"Hahaha... You're one weird fellow, aren't you?"
Bash chuckled, turning his back on the Special Darkside Knight.
The young man folded his arms, still wearing a smile.
"Don't take that personally, old man. Hold on, I can send you directly to the battlefield."
"I appreciate that," Bash replied.
He paused, then turned back toward him.
"But I can't interfere in another kingdom's affairs beyond my role as support. If you and the boys can't handle that Pro Darkside Knight and his accomplice, retreat immediately."
Bash gave him a casual nod.
"Roger that, brat."
He walked over to Jackson and bent down until their eyes were level.
"You did well, kid."
"Stop that, old man... I'm not a kid, so quit petting my head."
Jackson snapped at him, his face turning red with embarrassment.
Bash chuckled and withdrew his hand.
Marcel and the Special Darkside Knight burst into laughter.
"Mind your words around me, old man," the young Special Darkside Knight said, still smiling. "I'm the Special Darkside Knight of this kingdom. I won't allow you to call me a brat in my own home."
Before Bash could respond, a female mage entered the chamber. She carried a Renshical Rod with a glowing green orb at its tip.
Without saying a word, she struck the rod against the floor.
BOOM!
A massive Renshi teleportation circle spread beneath Bash, Jackson, and Marcel. Its symbols illuminated one after another as a powerful hum filled the chamber.
The three stood within the circle as the teleportation process began.
---
Meanwhile, at the Border Between the Kingdoms of Eminence and Sunflower...
Sasaki's wounds had completely healed.
His clothes hung from his body in torn strips. With an irritated grunt, he grabbed what remained of his shirt and ripped it off.
The transformation began almost immediately.
Veins bulged across his body like crimson rivers, spreading over his chest, shoulders, and arms. His muscles swelled, growing larger as his body continued to change. His trousers strained under the pressure until the fabric began tearing around his legs.
His eyes turned completely blood red, leaving no trace of their former whites.
Alfie and Rebekah stood frozen, watching as the monster known as Sasaki the Reaper returned to his full, terrifying form.
Lyon stared at him, his expression growing grim.
So Sasaki the Reaper is back.
Lucy glanced toward him.
"What do you mean by that?"
"He's far beyond your league, woman," Lyon replied. "And I'll try to forget that you called me a boy..."
He turned his attention back to Sasaki, keeping his weapon ready.
"The creature standing before you is a predator of Darkside Spirits. He hunts them, kills them, and devours them to absorb their Renshi and grow stronger."
Lyon paused, his eyes following the changes in Sasaki's body.
"He's consumed hundreds of Beta and Alpha Darkside Spirits. He even fought a Special Darkside Spirit alone once, killed it, and devoured every last trace of its flesh. Nothing was left."
He looked directly at Lucy.
"Now imagine the Renshi of hundreds of those creatures, including a Special Darkside Spirit, compressed into one man. That's what we're dealing with."
Lucy remained silent for a moment.
Then, to Lyon's surprise, she smirked.
"Well, this is perfect. Absolutely perfect. I finally get to meet the idiot who cost me a fortune during a mission years ago. This must be fate."
Her smile gradually disappeared, replaced by a cold, dangerous expression.
"I'm going to repay you ten times over for the embarrassment you caused me."
Lyon blinked in disbelief.
What the hell? Is she not even scared?
He studied Lucy from the corner of his eye, his thoughts racing.
She's underestimating Sasaki. And it's not just because of all the Darkside Spirits he's consumed. Sasaki already has an enormous reserve of Renshi of his own. At this point, I'm not even sure Exca could handle him.
---
Sasaki's transformation finally came to an end.
His body had grown to twice its former size, his muscles bulging beneath his blood-stained skin. A massive crimson aura rose around him, spinning from his feet to his waist like a tornado.
Then, without warning, the vortex disappeared.
The next instant, the ground beneath their feet began to tremble.
The crimson energy sank into the earth before spreading outward beneath the battlefield. Moments later, it erupted around Lucy, Lyon, Alfie, and Rebekah, forming towering walls of spinning Renshi.
A blood-red tornado surrounded them, rising higher than the nearby trees. Its violent winds tore through branches and swept debris into the air. Anyone caught in its currents risked being ripped apart by the sheer force.
Lyon's eyes widened.
"A domain..."
Rebekah stared at the raging walls of energy surrounding them.
"What the hell is this?"
She hurried toward Lucy.
Alfie struggled to steady himself against the powerful winds, tightening his grip on his wooden sword.
"Alfie, get back," Lucy ordered sharply. "It's time your master showed you what she can really do."
Alfie hesitated, glancing at the towering tornado before beginning to retreat.
Lucy activated Switch Mode.
In a flash, she appeared beside him and grabbed his wrist.
SWOOSH!
She switched them away just as the domain's violent currents swept through their former position. A moment later, Lucy reappeared at her original location, keeping Alfie close enough to protect him.
Before anyone could react, another enormous Renshi circle opened inside the domain.
Three figures emerged from the glowing formation.
Bash, Jackson, and Marcel had arrived.
Lyon stared at them, his eyes widening in disbelief.
"No... This can't be...!"
Then something seemed to click in his mind.
His gaze shifted toward the spinning walls of crimson energy surrounding them. The shock on his face quickly gave way to alarm.
"WATCH OUT! THIS FIELD IS CAUSING HALLUCINATIONS!"
Before he could explain further, Sasaki threw his head back and laughed.
His booming laughter echoed throughout the domain. The sheer force of his presence made everyone's ears ring, sending sharp waves of pain through their heads.
Rebekah winced and covered her ears.
Alfie gritted his teeth, struggling to remain steady against the pressure. Even Jackson and Marcel flinched as Sasaki's laughter reverberated across the battlefield.
The overwhelming Renshi surrounding them made it increasingly difficult to distinguish reality from illusion.
Jackson and Marcel quickly ran toward Lyon.
But Lyon barely seemed to notice them approaching. His eyes remained fixed on Sasaki, his expression still filled with disbelief.
When the two boys stopped in front of him, Jackson stepped forward.
"I know you don't want to do this," he said quietly.
He clenched his fists and looked up at the towering predator.
"But you need to stop."
Jackson's expression hardened.
"There's no way we're letting you kill an innocent woman... or take that boy back."