Ch.63: What is Life but a Burden? A Conversation with Arceus' Herald!

The twenty-year-old Electivire, dressed in his new bronze-colored armor plating, kneeled down before his Aegislash master. Nearby, Voss' parents stood, looking upon their son with pride, but also concern. They knew what will become of Voss after today, and so did he.

Baldwin raised his hand. "Rise, my pupil." Voss stood up and looked down at the sentient sword with his shimmering gaze and smile. "I see it in you, the spirit of a warrior boiling within your blood. You take after your old man well. I've taught you everything I could, and pushed that weak body to its limits. You've overcome your own weakness. Now it is your turn to purge this world of evil and become a symbol of justice to your fellow Pokémon. But importantly, to experience the thrill of battle. You will encounter many powerful foes, and they will all pose an even greater challenge. Do have what it takes to conquer these odds?"

Voss smirked. "I'm ready, Master. I will fight my hardest and shall never die in battle. I will fight for the thrill."

Baldwin's eye glimmered with glee. "I trained you well." He unsheathed himself from his shield and floated over Voss' shoulders. "Henceforth, my star pupil, you have officially graduated." He tapped the edge of his blade on Voss' armored shoulders. "You are no longer my student. You will follow your own destiny. Forge your own path. Conquer everything. You are the strongest."

Voss nodded. "I am the strongest."

Baldwin returned into his shield and folded his arms. "What do you intend to do with this newfound strength?"

"To help others. I will wander the land in search of those in need, lending my strength to the weak and helpless. I will use my strength to protect, and to overcome the strong. I WILL become the strongest warrior alive."

Baldwin chuckled. "Good man."

Voss nodded, then turned his parents, who smiled and cheered on his name. He smiled warmly at them, then raised his sword over his head. With the biggest obstacle of his life conquered, there was nothing left to stand in his way. He will become the strongest, and he will seek the ultimate thrill of battle no matter what.

"Ugh…I should've figured becoming a wanderer meant WALKING everywhere."

For two weeks, Voss had left his home and set out on his new journey, eager to start as a new warrior. Unfortunately, he had yet to come across any actual danger, whether because the danger was dealt with or simply wasn't around. Two weeks of walking, camping, and sleeping. He was running low on coin and food, too, having finished off the last of his food this morning.

He winced to the sound of his howling stomach and patted it. "Maybe I should've been a bit more thankful about my childhood. At least I didn't have to worry about starving to death." He pulled a map out from within his chest plate. "Let's see…according to this, there should be a town two miles up ahead."

He squinted into the distance, trying to find any sighting of said town. In the far reaches down the road, he spotted buildings sitting over the horizon.

"That's either a mirage or the town." His stomach growled again, much to his annoyance. "Well, either way I slice it, I need food. Better not be a mirage." He tucked his map away and continued his trek down the road. "I'm never going to get use to this whole 'walking everywhere' thing."

"AAAAAHHHHHH!"

Voss lifted his head in surprise as he reached the gates of the town. Curious, he let himself through and walking through a few streets to where he heard the scream come from. As he closed in, he heard a ruckus of screaming Pokémon running around like they were caught in a stampede. He detected a faint hint of smoke likely coming from a strong fire.

He turned a corner and found himself in the center of town, only to jump out of the way as Pokémon ran past him in a hurry. His eyes widened as a knife flew into the back of a fleeing Clefable, who let out a breathless gasp and fell onto the ground.

"Ma'am!" Voss knelt down and picked her up into his arms. "Ma'am, are you okay?"

Clefable looked up at him with tearful eyes. "Please…help us…"

Voss gritted his teeth and gently set her down on her side. He spotted a couple of Primeape racing by and grabbed them with his tails. "You two! Get her to your town doctor immediately. I'll deal with this."

Unnerved by the intimidating Electivire, they obeyed and helped the Clefable up. Voss stood up, glared out into the town square, and stepped out of hiding.

