Miyamoto spun around, his cloak whipping behind him as he reached for the seal attached to his storage chain. He pressed it against Amanda's neck, hoping to suppress her raging Renshi before the situation got any worse.
But Amanda reacted first.
Her eyes burned with fury, completely black as black and crimson Renshi swirled violently around her body. From within the raging aura, a Renshi Shadow Warrior emerged. The monstrous figure wielded an enormous sword wrapped in rattling chains.
Without hesitation, it raised the weapon and brought it crashing down toward Miyamoto, aiming to cut him in half.
"Tch."
Miyamoto twisted his body and activated Switch Mode, vanishing just before the blade struck.
BOOM!
The ground split apart where he had been standing, and the warrior's chains dug deep into the earth.
Before the creature could launch another attack, Miyamoto's straw hat came spinning through the air from behind it. A faint glow surrounded the hat as it sliced through the warrior's torso, releasing a powerful gust of wind.
The shadow creature broke apart, dissolving into black mist.
However, the mist quickly gathered again, and the warrior reformed as though nothing had happened.
"The hell...? This kid is really something."
Miyamoto narrowed his eyes, studying the creature.
Amanda glared at him, completely consumed by rage. Her body trembled as her Renshi continued to rise, reaching toward the night sky like a storm threatening to swallow everything around her.
"You're leaving me no choice, Amanda," Miyamoto said grimly.
He activated Switch Mode and appeared directly in front of her. Concentrated Light Renshi gathered around his fist, growing brighter with every passing moment.
The Shadow Warrior raised its massive sword again. The chains wrapped around its blade rattled as it brought the weapon crashing down.
But Miyamoto was faster.
His glowing fist struck Amanda directly in the stomach.
BOOM!
The moment his Light Renshi collided with the darkness surrounding her, a powerful shockwave spread through the area. Dust filled the air, and nearby buildings shook from the impact.
Amanda's raging aura suddenly collapsed, vanishing like shattered glass.
Her body went limp.
Miyamoto caught her before she could hit the ground. Behind them, the Shadow Warrior released a silent, distorted shriek before its body unravelled and disappeared into the night.
Miyamoto sighed, adjusting Amanda in his arms.
"Lucy, we're leaving. Powerful Shinras will be here soon. We're heading to the Kingdom of Eminence, so stay close."
Without wasting another second, he rushed through the ruined streets with Amanda in one arm.
Lucy hurried after him.
She struggled to keep up, panting heavily as sweat ran down her forehead.
Just as they approached the edge of the town, several figures appeared in front of them.
Four Shinras stood in their path, their capes gleaming beneath the moonlight. At the same time, another four appeared behind them, surrounding the trio with their weapons drawn.
Miyamoto clicked his tongue.
"Che... This is bad. Sorry, kids. We don't have time for this."
The leader stepped forward.
"Don't make us laugh, old man. You're not going anywhere. Our master, the one they call Mr. Death Stare, wants to see you. You don't get to refuse his orders."
The other Shinras chuckled, clearly confident that their numbers gave them the advantage.
Miyamoto let out a tired sigh.
"Sorry, kiddos. I'm not in the mood for a conversation, and I hate repeating myself."
He leaned closer to Lucy and whispered into her ear.
"Hold on to me. Don't let go."
Lucy immediately grabbed his sleeve and nodded.
Without moving from his position, Miyamoto drew a circle of light beneath his feet.
The Shinras' expressions changed instantly.
"Teleportation?"
"Don't let him escape!"
They rushed forward, activating Switch Mode in an attempt to close the distance.
But they were already too late.
A brilliant flash of light engulfed Miyamoto, Lucy, and Amanda.
A moment later, all three vanished, leaving the Shinras' blades cutting through empty air.
---
The Kingdom of Eminence
Inside an abandoned mansion, a circle of light appeared in the middle of a dusty hall.
Miyamoto emerged with Lucy and Amanda. He immediately made his way through the mansion's crumbling corridors, passing furniture covered in thick layers of dust and walls marked by years of neglect.
The place had clearly been abandoned for a long time.
He entered a forgotten bedroom and carefully laid Amanda on the dusty bed.
Her breathing was shallow, but steady.
Lucy stood beside her sister, watching her unconscious face with worried eyes.
After making sure Amanda was safe, Miyamoto quietly closed the bedroom door and headed downstairs.
He entered the spacious sitting hall and lowered himself onto an old couch. The cushions creaked beneath his weight, sending a small cloud of dust into the air.
Lucy followed him down and stopped at the entrance.
"Master, are you sure it's safe to sit there? That couch is filthy."
Miyamoto gave her a sharp look.
"Don't change the subject. Tell me what happened back there. Why did Amanda lose control like that?"
Lucy's expression fell. She lowered her head, allowing her bangs to hide her eyes.
"She's drowning in revenge, Master. It's the only thing she thinks about anymore."
Miyamoto remained silent, waiting for her to continue.
Lucy took a shaky breath.
"We argued about the jade talisman that teleported us away. I didn't want to keep arguing with her, so I left her alone and went inside."
Her voice began to tremble.
"But then I heard her scream. When I rushed back outside, her aura was already tearing the ground apart. I tried to get close, but I couldn't. Her Renshi was too powerful."
Tears gathered in her eyes.
"And then... you arrived."
Miyamoto's expression grew serious.
"During your argument, did you bring up her obsession with revenge?"
Lucy clenched her fists.
"Yes. I told her she'd changed. Ever since I disagreed with her decision to take revenge, she's treated me differently. She's become cold, and I know she's angry with me."
Miyamoto leaned back against the couch, narrowing his eyes as he considered her words.
This is worse than I thought. All it took was an argument for her dark Renshical side to take control.
He paused before speaking again.
"Her hatred for the Kingdom of Berserker is slowly consuming her. If that darkness completely takes over, even I might not be able to stop her."
Lucy froze.
"Then what are we supposed to do, Master? Is there really a way to bring her back to her right mind?"
Miyamoto rose from the couch and walked toward her. His expression remained stern, but his voice softened.
"Listen carefully, Lucy. From now on, you must be careful with Amanda. Don't push her into another emotional breakdown. Avoid saying or doing anything that could deepen her hatred."
He placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm not telling you to agree with everything she says. But you must find a way to reach her without making things worse. If you try to force her to abandon revenge, you'll only push her further into darkness."
Lucy listened quietly, wiping the tears from her cheeks.
"Her dark Renshical side feeds on her hatred. The more she allows that hatred to control her, the harder it'll become to bring her back. We need to help her find something worth living for beyond revenge."
Miyamoto looked directly into her eyes.
"Something that can remind her there's still a reason to keep moving forward, even without revenge."
Lucy's tears continued to fall, but she nodded firmly.
"I understand, Master. I'll do whatever it takes to help Amanda. I don't want to lose my sister."
Miyamoto gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.
"Good. Then don't give up on her."
He turned his gaze toward the cracked ceiling, where faint moonlight slipped through the gaps.
His expression darkened as his thoughts returned to Amanda.