Ch.28: The Embodiment of Disease! Rise, Creatures of the Plague!

It took little time for Griffin and Mack to organize the panicking villagers into a cohesive unit. Though the overcrowded village made transmitting the plague easier, there were still a great number of villagers still standing and enduring the unwelcomed fog. Mack rallied those with weaker auras to help carry the afflicted inside and get them comfortable. Griffin rallied the stronger villagers to grab whatever weapon they have and meet him outside the perimeter. They only had thirty villagers for defense, but it was the best they can do.

"Alright, listen up!" Griffin barked to the soldier-like villagers. "We may be under attack at the moment. This fog is purely to weaken us for an easy assault. We can't assume the strength of our enemy, but they may want to avoid a direct conflict. We'll strike back with our superior power and figure out how to dispel this plague."

"Yes sir!" the villager cried.

"Protecting the village is of the utmost important." He pointed down the line. "I want the twenty of you to stand guard around the village. Protect it with your lives. If anyone approaches the village and doesn't adhere to the first warning, kill them on sight."

Though offput by the orders, the villagers nodded. "Yes sir!"

Griffin pointed to the remaining ten. "The rest of you are accompanying Mack and me to flush out the enemy and slaughter them. Whoever's producing the fog, however, leave them for last. They may be the only one who'll know how to dispel this crap."

"Yes sir!"

Griffin nodded. "Good. Defense group, divide yourselves up around the perimeter as best you can. We don't have much time to deliberate an effective defense strategy. Rest of you, grab anything else you may need for weaponry and armor, then meet me by the hut outside of the village limits. We depart from there."

"Sir, yes sir!" The villages saluted, then dispersed.

Griffin took a deep breath, then groaned, clawing at his face. "Of all the shit we have to deal with, a freakin' plague rolls in. I have to hand it to the shadows, though. This is certainly a different approach."

"Tell me about it." Griffin turned as Mack dragged himself out of the village, wiping his brow. "Everyone's bunkering down inside the huts. I made it pretty clear: no one leaves until we say so."

Griffin nodded. "Good. That just leaves hunting down our target."

Mack cracked his neck and smirked. "Just point me in the direction of the bastard and I'll decapitate them. What's a puny shadow going to do to us?"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. This isn't anything like we've dealt with before. As such, we can't go in swords blazing. We still have no idea what the purpose of this plague is, assuming it's not just to weaken us."

Mack rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever." He started walking back to their hut. "Just tell me who to kill and I'll get it done in no time."

Griffin sighed and shook his head. "I swear, Mack, you're going to get yourself killed one of these days." He followed after the Sudowoodo.

Holly helped tend to her sick traveling group, all while glad they were able to finish constructing the temporary dwelling for them. Though it annoyed her, Mack's stupid moat that he dug around the hut provided an extra layer of protection, if only to stall attackers.

"How's Hallie and Sonny doing?" Holly asked, looking over to Tilly.

The Vileplume held her children's hands in her own and gently caressed them. From the looks of things, the two were still tossing, turning, and grunting in pain. She looked up and said, "Not well. I'm doing the best I can to ease their pain."

Holly nodded. "It's all we can do at the moment."

"Please don't tell me this plague is—"

"Fatal?" She heard Tilly's soft whimpers. Holly sighed and scratched behind her head. "We're not entirely sure. Given how fast symptoms are showing up, and that none of the elderly have succumbed to their illness, it might not be fatal. Seems strange, but take it as our only blessing for now. The best you can do is stick by your children and keep them comfortable."

Tilly took a deep breath and nodded. "R-Right."

The front door creaked open. Holly stood up and wiped down her claws as Griffin and Mack entered. "How's fortifying the village going?" Holly asked.

Griffin glared and said, "We managed to calm the unafflicted and assigned them to their posts. Everyone's been brought inside. I'm leaving you to defend the village in case whatever we run into gets past us."

Holly gripped her battle fan and nodded. "Leave everything to me."

Hallie opened her eyes, barely a squint, and craned her neck. "Master…Griffin?"

Griffin glanced at her. "Hmm?"

"Hallie," Tilly gently scolded. "You should be resting. Don't move around too much."

Griffin walked over and knelt down beside Hallie. "You hanging in there, kid?"

Hallie nodded, suppressing her pained grunts as she did. "A-Are we…going to die?"

Griffin shook his head. "Not on my watch. I promise, I'll destroy the one responsible for this. You just worry about getting some rest."

Hallie frowned. "I…want to help."

"Kid, you can barely move."

"B-But…what if someone gets past Ms. Holly and…breaks in to attack us? I need to…protect my mom and brother, just like…my dad would."