He lifted his arm as flames filled the air. He glared over his arm and saw a Charizard standing on the town fountain beside what Voss could assume were his lackies. A Machamp, a Skarmory, and a Crustle. They laughed maniacally while holding up sacks of coins likely stolen from the townsfolk. Voss couldn't imagine what happened to insight the panic, though he worried it wasn't just the Clefable who was the victim of their robberies.

"Excellent work, boys!" the Charizard exclaimed. "We got everything we needed. Of to paradise for us!"

"YEAH!" they cheered.

Voss stomped his foot down, gaining the bandits' attention. He glared at them while keeping one hand on his sword. "I'm afraid you won't be entering paradise any time soon, though I'm willing to book you an exclusive trip to Hell in exchange."

The bandits looked at each other, then back at Voss, and broke out into laughter. Voss relaxed his shoulders and stared at them in confusion. It wasn't the reaction he was expecting.

The Charizard wiped a tear from his eye and settled his chuckling. "Check it out, boys, we got ourselves some wannabe hero in the mix."

Crustle laughed. "Ha! Tell him, Boss! Tell him what we do to pitiful little heroes!"

Charizard smirked. "Listen up, kid—"

"I'm twenty," Voss interrupted.

"We don't take kindly to wannabe heroes stepping in on our business like they own the place. That's our job! We've escaped and killed new bloods like you in the past, and I can see that look in your eyes. It tells me your new to this. I might be willing to let you off with a warning, but I recommend you just turn back while you still can."

Voss blinked at them, then narrowed his eyes. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

"I'm saying, you either get lost or we kill you."

"…Nope, still not getting it."

Charizard frowned. "Is this chump dense or something?"

Voss sighed. "I'm not going to ask a second time, so just drop the money and surrender yourselves before I make this ugly."

Machamp laughed as he cracked his knuckles. "You think you can take all four of us on, chump?"

Voss looked them over with an even glare. "I guess? Is there some sort of warrior/bandit etiquette I should know about? Do I have to read your rights or something?"

The Charizard chuckled and snapped his fingers. "Kill this fool so we can get back to business."

Machamp smirked and marched toward Voss, punching into his palms. "This is going to be so sweet."

Voss rolled his shoulders, loosening up his muscles, and clutched his sword. "I don't know what your bounties are, so best I just incapacitate you."

Machamp stomped down on his heel and launched forward at breakneck speed. "You won't even have a chance to croak! Get ready, warrior, for my Submission attack—"

Just as the four-armed goon blink, Voss appeared right up in his face. The goon's moment of hesitation allowed Voss to strike across the stomach with the back of his blade. It dug a shallow cut across the Machamp's abdomen. Voss flexed his muscles and catapulted the goon backwards, sending him flying through his stunned partners. He crashed into a building behind them.

The bandits looked back in shock as Machamp collapsed to his knees, then faceplanted into the ground. They blinked in shock and looked back at Voss. He smirked at their dumbfounded faces and gripped his swords between both hands.

"My word, that was a splendid Submission. You surrendered almost immediately." A glint of excitement shimmered in Voss' eye. "Now, unless the rest of you care to follow in his example, might I suggest putting your hands up? Better yet, you could test your mettle against me."

Charizard's eye twitched. "Lucky shot." He glared at his cowering underlings. "Well?!" They flinched under his tone. "Don't just stand there, get him!"

Crustle and Skarmory shared a worried glance, but obeyed their leader. Skarmory took off into the sky, cloaked in a brilliant yellow aura shaped in his appearance. As he climbed into the sky, his hermit crab partner jumped from his shell. White cracks surrounded his body before shattering off like shell pieces. Crustle glowed a bright red. Upon landing, his speed increased dramatically as he scuttled circles around Voss.

Voss' eyes flickered back and forth, trying to track Crustle's movements. Crustle stopped behind him and charged into his back with X-Scissor. Voss grunted, feeling the ache of his spine as the attack pounded on his armor. He stomped down on one leg, reached around, and snatched Crustle before he could retreat.

