You thought I was dead. But it was me, Dio!

Wait, that's not right.

How about this:

I AM HERE! Updating this story like a consistent author!

(Yeah, I wish)


After the group had settled themselves into the hotel—and secured space in the stables for their various mounts—Wardes invited Ash to the hotel's courtyard. Of course, the girls tagged along out of curiosity. The courtyard had a small garden, walkways, and even a fountain. For a city with limited living space, it was a luxurious amount of area. However, Wardes led them away from the fancier areas to a place with open grass, normally reserved for picnics or hosting parties.

"I would like an opportunity to gauge your skills," Wardes informed Ash.

"You mean like a duel?" Ash asked.

Wardes shook his head with an amused smile. "Duels are normally serious affairs. Younger nobles tend to call every fight they get into a duel; a habit which they quickly grow out of once they experience a real duel," he corrected. "I merely want to get a feel for you in a fight. While I was able to observe your performance against the bandits, I wish to see how you fair against a skilled opponent."

"Speaking of the bandits," Louise interjected. "Shouldn't we report where we left them to the guard?"

"Bandits? What bandits?" Kirche asked.

"We were attacked near the base of the mountain path," Wardes informed the two girls who hadn't been there. "Thank you for reminding me, Louise. I will go to the guard immediately after this bout."

"Shouldn't we have informed them already?" Louise questioned.

"We should have," Wardes admitted. "I confess that they slipped my mind. Do not worry though, they stand no chance of escaping their confines."

"True," Louise acknowledged.

"Confines?" Tabitha echoed questioningly.

"Wardes trapped them in Earth Magic to make sure they wouldn't be able to escape," Ash explained. He then looked to the viscount. "I'm always ready for a practice battle."

"Excellent," said Wardes as he placed a hand to the hilt of his blade. "The spar ends when one of us is disarmed, knocked down, or draws blood. Of course, we will be avoiding serious injury since we are using real weapons. Are the terms acceptable?"

Ash nodded, a smile on his face as he readied his grip on Derflinger. Even if this was only spar, Wardes's professionalism made it seem more formal than his "duel" with Guiche.

Wardes turned to Louise. "Louise, my dear, would you mind counting us off?"

"Me?" Louise looked surprised to be asked, but seeing the viscount's encouraging smile, she blushed. "Oh, yes. Of course!"

"Lucky," Kirche complained. "Why is Louise the one having boys fight over her instead of me?"

"They aren't," Tabitha corrected.

"What other reason would men fight if not for the heart of the woman they love?" Kirche asked.

"Bravado. Stupidity. Anything."

"That hurts, Tabitha!" Ash called out.

"But she isn't too far off," Wardes acknowledged. "Louise, I believe we are both ready."

"Right!" In a loud voice, Louise counted, "Three. Two. One. Begin!"

Both fighters exploded in bursts of speed. Wind rippled from their bodies, forcing the grass under their feet to bow away from them. Wardes was surprised that Ash managed to match his pace. While the mage hadn't put his full effort into his Celerity spell, sharp acceleration was difficult to achieve without drawbacks.

The runes on Ash's hand shone brightly as the boy came in swinging with powerful yet coordinated strikes. Every swing seamlessly flowed straight into another with no room for reprieve. Ash was creating a dance of powerful blows at a rhythm that would leave most people flat footed.

Wardes, on the other hand, danced with grace and precision. Every strike Ash made had power and control, but they were also clearly telegraphed. The movement of his body, the focus of his eyes; Ash was full of tells that allowed Wardes to easily stay two steps ahead of him. While the first few exchanges pushed Wardes back due to their unexpected force, the noble quickly adjusted to Ash's style.

Ash made a horizontal swing to Wardes's side. Wardes parried and pressed forward to force Ash into a deadlock. Without the space to swing, neither fighters had the ability to use their swords properly. Additionally, Derflinger was out of position, which left Ash vulnerable.

Moving with his instincts, Ash fell back to create space. But true to his style, even while retreating he stayed on the offensive. He immediately shifted Derflinger into an overhead swing, letting gravity compensate for his lack of space.

The attack was good in concept, but it was also criminally easy to deflect. Wardes took the opportunity to jab at Ash's open side.

With impressive reflexes, Ash spun himself out of the way, and used the turn of his body to make a countering blow with Derflinger.

Which, of course, failed to make contact yet again. Every attack Ash made was dodged or parried, while every counterattack Wardes made forced Ash to readjust his position. The trainer's speed and reflexes—boosted by the runes—were keeping him from getting hit, but only by the narrowest of margins.

"I didn't expect them to both be this good," Kirche commented eagerly. "I can hardly see what they're doing."

"Wardes is the captain of the Griffon Knights, and Ash, while brutish, is naturally talented," Louise said proudly. "I wouldn't expect anything less from them."

"Oh? Do I hear Little Louise getting possessive over her boyfriends?"

"Wardes is my fiancé and Ash is my familiar!"

"I'm not hearing a no~"

"Sh-shut up!"

Wardes was forced to tune out the girls' conversation as Ash's swings became faster and more frantic. It seemed the boy was losing his composure and resorting to brute force. What a pity. His desperation was making him actively resist the runes' automatic assistance to his swordplay.

With his curiosity sated, Wardes suddenly increased his speed and darted to Ash's side, intent on ending the spar in his next move.

"Now, Derflinger!"

"Gotcha, partner!"

Wardes's thrust was barely deflected by Derflinger's parry. Wardes pulled back to capitalize on the sloppy defense, but found that Ash had managed to recover with surprising speed and block again.

No. Wardes realized as Ash once again went on the offense. Ash wasn't moving faster. Rather, Wardes was moving slower.

With renewed reason to continue the spar, the noble went on the defensive as Ash continued to press his attack. Slowly but surely, with every clash, Wardes felt himself become just a little bit slower. A normal mage wouldn't have noticed the difference, but Wardes was not a square class wind mage and captain of the Griffon Knights for nothing.

The next time their blades clashed, Wardes put his full weight into shoving Ash back. Caught off guard by the change in tactics, Ash was forced to backpedal several feet to regain his footing. The two combatants took a moment to catch their breath.

