Ch.30: Hatred, Sorrow, and Fear! Drive Back the Pestilence!

Holly kept on her toes as the infected hut started turning on her. With only a small band of survivors crowded behind her, she worked herself to force back the approaching horde. They came close to getting their claws into her, but her illusions helped misdirect her attacks. Without her weapon, she had to rely on her kicks and slashes to thin their growing numbers.

Holly ducked under one's swipe and kicked them straight into the roof, then hooked her claw around another's neck and smashed them against the floorboards. Though proficient with her weapon, Holly didn't slouch when it came to close quarters combat. Her slender legs and sickles gave her the range and control to keep her opponents at a distance while maintaining power.

However, she was holding back far more than she wanted to. A wave of monsters came barreling down on her, and all she could do was keep them at bay without killing them. Their numbers increased as more flooded through the door, tearing down the walls with them for an even bigger entrance.

All that and made worse by the aggravating laughter of the blight who caused it.

"Hoohoohoo!" Pestilence laughed, floating casually above her swarm. "It's almost too pathetic to watch. I know you're capable of bloodshed, Dawngrove. Come on, show us the fangs of the Grim Ash Clan! Unleash the inner beast of your family lineage—"

"Do you ever SHUT UP!" Holly knocked an entire group away with a roundhouse kick and lunged into the air, swiping her sickles at Pestilence.

"Ooh! Ready to be converted, are we?!" Pestilence met her attack with infected claws, dealing a direct hit to the Lurantis' face. Or least, the shattering illusion of one. Pestilence's eyes widened as the fragmented illusion started glowing. "Wait, this is—"

The illusion exploded, throwing Pestilence out of the hut. She caught herself on the air and shook her head. Right as she contemplated retaliation, a beaded line hooked around her neck and yanked her out of the air, right into Fernando's rising knee. Green blood splattered from the mage's face.

Fernando held her up by the hood and sneered. "Time to purge the infection."

Pestilence tried to shift her state, but the cross binding tightened around her neck. "AGH!"

"These beads can contain evil spirits, yours included. Gaseous state or not, you're not escaping these."

Pestilence hissed. "Oh, don't be cheeky, boy~!" She swiped her claws at him, but he caught her wrists and smashed his forehead into hers.

"By all means, you first."

Pestilence hissed with laughter. "Gladly." Tentacles flew from under her robe and wrapped around the hitman's neck and waist, throwing him off her.

"Oh, I'm not digging this shit!" He severed the tentacles with his knife and landed on his hands and feet.

Pestilence, with some discomfort, pried the cross binding off her neck and changed her form into a gaseous state. "There's more than one type of blight to fear." She held up her claws and showed as they changed from a toxic green to a diseased yellow. "Observe!" She plunged them into the ground, spreading yellow, vein-like markings through the surface.

Fernando jumped back as yellow gas erupted from the veins. He flicked a rock with his tail into the gas and watched it dissolve into mush. "That's disturbing."

Pestilence smirked. "Just wait until it touches flesh."

Back inside the hut, Holly got one more kick in until she forced all of the zombies back outside. She grabbed a board and smashed it across one's face, then kicked them into the advancing group, tumbling them back into Mack's moat.

"Th-That's not going to hold them," the Gogoat wheezed.

"It doesn't have to." Holly turned and charged for the wall they were huddled against. With a few forward flips, she sprung and dropkicked the wall open. "Everyone, get out!"

The sounds of the zombies catching their breath alerted them to flee through the new exit. Holly helped the children and elderly get out first while keeping her eye on the zombies.

"How are we supposed to get across?!" one of the villagers cried. "That stupid Sudowoodo built a moat around our—"

They were immediately silence when Holly tore out another section of wall and threw it down, a platform big enough to use as a bridge. "Tread lightly, get the children across first!" she warned before jumping back into the hut.

Five zombies threw themselves out of the wave and divebombed the illusionist. Holly danced through their claws and countered with hard kicks to, at best, cripple their regenerative bodies. Her only solace in the fight was that whatever infection they were suffering from kept their bodies intact, at least that's what she was hoping. Still, she couldn't quite deliver the same force to the obviously infected children.

Her saving grace was that Pestilence wanted her gone above all else, so the zombies focused all their attention on her and not the fleeing villagers.

Holly spun on the floor, performing capoeira-styled spin kicks that scattered the horde all over the hut. Some caught the walls and fired their extendable claws at her, to which she kicked up the floorboard and shielded against them. Her senses surged with activity, detecting every infinitesimal action being thrown against her no matter how much came at her. Survival instincts she never thought she would have to rely on ever again coming back with a vengeance.

She went for an instinctual kick, but saw the attacking zombie was the familiar, young Gloom, Sonny. Holly tucked her leg in and used the momentum of her kick to spin out of Sonny's way, acting as an improvised feint.

"Sonny," Holly mumbled sadly. Of all the Pokémon to hit, why did it have to be the one kid she talked to the most?

The infected Sonny turned upon landing and fired infected needles from his bud, a cruel reminder of the attack she failed to stop. Holly threw up more floorboards and shielded the needles while forcing back the approaching horde.

There's too many of them! She realized that, even though her skill outclassed the brainless horde, their sheer numbers equated to a tsunami rising above a helpless sea vessel. No matter how powerful the hull of said vessel, the sea always proved itself a cruel temptress, dragging unfortunate sailors to their watery graves.

With the wave coming down, Holly summoned more of her tattoos across her body. "Dolorem Rewrite!"

Blue petals flooded the crowded hut before they came down on Holly. A twister of petals shot from under the horde and shooting out through the hole in the roof. The twister dispersed with Holly appearing out of it and landing outside the moat's perimeter.

"HAH!" She slammed her claw into the ground and split it open, sending up a geyser of rock. She leaped and spun like a tornado, whipped the debris straight into the hut like a meteor shower. Rocks bombarded the hut and tore out the support and walls. The combined mass of the zombies occupying the inside plus the onslaught of rock broke the hut off its support and sent it crashing down on them.