Skarmory tucked his wings in and divebombed with his Sky Attack. Voss faced the attack and held Crustle up in front of it. The metal bird couldn't stop his descent in time and crashed into Crustle. The poor hermit crab went flying into the air and crashed behind Voss out cold.

Skarmory tried to retreat into the air, but Voss grappled him with his twin tails and held him in place. "Were you going somewhere?" Voss asked. He sliced into Skarmory's metal body, ripping open a nasty gash across the chest. Skarmory squawked in pain before going limp.

Voss tossed him aside and pointed his sword at Charizard. The quivering faux dragon bared his teeth as he looked around at his unconscious underlings. "What the hell? You're supposed to be a rookie. How are you this strong?"

Voss smirked. "I've trained to absolute perfection. A weakling like you could never understand the training I've dedicated to becoming this strong."

The cries of the bandits had alerted the town as, one by one, Pokémon poked their heads out of hiding and looked upon the Electivire in awe. Voss looked back at their stunned faces, smiled, and turned back to Charizard with greater joy.

"You stand before a symbol of justice, bandit!" he exclaimed. "I vow never to lose to weaklings like you who dishonor the name of warrior. I give you permission to surrender, lest you feel the icy sting of my blade."

Charizard snarled. "Damn you. Damn YOU!" He reached behind his waist and chucked two knives at him.

Voss deflected the projectiles with his sword, but gasped as Charizard flew up close with flames pouring from his mouth. The false dragon roared and exhaled a stream of flames into his face, engulfing the electric beast in a tight inferno. The bystanders gasped and cried out to Voss.

Charizard smirked. "I give YOU permission to die."

"…Permission denied." A hand reached out and grabbed Charizard by the throat. Voss whipped his armor plating and shirt off, parting the flames from his body. He glared into the Charizard's eyes as he squirmed and gasped for breath. Voss squeezed his thumb down on the lizard's throat. "Yield."

"N…Neve—" Voss pressed down harder. Charizard wheezed and croaked, puffs of smoke struggling to escape his open mouth. Once he saw the lights of the lizard's eyes fading, Voss dropped him to the ground. Charizard twitched at his feet. "Gaaaagh…"

"YAY!"

Voss turned as the townsfolk came out of hiding and surrounded him, jumping around him like excitable children.

"You saved us! You're a hero!"

"We are eternally grateful for your service!"

"Please, stay so we can thank you properly!"

"A meal for our town hero!"

Voss' eyes widened at their recognition, but he soon relaxed and smiled to their praise. The battle wasn't nearly as exciting as he hoped it to be, but at least he was able to help the town. He only wished there was a bit more of a challenge to his first victory as a wandering warrior.

Still, he could only go up from here, right?

The sun had risen over the Fire Zone, yet remained obscured within the dark, smoky clouds that barely illuminated the land. Bubbles of hot gas expelled from the cracked ground, threatening to burn the skin off the unprepared explorers who dare trek through such untamed parts of the Fire Zone.

The hot gas barely fazed Voss as he trudged toward his destination, for he was on a high that didn't plan on going away. Despite being torn to shreds some time ago by the Silver Twister, Travis Blight, Voss had regenerated from his injuries without fail. From his tattered remains, he felt reborn.

All that remained of his person was his newly regenerated armor in its bracer form, his beaten scabbard and sword, and the tattered rags that were once a pair of pants. His body went through a change in his renewed state. Darkness had encroached physically over his body. Twin flames of darkness burned on the tips of his tails. A black X had tattooed itself across his chest with crisscross markings running down his arms and ending at his wrists.

The greatest change was the death of Voss' stoicism. An unfamiliar grin dripping with malice glee sat upon his expression as he stared longingly at his upcoming destination.

"I envied the Shadow King," Voss whispered to himself. "The man who cut me down and showed me there was still much to learn. He reminded me that there were still powerful foes in the world that could truly match me. He gave me hope again. He was my ultimate goal. He was the shining beacon of hope for my endless boredom. The flame that reignited my passion for battle.