Griffin blinked in awe, then smirked. "Even like this, you're more worried about them, huh?" Hallie nodded. "I see. Hold your hand out."

Hallie lifted her hand the best she could. Griffin conjured his personal arsenal and summoned one of the Exiled Soul daggers. He placed it in her hand and closed her fingers around the hilt. Hallie held the dagger over her face and stared at the shimmering red aura reflecting off the blade.

"If anyone comes and attacks you, use that to defend yourself. Aim to kill."

"K-Kill?"

Griffin nodded. "If someone endangers your family, you can't give them a second to retaliate. It's either incapacitate them, which would be difficult in your state, or take them down in one blow. Think you're up to that burden?"

Hallie stared hesitantly at the dagger for a moment, then glared and tightened her grip. "I-I won't let you down, M-Master Griffin."

Griffin smirked and patted her forehead. "Get some rest. You'll need your strength." Hallie smiled and nodded.

Right as Griffin stood up, a Lickitung burst into the hut, panting heavily. "Hey, Grovyle dude! We got an intruder on the perimeter!"

Griffin faced him and said, "Didn't I tell you to kill anyone who resists our warnings on sight?"

"You did, but…this guy's scary fast! We can't grab or hit him with anything!"

Griffin glared and looked at the walls. He did sense the other villagers rustling about outside, but he didn't sense a foreign aura. A non-magic Pokémon, perhaps? "How many of our men did he take out?"

"So far, none. He's not retaliating. He claims he just wants to talk."

Griffin looked at Mack, who shrugged with a bored look. Griffin sighed and marched out the door. "Let's see this for ourselves."

"Hold still, you little vagrant!" one of the villagers yelled as they thrusted their pitchfork at the spry figure.

The figure, an Alolan Meowth, deflected the pitchfork with one hand, then jumped back right as the villager swung back in retaliation. The cat smirked and said, "Hey, hey, chill. I'm just passing by, no need to get all testy with me. I was just looking for some folks out here, that's all."

"We were ordered to kill anyone who enters the village! Leave or else!" the villager ordered once more as the rest of the villagers drew their weapons.

The Meowth raised his arms and laughed. "Look, I would love to leave, but I really can't. You could say I'm contractually obligated to be here."

"What kind of freakin' bull—"

"That's enough!" The villagers stopped as Griffin, Mack, and Holly jumped over the moat and landed in front of the villagers. "Lower your weapons, now," Griffin ordered.

"But sir—"

"Now!" Griffin growled. They flinched and did as he asked.

The Meowth chuckled and approached them. "Well, thank you kindly, that was getting unnecessarily—" He stopped as a black blade pointed at his face. "—heavy."

Griffin narrowed his eyes. "Did my men not make it clear this village is off limits to outsiders?"

"Oh no, they made it very clear. You could say they got right to the point," the vagrant joked.

"Then you must know that we're serious. I can't take any chances with you right now. Either you turn and leave, or you're an enemy that needs to be cut down." Holly and Mack piled on the intimidation as they reached for their weapons.

The Meowth sighed and shook his head. "Believe me, these guys are hardly a threat to me. Though, I rather not make an enemy of you, Griffin Everfall."

Griffin's eyes widened briefly before falling into a hostile glare. "Who are you?" he asked as red aura surrounded his body and blade.

The Meowth chuckled and reached for his face. "Can't recognize an old face? Pardon the façade, of course." As soon as he touched his face, a yellow aura cascaded over his body. Griffin nearly blasted the vagrant out of instinct until he saw his body transforming into a different form, that of a Monferno. The raggedy clothes replaced with a suit and fedora. A white mask appeared over the Monferno's eyes.

He looked up at the stunned Grovyle and smirked. "Long time no see."

Griffin held his breath in the time he looked the Monferno over before finally saying, "Fernando Mangas."

Fernando removed his hat and bowed. "In the flesh."

Griffin returned Endless Regret to his arsenal and faced the villagers. "Stand down. This one's not our enemy. Return to your posts and make sure the search party has gotten ready."

"Yes sir!" the villagers exclaimed, marching back to the village.

Holly let go of her fan and approached Fernando with Mack. She chuckled. "Well, I'm certainly surprised to be seeing you, Fernando. It's been so many months."

Fernando nodded. "Agreed. Never thought I'd get to see you three ever again, nor at the same time. So, this is the complete trio of the remaining Grim Ash Clan? What a marvelous sight."

Griffin pinched between his eyes. "Fernando, why the hell didn't you just approach us without the disguise? In case you haven't noticed, we're all a bit tense at the moment."

Fernando chuckled. "Though your skill is impressive, I have no reason to fear for my life. A hitman's livelihood promises thrills and the inevitability of death for both parties. Plus, I have gotten much better at dodging fatal attacks."

