The ground trembled as one of the peak special darkside spirits lashed out, its scaled leg crashing into Amanda's ribs with the force of a thunderbolt. She was launched skyward, her body spinning helplessly in the air.
Before Lucy could even scream her name, a flash split through the battlefield. Switch Mode! Miyamoto flickered into the sky like a shadow tearing through reality. He caught Amanda mid-air, holding her firmly in his arms before vanishing again. In the blink of an eye, they were back on the ground—right where Lucy struggled to push herself upright, blood dripping from the corner of her lip.
"You girls are having a hard time, huh?" Miyamoto's calm voice cut through the chaos. His twin blades were already sheathed, his stance unreadable, but the weight of his presence alone felt heavier than the battlefield itself.
"We're sorry, Master," Lucy muttered, wincing as she clutched her side. "These two… they're just too strong."
"Shut up, you moron!" Amanda snapped, forcing herself to her feet despite the bruises. Her glare burned hotter than her pain. "We can take them. We just need to fight side by side!"
Miyamoto's eyes narrowed. "Pipe down. I know how badly you're obsessed with strength. You see this as the perfect chance to prove yourself. But listen—this is no opportunity. It's suicide. You've got no battle experience against beings like this."
"Hell no to that bullshit!" Amanda spat, her fists trembling as she gripped her blade tighter. "I'm going back in. If you're not coming with me, fine—I'll do it alone!"
Miyamoto's disappointment was written in the slight shake of his head. "Listen carefully, sis. Obsession won't lead you anywhere. If you truly want to become strong, you need to follow the process. Jumping headfirst into death won't give you strength—it'll only waste your life."
Amanda snarled, but before she could answer, Lucy's voice broke through, steadier than before. She forced herself up, bloodied yet resolute.
"Amanda…" Lucy's eyes sharpened. "If you want to fight them, fine. But hear me—if we die here, it'll be all your fault. This obsession of yours will drag us down together." She stepped closer, her blade trembling with determination. "I'll fight by your side, but don't expect me to protect your pride. Either we survive as one, or we burn together."
Miyamoto turned away, the faintest smirk tugging at his lips. "I won't interfere anymore. The jade is in your hands now. If you change your mind… use it." His figure blurred as he invoked Switch Mode again, vanishing in a streak of light.
In the next instant, he appeared before Alaska.
The towering darkside demon grinned, his scales shimmering with a golden luster as he conjured a colossal blade from his very body. "So, you finally stopped babysitting." His voice rumbled like an earthquake. "Let's end this."
Miyamoto's hands moved smoothly, unsheathing his red and sky-blue swords. "Then let's finish it."
The air warped as both warriors vanished, colliding mid-air. Their blades met with a clash so deafening it sent a shockwave ripping through the battlefield. Trees bent and splintered, debris flew, and the ground cracked beneath the pressure of their power.
Steel against scale, flame and ice against gold—the sword contest began.
Miyamoto's twin blades danced like a storm, his strikes weaving together with impossible speed. Fire erupted from his crimson blade with every slash, while icy trails burst from his sky-blue sword, freezing the very air. Alaska countered with raw defense, forming a golden shield with one hand while his massive blade struck with the other, forcing Miyamoto into a deadly rhythm.
But Miyamoto wasn't fighting alone.
His Renshi spread across the battlefield like an invisible storm, saturating the air itself. With a flicker of thought, he manipulated the unseen currents—lifting himself, propelling his movements, bending the space around his strikes. Alaska could sense the Renshi, yes, but Miyamoto's aura blanketed everything, making his attacks unpredictable.
"You've grown," Alaska sneered. "But you're still predictable!"
Miyamoto's eyes burned. His swings grew sharper, heavier. Each strike carried a storm of flame and frost, pushing Alaska's shield to the brink. The ground beneath them split apart from the sheer force of their duel.
Finally, Miyamoto leapt skyward, his swords raised high!"
Flames engulfed his crimson blade, while his blue sword froze the air itself into glittering shards. Together, they radiated a destructive aura that twisted the skies above. Miyamoto brought them down in a single cataclysmic slash.
Alaska's grin widened. He raised his shield, planting his feet into the air itself.
The impact was apocalyptic.
The shield shattered. The blast split the skies open, tearing through the forest below like a hurricane. Buildings crumbled, trees were uprooted, and the earth itself split apart. The wave of destruction carved through the land until it struck a towering mountain in the distance—splitting it in two with an echoing roar.
Smoke and silence followed.
Then—Alaska's laughter.
His body, severed into two pieces, melded back together, regenerating instantly. His scales rippled as they repaired themselves, and his voice was mocking yet cold.
"You really thought that would end me? You can't kill what regenerates. And worse—you destroyed the precious town, the beautiful forest… all for nothing."
His scales began to shift, hardening and multiplying until his body was fully encased. Two massive horns curved from his skull as his form twisted into something even more monstrous. "You've trained this girls really fast within such short period of time I'm impressed,
but now you've forced my hand, Miyamoto. Now it's my turn."
On the ground, Amanda and Lucy were already locked in desperate battle with the other peak special darkside spirits. The two beasts pressed them relentlessly, their strikes shaking the ground, their claws flashing with Renshi corruption. The girls were bloodied, outmatched, but still fighting tooth and blade.
Miyamoto glanced at them from afar, his expression unreadable, but his thoughts burned.
You girls need to hang in there. Don't you dare give up.