"You're weaking the effect of my Celerity spell," the viscount observed.

"I was hoping you wouldn't notice," Ash admitted.

"It's a clever trick," Wardes acknowledged. "However, when one is experienced enough, they can recognize when something is wrong." He looked openly curious. "You don't seem to be using a spell for this, so how are you doing it?"

"My partner's got nothing to do with this; it's all me!" Derflinger bragged.

"I thought your ability was talking?" Wardes questioned.

"I can do that too. But I also eat magic for hotcakes! Wait, that's not quite right. Make breakfast out of magic? Partner, help me out here. What's that saying supposed to be?"

"I'm not sure how it works, but Derflinger can eat through spells," said Ash in explanation, sliding over the sword's musings. "We haven't had much time to test it, but it seems to work better the longer he's touching the magic."

"So that's why you were trying to force our blades to clash," Wardes realized.

"Guilty as charged," Ash admitted sheepishly.

"C'mon… get back to fighting," Kirche urged. "I didn't come to watch you two talk!"

Tabitha lightly whacked Kirche with her staff. "Rude."

"But I want them to work up a good sweat!" Kirche whined. "Then they'll take off their shirts and it'll get real good."

Louise's face quickly became pink with indignation. "Stop ogling my fiancé and familiar!"

"Don't tell me you don't want to see them shirtless? Muscles glistening with sweat? I definitely want to see what their hiding underneath."

"Stop being a pervert!"

"Shameless," Tabitha chimed in.

Ash sighed. "They'll be at this for a while," he told Wardes.

"Indeed," said Wardes. And it appeared that their duel wouldn't be over quickly either. Wardes suspected that Derflinger's magic eating wasn't the only trick Ash had, and he didn't want to leave anything to chance. The viscount raised his sword. "Ready to resume?"

"Ready when you are," Ash responded with an eager grin.

The two clashed again, putting the distractions behind them. Ash's trump card may have been revealed, but it was still a potent threat. Wardes was forced to give ground to prevent their weapons from constantly clashing. While he had plenty of Willpower to fuel his spell through the draining, the night would be busy. Even for the sake of gathering information, he didn't want to risk tiring himself out too much.

They exchanged a few more blows, but contrary to Wardes's expectations, Ash didn't pull out any new moves to gain an advantage. He was losing, but every time Wardes came close to ending the spar, he managed to barely scrape by.

Given Ash was a novice in swordsmanship and was autopiloting with his runes, Wardes decided to take a gamble to end the charade. He feigned a guarded position and waited for Ash to try to meet his blade. When Derflinger was swung, Wardes accelerated. Ash twirled with his momentum to try to meet the attack, but that left his footing unstable. Wardes ducked low and swept his leg forward. Ash, who had switched to a two-handed grip to better control Derflinger, was unable to catch himself from crashing into the grass.

"I believe that is my win," said Wardes, pausing to wipe a bead of sweat from his brow. If Ash had any other tricks up his sleeve, he probably would have used it at that moment. Which meant Wardes finally had pinned down Ash's skills and potential.

And what a potential it was.

"Aww! It's over already?" Kirche pouted.

"A fight between an experienced fighter usually ends quickly," Tabitha affirmed. She could tell Wardes had drawn out the spar on purpose. The speed he displayed at the beginning of the fight was that of a typical line class Celerity spell. While he had scaled it up over the course of the spar, it was only for a brief moment at the end that he had used the true speed of a square class wind mage. If Wardes had been serious about winning, it would have been over before Ash would have had time to draw Derflinger. Then again, it wouldn't have been much a spar if he had defeated Ash immediately.

After a few moments, Ash lifted his face from the ground. "That was amazing!" he declared as he shot to his feet. "You moved so fast I couldn't even react! Was that a spell? Or some type of fighting technique?"

"A bit of both," Wardes replied, a little perturbed by Ash's cheerful demeanor. The fight was supposed to have been demoralizing, but he seemed even more excited than before. Was the boy secretly a masochist? "I amplified my Celerity spell and took advantage of your lack of awareness. Your reflexes are impressive, but they won't save you when you can't see an attack coming."

"I'll keep that on mind for next time," Ash promised. "Can you show me how you did that last move again? I want to try it!"

Wardes feigned a chuckle. "Maybe later," he deflected. "I have a few errands that I must attend to. Namely, finding the guards and securing us a ship."

"Remember Ash, we aren't here to have fun," Louise said. "We have a mission to do."

"Mission?" Kirche echoed curiously.

Louise's eyes widened as she realized her blunder. "I mean, that is to say… um—" Louise visibly struggled to come up with a believable lie, but couldn't. She looked to Wardes and Ash for help.

Ash shrugged. "I guess we might as well tell them," he said.

"Are you sure they can be trusted?" Wardes asked, fully of aware of the irony of the situation. "They are foreigners, are they not?"

"Tabitha is from Gallia, and Kirche is a barbaric Germanian," said Louise. Rather than offended, Kirche seemed almost giddy by the slight. "However… we can trust them. At least with the general idea of what we're doing."

"I will trust your judgement then, my dear Louise." It was no skin off Wardes's back who Louise trusted, though he would have to watch himself more closely now. The germanian girl didn't look very bright, but the gallian worried him. Her eyes were focused, and unlike the two other girls who spent the spar bickering, Tabitha had been watching the combatants' movements closely. She was observant, which meant he would have to be especially careful around her.

At least, until he could get rid of them.

"Wow, the princess gave you an important mission like this Louise?" Kirche asked in surprise after Louise had finished explaining. "You must be lucky to have two big strong men protecting you."

"I feel like you're making a joke at my height," Ash deadpanned.

"Nonsense," Kirche denied. "You're perfectly cuddle-sized Ashy-kins!" She reached out to hug him, but Ash slipped to the side towards Tabitha.

"Is there something wrong with Kirche?" he whispered to the gallian girl. "She's acting stranger than usual."

"She's interested."

"In what?"

"You."

It took Ash several seconds to process this. Then his brain crashed. "As in…?"

