With Frediano out of the picture, Melissa and Luna resumed their earlier duel. One-on-one, just the way Melissa preferred. No unexpected factors beyond the more obvious unexpected factors. Just a clean fight between two fighters, one significantly stronger than the other who is basically a string bean by comparison.
Melissa inhaled through her nose and tightened her grip on her sword. It seemed there was a silent agreement of respite between her and Luna, each taking their time to size each other up. The only real advantage Melissa had was the exaggerated tall tales created from her numerous battles. All…three of them. That, and among other crimes she committed. It gave the illusion she was a larger than life figure, some dangerous secret weapon of the Foresters that embodied the perceived crazy in the mythical woodland spirits that haunt the Forbidden Forest.
How charming that life seemed stranger than the fiction itself.
Regardless, it was Melissa's ace-in-the-hole for now. While she had no frame of reference for Luna's superstitious acceptance, she was clearly acting out of some degree of caution, enough that she didn't see that standing in front of her was an easily flustered Buneary who gets lovestruck stupidly easy. First Darby (her one true love until the end of time), and the mysterious Frediano with his mysterious mysteries.
Melissa breathed through her nose, gently emptying the negative emotions storming inside her head. I have to remain calm. The key to a fight is stability and control. Don't let myself be blindsided by the unexpected. Adapt, overcome, and surpass. I can do this. I know I can.
She flexed her fingers around the hilt, then shuffled one step forward. She saw Luna's stance tense up. Another hope Melissa betted on was the damage Luna took from Frediano. Those Icicle Spears should've chipped away a sizable portion of her stamina. If Melissa could hold out for a bit longer, there was a chance she could win, or at least buy enough time to escape with Klaus and the others.
Melissa had to fall back on her training to win. Every morsel of knowledge she gathered to exceed her own expectations and—
Wait, was Luna charging at her?
Melissa shrieked and raised her sword, barely blocking Luna's unexpected strike. "Hey, I wasn't ready!"
"Getting distracted in a fight is a dead man's mistake," Luna growled.
Melissa's eyes widened. I can see why Sir Matthias took an interest in her. She is scary!
Melissa bounced on her toes to keep her momentum going. Luna continued a string of attack combos with the fluidity of a whip. Melissa had to rely on her Foresight to make up for the speed difference, but it still took all her concentration just to move in time with the predictions.
"Super Springy Kick Move!" While considering the utter complexity of this poorly named move, Melissa sprang over Luna's head, landed behind her, and delivered a sharp kick into her back. Luna tripped over her feet and fell forward.
"Vine Whip!" Vines shot from her shoulders and grabbed the first thing in sight: Melissa's neck.
"GAH!" Melissa dropped her sword and tried to rip the vines off her throat. "I don't like this at all!"
Luna twisted her body and threw Melissa into the wall, briefly stunning her. "Leech Seed!" She chucked a handful of seeds into Melissa and, finally, landed a hit.
Once Melissa cleared her head, the parasitic vines burst from their seedpods and coiled around her body until she looked like an unkempt garden statue. Melissa grabbed the vines and tried to rip them off, but a shock of red aura zapped through her system and stunned her again. A trail of red seeped off of Melissa and transferred through Luna's outstretched hand. She felt the injuries from Melissa and Frediano fading a little bit.
"I wouldn't get too comfortable with that," Luna stated. "I trained my Leech Seed for fights like this. Instead of periodically sapping your strength, it's going to gradually suck the energy right out of you until you fall over."
Melissa gritted her teeth. The pain subsided, but Luna's warning rang true as she felt a growing fatigue through her body. Miniscule amounts that meant nothing on their own, but overtime in a mentally and physically taxing fight racked up the loss. In other words, unless she found a way to rip them off, she was on a countdown.
Melissa glanced at her discarded sword, which lay closer to Luna than herself. All she could reliably use was a dagger and her own wits, which have proven to be a mixed bag for results. The only other tactic she had was either a new strategy or using her Inherited Will.
Okay, concentrate. Picture yourself imitating someone else. Put yourself into the mindset of—
Melissa wasn't granted the time to think, what with the Leech Seed sapping her energy and Luna once again boldly advancing with a swing of her sword. Melissa stepped back, feeling the breeze of the blade glide past her face, then sprang forward. Her ears catapulted into Luna's face like pistons and knocked her backwards. Melissa swung her fist low and threw an uppercut into Luna's chin, stringing in a dropkick for good measure.
Luna regained her balance, then fired off her Vine Whips. Melissa hopped backwards from the snapping plants until she ran back into the wall. Her eyes widened in alarm as the vines snapped closer to her face.
"Super Springy Kick Move!" With her feeling still mixed but warming to the silly name, Melissa used the wall to bounce through the Vine Whips. She figured the worst of the damage came from the tip of the vines where all the kinetic energy would be delivered through a single point, so the only logical course of action was to avoid the tips all together.
However, Luna wasn't so easy to throw off balance. With a smirk, Luna grabbed her vines and pulled them taut. Melissa gasped as the wildly flailing vines suddenly constricted and coiled around her body, dropping her like a stone.
"A good effort, I admit," Luna commented. She gave the vines a tug, squeezing Melissa inside her mini cocoon. "Not many are bold enough to jump through the vines like that, but I've prepared for such bravery."
Melissa panted heavily as the Leech Seed continued sapping her energy away. The exhaustion of the day accompanied the energy draining, unable to move her arms free. She couldn't find the strength to reach for her dagger, either.
Luna pulled Melissa up, dangling her like she was hanging inside a sleeping bag. She crossed her arms and glared. "Enough games, Harlow. You've caused enough trouble for Verde Kingdom than I can list. It's time you pay for your crimes."
Melissa's jaw tightened. Thinking back to it, she had to wonder what was going on in the kingdom in the absence of their fair princess. She wasn't surprised by an outcry for her safe return, though she distanced herself from digging too deep in fear of guilt dragging her back with her tail tucked between her legs. What she strove for was beyond the right to the throne, but the true act of bringing peace to this broken region.
She may end up regretting her decisions, but she planned to face everything that stood in her way, no matter the stress or pain.
"…Sorry, but I've gone too deep to let this be my final moment." A navy blue shined in Melissa's eyes. "I still have…so much to learn from my peers and my leaders. All I can manage is emulating that experience and…surpassing my limits through their strength."
Luna scrunched her face. "Huh?"
"If you don't mind, I'm going to get a little crazy now." A navy blue aura surrounded Melissa.
Luna's eyes widened. What the heck? What is she doing? She grabbed her sword and raised it high. I got to knock her out now! She swung the blunt face of the sword down toward Melissa's head.
Faithless Imitation: Raganrok!
