The unknown man struggled violently against Miyamoto's crushing grip, his face turning red as veins popped across his forehead.
"Don't struggle. It's no use," Miyamoto said coldly, his tone calm but edged with danger. "I have just one question—and I expect an honest answer. Tell me… Bald Head, is there by any chance a young girl named Amanda in this hideout?"
The man froze for a moment before snarling through clenched teeth. "You dare… you dare speak her name so casually? Don't you ever disrespect one of the Top Five! You've no idea how powerful she is. Watch your tongue before it gets cut off!"
Peaches smirked from the side. "Guess someone just shoved his words back down his throat."
Lucy chuckled lightly, but when she glanced sideways, she caught Peaches staring at her again. Her cheeks flushed. "Stop staring at me, Peaches—you're making me uncomfortable."
Peaches grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, Lucy. I just can't take my eyes off you."
Lucy turned her head away, embarrassed, but Miyamoto's sharp voice cut through the moment.
"Now is not the time for that. Stay focused. I won't repeat myself."
Both of them straightened immediately, nodding with guilty faces.
Miyamoto's eyes narrowed back at the bald man. "What do you mean by the 'Top Five'? Tell me everything you know about my student." His voice dropped lower, colder, as Renshi compressed around his palm, crushing the man's chest. Bones creaked under the invisible pressure, and the man screamed in pain.
"Go to hell!" he spat, saliva flying from his mouth. "You might be stronger than me, but I'm nothing compared to the top dawgs here. Run while you can, old man! You've stepped into a graveyard—yours!"
"I see," Miyamoto muttered, disappointment plain in his tone. "So that's how it is… Then I'll just kill you and wait for them."
A chain flickered, his storage link unraveling as his blade materialized in hand.
"Do your worst, fool!" the man laughed hysterically. "The moment you stepped onto this island, you were already dead!"
Before his mocking laugh even faded, Miyamoto moved. His figure blurred—vanished. The next instant, he appeared midair, intercepting the man's body as he hurled him upward. One clean stroke—silent, absolute.
The man's head flew off his shoulders. His body crumpled in the opposite direction while his head spun and landed in the sand.
Lucy and Peaches froze in shock.
"Stay sharp," Miyamoto said calmly, wiping his blade clean. "The main show is just getting started."
Even as the words left his mouth, the air split with sound—shards of ice lanced toward him in a storm. Miyamoto switched, reappearing high in the sky to evade. The ground beneath exploded as giant stone palms rose, trying to crush him.
He twisted in midair—another switch mode—and reappeared just in time to block a flaming slash from behind. Sparks showered as Renshi pressure alone parried the strike.
The moment he touched down, ice spread like wildfire across the island. His legs froze to the ground instantly.
"Well-coordinated," Miyamoto said evenly. "Not bad teamwork… for rookies."
Three figures emerged from the shadows at the island's edge. Their steps were calm, confident, unhurried.
Two were men—both masked. One wore a black cape streaked in crimson, twin swords strapped to his back, dark Renshi seeping from the blades like poison. The other wore red, his weapon still sheathed, aura coiled like a predator waiting to strike.
The third was a girl—a blonde with piercing eyes, clad in a shining white cape embroidered with silver. A long silver blade rested in her hand, gleaming unnaturally in the moonlight.
Lucy and Peaches tried to move, but their legs were still bound by thick ice.
"Don't panic," Miyamoto ordered without looking back. "I'll handle this. Do not interfere."
Peaches glanced at Lucy, nervous. "They look… really strong. Can he take them on?"
Lucy steadied her breathing. "Trust him. He's my master. Besides…" She clenched her fist, Renshi flaring. "We've come too far to stop now. I'm not leaving without Amanda."
Her Renshi flared as she forced her leg against the ice until cracks splintered around her feet. She slipped a charm from her storage ring.
"Art of Seal—Limited Flame!"
She slapped the talisman onto Peaches' leg. Flames burst forth, melting the ice instantly before vanishing into thin air.
Peaches blinked in shock. "Lucy… I didn't know you could do that."
"Focus," she said curtly.
Meanwhile, Miyamoto stepped casually forward, breaking the ice around his legs with nothing but raw force.
The blonde girl narrowed her eyes. "Don't underestimate him. He's not just a wanderer… He's the master of the Emperor. One mistake and it's over."
But the moment her words left her lips, Miyamoto was already among them—switch mode carried him forward faster than sight could follow.
The two men gasped, reacting too late. Miyamoto rested a hand on the shoulder of the man nearest him.
"I have a question for the three of you," he said, voice low and steady. "And I expect a polite answer." His grip tightened. "Where is my student, Amanda? I heard from that fool earlier she's one of the Top Five now. Hmph… disappointing. She can do better than that. But it ends here. Time to go home. So… tell me where she is."
The girl flickered—switch mode—and reappeared midair, blade descending toward Miyamoto's arm.
His palm pulsed. Renshi pressure exploded outward, blocking the attack without effort. The sheer force hurled her through the air like a broken doll. The second man staggered backward, coughing blood as the shockwave rippled through him.
Miyamoto's eyes narrowed. His hand still rested firmly on the man's shoulder.
"You don't want me angry, Kiddos," he said softly. "Respect your elders. Answer politely."