Pascal?"
Pascal burst into laughter.
"Hahaha. Maybe being a fool is what has kept me alive, Lucy."
A towering man stepped forward.
Standing nearly seven feet tall, he had an enormous frame and muscles that made him look more like a living wall. The powerful presence surrounding him carried a familiar quality.
His deep voice cut through the tension.
"We've already gotten what we came for. There's no point wasting time talking to her. Let's go."
Lucy immediately turned toward him.
"Wait, Romero."
The man stopped.
"What exactly are you planning to do with Alfie and the other children you've been capturing?"
Romero remained silent for a moment before slowly turning his head toward her.
"It's been a long time since you last called me by my name."
His voice carried a hint of nostalgia, though his expression remained difficult to read.
"So this boy really is that important to you."
He paused before continuing.
"But don't misunderstand. We're not going to kill him. He'll be safe with us."
Lucy stared at him for a moment before giving a faint, bitter smile.
"I see. I only wanted to know what you intended to do with him."
Her smile disappeared.
"But don't mistake my questions for permission to leave."
She drew her blade from its sheath.
"You know me better than anyone here, Romero. You know what I'm capable of, so don't push me any further. Return Alfie to me, and I'll let you leave without a fight."
Romero's expression darkened.
One of the men wearing a white cape scoffed.
"Hah. She still thinks we're the same weaklings we used to be. Come on, Romero. Let's get out of here."
Romero ignored him, keeping his eyes on Lucy.
He leaned slightly toward the man standing beside him and spoke in a low voice.
"Don't lower your guard, Vodígo. Look at her. She has no intention of letting us leave peacefully."
Vodígo clicked his tongue.
"I noticed that already. She's dead serious. After all these years, she's still the same. This is going to be a pain in the ass."
Another man turned toward him, clearly irritated.
"Oi, Vodígo. You should learn when to keep that mouth of yours shut before it gets us all killed someday."
Vodígo glanced at him.
"Tch. Shut it, Onamuchi."
While the three men argued, a fourth voice came from below them.
"Hey, Romero. What's the plan?"
Everyone glanced toward the massive tree nearby.
Fushira was still struggling to free himself from the thick trunk he had emerged from.
Romero sighed without taking his eyes off Lucy.
"Take the kid back. We'll catch up with you."
Fushira paused.
"Got it."
He continued working his way out of the tree.
The five men standing before Lucy were no ordinary members of the Reinforcement. Romero, Vodígo, Fushira, Onamuchi, and Pascal had all once been her students.
They were the first people she had trained, the young men she had guided and taught centuries ago.
Now, they stood before her as enemies.
Seeing them again brought back memories she had spent a very long time trying to bury.
---
THE FORGOTTEN PAST… LUCY AND AMANDA
Centuries ago, before Lucy and Amanda went their separate ways…
Long before the difficult decisions, the battles, and the pain that followed, Lucy and her elder sister, Amanda, had been two orphans struggling to survive in a world that had never welcomed them.
Amanda had recently returned from a long journey across distant continents. During her travels, she had learned that Musashi Miyamoto had risen to become the head of the Shinras in the land of Wuhan.
But Amanda had little interest in who held the highest position among the Shinras.
Her mind was occupied by something far more personal.
Revenge.
Their parents had died during the bloody civil war in the Kingdom of Guhan, a conflict caused by the kingdom of Berserker and driven by betrayal and struggles for power. Their deaths had left the two sisters alone, with no one to protect them.
But their suffering had begun long before the war ended.
The people of their homeland had always treated them as outcasts, calling them abominations and refusing to accept them as ordinary human beings. After their parents died, that hatred only grew worse.
They were rejected wherever they went. Few people were willing to help them, and even fewer were willing to stand up for them.
For years, Amanda had done everything she could to protect her younger sister.
But she knew they couldn't live that way forever.
---
CENTURIES AGO… BEFORE THE SISTERS SEPARATED
One evening, inside a small wooden house, three flickering torches provided the only light.
The room was simple. A wooden bed stood against one wall, a few chairs occupied the centre, and a small kitchen sat in the corner. The smell of burning wood lingered in the air.
Amanda was twenty years old, while Lucy was seventeen.
Despite being only three years older, Amanda had already learned to hide her pain behind a calm expression. She had spent too many years worrying about their survival to allow herself the luxury of giving up.
Lucy sat on a wooden chair, her hands resting tensely on her knees.
"Amanda…" she muttered, staring at the floor. "I still don't think we should do this."
Amanda turned toward her.
"Lucy, we've talked about this already. It's our best chance of surviving."
Lucy shook her head.
"How can you say that so easily? The people of this kingdom don't even see us as human. They spit at us, call us abominations, and treat us like we're some kind of disease."
Her fingers tightened around her knees.
"Things were already bad before Papa and Mama died. After the war, everything became even worse. Why should we trust the same people who've spent their lives treating us like this?"
Amanda walked over and knelt in front of her sister.
"I know, Lu. I know exactly how they treat us."
She gently took Lucy's hands.
"But think about our situation. Who's going to hire us? Who's going to protect us if someone decides to attack us? We don't have a family to turn to, and we don't have anyone powerful enough to defend us."
Lucy lowered her eyes.
Amanda continued, her voice calm.
"If we become Shinras, we can earn money by hunting Darkside Spirits. We'll have a way to support ourselves, and we'll become strong enough to protect one another. It may not be the life we wanted, but it's a way forward."
Lucy's eyes began to water.
"No… I don't want to live like that."
She looked up at Amanda, her voice trembling.
"Every time something goes wrong, you have to step in and protect me. You always put yourself in danger because of me. I'm tired of watching you carry everything on your own."
She swallowed hard.
"I don't want to keep hiding behind you. If joining the Shinras means risking our lives, then maybe we shouldn't go at all."
Amanda watched her quietly.
Then she smiled.
It wasn't a careless smile. It was the kind she always gave Lucy whenever her younger sister felt as though the world had become too cruel to face.
"Nothing is going to happen to us, Lu."
Amanda stood and gently patted her sister's head.
"We'll join the Shinras together. We'll hunt Darkside Spirits, earn enough money to live comfortably, and maybe one day, people will finally learn to respect us."
She turned toward the kitchen and began preparing their dinner.
"And who knows? We might even have some fun along the way."
Lucy stared at her sister's back, unsure whether to believe her.
Amanda continued preparing the meal as though their future had already been decided.
"Anyway, we leave for the Kingdom of Eminence tomorrow."
Lucy's head snapped up.
"Wait, what?"
She quickly rose from her chair.
"The Kingdom of Eminence? I thought we were joining the Shinra Academy here."
Amanda chuckled softly without turning around.
"Of course not. Do you honestly think this kingdom's academy would accept us? The people here hate us. They'd rather see us suffer than give us a chance."
Lucy fell silent.
After a moment, she spoke again.
"Then what makes you so sure the Kingdom of Eminence will be any different? What if they hate us too? What if they reject us just like everyone else?"
Amanda stopped stirring the pot.
She remained still, her face hidden from Lucy.
Then, slowly, she turned around.
"Because Papa told me something before he died…"