"Obsession. She'll get over it. Eventually."

"Define, 'eventually'."

Tabitha said nothing as she pulled a small book out of her robes and pretended to read it.

"Tabitha? Come on, help me out here."

While the two were having their conversation, Wardes announced, "I will now go out and inform the guard about the miscreants we caught earlier. I'll also look for the first ship we can Albion. The rest of you should stay near the inn to avoid attracting… unnecessary attention." He looked particularly at Kirche as he said this.

Kirche winked in return. "Whatever you say, handsome."

"We'll keep an eye on them," said Louise. She looked to Ash, who was whispering to Tabitha, and felt a stirring of something in her chest. "A very close eye on them."

Ash felt a shiver go down his spine. He turned towards the source, but Louise was no longer looking in his direction.

"Stay safe." Having said his farewell, Wardes drew his sword and flew through the air.

Ash's jaw dropped. "He can fly?" he asked incredulously. "How?"

"What's so special about him flying?" Louise asked. "You've seen Tabitha fly, haven't you?"

"But she's uses a staff," said Ash. "Wardes is using his sword… wait, that's how he uses magic?"

"I thought you realized that when I kept eating his spell," Derflinger piped up.

"Um…"

"Idiot," Louise muttered.

Kirche laughed. "You're so cute when you're flustered," she teased Ash, which made him sheepishly rub the back of his head in response. "Now, I remember seeing some very attractive men around the hotel. I wonder if one of them would be willing to buy me a drink."

"You can't go off on your own," Louise reprimanded the redhead. "Especially not while acting in such an undignified manor."

"Don't worry, I'll bring Ashy-kins with me."

"What?" the boy in question asked.

"Absolutely not!" Louise protested.

"Perfect!" The grin on Kirche's face only grew wider. "Tabitha's not a fan of crowds, so it'll be just you and me!"

"What? Wait, no!"

Kirche ignored Louise's protests as she dragged the smaller girl to the hotel. "You two go enjoy yourselves! Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" she called out.

"Unhand me, you barbarian cow!"

Ash and Tabitha watched with blank expressions on their faces as the two girls disappeared around a corner.

"Should we be worried?" Ash asked.

"Probably not," Tabitha replied. She stuffed her book into her robes. "I'm going to see Sylphid."

"Mind if I come with?"

Tabitha gave a nod after only a moment's pause. "Sylphid likes you."

There were multiple stables lined up, which made Ash wonder how the hotel was able afford so much land in such a tiny city. Thankfully, each building had signs which depicted which type of creature was housed inside, which made it easy for them to find the dragon stables.

"Dragon stables are a lot different from horse stables, huh?" Ash remarked as he and Tabitha stepped inside.

While Ash hadn't been inside horse stables before, he'd seen stables from his world that housed similar Pokemon such as Ponyta and Rapidash. The dragon stables were comparatively larger, and the walls were much thicker, and for good reason. Ash could see places where the walls had been badly scratched and sections that had been replaced entirely.

There was a handler in the stable shoveling stained hay, but he stayed clear of the Ash and Tabitha and focused on doing his job. Dealing with nobles was beyond his paygrade.

"Dragons larger, and more dangerous. Different needs," Tabitha pointed out.

"Makes sense," Ash replied. "But what about griffons?"

"Griffons and dragons are natural enemies," Tabitha informed him. "Instincts stay even when tamed."

Tabitha stepped into Sylphid's stall. Sylphid licked her master's hair, and the girl responded by rubbing the dragon's nose. After Ash stepped inside as well, Sylphid also greeted him eagerly. She nosed around his pockets, and then retreated in disappointment when she realized he didn't have a treat for her.

"Sorry, I'll get you something next time," Ash promised. Sylphid cooed in acceptance. "By the way Tabitha, does that mean Sylphid and Wardes's griffon…?"

Tabitha shook her head in response to Ash's implied question. "Wardes is a Griffon Knight. His familiar is better trained. Sylphid is smart too, and not aggressive."

Sylphid cooed happily.

"That's good to hear," Ash said with relief as he stroked Sylphid's neck. "Having teammates fighting all the time would be bad."

Tabitha looked at Ash curiously. "You think Sylphid is a teammate?" she asked.

"Everyone's a teammate," said Ash. "Whether they're a human, Pokemon, griffon, or dragon. Isn't that right, Sylphid?"

The dragon cooed again, nodding her head.

"See? She gets the idea."

Tabitha looked at Ash in a new light. "I see."

"Hm? You see what?"

"Why Sylphid likes you."

"…Is it my smell?"

Tabitha shrugged. "You are different. Very much so."

"Thanks, I think. That's a compliment, right?"

Tabitha said nothing. She turned from Ash to hide a small smile on her face as she and Sylphid shared a knowing look.


It was evening when Wardes returned with troubling news.

"We can't leave until tomorrow?!" Louise exclaimed.

"Unfortunately," Wardes said with a solemn nod. "Tonight is when Albion will be flying closest to La Rochelle. However, I wasn't able to persuade any of the captains to make an overnight journey. The winds aren't as favorable, they say, and the voyage would be considerably more dangerous."

"Pirates," Tabitha said knowledgeably.

"There are airship pirates?" Ash asked.

"Of course," Louise said, as if it was obvious. "Airships are the fastest vessels that can travel across the continent, and they usually carry large quantities of various cargo. For scoundrels who contribute nothing to society, fleecing even half of a ship's cargo is extremely profitable."

"And with the war in Albion, the skies are even more treacherous," Wardes added. "While I wish we could leave sooner, we shall have to trust the experts on this."

"But wouldn't a daring adventure under the light of the moons be much more exciting?" Kirche suggested.

"Of course you would suggest the idea for such a frivolous reason," Louise scoffed.

"What if Sylphid carried us?" Ash proposed.

Tabitha shook her head. "Too far, and we're too many."

"I did consider that option as well," said Wardes. "However, even with my griffon and Tabitha's dragon, we would still be flying for several hours. Given the time it would take and the altitude we would need to reach, it would be a difficult journey. And that's assuming we don't run into trouble along the way."