"Alas, I mistakenly joined the Tribe of Shadows in hopes that I could find stronger foes willing to fight for their lives. Instead, I dealt with weaklings who I cut down with a single slash. There was only the Shadow King, the only man who truly bested me. Oh, how I despise that war for bringing me nothing but disappointment after disappointment. There was no one worthy of my blade. Just worthless fighters.

"But then you turned the tides of battle, Buster Ravenfield." Voss narrowed his eyes. "You cut down our shadows and led new armies that matched the strength of our overwhelming forces. It boggles the mind, doesn't it? How can a Ravenfield live when the last known Ravenfield died so many centuries ago? How did your family survive? It's puzzling, and it excited me to know there was a fighter that defied the common world.

"As we neared the end of that war, you and the Shadow King did battle with each other. A glorious display of magic that made me wept tears of joy. I've never felt so blessed to witness two masters dueling it out to the death. I wanted so badly to face you myself, but I was forced to obey my king so he could settle his vendetta against your family. Oh, how I envied him for getting the chance to face you in battle. You, Buster Ravenfield, blessed with unmatched magical might I've never witnessed in a mortal, not even in the present. You were truly the greatest of them all.

"And now, I won't let my chance slip away from my fingers again."

Voss stopped with a hard stomp of his foot. His countless searches for references to the hidden grave of his king's greatest foe had finally come to fruition. A single dead tree that stood out in the Fire Zone, untouched in the untamed lands uninhabitable by most Pokémon. The perfect spot where no one could deserve the dead's slumber.

No indications of a grave stood out in front of him, but Voss knew there was more than meets the eye. Quickly unsheathing his sword, he sliced up the tree and set it ablaze in a dark inferno. He sheathed his blade and watched the tree crumble to dust, grinning as his true prize stood before him.

A longsword was plunged through the ground with a scarf tied to the hilt. It bared the insignia of a black bird with a single wing arching over its head, its wingtips composed of purple crystal sewn into the fabric.

Voss knelt before the sword and bowed his head. "I traveled vast distances to find your grave. I refuse to let Puck manipulate your long dead spirit into his insidious plan. Let him do what he wants with the rest of the Ravenfields, but not you. I respect your power too much to let you fall into his twisted puppet strings. If you are to be reanimated, it is only for a single purpose. I want to face the true Buster Ravenfield in a battle to the death. I want to experience the power my master felt, the power that ultimately slayed him. I wish to be cut down by the worthiest warrior in history. Our fates will finally intertwine."

"…O Arceus, Divine Father, bring salvation to this lost soul who hangs on the threads of the mortal coil."

Voss narrowed his eyes and stood up. Glancing over his shoulder, he spotted someone standing a fair distance behind him. A Trevenant in a black suit with a white stole hanging from his shoulders. He wore a cross wheel necklace around his neck and carried a staff with a large cross wheel. Voss could sense the holy aura radiating around him. It made his skin itch and burn.

"A priest." Voss turned around and faced the newcomer. "I wasn't expecting company all the way out in these parts, Father. May I ask the name of my unexpected guest, and to how he managed to evade my notice?"

The priest bowed his head. "For one tainted in evil, you've remembered your manners. For now, you have my respect, but hardly earned it. I am Hugo Lightborn, priest of Ironworks Kingdom. I assume you remember your little jaunt through my home kingdom?"

Voss closed his eyes. "I do recall that, though it was hardly anything worth remembering beyond my battle with my former ally." He looked at his arm. "Curiously, I do recall you, and yet this blasted spell has not lifted from me. It should have been nullified the moment someone recognized me. Curious, isn't it? Do you not recognize me?"

Hugo nodded. "I found it most strange I wasn't able to detect your presence. However, the reason you were unaware of me was because I didn't allow you to." He pulled back his sleeve and showed a magic talisman stamped to his arm. "Though I don't know what magical ailment afflicts you, something tells me I shouldn't reveal my presence to whatever spell is holding you prisoner. That is the power of my Concealment Talisman."

