The sweet moment shattered instantly.
The sound of footsteps—casual yet rhythmic—echoed from the paved path. These were not the footsteps of an ordinary civilian. They were the steps of someone brimming with confidence.
Johnny felt a chill run down his spine. His old instincts screamed one word: Enemy.
"Well, well... A bright morning for gardening, isn't it?"
A young man with fiery red hair tied in a long ponytail walked closer. He wore a black suit that was intentionally disheveled—shirt untucked, no tie—and he was idly twirling a black metal rod in his hand.
Reno of the Turks.
Aerith's face turned pale. She took a step back, instinctively hiding behind Johnny's back.
"Reno... Turks," Aerith hissed.
Reno stopped in front of the white wooden fence. He looked at Johnny with a dismissive gaze, then his eyes shifted to Aerith.
"Yo, Ancient. Tseng told me to check on you. We detected a weird energy spike at the church yesterday afternoon," Reno said lazily, stifling a yawn with the back of his hand. "You aren't trying to summon the apocalypse or anything, are you?"
Then, Reno's eyes snapped back to Johnny. His gaze sharpened.
"And who is this scruffy kid? Your new boyfriend? Your taste is terrible."
Johnny didn't move. He stood like a statue in front of the gate, completely blocking Reno's path. His right hand slowly moved to his back, gripping the canvas-wrapped hilt of his greatsword.
"Leave," Johnny said. One word. Cold. Heavy.
Reno chuckled. "Oi, oi. So fierce. Out of the way, Spiky Redhead. This is grown-up business."
"You have red hair too," Johnny replied flatly.
"Hah..." Reno scoffed. He stepped forward, intending to casually shove Johnny aside with his shoulder.
When Reno tried to push through, Johnny didn't budge a single millimeter.
Instead, Johnny stomped his foot into the ground, rotated his shoulder, and checked Reno's momentum.
THUD.
Reno stopped dead. His eyes widened in surprise. He felt like he had just walked into a concrete wall, not a thirteen-year-old boy.
"I said... leave," Johnny growled.
He looked straight into Reno's eyes. A fraction of pure Killing Intent—the aura of a mass murderer—leaked out from Guts' soul.
Reno, a veteran Turk, felt it immediately. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. The lazy smile vanished from his face instantly.
'That look...' Reno thought, his grip tightening on his weapon. 'Those aren't a kid's eyes. Those are the eyes of a wolf.'
Reno's combat reflexes took over. His hand moved with lightning speed, swinging his electrified baton (Mag Rod) toward Johnny's ribs to incapacitate him.
CLANG!
Johnny had drawn his greatsword—still wrapped in the tarp—with terrifying speed to block the strike. Thick iron met the electrified metal rod.
The vibration from the impact made Reno's hand tingle.
"Hmph!" Johnny shoved his sword forward roughly, forcing Reno to leap backward—executing a perfect backflip—to maintain distance.
Reno landed on the path, staring at Johnny with a new expression: Caution.
"Ho..." Reno grinned, but this time the grin was dangerous. "Interesting. You've got good reflexes, Kid. And that 'toy' on your back... looks heavy."
Reno flicked his wrist, triggering sparks of blue electricity on his Mag Rod.
"Let's party."
Suddenly, Reno vanished.
He lunged forward, initiating his signature move: Beatdown. It wasn't a single strike, but a flurry of rapid-fire blows. The metal baton struck from the left, right, and center in a punishing rhythm.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Johnny gritted his teeth. He used the flat of his massive sword as a shield, parrying each strike with minimal movement. But Reno was fast—much faster than the average Tudor soldier.
"Too slow!" Reno taunted.
Reno leaped back and spun in the air. "Eat this! EM Shot!"
He swung his rod, launching a crackling sphere of blue lightning directly at Johnny.
Johnny couldn't dodge in time without exposing Aerith behind him. He planted his feet and swung his sword like a baseball bat.
BOOM!
The wrapped sword slammed into the lightning ball, deflecting it into a nearby tree, scorching the bark black. But the impact sent a numbing shock through Johnny's arms.
And Aerith felt that shock too, through the Lifestream Bond. "Uggggh..."
"He parried magic with a sword?" Reno looked annoyed. "What kind of monster are you, huh?"
Reno didn't let up. He utilized his superior speed, dashing around Johnny in a blur. Johnny, burdened by a young body that hadn't yet fully adapted to Guts' strength, struggled to keep up with the Turk's agility.
Reno appeared in Johnny's blind spot.
"Gotcha!"
Reno charged his baton with high-voltage energy—Shock Swipe.
He swung hard, the rod connecting squarely with Johnny's lower back.
CRACK!
"Ugh!" Johnny groaned as electricity coursed through his nerves, seizing his muscles. The force of the blow knocked him down to one knee.
"Johnny!" Aerith screamed in terror, feeling the jolt of electricity herself.
Reno stood over him, spinning his rod. "Not bad for a street rat. But you're out of your league. Stay down if you know what's good for you."
Johnny panted, sweat dripping from his forehead. The pain was sharp, searing his nerves. But through the haze of pain, he heard Aerith's scream and felt her pain. He felt the girl's fear.
'I have to beat him fast, or Aerith will keep hurting.'
The darkness inside him stirred.
It wasn't the Beast of Darkness taking over. It was something new—a fusion of his old rage and the raw energy of the Lifestream he had absorbed in the cave.
"Don't..." Johnny whispered, his voice vibrating with a guttural growl. "Don't touch her."
Dark, ethereal smoke began to seep from Johnny's pores. It wasn't fire; it was a black, oscillating aura that warped the air around him. His pupils dilated until his eyes were almost entirely black, save for a glowing red iris.
