Not to expect he was holding back at first… this man is very mysterious.
The pro Darkside Knight who brought them here thought silently as he watched the battle unfold.
Titan continued his assault, stronger than before, his attacks forcing Sasaki onto the defensive.
"How is he so powerful now all of a sudden? I thought Mr. Reaper had the upper hand," Alfie said, eyes darting across the arena.
"I still don't know how you don't notice it," Jackson replied calmly.
"Notice what?" Alfie asked, confused.
Jackson didn't answer.
"Hey! Answer me!"
"Calm down, Alfie. We're together—I will tell you anytime no need for the hurry," Jackson said quietly.
Inside the cage, Sasaki gritted his teeth as Titan landed a devastating punch to his stomach, sending him crashing into the iron wall.
"That was payback for last time!" Titan roared.
The crowd exploded again, cheering loudly as Sasaki slumped to the ground.
"You're quite the man, aren't you?" Sasaki said, standing slowly, a sharp grin returning to his face. "But don't think those Renshi-infused fists will defeat me, cheater."
Titan laughed. "It's surprising you could even sense my invisible Renshi Fusion. I'm impressed—but it won't help you. You can't do it yourself, can you?"
Sasaki smiled faintly. "Well, I think I should end this quickly and let Alfie have his fun."
He stretched his arms lazily, a dangerous glint flashing in his eyes.
"What's he doing…?" the pro Darkside Knight muttered, watching with growing surprise.
In a flash, Sasaki vanished—Switch Mode. He reappeared in front of Titan, landing two thunderous punches: the first slammed into Titan's gut, lifting him slightly off the ground, and the second followed up with enough force to raise his body to face level.
Sasaki didn't stop. He brought his knee up sharply, striking Titan in the stomach again and sending him flying into the air, his back slamming into the iron cage roof.
"Damn you!" Titan shouted, fury twisting his face as he dove down.
Sasaki calmly sidestepped, dodging each wild blow, countering with precise punches to Titan's chest and ribs. Each strike cracked through the air, his fists blurring.
Finally, Sasaki planted one leg behind him and delivered a focused, full-force punch.
The impact echoed like thunder.
Titan flew backward, smashing through the cage and crashing into the stands. The audience screamed and scattered as the giant's body rolled to a stop.
Silence fell across the entire arena.
Only Alfie and Jackson remained composed.
"Now that's how Mister Reaper does things," Alfie said proudly. "And that invisible Renshi thing—wasn't that what you did back at the Gate of Ashura?"
"Huh? How did you figure that out?" Jackson asked, surprised.
"Mister Reaper said it, you fool. Haven't you been listening?"
"Of course not! How could you even hear what they were saying from that far away?"
Alfie blinked. "Huh… I guess it's this ear thing I did back then…"
A memory flickered—his first training under Lucy, fighting Darkside spirits. Back then, he'd used his ears to sense energy and movement more keenly than a normal human.
"You mean you've got some kind of ear thing that lets you hear from afar?" Jackson asked.
"I think so. But last time, I used it for battle instead. Guess there's still a lot I need to work on," Alfie said, walking slowly toward the arena gate.
"This man defeated Titan without even using Renshi," the pro Darkside Knight thought, eyes narrowing. "I expected to see his Renshi power—that's why I wanted Titan to push him—but it seems it's the other way around."
He raised his voice suddenly. "Enough, kid. You're not fighting."
"Huh? What was that? I thought you were going to test the three of us!" Alfie shouted.
Not this time. The pro Knight frowned inwardly. I won't allow a child to disgrace our kingdom.
He switched instantly, appearing in front of Alfie. Sasaki, already out of the ring, and Jackson quickly joined him.
"Why's that, Mister?" Jackson asked, wary.
"There's no need for all this," the pro Darkside Knight said. "Your friend's strength has already proven how powerful you all are. But…" His tone hardened. "We can't let you leave just yet. You'll need to meet with our Special Darkside Knight. He has something for you."
He turned and switched toward the main road. Sasaki touched Alfie and Jackson's shoulders—and in a blink, they followed.
After hours of riding in a black chariot, they arrived at a towering castle surrounded by ancient stone walls.
Following the pro darkside knight's lead, they walked through the grand halls and out to the vast backyard training field, where the Special Darkside Knight was sparring with two others.
The three figures blurred in and out of sight, Switch Mode flashing like lightning as blades clashed and rang through the open air.
"Special Darkside Knight," the escorting pro darkside knight said, bowing deeply. "I've brought them, as you requested."
The sparring ceased instantly. The Special Darkside Knight turned, his gaze sharp as he studied the trio.
He switched to a distance, stopping on the short grass field.
One of the other pro darkside knights that was sparring with him raised his hand—using Art of Mojito:
Before them appeared a long, ornate table and several chairs, shimmering briefly as they solidified. Crystal pitchers of water appeared beside them.
"Your Art of Mojito never fails to impress," the Special Darkside Knight said.
Sasaki, Alfie, and Jackson took their seats as the other pro darkside Knight that brought them here approached and sits.
"You asked for us, Special Darkside Knight," Sasaki said respectfully.
"Lukas," the Special Darkside Knight said to the Mojito user sitting next to him.
"Sure," Lukas replied, creating wine into elegant glasses.
Sasaki watched quietly. His mastery of the Art of Mojito… it's on another level.
He gave a small nod, signaling Alfie and Jackson that it was safe to drink. They each took a sip after Sasaki raised his glass first.