Melissa suddenly flipped her lower half forward and kicked the face of the sword. The spring of her foot pushed the blade back, leaving Luna partially stunned from the counter. She gasped as a green glow pierced beneath her vines, pressing into the tightly-coiled cocoon keeping the Buneary pinned.
What is she doing?! Luna thought. That…That doesn't look right at all!
Vines ripped and tore, losing tension against the strain fighting against them as they fought for supremacy. Luna tried to add Grass Pledge to increase their strength, but the damage was done. With a swing of her arms, Melissa shredded the vines off her body and sent them scattering around her like heavy petals.
"AH!" Luna cried, retracted her severed vines. She gripped her shoulder, feeling a phantom pain from the damage inflicted. The vines were easy enough to regenerate, but they were still a part of her, meaning she felt the damage inflicted against it. Not as bad as having an arm torn off, though Luna would rather not know the feeling of it.
She shook her head, slapping her cheeks a few times, then glared at Melissa. Her eyes nearly boggled out of her skull as she stared at the rabbit, arms cladded in a bluish-green aura taking the shape of monstrous claws. If she didn't know any better, she would've guessed a Buneary was using…Dragon Claw?!
How…How can she know Dragon Claw? That shouldn't be possible for a Buneary! A copy move, maybe, but I haven't seen Dragon Claw from any creature all day!
As if the revelation of this impossibility was strange enough, Luna nearly winced when she heard something unfamiliar from the rabbit: laughter. Slurred, rancorous laughter coupled with trembling movements comparable to a drunk.
Melissa clenched her fists, which the Dragon Claws mirrored. She flashed a wide, excitable grin. "I've had about enough of your shit, girlie, so how about we turn up the heat a bit? You like pushing me around? I'll shove your face through the street!"
Luna stepped back, gritting her teeth worriedly. What the hell?! Her demeanor's completely different. Where did this come—
As if she had enough surprises for the day, Luna was shocked to say Melissa made the first move for once. Now Luna had to raise her sword and block the violent attack that nearly pushed her over. The Dragon Claws came inches toward her face.
"On the defensive already? Lame!" Melissa pulled her fist back. "Drain Punch!" She rammed her fist against the sword, no sense of caution or ease to her punch, and launched Luna a good meter or two away. "You're the one who wanted to get up close and personal! The least you could do is put up a fight!"
Luna staggered over herself, panting heavily. She's not hitting any harder than before, but her ambition is skyrocketing like crazy! What even is—
"Stop snoozing, girlie!" Luna barely blocked Melissa's Dragon Claws again. "When someone wastes perfectly good crème puffs, I get pretty frickin' cranky!" Her eyes widened with drunken glee. "So, you better put up a damn good fight!" Sparks flew off the Dragon Claws. "How does the name Ragnalow sound? Not as fun or powerful as Ragnarok, but a fun play on words, right?!"
"Grass Pledge!" Luna stomped the ground and blasted Ragnalow off with a grass pillar.
She somersaulted from the air and landed on her claws and feet. She shook her head, then grinned excitedly. "Ah, so this is what it feels like to get pumped for a fight! I like it!" She slashed her claws together and charged Luna again.
Luna slapped the ground with a newly reformed Vine Whip and threw herself over Melissa's attack. It was the most she could do for now, still delirious from the sudden behavioral shift.
It wasn't just her attitude. Strategy, fighting style, rhythm. They all completely changed in an instant. A dodgy thief turned to an aggressive, unstoppable brawler. Was she even facing the same person anymore? What was going on in the mind of Harlow?!
Who was Harlow?!
Klaus went on the defensive immediately as Frediano, not missing a beat, came in swinging with his purple ice claws. Klaus skipped off his heels, feeling a cold breeze tickle his chin from the millimeters of distance between him and the sharp tipped claws. He kept his hands folded behind his back and focused solely on dodging while trying to work with the randomly selected moves at his disposable.
My old man's High Roller Style. Relying purely on Metronome with what you have. Thanks to the modifications I made with Trick, however, I can store up six charges. Now it's just a matter of creative application.
That was the tricky part with this particular fighting style: you had to be imaginative. You either get lucky or have to work with a dud. Fortunately, he got some lucky rolls.
The counter in his eye went down.
5.
"Quick Attack!"
Klaus kicked off the ground and sped around Frediano, who retaliated with his own Quick Attack. The two sped around the street, one evading and one attack. Klaus could only maintain an active charge for a limited amount of time. At most, he had ten seconds to use Quick Attack before changing things up.
"Prepare to become a stage prop!" Frediano announced, fired Icicle Spear from his morphed claws.
4, 3.
"Apple Acid and Twister!" Klaus brought his hands together and fired a whirlwind from his hands, laced with an amber-colored fluid. The Icicle Spears bombarded the inside of the Twister and sizzled away into mist.
Frediano covered himself in an ice dome as the twister came down on him. Apple Acid spewed across the walls and street, burning through the surfaces. It chewed through Frediano's barrier, but Klaus ran out of time and cut the attack off. Frediano broke the melting ice off, reformed his claws, and fired Icicle Spear into him.
2.
Klaus covered himself and turned his body into iron. The icicles shattered against his reinforced body. However, Frediano turned his claws into a mace and backhanded the reinforced Morgrem into the wall, breaking him out of his defensive state.
"AGH!" Klaus cried, dropping onto his hands and knees. "P-Please, stop…I can't take it…" He coughed droplets of blood onto the ground. His arm trembled beneath his weight.
Frediano sauntered up to him, shaping an ice blade. "What a terrible performance! If this is how you handle yourself through the first five minutes of the first act, you would be laughed off the stage faster than the court jester!" He raised the ice blade up high. "You don't even deserve an encore—"
"False Surrender."
Frediano gasped as Klaus' hair suddenly extended and jabbed him in the chest. Klaus raised his head some, showing his devilish grin.
1.
"Spirit Break."
A concentration of fairy energy transferred through his hair and blasted through Frediano. He gasped out, coughing blood into the inside of his mask. It felt like the attack dug deep through his body, deeper beyond that, like it penetrated his very essence and soul.
0.
Klaus tackled Frediano and inhaled. "Dragon Breath!" He exhaled a purple, gaseous beam and blew the wannabe actor back into the water. Frediano punched the water's surface and froze it over before he fell through.
Klaus stood up, wiped his lips, then reactivated his counter. The number '6' reappeared in his right eye. However, this time, he grimaced at what he was sensing.
Ugh, bad roll for most of these. Most of these aren't very useful. Guess I'll waste two for the benefits.
"Coil! Focus Energy!" Klaus' hair twisted and turned, boosting its power, while his senses improved. He became more hyperaware of Frediano's stance and weak points. Another reroll to replace the two. Come on, something good.
