Lucy's grip tightened on their throats, her fingers sinking into their skin as she dragged both brothers out of the collapsing Renshi portal. Their bodies hit the ground with a crash, coughing, their eyes wide with disbelief.
"You will take the poison out of him. Right here. Right now," Lucy's voice thundered across the square. "If anything happens to him… I'll give you both slow, painful deaths."
Her gaze shifted back and forth between them, sharp enough to pierce bone. The crowd of villagers had fallen completely silent, watching with dread.
The first brother's thoughts spun in panic. What is this woman? How… how could she reach into our own portal and pull us out? That's impossible. I've never heard of such a thing.
Lucy tossed both brothers toward Sasaki's unconscious body, her voice cutting like a blade. "Take the poison out. NOW!"
Alfie had already dropped to the ground, shaking Sasaki's limp shoulders. "Mr. Reaper! Hey! Hey! Mr. Reaper, wake up!" His voice cracked with desperation.
"Step aside, Alfie. He's going to be alright," Lucy said coldly, her anger still vibrating in the air as she strode closer.
"There's no way… we can take it out," the second brother stammered.
The words were barely out of his mouth before Lucy blurred into motion. She switched directly in front of the first brother, her hand clamping around his throat. She hoisted him up into the air with terrifying ease, squeezing so hard that the veins in his head bulged. His legs kicked helplessly as his face turned red.
"Put him down!" the second brother shouted. "I'll… I'll see what I can do!"
"Your time is ticking," Lucy hissed, her voice low and dangerous. "He dies, your brother dies. A death for a death."
"Damn you!" the second brother roared, slamming his fists into the ground in frustration. His hands trembled as he pulled a small syringe from his cloak, its vial filled with glowing liquid. His thoughts burned with resentment. This… this is the only antidote we keep. For ourselves, if ever poisoned by mistake. I never thought I'd waste it on an enemy.
Grinding his teeth, he jammed the needle into Sasaki's arm, pushing the antidote into his bloodstream.
"It's done! Now let him go before you kill him!" he snapped.
Lucy's eyes bore into him one last time before she released her grip, letting the first brother collapse to the dirt, gasping desperately for air. She immediately switched to Sasaki's side, kneeling beside Alfie.
"Now you know," Lucy muttered darkly, her hand pressed against Sasaki's chest, "what it feels like to face the fear of losing a brother."
The Sasaki's temperature was cooling, little by little. His body no longer burned with fire. Lucy exhaled slowly, her fury only partially soothed.
"You're free to go," she said flatly, not taking her eyes off Sasaki.
The brothers staggered to their feet, holding their necks, glaring with a mix of hatred and fear. "Don't think you're the strongest, girl," the first one spat. "We're just weak Shinras scraping by. But the top dogs… watch out for them. You won't last long."
They turned their backs, limping away into the shadows.
"Tch. What the hell's with those guys?" Alfie snapped, holding Sasaki's arm. "Don't they know we're already part of the top dogs? Don't underestimate us, you fools!"
Sasaki remained unconscious, but Lucy already knew his life was no longer in danger. Carefully, she lifted him into her arms. His body felt heavy, limp, but his breathing had steadied.
"Allow me, ma'am," a familiar female voice called. It was the young woman from before, stepping out of the crowd. "He needs rest to regain his strength. Traveling will only be a burden on him in this state. If you allow it, let me help."
Lucy's eyes sharpened instantly. "Don't call him a burden," she said, her voice cold and unyielding. "If you want to help, do it without throwing careless words at me."
She began walking, carrying Sasaki in her arms toward the town's exit.
"Calm down, Master," Jackson said, falling into step behind her. "He needs to rest. We can't push him like this."
"Mr. Reaper is strong," Alfie added quickly. "He'll be just fine. But that girl… she's suspicious. Why does she want to help us so badly? What's in it for her?"
"I want to help," the girl's voice rang out clear from behind them. "Because we need all the help we can get from powerful Shinras. Our kingdom is small, but with strength like yours… we could survive."
Alfie's jaw dropped. "What the hell… how did she hear me from this far away?"
Lucy stopped, her head turning just enough to fix her gaze on the young woman. The girl met her stare with calm confidence.
"You know," the girl said softly, bowing her head slightly, "he won't wake up any time soon. The antidote they gave him… it wasn't complete. His pulse is weak, though he won't die. Please, let me help you."
Alfie's face twisted in confusion. "What's she talking about, Master? What's happening to Mr. Reaper?"
"Calm down, Alfie," Lucy said, though her own voice was heavy with unease. "He'll be alright. This… is just something I can't explain yet."
The villagers shifted quietly behind the girl, waiting. Finally, the old man spoke. "Please. Let us help you. Follow her."
Lucy gave him a long, unreadable stare before nodding faintly.
"Come with me," the girl said, turning and walking back into the kingdom.
The villagers dispersed, leaving Lucy, Alfie, and Jackson trailing behind her. Lucy held Sasaki tightly as they reached the girl's horse.
Lucy summoned their horses as well, except for Sasaki's. She mounted, positioning Sasaki in front of her, his unconscious body resting against her chest. Alfie and Jackson rode behind her in silence.
For an hour, they followed the girl through winding roads until a massive mansion came into view, surrounded by guards.
The men stood lined in black capes, swords at their sides, their presence imposing.
Alfie's eyes widened. "What the hell—there's tons of Shinras here! Did you trick us?!"
Jackson's hand moved to his sword.
"Don't panic," Lucy said firmly. "They're not Shinras. They don't have any Renshi."
Her voice was calm, but her grip on Sasaki tightened.