Hey Exca, you found anything yet?" Lyon called down from the treetop.
Sasaki stood firmly at the base, his gaze sharp and focused. "Of course, partner. Our kid's getting closer. I can sniff his Renshi aura right from the edge of this forest, just past the border to that kingdom ahead," he said, pointing toward the Kingdom of Eminence.
Lyon smirked slightly. Now things are getting interesting. What's your next move, Exca? I know you're watching through Sasaki's eyes... he thought quietly to himself.
Meanwhile, deep in the Kingdom of Guhan, Exca remained within the Renshical circle, visibly drained but alert. To stay conscious, he activated a spell known as Twenty-Four Hours—a unique incantation crafted by a mage long before Exca became a special darkside knight. This spell keeps him awake for prolonged activity, and now he used it to keep his mind sharp while his eyes remained shut, recovering his Renshi.
He detached his vision from his own body and channeled it through Sasaki's eyes, allowing him to monitor the forest from within the safety of his castle.
"I don't know what you're planning, Lyon. But if you try to interfere... I won't hesitate to have Sasaki erase you," Exca muttered inwardly.
Back at the forest bordering Sunflower and Eminence, Sasaki kept patrolling. He deactivated Switch Mode for a while, choosing instead to walk calmly. Suddenly, he ducked his head just in time to avoid an arrow aimed straight at his skull.
More than twenty arrows followed rapidly from behind. With a calm exhale, Sasaki activated Switch Mode, flickering through the air and evading every projectile. In a blink, he reappeared behind the rogue Shinra firing the shots. With a swift kick, he launched the attacker from the treetop down to the earth below. The Shinra hit the ground so hard, his skull cracked a crater into the dirt.
Sasaki landed silently and resumed his walk. Soon, a sharp glimmer caught his eye—something bright, descending fast. A light spear of condensed energy streaked toward him from above. Unbothered, Sasaki raised a single finger and touched the weapon's tip. It shattered instantly on contact.
"You better stop playing games," he said coldly. "I'm not here for weaklings. Leave."
Five rogue Shinras sprang from the woods, charging from all directions. Three wielded swords, while two—likely twins—swung massive hammers. Sasaki reacted instantly, weaving between them using Switch Mode.
In one precise movement, he teleported behind one sword-wielding Shinra, grabbed him by the hair, and smashed his face with a brutal punch that cracked his skull. Blood gushed down his face, leaving it unrecognizable. Sasaki's hand dripped crimson.
"You bastard! What did you do to my brother?!" one of the remaining rogue Shinra screamed.
With fury, he activated dark Renshi, causing six shadowy hands to erupt from the ground, each holding a blade. They lunged at Sasaki from all angles at blinding speed.
But Sasaki simply smiled, eyes dancing with thrill. He flickered between the attacks using Switch Mode, dodging every strike, slipping through narrow gaps with precision.
The rogue pressed forward, unwilling to give Sasaki breathing space. Blades clashed and cut. One finally grazed Sasaki's shoulder.
Sasaki stopped dodging.
Blood dripped from new wounds, but he stood unfazed. The Shinra went wild, slicing into his body over and over until Sasaki looked shredded—yet he didn't fall.
Then the bleeding stopped.
Right before their eyes, Sasaki's body began to heal rapidly. Cuts sealed. Skin regenerated. He raised two fingers, and the blood pooled on the ground began to rise, swirling until it solidified into a sword.
The rogue Shinras stared in disbelief.
"What the hell... He's regenerating?! That's not human!"
"No way I'm letting this monster get away after killing my brother!" the furious Shinra roared, launching himself at Sasaki.
Sasaki's lips curled into a grin. He lifted his blood-forged blade.
The rogue's dark Renshi hands sprouted again, the swords larger, faster. The assault resumed, this time more desperate, more vicious.
Sasaki didn't flinch. With a single horizontal swing, his crimson blade cut through the onslaught—then cleanly sliced the rogue Shinra in two.
The body split and hit the earth in separate pieces.
Sasaki stepped forward, calm as ever. "Who's next?" he asked, blood dripping from his sword as his gaze fell on the remaining attackers.
"Back off! Retreat!" the rogue Shinra with the sword shouted to the two hammer-wielders.
Without hesitation, all three turned and bolted, vanishing into the dense foliage in the opposite direction of Sasaki's presence.