Holly landed and panted lightly, then looked around for the villagers. She saw them fleeing a few meters from the destroyed hut.

"Holly, duck!"

Recognizing Fernando's cry, Holly instinctively dropped down and narrowly avoided a flash of green claws swiping above her head. She spun and kicked in the general location of a head, but saw it disperse into mist. She flipped out of range and held her stance, glaring at Pestilence.

The toxic mage rose and licked her claws. "You really think that'll stop them?"

Holly glanced through her peripherals to the collapsed hut trembling and falling to pieces. Zombie limbs breached the surface and dragged their bodies out from below. She turned back to Pestilence and scanned the yellow fog building up behind the mage, with Fernando cut off on the other side with cross binding and knife in hand.

Pestilence bared her claws and chortled. "Let's dance, sweetheart. HAH!" She threw herself at Holly and swung her claws with the grace of nunchaku user.

Holly wiggled her body erratically, barely weaving through the mage's flurry. Any attempt to block or parry without a weapon would be suicide. The mage lacked strength, but made up for it with speed.

"Burn!" Pestilence cried, winding her hand back.

Holly looked over her shoulder and saw the yellow fog pooling in from behind. "Dolorem Rewrite!" The fog came down on her before she casted the blue petals.

Pestilence swung her claws through Holly's general location, then recoiled in pain as she felt her own claws slashing her back. She fanned the petals away and scanned for the missing Lurantis. "Too scared to fight me up close?"

"HAH!" Holly came in at her blind spot and kicked her across the face.

"AGH!" Pestilence spun out from the kick, but caught herself. With an enraged cry, she clapped her hands and brought down more of dissolving fog on top of Holly.

Fernando ran onto the scene and grappled Holly's waist with the cross binding before pulling her out of the fog. "You good?"

Holly collapsed onto her knees and panted. Parts of her clothes melted off her body. Sleeves were burned, pants were torched, and most of the torso cooked, exposing her stomach and lower back. Patches of skin on her head, claws, and legs bubbled from brief exposure, saved mostly thanks to her aura.

"Hardly. I can't get a clean shot off on her."

Fernando bared his teeth. "I could run in there myself. My contract will protect me."

"But if you stay in there for too long, you'll burn through your life force like crazy."

Fernando smirked. "What's another ten years down the drain?" He handed her his knife and wrapped the cross binding around his left hand. "Take a breather." He dashed toward the fog.

Pestilence held her hand up and laughed into it. "Hoohoohoo! The monkey wants to play? Well, Monkey See, Monkey BURN!" She thrusted her hands and sent a column of fog toward the Monferno.

Fernando clapped his hands together. "Monkey Don't Give a Shit!" He lunged at the fog, extending out his left hand. "Guiding Light of the Cross Wheel!"

The second his palm contacted the fog, a pathway of light burned through in the shape of the cross wheel. Pestilence recoiled and covered her face as her body caught fire in yellow flames. "What the?!"

With his path cleared, Fernando leaped through and reared his fist back. "I've been training these last several months to make this hurt!" He socked her squared in the face, completely bypassing her intangibility. Though his fist lacked weight, the holy glow of his cross binding amplified the pain.

"GyaaAAAAHHHHH!" Pestilence cried, flying back and skipping off the ground.

Fernando undid the binding and spun it around, clearing more space for him to stand inside the fog. "A profession like mine doesn't dabble in the holy arts, but I've got to admit this is a nifty little trick to tame you beasts." He dangled the cross binding and waved it like a pendulum. "Now, let's put a collar on your slimy neck." He wound up the binding and threw it at her. Its light cut through the fog, keeping it from melting.

Pestilence held her hand up to block it, but cried out in pain when it pierced through her hand. She growled under the light's effects. "For me to submit under that trash god's light? BAH!" She plunged her claws into the ground.

Fernando felt a trembled beneath the ground, then recoiled as five gangly claws shot out. Two of them missed their mark, but the rest struck. One through the chest, one through the sole of his foot, and one right through the eye.

"I only tremble beneath the magnificence of the Shadow King!"

Fernando growled and reeled the binding back it. He swung its cross wheel through the claws like a hot knife, then fell to his knees. Spectral green flames coated his body as he ripped the claws out of his body. He covered his bleeding eye and held up the cross binding, administering its light to keep the fog from collapsing on him again.

With Fernando down, Pestilence launched through the fog and brandished her claws. She growled as she neared the harmful light, but pushed through it and slashed the hitman across the chest. Fernando went flying back through the fog, which burned away as he kept the holy light active. The infection coursed through his chest briefly before being burned out by the spectral flames.

"How long can you resist my toxins, hitman?" Pestilence hissed, extending her claws and whipping the Monferno across the face.

Fernando skipped off his face and tumbled down the small incline leading to the village. He caught a groove in the ground and stopped himself. The flames continued searing his wounds and infection, though the pain he felt was indescribable. He felt his very soul withering by the second, a small bit sacrificed to fuel the flames of his contract.

Pestilence hovered over the wreathing hitman and snickered. "I don't know much about hitmen, but I know that contract you're under has a limit!" She fired needles from her claws.

Fernando guarded his face as the needle rain came down on him. He bared his teeth as the infection spread through his arms, fluctuating between growing and burning to ashes. The pain, mixed with the healing of his flames, worked up a storm of agony that made him holler a cry of anguish.

Pestilence's eyes glistened with glee. "I suppose one body is nothing compared to the hundreds I've amassed—" A rock nailed her in the head and cut her off. "AGH!" She turned and saw Holly getting back up.

Holly panted, holding her arm, and yelled, "What's the matter? Too afraid to face me?"

Pestilence hissed. "Funny girl." She turned her needle shower on the Lurantis.

Holly kicked up a large slab of rock and blocked the needles. She hissed from her recent injuries, but grabbed hold of the slab and charged. Once in position, she stopped and chucked the slab like a disc.