Voss chuckled. "You're a clever man, Father, now as the world is oblivious to either of us. What brought upon the attention of such a holy man, though?"

"Consider it my duty as a priest to act as your judge." Hugo stamped his staff down. "Now that I know who you are, I am here to personally apprehend you to face penance for your centuries of crimes."

"Penance, you say?" Voss shook his head. "It will be a torturous millennium for both of us as I have no forgiveness to offer. I am a man lost from time, wandering the world aimlessly for a destiny that has been ripped from his fingers. I'm afraid Arceus has failed to save this soul, and he shall never save me."

"No one is beyond saving, my child. You are lost. A guiding hand will lead even the vilest Pokémon to the righteous path."

Voss sighed. "There is no salvation for me, Father. I've made my peace with the lives I've taken, and I shall continue to take thousands more if it means finally finding something to satiate these five centuries of monotony." He smirked. "And how happy I was to know there were such strong warriors in this time. It took a great deal of patience, but I've finally found my spark for battle. I've finally found the demon that had been swallowed within my apathy. I…have awakened."

"You seek pleasure through the destruction of others?" Hugo sighed and shook his head. "And here I criticized Ms. Frostwood for her rambunctious attitude toward violence. I do not understand taking pleasure in inflicting pain on others…though, that was a part of me who took Arceus' teachings too seriously. Sport brings pain, but it brings joy through competition. That is the joy of battle my…friends partake in. But you? You seek pleasure through bloodshed. That is unacceptable, whether under the eyes of Arceus or my own."

Voss shrugged. "Your holy alignments mean nothing to me, for I have forsaken any affiliation with Arceus. He has failed me, thus I have no need of his wisdom."

Hugo closed his eye. "Then I am terribly sorry for the path you've decided on, my child. I am sorry Arceus failed to save you. However, you are still a Pokémon, and I know a part of you feels regret for your actions."

"Forgive my rudeness, Father, but you are a fool to think I'm worth saving. You, who follows a path blinded by the words of a god that sought a mortal to save all life, could never understand the centuries I've endured. I am truly mortal, and I require no god to understand the path ahead. Or do you perhaps believe those who do not follow your god's light are lost sheep like me?"

The tree priest shook his head. "I do not believe in forcing people to follow my ideology. All I seek is to help better the lives of those in need, whether they follow the path of Arceus or simply do not acknowledge him. Everyone deserves kindness and love."

Voss crossed his arms and scoffed. "I lost the will to love a long time ago. Battle was all that drove me to succeed. It was the greatest honor to fight in battle until the bitter end. When two warriors match each other and bring the other closest to death, it's those final moments that bring about the truest heaven. A battle to the death."

Hugo sighed. "Again, I fail to understand the pleasure of battling to the death. Do you truly believe you will find happiness if you encounter this perfect battle?"

"I will know for sure when I find the one worthy to bring me to my knees and send me off to Yveltal's grasp." Voss bowed to the priest. "That is the only salvation I seek, to go out in a wondrous battle of equally skilled fighters."

Hugo shook his head and paced around Voss and the grave. "Then it's a matter of differences, but you have hunted warriors for sport. They had jobs to carry out."

"They were pathetic imitations that couldn't hold a candle to my skill. If they were truly the best, they shouldn't have died so easily."

"Do you find amusement in one's death?" Hugo stopped with the grave between him and Voss. He stamped his staff down and glared at the Electivire. "Aimlessly taking lives because you're bored? Because you're unsatisfied no one will partake in your revelry of death? I don't find murder quite as humorous as you make it sound."

"I never said it was funny."

"And it's still a joke made in poor taste." Hugo pointed his staff at him. "I took a vow of pacifism when I finished my training as a priest, never to raise a hand or do harm of any kind to the undeserving. I've only ever had to deliver divine punishment to the truly wretched who dare act as a discount reaper on the good souls under Arceus' light. I choose to pacify the scum of this world with the sacred light of Arceus, but I've only ever had to bring about his divine wrath two times in my lifetime, both in the same week. I've never used that power against anyone ever again.

