CENTURIES LATER...
At the border between the Kingdom of Eminence and the Kingdom of Sunflower, five figures stood ready for battle.
Romero, Voldigo, Onamuchi, Fushira, and Pascal.
Their killing intent spread across the battlefield, stirring clouds of dust and sending waves through the surrounding trees.
Lucy stepped forward, her coat fluttering in the wind. Sasaki stood beside her, while Lyon and Bash remained a short distance behind them.
"Both of you, fall back," Lucy ordered. "Go protect the kids. You'll only get in my way here."
Lyon frowned as he studied the five Shinras.
"They look pretty strong. Are you sure you can handle all five by yourself?"
Lucy glanced at him with a faint smile.
"Don't worry about me. They were once my students. And when your students lose their way, it's a teacher's duty to set them straight."
Bash blinked, then turned toward Lyon and spoke telepathically.
Wait a minute. Aren't they around the same age as her? How the hell were they her students?
"I can hear you perfectly well, Bash," Lucy replied without even turning around.
Bash froze.
"Seriously?"
Lucy ignored him and continued toward the five Shinras.
Lyon and Bash exchanged glances before activating Switch Mode. Their bodies vanished in a flash as they hurried back to Rebekah, Marcel, and Jackson.
Lucy stopped a short distance from her former students and cracked her knuckles.
"All right, kiddos. Come and show your master what you've learned after all these centuries."
Her smile widened.
"It's time for your punishment."
Romero immediately took command.
"Fushira, Pascal, you're with me on the front line. Voldigo, Onamuchi, keep looking for an opening... to get out of here."
"Roger," Fushira and Pascal answered.
Lucy tilted her head.
"What's that? Giving orders without asking your teacher for permission? Have you forgotten your manners?"
Her smile vanished.
BOOOOM!
The ground beneath the five Shinras suddenly cracked.
An overwhelming force descended upon them, pressing their bodies toward the earth. Their knees buckled as the ground sank beneath their feet, sending dust and debris bursting into the air.
"What the hell is this?" Voldigo growled, struggling to remain upright.
Fushira gritted his teeth and quickly formed a series of hand signs.
"Don't panic. It's the Art of Mojito... Moon Sign her Gravitational Force."
A wave of spiritual energy erupted from his hands, clashing against Lucy's technique.
The crushing pressure began to weaken.
CRACK!
Fushira's counter-technique finally broke through, allowing all five Shinras to regain their footing.
Lucy raised an eyebrow.
"Not bad, Fushira. You're still the wisest of the bunch."
She tilted her head, studying him.
"Let's see how much you've improved after all these centuries."
Before anyone could respond, Lucy vanished.
SWITCH MODE!
She reappeared in the middle of the five Shinras, one eye glowing with black Renshi.
"Phase One of the Chronicles... Izanami."
Five elongated arms of dark Renshi erupted from her back. Their clawed hands shot toward the five Shinras from different directions, leaving them barely any time to react.
"Tch. Move," Romero shouted.
All five activated Switch Mode, scattering across the battlefield just before the claws struck.
The dark arms tore through the ground, leaving deep furrows in their wake.
But Sasaki had already chosen his target.
Blood Renshi surged around his forearms, taking the shape of two crimson blades. He launched himself toward Fushira, his sudden acceleration kicking up a trail of dust.
With both blades raised, Sasaki unleashed a deadly cross-slash.
But the weapons passed straight through Fushira's torso.
Sasaki's eyes widened.
"What?"
Fushira's body rippled like water before returning to its original shape. He hadn't moved an inch.
"Still as reckless as ever, you pathetic loser."
He brought his hands together.
"Art of Mojito... Moon Sign."
BOOOOM!
Gravity suddenly intensified around Sasaki.
His body slammed toward the ground, his knees buckling beneath the immense pressure. Cracks spread beneath his feet as he struggled to raise his head.
"Khh..."
Lucy glanced over her shoulder, her expression hardening.
"This isn't your battle, Sasaki. Fall back and let me handle them."
Sasaki gritted his teeth.
"There's no way I'm going back to sit around while you have all the fun."
Lucy stared at him for a moment before sighing.
"You're as stubborn as ever."
She turned toward her former students again.
"Fine. Stay behind me and watch my back. If anyone tries to attack me from a blind spot, cut them down. And don't forget to learn a thing or two from this battle."
Her gaze settled on Fushira.
"And you..."
One of Lucy's eyes turned completely black, dark Renshi leaking from its edges.
"Release him."
Fushira smirked.