Pestilence turned into gas to avoid it, then dove straight for Holly. Holly kicked up more earth toward the mage before running in the opposite direction. The debris just passed through Pestilence as usual.

"You should watch your words," Pestilence taunted. "Seems you don't have the strength to back them up."

Holly looked back and yelled, "Want a bet?"

Pestilence sped up and plunged her claws through Holly, but the Lurantis faded like smoke. "Another illusion?"

"Not quite!" A rock flickered into sight and sliced through Pestilence's wrist.

"AGH!" Pestilence recoiled and covered her smoking arm. She reached out for her severed hand, but Holly reappeared and squashed it under her foot. "You…!"

Holly threw the rock she used aside and raised her claws. "You can't use that second toxin without turning tangible first. Regeneration or not, I can still tear shadows apart."

Pestilence hissed. "You're one cheeky girl, I'll grant you that. However…" Pestilence grabbed her robe and opened it up some. "No one can stop an infection of this magnitude!" she roared, releasing black tentacles from beneath.

They pierced through Holly, but it was another illusion. Illusions of Holly appeared all around the field and charged toward Pestilence. With an enraged snarl, the mage spun like propeller blades and slapped the illusions into oblivion before snatching the real one.

Holly cried out as the tentacles constricted her body. She felt them squeezing tightly on her bones, threatening to snap them in two. "Sh-Shit…!"

Pestilence hovered high above the ground and held Holly up to eye level. She traced one claw across Holly's cheek, not breaking the skin. "I would get so much satisfaction out of turning you into one of my pawns. However, your face disgusts me." She flexed her claws and coursed the dissolving toxin through them. "So instead, I'll just watch you melt from the inside out."

Holly glared weakly. "You're sick."

"Have you just now figured that out?" Pestilence parted some of her tentacles and pressed the tips of her claws to Holly's stomach. "I'll grant you one last act of pokemanity. Your last words?"

Holly looked ready to retort something, but her eyes flickered above Pestilence's shoulder for a moment. She blinked, then gave a cheeky look. "I have a few."

"Don't keep me in suspense."

"Oh, I won't. Sensitiva Cultro: Tange!" With a flash of her left eye, Holly briefly blinded Pestilence enough to slip free.

Pestilence rubbed her eyes, then raised her tentacles. "I'll tear your flesh to shreds!"

"Mind if I start?!" Pestilence turned her head with a gasp as a murderous red light erupted behind her. "Exosus Release!"

An unstable blast of spiteful energy burned through Pestilence and sent her flying into the village. Her screams carried meters away from her, her pain amplified by Holly's spell. Holly saw the mage crashing into one of the buildings.

She sighed, then turned right as Griffin landed. "Your timing could've been better—" Her eyes widened. "Sweet flippin' Jirachi, what happened to you?!"

Griffin's infection spread farther along his body, now coating partway up his face at the cheek. Holly could see the green glow underneath his clothes, and it even reached his foot. About half of Griffin had already succumbed to the infection.

"Don't…ask," Griffin panted. "Hurts to move, too, though nowhere near as bad as my arm. Ugh…" He fell to his knees and clutched the infected arm. "Head's getting cloudy. I can feel this stuff through my skin. It's like someone injected gelatin into my veins. Freakin' disgusting."

Holly helped Griffin to his feet just as Mack came running onto the scene. He used his persona to fan the toxic fog before scooping Fernando off the ground. "Where's the toxic bitch?" he asked.

Right on cue, a building in the village went crumbling down from a mass of tentacles and the unholy wail of a pissed off shadow.

"…Ah, there she is." He looked down at Fernando as he started coughing. "Easy, little guy. Want me to burp you? Always clears the system."

Fernando ignored his comment and growled, "She's persistent. We can't get a good hit off her."

"Griffin can, but he's in no condition to keep fighting," Holly pointed out.

Griffin huffed and forced himself to stand. "My condition is nothing compared to the time limit we're on."

"What do you mean?" Holly asked.

"That toxic needs time to mature before it starts doing damage to the victims. We have about fifteen minutes before it starts melting their brains one by one. If that happens, even if we defeat her, we'll only end up saving corpses."

Fernando bared his teeth. "That's a problem, but how do we stop her?"

"She's the one keeping the injection active. The trigger toxin needs it to thrive. Destroy the infection, the toxin's basically useless."

Holly glared. "So, we need to contain, immobilize, or kill her to stop it?"

Mack smirked. "My kind of party." He turned and saw the zombies finally pulling themselves out of the crumbled hut. "We may have other problems to worry about, though."

Griffin glared at the wreckage for a moment, then back at where Pestilence crashed. "I might have an idea. You with me?"

Holly huffed. "As if you need to ask. Just tell us what to do."

"As long as I get to kick some ass," Mack said.

Fernando set himself down and rubbed his eye, which had been healed up. "I'll support you, too."

Griffin nodded. "Okay, here's what we do…"

As the zombies started to amass from the wreckage and climb over the moat, the survivors kept as far away from the growing mass of fog as they could. Most were jittery and stricken with panic, but Tilly was collapsed on the ground, sobbing into her hands.

"Sonny…my baby boy," she wept.

Hallie sat off to the side, holding her chest and coughing into her arms. Though the pain she felt was agonizing, the downtrodden state of her mother and the sight of her own brother transforming into one of those monsters ached far greater than whatever coursed through her body. An entire villager of Pokémon, those who lost their homes, torn down by a madwoman's twisted power. It was too much.

"We need to get out of here," one of the villagers suggested.

"How? They destroyed our wagons when they charged through, and there's no way we'll be able to transport the sick in this condition."

"The best we can do is run. Staying will only endanger more lives."

Tilly felt a nerve snap and yelled, "I'm not leaving without my baby!"

The villagers recoiled in fear, nearly tripping over themselves. Gogoat said, "Tilly, though we sympathize with your struggles, there's nothing we can do. That wicked woman has already sank her claws into the boy. You'd sooner become one of them than save him."

"I don't care!" Tilly shouted. "I-I won't let her take him away from me! That's my son you're talking about!"