The counter changed from '4' to '6' again.
…Okay, nothing damaging, but I'll work with it.
Frediano pulled himself back out of the water and pointed at Klaus. "It appears this skit is improv. Very well, I shall play along! Whirlpool!" He surrounded his claws in water, aimed them, and fired Icicle Spear.
Klaus took off running and covered his face as the Icicle Spears exploded into chunks of ice. "Rock Polish!" A shimmer of light cascaded over his body, then he took off running at greater speeds.
"Icicle Crash!" Frediano formed a large icicle and threw it into Klaus' path. An explosion of ice threw Klaus off the street and onto the frozen canal. "And one more of these!" Frediano skated into Klaus and slashed across his midsection, completely encasing his lower half in ice.
Klaus crumpled across the frozen water. His legs were frozen shut in a block of ice, not to mention fused with the frozen water. He pushed his hands down and tried to push himself up, but to no avail.
"Icicle Spear!" Frediano mashed his claws together, creating a large, jagged turret, and fired icicles into the trapped Morgrem.
Klaus covered his head, grunting and enduring the pain. Stupid ice, stupid…oh, wait a minute. He grinned mischievously. I can work with these moves.
Klaus slapped the ice as his counter dropped another unit. "Forest's Curse!" Ghostly vines stretched out from his palm and went straight for Frediano through the ice.
"Huh?" Frediano looked down too late as ghostly vines sprung from the ice and coiled around him. "I didn't call for a costume change!"
Klaus lifted his palm, showing the vines were emitting through them, and retracted them with Frediano in tow. "You're part Grass-Type now, pal! And I got bad news for you!" He clutched Frediano's ankle, and Frediano could feel a growing heat coming off his hand. "Your little sideshow is going up in flames! Burning Jealousy!"
Klaus' skin radiated until it turned a solid red. Frediano's vision flooded in the burning glow as everything lit up. The frozen canal, combined with Forest's Curse running through it, rapidly turned to steam. All that pressure building up so fast. It all had to go somewhere, right? Frediano covered himself and braced for the worst.
A bright red explosion erupted from the canal. The shockwaves vibrated through the tight street and shattered virtually every window in sight. The flaming wreckage that was Frediano skipped off the surface canal like a stone, his cape and uniform burning away as great deals of steam erupted off his body. Klaus, who was practically in the epicenter of the explosion, got thrown in the opposite direction, wrapped in his own flames.
"Misty Terrain and Aromatherapy!" Klaus spewed a pink/green mist from his mouth, coating himself and dousing the severity of the burns before he fell beneath the water. He caught his breath before falling under and let the cool water relaxed his injuries. Chunks of ice that didn't instantly melt from the steam explosion punctured the upper layer of his skin.
Klaus coughed bubbles mixed with blood, then paddled up to the surface. He grabbed the edge of the canal and pulled himself up. He gulped down a deep breath and collapsed onto the sidewalk, letting his freed legs dangle in the water. He spat tiny bits of blood onto his arms, then groaned.
"P-Please…tell me this'll work…" He placed his hand to his chest as his counter went down to '1'. "Floral Healing." A flowery aura wrapped around himself and eased the surface level injuries, as well as quelled his insides. He heaved a sigh and dropped his head into his folded arms. "Thank Arceus…"
He lay on the canal's edge for a moment before pulling himself onto the sidewalk and flopping onto his back. He groaned from the aches still presiding over. He hated fighting so much. He'd much prefer being a scumbag and ambush targets rather than subject himself to direct conflict.
"I'll take a quick break, then group back up with Melissa." He closed his eyes and sighed. "I hope she's doing alright—"
"Did someone say The Great Frediano!"
Klaus' eyes snapped open wide. "The HELL?!" He rolled out of the way just in time before a pair of ice claws stabbed into his spot. Klaus rolled and stumbled onto his feet with a flabbergasted expression. "W-What?!"
Frediano pried his claws free and assumed a battle stance. His clothes were partially burned, so he was caught in the Burning Jealousy's explosion. However, the Forest's Curse vines were gone, too. Frediano was wrapped in a vortex of water with ice crystal skimming the surface. His entire upper body was coated in the same purple ice, which had cracked and warped from the explosion. Frediano's mask was slightly warped, too, with the left side drooping a bit.
"Not…a bad effort, Mr. Devil's Luck," Frediano panted. "Fortunately, I am no one trick act. In the event someone tries to upstage me with some big, loud, and fiery attack, I always come prepared with my true form!" The Whirlpool surrounded him surged faster. "The Majestic Veil! A culmination of my beautiful ice techniques designed to enhanced and protect the wearer!"
Klaus picked him up, gripping his arm and growling through clenched teeth. "You actually…managed to survive that? And you weathered away the Forest's Curse just in time to minimize the damage?"
Frediano threw his head back and laughed. "If I were any other Weavile, that attack would've certainly left me hospitalized for months! But you can't get by with cheap flashy tricks! You need brilliant flashy tricks!" Frediano raised his claws and enlarged them with the water supplying them building material. They tripled in size, turning serrated and jagged.
Klaus took a step back and reactivated his counter, returning the number '6' to his right eye.
Guess it was never going to be that easy. Alright, time to get MAXIMUM unlucky.
Gold and Jewel pressed their backs against a wall, taking a moment to catch their breaths. With the hustle and bustle of the streets continuing with the festival, they barely managed to give Armant the slip. That didn't stop their racing hearts, though. They've never been more terrified in their life. They were thieves, not bruisers. They could still feel the bruises on their stomach from Armant's unfriendly poke, if you could even classify it as such.
"Is he out there, Brother?" Jewel whimpered.
Gold peeked around the corner, seeing nothing but the usual festival goers enjoying their non-hostile morning, unaware of the wall of meat hunting down two shrimp like them. "I am unsure, Sister. I'm glad we lost him, but how can we not find a rampaging Goliath in all this."
Jewel clenched her fists and growled. "This is an outrage. Us! Running away like cowards!"
"We are cowards, Sister—"
"Not the point!" she exclaimed. "He thinks he can throw us around and pretend we're nonthreatening? Well, he has another thing coming."
"Sister, be reasonable," Gold pleaded. "I'm the strongest of the two of us, and my punches barely itched him. What matter of trickery do we have left beyond running away and hiding?"
Jewel rubbed her chin. "We can do virtually anything if we put our minds to it. Think, Brother. What can we to outmuscle the muscle?"
Gold rolled his eyes. "I'd sooner believe our grand plan to abscond with a building than taking on the physical embodiment of one."