Ability Activated: Berserk State.
Johnny slowly stood up. The electricity that should have paralyzed him seemed to be swallowed by the black aura.
Reno took a step back, his smile faltering. "What the hell is that? That's not Mako energy."
Johnny looked up. A feral, twisted grin slowly spread across his face—the signature grin of the Black Swordsman, now worn by a teenage boy.
"Round two, Spiky," Johnny said.
WOOSH.
Before Reno could blink, Johnny was gone.
The speed was impossible. Johnny didn't just move; he exploded forward, leaving a small crater in the dirt where he had stood. He appeared instantly in front of Reno, the massive wrapped sword raised high.
Reno barely had time to raise his rod to block.
KABOOM!
The impact sent a shockwave down the street. Reno's knees buckled under the monstrous weight.
"What is this strength?!" Reno gritted his teeth, his arms shaking violently as he tried to hold back the crushing force.
Johnny didn't answer. He just laughed—a low, terrifying sound from the depths of a battlefield. The black smoke swirled violently, fueling his muscles, erasing his limits.
"I BEG YOU! BOTH OF YOU, STOP!"
Aerith's scream cut through the tension in the air.
The sound hit Johnny's consciousness harder than any physical blow. The ethereal black smoke shrouding his body trembled, then was slowly sucked back into his pores as if pulled by an invisible vacuum. Johnny's pitch-black eyes faded, returning to their natural color, though his breath still came in ragged gasps. He remained in a combat stance, sword drawn.
Reno lowered his rod slightly, clicking his tongue.
"Dammit... I went too far," Reno grumbled quietly, wiping cold sweat from his temple.
"Didn't the Turks promise..." Aerith's voice trembled as she stepped out from behind Johnny. "Didn't Tseng say you would only watch? You aren't supposed to touch me or the people around me!"
Johnny could see Aerith's hand shaking. She was holding her own left arm—the same arm where Johnny had just taken the electrical hit.
Johnny's heart sank. He tasted bitter failure. Even though he had pushed back the enemy, he had failed in his primary duty. He still felt the residual sting of electricity in his spine, and he knew Aerith felt it too.
Johnny stared at Reno with a murderous gaze.
"Don't set foot in this yard again," Johnny threatened. His voice was low, like a beast guarding its den.
Reno looked at Johnny, then glanced at the frightened Aerith, and finally at Elmyra, who had just run out carrying the lunch bundle with a panicked face.
The situation was unfavorable. Tseng's order was strictly "Monitor," not "Cause a Scene on the Target's Front Lawn." If he continued, the report would be a headache.
Reno shrugged, then tucked his baton back inside his jacket with a casual motion. He raised both hands in surrender.
"Okay, okay. Relax, Champ. Sorry, I just got... carried away," Reno said, straightening his messy collar. "I just stopped by to say hello. Don't be so serious."
Reno turned and started to walk away with his signature lazy stride. However, after a few steps, he paused and looked back at Johnny over his shoulder.
"What's your name, Kid?"
"Johnny."
"Johnny..." Reno chewed on the name for a moment, as if memorizing it. "I'll remember that. Watch your step, Johnny. Midgar is small, and the roads are slippery."
Reno waved without looking back, then disappeared around the foggy corner.
Elmyra ran over, her face pale. "Oh my goodness! That was a Turk! Johnny, did you... did you fight him?"
"Yes, Ma'am," Johnny answered briefly, sheathing his greatsword. The sound of metal meeting leather was heavy. His breathing had leveled out, as if he hadn't just traded blows with an elite assassin.
Aerith stared at Johnny's back with shining eyes. The fear on her face was slowly replaced by awe. She had just seen Johnny's promise kept right before her eyes. This boy truly was her shield.
But Johnny turned around with a worried face. He immediately grabbed Aerith by the shoulders, looking at her intensely.
"Are you okay?" he asked urgently. "Are you hurt?"
Aerith smiled a little, though she was still massaging her arm. "No... just a little shock. Like touching a doorknob in dry weather. Don't worry."
"I'm sorry," Johnny whispered. "I'll take the hits better next time."
Seeing the sincere concern, Elmyra smiled, amused amidst her panic.
"Johnny, you really know how to make a girl melt," Elmyra teased, trying to lighten the tension.
Johnny's face turned bright red. He released Aerith's shoulders awkwardly, then took the lunch bundle from Elmyra's hand a bit hurriedly.
"I... I have to go home now, Ma'am, Aerith. My father must be waiting at the shop," Johnny said, trying to change the subject.
Though his mouth spoke of home, Johnny's mind was still on the battle. 'Was that Berserk? Like when I wore the Berserker Armor? But why could I use it here?' And 'Turks? What kind of group is that? That guy's skills weren't street thug level.' But he saved those questions for later.
Johnny bowed respectfully. "Well then, excuse me. Thank you for the food."
"Thank you," Aerith whispered softly. "Be careful, Johnny. If your wounds hurt, remember... I hurt too. So don't be reckless!"
Johnny looked at the girl. For a moment, the dark shadows of the past faded, replaced by the bright face before him. He offered a faint smile—a smile he rarely showed, but one that was genuine.
"See you next week, Flower Girl."
Johnny turned and began to walk away, his sturdy figure with the greatsword on his back slowly shrinking down the Sector 5 path.
Inside his jacket pocket, Puck poked his head out slightly.
"Wow, Boss! You were so cool back there!" the fairy whispered enthusiastically. "That guy was scared to death seeing your ghost mode!"
Johnny kept walking, his eyes staring straight ahead.
"He wasn't scared, Puck," Johnny corrected quietly. His combat analysis was cold again. "He was just postponing. Next time we meet... I hope we don't have to kill each other."