Hallie frowned. "Mom…"

Tilly stood up shakily and limped towards the village. "I have to try something—" The villagers grabbed her under the arms and lifted her up. "H-Hey! Let me go!"

"You'll get yourself killed!" the Throh grabbing her yelled. "Sonny wouldn't want you running in toward a losing battle!"

"Sonny is screaming for help, can't you hear him?!" Tilly cried, tears streaming down her face.

"Sonny's gone! There's nothing we or those bounty hunters can do! That thing's too power!"

"I won't leave Sonny! I promised Travis I would protect the kids no matter what, even if it meant my life!"

"Travis wouldn't want you dying, either!"

"He could save Sonny! I…I have to do s-s-something!" Tilly went slack onto her knees and broke down into tears. The Throh felt her body trembling in his arms. "We lost our homes. We lost our neighbors. But I can't lose Sonny. I would…I wouldn't be able to…"

Hallie narrowed her eyes, then looked back to the fight as a concentrated cloud of smog grew from where Pestilence crashed, likely getting her second wind. She could see Griffin, Mack, Holly, and that hitman Monferno standing in a circle whispering something.

"I'm hardly an innocent man. I would've done anything to satiate my darker side, but…sometimes I wish I could've turned out different. I just want to help you become strong enough to defend your mother and brother."

Hallie reached behind her back and pulled out the Exiled Soul given to her by Griffin. She clutched the hilt tightly.

"Sometimes it's about getting the decisive strike off."

"Mr. Griffin…" She pushed herself up and raised the dagger. I'll protect Mom and save Sonny, just like Dad would. I want to walk the path of righteousness and defend the weak, no matter what.

Rising from the ground in the shape of billowing cloud of thick mist, Pestilence looked down upon the Grim Ash Clansmen and hitman in disgust. She enlarged her claws and yelled, "I've about had it with you insignificant worms! If my disease doesn't do you in, the tearing of your flesh will!" She whistled to her horde.

Once they crossed over the moat, they broke into a stampede towards the group. Griffin summoned two Exiled Soul blades, one in his off hand and the other in his teeth. "Everyone set on the plan?"

Mack smirked. "Oh, with extreme satisfaction."

"Just don't hurt the villagers too badly," Holly warned. "Sonny's among their numbers, now."

"I'll be as gentle as possible. Timor Persona!" Mack summoned his persona. "Clean house, buddy!" The persona laughed and charged through the horde like a raging Tauros. Mack broke out into laughter and joined in the assault, smashing through their numbers with equal enthusiasm.

Griffin and Holly turned their sights on Pestilence and sprinted towards the growing cloud. "Exosus Cloak!" Griffin erupted in hateful energy and sprung towards the top of the cloud.

"Don't interfere with my work!" Pestilence cried, whipping her extendable claws at the Grovyle.

Griffin torqued his body and deflected the claws with his daggers. He swung off one of the claws and threw himself into Pestilence, headbutting her face. She broke apart into mist, then grabbed Griffin in her tentacles. He amped up his Exosus Cloak and burned her tentacles off.

"GAH!" Pestilence summoned more and batted Griffin off before the heat of his spell seared her more. Her cloak and skin quickly regenerated from the burns. "I'll infect this entire world in the name of the Shadow King!" She plunged her claws into her cloud stack, spreading the dissolving toxin through it until it transformed into a yellow cyclone. The surrounding earth at the foot of the cyclone dissolved into bubbling mush. "Embrace the infection!" she yelled, charging forward atop her windy pillar.

Holly sprinted toward it undeterred. With a flash of her eyes, she created copies of herself and split off in different directions. Pestilence, with a flick of her hand, fired blades of dissolving wind at the illusions, cutting through them and ground effortlessly. Holly dodged the wind slashes and jumped into the air.

"Take this!" Once in range, Holly swung her leg into Pestilence, dispersing her gaseous body.

Pestilence instantly reformed and grabbed her leg. Right as she was about to exhale dissolving gas, her hand burst in flames from an overwhelming power. "GAH!" Pestilence threw Holly away and cradled her burning hand.

The visage of Holly evaporated in a flare of Exosus Cloak, revealing Griffin underneath. The real Holly leaped into the air and grabbed his hand. "Burn!" Griffin spun and threw Holly right into Pestilence, where the Lurantis delivered a meteor force kick into the mage's face.

Pestilence went sailing through the air, screeching unholy sounds. She forced herself to stop midflight and arched forward, snarling at the falling Lurantis. "Dissolving Needle Shower!" She fired dissolving needles from her claws.

Fernando came onto the scene and whipped Holly out of the air with his cross binding, narrowly avoiding the needles. "Got you!"

"Thanks!" Holly yelled.

Pestilence enlarged her claws. "You're only denying the spread of my infection! You cannot match me!" She burst forward at incredible speeds, applying pneumatic force through the column of smog shooting from her body.

Fernando gasped and threw Holly aside before being impaled by Pestilence. He gasped as her claws plunged through his body and shot out his back. He felt dissolving fluids entering his body, but his contract started burning them away. "Take your medicine, you psychotic affront to nature!" Wrapping his cross binding around his fist, he decked her across the face, leaving behind residual holy magic burning off her cheek.

Pestilence sneered and produced numerous tentacles from beneath her cloak. "I've about had it with your faith crap!"

"Griffin!" Fernando untangled the cross binding and tossed it over Pestilence's shoulder.

"Huh?!" The mage turned and saw Griffin catching the cross wheel right above her.

He dove down and got the beaded line around the back of Pestilence's neck, dragging her out of the air. The holy energy crackling through the beads dug through her skin until it severed her neck like a guillotine.

"AAAAHHHH!" Pestilence cried as her head started dissolving away. "You…AAAHHH!"

Fernando felt her claws tensing up before being thrown into Griffin, knocking them both across the charred earth. Through sheer force of will, Pestilence kept her head intact and mixed it back into her gaseous body. Next, she plunged her stubby arm into the ground and merged it with the infected area. Once she pulled it out, she received a new hand made of rock covered into toxic vein markings and shadow webs.

