"Damn it, damn it… penetrate, you damn sword! I can't allow Mr. Sasaki to die!" Jackson roared in his thoughts, grinding his teeth in fury as his arms blurred with relentless strikes against the glowing barrier. Sparks erupted with every slash, the sound of steel against the unnatural wall echoing like thunder. His blade trembled in his grip, but he refused to let it go.
Behind him, Alfie's body staggered, drenched in sweat, his small frame shaking. His breaths came out ragged, sharp gasps barely keeping rhythm with his fists. "Tch—damn… my legs… can't keep up," Alfie muttered, his voice breaking as his stamina slipped away. His body was already trembling, yet his eyes burned with defiance.
Suddenly, four assassin shadows lunged at him from behind, their black blades gleaming. Alfie spun desperately to parry, but his legs gave way. The impact sent him flying back several meters, his arms barely raised in time to shield his face. The force tore through his skin, slicing his hands with searing pain. Blood streamed down his fingers as he grit his teeth.
"ALFIE!" Jackson shouted, his eyes widening. But the call came too late—the remaining twelve shadows surged forward, blades raised high, their killing intent bearing down on Jackson like a tidal wave. The four who struck Alfie rejoined them, forming a full sixteen-Shadow charge aimed directly at Jackson.
Jackson's body tensed. He lowered his stance, locking his eyes on the swarm of shadows. "Come on, then… I'll take you all!" he growled.
Before the clash, Alfie roared from the side, forcing his battered body upright. "You won't dare lay a finger on him!" he screamed, bursting forward. His speed faltered, but his rage gave him strength. He caught two shadows by their heads and slammed their skulls together with a sickening crack. The impact rippled through the field as he staggered back.
Jackson's boots dug into the ground. He sprinted past Alfie, drawing Alfie blade in a single motion. His sheath clattered against his hip as he spun midair , unsheathing his own as well, he lands in front of five charging assassins. Their blades swung in unison—yet Jackson's body blurred.
"Spinning Slash!"
His blades cut arcs of silver light, and in one devastating sweep, five shadows dissolved into black mist before their bodies even hit the ground.
"Don't kill them all!" Jackson barked. "They'll just come back doubled—don't fall for the trick!"
Alfie, panting heavily, froze for an instant but then snarled. He struck again, his blade severing three in one fluid sweep. Seven of the shadows dissolved before him. Only two remained.
"Stop! Leave them!" Jackson leapt in front of Alfie's swing, blocking him with his blade.
"What? You said not all! I'm just finishing this one,that other one should be enough!" Alfie growled, frustration flashing in his eyes.
Jackson's gaze sharpened. "No. If you kill it, they'll multiply again if you accidentally kill that last one. Leave it to stay on the safer side!"
The last shadow behind Alfie moved in a silent blur, its blade raised for a backstab. Alfie froze for a fraction of a second—too slow.
Jackson twisted, ducking under the swing with a sharp lean. "Don't sneak attack me!" he snarled, kicking the shadow's leg from beneath it. The creature crashed onto its back, and Jackson drove his blade down into its skull. Its body crumbled into black mist.
He tossed Alfie's blade back to him with a single flick. Alfie caught it and slid it back into his scabbard, his chest heaving. The last surviving shadow didn't move—it stood motionless, watching, its hollow eyes unblinking.
"Oi, Jack… what's with that one?" Alfie whispered, his hands still shaking from fatigue. "It's not attacking. Is it… planning something?"
Jackson's eyes narrowed, his shoulders tightening. "I don't know. But whatever it is—don't touch it. Watch closely. No matter what happens, don't kill it."
He turned back to the barrier, blades raised. "Focus. I need to break this formation before it's too late."
Alfie smirked faintly despite his wounds. "Heh. Nice job back there. I didn't think you'd take down five like that. You were struggling earlier, but I guess… we're getting stronger together." His tired eyes softened. "Honestly, Jack—you're already stronger than me, no doubt."
Jackson didn't turn. His strikes against the barrier grew faster, heavier, his words grinding between clenched teeth. "Don't flatter me. That wasn't just by force energy—I used my Renshi. I'm not stronger than you yet. But don't think you'll surpass me either. There's no way I'll let that happen."
Alfie chuckled bitterly, wiping blood from his lips. "Tch. You're still so damn competitive. I'm not here to beat you, Jack. I might just be a ten-year-old boy, but… the things I've seen, the things I carry… they make me feel older than I am." His face hardened, eyes burning with resolve. "I don't care who's stronger. I just want us to grow stronger together. For humanity. That's all that matters."
Jackson paused, lowering his blade slightly. His lips curved into the faintest grin. "...Then help me. Don't waste time competing. If we're breaking this barrier, brute force won't cut it. I need to disrupt its Renshi flow. Once that's done—boom. The whole thing will collapse."
Alfie's eyes flicked toward the glowing wall. "Hmmm. I get it. But Jack… I can't even see your Renshi. How the hell are you making it invisible?"
"That's a story for another day." Jackson's eyes locked on the barrier, his strikes precise, deliberate.
But then—the still assassin shadow stabbed itself through the chest.
Both boys froze.
"What the—?!"
Its body dissolved into smoke. And in the next breath, the air itself split open.
"Shit! Jack—the bastard killed itself!" Alfie shouted, his eyes wide with panic.
Jackson's jaw clenched as his hands blurred faster. "Damn it, damn it… don't you dare—"
The ground trembled violently. One… ten… fifty… then an endless tide.
From the swirling darkness above, one hundred and sixty assassin shadows poured down like a storm.
Alfie's eyes widened as he unsheath his sword . "Tch."
Jackson's face hardened, his heart pounding in his ears. "Alfie… there's no way you can fight them alone. Hold on—I'll help you."
But Alfie didn't wait. He dashed headlong into the horde, blades flashing.
"You idiot!" Jackson cursed, sprinting after him.
The swarm collided with them like a tsunami. Alfie's small body weaved through, parrying blade after blade, his stance shaky but his strikes sharp. His sword carved through shadows in desperate arcs, his movements a mixture of desperation and raw skill.
Jackson closed in from the flank, slicing down shadows that tried to surround Alfie. Together they fought back-to-back, their blades ringing like bells in the chaos.
But then—forty shadows launched into the air at once, descending like meteors. The ground quaked under their fall as their blades stabbed down like rain.
The boys barely dodged, rolling across the ground, their bodies scraped and battered. But before they could recover—another forty soared skyward, ready to dive once more.