"Okay, but why the disguise?"

"Ah, that. I find it's an easier way to draw out the scum from the desperate parties. Any self-respecting bandit would know not to approach a hitman unprovoked. So, I walk around as a homeless man and, if anyone has the bloodlust to attack me, I'll make sure to put them out of their misery."

Mack grinned. "Man, did I miss you! Hahahaha!"

Griffin rolled his eyes. "Amusing. Is there any particular reason you're here, though?"

"Oh, naturally. I was hired by Hal to assist you three."

"Assist us?" Holly asked.

"With the recovery and safekeeping of Buster Ravenfield's grave, of course. I actually have some rosaries and holy equipment with me to keep the grave free from shadowy hands. I made sure to come prepared once I was given the contract."

Griffin crossed his arms. "So, that means you're under another Contract of Flames?"

Fernando rolled up his sleeve and showed the branding on his arm. "Hal said it wasn't necessary, but the extra lifesaver it provides me does wonders. I'm going into this under the assumption my life is at stake."

Holly nodded. "Smart thinking."

"I didn't even charge him all that much for the contract." Fernando rolled his sleeve back down and looked around the village. "I was hoping to run into you three, though I wasn't expecting the militarized atmosphere. The hell's going on?"

Mack raised his brow. "You seriously haven't noticed? You've been walking in that crappy plague."

"Plague?"

Holly sighed. "It just started up earlier. From what we gathered, the shadows are launching a plague attack on us. They're trying to weaken us before they plan to strike. When, however, is a different story. All we know is that it takes longer to affect magic users, which is odd if they know we're here."

"Why aren't you being affected?" Griffin asked.

Fernando rubbed his chin. "Good question. It's possible the Contract of Flames is responsible. Though I possess no magic aura of my own, the spectral flames used to preserve my life might be acting as a membrane to repel the virus." He sighed. "Hopefully that doesn't mean it's slowly ticking away at my life force. Don't feel like that's happening, but…"

"Best to not wait," Griffin finished. "We already have an idea of where the grave is, but we need to take care of this first. Think you can help?"

Fernando bowed. "I was assigned to accompany and assist you, so that's what I shall do. Just direct me to my task."

Griffin nodded at the hut. "Do you have anything that might help ease the plague? No one's dead yet, but the children and elderly are getting hit the hardest."

Fernando rubbed his chin in thought, then nodded. "I have some pain reliever herbs that could help. Won't do anything about the plague, but it'll at least grant them some ease until we figure out how to undo the plague's effects."

"Good enough for me. Holly, help Fernando distribute the herbs across the village. Prioritize the children and elderly first."

Holly nodded. "Right. Come on, Fernando." They leapt over the moat and ran into the hut.

Mack crossed his arms and smirked. "Well, lucky break he came along."

"It might increase our defenses should the shadows launch a full-scale attack." Griffin glared out at the open environment. "Still, I'm getting an uneasy feeling about this plague. Something about it just doesn't add up, but I can't put my finger on it."

"You worry too much," Mack said, lumbering forward. "All we got to do is snap some necks and force some shitty shadow to talk. Sounds simple enough to me."

"Guess I'm leaving you to interrogation again."

Mack smirked, flaring up his aura a bit. "It would be my pleasure."

Once the search team gathered everything they could, they set off with Griffin and Mack taking the lead. They focused on the fog and followed along the denser regions. As they got closer, it became harder to breathe without the fog seeping through their auras. The group made sure to wrap cloth around their mouths, hoping it would provide a little more protection on top of their auras.

Mack's eyes wandered about in boredom. To pass the time, he whistled a soft, eerie tone that did little to calm the nerves of their unit. He made it worse by singing.

"Come out, come out, little shadows~. Come out, come out, evil spirits~. Uncle Mack's coming for you tonight~. He'll stalk you, and rip your guts~. Come out, come out, little shadows~. I'm here to make you bleed~."

One of the villagers approached Griffin and whispered, "Does he really need to do that?"

Griffin sighed. "Better to have him on your side than the other way around. Just ignore it."

Another village whimpered. "How can you trust that deranged maniac? He's been giving us the evil eyes ever since you lot got here. He's creeping me out."

Griffin narrowed his eyes. "Look, you're just going to need to trust me. Keep your eyes out for anyone that might try and ambush us." The villagers backed off, trembling as they pointed their weapons at the open plains.

Griffin shook his head and turned back to Mack, who walked a couple meters ahead, still humming his little song. His glare hardened. You're not showing it, Mack, but you really, really want to kill whoever's responsible for this. That's just like you. I can't ask for a better ally to watch my back. I may have been the most vocal about what happened to our clan, but you've been the most hurt. It's easier for you to shut off your empathy and play your role like a villain. It makes the pain easier to stomach.