"Your faith means nothing to me!" Pestilence growled. "There is only Pestilence! You cannot simply kill an infection through brute force! I will prevail over your pitiful attempts to slay me!"

Griffin and Fernando picked themselves up and glared up at her. "She's relentless," Griffin noted.

"Please tell me that plan of yours will work," Fernando said, clutching his beads.

"I'm not sure about anything, so roll with it." Griffin looked back and saw Mack still fending off against the zombies. He knew how difficult it must've been for Mack to hold back against them. He could easily tear them all to shreds, but he had to restrain that part of himself. Just hold out a little longer and get your side of the plan ready, Mack. We need more time.

"Out of my way!" Mack yelled, barreling through zombies left and right with wild, flailing arms. Though he left himself open to getting scratched, his brash approach made it almost impossible. Faster than they could to get a single nick off, Mack could knock away their comparatively weaker frames with simple punches and throws, added on by the efforts of his persona that acted as a shield and a punching partner.

The zombies seemed to be getting smarter, though, whether or not because of Pestilence's influence. While some focused their attention at the front, others circled around and tried dogpiling him from behind in sheer numbers. Though an impressive effort, Mack proved to outmuscle them each and every time. However…

"There's too many of them!" Mack yelled, slapping aside what he assumed to be an old geezer. "Why the heck was I put in charge of clean up duty?!" He grabbed two by the heads and clonked them together. "Good grief, where the hell is Holly's weapon?!"

He heard his persona snarl and saw it pointing toward the hut. Mack jumped onto the heads of two zombies and peered at the wreckage, spotting the giant fan buried under the wreckage. The top of it barely poked out beneath it.

"Oh yeah! Come to Papa!" He whipped out Eclipse and extended it over the horde, latching onto the fan and reeling it in. He noticed the slime coated around it upon catching it. "Eww! Please tell me this isn't vomit!"

"Skreeeah!"

"Eh?" Mack turned and gasped as a flying zombie divebombed him and pushed him into the crowd. "Frick! I forgot these bastards could fly!"

Now buried under the horde, the zombies came down on him with claws and teeth. Mack curled himself up and maximized his defensive aura to its limit as they dug their claws into him. He mentally commanded the Timor Persona to knock the zombies away, but they kept piling up in droves. No matter how many were knocked off, double the amount joined the pile.

"I'm too pretty to be an ugly zombie!" Mack yelled.

Griffin saw the pile up and started running to help, but one of Pestilence's dissolving slices grazed his infected arm. "AGH!" He staggered forward and gripped his bubbling arm.

"Griffin!" Fernando cried.

Pestilence hovered over the downed Grovyle and laughed. "Had enough?!"

"HAH!" Holy came down from above and rammed her leg across Pestilence's neck.

"Hey!" Pestilence grabbed and spun her around. "I just regenerated that neck!" She threw her right into Griffin, knocking them both flat on their faces. She reared her claws back and fired dissolving slices into them.

Fernando gasped and jumped in front of them, taking the this instead. He cried out and fell to his hands and knees. The flames fixed up his wounds while his suit hung from his body in tattered rags.

Pestilence raised her sharpened claws and loomed over the downed trio while admiring the pileup on Mack. "Don't you get it? Once it starts to spread, it'll just keep multiplying until there's nothing left. You can't stop me. You may haven't defeated countless enemies with brute force, but I'm nothing compared to them. I am infection itself! I am Pestilence!"

Griffin pressed his hands down and pushed himself up. "What you are is a broken record," he groaned. He felt his face as more of the infection covered him. He felt the toxins reaching into his right eye, no doubt turning part of his sclera black. On top of that, the blistering pain in his right arm flared up even greater. He hated to admit it, but she had them on the ropes. No conventional means of defeating her beyond burning her to ashes would work.

Griffin had to bet everything on his plan, but they couldn't have Fernando taking any more lethal shots like that. How many years did he sacrifice already? Two? Five? Ten? And Holly didn't have anything to do lasting damage to a shadow. Brute force wasn't going to cut it this time.

Pestilence descended on them and used her fog to bind and separate them. She lifted Griffin to her level and hooked her claw onto his makeshift bandage. "Oh dear, you're cutting off my precious toxin and slowing the transformation. I can't imagine how much pain you must be in." Pestilence leaned in and hissed into his ear. "I'll make all that pain go away. Just embrace the infection—"

Griffin felt absolutely disgusted with himself, but it felt necessary. He threw himself right into her face and bit down on whatever corrupted flesh he could, then ripped it off before Pestilence could assume a gaseous state.

"AAAAHHHHH!" Pestilence's hood fell back as she grabbed her face. "You…YOU! My FACE! MY PRECIOUS FACE!"

Griffin spat the flesh out and huffed. "Don't flatter yourself. You taste like shit."

Pestilence removed her hands and flared up at him. What was hidden underneath was something Griffin didn't quite expect. A creature humanoid in shape, but the face would say otherwise. Six glowing red eyes boring holes into the Grovyle's head with tentacles sprouted from her cheeks, forehead, and chin. She had a normal mouth, except this one was split into three corners. The typical two going cheek to cheek, but one split up from her upper lip to the near top of her forehead, giving her an orifice resembling an upside-down 'Y' filled with blackened gums and infected enamel. What Griffin tore out was presumably a cluster of tentacles, evident by the uneven patch missing from her right cheek.

Pestilence wrapped her claws around Griffin's neck and pressed down on his throat. "Screw turning you in my pets! I'm going to cut you to ribbons! All of you, including that little patch of survivors you have!"

Griffin growled. "Don't you dar—ACK!" Griffin grabbed her arm and tried to rip her off, but his hand passed through gas instead.

"No more of that!" Pestilence wrapped her fog around Griffin until everything but his head was cocooned. "I've about had it with the Grim Ash Clan! It's time for this infection to wipe out the last of you!"

