Falco behind the dark cape Shinra, breathing heavily.
Slowly, he closed his eyes.
The battlefield disappeared from his sight.
He listened.
One heartbeat.
Two.
Three.
He counted them carefully until he had identified eight distinct heartbeats surrounding him.
Falco remained perfectly still.
The Darkside Spirits moved closer. He could hear their footsteps, their breathing, and the steady rhythm of their hearts.
Then they attacked.
Falco moved.
He ducked beneath the first strike, twisted away from the second, and slipped between two attacks coming from opposite directions.
Three Darkside Spirits suddenly leapt down from above.
Falco kept his eyes closed.
He listened.
Then he jumped.
His body shot into the air, and his blade pierced the first creature directly through the chest. Before its body could fall, he twisted and struck the second, then the third.
Three bodies dropped behind him.
Falco began to descend, but he heard two more heartbeats directly beneath him.
He kept his eyes closed.
The moment he landed, both Darkside Spirits attacked.
Falco twisted between their strikes. One claw passed dangerously close to his face, while another sliced through the air behind his back.
He spun around, sweeping his blade through both creatures' necks in a single, clean arc.
Their heads separated from their bodies.
Falco landed atop the fallen creatures and finally opened his eyes.
Below him, the Shinra wearing the second dark cape had already finished off the remaining three Darkside Spirits.
The Shinra wiped his blade and glanced up at him.
"Now that was impressive."
He gave Falco a mocking look.
"Where was that earlier, scaredy-cat?"
Falco dropped down from the bodies, still breathing heavily.
"I just figured it out."
He steadied himself before continuing.
"If I fight with my eyes closed and focus entirely on sound, I can track their heartbeats."
The Shinra stared at him for a moment before smirking.
"I guess you'll be of some use after all."
He turned toward the next group of approaching Darkside Spirits.
"No Renshi. Just brute strength."
He raised his blade.
"Your way, it is."
Falco gave a short nod.
Together, they charged.
The next wave rushed toward them.
Falco closed his eyes, and the battlefield became a world of sound.
Heartbeats.
Footsteps.
Claws slicing through the air.
He moved between the attacks, striking whenever he detected an opening.
Beside him, the dark-caped Shinra cut down anything that came within reach.
They fought back-to-back, covering each other's blind spots.
One Darkside Spirit lunged at Falco.
He heard its heartbeat shift and stepped aside, allowing the creature to rush past him. His blade immediately drove into its chest.
Another attacked from behind, but the dark-caped Shinra intercepted it.
"Keep moving."
"I am."
They continued fighting until the battlefield finally began to quiet.
When the dust settled, only thirty-six Darkside Spirits remained.
Falco bent forward, resting both hands on his knees.
Beside him, the dark-caped Shinra stood breathing heavily, his strength visibly waning.
"I can't keep this up," he groaned.
He looked down at his trembling hand.
"Even without Renshi, my stamina is running low. It'll be difficult to fight when the main event begins."
A Mage stepped forward, holding a glowing Renshi Orb between both hands.
"I'll heal everyone and restore their lost energy."
His gaze swept across the battlefield.
"We don't know what's coming next."
"Good thinking," the Court Captain said.
The Mage shook his head.
"Don't compliment me just yet, Captain."
His younger brother stepped beside him.
"We're both Shinras. My brother and I will support everyone from the rear."
The younger Mage smiled at him.
"Let's do this together, big bro."
The older Mage nodded.
"Right."
The Court Captain turned toward Falco.
"Hey, Smith."
Falco looked over.
"Can you use that hearing trick again?"
The Captain pointed toward the ground.
"Can you locate that unknown Darkside Spirit?"
Falco's eyes narrowed.
"I already have."
Silence fell over the group.
"Where?"
"Right below us."
The Captain's expression changed.
"What?"
He stepped closer to Falco.
"Why didn't you say that earlier?"
"It just got here."
Falco closed his eyes again.
"It's been burrowing underground, moving around."
He listened carefully before continuing.
"Seven times."
The Captain frowned.
"Seven?"
"It's returned to this exact spot seven times."
Before anyone could respond, the ground began to tremble.
Small stones bounced across the battlefield.
Falco opened his eyes.
"Here it comes."
"Everyone, fall back."
The Court Captain raised his voice.
"Now."
The Shinras immediately retreated from the center of the battlefield.
At the same time, the telepathic link came alive.
The Head Captain's voice echoed through the minds of the Mages.
"Mages, what's happening on your end?"
One of them responded immediately.
"The unknown Darkside Spirit is about to surface."
He glanced at the shaking ground.
"How about your side, Captain?"
"We've just finished clearing out all the Beta Darkside Spirits."
A brief pause followed.
"But listen closely."
The Head Captain's tone grew serious.
"The one we're facing isn't ordinary."
Everyone listening fell silent.
"It's a Special Darkside Spirit."
The Mage's eyes widened.
"Special?"
"It's being supported by an Alpha Darkside Spirit."
The Head Captain continued, his voice growing sterner.
"That combination is lethal."
He paused before delivering his next order.
"Falco needs to stand down. He's not equipped for what's coming."
The Mage glanced toward Falco.
"With respect, sir..."
He looked around at the surviving Shinras.
"Falco and Mega took out more than half the enemies here. No Shinra has died because of their efforts."
Silence lingered through the telepathic link.
"I see," the Head Captain finally replied. "Then do whatever it takes to survive."
His voice hardened.
"I'll finish things on my end and come support you."
"Understood, sir."
The connection remained open.
The Mages immediately turned toward the remaining Shinras.
"Attention, everyone."
The battlefield quieted as the fighters turned to listen.
"We have confirmed intelligence."
The Mage took a breath.
"Our enemy is likely a Special Darkside Spirit, supported by an Alpha Darkside Spirit."
Several Shinras exchanged nervous glances.
"The Special Darkside Spirit alone could wipe us out."
He raised his voice.
"Stay alert."
The Court Captain's face paled.
"A Special Darkside Spirit?"
He looked toward the trembling ground.
"Those are extremely rare, even in Wuhan."
His grip tightened around his weapon.
"And one just appeared here..."
He swallowed.
"With an Alpha supporting it?"
His gaze swept across the remaining Shinras.
"We're in deep trouble."
"No time to panic."
Falco stepped forward, tightening his grip on his sword.
"We've survived everything they've thrown at us so far. We'll survive this too."
Then---
CRACK.
The ground split beneath their feet.
A massive fissure tore through the battlefield, forcing the Shinras to jump back as the earth continued breaking apart.
Dust and rocks tumbled into the widening chasm.
Everyone stared downward.
Something was rising.
Slowly.
A hand emerged first.
Then an arm.
A shoulder.
The creature pulled itself out of the earth.
The battlefield fell completely silent.
It stood upright, its body humanoid.
No tail.
No claws extending from its body.
Its skin was smooth, almost unnatural, and its face looked disturbingly human.
Two eyes.
A nose.
A mouth.
Even its eyes resembled a man's.
Yet there was nothing human behind them.
The creature slowly lifted its head.
The Shinras froze.
Falco's instincts screamed at him to run.
Then a second presence emerged behind the creature.
Dark Renshi spread through the air.
The Court Captain tightened his grip on his weapon.
The Special Darkside Spirit took one slow step forward.