He brought Mack with the search party because he was definitely the most lethal of their trio. Though Griffin was strong, his bloodlust didn't compare to Mack's. Holly and Mack always said Griffin changed a lot since they were kids, but Mack might have changed more. Once a sensitive Bonsly, now a monster laughing at death and saying the inanest things. Griffin wondered if Mack truly was playing up an act, or if this was who he was.

Even so, he couldn't ask for a better ally in this situation.

Speaking of, as Griffin surveyed the area, he detected a faint presence in the distance. Magical auras, two of them in particular. One of them felt vile and wretched, like that of the plague. The other, however, was familiar. Scarily familiar.

Griffin stopped and glared into the distance. "Mack?"

Mack stopped and let his arms hang loose. "Yeah?"

"You sense that?"

"Oh yeah."

"Revulsion Anima."

Mack's smirk grew. "Oooooh. Our favorite Simisage has come to play, too? What a lovely reunion. I can't wait to send that stolen magic back to the afterlife where it belongs."

Griffin summoned Endless Regret. "As much as I agree with you, I'm more concerned about the one pumping out this fog. I sense a small army with them. Shadows, though they don't seem to feel like the same specters we faced. Some kind of hybrid?"

Mack snickered. "Who cares? We found our targets. Let's just kill them."

Griffin grabbed Mack's shoulder. "We can't act rashly. We still don't know what their plan is."

"Waiting's for chumps. Besides, the last time I acted passively, Holly and I accidentally let the Shadow King go off on his own." Mack squatted down and narrowed his eyes. "No, I'm not giving them a chance to beg. I'll just rip them apart." His aura surrounded him.

Griffin huffed. "Look, I get it, but—"

"Uh, sirs?" Griffin and Mack turned to the Rhydon of the group, who was pointing off to the right, trembling. "Wh…What's that?"

They followed his finger and saw something, or someone, crawling towards them. Their movements were shaky, almost desperate, as they dragged their fingers into the ground. As if their legs were paralyzed and the strength in their arms was slowly dying out. Like a wounded solider dragging themselves out of the pit of a bloody battlefield.

The dark ash blowing along the wind of the charred ground mostly obscured the figure, but Griffin and Mack clearly saw the infected magic racing through this figure's body. Something, however, was immediately off about it. Before, they sensed it running through the nervous system and bloodstream. A clear course for the infection.

But this? It was like the figure was aglow in that infection. Their whole body glowed in that aura, every inch of them. There was something unnatural about it, too. Whether or not this Pokémon even had a magic aura to begin with, what they sensed wasn't an ordinary aura. It was becoming something…feral?

Griffin, Mack, and their group took a step back as they watched the creature emerged from the blackened wind. Horror filled their eyes as gangly green claws dug into the rock and pulled the figure closer to them. The single claw protruding from the back of the hand indicated they were looking at a Toxicroak, but what they saw looked nothing like one.

Toxic green skin that glowed like infected water, coupled with a black, skeletal like pattern of the Toxicroak's arm running up the forearm. This same pattern ran across the entire body of the creature as it picked itself off the ground. A black ribcage, legs, spine, shoulders, and more, all overlapping that toxic green skin that hummed with a disgusting glow.

A thicker cloud of the plague, visible to even a non-magic user, expelled from the creature's mouth, blowing away in the wind. Incoherent, idle chattered sounded from its clicking teeth. The face completed the skeletal pattern with a skull pattern.

The only trace of consciousness the group could see was the left eye. Unlike its other half, with the sclera turned completely black with green bloodshot eyes and a single green iris, the left eye remained partially normal, save for the bloodshot look. It shook. The eye shook with a frenetic energy as it looked all around its surroundings before landing on them.

It almost looked like…it was pleading with them.

Griffin and Mack raised their weapons as they watched the eye envelop in darkness. The sclera bled into black, and the iris became infected with the green glow. The frenetic shaking stopped.

They weren't staring at a Toxicroak anymore. It was something unnatural. Something feral. Something…

Toxic.

"SkreeeeeAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Fernando worked fast to mash up the pain reliever herbs and handed them off to Holly. She went to Hallie and Sonny first, feeding them the medicine and checking again to see if their condition changed. Though Sonny continued to toss and turn restlessly, Hallie remained mostly composed, keeping the dagger given to her locked in her grip.

Holly sighed. "This is sad."

Fernando nodded. "I agree. The shadows are stepping up their game."

Holly glared. "I feel like we're partially responsible for this, you know. After all, the tribe wants us dead more than anything."