"I feared the rage I felt as I harnessed that power. I wish only to bring hope to those in need, never violence. Not only because I oppose violence, but because I fear the power I wield through this staff. Bad men disobey rules. Good men…make rules for themselves."

Voss glared. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I'm giving you a choice right now." Hugo planted the butt of his staff down on the ground as the cross wheel radiated with holy light. "Surrender, or I'll show you why I have so many rules."

"…Why?"

As Voss cut down the bandit leader in front of him with a single stroke, he looked upon the defeated thieves sprawled out around him with disinterest. All of them, every single one of them, went down to a single strike from Voss. From the fastest to the strongest to even the leader himself, Voss dispatched every last one of them without so much as a sweat.

"…Why?"

The villagers crowded around Voss, cheering his name and offering him gifts as tribute, but their praise fell on deaf ears. It was all white noise bouncing around his ears while his attention focused solely on his string of victories. Not a single loss against any of the dozens upon dozens of criminal groups or wanted men he hunted down for the last five years.

Voss couldn't remember what it was like to feel pain. No one was able to land a scratch on his skin, to the point where he purposely went into battle without armor or even his shirt. He continued to give it his all, but no one lasted longer than a single strike. Somedays, Voss forgot about his physical limitations, that he was once a small boy with paper thin skin and brittle bones.

"…Why is everyone so weak?"

Voss couldn't understand it. He had purposely gone after the strongest and deadliest criminals he could, doing weeks upon weeks of research to track down the worst scum of the earth he could. Each and every one of them fell to a single strike by him.

A single strike.

A. Single. Strike!

Voss hid his frustration from the villagers that praised him, but any joy he felt from the attention was lost on him. Eventually, any frustration he did feel had soon been swallowed by the void forming within. There was no excitement from battle anymore. There was no thrill for battle.

It wasn't from a lack of trying, either.

A Bastiodon who was said to be the strongest of his kind? One strike.

A Heracross whose horn could uplift the weight of a village? One strike.

A Palossand, a Pokémon literally composed of sand? Scattered in the wind with ONE strike!

Nobody posed a threat to the Electivire. No one could match his strength. Why was everyone so weak? He didn't understand. Why was it so difficult to find someone who could give him the challenge he craved?

Even as he gorged on the food offered by the grateful villagers, his mind was stuck obsessing over his egregious winning streak. It was the only source of rage he could muster, yet it did little to change the apathy developing within. He just couldn't wrap his head around it. Were criminals he had been hunting down just too weak? Were they handicapped in some way?

Why wasn't he allowed to lose?

Voss decided he needed a vacation from his work, something to take his mind off the frustration that was his effortless victories. He traveled to the mountains where a lodge was stationed to take part in the hot spring baths. He hoped it would revitalize his spirit, or at least relax the tension he had been carrying in recent months.

After thanking the lodge owner, he entered the hot springs with only a towel around his waist and his sword. He stepped in the heated waters and set his towel and sword aside as he sank into the water. He slumped down and let it reach up to his shoulders.

Already, he could feel the hot waters relaxing his muscles. He sighed and sank a little deeper until the water reached his neck. "Between all the walking and gratitude, I never really did give myself a moment to lay back and relax. Yeah. Maybe I've just been stressed out. It's all in the mind. I've just been fighting small fry all these years. Ugh, but that just sounds worse—no, no. Relax. Just. Relax."

Voss took a deep breath and dipped his head into the water, keeping his face afloat on the surface. He let himself go limp in the water, almost floating off the bottom of the spring. He listened to the distorted water flowing around his submerged ears, taking in their calming song.

Voss took a deep breath and sighed contently. "Yeah. Yeah, this is nice."

As he succumbed to the calming water, something else was occurring just within the lodge. A commotion that was lost on the relaxed Electivire. The owner shouted at someone behind the doors, but was cut off by a hard smack. A moment of silence passed before the door slid open.