"Make me."
Lucy raised one of her dark arms.
CRACK!
The gravitational force crushing Sasaki suddenly vanished.
He straightened, breathing heavily as he tightened his grip on his blood blades.
Lucy faced her former students once more.
"Now, where were we?"
Across the battlefield, Pascal watched her carefully, unease creeping into his expression.
"Romero... she's still using her dark Renshi. Do we even stand a chance against her?"
Romero clenched his jaw.
"Of course we do. Raw strength won't win this fight. We need to work together."
He pointed toward Lucy.
"Pascal, attack from above. Voldigo, cover the right flank. Onamuchi, stay close and pressure her whenever she tries to make a sneak move. I'll take the left."
His gaze shifted toward Sasaki.
"If that brat gets in your way, kill him."
"Roger," Pascal and Voldigo answered.
Romero and Onamuchi activated Switch Mode simultaneously.
BOOM!
They appeared on opposite sides of Lucy.
Purple flames erupted around Romero's body. Two enormous wolf heads formed over his shoulders, their jaws snapping as sharp claws extended from his hands and feet. His eyes glowed with an eerie violet light.
Beside him, Onamuchi's muscles swelled. His skin hardened into steel, and his arms grew nearly twice their original size.
"HYAAAH!"
They attacked together.
Romero swung his claws toward Lucy's neck while Onamuchi drove a massive fist toward her ribs.
Lucy's dark Renshi arms shot upward.
KRAAANG!
One arm caught Romero's claws, while another blocked Onamuchi's punch. The collision unleashed a powerful shock wave that flattened the surrounding grass and sent rocks scattering in every direction.
Lucy slid backward several meters, her boots carving two deep lines through the dirt.
She glanced at the arms holding back their attacks.
"Not bad."
Before Romero and Onamuchi could press their advantage, Lucy's remaining dark arms lashed toward them.
The claws swept through the air.
Romero ducked beneath one strike, but another tore through his sleeve. Onamuchi raised his steel forearms to block two more, each impact forcing him farther backward.
Lucy seized the opening and summoned Damascus.
The greatsword materialised in her hands before splitting into two dark Renshical sabers.
She moved between her opponents, parrying Romero's claws with one blade while using the other to deflect Onamuchi's punches.
CLANG! CLANG! BOOM!
Sparks flew with every collision.
Romero lunged toward her blind spot, only for one of Lucy's dark arms to intercept him. Onamuchi tried to trap her between his fists, but she slipped through the narrow gap before either blow could connect.
"Come on, kiddos," Lucy taunted. "Is this really the best you can do after centuries of training?"
From above, Pascal finally made his move.
He plunged toward Lucy, both hands raised as sand spiralled around him. The swirling grains gathered into several enormous spears, their sharpened tips aimed directly at her.
"Desert Wolve Bloodline Technique... Sand Spears!"
He thrust both arms downward.
The spears rained toward Lucy from above.
She glanced up just as Romero and Onamuchi attacked again, trying to keep her occupied long enough for Pascal's assault to connect.
Lucy's eyes narrowed.
"So that's your plan."
She crossed her twin sabers above her head.
CLAAANG!
The first sand spear shattered against her blades. She twisted aside as the second struck the ground beside her, sending sand and broken stone exploding into the air.
A third spear came from her blind spot.
Lucy blocked it with one of her dark Renshi arms, but the impact forced her to slide sideways.
Romero immediately charged.
Onamuchi followed, bringing both steel fists down toward her escape route.
For a brief moment, all three attacks converged on Lucy from different directions.
Then she smiled.
"Romero distracts me from the front. Onamuchi closes off my escape, while Pascal attacks from above."
Her eyes gleamed.
"An old tactic. Clever, but..."
SWITCH MODE!
Lucy vanished just as the three attacks collided.
BOOOOM!
Romero's claws struck Onamuchi's steel arm, while Pascal's remaining sand spears crashed into the ground between them.
Before the dust could settle, Lucy reappeared behind Pascal in midair.
His eyes widened.
"You're...!"
He twisted around and raised both arms, gathering sand around his body to form a thick defensive barrier.
Lucy crossed her twin sabers.
"Too slow, Pascal."
She brought both blades down.
KRAAAAAANG!
The sabers slammed into the sand barrier, sending cracks racing across its surface. The impact drove Pascal downward, his body hurtling toward the ground as the barrier struggled to withstand the force.
For the first time, genuine fear crossed Pascal's face.
She's gotten even stronger than before...
He muttered the words under his breath.