The nearby towns had long suffered under the tyranny of Unbalance's rogue Shinras. Robberies were a daily occurrence, violence had become commonplace, and ordinary citizens lived in constant fear.
Those rogues unfortunate enough to be caught were punished, but not by the Kingdom of Scale's Special Darkside Knight. He turned a blind eye to their crimes, leaving the responsibility to his assistant, a Pro Darkside Knight.
Unlike his superior, the assistant wasn't once a rogue. He despised their lawless ways and remained one of the few forces still maintaining order within the kingdom. His presence alone was enough to prevent the rogues from turning Unbalance into a completely uncontrollable territory.
.....Town of Unbalance.....
Jackson and Marcel rode deeper into the infamous town, searching for Lyon and Sasaki.
"Jack, I think it's time to use that little trick of yours," Marcel whispered. "My instincts are screaming at me. If we wait any longer, we'll lose them."
Jackson surveyed the streets as they rode.
This place really lives up to its name. Not a single ordinary person in sight. Just a bunch of desperate Shinras who've abandoned their duties for power and freedom from the law.
Several figures emerged from the shadows as the boys passed. Their clothes were worn, and their predatory gazes followed the strangers with unsettling interest.
One of them stepped directly into the road, watching the boys with a crooked smile.
Jackson immediately looked away and continued riding.
"Jack. Can you hear me?" Marcel called.
Jackson shot him an irritated glance.
"Shut up, Marcel. Why are you shouting my name like that?"
"Because you weren't listening, genius. Use your tracking spell before we lose them."
Jackson clicked his tongue.
"Damn, you're right. But I can't concentrate properly while riding."
"So your brilliant plan is to stop in the middle of a town full of dangerous rogues?"
"We don't have much choice. If anyone tries anything, we'll defend ourselves. Look, there's a farmyard ahead. We can stop there."
Unbalance was unlike an ordinary town. Its scattered houses stood far apart, and many properties had been abandoned as their owners fled the violence. Those who couldn't afford to leave had learned to survive by keeping their heads down and staying out of trouble.
As they approached the farmyard, Jackson slowed his horse.
"Let's tie them up here."
Marcel glanced back toward the town.
"This place is still too close. We should head into the forest. Fewer people, better cover."
Jackson raised an eyebrow.
"People? Who are you worried about?"
"You know exactly who. Those rogue Shinras. We can't let anyone see you casting that spell."
Jackson sighed.
"Alright. For once, you've got a point."
They led their horses into the nearby forest, moving deeper among the trees until the farmyard was barely visible behind them.
"This should do," Jackson said, stopping in a small clearing.
He tied their horses to a sturdy tree while Marcel climbed another nearby tree to keep watch.
"Hurry up, Marcel," Jackson said. "We don't have all day."
"You think I don't know that?"
Jackson knelt and picked up a broken branch. Using its sharp edge, he reopened the old wound on his hand.
He clenched his teeth as blood trickled from his palm.
"Blood is one, heart is one. Though our bodies stand apart, let the blood that binds us bring us together."
The moment his blood touched the ground, a Renshical circle illuminated beneath his feet. Intricate markings spread across the soil, and the glow intensified as the circle responded to his Renshi.
From his perch, Marcel nervously scanned the surrounding forest.
Several minutes passed.
"Jack, are you done yet? We need to get out of here before someone finds us."
"Out of nowhere..."
"You're absolutely right, little brat."
A chilling voice whispered directly into Marcel's ear.
"Anyone can appear from anywhere..."
"AHHHHH!"
Marcel lost his balance and tumbled from the tree, crashing onto his back.
"OW! Damn it!"
He scrambled to his feet, frantically searching the surrounding forest.
"Jack! Someone just whispered in my ear! I can't see anyone. Stop the spell... We've got trouble!"
Jackson remained motionless, his eyes closed as he continued channeling Renshi into the circle.
After a few tense seconds, he finally responded.
"I knew something like this might happen. I need to finish the spell first. Once I confirm whether Papa is nearby, we'll get out of here."
Sweat trickled down his forehead as he forced more Renshi into the circle.
Marcel stared at him in disbelief.
"You've got to be kidding me..."
He barely finished speaking before a sudden gust swept through the clearing.
Marcel ducked instinctively.
SHING!
A razor-thin blade of wind sliced across his cheek, leaving a shallow cut.
"Damn it!"
He stumbled backward, pressing a hand against the bleeding wound.
"Where did that come from? I still can't see anyone!"
"Jack, stop the spell!" he shouted. "We're under attack!"
Jackson's eyes snapped open.
"What the...?"
He threw himself sideways just as a compact tornado tore through the spot where he had been kneeling. Leaves, dirt, and broken branches spiraled into the air as the miniature vortex swept past.
Jackson rolled across the ground before pushing himself upright.
"That was close... Where the hell is this guy attacking from?"
"I told you... It's the bastard who whispered in my ear."
Jackson narrowed his eyes, scanning the forest.
He couldn't see anyone, but the wind itself was giving something away. Each attack carried a brief surge of Renshi before striking, while the surrounding leaves shifted a fraction of a second before the wind reached them.
