Lucy let out a slow breath, her expression still clouded with worry.
Miyamoto turned toward her.
"Listen carefully. When Amanda wakes up, don't blame her for what happened. Show her that you still care about her. If she brings up anything related to revenge, remind her that we need to become stronger first. There's no point rushing into a fight we're not ready for. We should focus on training and deal with the Kingdom of Berserker when the time comes."
He paused, making sure Lucy understood.
"Give her something else to focus on. For now, that should be enough."
Before Lucy could respond, Miyamoto activated Switch Mode and vanished, reappearing beside the door.
"I'll be counting on you."
He pushed the door open and stepped into the cold night.
Lucy watched him leave before frowning.
"Easier said than done. I know Amanda better than anyone. She won't be fooled that easily," she muttered.
With a worried sigh, she turned and headed upstairs toward Amanda's room.
---
Meanwhile, Miyamoto raced through the night, using Switch Mode to cover the distance in rapid bursts. His figure flickered between trees and hills as the walls of the Kingdom of Eminence gradually disappeared behind him.
Now that I've killed Alaska, the Avengers will definitely come after me. There's no way they'll let this go.
He clicked his tongue in annoyance.
What a pain in the ass.
Suddenly, he stopped mid-stride.
A chilling aura swept across the land, pressing against his body like an invisible weight.
Miyamoto's expression changed.
"Tch. This is bad. Is a Special Darkside Knight patrolling the area?"
He immediately changed direction, using Switch Mode to disappear before the aura could draw any closer. He raced through the wilderness, avoiding open ground and keeping to the forests as he made his way toward the border.
He didn't stop until the Kingdom of Eminence was far behind him.
After carefully checking his surroundings, he finally slowed down.
This should be far enough.
His breathing remained steady, but his expression was troubled. Reaching into his storage chain, he pulled out Alaska's sword. Moonlight glinted along its steel blade.
Damn it. Why did I even take this thing? Carrying it around will only put the girls in danger.
He stared at the weapon for a moment, wondering what to do with it.
Then he heard footsteps.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Miyamoto's eyes shifted toward the nearby trees.
Five figures emerged from the darkness. All five wore identical black garments and masks that concealed their faces. Their Renshi auras spread across the clearing, thick and oppressive.
Miyamoto slowly turned to face them.
His usual relaxed expression disappeared.
This aura... I haven't felt anything this heavy in a long time.
His gaze moved from one masked figure to the next before settling on the man standing at the centre.
One of them is even stronger than Alaska. There's no doubt about it. These bastards are from the Avengers.
The central figure tilted his head slightly.
"Musashi Miyamoto. The first disciple of the Unknown Man. It's an honour to finally meet you."
Miyamoto gave a dry chuckle and returned Alaska's sword to his storage chain.
"So, the Avengers' upper five have finally decided to show their faces. If this is about Alaska, I hope you understand that I acted in self-defence."
He straightened, keeping his eyes fixed on the five masked men.
Outwardly, he appeared calm.
Five of them, and every single one has an overwhelming aura. If I fight them all at once, I'm finished. I need to stay calm and find a way out.
The leader let out a quiet laugh.
"Don't misunderstand your master's name, Miyamoto. Just because he's called the Unknown Man doesn't mean you're beyond our reach. If we wanted you dead, we wouldn't have brought five people here."
His eyes narrowed behind the mask.
"We're here to take you alive."
Miyamoto raised an eyebrow.
"Take me alive? And what makes you think you can do that?"
The leader casually raised one hand.
"You two, bring him to me. The rest of you, keep watch. If he attempts to escape, cripple him before he gets away."
Two masked Shinras stepped forward.
Both drew their swords.
Miyamoto tightened his grip on his own blades.
What the hell do they want with me?
His eyes flicked toward the leader.
Are they planning to make me replace Alaska? Those bastards really think they can turn me into what?
Their errand boy?
"Oi, leader," Miyamoto called out. "Before your men start with violence, at least tell me why you're after me."
The leader chuckled.
"After you? Don't flatter yourself. This is a retrieval mission. You destroyed a valuable asset of ours, so now you'll take his place."
Miyamoto's expression hardened.
"So that's it."
He drew his twin blades, allowing his Renshi to flow through them.
"Replacing Alaska with me won't be as easy as you think."
The leader lowered his hand.
