Alfie slowly opened his eyes.
His vision was blurry, and his head felt heavy. Pain throbbed throughout his body as memories of the battle returned.
Then a familiar voice reached his ears.
"I think you learned a thing or two today, kid."
Alfie turned his head. Marco crouched beside him, wearing his usual calm expression.
"Mr. Shinra..." He tried to sit up, but the pain forced him back down. "You came back."
He glanced around anxiously.
"Where's my mother? What about my brothers?"
"Easy."
Marco caught him before he could get up.
"Your family's safe for now. Don't waste your strength."
Before Alfie could ask anything else, a furious roar shook the surroundings.
"You lowly human... What do you think you're doing?"
One of the Alpha Darkside Spirits stepped forward, black Renshi twisting around its arms as its elongated elbow blades gleamed.
Marco barely glanced at it.
"Pipe down, small fry."
The creature's expression twisted with rage.
"Special Darkside Spirits are no match for me," Marco continued, looking at the three creatures. "Consider yourselves lucky. I'll make your deaths quick."
The leader's expression darkened.
"Kill him."
The Alpha beside it thrust its hand forward. Black Renshi gathered around its palm, releasing several compressed blasts toward Marco and Alfie.
Marco remained beside the boy and snapped his fingers.
The blasts abruptly changed direction. Some shot into the sky, tearing through the clouds, while others curved toward the surroundings, and exploded against the ground.
The place trembled beneath the impacts.
Alfie stared in disbelief.
The attacking Alpha lowered its hand.
"What... just happened?"
"Just a little trick."
Marco settled Alfie against a nearby rock and stood.
"I didn't block your attacks. I took control of the Renshi holding them together and changed their direction."
He brushed the dust from his sleeve.
"You're relying too much on raw power. Against someone who understands Renshi better than you, that can be fatal."
The three creatures exchanged uneasy glances.
Marco drew the sword at his waist.
Shing.
An immense pressure spread through the forest. The ground beneath his feet cracked as his Renshi surged outward, perfectly controlled.
Even the three Alpha Darkside Spirits stepped back.
"Retreat," one of them shouted.
The other two stared at it.
"What?"
"Are you blind? His Renshi is far greater than the boy's. He must have been suppressing his aura this entire time."
The creature narrowed its eyes at Marco.
"This man is dangerous. We can't fight him carelessly."
Marco smiled faintly.
"Interesting. You're the leader, aren't you?"
The Alpha stiffened.
"Creatures at your level rarely follow a hierarchy, yet the other two obey you without question."
Marco tilted his head.
"There's something suspicious about you. I can't let any of you leave until I find out what it is."
The third Alpha growled, digging its claws into the earth.
"You have no idea who you're dealing with, Shinra."
It pointed a bladed arm at Marco.
"If you kill us, the god of the Avengers will erase you from existence. You're risking a war humanity cannot win."
Marco blinked.
"God?"
He let out a short laugh.
"You actually believe in that nonsense?"
The creature's face twisted with anger.
"We serve directly under him. We're members of the Avengers. We may be new recruits, but our deaths will not go unpunished."
Marco's smile faded.
*Avengers...*
The name stirred something in his memory.
*Where have I heard that before?*
His grip tightened around his sword.
*No. That can't be right. That group hasn't been active for ages... or at least, that's what we believed.*
He studied the three creatures.
"If this so-called god is as powerful as you claim, why send Alpha Darkside Spirits to do his dirty work?"
He raised an eyebrow.
"Sounds like a delusion. Or perhaps a Special Darkside Spirit has been feeding you lies."
"You think a Special Darkside Spirit could deceive us?" the leader roared.
Black Renshi flared around its body.
"We're already on the verge of evolving into Special Darkside Spirits ourselves. The Avengers have more of them than I can count. Just wait until our plans unfold. Humanity's destruction has already begun."
Marco remained silent.
The creatures feared him, but their expressions changed whenever they mentioned the Avengers.
*They're probably bluffing about some of it, but their fear is genuine.*
*If the Avengers are active again, this situation is far more serious than I expected. But why are small fry like these involved in their business? And why Darkside Spirits?*
Marco lowered his sword slightly.
"Fine."
His gaze hardened.
"If your god wants a message, I'll gladly deliver one."
He raised his blade.