"When did you become some pessimistic, Bro—" Jewel's eyes widened, a twinkle of inspiration shining in her pupils. "Wait…instead of us fighting the muscle, we get something else to outmuscle the muscle."
"Explain."
"A house! A house will do the deed!"
"How is a house going to do us anything good? He'd sooner crush it than start a fight with one."
Jewel tapped her digits together deviously. "Do not forget, dear brother, that there are more than just houses in this community. We are surrounded by castles, shops, gardens, and, my target of interest, a bell tower somewhere up ahead."
"A bell tower?"
"And what do bell towers have?"
Gold blinked twice, then a cunning grin came to his face. "What better attack—"
"Than one you cannot defend against?"
"The perfect offense—"
"Coupled with the ultimate finisher—"
"Without us meeting an early grave!" Gold and Jewel exclaimed, clapping their hands together. "We'll weaponize the bell tower!"
"It's genius, Sister!"
"Yes, yes, I know."
Gold paused for a moment, face scrunched in confusion, then asked, "But how can we trick him into taking down an entire bell tower?"
"I have an idea. I remember us passing by a shop that promised the strongest rope in all of the Echo Bell Kingdom."
"Everyone says they have the strongest rope."
"Well, we don't have fancy steel rope or chains at the moment, so exaggeration's our ally for today."
Gold sighed. "Very well, Sister." He cracked his knuckles. "Let's find that rope and—"
"Rope, huh? What for?"
The twins jumped to the sound of a hand clapping against their wall. Stiffly, they turned their heads to the alley's opening, graced by the presence of the titan himself. Armant wore a bemused grin as he stared down at the cowering duo slowly shifting away on their heels.
"Up to something, you two?" Armant asked, dragging his fingers along the wall as he matched their slow retreat. "Come on, you can tell your good pal, Armant. I won't tell."
Gold and Jewel reflexively drew their claws despite what little they would accomplish. "S-Stay back, fiend!" they hissed, hairs standing on end.
"Ooh, we've got some feisty cats here." Armant drummed his fingers against the wall. "I only caught the tail end of your scheming, so I'll be generous and say rope's not going to save you. I've flexed my way out of the ground after being buried fifty-feet under. I'm clawed through mountains to make tunnel, only stopping because I got bored. I've nearly killed a man for arm-wrestling him too hard. I have a list of nonsense to list off if you're interested."
Gold and Jewel raised their claws, staying defiant. "You're all talk," Gold hissed.
"You're only strong because you have the type advantage, that's all," Jewel taunted.
Armant rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "You know something? You may have a point there. It makes a certain deal of sense." He then tutted disappointedly at them. "Unfortunately, there's one big crack in your accusation."
Armant pressed the pads of his fingers against the wall, prompting the twins to focus on his well-defined, beefy hand. He bent down on his fingers a bit, seeming to get a feel for the wall like he was doing five-finger push-ups again it.
Then, his hand and fingers tensed into the wall.
They didn't penetrate or dig through. His hand just tensed up against the wall, and a spider web of cracks followed. Gold and Jewel gawked, blinking right as a shockwave went through the one wall of the alleyway and split off into a myriad of cracks. Pieces rumbled and came down like glass shattering off a window. All without barely moving a muscle.
Armant pulled his hand away and dusted it off. He smirked and asked, "Satisfied?"
The twins turned and booked it out of the alleyway, screaming for their lives. Armant rolled his shoulders, then broke into a sprint after them.
The twins broke out into the street, pushing aside some Pokémon, and fled back into the crowd. Armant slid out, knocking aside the Pokémon in his way, and continued his chase with thunderous stomps.
"This is madness, Sister! Madness!" Gold cried.
"We need to get to the you-know-what!" she hissed through clenched teeth. "I think I saw that rope stand somewhere up ahead."
"And how do you propose we get rid of Mister Stompy?!"
Jewel grimaced, eyes flying around for an effective distraction. Armant clearly didn't care for caution when it came to bystanders, banking mostly on their own self-preservation to get out of an unstoppable titan's way. Nothing but sweets and treats and foods and—
"Wait, I have an idea!" Jewel exclaimed.
"What?"
"Start throwing stuff at him!"
Gold's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Throw stuff?! Seriously?!"
"Just do it!" she growled. "Anything you see! Small, big, whatever! Just throw it!"
Gold weighed his options, but ultimately made his decision when he dared to look over his shoulder and saw Armant gaining on them. He exhaled an irritable sigh, then nodded. "You better know what you're doing."
"I hope so, too. Now break!"
They split off on opposite sides of the street and darted across the stalls, scaring both customers and owners. They picked up the food and threw them at the charging titan, everything from sausages to pies to cream puffs—although, Jewel snagged a few of those in a bag because something told her they were going to need to give Melissa a pretty pleading apology later.
Armant charged through the exotic foods undeterred. No matter what smashed into him, whether it be a watermelon or a bread with unnaturally hard crust or literal rock soup, they all splashed off his skin, at worst staining his face and clothes.
Armant wiped some food off his face, then licked his fingers. "Ooh, that tastes nice." His smirk grew. "Is flattering me with fine cooking your big scheme?"
Jewel threw a glare over to Gold and nodded, signaling him to keep throwing. Gold went into double time, throwing and kicking everything he could into Armant through acrobatic flips and twists until he had a stream of food flying at him.
Jewel scanned the stands again before grinning. Just as I thought.
She jumped off a stand and flew over the street. A dark aura wrapped around her hands as she performed several hand motions through the air. Gold, recognizing his sister's enhanced move, grinned in understanding and jumped off the stands, too.
"Bizarre Bazaar Swipe!"
Instantaneously, every single food item around in their immediate air swapped places with each other at random. Meats replaced with pastries, pastries replaced with buckets of fruit, buckets of fruit turning into an assortment of garbage, cookies, and the occasional shoe, etc. Complete and utter randomness in the blink of an eye.
Armant kept charging after the airborne duo, perplexed by their strategy. Surely, swapping around everything in the festival wasn't their big plan? He proved he could charge through virtually anything that came his way. What could possibly be their aim?
And then it hit him like lemon juice and vinegar, because that's what was literally dripping down his face and into his eyes.
"GAH!" Armant tripped over his feet and skidded on his knees. His pants ripped, but the street itself grinded away against his practically unbreakable skin. He clutched his eyes and seethed with anger as the unbearable stinging of the two items exasperated the utter torment blinding him from the festival and the horrified onlookers.
Gold and Jewel landed on the ground, slapping a high five together, then bolted away on all fours. "Nice one, Sister!" Gold praised.
Jewel grinned. "No matter how indestructible he is, there's still weak points we can exploit. He would've caught onto a blinding move like that had I thrown said items, so a little mass confusion before the real swap was what we needed."