A Swampert in armor stepped into the outdoor spring and glared at the submerged Electivire, seemingly oblivious to the world. He entered, dragging a war hammer alongside him. It was stained with dried blood, a sign that it had been used in countless, bloody battles.

"I finally found you. The Unkillable Titan," the Swampert whispered as he lifted the hammer into both hands. "I, Isaak the War Breaker, have been tasked to eliminate you. You who cut down my brothers for your justice. I have no fear of your strength, for they were weak. I have slain countless warriors who could rend lands with single strokes of their weapons. You, an amateur by comparison, are nothing. You, who so foolishly exposes himself, shall suffer a swift death. Every man I killed, they died from a single strike of my hammer. You are nothing but an insect."

Isaak stopped at the edge of the spring and glared down at Voss, who remained still as he floated in the water. The Swampert rolled his shoulders, then raised the hammer high above his head. He tensed his leg muscles and flexed his bulging biceps. He looked upon Voss with killer intent.

"Now, you will die like insect. Weak and insignificant." He leaned his body forward and swung the hammer. "Let these waters be dyed with your tainted blood—"

SHIIIIINK!

The hammerhead went flying through the air with a trail of blood following behind. It splashed down into the water near Voss' feet. The Electivire, who had barely moved more than an arm to grab his sword, leaned his head back and glared up at his assassin. "Who are you?"

The Swampert had no words. A long, bloody slash went up the body to his stunned face as he gripped the severed pole that was once his hammer. He tilted back on his heels and fell over dead on the floor. The broken pole fell from his weak grip and clattered across the tile.

Voss picked himself out of the hot spring and wrapped his towel around his waist. "First it's worthless criminals, now I can't even get a decent assassin. Why is everyone so damn weak—"

"AAAHHH!" Voss' eyes widened as the Lopunny lodge owner stepped outside, nursing a bruise across her cheek. She stared in horror at the corpse on the floor. "You…You just…"

Voss frowned. "Sorry. He was trying to kill me. I'll clean up the mess, it was my fault—"

"You actually KILLED that monster?!"

His eyes widened. "Huh?"

"Don't you know who that is? That's Isaak the War Breaker!"

"…Ma'am, I literally have no idea who this is." He glared at the corpse. "Looks like some random chump like everyone else."

"No, no, he is so much more than...oh my Arceus. He was a feared mercenary who slaughtered warriors," the Lopunny mumbled as her knees buckled. She had to hold onto the doorsill to step upright. "He was said to be unstoppable, capable of taking out hundreds without a single scratch to himself."

Voss glared. "Not a scratch?"

"Said to take out anyone in one strike."

"One…strike?"

The Lopunny nodded. "He was remarkably powerful. I…I am amazed. You must be incredibly powerful to take down such a monstrous foe in a single strike. And so swiftly, too."

Though she praised him, Voss now stared at the dead Swampert in horror. He lifted his sword and looked at the blood stained across the blade. Blood had splattered up his arm, and he could feel some of it on his lips. If what the owner said was true, that this Isaak was something a legend among criminals…

"How could I be so stupid?" Voss mumbled, covering his mouth in horror. "That's not what's been going on."

For his whole life, Voss was a weak child who had to rely on others to get anywhere. He had to step up to push the limits of his frail body to finally become something more than a worthless houseplant barely soaking up the sun's rays. The last five years since he became a warrior, he was living in denial of the truth. He denied the obvious truth, blaming the weak criminals he encountered for his lack of challenge.

"I was so dedicated to my training. I promised I would never half-ass a battle, always giving it my best." Voss clenched his teeth as white hot rage filled inside him. "I haven't been fighting weak opponents. I've been fighting opponents WEAKER than me.

"I've…become TOO strong."

The ashy winds blew between Voss and Hugo as they stared each other down. Voss stood defiantly against Hugo's threat, while the priest continued to radiate with the holy energy that made the Electivire's skin itch from the proximity.

Voss closed his eyes and smirked. "Are you threatening to kill me, Father?"