"Aw…," Kirche pouted. "I suppose we shall have to wait for tomorrow then." Her pout turned up into a smile. "In that case, we might as well make the night interesting, no?"

"Whatever you're thinking, drop it," Louise warned.

"Actually, take the time to enjoy yourselves," Wardes encouraged them, surprising Louise. "Our ship doesn't leave until noon. We won't have time to see the sights in the morning, so take a load off your mind until then. Remember, once we get to Albion, we won't have any more time to relax."

"Get our reward before the hard work comes? Now you're speaking my language, sir knight," Kirche said cheerfully.

"I'll be turning in early," said Tabitha.

"Me too," Louise voiced. "It's been a long day." She glared at Kirche as she said this. The redhead whistled innocently.

"In that case, shall we head to our room together, my dear?" Wardes suggested.

"Wh-wh-wha?"

Wardes looked surprised. "Did you forget when we registered for the rooms? We arranged for three. One for Kirche and Tabitha, one for Ash, and one for the two of us. We are engaged, after all. It's only natural that we would share a room."

"I mean, well… yes, since we're already engaged… to be married, yes, um…" stammered Louise, a blush furiously flooding over her face.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do~" Kirche said teasingly.

"What's wrong with you two staying in a room together?" Ash asked.

"Th-there's certain implications when a man and a woman rent out a room together!"

"Really? It's pretty normal where I come from."

Kirche snorted as Louise's face quickly changed from pink to red.

"What kind of degenerate place has such debauchery?" the petite girl half-shouted.

Ash tilted his head in confusion. "Pokemon trainers like me usually rent out rooms in Pokemon Centers while traveling," he replied. "There are rooms you can rent that have multiple beds, so a group that's traveling together can share a room."

"There's a big difference from sharing a room and a bed!" Louise protested.

Ash looked even more confused. "But… we do that every night back at the academy," he pointed out questioningly.

"Oh?" Wardes asked, looking to Louise with curiosity.

"It's different!" Louise was waving her arms in borderline panic. "You're my familiar!"

Uncertain how that was relevant, all Ash had to say was, "…I still don't see what the problem is."

Kirche's laughter rang out across the table. "My little Ashy-kins is a smooth operator," she managed to get out between laughs.

Wardes glanced over at Ash, who seemed unaware of the implications he was making. Louise was red-faced in a mix of embarrassment and anger, but no guilt. From their reactions, Wardes could conclude that despite them apparently having shared a bed for several weeks, their relationship was purely platonic.

That was an unusual situation, to say the least, but he should have suspected as much from their interactions. They had gotten dangerously close, but neither had made a move to deepen their relationship. Which meant that as long as he could keep them from growing closer…

Louise would be his.


In the dead of night, Louise was awakened to the noises of splintering wood and clanging steel. She jumped from her bed, nearly crashing into Wardes, who was also on his feet.

"What's going on?" she asked in alarm.

"It is rather a duel that has gotten out of hand, or more likely, our lodging is under attack," Wardes said with practiced calmness. "Do not fear, Louise. I will protect you to the best of my ability."

"Thank you," said Louise with relief. But it was short-lived as a panicked thought entered her mind. "Wait, where are the others?"

"Probably awake by now," said Wardes. "And if they're not, they'll be up soon."

A fist banged on the door. "Louise! Wardes! Wake up! We need to go!"

"We're awake!" Louise called back. She practically flew to the door and flung it open, revealing Ash. "Where are the others?" she asked.

"Right here!" announced Kirche, who was in the hallway finishing the final button of her shirt. Tabitha was right beside her, already dressed and ready to go. "Any chance that this attack is a coincidence?"

"Given how flashy your arrival was, that's probably a no," Wardes replied drily. "We need to get out of here as quickly as possible."

"But the ship doesn't sail until noon," Louise pointed out.

"I may have to pull rank to force them to leave early," Wardes said thoughtfully. "There's no point in subtlety anymore."

"We can leave on Sylphid," said Tabitha.

"We would have to make it to the stables first," said Wardes. "If they saw how we arrived, that would be an obvious place to set a trap."

"We could go out the window and sneak around," Ash suggested. "If I can find out where they're hiding, you or Tabitha could knock them out."

"An admirable plan," said Wardes with a nod. "Let's do it."

The five of them jumped from the window, using Levitate to land on the ground silently. Unfortunately, the next stage of the plan was not to be as smooth.

"Is that a clay golem?" Louise shrieked.

Sure enough, an enormous golem was walking through the streets of La Rochelle, headed straight for the inn. Its composition was identical to the one the group had fought before, but it was considerably larger. Overhanging balconies and edges of buildings were being scratched or ripped off as the lumbering construct's arms swayed with its movements.

"I thought Fouquet was in jail!" Ash exclaimed.

"I thought so too," said Wardes with a troubled frown. "This does not bode well."

"Are you sure its Fouquet?" Louise asked. "Maybe it's another mage that's copying her."

Ash closed his eyes and stretched out his Aura. "No, that's her all right," he confirmed with a grimace. "She's even riding it too."

"Trouble," said Tabitha worriedly.

"We beat her once, we can do it again," said Kirche.

"Yeah!" Ash cheered.

"But our goal isn't to beat Fouquet, it's to get Louise to Albion," Wardes reminded them. "We can't afford to get distracted."

"But we can't leave the bandits and Fouquet alone," said Ash.

Louise groaned. "Why didn't I notice it before? Fouquet is working with the bandits. She's out for revenge!"

"Makes sense," Tabitha said, nodding along. "And a big problem."

"We can't let her get to Louise," Wardes declared. "Ash, do you think you can divert her attention?"

"Are you crazy?" Louise protested. "He can't fight Fouquet on his own!"

"He doesn't need to beat her," Wardes said. "But if Fouquet thinks that you're being protected inside the inn, she won't be able to intercept our escape."

"Makes sense to me," Ash agreed without hesitation. "I can be the decoy."

"I'll help!" Tabitha offered.

