The battlefield trembled beneath the fury of combat.
Swords clashed as Renshi erupted across the forest, while Darkside Spirits screamed and surged between the trees.
Yet behind the chaos lay an ancient truth, one that explained the terrifying nature of their enemies.
Darkside Spirits bore a frightening resemblance to humans.
That resemblance was no coincidence.
They originated from Wizards and Witches, humans who possessed two sides of Renshi: Light Renshi and Dark Renshi.
Long ago, the first Wizard Darkside Spirits emerged from the overflow of raw, uncontrolled Renshi from the Wizards.
The first twelve became known as the Ancient gods.
The Witch Darkside Spirits had a different origin. They were born from an insatiable desire for greater power, and the first Darkside Spirits created from the Witches became known as the Darkside gods.
Their existence marked the beginning of the end of an entire era.
Wizards and Witches had once been among the most powerful beings on Earth. However, a devastating betrayal early in history had nearly wiped them out.
Generations passed, but the corrupted remnants left behind continued producing Darkside Spirits.
Their numbers grew rapidly.
Today, Darkside Spirits made up nearly one-quarter of the human population.
There had once been only twelve true Wizards, each said to be a thousand times stronger than a Witch. More than a thousand Witches had existed in the past, yet Wizard-born Darkside Spirits had become little more than legends.
According to the records, no Shinra had encountered one for more than a century. The last person to claim such an encounter had died in battle before recording what he had witnessed.
The truth was eventually uncovered through advanced Mages using the Rewind Spell.
The common Witch-born Beta Darkside Spirit stood more than seven feet tall, its appearance almost alien.
It possessed two eyes, a nose, and a mouth resembling those of a human. However, its jaws could stretch nearly three times wider, revealing rows of teeth as sharp as forged blades.
Its intelligence was comparable to that of a five-year-old human child, but its battle instincts were anything but childish.
Its horse-like legs allowed it to sprint nearly ten times faster than an ordinary human. Its arms ended in natural blades that extended from its elbows, while its stone-hard skin made ordinary weapons nearly useless against it.
Only two weak points were known.
The center of its chest.
And the back of its head.
Layers of scales protected its eyes, making them extremely difficult to damage. It also possessed a scaled spine that extended into a three-meter-long tail, which helped it maintain balance during combat and launch sudden counterattacks.
Every Darkside Spirit, whether born from a Witch or a Wizard, possessed only one type of Renshi.
Dark Renshi.
Witch-born Beta Darkside Spirits generally possessed similar abilities because their strength was relatively equal.
But the abilities of even the weakest Wizard-born Darkside Spirit remained unknown.
---
"Behind you, running mouth."
Falco's eyes widened as he spotted a Darkside Spirit approaching the Shinra wearing the second dark cape.
The Shinra immediately spun around.
Whoosh.
The creature's blade-like arm swept past his face, forcing him to lean backward to avoid the attack.
"Don't butt in, fool."
He straightened and turned toward the creature.
"Don't think you're the only one with sensory abilities. I can smell them."
Drawing his second blade, he lunged forward.
Stab.
His sword pierced the Darkside Spirit's chest, and the creature collapsed.
He pulled his blade free and glanced at Falco.
"Worry about yourself."
"There's no end to them."
Slayer, the red-caped Shinra, surveyed the battlefield.
"I think it's time we got serious."
The captain nodded in agreement.
"I think you're right."
He tightened his grip on his sword.
"Let's finish this."
Closing his eyes, the captain began gathering Renshi around his body. The energy flowed into his sword, growing denser with every passing second until the blade began to glow brightly.
The Shinra wearing the second dark cape grinned.
"Now this is getting interesting."
"No time to be impressed," Slayer called out. "Keep pushing."
"Yes, sir."
The court charged forward, cutting through the second wave of Darkside Spirits.
More than a hundred enemies had already fallen.
Yet the battle was far from over.
Unknown to the Shinras, the Darkside Spirits were following a strategy.
They weren't attacking randomly.
At first, the creatures rushed forward together. Then, rather than continuing as one massive group, they split into smaller units and began attacking from different directions.
One group pressed forward from the front.
Another circled around the sides.
A third disappeared into the trees before launching a sudden attack from the rear.
The Shinras were forced to keep turning to meet each new threat. Every time they advanced, another group appeared to obstruct their progress.
Slowly, the strategy began to wear them down.
Until a voice cut through the battlefield.
"Captain."
Falco's shout caught the captain's attention.
"Hold the charge."
The captain turned toward him.
Falco was breathing heavily, his shield covered in scratches.
"We're playing right into their hands."
He pointed toward the surrounding forest.
"Why did they attack together at first, only to split into smaller waves now?"
The captain's expression shifted as he considered the question.
Falco continued, his gaze sweeping cautiously across the battlefield.
"Beta Darkside Spirits aren't supposed to be this tactical. What if there's something else out there?"
His voice grew more serious.
"A higher-ranked Darkside Spirit giving them orders."
The captain's eyes widened.
For a moment, the pieces fell into place.
Falco was right.
The Darkside Spirits weren't simply attacking. They were controlling the pace of the battle.
The captain's gaze sharpened.
Suddenly, Renshi erupted from his body.
BOOM.
His sword blazed with intense light as an ancient symbol appeared on his forehead.
The captain had entered the second change of his weapon.
Every Shinra weapon could undergo three changes, each increasing its power and unlocking greater abilities.
The first change was the strongest and was usually reserved for desperate situations. Experienced Shinras like the captain normally began battles in their third change, gradually increasing their power until they reached the level required.
The captain raised his glowing sword.
His voice suddenly echoed across the battlefield. Yet this time, the words didn't come from his mouth alone.
Through the telepathic connection between the courts, the Mages relayed his voice to every Shinra, ensuring that his command reached them all.
"TO ALL COURTS."
Renshi surged around the captain as he delivered his order.
"STOP THE CHARGE."