Fernando shook his head. "You and I both know they would've done much worse to these people had you not been here. Be grateful they're just unleashing this plague and not outright killing them." Fernando frowned. "Believe me, I've seen some horrible things since they've started their assault."

"How do you get through it?"

"I'm a hitman. Unfortunately, when it comes to the job, I sometimes have to shut down my emotions to get through it. That's part of the job. It's an expectation. It was hard doing it on command, but my old man made it clear that's the only way you survive for this long."

Holly closed her eyes. "Sort of like how Mack looks at things."

"I am curious about him. He always seemed like an odd fellow. You'd think he would fit right in with the shadows, yet he's reflecting their attitudes back onto them with twice the lethality." Fernando handed her another cups of medicine.

Holly took it and walked over to the old Gogoat. "Griffin, Mack, and I have been dealing with the trauma of losing our clan. Revenge was the only thing that kept us sane for so long, though I'd say it's ruined us as people."

"You seem perfectly fine to me," Fernando noted as he mashed up more herbs.

Holly shook her head. "I was forced into the motherly role for Griffin and Mack's sake. I had to be the sane one for all of us. Griffin was too consumed with rage, and Mack…losing his parents, cousins, and friends hit him the hardest. He couldn't stop crying for days when the reality set in. We each had to deal with it in different ways. Griffin gave into his malice, Mack shut away his empathy, and I was forced to grow up too fast to keep us grounded." Holly sighed. "I have no idea what I'm doing anymore, and it pretty much killed my ability to have a social life. Griffin's slowly getting better at it, and Mack doesn't care if he has friends or not. But me? I have trouble making meaningful connections like that."

Fernando stopped mashing up the herbs and looked at her apologetically. "I'm sorry you went through all that."

Holly knelt down and fed the Gogoat the medicine. "I can't even work up the nerve to cry. The sad truth about our clan is that emotion is both our fuel for battle and our burden. When you become too consumed in your Emotion Anima, it starts becoming a part of you. We had to learn to control it as we got older. No one's ever taught us how to control those impulses. So, we just let the anima decide for us."

Fernando glared. "Is that why you three are the way you are?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes, but it's because we chose to let it consume us. There wasn't another way. We were ten when we lost everything. What were we supposed to think?"

"I've heard your clan was once made up of the worst criminals and marauders known to history. I have to ask, what's really kept you from going down the same path as someone like the Shadow King, where genocide is justifiable?"

Holly chuckled darkly. "Truth is, it does seem justifiable to us. That's the scary part, but…"

"But?"

"Rather than go on an indiscriminate genocide, we force ourselves to remember that pain, then direct those genocidal thoughts onto the people who wish to enact those memories." Holly glared. "With this village in danger, innocent lives who don't deserve this pain hanging in the balance…"

Fernando narrowed his eyes as he saw Holly's eyes light up. A brief flicker of her aura brightened the room, creating a strong pressure that nearly blew his hat off. The glimmer of murderous intent shimmered in those kind eyes, almost scaring him. He has tapped into bloodlust before with such potency. This was the first time he saw it from someone of the Grim Ash Clan.

"Don't hold it against us when we decide to become the monsters."

"SkreeeeeAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Griffin and Mack shoved their group back as the infected Toxicroak lunged at them, swiping its claws and nearly nicking them. They could see the visible green trail of its claws as it swept past their faces.

"What the hell is that thing?!" one of the villagers cried.

Griffin bared his teeth. Is this because of the plague?

The creature landed on its hands and feet and twitched a feral animal. It screeched at them and lunged over more, going for one of the villagers. Mack arced his arm and sucker punched the Toxicroak in the stomach. "Don't even think about it!"

It tried to claw Mack's face, but Mack rammed his forehead into it before throwing it away. It tumbled off the ground, but caught itself and resumed its blind charge.

"Everyone scatter, now!" Griffin ordered.

The villagers dispersed just before the creature dove on their last position. Griffin rushed it down and kicked it across the side. It screeched and swung its claws in retaliation, but Griffin caught its wrist and stamped down on its neck, pinning it to the ground.

Griffin looked over the infected magic coursing through the creature. It felt different compared to the plague. Familiar, but altered somehow. Worst of all, there seemed to be a high concentration of the magic centered on the head, possibly the brain.

This doesn't look like a possession like the shadows can do. This is more like a viral infection. He tightened his grip and pressed down harder on the monster, or perhaps zombie in this case. Does that mean the air's turning everyone into this? No, that doesn't sound right. I have no idea how long he's been exposed to the air, but there's no way he just finished transforming before the kids and the elderly. So, what caused the transformation?

The zombie flailed wildly under Griffin, but he kept pressing his weight down on it. "You're not breaking out of my grip, bastard," Griffin snarled, though he doubted the zombie could understand him.