"You and Kirche need to secure the inn and our mounts," Wardes told her. "If the inn falls, lives will be lost, and the ruse will be found. And we can't leave our mounts behind either. Once you're finished, my griffon will be able to lead you to me; his sense of smell is second to none."

Louise, however, was still concerned about the most questionable part of the operation. "We can't leave Ash with Fouquet alone!" she protested.

"Don't worry, Louise. I have a plan," Ash said confidently. "I can hold on for at least a few minutes."

Anxiety and uncertainty were clear on Louise's face, but she gulped and nodded. "You are to return to me alive," she commanded firmly. "That's an order."

Ash gave her a salute. "I'll see you in a bit," he promised.

Wardes took Louise by the hand. After giving her a reassuring nod, he picked up Louise in his arms and sprinted towards the port.

"Are you sure you don't want our help?" Kirche asked Ash.

"I would," Ash admitted. "But you have your own jobs to do. Derflinger and I will deal with Fouquet in the meantime. Don't worry about us."

Kirche squealed. "You're so adorable when you're being brave," she gushed. She reached into her cleavage and pulled out her wand. "Let's go Tabitha! It's time for us to play heroes!" She charged towards the front of the inn, immediately firing a spell to attract the bandits' attention.

"Be safe," said Tabitha in a soft voice. "And good luck."

"You too," Ash replied in kind. He watched her fly over to the stables and disappear behind one of the buildings. Ash gave himself a moment to take a deep, readying breath. Then he stood stall and steeled his gaze. "It's time for a rematch."


Ash stood in the empty road. The streets and nearby buildings had been quickly abandoned once people noticed the towering golem strolling through the neighborhood. The Familiar of Zero looked up at the golem's deformed, almost featureless head. Riding on top was the puppet master herself, Fouquet.

"You do have a real plan this time, right, partner?" Derflinger asked. "We don't have magic support to cover us this time, and she already knows our tricks."

"She doesn't know all of them," Ash said confidently. "If we're lucky, we might be able to beat her before Kirche and Tabitha get here."

If a sword could have eyebrows, Derflinger would have raised his. "What's with the surge of confidence all of a sudden?" he asked. "I thought the plan was to run and stall."

"That was before I got a good look at what we were fighting," Ash replied. "Trust me, Derflinger, we've got this."

"…Partner, you're the maddest lad I've met in years. Heck, probably even decades. You know what? If you think we can take this walking mud heap, I'm with you all the way. Let's cut this chump down to size!"

Ash smiled. "Now we're talking."

Fouquet's golem came to a stop a few houses down from where Ash was waiting. "Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Fouquet asked mockingly. "Aren't you supposed to be at school, boy?"

"Aren't you supposed to be in prison?" Ash snarked in return.

"I'm afraid my new manager wants me on the field instead of behind bars." The thief gave a dramatic sigh. "Still, I'm surprised you have the guts to face me without your friends. Are you trying to impress a girl or something?"

"Why would I want to impress any of them?"

Fouquet sighed. "Forget it. Subtlety is wasted on someone as thick as you. Shall we get started?"

"You could always turn yourself in to the authorities," Ash suggested.

"Yes, because I'm dying to be executed for harmless theft," Fouquet said sarcastically. She pointed a finger toward Ash. "Crush him!" she ordered her golem.

The golem was ginormous, dwarfing the houses on either side. Its arms and legs were like thick tree trunks, and its body was far too high off the ground for Ash to reach with Derflinger. At least, from his current position.

As the golem strode forward, Ash charged to meet it. Fouquet had wizened up to Ash's movements, and had the golem smash its fists into the ground to prevent Ash from sliding under it. The trainer reacting quickly, leaping over the resulting shockwave and stabbing Derflinger into the golem's arm.

"Don't think it'll be so easy!" Fouquet sneered.

The golem swung its arm into one of the nearby buildings. Ash easily pried out Derflinger as the clay around the sword lost its magical binding. As the arm came close to the wall, he jumped off the golem, using the momentum to land on the building's roof. With a duck and roll to his feet, he took off in a sprint.

"Where do you think you're going?" Fouquet called out as she commanded her golem to follow. The golem was able to make up for its lack of nimbleness with its long strides, but Ash was always able to stay just out of its reach.

With a flick of her wand, Fouquet levitated a fallen chunk of a building and flung it at Ash's turned back. The boy dodged with uncanny awareness, not even glancing at the projectile as it flew over his shoulder and crashed through the roof of another house.

"Come and get me!" Ash taunted. He slid down the edge of a roof, sending tiles skidding, before leaping to the next one as the golem's hand crashed into the previous building.

"Are you planning to play cat and mouse all night?" Fouquet called out in question.

"I won't have to," Ash retorted.

The trainer leapt from rooftop to rooftop, making the jumps with practiced ease. The golem was able to stay just on his tail, but he always remained just one step out of reach. Fouquet was beginning to doubt that she would ever catch him, until finally, the row buildings came to an end.

Ash's feet skidded to a stop as he looked down at the ground below. The buildings had given way to a public square, which was empty except for a fountain at the center of its paced stone ground. He slowly turned to face Fouquet and her golem, which came to a stop within its arms reach of Ash.

"What are you going to do know, little brat?" Fouquet asked. "You have nowhere left to run."

"I don't need to run," Ash declared. He brought Derflinger in front of him, gripping the sentient sword tightly in both hands. "I'm going to stop you here and now."

"You and what army?" Fouquet scoffed. "Face it, the first time you only bested my golem because of Valliere's ridiculous magic. My second golem took all of your friends to defeat. How do you think you'll be able to beat me now? You're alone, and I'm the strongest I've ever been!"

"I'll have you know that I've gotten stronger too," Ash replied. "Besides, I'm not alone. I have Derflinger right here."

"Damn straight, partner."

"And even though the others aren't by my side now, they are counting on me," Ash declared. "You and your grunts have caused a lot of trouble for the people of this town, and you're not getting away with it this time. So I'll beat you, not just for my sake, but for the sake of my friends, and for anyone else you've hurt!"

