The tension in the forest was thick enough to strangle. The shadows swayed with the weight of Renshi as Lucy stood firm, her aura simmering with restrained fury.
"We were never serving the Golden Katana," Pascal spat, his voice sharp, defiant. "We only wanted a spot among the higher-ups—nothing more. Everything we do, we do for our Lady. Don't get the wrong idea!"
Lucy's eyes narrowed, her anger cutting through his words like steel through silk.
"That annoying tone of yours… How are you still alive clinging to that foolish mindset, Pascal?"
A crooked smile spread across Pascal's lips. "Hahaha… I suppose foolishness makes me luckier than you, Lucy."
Before the tension could snap, a towering man—seven feet of stone-like muscle, his presence heavy with the same bloodline as Exca—stepped forward. His voice was deep, commanding.
"We got what we wanted. No need for idle chatter with her. Let's go."
Lucy's gaze snapped to him. "Hold on, Romero… What are your intentions for Alfie, and the other children you've been capturing?"
The man froze mid-step. Romero—an old name Lucy hadn't uttered in years. He turned his head slightly, and his tone softened into a dangerous nostalgia.
"…It's been a while since you called me by my name. So this kid really is precious to you. But don't misunderstand—we're not killing him. He'll be safe with us."
Lucy's lips curved into a bittersweet smile, though disappointment clouded her eyes. "I just wanted to know your intentions. I never intended to let you go." She drew her blade fully, the sound of steel ringing through the forest like a warning bell. "You know me better than anyone here. You know what I'm capable of. Don't piss me off any further. Give Alfie back, and I'll let this slide—without violence."
Romero's expression darkened.
One of the white-caped men scoffed. "Hah! She still thinks we're still weaklings. Let's get out of here, Romero."
But Romero's eyes stayed locked on Lucy. His voice dropped to a whisper for his ally.
"Don't let your guard down, Vodígo. Look at her. She doesn't intend to let us go."
Vodígo clicked his tongue. "I figured that out already. She's serious… after all this time. This is going to be a pain in the ass."
"Oi, Vodígo," another man barked, his white cape flowing with agitation. "You better learn how to open that mouth of yours before it gets us killed someday."
"Tch. Shut it, Onamuchi," Vodígo shot back.
Further below, the last of the five—Fushira—was still clawing his way out of the massive tree he had emerged from. His voice echoed upwards.
"Hey, Romero! What's the plan now?"
Romero didn't look away from Lucy. "…Take the kid back. We're right behind you."
These five—Romero, Vodígo, Fushira, Onamuchi, and Pascal—were not ordinary reinforcements. They were Lucy's first students.
Her past stood before her like living ghosts.
---
The Forgotten Past – Lucy and Amanda
It had been centuries ago. Before betrayal. Before scars that time could not erase.
Lucy's elder sister, Amanda, had returned from a long journey across distant continents. She discovered then that Musashi Miyamoto had risen to head of the Shinras in the land of Wuhan. But Amanda's heart burned with vengeance—for the parents they had lost in the bloody civil war of the Kingdom of Berserker. A war of power shifts and betrayal that left the two sisters orphans.
Rejected. Shunned. Hated.
The people of their homeland had always called them abominations. Their parents' deaths only worsened the cruelty they faced. No one extended them a hand. No one saw them as human.
Lucy and Amanda—two sisters left alone in a world that had already decided they did not belong.
"CENTURIES AGO,BEFORE SEPARATING "
One night, in a small wooden house lit only by three flickering torches, Amanda tried to guide her younger sister's trembling spirit.
"Lucy," Amanda said softly, twenty years old but already hardened by pain. "Join me. Let's enter the Shinra academy. It's the only way we can survive."
Lucy, only seventeen, sat on a wooden chair, her hands curled tight on her knees. The room smelled of smoke and pinewood. A bed was tucked into the corner, and silence pressed heavily around them.
"There's no way we're joining them," Lucy muttered, shaking her head. "The people of this kingdom don't even see us as human. They spit on us, call us abominations. After papa and mama died… things only got worse. Amanda, I can't. I don't trust them."
Amanda knelt in front of her, placing her hands gently on Lucy's. "I know, Lu. I know what they call us. But look at our reality—who will hire us? Who will protect us? Without power, without allies, we won't survive. Becoming Shinras… slaying Darkside Spirits for money… it's the only path forward."
Lucy's voice cracked, her sadness spilling out. "No… I don't want this. Every time things get bad, you step in and protect me. I don't want to keep hiding behind you. If it costs us our lives, I—"
Amanda silenced her with a smile. "Nothing is going wrong, Lu. We'll become Shinras together. We'll hunt Darkside Spirits. We'll earn money, maybe even respect. It'll be fun."
She stood, walking toward the small kitchen to prepare dinner, her voice trailing with warmth that barely masked her determination.
"Tomorrow, we leave for the Kingdom of Eminence."
Lucy's eyes widened. "Wait—what? The Kingdom of Eminence? I thought… I thought we were joining the Shinra Academy here?"
Amanda chuckled, her back turned as she set the pot on the fire. "Of course not. There's no way this kingdom's academy would ever accept us. Everyone here hates us. They'd sooner see us dead."
Lucy lowered her head, her voice trembling. "And how are you so sure the Kingdom of Eminence won't reject us the same way…?"
Amanda paused for a moment, then turned, her eyes reflecting a faint, secret light. "Because papa told me something before he died…"