"Clever, clever!" Gold grinned excitedly. "Now, let's get that rope and head for the bell tower! No way that'll slow him down forever!"
"To salvation, Brother! Salvation!" They kicked it into high gear and darted out of the street.
Meanwhile, Armant felt around for anything to flush his eyes out. "(Water! I need water, now!)" he growled in their tongue.
Something nudged his side, something prickly, before being handed what felt like a canteen. Armant ripped the cap off and spilled some water over his eyes. It was a rushed job, he admitted, but it did its job. He doused the eyes a couple more times, then wiped his face with the inside of his vest.
Armant blinked his eyes a couple times, still stinging a little and blurry. "(Thanks.)" He looked up to the darkly-dressed Cacturne wielding a shovel over his shoulder.
"They went that way," he grumbled.
Armant shook his head and stood up. "Appreciated." He patted his cheeks, invigorating himself, and flashed an irritated smile. "Okay, now you brats have done it!" He kicked off the street and rocketed away from the Cacturne.
Zechariah narrowed his eyes as he watched the Machamp turn a corner out of the street. He sighed, then proceeded to walk away. "I feel a cold wind brewing in the future…"
Fire erupted through the vacant streets of the canal system with Fabrice hopping through Angelo's string of kick combos. The Raboot proved springier than his cool attitude would have one believe. With his feet alight in Blaze Kick, he hopped around and bombarded wherever Fabrice was with a kick that pierced through the ground and left it a bubbling pile of slag.
Though Fabrice didn't fear the damaging effects of flame onto his person, the ferocity and speed of Angelo's attacks proved bothersome. Facing a standard knight is one thing, but in what little he knew of Angelo's status in the knighthood, he was one of the strongest. You didn't assign just anyone to protect the twin siblings of the royal family, after all. Angelo the Heavenly Devil, showing off just why he was picked for the job.
The ground beneath Fabrice's feet warped, letting him smoothly glide across its surface like fresh mud. He skated and deflected through Angelo's combo string, sparing himself precious inches from the singing heat of his kicks. Even with the warped ground, Angelo used his hands to perform acrobatic spins and maneuvers to put more force into his kicks. Regardless of the type disadvantage, the power behind them still hurt.
Fabrice crossed his arms from a particular well-placed kick and went flying across the street. The ground warped under his back, making for a soft landing. His uniform was caked in muddied street, as was his face, but barely an injury to account for.
Angelo flipped to his feet and bounced readily on his toes. "You're no amateur."
Fabrice chuckled softly. "I look tougher than I act."
"You're not making my job easier." Angelo kicked off the ground and lit himself in flames. "Flame Charge!" He soared right above Fabrice and came down with a spinning axe kick.
Fabrice clapped his hands together. A blue aura surrounded him. "Mud Dive!" He spread his arms out and fell backwards.
Angelo came down hard on Fabrice and intended to smash him through the brick road. However, much like what Fabrice was doing earlier, the ground melted under them. Fabrice's entire body submerged beneath the road with Angelo's leg sinking halfway through.
Angelo spun his arms, realigning his balance, then pulled his foot free after checking for solid ground. He stepped back from the melted spot and looked around at the road cautiously.
He could've easily escaped with something like that. Incredible, though. He can pass through the earth like it's water. No, like it's mud. Guess the Echo Bell Kingdom is basically home territory for you.
Angelo bounced into the air and fired up one of his Heaven's Flame attacks. Then I'll just have to do this the old fashion way.
"Heaven's Flame: Reverence!" He slammed his foot across the blue plasma ball so hard, it split off into a dozen miniatures shots.
They pelted and exploded across the street, lighting everything up in blue flame. Fire sparked in his eyes when he saw one shot submerge through the ground and extinguish. He veered into the nearby wall and ricocheted off.
"Flame Charge!" He aimed his foot and smashed into the muddy spot, kicking up a wave of mud. This spot was untouched early. He's definitely still here. So, what's his game—
Something suddenly coiled around his ankle. Angelo didn't have time to investigate it before the coil pulled on his ankle and dragged him onto the ground. The ground melted away from him as the item dragged him through the melted street like his leg was caught on a rope tied to a runaway wagon or he was skiing across water but lost his board.
Angelo didn't want to risk grabbing onto something to stop himself, both out of fear of damaging his hands and because there didn't seem to be any solid ground left to grab. Instead, he covered his face to prevent mud from splashing into his eyes.
He glared through a tiny gap in his arms and got a good look at his ankle. From the feel of it and from what little he was seeing, it appeared to be a thin line with some odd bauble attached to the end acting as a hook. He assumed it to be a grappling hook, but then he considered the goofy bulbous shape of the bauble, as it looked like a happy Marshtomp face.
Wait…is this a—
Whatever was pulling him came to a sudden stop, throwing Angelo forward. He bumped off solid ground and tumbled for a moment before rolling onto his feet. The line untangled from his ankle and retreated back into the ground. Angelo glared as Fabrice emerged from below the surface.
His brow furrowed deeper when he saw what Fabrice had laying against his shoulder. Exactly what he expected, and frankly an odd choice of weapon. In fact, it was an archaic tool he only saw in history books, paintings, and museums. A tool created to hunt unsuspecting creatures skimming across the water's surface.
Angelo had to scoff at the impractical weapon of choice, both for the surprise and for the odd effectiveness for this situation.
"Never thought I'd see someone use a fishing rod as a weapon," Angelo commented.
Fabrice spun the blue fishing rod dexterously and pointed it at Angelo. "A tool from the Savage Era long forgotten. One of the first, in fact. Not a lot of fish Pokémon take kindly to me using it, but I prefer to play with land prey."
Angelo scoffed. "You're quite the trickster."
"Old paintings depicted the practice of fishing as relaxing. For the fisherman, of course, not the prey." He smirked. "Still, any weapon would fall into that camp."
Angelo shook his head. "Cute. I'll keep that in mind." He leaned forward and broke into a mad sprint, flames bursting from his soles as he scraped across the street.
Fabrice reared his fishing rod back and flicked the bauble forward with remarkable speed, the line sailing like an arrow. Angelo barely dodged it, sensing it had more weight than it let on, perhaps a few kilograms or so packed in. He ran parallel with the line as he splashed off the muddy street and threw his foot at Fabrice.
"Blaze Kick!"
Fabrice held up one arm and blocked the kick. With his other hand, he pulled on the fishing rod and called back the bauble. It darted back and struck cleanly into the back of Angelo's head.
"Ow!" Angelo lost his balance in the mud, causing his to slide back.
"Water Pledge!" Fabrice punched the ground and sent up a geyser of water that completely engulfed Angelo before shooting up into the air. The muddied ground mixed in, completely staining Angelo in the melted brick.
