THE GROUND TREMBLES

"Don't think too much about it," Alfie said with a reassuring smile. "Master got enough money. I could've bought another sword if I wanted to. Once we get to town, I'll ask Master to get us two sword sheaths. It shouldn't cost as much as a full sword set anyway."

Rebekah looked at him gratefully. "Thanks for the sword. I really appreciate it."

"No need for that, Rebekah. That's what friends do," Alfie replied, his smile growing wider.

---

Meanwhile, in the Kingdom of Scales—Town of Unbalance...

The battle between Bash and Daimo raged on, shaking the already-crippled forest.

"Jack! Hey, Jack—we should run for it now," Marcel urged, crouched low behind a fallen tree. "Use whatever you've got left in your arsenal. If we wait any longer, your papa's going to get farther away. The longer we stay here, the worse it gets."

"I know, Marcel," Jackson replied, eyes fixed on the battlefield. "But this feels like a gamble… and I'm hoping I hit the jackpot. What I've got up my sleeve isn't exactly reliable without someone more experienced. I just don't want to ruin our chances."

He paused, narrowing his gaze. "Let's stay quiet and hope the old man wins."

Marcel shook his head. "Still doesn't feel right. Just look around—the forest can't take this kind of Renshi anymore. It's falling apart."

"Yeah, but the battle's not over yet," Jackson replied calmly. "Look closely—they're still in total control. Neither one is letting up. That's why I call it a gamble. The second one of them drops their guard… it's game over."

"Whatever it is, I hope it works in our favor," Marcel muttered.

"Watch out!" he suddenly shouted, leaping into the air and punching a massive flying tree out of the path just before it struck Jackson from behind.

"Damn… thanks, Marcel. I got too caught up in the strategy," Jackson said, pushing himself up from the ground. "I thought the fight was still ahead—not flying at me from behind."

He turned to face the direction the tree came from.

---

"I think this endless battle needs to end," Daimo growled, forming a second sword in his other hand.

"Oh, so now you're getting serious?" Bash smirked. "Then I guess it's my turn too."

"You can still get serious? I thought you were already going all out." Daimo sneered. "Maybe I underestimated you."

He raised his swords. "Come on then—give me your best shot!"

Bash narrowed his eyes. "You've got those reddish eyes filled with anger… You'll never be stronger than me like that. You don't even have a reason to fight anymore."

Daimo laughed—cold, wild, and full of menace. "Don't get cocky, you loser. There's no way you can beat me one-on-one now. You might've been stronger back then, but now I'm blessed by my lady—with the power to conquer this kingdom!"

His eyes blazed with unnatural light.

"I can't be killed anymore. I don't even have a heart of my own."

With a scream, Daimo merged both swords into one and drove it into his chest.

Bones cracked and shifted grotesquely. His body twisted and mutated—growing into the shape of an Alpha Darkside Spirit. His jaw widened into a snarl filled with razor-sharp teeth. A tail sprouted from his spine. His legs snapped and reshaped, resembling the muscular limbs of a horse. His presence was monstrous.

The wind around him exploded outward, uprooting trees and tearing apart everything in its path.

Bash instinctively retreated several meters.

"What the hell has that woman done to you, Daimo…" he muttered, stunned.

Turning to the boys, Bash shouted, "You two—get out of here! That thing's stronger than any Alpha Darkside Spirit I've ever faced. The forest's already gone—this ground can't hold up for what's coming!"

"Oh, thank goodness! Let's get the hell out of here, Jackson!" Marcel yelled, already taking off toward the Town of Unbalance.

Jackson hesitated before running after him. But his thoughts lingered.

This isn't right… We need to stay and see this battle.

We need to learn what's going on outside the kingdom. That's the only way we'll ever become true Shinras—stronger than even the ones from the academy.

He stopped running.

"Hey Jack!" Marcel shouted. "What are you doing?! The man told us to run! Do you think we still have a choice?!"

"I think we do," Jackson said, turning back. "We can't become strong Shinras if we run from every fight. We need to stay, observe… learn. If the old man loses, we help him take down that Darkside Spirit. By then, it should have used up most of its Renshi."

He looked serious now.

"This is our best lesson yet."

Marcel groaned. "Ugh, I have no idea what's going through your head… but fine. If that's what you want, I'll follow your lead. How do we watch this without getting killed?"

"We move further back—carefully. The moment we see the old man struggling, we jump in. That Darkside Spirit will be weak by then," Jackson explained.

"If that's the plan, then let's do this," Marcel agreed.

They both sprinted in the opposite direction from the battle but kept their eyes locked on the raging chaos in the distance.

After several minutes, Jackson finally stopped and bent over, catching his breath.

"I think this distance is enough…" he said between breaths.