After Rebekah
Alfie's legs finally gave out.
He fell to the ground.
His face rested against the dirt as he stared blankly at the ground.
"What's…"
His voice was quiet.
"What's going on with my life, Jack?"
He took a slow breath.
"What's going on?"
Jackson was already standing close to him.
"I don't know for sure."
He looked toward the direction where Amanda and the others had disappeared.
"But there's one thing I'm certain of."
"Rebekah didn't suddenly become one of them."
"Something happened."
He clenched his fist.
"I just can't prove it yet."
Sasaki looked at Alfie.
"Just how much do you know this Rebekah, anyway?"
"What makes you trust her from the beginning?"
Alfie slowly pushed himself off the ground.
"I know her well enough to know that her primary concern is eliminating all Darkside Spirits from the world."
"Just like me."
He wiped the tears from his eyes and face.
"When we first met…"
"It was inside a forest where Beta Darkside Spirits had completely swarmed the area."
"She was running from one of them."
"One that had killed her father and brother."
Alfie's voice became softer.
"I didn't know anything about her."
"But the first thing that came to my mind was to help her."
He paused.
"That Beta Darkside Spirit that killed her father and brother had already evolved into a new Alpha Darkside Spirit."
"When it appeared…"
"We fought it together."
Alfie looked down for a moment.
"She was the first person I saw using Renshi and she was the first person to see me use Renshi as well."
"And she was the first person I ever tried to use it to protect."
He closed his eyes.
"I almost lost my life fighting that Alpha Darkside Spirit."
"Until Master intervened."
A small laugh escaped him.
A few tears still rolled down his cheek.
"She was disguised as an old man with a mustache back then."
"Mr. Marco."
Alfie shook his head.
"I can still remember my reaction when I later found out she was actually a woman."
He slowly exhaled.
"Rebekah traveled with us when we headed toward Ashura."
"We were going there to train and become stronger together."
"We spent a lot of time together on the road."
"We stopped at different motels to spend the night."
"We got to know each other."
Alfie's expression became sad.
"Her mother was killed by Darkside Spirits too."
"Her only remaining brother is in the Shinra Academy."
"You know…"
"Her entire life seemed to revolve around eliminating Darkside Spirits."
"Not working with them."
He looked toward the direction Amanda had disappeared.
"Until that battle at the border…"
"When she was taken away."
Alfie wiped his face again.
"That's how much I know her."
"Her only interest was eliminating Darkside Spirits…"
"Just like me."
He clenched his fist.
"I just don't get it."
"Why would she be working with them now?"
His voice became heavier.
"And not just them…"
"But the one who started all of this."
He lowered his head.
"I just don't understand."
"There's no reason to be confused now."
A voice suddenly came from behind them.
Sasaki immediately turned around.
"Oh, I'm so done with surprises."
SWITCH MODE!
He appeared directly in front of the voice.
A sword was already pointing at the stranger's neck.
Standing before him was a man wearing a white mask and a dark short cape with black trousers.
A hood covered his head.
Alfie and Jackson immediately became suspicious.
"Who the hell are you?"
Sasaki asked seriously.
"Calm down…"
The masked man raised his hands slightly.
"Calm down."
"There's no need to get all worked up."
"I'm on your side."
"I'm not the enemy."
Sasaki didn't lower his sword.
"I'm sorry, buddy."
"We've got a lot of trust issues right now."
The masked man nodded.
"Well…"
"I understand why."
He looked toward Sasaki's sword.
"I can give you answers to all your unanswered questions if you give me the chance."
"If I try anything stupid…"
"You can cut me down with that sword of yours."
He looked toward Alfie.
"Alfie."
Everyone immediately became alert.
The masked man suddenly changed.
His body transformed into the same shadowy figure Sasaki had repeatedly seen following them during their travels.
Sasaki's eyes widened.
"It's…"
He lowered his voice.
"You."
The masked man immediately returned to his original appearance.
"Yeah."
"That's right."
Jackson looked at Sasaki.
"Do you know him, Mr. Sasaki?"
"Not really."
Sasaki kept his sword pointed at the man's neck.
"He's been tailing us for some time now."
"I noticed him a while ago."
"I even tried to make contact with him while we were in that kingdom…"
He paused.
"What was the name again?"
The masked man answered immediately.
"Xander."
Sasaki nodded.
"Yeah."
"Xander."
His sword remained firmly against the man's neck.