Mack approached them, summoning his Timor Persona. "Maybe I can mess around with his brain and pry some information out—"

The zombie dug its claws into the ground and shrieked. Griffin and Mack stared at it in confusion until shocked gasps sounded behind them. They turned and saw six claws extending out of the ground and going for the villagers. Most of them avoided the attack, but two got across exposed skin, leaving behind a sickly green mark.

The claws sank back into the ground, then sprung out again near Griffin and Mack. Mack hid behind his persona while Griffin summoned the Pride of Leones and deflected the claws. The force threw him off the zombie's back, allowing it spring back onto its feet.

"Oh great, extendable claws! Just what we needed!" Mack complained. "Timor Persona, kill that mangy creature!" The dark Sudowoodo laughed and charged the zombie.

It dodged the persona's earth shattering punches and slashed across its face. The persona ignored the hit and doubled down with a critical blow to the gut, throwing the zombie across the ground. Before it could get back up, the persona rammed it with its horn, slammed it into the ground, then relentlessly beat down on it with the same glee reflected off its caster.

Griffin pulled himself up and sent his shield back into his arsenal. He looked over at the downed villagers and saw them convulsing and clawing at themselves. He gasped as visible signs of infection started appearing over their bodies at a rapid rate. The remaining eight watched on in horror.

"Get away from them!" Griffin yelled.

Before they could run, the infection reached all the way up their bodies and completely covered them, taking on a similar appearance to the Toxicroak. Their infected eyes snapped opened, then they sprung to their feet and lunged at the stunned group.

The Rhydon tried in vain to flee, but got sliced across the ankle and went down. Two others were grappled by the second zombie's claws and sliced all over. Another villager pulled out a crossbow they brought along and fired an arrow into one of the zombies. The arrow sank into the shoulder, but the zombie hardly flinched. It simply pulled the arrow loose, then whipped its extendable claws, scoring a crushing blow.

The two zombies rushed down the remaining four, but Griffin came in and blindsided them with a cracking punch, knocking them away. "Run back to the village, now!" Griffin shouted. "Alert everyone of the situation! We can't let these things get near the village!"

"But sir—" they tried to protest.

"I said NOW!" Griffin screamed, eyes burning red.

The two zombies picked themselves up and pounced at Griffin. In his rage, he whipped his arm around and effortlessly backhanded them away. As the villagers took off running, Griffin saw the four downed villagers rise up and transform into the toxic green zombies. Before Griffin could launch his attack, the infected Rhydon aimed its horn and fired it like a missile straight for the fleeing villagers.

"Get down!" Griffin screamed.

His warning didn't reach in time as the horn exploded behind them, firing shrapnel that cut into their skin and took them down. Griffin nearly ran after them, but jumped back from an attempt swipe from the zombies.

Mack took his eyes off his torturing and gasped. "Holy shit, what did I miss?"

"You weren't paying attention?!" Griffin snapped.

"I was busy!" Mack turned back just as his torture victim sprung from the ground and nearly dug its claws into him. Mack slammed his hand into its face and kicked it away. "Do these things even feel pain?!"

Griffin backed into Mack and held up Endless Regret. He looked around as all ten former villagers rose up and joined Patient Zero in a circle surrounding them. "If they can't feel pain, that means nothing we do beyond killing them will work."

"That sounds like an option," Mack said as he pulled out Eclipse.

"We're not killing them!"

"I've read plenty of books about this sort of scenario! They're pretty much dead!"

Griffin snarled. "We can't assume that. We have no idea how this crap works."

"So what? Do you want to keep beating them up until they get bored?"

"We need to find the caster and force an answer out of them!"

"Oh yeah, with these things on our backs? Good call!"

"Just shut up and immobilize them!"

"Fine!" Mack extended Eclipse and whipped it at the surrounding zombies, smacking them across the faces. "Let's dance!" His Timor Persona rose once more and barreled through three of them.

Griffin parried a barrage of extendable claws, then slammed his sword down. "Exosus Release!" A blast wave of spiteful energy exploded from the ground and threw the zombies back. "And another!" He slashed the air and fired off another way, throwing them back even farther. "Above all else, don't let them escape to the village!"

"Yeah, yeah, I hear ya!" Mack shouted as he charged and cracked his fists across the zombies. "Come at me, you freaks of nature!"

They shrieked and whipped their claws at him in droves. Mack smirked and spun Eclipse around himself in its extendable state, creating a makeshift barrier that repelled their infected attacks. Once their assault stopped, he spun Eclipse in circles before striking all five his targets in one, angle-hopping whip.

"Hope they don't hold it against me!" Mack exclaimed, cackling madly.

"Stopped enjoying this!" Griffin yelled, blowing back the zombies again with Exosus Release. "And don't get so close to them!"