"You call them 'friends', but you clearly don't understand what you mean to them," Fouquet scoffed. "They are nobles! Spoiled, entitled, rotten brats who do whatever they want regardless of the consequences! They live and breathe betrayal, deceit, and corruption. Responsibility and loyalty are merely games to them, especially when it comes to commoners. Once they find you worthless, you'll be cast aside like a forgotten pet."

"They are my friends," Ash said firmly. "Louise, Kirche, Tabitha, Guiche, and everyone else. I don't know why you hate them so much, but they're nothing like you've described. They're not perfect, but no one is. I trust them, and as their friend, I'll make sure I stop you to protect them!"

"You're too trusting, you know that?" Fouquet asked. "People like you will be exploited and abandoned. You can't just decide to befriend and protect everyone. Who do you think you are, some kind of hero?"

Ash shrugged. "I wouldn't call myself that. I just like to help out."

"Tsk. I pity you for your naivety."

"I don't need your pity."

"Hey!" Derflinger piped up. "Are two going to fight or discuss philosophy all night?"

Fouquet blinked. "The sword brings up a good point," she said.

"I have a name, y'know! It's Derflinger! Der-Fling-Er!"

"It's unfortunate, but I have to kill you know," Fouquet continued. "Die."

The golem swung its arm through the building Ash was standing. The roof started sliding away, but instead of making a desperate retreat, Ash slid down the falling roof and launched himself at the golem's chest. With both hands he raised Derflinger over his head, and when he neared the golem, he stabbed Derflnger in deep enough so that the sword was buried in earth all the way to the hilt.

"The core's deeper in partner!" Derflinger called out.

"I can't put you in any farther," Ash responded. "How fast can you break it?"

"Not fast enough! Look out!"

Ash had to swing himself upwards to dodge the golem's clumsy attempt to smack him against its chest.

"You really thought that would work?" Fouquet asked skeptically. "I already know your sword has the ability to negate magic. That's why I made sure that this one was big enough to not be pierced that easily.

"Then we'll just have to push deeper!" Ash declared. His eyes flashed blue as he placed his hand against the golem's chest. "Let's try this… Force Palm!"

Aura exploded in a shock wave from Ash's hand, crumbling the golem. Unfortunately, the attack didn't penetrate deep enough. Derflinger was able to slip in a few more inches, but Ash could sense the core was still deeper in. "Of course, this thing is a ground-type, not a rock-type," Ash said in realization.

"Does that make a difference?" Derflinger asked.

"It means fighting-type moves aren't going to be effective enough."

"I still don't know what that means, partner, but do you have a new plan?"

"You should have made a plan long before you decided to stick yourself to a golem," Fouquet commented. With a flick of her wand, the earth around Ash shot out, hitting him in the legs and chest. He managed to keep his grip on Derflinger, but he was still pushed off the golem and sent tumbling many feet to the ground. He landed in a tucked roll before popping to his feet, unscathed.

"Oh, I did make a plan," Ash said triumphantly as he eyed the crater in the golem's chest.

The hole was being repaired, but it was a slow process since Derflinger had drained the magic from the area. The golem was working double shift, trying to restore magic to the dirt so it could then reform the area.

Aura overflowed from Ash's body, coating him in a light blue haze. Eyes shining, he turned his back on the golem and sprinted across the open plaza.

"Oh no you don't!" Fouquet declared. She forced her golem into the square as fast as it could go. She doubted she would be able to catch up, but she couldn't afford to let him go so easily.

Just as Ash reached the fountain in the center of the square, he pivoted on his heel. He held Derflinger like a spear and arched the sword back. The runes on his hands intensified and then went dull as Ash the threw the sword with all his might. "End it, Derflinger!" he shouted.

Fouquet was caught off guard by the brazen move. The golem's large size made it impossible to have the nimbleness to dodge, let alone while running straight into the projectile. She attempted to have it block with its outstretched arms, but Derflinger flew by too quickly. The ancient sword cut deep into the partially repaired hole, sinking all the way into the center of the golem.

Fouquet barely managed to remain steady as the golem suddenly lurched. Its momentum and sudden loss of control sent the construct toppling forward. She dove off of it as far as possible, landing in a roll as the golem shattered against the ground. The shock waves sent her tumbling further. After taking a quick moment to catch her breath, the thief stumbled to her feet, but Ash was already in front of her with Derflinger in hand.

"Transm—" Before she could even finish the word, Ash snatched the wand from her hand. He clenched his fist, shattering the flimsy wood.

"You're done," he declared. "And next time you go to jail, stay in there. Leave my friends alone."

Fouquet stared at the fragments of her wand in disbelief. Then, she laughed. "You beat me. This entire time, you actually had a plan in mind. I was played like a fiddle."

"I improvised most of it," Ash confessed. "The actual plan was pretty simple: get Derflinger to the golem's core, and make sure no one got hurt."

Fouquet raised an eyebrow. "And you're telling me this… why?"

"Um…" Ash looked sheepish. "Well, I'd say you're under arrest. But I don't really have a way to arrest you. I can't make chains come out of the ground."

"Normally, a noble's lapdog would kill a dangerous criminal if they can't capture them," Fouquet said, almost conversationally.

"Are you asking to be killed, lady?" Derflinger asked.

"No one's killing anyone!" Ash shouted. "Just… stay there and wait. Some guards will come, or Tabitha and Kirche."

"Perhaps."

Dense as he was, Ash was able to pick up the hint of subtext in that single word. "What do you mean by that?"

"Did you think that a couple of teenagers would be able to fight an entire mercenary group?" Fouquet scoffed. "You might have outsmarted me, but did you really think my goal was to kill to you? I live to make a money. Your death is extra security, but it doesn't pay on its own."

Ash's eyes widened in retaliation. He picked up Fouquet by the collar of her shirt. "What did you do to Louise?"

"Me? I haven't done nothing," Fouquet said with a sadistic grin. "But while I'm busy with you, who do you think are helping your bratty little friends?"