Angelo spat mud out, then glared. "Alright, you wanted my best? You can have it! First Judgment!" He dove back down to the ground as a pale blue aura surrounded him.
Fabrice jumped back and barely avoided Angelo's dive kick, only for the Raboot to immediately kick off his toes, springing into Fabrice like a cannonball and nailing him with a solid kick to the chest. The shock passed through his armored uniform, rattling his innards.
"GAH!" Fabrice gasped, traces of spittle flying out.
Angelo wasn't done, however. With a series of moves that could've been a style of capoeira, Angelo spun on his hands and slammed his heel across Fabrice's side, smashing him into the wall. He flipped off his hands, flying into Fabrice as a tight ball, and smashed both feet into his chest with a devastating dropkick. Cracked split open against the wall.
Fabrice slumped down, using the wall to keep himself upright. His head spun, the world tilting into a never-ending fog that phased in and out of reality. He had a loose grip on his fishing rod.
Angelo bounced back on his toes, psyching himself up for another go. "Don't make this too easy, pal. I don't like roughing up my clients, thieves or not."
Fabrice pulled himself up and grimaced, trying his best to smile. "S-Speaking of, about the statue—"
"Actually, I was looking for you. I finished it."
Fabrice grinned happily, despite the pain in his chest. "G-Great! Can I have it?"
"Sure, after I have you thrown in the dungeon."
"Never that simple…"
"Never is. First Judgment!" Angelo sprang forward and swung his feet.
"Mud Dive!" As if the floor suddenly vanished beneath him, Fabrice sank into the street, barely avoiding Angelo's earth-shattering kick.
Angelo bounced back and started up his Heaven's Flame. "You know that won't work, right?"
The fishing line shot from the mud and grappled an edge in his armor.
"Mud Dive: Sinkhole!"
Angelo suddenly felt the ground warping away as every started to shift. He looked down and watched as the ground started to spin in a counterclockwise direction. A vortex skimmed the surface of the street with the mud spilling into the center. Gradually, the vortex depressed into the ground until the named attacked matched its description. A sinkhole of mud slowly dragged Angelo down.
"Crap!" He pushed against the viscous mud, but couldn't get the footing he needed to escape. He tried to unhook the fishing line from his armor until it undid itself on its own.
"What do you say, Angelo?" Angelo turned and saw Fabrice pop out from the wall of the sinkhole, surfing across it like it was solid earth. "This too simple for you, too?"
Angelo huffed and lit up the soles of his feet. The mud bubbled under him. "You really want to get back to your girl, don't you?"
Fabrice grinned. "Pal, I would sink the entire capital if it stood in my way of seeing her again."
Angelo smirked. "Crazy idiot. Have it your way! Angel's Hellfire!" Red hot flames burst from his soles and engulfed his lower half. The mud at his feet cooked and dried back into deformed rock almost instantly. "I haven't had this kind of fun since basic training! Come on, Fabrice! Give me everything you got!"
"Flash Cannon!" Klaus fired the reflective beam from his hands and hair tip.
Frediano danced around the attacks as they carved through the street, walls, and frozen canal. His Whirlpool encasing his body seemed to speed up his movements, or rather gave him better control over his bodily movements while in the air. The water, at his command, would shift his position so that he could dodge attacks that would've likely nicked him. Combined with his Quick Attack, he was a jumping bean of chaotic energy.
Klaus' Flash Cannon petered out, signaling Frediano to spring toward the defenseless Morgrem and sucker punch him with an icy fist. Klaus spat blood-mixed spittle and skidded across the frozen canal before reaching water.
"Fairy Wind!" He used another counter and blew sparkling pink wind from his palms, propelling him back onto dry land.
"Exit, stage left!" Frediano appeared above Klaus in a flash and spiked him with an ice whip. Klaus crashed through the street, burying him through the brick. Blood sprayed from his mouth. "And now, for my finisher!" He morphed his claws into Icicle Crash, using the Whirlpool to increase its size and mass, then careened down on Klaus.
"R…Rock Polish!" A glimmer of light shined over Klaus before he vanished from his crater. Frediano dug the icicle through the ground like a tent spike before it shattered apart. Klaus stopped himself a few meters away and caught his breath before applying another three counters to his eye. "Even with these speed buffs, he's still fast."
Klaus rummaged through his list of stored moves, then smirked.
"So, he is." He clapped his hands. "Trick Room!"
Frediano pushed himself up right as a light barrier surrounded him and Klaus. Frediano morphed his claws into swords and charged at the standstill Morgrem, who flashed a cunning grin. He thrusted his claws into Klaus, but he vanished in a flicker.
"Huh?"
"Retaliate!"
A sharp spike of sorts jabbed Frediano in the back and, with his forward momentum, sent him skidding across the street. His mask nearly flew off his face, but he snatched it out of the air and smacked it back on.
"You dare upstage the Great Fredi—"
"Magic Room!" Klaus sped into Frediano and kicked him in the stomach before wasting one of his counters. He clapped, erecting a pink dome atop the green Trick Room. He plunged his fingers through the ground, scooping out a rock. "Rock Throw!" He smashed it against Frediano's face.
"AH!" Frediano stumbled backwards and played with askew mask. "You have no respect for my fabulous appearance! Majestic Veil!" Icy cold water wrapped around his body like a veil. He reformed his purple ice claws and turned them into sickles. "I shall turn you into art instead!"
He used the Whirlpool to increase the pressure of his leg, launching him into a flying sickle attack. Klaus shifted his footing, then sped around the comparatively slower Weavile.
"U-Turn!" Klaus reared his foot back for a kick.
Frediano suddenly dug his claws into the ground and sprung him up. Klaus, barely catching on, kicked through the ice while Frediano hovered above him. He grabbed the distracted Morgrem's shoulders, then leaned back.
"As I quipped earlier, stage left!" He hurled Klaus out of the psychic rooms, ending their effects. Frediano followed with a Quick Attack and caught Klaus in his ice sickle. "Let me drag you out with this hook!" He spun Klaus around before slamming him onto his face like a handball.
Klaus nearly passed out from the shock. Any other day, he would've thrown up and gave up on the spot. The pain rattled his whole body, tremors passing through in a daze matching his head's, unable to cope with so much pain at once. He couldn't find the strength to push himself up. He just couldn't will it.
He wanted to go to sleep so badly so he could forget the pain.
Frediano stepping on his back only furthered that desire. "Once again, the Great Frediano triumphs over evil! For I have conquered the devil himself!" He scratched his chin and nodded. "Ooh, I should star in my own produce play. The Great Frediano Conquers the Devil! Has a nice ring to it."
