"Are you still going to sit there and watch, you pathetic loser?"
Miyamoto's voice carried across the battlefield, dripping with mockery.
Alaska tilted his head from his throne, his eyes gleaming with amusement.
"Pathetic? That's an interesting choice of words coming from someone at your level," he replied calmly. "But I'll let that insult slide. If you want this over with, then fine."
He waved a hand, and the throne dissolved into black mist. Alaska descended toward the ground, stopping just inches above the cracked earth.
At the same time, the two peak Special Darkside Spirits appeared beside him, using Switch Mode to close the distance in an instant. Their armoured bodies radiated powerful Renshi.
Alaska began walking forward, with the two creatures following at his sides.
"Killing those girls myself might cause me trouble later," he said with a cruel smile. "Fortunately, I don't need to get my hands dirty. If I can't eliminate a threat myself, I'll simply order my underlings to do it for me."
Miyamoto's expression hardened.
"Don't make me laugh. You know exactly what will happen if you try to lay a hand on them."
His Renshi began to rise, spreading across the battlefield.
"There's no need for my master to get involved. I'll cut you down myself."
Alaska burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha. I love that confidence. You really believe you can take all three of us on your own?"
Miyamoto smirked.
"Don't underestimate me, moron. You couldn't handle me alone back then, and bringing two peak Special Darkside Spirits won't change the outcome."
The two creatures beside Alaska clenched their fists, but he raised a hand to stop them.
Meanwhile, Amanda and Lucy stood some distance away. They couldn't make out every word exchanged between the two, but Miyamoto's sudden shout immediately caught their attention.
"Listen carefully, Amanda. Lucy."
Both sisters turned toward him.
"That bastard has gotten on my nerves, so consider this your first real test. You've spent months training your swordsmanship. Now it's time to put it to use. Defeat those two peak Special Darkside Spirits."
Lucy's eyes widened.
"W-What? Master, they're peak Special Darkside Spirits. We can barely keep up with their movements. How are we supposed to defeat them?"
Amanda tightened her grip on her sword.
"Shut up, Lucy. Stop panicking. If we can't face opponents like these, how are we supposed to survive in the future?"
Alaska casually pointed toward the sisters.
"Go on, then. Show them what happens when they underestimate us."
The two Special Darkside Spirits immediately activated Switch Mode. Their bodies vanished in flashes of dark Renshi.
Miyamoto took a slow breath, keeping his eyes fixed on Alaska.
"You've grown stronger since our last encounter. Your power has increased considerably, and you've picked up a few new tricks. But don't confuse getting stronger with being stronger than me."
He reached for his swords.
"I'm not the same as I was back then, either. I've spent every day improving myself, and now you'll see the results."
He drew two blades from their scabbards. Renshi flowed along the steel, causing both weapons to glow.
Suddenly, the other two swords on his back lifted into the air.
The floating blades moved toward the weapons in his hands. Their Renshi merged, and all four swords fused into two transformed weapons.
One blade turned blood-red, flames dancing along its edge. The other became a brilliant sky-blue, a cold mist gathering around its steel.
Heat shimmered on one side of Miyamoto, while frost slowly spread across the ground on the other.
He examined his weapons with a satisfied grin.
"Heh. It's been a while since I've used these. Let's see how well they perform."
Before Miyamoto could make another move, the two peak Special Darkside Spirits reappeared directly above Amanda and Lucy.
Both had their fists pulled back, black Renshi gathering around their knuckles as they plunged toward the sisters.
"Move!" Amanda shouted.
The girls threw themselves in opposite directions.
BOOOOM!
The creatures slammed into the ground with tremendous force. The impact shattered the earth, sending chunks of stone and dirt flying through the air. A nearby building shook as cracks spread across its outer walls.
Amanda rolled across the ground before pushing herself back to her feet. Lucy landed awkwardly beside a pile of rubble, barely managing to regain her balance.
The two Darkside Spirits straightened and began approaching them.
Their black armour pulsed with Renshi, and their glowing eyes followed every movement the sisters made.
Lucy swallowed hard, tightening her grip on the hilt of her still-sheathed sword.
This is bad. They're too fast and too strong. How are we supposed to fight them?
Amanda drew her sword.
"Remember our training. Watch their movements, protect your weak points, and don't waste your attacks."
She glanced at Lucy.
"We can't let Master down."
Lucy took a deep breath before drawing her own blade.
"Right."
The sisters moved closer together, standing shoulder to shoulder with their swords raised. Their hands trembled slightly.
Then the two Darkside Spirits vanished.
"Watch out!" Lucy shouted.
She turned at the last moment and raised her sword to block a fist aimed at her back.
CLANG!
Lucy's arms shook violently as the force drove her backward. She couldn't fully absorb the blow. Her feet left the ground, and she was hurled across the rubble.
She crashed through the remains of a wall before landing hard among the broken stones.
"LUCY!"
Amanda instinctively moved toward her sister, but the second Darkside Spirit appeared directly in front of her.
Its fist shot toward her face.
Amanda ducked just in time. The punch struck the ground, leaving a deep crater where she had been standing.
Before she could counterattack, another blow came from the side.
She twisted away, narrowly avoiding it, but the creature continued its assault. Each punch forced her farther backward, leaving her no opportunity to prepare a proper strike.
Amanda stumbled over a broken piece of stone and barely managed to roll away from another devastating blow.
Her breathing grew heavier.
I can't keep dodging forever.
She glanced toward the wall Lucy had crashed through, anger rising in her chest.
"How dare you hurt my sister?"
Dark Renshi surged around Amanda's sword as she rushed forward, putting all her strength into a diagonal slash aimed at the creature's torso.
CLANG!
Sparks burst from the point of impact.
Her blade struck the Darkside Spirit's armour, but the attack failed to penetrate. The creature barely moved, as though Amanda had struck a solid wall.
Her eyes widened.
"What...?"
The Darkside Spirit looked down at the blade pressed against its chest.
Then it slowly raised its gaze toward her.
Amanda tried to pull her sword back, but the creature moved first.
It drew its fist behind its body, black Renshi gathering around its knuckles.
Amanda's expression changed.