"Hey, Mister Reaper… don't tell me they're what I think they are."
Alfie stared at the four men in the distance.
"Whatever you think they are…"
Sasaki tightened his grip on the reins.
"That's what they are."
Jackson sighed lazily.
"I'm so not ready to fight off a bunch of bandits right now."
The three continued riding toward the men, but there was still a long distance between them.
Sasaki suddenly raised his voice.
"Listen to me, both of you!"
Alfie and Jackson looked at him.
"The criminals around here are very powerful. So don't act recklessly."
His eyes remained fixed ahead.
"Wait for every opportunity before making a move. Leave the rest to me. Understood?"
Alfie and Jackson nodded.
"Understood."
A few seconds later....
RUMBLE!
The ground beneath them suddenly began to shake.
"Huh?"
Jackson looked down.
The earth cracked.
"What's happening?"
Before any of them could react.....
CRACK!
The ground split wide open.
Their horses lost their footing.
"Whoa!"
Sasaki immediately switched away from his horse.
In the same instant, he grabbed Alfie and Jackson.
"Switch Mode!"
The three vanished from the collapsing ground.
They reappeared safely several meters away.
The enormous hole immediately closed behind them.
The horses, however, were gone.
Alfie stared at the spot where they had disappeared.
"The horses…"
"You can see that," Jackson replied lazily.
Alfie looked ahead.
"Hey, Mister Reaper…"
"Why is he laughing?"
Jackson pointed toward the man standing far ahead.
"He's literally laughing at us."
The man stood with his arms crossed, clearly enjoying what had just happened.
"He thinks we're some big deal."
Sasaki's face serious.
"Which we are."
"But don't let your guard down."
Suddenly....
WHOOSH!
The man disappeared.
Switch mode..."
A second later, he appeared directly in front of Sasaki.
"You're a tough guy, huh?"
The man smiled.
"I like that…"
His grin grew wider.
"You're going to make this fun for me."
Alfie and Jackson immediately placed their hands on their swords.
Sasaki, however, didn't even look at the man.
"You mind taking a few steps back?"
The man's smile disappeared.
"Huh? Why?"
Sasaki finally turned toward him.
"Your mouth stinks like hell."
He pointed away.
"Get out of my face."
Alfie and Jackson covered their mouths, desperately trying not to laugh.
The man looked confused.
He slowly placed his hand over his mouth and breathed into it.
His expression suddenly changed.
"Eww…"
He covered his nose.
"I forgot to brush my teeth."
Alfie couldn't hold it anymore.
"Mister Reaper is acting like he's any different!"
"HAHAHAHA!"
Jackson burst out laughing.
The man's face turned red.
"What are you laughing at?!"
He stepped toward Alfie.
Before he could move any farther...
Sasaki grabbed him.
WHOOSH!
They switched.
Sasaki appeared with him closer to the other three.
"Don't talk to a kid like that."
Sasaki stared at him.
The man slowly removed Sasaki's hand from his shoulder.
"You know the drill."
His eyes became serious.
"Everything on you."
He pointed at Sasaki.
"Everything."
Then he pointed at Sasaki's storage ring.
"Including that."
Sasaki looked at the ring.
He sighed.
"I'm sorry, buddy…"
His hand moved toward his sword.
"But you're getting none of this."
Sasaki pulling his sword from its scabbard.
CLANG!
At that exact moment....
WHOOSH!
The man with the cigarette switched from his chair.
He appeared directly behind Sasaki and grabbed his sword arm.
Sasaki's eyes widened slightly.
The man expression natural.
BAM!
Sasaki slammed his forehead backward.
Renshi covered his head at the moment of impact.
The headbutt struck the man's face and sent him flying backward.
"Gah!"
He crashed onto the ground and rolled several times.
Sasaki turned around.
"The man who has been talking with him immediately got into the battle, attacking him nonstop without giving him a chance to catch his breath.."
The other man quickly stood up, blood coming from his nose.
He looked annoyed.
"I should've never gotten involved."
He glanced at the man fighting Sasaki.
"I should've just let him handle this."
He casually walked back to his chair.
He opened a small cigarette box and pulled out another cigarette.
The cigarette suddenly lit by itself.
He took a slow drag.
"What's with these people?"
Meanwhile....
CLANG!
Sasaki's sword collided with two dark Renshi swords.
The first man had already attacked.
Sasaki blocked one blade.
The second came from the other side.
He moved his head away just in time.
SWISH!
The blade passed beside his face.
Sasaki stepped forward and swung.
The man blocked.
Their swords collided again.
CLANG!
The two disappeared.
BOOM!
They reappeared several meters away.
Another clash.
Then another.
They kept switching positions across the field, their swords meeting again and again.
Jackson stared.
"I'm starting to think these guys aren't normal thieves."
Alfie narrowed his eyes as he tried to follow Sasaki's movements.
"Mister Reaper is moving like a beam of light…"
Red Renshi flashed across the battlefield.
"I can't even see him properly. I can only see his red Renshi!"
Jackson's expression became more serious.
"Don't let your guard down, Alfie."
He looked toward the other three men.
"Those guys look dangerous."
The two men playing shogi hadn't moved.
They continued their game as if nothing was happening.
Minutes passed.
Sasaki and the first man continued their fierce sword battle.
Then....
"ENOUGH!"
