The man in the crimson robe stood motionless, his head tilted as he stared into the blazing eyes of the girl before him. Rebekah's chest rose and fell heavily, her anger pouring out like a storm.
"Take me out of here!" she screamed, her voice echoing off the tall walls. "I don't want to be here a second longer!"
Her grip tightened on the long sword she had stolen from the Shinra statue. She lunged at the man again and again, her strikes sharp, fierce, and filled with desperation. Each slash met its target—his shoulder, his chest, his arm—but each time, his body dissolved into red smoke before reforming, as if her blade struck nothing but air.
"Useless…" the man muttered, unfazed, letting her sword pass through him again.
"Shut up!" Rebekah roared, slashing harder.
"That's enough," a calm, commanding voice cut through the room like a whip.
Rebekah froze mid-swing. The man instantly faded into smoke, his entire form scattering into the air until nothing was left. From the doorway, a new figure entered—her presence radiating power.
"Okay, okay, okay," the woman said, her voice low yet filled with authority. "What do we have here? Such a strong-willed child… I admire you, Rebekah."
Amanda.
She stepped into the room slowly, each stride echoing against the marble floor. Her red robe shimmered under the soft lights, its golden embroidery far more intricate than the faceless man's garb. She looked like a queen who had long since abandoned her throne.
Rebekah's teeth clenched as she raised her sword higher, pointing it directly at Amanda's chest.
"Stop looking at me like that," Amanda whispered as she closed the distance.
"I'm done with this," Rebekah said, her voice calm but dripping with venom. "Take me back to Master… to Alfie. I don't want to be here with you!"
Amanda paused, tilting her head. "Listen to me, Rebekah. I know how close you were to Lucy—"
"You know nothing about me and Master!" Rebekah snapped, jerking her shoulder away as Amanda reached out to touch her. "Don't act like you do!"
Amanda's hand hovered in the air for a moment before she slowly drew it back. Silence filled the room. Then, she exhaled softly and sank into one of the sofas. Without a word, she lifted a glass of juice from the table, swirling it lazily before taking a sip.
"There's no need to hide your true intentions from me, child," Amanda said, her tone softer now. "I can see it—the darkness within you, growing stronger and stronger. Your hatred for darkside spirits… after what they did to your parents, to your sibling… it's eating you alive."
Rebekah's eyes widened. Her grip on the sword tightened. "Stop… making things up."
"I'm not making things up," Amanda replied, calmly sipping again. "You have no idea how old I really am. And lying?" She set the glass down gently, her crimson eyes locking onto Rebekah's. "That's never been my thing."
Rebekah's breath caught. "…Then answer me this. How do you know Master? What do you gain from taking me away from her? Tell me your reasons."
A faint smile tugged at Amanda's lips. "You're such a smart child. I like you."
"That's not an answer." Rebekah's glare sharpened. "What are your ambitions?"
Amanda leaned back against the sofa, her expression shifting from amusement to something darker. "You want to know who I am? Then I'll tell you."
Her voice grew heavier, colder, as if dragging the weight of centuries with it.
"A long time ago—when I say long, I mean long—I lived with my family in peace. A small kingdom. A happy life. Until the ruthless Shinras of Berserker came. They slaughtered our parents, burned everything to the ground. Only me and my younger sister survived."
Rebekah's eyes narrowed.
Amanda rose to her feet now, her tone sharpening. "Do you know what it's like to hold your dead parents in your arms? To hear your sister's screams and know you cannot protect her? I wanted revenge. I needed it. My sister… she refused. She was too optimistic, too soft. She said she wouldn't walk my path, despite others will be hurt by this same people."
Her fists clenched. For a moment, the aura around her shifted, the red glow of her Renshi leaking through the fabric of her robe.
"I chose a path I will never regret. I swore the kingdom of Berserker would fall, no matter how long it took. That became my dream."
She exhaled and sat back down, her voice smoothing out again. "But my sister? She started her little academy, gathering talents. So I sent men to claim those talents for myself. After all, she always had the best taste. I trained them, molded them into elites. But then… she found another batch of students."
Amanda chuckled softly, sipping again. "I was so excited. Another chance. I went to take them. But… it wasn't a complete success."
Rebekah's mouth parted, her sword trembling in her hands. "…Are you telling me… you're Master's sister? There's no way. She never told us that."
Amanda's smile curved wider. "You can't trust anyone, kiddo. Don't even trust me. But the truth? I don't lie to children."
Rebekah shook her head, trying to process it. "If that's true, then why are you telling me this? The Berserker kingdom still stands. You're supposedly thousands of years old… if you're so powerful, why haven't you destroyed it yet? And what's your real reason for kidnapping Master's students?"
Amanda clapped slowly, mockingly. "So many questions. You're sharp. I like that." She stood again, stepping closer, her aura pressing down on the room.
"Even if I lost Alfie with the power… I got you. With the brain."
Rebekah braced herself, holding the sword with both hands now.
Amanda's eyes narrowed as she loomed over her. "Listen well. You know how Lucy is—strong, terrifying even. You've felt that fear before. But look at you now. You're still pointing your sword at me. You're still standing."
Her lips curved into a wicked smile. "The truth is, Lucy is no match for me. Not if she goes all out."
Rebekah's heart pounded. "…You're lying."
Amanda shook her head slowly. "No. Do you want to know why? It's because I'm already one step ahead of her. When we were children, our parents sealed our Renshi away. Our master only unlocked a small fragment, just enough to let us fight. But me? I searched the world for the sealing technique.
She leaned down, her face inches from Rebekah's.
"Guess what, kiddo?"