"Griffin!" Holly cried, trying to shake loose out of her bindings. Fernando was too weak to put up a struggle.

Pestilence showed a grotesque smile as she pressed her claws down harder onto Griffin's throat, watching him struggle to breathe. "Look at it like this! You won't be breathing in my fumes any longer! Hoohoohoo! Now, wither away into nothingness, Ever—"

SQUISH!

Griffin's eyes widened as a dagger came flying over his head and impaled Pestilence through her tri-shaped mouth. He felt her claws easing off his neck as she gawked at the dagger. It took Griffin a moment to realized it was one of his. The Exiled Soul dagger.

A cold thought ran through his mind.

That stupid kid!

Griffin looked down and saw Hallie standing below them in a clearly weak state. She somehow managed to sneak away from the group, and they only now just noticed from their panicked cries calling out to her, none clearer than the hysterical screams of Tilly calling out for her daughter. The only reason they didn't run and grab her was because the zombie pileup migrated between them, and yet Griffin didn't have time to think of what Mack could be doing beneath it.

Hallie panted for a moment before puffing out her chest and yelling, "HEY! You stupid, ugly gas monster! Yeah, that's right! I'm talking to you!"

Pestilence ripped the dagger out of her mouth and threw it and Griffin aside. "Who…are you?" she snarled, barely holding back her rage.

Hallie took a stance and yelled, "Hallie Blight, soon-to-be protector of the innocent! I won't stand by and watch you bully my friends, you hear me? I'll take you on!"

"Kid, run!" Griffin snapped. "This isn't the time to be acting stupid!"

"She took after you way too much," Holly groaned.

Pestilence descended to the ground and glared at the weak Nuzleaf. "Walk away right now, and I'll forgive that little mistake with a swift death."

Hallie balled her fists. "What's the matter?! Scared of a little girl?! You aren't so tough! I can take you with one punch!"

Pestilence stared for a moment, then felt her anger subsiding. "Oh, this is too rich." She licked her lips hungrily, and watching the tongue move around all three corners of her mouth was just as disturbing as it sounded. "What better way to make Everfall's death sweeter than to choke him out with the entrails of a child he failed to save?"

"HALLIE!" Griffin yelled. "RUN!"

Hallie, though with tears welling her eyes, stood her ground. "I'd rather die than run like a coward! I'll defend my family no matter what!"

"You're just a kid!" Griffin screamed. She's trying to buy us time to escape. That damn brat! He tensed his body and started burning through his restraints with Exosus Cloak.

Pestilence showed her claws and laughed. "Hoohoohoo! I'll make sure you get to see your own body split in half before death claims you!"

Fear shot through Hallie's leg, telling her to run like a Golbat out of Hell, but she remained firmly planted. "D-Do your worst!"

Honoring her sign of approval, Pestilence exploded forward with a pneumatic burst and thrusted her claws forward. Hallie snapped her eyes shut and waited for the pain to be over.

"HALLIE!"

"NO!"

"MY BABY!"

Hallie, with survival instincts exploding through her system, swung her fist as hard as she could, screaming her heart out.

BANG!

Pestilence, faster than she could blink, went sailing away from the Nuzleaf and crashed through the ground. Hallie opened one eye hesitantly and, after blinking a few times, gasped at what had happened. She looked at the others and noted their surprise and shock. Hallie lifted her fist and stared at it in awe.

"Did I…do that?"

"Don't be asinine, brat."

Hallie gasped and turned around. Standing above her with their arm outstretched was a Simisage wrapped in a green aura. Hallie looked at herself again and saw the remnants of a barrier washing off her body.

Holly sat on her knees and blinked in disbelief. "Wait, is that…"

Griffin glared. "Edwin?"

Edwin grunted and clenched his fist. "Unbelievable. Does everyone here have a death wish or something?" He sighed and shook his head. "Well, here's to mine, I guess."

Pestilence picked herself off the ground and rubbed her jaw before glaring at the traitorous grass monkey. "Edwin! What are you doing?!" She burst from the ground and lunged toward him.

Edwin shoved his hands in his pockets and scoffed. "Probably going insane, for starters." He casted another barrier around himself and Hallie before Pestilence could get her claws into him. "These barriers can withstand Everfall's attacks. You're not getting through anytime soon."

Pestilence dragged her claws across the barrier like a chalkboard. "You dare defy your master?"

"I have no allegiance to anyone," Edwin shot down. "Only reason I sided with Aeternus and this stupid shadow stuff was to stay safe." His eyes lowered darkly. "But then he paired me up with you as some sick joke. If it were any of the others, I wouldn't give a damn. But you remind too much of the shit that clown pulled before I was forced to join the Anguis Organization. That clown messes with everyone and they roll with it out of fear. Me? He crossed a line reminding me of my old gang."

Pestilence scoffed. "I don't know what melodrama you're spouting, but I'll make sure you're reprimanded for your treachery!"

Edwin smirked as a bead of sweat dropped down his face. "Good grief, what the hell am I doing?" He raised his hand. "I've already dug my grave, but I'm not climbing in anytime soon!" He snapped his fingers and expanded the barrier, bumped Pestilence away.

She stopped herself and whistled to her zombies. "Gang up on that barrier! Destroy the traitor!"

The zombies turned their attention on the green bubble, but that would prove to be their grave mistake. With their one-sided minds forgoing their previous objection, they let up on their assault for only a second. The bottom of their pile rumbled until Mack burst through the top, clutching Last Breath beneath his arm. His body was roughed up, but not a scratch on his body.

"You could've turned heel a little sooner, bastard!" Mack yelled.

"Just shut up and kill this bitch!" Edwin yelled back.

Mack opened Last Breath and reared it back. "I don't know how to use this thing!" He swung and released a gust of wind into his friends, blowing their gaseous restraints from their bodies.

They nearly flew off their feet from the excess power, but stayed grounded long after the winds passed. Holly took off running, where Mack kicked the face toward her. She caught it, spun on her heel, and commanded the wind to blast into Pestilence. The gaseous mage cried out as her body dispersed.