Ash knew Wardes was escaping with Louise, but his fight with Wardes taught him that combat skills were only good when he could see the threat coming. If there was a trap laid for them, even Wardes's superior fighting ability and Louise's destructive magic may not be enough. Tabitha and Kirche were fighting a visible threat, but that didn't mean that there wasn't an ambush lying in wait for them either. "I trust them to take care of themselves," he said, trying to keep his voice from wavering.

"Really? The Zerbst girl, her fire magic is useless in a populated area. Orleans? She's a very strong mage, but if someone gets closer to her, she's just a frail little girl. And the Valliere? You're little master?" Fouquet chuckled darkly. "She has both of those weaknesses, but far worse. Tell me, do you really think they can handle themselves without their convenient meat shield?"

Worry crept across Ash's features as his grip loosened around Fouquet's shirt. Then his head snapped up as he saw Sylphid diving down towards the courtyard. Tabitha was on the dragon's back, and Wardes's griffon was flying behind them.

"Ash!" Tabitha called out as she landed.

"I'm alright!" Ash called back. "I even caught Fouquet." To the thief he said, "See, she's fine."

"And the others?" Fouquet chuckled. "You might have led me into a trap, but I've led you far away from your 'friends'. You see? Even when I lose, I win."

Fouquet's laughter cut off as water rose out from the fountain and wrapped the criminal's body before freezing her into an icy prison. "Hurry," Tabitha urged Ash, motioning to Wardes's griffon. "Wardes and Louise went to harbor. Kirche still at the inn."

"So we head to the inn and then go find Wardes and Louise?"

Tabitha glanced at the smirking Fouquet, and then looked at the harbor in the distance. "Split up," she advised. "I'll help Kirche. You help Wardes and Louise."

"Are you sure?" Ash asked. "Wardes is a knight, and Kirche is alone right now. It'd also be better to get everyone together."

Tabitha shook her head. "You have mission to Albion," she reminded him. "City guards are already at hotel. Wardes will be trying to get a ship. Join them and leave us to clean up."

"I don't want to abandon anyone."

"Trust us," Tabitha urged. "We'll be fine. The griffon will lead you to his master."

Ash looked conflicted, but after a moment's hesitation, he nodded. If his friends could trust him when he asked them to, then it'd be hypocritical if he couldn't do the same. He stepped up to Wardes's griffon and looked the beast in the eye. "I want to help Wardes and Louise, but I can't do it without you. Mind giving me a ride?"

The griffon stared down at him, and then knelt down so Ash could climb on.

"Thanks," Ash said to the griffon, giving it a pat on the neck before swinging onto its back. As they took off, he called out to Tabitha, "Good luck."

"You too," Tabitha called back sincerely. "Sylphid, hurry."

"Kyou!" the dragon chirped.

Fouquet waited until the two were far away before making her next move. Before being frozen, she had made sure to stretch her hand into a slip in her robe. Her fingers were only barely brushing the wood of her back up wand, but it was enough. The stone beneath her shifted, and an animated hand of paved stones reached up and shattered her icy prison. The thief stepped out of the frozen shards and turned her gaze to the two flying dots in the horizon. Instead of a confident smirk, her face now carried a genuine smile.

"Good luck, Ash," Fouquet said softly. "You're going to need it."


The harbor was surprisingly busy given how late it was at night. Some sailors were enjoying a smoke out on the docks. Others were loading late night cargo or doing last minute checks on their ships.

Wardes set Louise down when they entered, but still held tight to her hand until he reached the ship he was looking for. "Wait here," Wardes instructed Louise. "The captain of this ship has strong loyalty to the crown. I'll pull rank and see if he'll take us aboard."

"But what about the others?"

"We can search for them before we take off," said Wardes. "But if we don't secure a ship now, we could be stuck here. Stay out of sight; I'll be back shortly."

Louise stayed ducked behind the large crates. She noticed a few of the sailors glance in her direction, but they quickly turned the other way. While Louise didn't understand why, she was relieved that she didn't have to deal with unruly ruffians.

As Louise waited, she noticed a growing commotion coming from the entrance to the port. Wardes arrived quickly, a tense expression on his face.

"I've convinced that captain to leave early," Wardes gave the good news first. "However, we'll be taking off very quickly. Within minutes if we can."

"Minutes?" Louise echoed. "We can't leave now! What about Ash, Tabitha… and Kirche?"

"We don't have a choice," said Wardes. "The entire city is going to be lockdown due to the attack. And we don't know if the assailants have been caught yet. The longer we stay, the less likely we'll make it to Albion at all."

"But we still can't abandon them!"

"Louise," Wardes said seriously, gripping her shoulders. "I understand your feelings. I've had those same thoughts when I've left my men in dangerous areas while on duty. However, you are the most important person here. My responsibility is to escort you to Albion even if it costs me my life, and I will not fail in my duty."

"But…"

"Trust them," said Wardes. "Your classmates are talented mages, are they not? And your familiar certainly is as stubborn as you are. Do you think he'd falter when it comes to your safety?"

"No," Louise admitted. "He'd be a bull-head about it."

"They are risking their lives to ensure that you get to Albion safely," said Wardes. "You cannot waste the opportunity they have given you. Once they see our ship set off, they'll be able to retreat. Remember, they have a wind dragon and my griffon with them. Their escape is guaranteed, but only as long as they know that you are safe first."

Louise looked downcast, but slowly nodded. "They've done so much to get me this far, I can't afford to hesitate now," she said in resolve. She looked up at Wardes, determination burning in her eyes. "Let's go to Albion."

Wardes bowed and motioned to the ship. "After you, my dear."

The ship they boarded wasn't large or fancy, but it looked decently clean. The crew were running about readying for the emergency departure. As the ship started to leave the port, Louise gave one last look at the mountain city. She couldn't see any commotion in the dim light of the moons, so she could only pray that the others were safe. Even Kirche, the annoying bimbo.

"Come, Louise," said Wardes comfortingly. "We should get some sleep. Tomorrow we'll be in Albion, and we'll need our wits about us."

"…You're right."

Wardes put an arm comfortingly around her shoulder as he led her to the deck ladder, but then a commotion sounded by the crew.

"We have incoming!"

Wardes drew his blade and forced Louise behind him. "Get below decks," he ordered. "I'll handle this."