"So what's your deal?"
"Why are you tailing us?"
The masked man was silent for a moment.
"I don't really know how to say it."
"But to make it easier to understand…"
He looked at them.
"I'm a friend of Lucy."
Sasaki's eyes narrowed.
"Your master."
Alfie immediately stepped forward.
"I don't believe him."
Sasaki pushed the sword slightly closer to the man's neck.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa…"
The masked man raised both hands.
"Calm down."
"Calm down, all of you."
Alfie walked closer.
"Why didn't Master mention you all this time?"
The masked man remained silent.
The he replied.
"How long have you known her?"
"A couple of months?"
"And why would she mention me out of nowhere?"
"Or did she give you a list of everyone she knew?"
"Was my name just not on it?"
The masked man continued.
Alfie stared at him.
"That's what I thought."
The masked man suddenly disappeared.
SWITCH MODE!
He reappeared several meters away from Sasaki.
He calmly placed his hands behind his back.
"There's no way you guys can know everyone she has met or known throughout her life."
"I've known Lucy for more than two hundred years now."
Everyone became silent.
"Just so you know…"
"There's a lot about her that you guys don't know."
He paused.
"Not negative things."
"Positive things."
Alfie stared at him.
"There's no way I'm believing this guy."
"I know that will be hard for you to believe."
"Especially considering what just happened with Rebekah."
The masked man looked at Alfie.
"I'm sorry, kid."
"But sometimes…"
"Life just happens."
Alfie's expression remained serious.
The masked man continued.
"I know a lot about all of you."
"And I have the answers to the questions you've been carrying."
His attention moved toward Sasaki.
"Your sudden blood manipulation ability."
Then toward Alfie.
"You gaining control over your Renshical sides at such a young age."
Finally, he looked toward Jackson.
"And that question that's been bothering you all this time."
Jackson's expression changed.
The masked man spoke slowly.
"How…"
"Can…"
"I…"
"Get…"
"Stronger?"
Jackson's eyes widened.
"I have the answers to all of those questions."
He paused.
"That was my relationship with Lucy all these centuries."
"I give answers to the unknown."
"And she sent me a message to have your backs…"
"The moment before she fell asleep."
Alfie stared at him.
"Show me one proof."
His voice was serious.
"Something that will make me believe all of this."
The masked man nodded.
"Alright."
"Let me think."
He paused for several seconds.
Then his head lifted.
"You remember that seal she used on you?"
"The one she used to seal your Renshi."
"The five-finger seal."
Alfie's eyes narrowed.
"I gave that to her."
"A long time ago."
Alfie didn't look convinced.
"Not good enough."
"That was from the most recent event you could remember."
The masked man tilted his head.
"Do you want to hear something from before you were born?"
"Or perhaps…"
"Something from before your parents were even born?"
Alfie remained silent.
Jackson stepped forward.
"Look, Mister…"
"I get it if you're trying to help."
"But we just can't trust you right now."
The masked man listened.
"Why would you help us now of all times?"
Jackson's voice became more serious.
"We've been fighting for our lives this entire time."
"Why didn't you help during the previous battle that almost got Mr. Sasaki killed?"
"Why didn't you help Master when she fought the battle that made her fall asleep?"
"Why help us now?"
He shook his head.
"Your story doesn't really add up for someone who claims to want to help."
"Sorry."
Jackson paused.
"And how can we believe you when you say you've known Master for more than two hundred years?"
He looked at the masked man.
"Master isn't that old."
For a moment, there was complete silence.
Then....
Alfie chuckled.
Sasaki followed.
The two of them burst into gentle laughter.
Jackson looked confused.
"Don't make me laugh too much, Jack."
Sasaki wiped the corner of his mouth.
"I thought you would've figured it out with that smart brain of yours."
Jackson frowned.
"How did you figure it out, Mr. Reaper?"
Alfie looked at Sasaki curiously.
Sasaki's laughter faded.
His expression became calm again.
"Well…"
"It was back when we fought at the border."
He paused.
"She beat the hell out of me."
Jackson's eyes widened.
"And later…"
"She saved me."
Sasaki looked toward Alfie.
"That was when I realized who she really was."
Jackson's expression became even more confused.
"Hold on."
"Hold on!"
He looked between the two of them.
"Is there something you guys aren't telling me?"
His eyes narrowed.
"Alfie?"
"Mr. Sasaki?"