"I do not decide life or death for anyone," Voss said. "Just as you have no authority to bring the dead back to life. Life and death exist in harmony. To mess with that order without consequence changes the balance of the universe that was built upon by Arceus. I will not allow you to defile this corpse for your evil intentions."

Voss shook his head. "My intentions are far more reasonable than what my insane acquaintance has in mind for Buster Ravenfield's corpse. I simply wish to battle the late warrior to see if his legend is worth its recognition."

"I refuse to let anyone disrupt the slumber of the dead. If I must break my vows, then so be it." Hugo glared. "Even if it means forsaking my vow never to take a life. I will gladly become your executioner and deal out divine punishment in the name of Arceus."

"What sweet vows you propose, Father, but I'm afraid I'm hardly intimidated by your magic. While it is quite irritating, I know all about how the priests fight. I've spent five hundred years learning of your techniques, and I'm hardly impressed." Voss smirked. "Though your magic can easily dispel a cluster of shadows, you'll find I'm much harder to put down with a mere light show. All you have is your god's light to push away evil, but you will never understand what it means to fight."

Hugo narrowed his eye. "…You truly are lost. You've learned our techniques, but you know nothing of my training. I'm not your average priest. I was trained to protect Mysto from dark forces like you, for Ironworks Kingdom has a different policy on religion. If you can weaponize it, make it so."

"You've weaponized religion? Now that's comedy right there. Do you intend to read me some of your favorite verses, Father? Do they carry the weight to raze armies?" Voss scowled. "I'm through playing nice with you, so I'll only say this once. Step aside, and you may live to spread the good word for however long you have left on this world. Or you can stand there and pray for a divine intervention from your god."

Hugo glared back for a moment, then closed his eye and took a deep breath. He lifted his hand in front of his face in a prayer motion. "Heavenly Father, please give me the strength to protect this grave and vanquish the demon that stands before me."

Voss sighed and grabbed his sword. "So, you have chosen death. Very well. Escape into the afterlife with your god!" He grabbed the hilt and whipped his sword out. "Fallen Hellfire!" He slashed the air and released a massive wave of black flame into the praying Trevenant.

The flames engulfed Hugo and set the land in front of Voss ablaze. The fireball scorched the red earth black with ash, its flames reaching high above in the sky as the priest burned with like lumber for a bonfire. Voss flicked the smoke off his sword and sheathed it.

"Shall I send you off with a prayer, Father?" Voss asked to the flames. "With all that pride in your confidence, you'll need all the forgiveness you can get." He threw his head back and laughed. "From one sinner to another!"

"…Piercing Light of the Divine One."

Voss gasped as something flickered from the fireball and struck his chest multiple times. He jumped back and clutched his chest. He barely felt anything, like he was being pelted by pebbles, but found strange marks over his body. Miniature cross wheel stamps were scattered across his body, and they were lined up to form the shape of a cross wheel across his chest.

"Pride is the father of all sins, my child, and yours rivals that of demons." Voss looked up and watched as the flames fizzled out. Hugo stepped out from the center of the black inferno, not a scratched or burn on his body. The flames that touched his holy aura extinguished instantly. "Forgive me, I'm not accustomed to the tradition of…trash talk."

Voss glared. So fast. I barely saw him attacking through the flames.

Hugo held up his staff. He wielded it upside-down, holding it by the end with the cross wheel. "You were correct earlier, though. Priests aren't trained to become soldiers of war. We are peacekeepers who seek to bring salvation to those in need. However, I followed in my father's footsteps to become something else entirely."

The marks on Voss' chest started to glow. He gripped his chest and gasped in pain as beams of light erupted from his back. He doubled over onto his knee as an intense burning ripped through his insides. He could feel the shadow within him screeching in pain.

"Ironworks Kingdom is a military kingdom, first and foremost. It took centuries to figure out how to best make use of our holy magic." Hugo spun his staff and assumed a combative stance. "You could say…I'm the third generation of the Ironworks Kingdom paladins."