"I don't know if it was you guys," Alfie muttered as he slowly rose from his crouched position. His eyes remained fixed on the five boys standing before him. "But they looked exactly like you. So, if you were the ones who did it, I suggest you start talking."
There was no trace of his usual humor in his voice. His words were cold, and the anger in his eyes made it clear that he wasn't in the mood for games.
"Hey, watch your mouth, kid!"
A rough voice suddenly came from behind him. A tall man pushed through the crowd, looking at Alfie with open hostility.
"Don't you dare speak to my son like that. He's a proud student of the Shinra Academy. One punch from him would knock out your teeth."
The man marched toward Alfie and reached for his shoulder.
Alfie clenched his jaw and raised his hand, ready to stop him. However, before the man could touch him, another hand caught his wrist.
It was Lucy's.
"I wouldn't advise you to do that, mister."
Her grip tightened as she stared at him with cold eyes.
The man's expression changed.
"Wh..What…?"
Lucy didn't bother answering. She released his wrist, gently took Alfie by the arm, and turned him away from the crowd.
"Let's go, Alfie."
"How dare you!"
Humiliated in front of everyone, the man pulled his arm back and raised his hand to slap her.
But the moment he tried to move, his entire body froze.
"What the hell…?"
His eyes widened as he struggled to move his arms and legs. It felt as though invisible chains had wrapped around his entire body, holding him firmly in place.
Sweat rolled down his forehead.
I can't move. Who hell is this woman?
"You can't just walk away, young lady!"
Another voice rang out from the crowd.
A Shinra riding a horse approached them, his sword hanging at his side.
"We still need to search the boy and make sure he hasn't stolen anything."
Before Lucy could respond, a familiar voice interrupted him.
"Huh… so it's you guys.... who've been causing all this commotion"
The young Shinra who had confronted them at the kingdom's gate the previous night rode into view.
He turned toward the crowd and raised his voice.
"Everyone, step aside. These people aren't thieves. If they wanted to kill you, they could wipe out this entire crowd without breaking a sweat."
His warning immediately stirred the crowd.
Some people stepped backward, while others exchanged nervous glances. The businessman who had accused Alfie earlier fell silent, and the five boys no longer looked quite as confident.
She then turned toward the young Shinra on horseback.
"What are you doing riding around the kingdom? Shouldn't you be in class?"
The boy's expression tightened.
"I don't owe you an explanation," he replied, trying to sound confident. "But since you asked, I'll tell you this much. It's Student Week. We're carrying out missions as acting Shinras of the Celestial Kingdom."
Alfie had no interest in their conversation.
He turned around and started walking back toward the motel without saying a word.
"Hey! Who said you could leave?"
The young Shinra pulled on the reins, glaring at Alfie.
"You can't just walk away from a Shinra of the Celestial Kingdom. Your friend might be strong, but you certainly aren't."
Jackson, who had been leaning against a nearby wall, slowly straightened up.
"You idiot," he muttered, his eyes narrowing. "Don't provoke him....you...saw how he was when he lost control last night....
The young Shinra clenched his teeth but didn't immediately respond.
Jackson walked past him and caught up with Alfie.
"Don't pay attention to him," he said quietly. "He's trying to get a reaction out of you. We have enough problems already, and the last thing we need is another fight before we leave."
Alfie remained silent.
He continued walking until he reached the motel and disappeared inside.
Lucy followed, but before entering, she glanced back at the young Shinra.
"Listen carefully, boy. Be careful how you speak to that kid. He's the complete opposite of the other kid who beat your guys assess last night..when it comes to strength. Trust me, you don't want to find out what that means."
The boy scoffed.
"Hah. You expect me to believe that? He's just a weak, arrogant kid. There's no way he's stronger than he looks."
Lucy gave him one last look.
"Then you've got things backward."
She turned and entered the motel.
Inside their room, Alfie sat on the edge of the bed with his hands gripping his knees. His head was lowered, but the tension in his body showed that he was struggling to control his emotions.
Lucy approached him and sat beside him.
"Calm down, Alfie. I know you have questions.."
Alfie slowly raised his head.
His voice trembled as he spoke.
"Where's Rebekah, Master? Why isn't she here with us?"
She couldn't bring herself to answer. She looked down at her hands, struggling to find the right words.
"…A lot happened while you were, captured Alfie."
She took a deep breath before continuing.
"Some men appeared at the border, and Sasaki and I fought them. Before the battle started, I placed Rebekah, Jackson, and the others behind a barrier to keep them safe.... As we searched for you.. I thought that would be enough."
Her hands slowly clenched into fists.
"But I was wrong. While I was fighting the enemies in front of me, others attacked from behind. They were stronger Shinras who had come as backup. Lyon and Bash tried to protect everyone, but…"
Lucy lowered her head.
"They took Rebekah instead of you."
Alfie stared at her, unable to understand what he'd just heard.
"…What do you mean they took Rebekah instead of me?"
His voice grew a little louder.
"Who the hell are these people, and why were they after me in the first place? Why would they take her instead of me?"
" Calm yourself, Alfie!"
Lucy finally lost her patience.
"They wanted you. The people I fought were the ones who trapped you in that hallucination. I had no idea they had others waiting to attack us from behind."
Her voice began to shake.
"While Sasaki and I were fighting, the others went after Rebekah. Lyon and Bash tried to stop them, but they couldn't."
Lucy covered her face with one hand.
"I should have ended the fight sooner. I should have gone back to check on her. If I had just been more careful…"
Her voice broke.
"Rebekah would still be here."
She could no longer hold back her emotions.
"It's all my fault!"
"Calm down, Lucy."
Sasaki's voice came from the other side of the room.
He had been standing quietly with his arms crossed, listening to the conversation.
"You couldn't have known they had a backup plan. You can't be in two places at once, and blaming yourself won't bring the kid back."
He paused before continuing.
"What matters now is finding her and bringing her back."
However, Alfie's expression darkened as he turned toward Sasaki.
Tears rolled down his cheeks, but his eyes burned with anger.
"Don't you butt in, you man-monster!"
The room fell silent.
"If it weren't for you, none of this would have happened in the first place!" Alfie shouted. "I left Master and the others because of you. If those men had attacked while I was still with everyone, they might not have taken anyone!"
His voice cracked as his anger overwhelmed him.
"This is your fault, you reaper! I hate you. I hate you with everything I've got left!"
Nobody spoke.
Sasaki simply stared at him, his expression unreadable.
Without waiting for a response, Alfie jumped to his feet and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
The sound echoed through the room before everything fell quiet again.
Jackson looked toward Sasaki.
"…Don't take his words to heart. He's upset, and he doesn't even know that you played a big role saving his life."
Sasaki let out a quiet breath.
"That's his problem. I couldn't care less what a kid thinks of me."
He turned toward the bathroom.
"My priority isn't Alfie. It's Rebekah. We need to find her and get her back as soon as possible."
Lucy sat with her head lowered, her eyes still filled with tears.
Jackson walked over and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't blame yourself, Master Lucy. Alfie is hurting, and he's looking for someone to blame. But Sasaki is right. We can't waste time feeling sorry for ourselves when Rebekah is still out there...we don't know what they're going to do with her."
Lucy slowly raised her head.
" Get ready," she said, her voice firm. "We're heading to Ashura."
Sasaki looked up at her.
"Hold on. What exactly are we going to do in Ashura anyway?"
Lucy let out a tired sigh.