"Then show us what you're capable of."
The two Avengers attacked.
Miyamoto barely had time to react.
The first Shinra closed in from his left, slashing toward his neck. At the same time, the second attacked from the right, aiming for his ribs. Their movements were so fast that Miyamoto could barely keep track of both blades.
He crossed his swords.
CLANG!
The impact drove him backwards. His boots scraped across the dirt as the force of their combined strikes pressed against his arms.
Before he could recover, the Shinra on his left twisted his wrist, changing the angle of his blade and forcing Miyamoto to shift his guard. The second immediately exploited the opening, thrusting toward his chest.
Miyamoto twisted aside.
The blade grazed his clothing.
He retaliated with a quick slash toward the attacker's shoulder, but the masked Shinra stepped back just far enough to avoid it. His partner was already moving in again.
They're coordinating their attacks perfectly.
Miyamoto activated Switch Mode, vanishing from between them and reappearing several metres away.
But neither opponent seemed surprised.
One turned immediately while the other adjusted his stance, both keeping their eyes fixed on Miyamoto's new position.
They anticipated my movement?
He barely had time to raise his swords before they rushed him again.
CLANG. CLANG. CLANG.
Steel collided repeatedly as Miyamoto defended against their relentless attacks. He tried to disrupt their rhythm with sudden changes in direction, using Switch Mode to strike from their blind spots.
Each time, one of them forced him to defend while the other covered the opening.
Miyamoto swung at the first man's sword arm, hoping to disarm him. The Shinra pulled back, but his partner stepped in and struck Miyamoto's crossed blades with a powerful downward blow.
The impact forced Miyamoto onto one knee.
The ground cracked beneath his foot.
"Damn it."
He pushed himself upright, releasing a burst of Renshi that forced the two Shinras apart. Before they could regroup, he activated Switch Mode and appeared behind one of them, swinging at the back of his neck.
The masked man ducked.
Miyamoto's blade cut through empty air, and the second Shinra counterattacked from the side.
Miyamoto barely managed to block.
The force sent him sliding across the clearing, his heels carving two deep lines into the soil.
Several metres away, the other three Avengers remained still. Their leader watched the fight without moving, his eyes following every exchange.
"Impressive," he remarked. "He's holding up better than I expected."
Miyamoto steadied himself, his chest rising and falling as he studied his opponents.
Their movements aren't necessarily faster than mine, but their timing is incredible. Every time I try to attack one, the other is already there to stop me.
He tightened his grip on his swords.
And their raw strength is ridiculous. Blocking their attacks head-on is wearing me down.
The two Avengers approached again, their blades angled toward him.
This time, Miyamoto didn't wait for them to attack.
He activated Switch Mode and appeared at the first man's side, slashing toward his waist. When the Shinra blocked, Miyamoto immediately changed direction, reappearing behind his partner with both swords raised.
The second man turned just in time to defend.
Miyamoto pressed forward, chaining one strike into another and forcing the two Shinras to retreat for the first time.
For a brief moment, he gained control of the exchange.
Then the first Shinra stepped forward and struck Miyamoto's right blade with such force that his arm jerked sideways. His partner followed with a horizontal slash.
Miyamoto bent backwards to evade it, but the blade still cut through the edge of his cloak.
He jumped away and landed several metres from them.
Even when I find an opening, they can force me back into defence.
His jaw tightened.
The two Avengers resumed their advance.
Miyamoto raised his swords, his own aura surging around him.
"I won't fall here."
He burst forward with Switch Mode, moving between them in a blur. His blades flashed from different angles, forcing both opponents to defend against a relentless series of attacks.
But the Avengers refused to give ground.
One blocked Miyamoto's sword while the other struck at his exposed side. Miyamoto twisted to avoid the blow, only for the first to drive him back with another crushing strike.
The clash sent a shockwave through the clearing, scattering loose stones and snapping branches from nearby trees.
Miyamoto gritted his teeth as he regained his footing.
His opponents weren't simply trying to defeat him.
They were wearing him down, carefully limiting his movements and preventing him from escaping.
From behind them, their leader watched with growing interest.
"Come on, Musashi Miyamoto," he murmured. "You're the disciple of the Unknown Man. Surely you can do better than this."
His gaze sharpened.
"Show me that you're worthy of replacing Alaska."