"Now talk, boy. What's it that's yours… that's in my possession?" Susa asked, her tone sharp.
"You know what I'm talking about. Don't play foolish," Lucy replied, switching forward in a flash, closing the distance instantly.
Susa's eyes flared. Two long crimson chains burst from her Renshi, snapping outward and wrapping around Lucy's body from shoulder to leg.
"Give me what I want, toy. I won't repeat it again," Lucy said, still in her male form, eyes closed in calm defiance.
Susa's expression twisted with fury as she gritted her teeth.
"How dare you call me that, you idiot!" she shouted, switching forward—two short daggers gripped in her hands—thrusting straight for Lucy's stomach.
But in that instant, Lucy's eyes snapped open.
A surge of Renshical pressure erupted outward, shattering the chains to fragments.
CLANG—!
She raised Damascus, easily blocking the strike.
Susa leapt backward, preparing to counterattack.
(What's with this boy? How does he know so much about me? Oh, don't tell me… he's Alfie's brother… or maybe that Jackson kid...) she thought, eyes narrowing.
"Give me what I want," Lucy said coldly, bending sideways slightly, "and I will allow you to leave here unscathed."
Susa's eyes flashed with anger.
"If it's Jackson and that Sasaki guy you want, they're both yours. But as for Alfie—I'll put my life on the line to protect him!"
Her reddish Renshi began flowing into both daggers, radiating raw heat.
Lucy shook her head slowly.
"No, no, no, no, no. You're getting it all wrong here, toy. I want them all. No one excluded."
Susa's eyes widened in shock. "No way… don't tell me this is happening…"
Her lips curled into a grin—then laughter erupted.
"Ha… hahaha… HAHAHAHAHA!"
"So it was you all along! Stop this foolish game of yours! There's no way you're getting your hands on Alfie, LUCY!"
She shouted the name with rage and switched toward her.
In the blink of an eye, the two clashed—
Damascus versus dual daggers,
each strike bursting with Renshical energy.
A flurry of sparks lit the battlefield.
Their movements blurred—slashes, counters, strikes, dodges—
a deadly dance of precision and strength.
For thirty-five seconds, their battle raged non-stop, neither yielding ground.
Then Susa retreated, slamming her foot into the ground.
BOOM—!
Multiple red Renshical chains erupted upward, morphing into giant fists and massive swords.
They launched from all directions, chained to the earth itself, attacking Lucy from every angle.
Lucy twisted and darted through the barrage, slashing them apart one after another with Damascus.
Then, in one fluid motion, she drew her blade back.
"Nukitsuke Iaido…"
SHINGGG—!
A thousand sword strikes rained down like falling stars, each one aimed at Susa.
Susa switched and dodged desperately, her movements frantic. But Lucy's speed was relentless—
each attack sharper, faster, and more precise.
Some strikes landed, cutting through her guard.
Then—
Lucy's white wings flared open from her light Renshical side.
She soared upward, breaking through the air.
Four giant chain-fists lunged toward her head-on—
Lucy spun midair, splitting Damascus in two this time in light Renshi, and shattered them with a single spinning slash.
She dived straight toward Susa, slicing cleanly through her—
from the waist down.
Susa gasped, her body severed, flames crackling around them.
Lucy landed, deactivating her wings, and seized Susa by the neck.
Even in two halves, Susa was still conscious.
"Where the hell are they?!" Lucy demanded, squeezing her throat tightly.
Susa coughed, smirking despite the pain.
"You might want to calm down now, Lucy… I don't think you're in the position to be making demands."
Her body began to shimmer—
And then, she faded into the air.
CLINK—!
Susa's two daggers shot forward from behind, chains attached, aiming straight for Lucy.
Lucy dodged at the last instant.
"That was a nice battle. You didn't make me bored—watching from the sidelines," Susa's voice echoed as she walked slowly from the other end.
"One of your little tricks, huh?" Lucy said, her voice sharp. "I never expected you to go down so easily in the first place."
In a flash, she switched forward, slashing cleanly through Susa's neck.
The head rolled—
But the voice spoke again.
"Allow me to have a nice conversation with you, Lucy. Don't go killing me all the time."
Lucy's eyes snapped back—
Behind her, another Susa stood, smiling.
Then—
Hundreds more emerged from the shadows, identical in form but each with different-colored eyes surrounding the burning battle field.
Lucy's grip on Damascus tightened.
"No matter how many you are… I'll cut down every last one of you."
Susa's mocking voice filled the air.
"Your precious Alfie is no longer yours. You just need to accept that and move on. To be more specific… if we're to fight one-on-one, do you really think just a mere witch can defeat the sister of a Millennium Wizard Darkside Spirit?"
She chuckled coldly.
"You must have big dreams."
Lucy sneered.
"Keep dreaming about being the sister of a Millennium Wizard Darkside Spirit. You're just a toy… or maybe puppet is more fitting. Fedora made you do his dirty work—and you think that's what a brother and sister bond is?"
Her eyes glimmered with fury.
"You see Sasaki right there? That's a brother. That's who I'm fighting for right now. You think if I ended you here, he'd come to your rescue? That's a big dream you've got."
A dark aura erupted around her—
Lucy activated her Dark Renshical Side.
One long black wing unfurled from her left side.
Her left hand glowed with black Renshi tattoos,
both eyes turning crimson red.
Her right hand remained normal same with the other right parts of her body down till her right leg, the rest of her body trembling slightly—
Not quite the same terrifying form she once used to fight Fedora—
Susa's expression hardened.
"Your words make me want to let you live longer—to see how powerless you are against us. But I can't take it anymore. You're dying here, and now—today, Lucy!"
Lucy's glare was sharp as steel.
"You underestimate me so much… You think your half-berserk mode will hold me off? Keep dreaming, loser," Susa sneered, her voice echoing.
All the clones faded into mist—
Leaving only one Susa, standing firm before her.
Lucy stared at her, unwavering—eyes focused, unblinking.