The forest road was silent, cloaked in shadows as the moonlight struggled to pierce through the thick canopy above. Lucy and Alfie rode side by side, their horses' hooves crunching faintly against the damp earth. The air was heavy, an unsettling stillness lingering like the breath before a storm.
Then it happened.
Five Alpha Darkside Spirits burst from both flanks of the road, their twisted forms illuminated by the faint glow of their corrupted Renshi. Their monstrous faces grinned hungrily as they rushed in, the ground shaking with their feral energy.
Lucy reacted instantly. She leapt from her horse in a swift, fluid motion, her cloak whipping behind her. Alfie mirrored her without hesitation. With a flick of her wrist, Lucy stored both horses into her storage ring, ensuring their safety, before drawing her blade. Alfie already had his sword out, the steel gleaming faintly in the dim light.
Their blades met the enemies' first strikes, sparks flying as steel clashed against the dark-forged weapons of the darkside spirits. Both of them moved with sharp, precise motions—flexible and unyielding.
"Leave this one to me, Master," Alfie's voice cut through the chaos, filled with conviction. "I need to pay them back… for what one of them did to me back then."
Lucy narrowed her eyes. "You fool, they're all Alpha darkside spirits. There's no way you can take them all on—"
But before she could finish, Alfie had already slipped past an incoming strike. His body twisted with perfect timing as he dodged an overhead swing. In the same motion, he retaliated—his blade flashing through the dark, slicing cleanly across the neck of one of the Alpha darkside spirit. The creature's head separated from its body in a single stroke, crumbling into black ash.
The remaining four darkside spirits hissed and retreated a step, momentarily shaken.
Lucy's eyes widened. He killed an Alpha… in one strike? I never expected him to have grown this strong.
"I know they are all Alpha darkside spirits, Master." Alfie's voice was calm. "That's exactly why I'll make them pay."
With a swift spin, Alfie dashed forward, sword sweeping in elegant arcs. The four Alpha darkside spirits roared and lunged as one, blades raised. The clash was relentless. Their handmade swords came down in brutal strikes, but Alfie moved like flowing water—ducking, weaving, and countering with sharp precision. Each swing of his sword carried the weight of his resolve.
One Alpha darkside spirit leapt atop another, using its partner as a platform, and raised its weapon high. Dark Renshi gathered at the tip of its blade, coalescing into a massive crescent. The air trembled as it released an attack like a black moon, identical to the one Alfie had once faced when he first met Rebekah.
Alfie's eyes sharpened. "That same technique… Good. I'll use this chance to test how far I've come."
He continued parrying and striking at the remaining two Alpha darkside spirits, all while keeping the incoming black moon in his peripheral vision. As the deadly attack descended toward him, Alfie made his move. In a heartbeat, he avoided three simultaneous strikes, vaulting off a nearby tree to gain height. Midair, he switched his sword from one hand to another with flawless control, his blade whistling through the night.
A single, decisive strike—
The Alpha darkside spirit that had unleashed the black moon froze, its head severed before it realized what had happened. Its body dissolved into smoke as the black moon plummeted toward the ground.
Before the attack could land, Lucy stepped in. With a blinding flash of speed, her blade tore through the descending crescent, slicing it apart into harmless fragments of dark energy that evaporated instantly.
Alfie landed gracefully on a tree branch, then leapt down, dropping directly into the midst of the remaining three Alpha darkside spirits. They immediately unleashed a barrage of Renshi Slashes, their blades glowing with malicious energy as they attacked in unison.
Alfie's focus narrowed to a razor's edge. His body twisted and turned, slipping between every strike. Sweat dripped down his temple, but his eyes never wavered. Concentrate… keep dodging….
Then he struck. With a burst of speed, Alfie leapt upward, leaving his sword suspended in midair. As he descended, his heel connected with the weapon in a powerful kick. The blade shot forward like a missile, piercing through the forehead of one of the Alpha darkside spirit before it even had time to scream.
Alfie landed, charging toward the last two. But to his shock, the two Alpha darkside spirits placed their hands together, their bodies fusing into one grotesque abomination. Dark Renshi surged violently around them, swelling into a massive beam of destructive energy.
Lucy's voice rang out, urgently. "This is bad! Get out of there, Alfie!"
The fused Alpha darkside spirits unleashed their devastating ray, the ground scorching as the black torrent tore toward Alfie. For a brief moment, Alfie froze, his body locked in the path of certain death.
Lucy didn't hesitate. In a flash, she appeared in front of him, erecting a protection barrier that intercepted the beam. The dark Renshi crashed against it, pushing violently, but Lucy held firm, her eyes glowing with sheer determination.
While maintaining the barrier, she vanished in a burst of speed, reappearing behind the fused Alpha. Her blade gleamed as it carved through both its necks in one sweeping motion. The monstrous form shuddered, then collapsed into smoke as the attack faded into nothingness.
Lucy lowered her blade, turning to Alfie. Her expression softened, but her voice carried weight. "You didn't use your Renshi… not once. Why?"
Alfie sheathed his sword, his breathing steady. "I thought I could handle it with just my force energy alone."
Lucy was quiet, studying him. At last, she brought out the horses once again, summoning them back into reality. Her lips curled into the faintest smile. "You've really grown, Alfie. Your father… he would be proud."
They mounted their horses and began riding slowly down the dim road once more.
"…It's been a while since I left home with you," Alfie said suddenly, his tone calm yet heavy. "I wonder if Mama, Eli, and Marcus are okay. I entrusted their safety to strangers, Shinras who would protect their own families before mine. If the kingdom falls under attack… mine will be the last they defend. I should be protecting them… not strangers."
Lucy frowned. "Shut your mouth, rock head. Elijah and Marcus are training at the Shinra Academy. They're growing stronger, protecting themselves. Don't underestimate your brothers. And your mother? She's intelligent and wise . Surrounded by Shinras, she'll survive. She doesn't need to be babied by you,you're the baby here kiddo."
Alfie's gaze darkened. "It's been so long since I saw them. How can I not worry? My father was wise too…...and intelligent. But that didn't save him from death. Life doesn't care about how capable you are. It takes what it wants… whenever it wants."
Lucy's chest tightened at his words. She hadn't expected such weight from him.
Alfie clenched his fists. "Rebekah was with us. You—my master—are the strongest human I've ever seen, stronger than any Shinra I've heard of across of so many kingdoms. Yet even with all your power… life still took her. It took her while you were protecting me." His voice trembled with suppressed rage.
"Alfie—"
"Don't tell me it's not my fault. Don't!" His voice cracked. "Everything that happened, every loss… it feels like it's on me."
Lucy reined her horse closer, her tone softer now, almost pained. "Listen. You can't change the past. But you can shape your future. Rebekah… she's the reason I live half in happiness and half in sorrow. That's why we have to stay together. That's why we have to grow stronger. To bring her back. To not let this cursed world take her from us forever."
Alfie fell silent. He finally glanced at her, realizing the truth—Lucy had carried Rebekah in her heart this entire time. That grief, that hope… it had never left her.
He lowered his head and simply nodded.
The forest swallowed their silence as the two rode deeper into the unknown.