Another gust tore through the clearing.
"DOWN!" Jackson shouted.
Both boys dropped as a crescent of compressed wind swept over their heads, slicing through several thin branches behind them.
Marcel stared at the severed branches, his face pale.
"If that had hit our necks..."
"Don't finish that sentence," Jackson muttered.
The wind suddenly died down.
Then the mysterious voice echoed through the trees.
"Don't be afraid, children. I only want your Renshi. Come with me willingly, and you won't be harmed. It's all for our master's sake."
Jackson's expression hardened.
"Do you think we're idiots? If you drain our Renshi, we'll be as good as dead."
A low chuckle drifted through the clearing.
"Clever. And surprisingly capable. Very few Shinras have ever dodged my first two attacks, let alone escaped without serious injuries. I never expected children like you to manage it."
The Renshi in the air suddenly grew heavier.
Jackson felt the pressure against his skin and immediately widened his stance.
"Marcel, watch your surroundings. He's preparing something."
Several meters away, the leaves began circling a single point. Dust lifted from the ground as the wind gathered into a rapidly spinning vortex.
"Enough chit-chat," the voice announced. "You're both coming with me."
Jackson narrowed his eyes.
"He's either inside that tornado or using it to conceal his position. Don't take your eyes off it."
"This is suicide," Marcel snapped. "We don't even have our swords. We should run while we still can."
"We won't get far if he can attack us without showing himself," Jackson replied. "And if we lead him back to that farm, the family there could get caught in the crossfire."
Marcel glanced toward the farmyard before looking back at the growing tornado.
"Damn it... You're right."
The wind strengthened, forcing both boys to shield their faces. Small stones and splinters began flying through the clearing.
"You children have spirit," their unseen enemy called. "Our master will be delighted. She has a particular fondness for those who refuse to give up."
Marcel's eyes widened.
"His master is a woman?"
Jackson shot him an incredulous look.
"What's wrong with that? My father is about to eliminate a powerful woman himself. There are plenty of women stronger than most men."
"That's not the point, you idiot! How are we supposed to fight this guy?"
"Stop panicking and listen."
Jackson lowered his centre of gravity, focusing his Renshi into his legs.
"Concentrate your Renshi around your feet and drive it into the ground. It'll help stabilise your bodies against the wind. Don't waste energy trying to overpower the entire tornado."
Marcel immediately followed his instructions.
Renshi gathered around their legs, forming a faint glow beneath their feet. They spread their stances and pressed down against the earth as the wind battered them.
It wasn't enough to stop the tornado, but it kept them from being swept away.
Inside the swirling vortex, the hidden attacker observed them with growing interest.
Remarkable. Their Renshi control is far beyond what I'd expect from children. And that spell he was casting earlier... Ancient Renshical techniques, huh?
His eyes narrowed.
My lady must have these two. At any cost.
"Jack!" Marcel shouted over the howling wind. "What about your papa? Did the tracking spell work?"
Jackson's expression darkened.
"It did."
"And?"
"They're gone. Their Renshi signatures have disappeared from this kingdom."
Marcel's stomach sank.
"You mean..."
"They've already moved on to another kingdom."
Jackson clenched his fists.
"Damn it, Papa. Where are you going now?"
A sudden shift in the wind snapped him back to reality.
"Marcel, behind you!"
Marcel spun around, but the attack was already coming.
A narrow blade of wind shot out from the tornado, aimed straight at his torso. He twisted aside at the last moment, but the attack caught his sleeve and tore through the fabric.
Before he could recover, the vortex shifted direction.
Jackson reacted instantly, grabbing Marcel by the shoulder and dragging him away as the tornado swept across their previous position.
The ground cracked beneath the force of the wind.
Both boys stumbled, struggling to keep their footing.
"Forget fighting him head-on!" Marcel shouted. "We need an escape plan right now, Jack."
"I'm working on it."
Jackson scanned the clearing, searching for anything they could use. The trees offered some cover, but the wind could tear through their branches. Their horses were too far away to reach without crossing the open ground, and their enemy could attack from multiple directions.
Then the tornado began to slow.
The wind didn't disappear. Instead, it compressed toward the centre, gathering around a humanoid silhouette.
Jackson's eyes widened.
"He's coming out."
The swirling air parted, revealing a man stepping forward as though emerging from smoke. Wind coiled around his limbs, while the ground beneath his feet remained strangely undisturbed.
"There he is!" Jackson shouted.
Marcel swallowed hard.
"Now what, genius?"
Jackson clenched his fists, keeping his eyes fixed on their opponent.
"We don't fight him head-on. His Renshi pressure is too heavy, and we don't even know the full extent of his abilities."
"Then what's the plan?"
Jackson shifted his stance, positioning himself between Marcel and the stranger.
"We survive long enough to find an opening. The moment one appears, we run."
The stranger smiled faintly.
"Still plotting your escape? How admirable."
The wind began gathering around his hands once more.
"But I'm afraid neither of you is leaving this forest."
Jackson and Marcel exchanged a tense glance.