Edwin turned and sneered at the zombies ganging up on his barrier. He picked up Hallie under his arm and charged through with the bubble moving parallel to him. Tch. Never liked working for that damn clown anyway.

Pestilence reformed herself and screeched at a pitch that could shatter glass. Her robe teared to shreds as more and more tentacles shot out, revealing the dozens on her back and dozens making up her lower half. A green, spherical core glowed in the same toxic glow as her claws.

"Rot until the end of time!" The tips of her tentacles sharpened, filling with both the trigger and dissolving toxins, then fired them down in a sporadic barrage.

Edwin held his arm over his head as the tentacles bombarded the top of his shield. Hallie yelped and covered her face. Zombies got caught in the crossfire with tentacles bashing their heads into the ground.

Griffin, Holly, and Mack nodded to each other and charged through the storm while Fernando doubled back out of range. Griffin whipped out Endless Regret and cut a path through the tentacles. Holly used Last Breath to redirect their momentum with an elegant wind dance. Mack did what he did best, ripping and tearing with absolute glee.

Pestilence wailed an abnormal screech of frustration and fired off all her tentacles at once. Mack summoned his Timor Persona and had it catch all the tentacles in one tight vice grip. It crushed them between its arms and swung the mage around.

Griffin and Holly jumped onto the captured tentacles and ran up them. Griffin handed Holly the Echo Chamber sword and reared Endless Regret back. "Exosus Release!"

Holly clanged the tuning sword against her fan and reared it back. "Low Pitch Rupture!"

They reached the mage and thrusted their weapons, splitting through her body with hate and sound. Pestilence screamed, feeling her body being violently torn apart. She had no choice but to sever herself from her tentacles, causing Griffin and Holly to start falling. She fled the combined attack and arced up from under Griffin.

"You're dead!" She swiped her claws and scratched Griffin up his entire back.

"AGH!"

Pestilence flashed her green claws. "Let's see you block that!"

Griffin felt the infection quickly spreading throughout his body. He traded out for Absolute Zero and stabbed himself in the abdominal region, careful to miss vital organs and such. He bared his teeth as the cold magic spread through his body and cooled his insides. His skin turned dull, taking on a bluish tint.

Pestilence gawked in disbelief. "Are you actually kidding me?!" She divebombed the Grovyle and enlarged her claws. "Just DIE already!"

"Holly!" Griffin yelled.

Holly increased her dive speed before landing and shooting a current of air up at Griffin. It hit precisely against his side, causing him to spin and kick Pestilence across the head.

"Got you!" He kicked her straight toward the collapsed hut, then kicked Absolute Zero by the tip of the hilt.

Pestilence slammed into the wreckage, then gasped as the small blade pierced her chest. Cold magic started spreading through her body. She phased out of it, but felt herself becoming sluggish. "That stupid sword…my body's becoming heavier."

"Hey, bitch!" Mack yelled, getting her with a surprise sucker punch. "How's the weather?!" He socked her across the face, then kicked her in the chin. "Not talking? What's with the cold shoulder? Why so gloomy? It's like you got clouds over your head!" He rammed his fist into her mouth, breaking half her teeth.

Pestilence grabbed his head and tried digging her claws into his rocky skin. "I will not be silenced!"

"I beg to differ!" Mack suddenly wrapped his arms around her and jumped back into the moat. "Phobia Rem: Aqua!" Mack broke out into hysterical fits of laughter as he, in actuality, changed into his Timor Persona before changing into water.

They hit the bottom and the persona exploded throughout the moat, flooding the whole thing with water. Because of Absolute Zero, Pestilence wasn't being dispersed out through the water. However, also because of it, she was having trouble navigating through the currents due to the extra weight to her lightweight body. She swiped her claws furiously through the water.

"You can't drown the infection!" Pestilence snarled.

Her eyes snapped up as something breached through the water. Griffin came down in a red glow and dragged her to the bottom of the moat. He slammed her head down and kept it pinned under his foot.

Pestilence unleashed her fury with sluggish swipes, still managing to cut into Griffin's skin. "Freezing your bloodstream won't save you from your demise! I am disease! I am plague! I am Pestilence, and you will submit to me!"

Griffin just flashed a cocky grin and pulled out Absolute Zero. Pestilence only then realized what he was doing and shoved him off. Too late, as Griffin spun out from the shove and drove the blade into the moat wall. The water around the blade instantly started to freeze.

Pestilence swiped her claws desperately to the reach the surface as the ice built up beneath her. Her desperation seemed to be rewarded with great results, allowing her to climb higher and higher from the icy prison. Her escape was in sight, merely an untrimmed fingernail away from salvation.

Alas, when she reached the thin layer between underwater and atmosphere, she slammed into a barrier covering the surface like a layer of film. Her eyes widened, noting the green energy it was comprised of and the cheeky Simisage waving down at her.

She slammed her fists against the barrier. "Edwin, you bast—" The ice reached the top and silenced her. Her whole body froze stiff.

Edwin sighed and dispelled the barrier. "I'd sooner sell drugs than become a world conquering tyrant." He stepped of the ice and looked up as Pestilence's fog started to lift now that her connection was severed.

The zombies lumbered towards the resisters, but became sluggish and collapsed onto their stomachs. The green glow of their skin receded, expelling through the mouths like gas. Slowly, but surely, they reverted back to regular Pokémon, though sickly in appearance still.

Zombified Sonny fell to his knees as the gas expelled from his mouth. He teetered side-to-side, making nauseating groans. "I'm…so hungry," he groaned.

"Sonny!" Hallie cried, running up and tackling him into a hug with tears running down her face. "You're okay!"

"Sis? Wha…What happened?"

"Hallie! Sonny!" Their mother came running over and scooped them up, smothering them with hugs and kisses. "Oh, my poor babies! I'm so glad you're alright!"

Edwin stared at them for a moment, then looked back at the icy moat. Though Pestilence was frozen, he could see the slightest twitches in her claws. On top of that, Griffin was frozen solid at the bottom with the infection still trapped in his system. He looked over at Holly and Mack as they approached. "Shitty move freezing your friend to death."