Klaus barely heard whatever he was blabbering about, too focused on laying in a small puddle of his own blood dripping from his face. He was too sickly to keep fighting like this.
Why, oh why, did he join the Foresters again? It's not like he hated living in a noble house. He had everything he could've ever wanted. A place to sleep, food not from the garbage, maids to serve his needs while he was bedridden; he had it all, and he loved it.
Then again, that was his usual routine, wasn't it? Sleep, eat, and flirt with his cute maids. To think, he had the fortune of a rags-to-riches story all because some old man took vague interest in him, and he might actually have been bored with it? Any other lifetime, perhaps not, but he didn't like being cooped up in the house all the time. If it weren't for his adoptive father pushing for him to inherit their noble house, Klaus would've been some sheltered, spoiled rich kid.
Not too different from Melissa in some aspects.
Even in pain, Klaus found himself laughing. You're…the only one in the Foresters I can talk to freely about my status. You get me, and what I grew up with. We have everything, but there's just some things we want more than our inheritance. You want to become a great leader, and I just want to overcome my limitations. I want to live a comfortable life, but that doesn't mean I want to be bedridden for the rest of my life.
He laughed and he laughed. The pain he felt dulled after a while, replaced with his sudden surge of giddiness. His dizziness, though present, became a tolerable sensation no different to someone who finished spinning in place and was teetering like a drunken sailor. The situation was just so funny, he had to laugh. Laugh harder than he had in forever.
Frediano snapped out of his one-man monologue and looked down at the laughing goblin. If one could peer under that mask, they would account the confusion and terror in his eyes. "Uh…this scene didn't call for the antagonist to have a mental breakdown."
Klaus' eyes opened wide, pinprick sized pupils, and a devilish grin stretching to the max over his face. "You want a breakdown! Have at it! High Roller Style: Jackpot!"
A bizarre barrage of effects went off on Klaus' body. First, a powerful Blizzard mixed in with a Mist, obscuring everything while freezing land and water over in a thick blanket of snow. Next, electricity from a Wild Charge erupted from his body, knocking Frediano off with a horrific shock through his Whirlpool veil.
"AAAAAHHHHH!" Frediano cried, disabling and scattering the electrified water off his body.
Klaus flew onto his feet and skipped backwards. Green energy flowed through his prehensile hair and grew a myriad of needles. The powers of Horn Attack, Needle Arm, and Hidden Power flowed through as he landed a critical impact against Frediano.
Frediano hacked a guttural cough into his mask, sounding like he spat out more than blood. He crashed through the ground, catching himself with his ice claws, and stopped just before the fading Trick/Magic Room. His body mirrored Klaus' from just a moment ago, trembling and on the verge of passing out despite physically knowing he could still keep going. Paralyzed from his own pain.
Klaus pulled himself up, arms hanging limp, and glared wearily at Frediano. "Thanks…"
Frediano staggered on his legs, then groaned, "For…what?"
Klaus' prehensile hair flickered tauntingly, slurping up the last bit of energy it could snag from the sneaky Leech Life he used. He inhaled through his nose, then sighed a relieved breath as his surface injuries closed up. He straightened up and rolled his strained neck.
"Most aren't themselves in the morning without a pot of coffee. Thanks for my little morning boost." He grinned. "Now, I can fight a bit more seriously now."
With a sudden reversal of roles, Luna found herself on the defensive with a rampaging Buneary going on the attack. The excited, battle-hardened look on her face was a sharp contrast to the panic she witnessed moments ago. No longer was Luna fighting some timid manipulator, but a raving lunatic with a thirst for action.
"Drain Punch!" Melissa threw her fist into Luna, who barely blocked in time with her sword.
"Grr!" Luna dug her feet in and redirected Melissa's punch. "Vine Whip!" The whips slapped across Melissa's chest and threw her backwards. Luna caught her ankles and reared her in, smacking her with the blunt side of her sword.
Melissa blacked out for roughly a second, dazed from the impact, but dug her aura claws into the ground to catch herself. She spun into a piston-like kick right at Luna's nape and knocked her forward.
"Thunder Punch!" Melissa electrified her fists and decked Luna in the back.
"GAH!" Luna stumbled from the first hit, then jumped forward to dodge Melissa's second punch. "Grass Knot!" She slammed her hands down and sent snares of grass at Melissa.
"Hah! Puny grass like that won't stop me!" Melissa sneered. She reengaged her Dragon Claws. "It's Rangalow Time, girlie!" She charged through the cluster of grass blades, swiping her claws with a whirlwind of plant confetti showering over her. "Take this!"
Luna blocked with an empowered Vine Whip, barely holding back Melissa's ludicrous power. Even if she wasn't any stronger than before, the sudden adrenaline rush gave her the boost to persevere and overcome impossible odds. In other words, even if Luna was the better fighter from the looks of things, her opponent disabled any sense of self-preservation to quit.
I have no idea what's going on in her head, but this isn't enough to scare me.
She wrestled with Melissa's claws, coiling them in her vines, then swung them to the far right. Luna twisted her body and displayed her metal-hardened tail. "Iron Tail!" She smacked her tail across Melissa's face, spinning her like a pinwheel, and slammed her into the ground.
Either Harlow is deranged or…something else is influencing her actions.
Luna didn't have any time to hypothesize her curious subject of an opponent as an intense light shined from her Dragon Claws. Light, or rather lightning. Electricity, to be precise. A mass of electricity building in her claws, converting the dragon aura into solid electrical power.
"I'm sure Raggy won't mind if I borrow this move!" Melissa announced with an excited grin. "Thunder Storm Claw!"
Luna immediately jumped off Melissa, but the claws came in too fast. She crossed her arms and pleaded that her armor could defend against the worst of the attack. The electrified claws drove into her body and, though the armor held up, her whole body lit up like a firework. The claws dug into the armor and delivered a piercing, electrical shock through her entire system, stronger than any Electric-Type move she had ever been hit with in basic training or beyond.
Her body locked up, unresponsive to her mental cries to flee. In a struggle, the best she managed was a loose Vine Whip grabbing a crack in the ground and reeling her out of the claws. She tumbled across the street and coughed up sparks.
Her body emitted lingering sparks that she could still feel dancing in her muscle tissue. The slightest movement ran the risk of locking everything up temporarily. There was a way through grit and willpower to bypass the paralysis, though it took effort and concentration she couldn't readily muster at the moment.
Meanwhile, Melissa hopped merrily on her toes, laughing up a storm. "Man, oh man, I never knew how much fun fighting was! Ragger was right, I'm pumped! Bahahahaha!" she belted loud and proud.