The entire battlefield suddenly went silent.
One of the two men playing shogi had spoken.
He hadn't even looked up.
The man fighting Sasaki immediately stopped.
He switched back to the others.
Sasaki landed a few meters away.
He wasn't finished.
"Not so fast."
He disappeared.
"Switch Mode!"
Sasaki appeared above the four men.
His Renshi gathered around him.
Four giant red shurikens formed in the air.
He threw them.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
The four shurikens flew toward the group.
One of the shogi players calmly picked up a piece.
He placed it on the board.
TAP!
The piece hit the board with slightly more force than before.
A powerful wave of energy exploded outward.
BOOOOM!
All four shurikens exploded before reaching them.
The shockwave pushed Sasaki backward.
He landed on his feet and slid across the ground.
"What the hell…?"
The shogi player finally looked at him.
"Our work here is done."
He calmly placed another piece down.
"We need you to do yours."
Sasaki frowned.
"What are you talking about?"
The man pointed toward the mountains.
"Take care of those Darkside Spirits for us."
The four men remained completely calm.
"They've been causing problems on this road."
The man with the cigarette smiled.
"Enjoy yourself."
He looked toward Sasaki.
"You seem to love fighting."
Before Sasaki could respond.....
WHOOSH!
All four men disappeared.
"What the hell?!"
Jackson shouted.
The ground suddenly shook.
Alfie looked around.
Then his eyes widened.
From the mountains surrounding the road....
Dark figures began pouring out.
One.
Ten.
Fifty.
Hundreds.
Alpha Darkside Spirits flooded into the open field.
Their massive bodies moved down the mountains toward them.
Jackson's face went pale.
"There's…"
He swallowed.
"There's way too many!"
Sasaki switched back beside them.
He looked at the army of Darkside Spirits.
Then he smiled.
"I don't know what those guys were…"
He cracked his neck.
"But this is real training right here."
Jackson stared at him.
"I don't think it is!"
He pointed toward the approaching Alpha darkside spirits.
"This is suicide!"
Alfie suddenly smiled.
"Calm down, Jack."
His hand moved to his sword.
"I'm pumped."
Sasaki glanced at him.
"I know you are."
Alfie pulled his sword free.
The blade reflected the light around them.
"Those guys were creepy, but I don't have to worry about them anymore."
He looked toward the Darkside Spirits.
"You see those Darkside Spirits?"
His Renshi began gathering around his sword.
"We're going to kill them all."
Sasaki raised his sword.
"And I agree."
Jackson sighed.
"I guess I have no choice."
He stretched his arms.
Dark Renshi gathered around him.
"Let's get this over with."
The Alpha Darkside Spirits continues charging.
ROOOAR!
Alfie rushed forward.
He concentrated his Renshi into his sword.
One of the Darkside Spirits jumped high above him.
A huge ball of Renshi formed between its hands.
BOOM!
It fired downward.
Alfie jumped aside.
The attack smashed into the ground.
Dust flew everywhere.
Another Darkside Spirit attacked from his left.
Alfie turned.
SLASH!
His sword cut through its body.
He ducked under another attack.
A third Darkside Spirit swung its massive arm.
Alfie blocked with his sword.
The force pushed him backward.
He quickly stepped forward and cut through its leg.
The creature fell.
Alfie didn't stop.
Another one attacked from above.
He moved to the side.
SWISH!
Its attack missed.
Alfie jumped onto its arm and ran along it.
He reached its head.
STAB!
His sword struck directly into the Darkside Spirit.
Alfie pulled his sword free and kicked another creature approaching from the side.
BAM!
The Darkside Spirit staggered.
Alfie spun around.
His sword swept through the creatures surrounding him.
Several fell back.
He landed and immediately raised his blade.
Another Darkside Spirit attacked from behind.
Alfie sensed it.
He turned around.
STAB!
His sword pierced its head.
Without stopping, he pulled the blade free and kicked another one away.
"Too slow."
Three more rushed him.
Alfie lowered his body.
The first attack passed over his head.
He stepped forward and cut the creature across the body.
The second swung immediately.
Alfie blocked.
The third attacked from the side.
He jumped over it.
While still in the air, he twisted his body and brought his sword down.
SLASH!
The Darkside Spirit fell.
Alfie landed among them.
His face was completely serious now.
Meanwhile...
Jackson had already entered the fight.
Several Renshi tentacles had emerged from his body.
They moved side by side with him like exact copies of him.
One tentacle punched a Darkside Spirit.
BAM!
Another grabbed a second one and pulled it away.
A third tentacle struck another creature from behind.
Jackson moved with them, attacking at the same time.
"Get away from me!"
His tentacles surrounded him.
One Darkside Spirit tried to attack from above.
A tentacle quickly rose and blocked it.
Another tentacle struck the creature in the chest.
Jackson stepped forward and finished it with his own attack.
His tentacles moved almost like several versions of himself fighting alongside him.
"That's more like it."
On another side of the battlefield...
Sasaki was already surrounded.
He swung his sword.
SLASH!
One Alpha Darkside Spirit fell.
Another rushed him.
Sasaki disappeared.
Switch Mode!
He reappeared behind it.
SLASH!
Another one fell.
More Darkside Spirits charged.
Sasaki smiled.
"Come on!"
His red Renshi spread around his body.
He rushed straight into the crowd.