Holly scoffed. "Like you're one to talk about shitty moves."

Mack snickered. "Told you this moat would come in handy!"

"I refuse to admit that."

Edwin scoffed and walked away. "Well, good luck with this. The second that ice melts, she'll make sure to raze everything in front of her to kill you."

"Oh, we're not done yet." Edwin's eyes widened as the winds picked up. He turned around and saw Holly holding up Last Breath. "Get ready, Mack!"

"Time to send that bitch packing!" Mack exclaimed, punching his fists together.

Edwin squinted. "What in Mysto are you two—" He paused as a red glow shined from under the ice. The surface started to steam and bubble. "What the…"

Holly chuckled. "Griffin's Hatred Anima burns like flame. My Sorrow Anima breaks the minds of the weak. Mack's Fear Anima disrupts the flow of battle."

"Though our paths were corrupted by untimely events, let that not mark our capabilities," Mack continued.

"For the Grim Ash Clan…will never die!"

The ice split open, geysers of steam shooting out. Edwin held up his arms as steam shot out through the surrounding area. The intense red glow burned brighter and brighter before a torrent of magic burst from the ground. Edwin formed shadow claws and anchored himself down as a tornado of hatred spewed into the sky, releasing a maelstrom of pressure that shattered the earth.

The frail form of Pestilence flew through the tornado, barely withstanding the destructive nature. Her eyes flickered frantically for an exit while her body withered under the heat. "What kind of power does this guy have?!"

"Oh, it gets worse!" Holly yelled. "His magic burns hot, my winds stoke the flames to burn brighter!" She waved her fan and created a current around the hatred magic, stoking and increasing its heat. The funnel doubled in width, burning more erratically than before.

"AAAAHHHHH!" Pestilence cried, covering her burning face. Her body, robe, and shadow burned to ashes. Not even her gaseous state could save her, merely evaporating from the briefest of moments. "But…I'm…the…Pestilence!"

"Like all diseases of the distant pass…" She looked up and saw Griffin riding the storm. He undid his bandages as the smog left his mouth and wounds. "You will be rendered extinct! Now BURN!" With his tattoos spreading over his body, he dove down with his leaves aflame in hatred.

"NooooOOOOOO—" Pestilence cried as Griffin's blades struck and severed straight through her body. A second after, her two halves exploded into a violent flame, ripping to ashes. Her screech echoed through the Fire Zone as all withered away into ash and scattered through the maelstrom.

Griffin landed and deactivated his limiter. The hate maelstrom lingered behind him before faded into the air. He dusted his arms off, then sighed with a remnant of the toxin escaping through his teeth. "Hoohoo—who's laughing now?"

Edwin stared at them in disbelief. "What the actual…what just happened? What are the depths to that power?"

Griffin suddenly collapsed to his knees and gripped his arm. Holly put Last Breath away and ran to his side. "Griffin?"

He grunted and tried to move his arm. "All that effort to keep the infection from spreading, and I must've tore a muscle. Ow…shit."

Holly helped him up. "Don't move it. We'll need to look at that." She glared at the wound made from stabbing himself. "I fear what you've been teaching Hallie after those stunts you both pulled."

"I'll self-reflect on it later."

"Mr. Griffin!" Hallie cried out, running over to him with Tilly and Sonny close behind. "You're okay—"

"Kid," Griffin growled. "What in the hell were you thinking? You could've been killed!"

Hallie flinched and shied away. "I…I'm sorry, I—"

"Don't you ever do something that stupid and reckless ever again, or I will make what I did to that mage feel like a mercy killing compared to the words I have for you!"

Hallie gulped. "I…"

"He's right, Hallie," Tilly scolded furiously. "I can't believe you snuck away from the group like that!" Sonny whimpered and clung to his mother's side.

Hallie's lip trembled. "Mom…" She looked down shamefully.

Griffin stared at her for a moment, then exhaled through his nostrils. "And for what it's worth, your help was appreciated."

Hallie wiped her eyes, then looked up at him. "H-Huh?"

He smiled and ruffled her head. "I'd be a hypocrite if I said I wasn't that reckless at your age. Just…please don't do that again."

Hallie blinked, then smiled tearfully. "I promise."

Tilly sighed. "You're in big trouble, Hallie, but at least you're safe." She looked around at the fallen victims. "Look at all these villagers, though."

Fernando limped up to them, clutching his side. "We need to check for survivors. There's a chance a few of them fell past the hour limit on the toxin."

Griffin nodded. "Right. Tilly, get your group to round up the victims and check on their condition. With the air cleared up, the sickness should clear up in a while."

Tilly nodded. "Okay. Come along, you two." She turned Hallie and Sonny around and walked them away.

Griffin picked Absolute Zero up and sent it back into his arsenal. He grunted and clutched his arm again. "…She mentioned knights. Plural. There's more of them."

Holly glared. "And that means…"

"The others might be in danger." Griffin glared. "We need to speed up our search for Buster's grave and Voss. I have a vague lead on Voss, but the grave's our next stop. As much as I don't want to leave these folks behind, we can't stick around here much longer."

Fernando nodded. "Agreed. Let's get patched up first and map out our next course of action."

They lifted their heads to a loud, almost obnoxious yawn. Looking over their shoulders, they saw Edwin doing some stretches. "Well, you idiots have your fun. I better scram."

Griffin glared. "Where do you think you're going?"

Edwin scoffed. "Like I'd be caught dead here. Enjoying getting yourselves slaughtered." He turned to leave, only to get chopped in the back of the neck. "W…What?" The light faded from his eyes as he collapsed to the ground. Everything slowly went dark, the sun fading from view. Hovering above the Simisage was Mack, arms crossed and his usual wicked grin.

"Oh, but we have so much to catch up on. Won't you at least stay for tea and biscuits?"

Sh…Shit, was Edwin's last thought before slipping into darkness.