She stopped hopping and grinned at the downed Snivy. Melissa could go in and deliver more Dragon Claws, but the excitement she felt wouldn't go away. If she was forced to fight, why stop now? Was that Ragger's personality talking? Oh, who cares? Melissa had someone to test more cool moves on!
"In that case…" Melissa disabled her Dragon Claws and clapped her hands together as a ghostly aura surrounded her. "Let's try this style on for size."
Faithless Imitation: Althalos.
The excitement coursing through Melissa traded away for a melancholy atmosphere, her face morphing into a pensive stare. She flexed her fingers a bit, then gazed at her hand as a trace of dark cloud spawned from her palm.
"Perhaps my exaggerated interpretation of Ragger isn't the best moral compass. I should really find Klaus and get out of here," she muttered coolly. She glared at Luna, who seemed to be rising to her feet and fighting with the paralysis. "Then again, logically, I can't have her chasing me. This is the safer option."
Melissa raised her hands up high, then slammed them into the cracked street. Abyss Clouds seeped through, running through the ruins of their battle, and uplifted the upper layer. Chunks of brick rose from the ground shrouded in the black, impenetrable clouds of darkness.
"Will-O-Wisp. Poltergeist," Melissa muttered.
The clouds caught fire, wrapping the ruined debris in harsh purple flames. Their low glow highlight Melissa's face amidst the shadows casting down on her, accentuating the unfamiliar coldness in her demeanor. A purple glow wrapped around her clouds and, with a flick of her wrist, fired the debris at Luna.
Luna snapped to attention upon spotting the flames coming in her direction. She snagged the ground with Vine Whip and pulled herself away, barely dodging the flaming wreckage. "What in the world?!"
Melissa twirled her finger, guiding it at Luna. "You can't get away that easily," she stated coldly.
The flaming bricks made a wide turn and slingshot back toward Luna, who countered with a wall of Grass Pledges around herself. The bricks were eviscerated withing the pillars while the leaves scattered the leaves away. A few flaming pebbles got through, but nothing Luna couldn't shrug off.
What could be shrugged off, however, was the black clouds forcing their way through as they ate up her Grass Pledge. Luna grappled backwards and pulled away before the clouds crashed down on her.
"Darkest Lariat!" Luna gasped out as Melissa sprang into from behind and delivered a clothesline hit to the nape, flipping the Snivy onto her face. "Icy Wind!" A menacing aura surrounded Melissa, taking on the shape of a ghastly maw, and breathed down a flurry of snow.
Luna covered herself as frost accumulated around her body. She shot Vine Whip into a wall, then spun herself into a handstand. "Iron Tail!" She smacked Melissa hard across the face and through her into the wall.
Melissa's eyes lost focus for a moment, briefly looking flustered before going back to annoyed. She summoned more Abyss Clouds and punched the ground. A quake of destruction fired straight for Luna.
"Iron Tail!" Luna smashed off the ground and flipped over the clouds. She watched as matter sank beneath the clouds and crumbled to dust. Okay, seriously?! How does she know all these moves?!
"Poltergeist!" Melissa raised her hands and fired crushed brick from the clouds.
Luna braced herself as the debris bombarded her all the way to the ground. She landed ungracefully, but stayed on her feet. She glared at Melissa furiously, then sank her Vine Whips through the ground. "Enough of this! Earth's Wrath!"
Green energy pumped through the vines, signaling Melissa to jump away and put distance between the empowered vines. Her eyes widened, however, when she heard a whistling coming from her left. She turned to the wall, staring down a swirling vortex of Grass-Type energy.
"Wait, what—"
Melissa covered herself in Abyss Cloud as a Grass Pledge shot out of the wall and blasted her to the canal. She dug her feet down before reaching the edge, then froze as the same whistling emerged from below, shooting her into the sky with another Grass Pledge.
Luna smirked to herself. My Earth's Wrath does more than power up my Vine Whips. It powers up both the moves. One to enhance Vine Whip, the other to extend and conceal Grass Pledge.
Melissa caught herself in the air with Abyss Cloud, panting heavily. "She's got more tricks than I assumed. Damn…" She wiped her nose and huffed. "Maybe I should try Ragnarok again. That seemed to have worked, though she might expect…it?"
Melissa looked down at the hand she used to wipe her nose. She narrowed her eyes curiously, a far cry to the panic attack she would actually be enduring, at the bloodstain in her fur. No cut on her hand, so…
She checked her nose and felt warm liquid dripping out. The familiar metallic smell added to the confirmation, but she didn't remember it bleeding even with all the hits she took early. A delayed injury, or was she having the worst timing for a nosebleed? It was the winter, where they pop up most frequently, but she never recalled getting them that often this time of the year.
"Strange," she muttered. She clenched her fist and sighed. "Probably nothing." She kicked off the Abyss Clouds and flew back down to ground level. The second her feet touched the ground, another Grass Pledge started up. "Not this time."
Abyss Clouds formed under her feet and launched her forward before the Grass Pledge went off. She zigzagged toward Luna, dodging through single Grass Pledge pillars that came from the wall and floors, every direction connected to the land. As the explosive force of the Grass Pledges ripped open the ground, Melissa used the Abyss Clouds to gather up material into a massive ball of wreckage tethered to a coiled cloud rope like a ball and chain or a flail.
"I'm sure Althalos wouldn't mind the creative liberties," Melissa muttered. She stopped on her foot and swung the wrecking ball forward. "Abyss Cloud: Destruction of the Night!"
Luna slammed her hands down and summoned up the biggest Grass Pledge she could. Right as the wrecking ball came with a foot of her face, several grass pillars shot up through the wrecking ball and obliterated it down the middle. She pulled her Vine Whips from the ground and smacked the rubble bombarding into her away.
"Iron Tail!" Once a path was cleared, she lunged and smacked Melissa across the face, flipping her around and knocking her flat on her face. "Earth's Wrath!" She reared her whips back, enhanced them until they were neon green, flung them down at speeds that were closing in on the speed of sound. One smack from them and the multi-persona thief was done for.
"…Earth's Wrath!"
Grass Pledge shot out in front of Melissa's feet and knocked the vines away. They could've easily pushed through had Luna wanted to, but the name of the attack threw her off for the split second she needed to carry through. More Grass Pledges went off toward Luna.
She jumped back and punched the ground, canceling them out with her own. She wiped her lip and panted as she glared through the raining leaves. Her brow furrowed irritably as she watched Melissa stand up
"You have got to be kidding me."
Once on her feet, Melissa raised her hands and cracked down the two Vine Whips in her hand, made entirely of the same green aura surrounding her body. She matched Luna's glare with one of her own, taking on a similar stance as the Snivy.
"Now, how's about we see how strong your conviction really is, Verde Knight."