The battlefield was still trembling with the aftershock of that blinding light. Dust hovered in the air like smoke after a storm, and the five intruders were sprawled across the ground—weak, shaken, gasping for breath.
Miyamoto stood calm.
"HAHAHAHAHA!!!! Don't do anything rashly… You're also my student. As for these kids—run along. I'll allow you to leave with your lives. I won't be the one to take them… I'll leave that to my girls when the time is right."
The mysterious voice from above laughed, deep and mocking, before fading away with the last trace of that overwhelming light.
Anos struggled to lift himself, his body drained, sweat dripping down his face.
That… that pressure… I couldn't even move a finger. What was that power? So bright, so pure… was that the power of a god?
One of the other four said under his breath
He forced himself to stand, though his knees trembled. Another of his men shouted in confusion, "What the hell was that light!?"
"You fool!" Anos snapped, his voice hoarse. "That wasn't just some ordinary light. That was the Renshical pressure of the unknown man. Just his pressure alone drained our Renshi in an instant…! He's still a mystery to this world."
Miyamoto's gaze cut into them, sharp and unwavering. "I could have killed the five of you in an instant if I wanted to… but Master already gave his orders. I can't defy him. So stay alive—for now. Wait until it's time for your proper death."
Anos clenched his fists, anger flashing across his face. "You fool! Don't get ahead of yourself just because you were saved! If I were at my best, there's no way you could stand against me. Our master won't let this humiliation slide!"
But Miyamoto only shook his head in disappointment. His voice was calm, but each word carried the weight of a blade.
"You think that was Master? You moron. If Master was truly here, his pressure alone would have crushed you to death. That was nothing more than a clone. Imagine what his main body is like…"
The words sank into Anos like daggers.
Miyamoto turned his back on them, stretching his arms as though bored. "And one more thing… don't think I'm this weak. Master sealed my Renshi all this time. But now? I've been given permission to go all out. Five of you at your best couldn't scratch me."
He yawned lightly, though his eyes glinted with steel. "Now leave… before I change my mind."
Anos' fury boiled over. "You bastard! Just wait—I'll return! You won't get away with humiliating me like this!" He quickly carved a teleportation circle into the ground, his companions scrambling to join. Before vanishing, he glared at Miyamoto with venom. "Till we meet again… I'd like to see just how strong you've become."
The five figures disappeared into swirling light, leaving Miyamoto alone in the ruins of the battlefield.
He exhaled, finally lowering his shoulders. One problem dealt with… but another one is heading straight for me.
He didn't waste another moment. Switching instantly into Switch Mode, his body flickered across the landscape, teleporting step after step until he reached Eminence. At last, he appeared before the house where he had left Amanda and Lucy.
The door creaked open. Lucy rushed forward, her expression pale and shaken.
"Master… we have a problem."
Miyamoto froze. "What is it?"
"When you left, I went back upstairs to check on Amanda. When I got there…" Lucy's voice broke. "…she was gone."
"What…?" Miyamoto's eyes sharpened. In a flash of Switch Mode, he vanished from the doorway and reappeared in Amanda's room.
Empty.
The bed unmade. The air heavy with silence.
"Damn it… damn Avengers!" Miyamoto's shout rattled the walls. His fists tightened in fury.
Lucy ran up behind him, panic rising in her chest. "I know where she is! But we… we can't go anywhere near there right now!"
Miyamoto slumped down against the wall, his expression torn between anger and despair. "No… she didn't run away, Lucy. They took her."
The words were like a knife through Lucy's heart. Her breath caught, and then she erupted in a scream that shook the house.
"WHO THE HELL TOOK MY SISTER!?"
Her voice echoed, filled with rage and grief.
"Calm down, Lucy!" Miyamoto barked, though his own hands were trembling. "If you lose control now, you're playing right into their hands!"
"There's no way I can calm down!" Tears streaked down Lucy's cheeks. "My sister… my sister is losing herself and someone took advantage of it! I don't care who they are, Master! Take off my seal—I'm going to find her!"
She stepped toward him, fists clenched, her Renshi trembling beneath the surface.
Miyamoto met her gaze, stern and unwavering. "And where do you plan on finding her, huh? Are you just going to wander blindly across the whole kingdom searching for the Avengers' hideout? They're impossible to find, Lucy. Once they take someone, their fate is sealed. It's join them… or die."
Lucy's legs nearly gave way. "So you're saying… Amanda is gone forever? That's impossible. There's no way she's gone. Why her? Why not take me too?"
Her voice cracked, broken. "Why not take me instead!?"
Miyamoto's chest tightened at the sight of her breaking down, but he forced himself to stay composed. He placed a hand gently on her shoulder.
"Listen to me, Lucy. Amanda still has a chance. Do you hear me? She still has a chance."
Lucy lifted her tear-streaked face, desperate. "What chance…?"
"The Avengers targeted her because her dark Renshical side is winning. That makes her vulnerable. Easy to manipulate. That vulnerability gives us a one percent chance to save her. If they had taken you instead, you'd already be dead—because your Renshical sides is balance and its too strong to be controlled."
Lucy's heart twisted. So that's why… they chose Amanda.
Miyamoto's tone turned grim. "But that's enough talk. We can't stay here. Not after the battle at the border. The Special Darkside Knights are searching for intruders. If we delay, we'll be trapped."
Lucy wiped her eyes, her jaw set in determination. She nodded, though her whole body shook with rage and sorrow.
Avengers… you dared to take my sister.
Damn you. Damn everything.