Louise drew her wand and shook her head. "I'm tired of letting everyone else fight for me!" she declared. "If some cretin wants me, I'll give him a piece of my mind!"

Wardes was surprised by Louise's brazenness. She had always been headstrong, but never to this extent. The boy's influence really had made his job harder. "At least stay behind me," he conceded, not wanting to press the issue.

The ship's crew drew their weapons as a familiar Griffon flew up over the side of the ship and landed on the deck. "Louise? Wardes?" its rider called.

Wardes's jaw dropped.

"Ash?" Louise said in disbelief. "H-how did you get here? I thought you were fighting Fouquet!"

"I was. I finished and got here as fast as I could. This guy did a good job of finding you," Ash said as he stroked the griffon's neck. The beast remained standing dignified, but it was clearly very comfortable with Ash's petting.

"Is he with you lot?" the captain of the ship asked Wardes.

"He is," Wardes managed to get out though his shock.

The crew let out a sigh of relief as they put down their weapons.

"Did you say that you 'finished' Fouquet?" Wardes asked. He couldn't see Ash as someone to kill his opponent without a second thought.

"Well, I finished fighting her," Ash clarified. "I had to wait on Tabitha to trap her in ice before I could leave. I didn't want to take the risk of her escaping again."

"Ash, what about Tabitha and Kirche?" Louise asked.

Ash slid off the griffon, who gave him a friendly chirp, before he walked to Louise's side. "Tabitha went to help Kirche at the inn. Fouquet was trying to distract me from coming back, so we figured it would be best to split up our reinforcements just in case."

"It's a good thing we left early then," said Wardes with an exaggerated sigh of relief. "We could have been minutes away from an attack if we had stayed on the ground."

"Attack?" the captain asked. "Who the bloody blazes would attack Tristan nobility?"

"Someone with a grudge, apparently," said Ash. "I hope she decides to stay in prison this time. I'd rather not have another international criminal chasing me across the world."

"Ash."

The trainer turned to Louise. "Yes?"

"Thank you," she said softly. "For coming back."

"I promised I would, didn't I?" Ash replied with an easy grin. "I don't break my promises that easily. Especially ones I make to my friends."

Wardes watched Ash with a cold expression as Louise started to blush. Just when he thought he had the boy pegged, the brat managed to one-up him once again. He shouldn't have been able to defeat Fouquet so easily. Wardes briefly considered if Fouquet threw the fight, but that didn't make sense. She wanted revenge too, and she knew the consequences of betraying him. A cell in Tristan would be the least of her worries.

On top of that, the boy had managed to find them by riding Wardes's griffon. Griffons were incredibly proud creatures that were near impossible to handle outside of a familiar contract. Even though the boy said he was used to taming magical creatures, it should have taken a lot more effort to ride his familiar.

Who was Ash Ketchum?

How did he manage to continuously defy Wardes's expectations?

What was the best way to dispose of him?


Well, that was a long Hiatus. I didn't mean to disappear from the internet, but things happen. Classes got busy, deadlines were looming, and I decided that my writing was not going the way I wanted. I originally planned to take a Hiatus for March, but I ended up taking February and April off too. I never stopped writing, but the break from uploading was a big help. I needed more time polish chapters, plan future events, and brainstorm new ideas.

To prevent myself from being driven to the brink with deadlines again, I'm setting myself at a minimum of 2 uploads a month as opposed to 3. While I can write fast enough to do 3 a month, the quality wasn't what I'd like, and I didn't have time to be as creative as I wanted to be. Hopefully now I'll be able to continue this pace for another year or two before I have to take another break.

I do most of my Announcements/Updates on Spacebattles if you want to follow me there. I also have a Ko-Fi if you want to support me financially. Every bit counts. I can't link anything due to FFN restrictions, but I'm RainEStar3 here and everywhere else that matters.

And because it's been awhile, here's an update on how all my stories are going:

Stitch – Chapter 2 needs final editing. Chapter 3 being brainstormed.

Tobias – Chapter 8 done. Chapter 9 being edited. Chapter 10 partially rough drafted.

Ash – Chapter 15 being edited. Chapter 16 partially rough draft. Chapter 17 being brainstormed.

Iroh – Chapter 5 needs final editing. Chapter 6 being brainstormed.

Gilgamesh – Chapter 4 being edited. Chapter 5 being brainstormed.

Aang – Chapter 7 rough draft finished. Chapter 8 being brainstormed.

Star Wars (New) – May the 4th be with you.

Maple – Chapter 4 needs final editing

There are some others I'm working on, but I decided I'm going to finish the stories I already have before uploading anything beside one-shots.

Finally, let's talk about the chapter:

As I did the research for this chapter, I came to the conclusion that Wardes is a control freak. I always knew he was manipulative, but wow, he really hates not being the only one pulling strings. Ash will continue to be a thorn in his side, which is great, because that means Wardes is more likely to push for an overt tactic, which means more action for the arc!

Speaking of arcs, Fouquet will be getting her redemption arc. It'll be slow though, since she's found herself entangled in the dark side. For people who read the light novel or read fanfiction based on it, you'll have a better idea of what's going on in Fouquet's mind. The anime unfortunately didn't make use of her backstory. But this is why I mix and match from various sources to get the best of both worlds.

As for Ash defeating Fouquet, some of you may be surprised, others maybe not. When I first drafted the scene, I realized that Ash had the skills and tactics needed to defeat the golem. I did like... three versions, but they all panned out roughly the same way. He can beat the golem as long as Derflinger reaches the core, and he has multiple ways of accomplishing that. Creating a weak point and scoring a critical hit was a tactic he's used multiple times, so I went with that. Fouquet might be more dangerous than Ash, but he had the perfect counter to her strategy.

And other character building stuff happened. Yay, character interaction! Harem Building! Friendship! Wait, one of those don't belong.

Leave a review! I love hearing from you guys! Also, thanks to the people who were checking in on me during my impromptu hiatus. Next time I'll set up my break better so no one thinks I'm dead (XD). Like always, reviews are food for a writer's soul!