"These freaks could only dream of getting their claws on me!" Mack clotheslined a charging zombie, grabbed its face, and smashed them into the ground. "Oh, Timor Persona~!"

He summoned his persona over himself with its bulbous fingers transformed into spikes. It stabbed into the zombie's arms, legs, and hands. The zombie tried to shoot its claws at Mack, but the spikes in its hands seemed to affect the muscles used to control their steering.

Mack jumped back and laughed. "Have fun!" He glared at the remaining four as they charged him. "Come on, Papa Mack needs to punish you!"

Griffin knocked a relentless swarm of attacks one after the other. For every zombie he knocked down, another would take its place almost immediately. Any he did knock down would recover instantly and resume the chase. He summoned Echo Chamber and used the two-pronged blade to disorient them with sonic slashes.

Griffin jumped back to take a quick breather and glared in the previous direction they were heading, where they felt the auras of their presumed attackers. He noticed the auras getting progressively larger by the second. They were approaching them, probably noticing the fight taking place.

How cocky are they that they would give away their position just to watch us? Griffin turned his sights back on the zombies as they recovered and dodged their claws. "Mack!"

"Yeah?" Mack yelled as he stomped a zombie's head into the ground.

"We got company!"

Mack turned and smirked at the approaching force. "Oh ho, lucky day! I can't wait to kill them!"

"Kill them after we stop the plague!"

"No need to baby me!" Mack spun and slammed his arm across two zombies that tried to ambush him. "And will you jerks just buzz off?!"

Griffin threw one to the ground and blasted it with a close-range sonic blast, then slashed three more with Endless Regret. The infected Rhydon somehow snuck up behind and grappled Griffin. He looked over his shoulder and saw the zombie's horn drill spinning close to his neck.

"Exosus Cloak!"

Griffin released magic from his body and blew the zombie off with the pressure. He spun amidst his escape and kicked it across the head, flipping the zombie onto its head. Griffin slammed his foot down on the exposed chin and buried its head into the ground.

Two more grappled his arms and tried to cut him, but he fell backwards and threw all his weight down through his elbows, crushing their chests. He flipped off, landing a kick into another zombie's face. The two downed zombies picked themselves back up and whipped their extendable claws. Griffin grabbed them, barely avoiding a strike to the arm, and pulled the two in, swinging his arm across their necks and taking them down.

The buried Rhydon pulled himself out of the ground and charged Griffin while his back was turned. Griffin barely managed to notice and caught the rhino by the horn as the zombie pushed him back. Griffin dug his hind claws into the ground, kept one hand on the horn, and lifted the zombie off the ground. Using their momentum, Griffin spun around and threw the rhino across the blackened earth.

With a moment of reprieve, Griffin turned his sights on the approaching group and readied Endless Regret. "Mack, cover me!" He charged Exosus Release through his sword and dashed toward the group.

"Oh sure, more for me!" Mack yelled back, throwing and punching zombies around.

Griffin's feet hammered against the ground as he sprinted towards their attackers. As he gained on them, he could make them out with greater clarity. Among them, he instantly recognized the Simisage who bared the familiar aura of his clan. At least ten Pokémon stood behind them, though their decrepit states indicated they may have just been reanimated corpses via puppetry. He wished he were fighting them instead.

However, Griffin zeroed in on his real target: the green-robed monster with tentacles wiggling beneath. He could sense the concentration of green fog emanating from the sleeves, hood, and underside of the robe. That was his target.

Without a second of delay, Griffin leaped forward and slammed his sword into the ground. "Exosus Release!" He released a blast wave of magic, tearing up the ground as it traveled towards the group.

Edwin sprung forward and raised his hands, casting a barrier that easily negated Griffin's attack and obliterated the ground in front of it. Griffin didn't stop and charged at the shield, thrusting his sword like a spear. Edwin braced himself as the full weight of Griffin's strength hammered against the barrier. The two opposing animas crackled off each other in a way of magic and pressure. Griffin snarled at Edwin while Edwin bared his teeth and tried to hold out against the strain.

The power struggle ended in a stalemate, forcing Griffin to bounce off and land a safe distance. He held Endless Regret in a reverse grip as he stood up. Though angered to see the misappropriated anima, Griffin focused his attention on the witch-like shadow.

Pestilence narrowed her eyes and chuckled. "You certainly don't waste time, Blood Moon Rogue."

Griffin's glare darkened. "Lift your spell, and I'll make sure you die within three seconds."

"Hmph. Only three?" Pestilence pulled her sleeve back and showed off her glowing green claws. "I could've sworn you could end me instantly. I wonder if you're really as strong as Count Aeternus says you are." She sighed. "Oh well, it hardly matters."