"Your deaths should make a suitable introduction. Assuming you're important enough for your god to care, whoever it may be."
The leader bared its teeth.
"Tch. He's not letting us go. We'll have to fight our way out."
Black Renshi erupted from its body.
"No holding back."
The other two followed.
Spines extended from their backs, stretching into long, flexible tails. Their elbows elongated into jagged blades, while black Renshi sharpened around their hands into vicious claws.
A glowing, dragon-shaped mark appeared on each forehead.
The three creatures lowered themselves into fighting stances.
Marco exhaled.
"Alfie, stay back. Don't move unless I tell you to."
He glanced over his shoulder.
"These three aren't like the Alpha Darkside Spirit you and that girl fought. They're close to evolving into Special Darkside Spirits. Their bodies are tougher, their Renshi is more refined, and they know how to fight together."
He paused.
"I'm stronger than they are, but..."
His gaze shifted to his hand.
"...this body has its limits."
Alfie stared at him.
"This body?"
Marco's eyes widened.
*Damn. Almost blew my cover.*
He turned away.
"Don't ask stupid questions. Get somewhere safe."
Alfie swallowed his questions and tried to move away from the battlefield, wincing as pain shot through his injured body.
Marco faced the approaching creatures.
*I really hate being stuck in this body.*
The leader struck its tail against the ground.
All three Alpha Darkside Spirits charged.
The first attacked from Marco's left, swinging its elbow blade toward his neck. The second came from the right, aiming a horizontal slash at his waist.
Their timing was deliberate. The first forced Marco to raise his sword while the second targeted the opening beneath his guard.
Marco stepped back and angled his weapon.
CLANG.
He redirected the first blade rather than meeting its force head-on.
The second swept toward his waist. Marco twisted away, but the blade sliced through his outer garment.
Before either creature could recover, he drove his shoulder into the first Alpha's chest and forced it back. His sword flashed toward its exposed side.
The creature twisted away, but Marco's blade cut across its ribs.
It sprang backward as black Renshi spread over the wound.
Marco clicked his tongue.
"Annoying things."
The second Alpha pressed forward, forcing him to catch another strike with his sword.
The impact jolted his arms.
At the same moment, the leader disappeared from sight.
"Behind you, Mr. Shinra," Alfie shouted.
Marco barely shifted his gaze.
"I see it perfectly."
The leader had circled behind him while the other two kept him occupied. Its tail swept toward his legs as its bladed arm descended from above, trapping him between the two attacks.
Marco jumped over the tail and turned in the air, bringing his sword up to meet the descending blade.
CLANG.
The impact drove him backward. His boots carved through the dirt before he regained his balance.
The leader landed several steps away, its dragon mark glowing brighter.
"What's wrong, Shinra? You said we were small fry."
Marco rolled his shoulder.
"You're certainly more troublesome than you look."
He studied their positions.
The first Alpha had recovered, the second was moving to his right, and the leader stood directly ahead, its tail swaying behind it.
They were trying to surround him again.
Marco tightened his grip.
"Let's see how long you can keep that formation."
A pulse of Renshi spread from his feet, making the loose stones tremble.
The three creatures tensed.
Marco lowered his stance.
Then he vanished.
The leader barely raised its arms before Marco appeared in front of it, his sword cutting toward its chest.
The creature crossed both bladed arms to defend itself.
BOOM.
The impact drove it backward, tearing through the soil beneath its feet. Marco followed with another strike, forcing it to keep its guard raised.
But the other two attacked.
One lunged at his exposed side while the other swept its tail toward his knees.
Marco noticed both.
For a split second, he hesitated.
*Damn it. This body's reaction speed...*
That moment was enough.
The tail caught his leg, disrupting his footing, while the second Alpha's blade slashed toward his shoulder.
Marco twisted away just in time.
The blade missed his neck but tore through his shoulder garment, leaving a thin cut beneath it.
He landed on one knee, then immediately pushed himself upright.
The three creatures spread out, their confidence returning.
Alfie watched with wide eyes.
Marco glanced at the blood running down his shoulder before facing his opponents again.
His smile returned, though his eyes remained cold.
"All right. I was hoping not to push this body too hard."
He raised his sword as his Renshi began to build.
"Looks like I'll have to finish this quickly."