"The only reason I'm not incinerating you right now is because I need answers." Griffin lit his sword up with the magic resembling a wild flame. "So, reverse your spell now."

"You're not very good at negotiating, are you?" She raised her arms and laughed. "You foolish boy~. I am Pestilence. I am plague incarnate, as created by my master! Once my plague spreads, there's nothing anyone can do to stop it! You dare make demands in my presence while your comrades so swiftly fell to corruption? How absurd! I can end this with one scratch if I so choose." She purred with amusement. "And with how close you are, my plague might as well have already reached you."

Griffin scoffed. "I can burn through any infection you toss at me. In case you're new here, I'm one of the only guys in Mysto who can scare off your little possession technique. It hasn't worked on me before, and it certainly won't work now."

Pestilence chuckled. "I think you're mistaken. Do you honestly thing my children are the product of a mere possession? You have no idea what I'm capable of. Once the infection starts, nothing can stop it."

"I highly doubt that. Otherwise, why bother hiding behind a shield?!" Griffin lunged once more and swung.

Edwin quickly casted another barrier and stopped Griffin's attack while Pestilence threw her head back with laughter. "You fool, how can I possibly miss the downfall of your pitiful species? There's not much incentive for me to die if I miss all the entertainment!"

Edwin grunted as Griffin continuously slashed into the shield with cracks forming. "Can you please cut the banter and do something?!"

Griffin reared his arm back. "I'll send both of you into oblivion! Exosus—"

Pestilence's eyes flashed. "I don't think so."

Griffin's eyes widened as he sensed the zombies suddenly charging from behind. He turned right as they got halfway toward him with Mack chasing them down. Though Mack tried to grapple them with Eclipse, at least three managed to escape and reach Griffin.

"—Release!" Griffin torqued his body and blasted the zombies back, perhaps with more power than he intended. A wall of ash kicked up from the blast, burying Mack and the rest underneath.

"You're mine now, boy!" Griffin narrowly dodged a claw swipe from Pestilence as she lunged at him. She cackled and flailed her claws wildly. Griffin parried them hastily, something getting dangerously close to his skin. "Edwin, your assistance!"

Edwin's brow twitched anxiously, but he formed shadow knives in his hands and threw them at Griffin.

Griffin impaled the ground and detonated it with Exosus Release, blasting both himself, Pestilence, and the knives apart. He landed a short distance away and release an Exosus Release slash back at Edwin, who dodged and let one of the puppets take the hit.

"You left yourself wide open!" Griffin flicked his eyes and caught Pestilence speeding toward him.

He pulled out No Peace and reared it back. "I'll shatter you!" He swung the war club right into her face, but gasped as she transformed into a gaseous state and passed right through it. Griffin staggered back and coughed as he inhaled some of the vapors by mistake.

"Well, if you weren't infected with the plague before—" Griffin froze as a hand gripped his right arm. "You certainly have now!"

Griffin torqued his whole body and clotheslined her head, but it turned into vapors again. However, he raised his palm at her gaseous state and blasted her with a close range Exosus Release, frying her gaseous form and violently blasting her off.

"Gyaaaah!" Pestilence screamed as she reformed and collapsed to the ground.

Griffin panted and backed away, gripping his wrist. "Sh-Shit…"

Mack finished pummeling his way through the zombies and tossed them aside as he raced over to Griffin. "Nice, you got her!"

"Y-Yeah," Griffin stuttered, gritting his teeth while sweat dripped down his face.

Edwin formed more knives, though was clearly trembling at the murderous aura surrounding Mack. Pestilence pushed herself up, panting as her skin and robes regenerated. Her claws were cooked to a crisp, taking the longest to regenerate. "That was unpleasant."

Mack spun his Eclipse and snickered along with his Timor Persona. "Guess you're not all that strong. I'm going to enjoy torturing you~."

"C-Careful, Mack," Griffin growled as he ripped his sleeve off and tied it around where his forearm and elbow met. "We might be in more danger now."

"Relax, her zombies don't scare me!"

"That's not what I'm talking about…"

"Huh?" Mack glanced at Griffin. He nearly dropped his chain staff in horror. "Oh no…" Not even the unnerving chitters of Pestilence broke him from his shocked state.

"Oh, you poor dears," Pestilence hissed, raising her burnt claws before her face. "Nothing can stop the Pestilence."

Griffin tightened the torn sleeve until it started squeezing his veins. He dared not look at his own arm in fear of his resolve crumbling. He focused entirely on using his strength to protect the village and its people at any cost, focused on maximizing his willpower to defeat the threat in front of them by any means necessary, and focused on persevering no matter the odds.

He refused to focus on the green claw marks in his arm.