The foyer, once hosting a delightful party for nobles, had soon turned into a relentless desert of blowing winds. The stage was torn to pieces, ripped from the ground, and tossed through the currents threatening to fly off and smack some unfortunate soul caught in the crossfire. The food and beverages scattered into the sandstorm, blending into a disgusting mush mixed with ruined silverware.

Basil clung to the walls and braced himself against the sandstorm as it picked up speed. The individual sand particles in the air scraped along his skin and eroded his uniform bit by bit. Despite this, he smiled through the high winds, taunting his airborne opponent as she hovered with the center of the sand.

Ignacia scowled. "You're becoming a real pain in the ass, Forester."

Basil laughed. "If I had a silver coin for every time I've heard that, I'd be swimming in luxury."

"Then two gold pieces shall be placed atop your eyes." Ignacia sliced the air, sending forth blades of hot sand.

Basil kicked off the wall and submitted himself to the winds as they carried him out of range. He snapped his fingers and used an explosion to propel himself deeper into the sandstorm. Purple smoke seeped from his mouth and dispersed through the currents.

"You're quite the difficult opponent, my dear," Basil said. "Someone with such beautiful mastery over the winds, combined with the crippling power of sand, has me at their mercy." His lips stretched into a smirk. "Too bad I've accounted for all possible disadvantages."

With a click of his fingers, multiple explosions went off into the sandstorm. Ignacia braced herself against the close-range blasts as several explosions went off in chains around her.

How is he setting off all these explosions? I don't see any bombs. She glared through her arms. No. There's something volatile in the air. These aren't just miniature bombs. He's spreading some sort of vapor into the air. That purple smoke of his must be flammable, or worse.

With a beat of her wings, the sand pushed away from her and blew the incendiary flames away from her. She took a deep breath and clanged her swords together. "Sand Tomb!" Sand collected around the blades. She reared her arms back and swung a torrent of sand straight down.

It struck the floor and caused the sand littered over it to rise up into a thick cyclone. Basil quickly snapped his fingers and propelled himself higher up. The Sand Tomb nearly caught his foot.

"Impressive~," Basil said. "Your boss trained you well."

Ignacia sheathed her swords and clapped her hands. "Red Sun Desert!"

As Basil found his footing on the ceiling, he felt a sweat forming on his brow. He watched as the sandstorm started taking on a red hue. It resembled a scattering of embers dancing along the winds. The sand gathering on the floor started to heat up as well, resembling molten earth. Scattered tables caught fire, and anything metal warped and melted into bubbling puddles.

Basil gritted his teeth into a tight smirk. "Of course…"

Ignacia fluttered to his level, looking significantly better than him. "You Fire-Types have such a strange relationship with the earth. Most of you can survive intense heat, yet it seems even hot earth has its ways to undo that indominable will. You can probably survive the high temperatures, but I doubt your willpower will win a war of attrition against the force of my storm."

He laughed. "You are a monster…"

"It's just business. Sand Tomb!" She clenched her fist and sent forth thick streams of hot sand at Basil.

He kicked off the ceiling, narrowly dodging the sand, and exhaled a thick vapor of purple smoke. However, before it could spread through the storm, Ignacia beat her wings and blew the smoke back into Basil's face. The high winds carried him faster down than he expected and sent him careening toward the hot floor.

"Flame Burst!" Basil snapped his fingers and ignited the smoke around him. The explosion caused a shockwave that blew open a safe spot on the floor he could land on. His uniform, however, was incinerated to ashes from the blast, leaving him in his pants only.

Ignacia hovered over him as he picked himself up. "What is your game, Forester?"

Basil coughed a little smoke as he stood up. He grinned and said, "The game would be no fun if I told everyone how to play. It's not my fault no one's smart enough to see what moves I'm making."

"Tch." Ignacia drew her swords. "You're a cocky little lizard. A shame I'll have to kill you."

Basil bowed to her. "I would hate for anything to happen to you, too, my dear. It'd be wrong to attempt such an atrocity on one with such much potential."

"What are you blathering about?"

"You have your mission, and I have my agenda." Basil lifted his hand. "So, I am calling curtains on this performance."

"Your little explosion trick won't save you."

He chuckled. "I never perform without a few tricks to wow the crowd." His grin stretched. "Bang."

With a flick of his finger, something fired from his hand like a gunshot and pierced through the sand. Ignacia, on instinct, dodged the shot, but barely. It grazed her cheek and drew a thin line of blood.

"A bullet?" she mumbled.

"Bang, bang."

Multiple bullet-shaped projectiles fired from his hand. Ignacia curled herself up and increased the density of the sand around her, shielding herself into a spinning ball of sand. The high speed currents deflected the shots and sent them off course into the walls and ceiling. Some nearly penetrated through and nailed her, but the currents were able to veer them away without further injury.

When Ignacia dropped the sand shield, there was no Salandit in sight. She searched the ground until a sharp whistle drew her attention to the high windows. Basil leaned against the glass and waved mockingly down on her.

"Catch me if you can~." He snapped his fingers, blew out the glass behind him, and jumped out of the castle.

Ignacia growled. "That bastard." She cancelled her sandstorm and flew after him. "I better get paid extra for this, Dad!"

The rumbling seemed to lessen outside the bunker, yet the two royal families could still feel vibrations through the castle. The younger princes and princesses stayed close to their mothers, trembling against them. The rest could only watch the ceiling in anticipation of what force was turning the castle into a makeshift battlefield.

Gilbert gritted his teeth. "If they keep at this, there will not be a castle left."

"Are we going to lose our home?" Teri asked, hugging her father.

He patted her head. "I am sure it will not go that far." He glared at the ceiling. "Just what is that bounty hunter doing up there?"

Erasmus' ears twitched. "I do not hear anymore sand flowing above us. I do not think she is in the castle anymore."

"Then what is causing all this shaking?" Kaolin asked. "Is Stormbreaker trying to bring the entire building on top of our heads?"

Cairo growled. "Worst of all, Dimitri is still up there. Do you think Rikmai and the others found him?"

"Too early to tell," Galen said. "Dimitri is smart, though. He likely already vacated the castle when he heard the commotion." He glared at the Tetrarchs. "They do not seem awfully concerned over Darby," he whispered.

Cairo shrugged. "They did say his guards likely teleported him away."

Constance pressed her paws together as she trembled. "Please be alright, my child. I cannot bear the thought of losing you."

Erasmus glared. The fighting was wearing on his nerves, and the unfortunate departure of Adenine was still fresh in his mind. He wasn't sure how to cope with the swirl of emotions in his head. Should he feel sad? Angry? Confused? What was he to do besides sit around and wait for one of his knights to locate Adenine? Or what of the fate of his brother?

"…I cannot sit here." Erasmus suddenly jumped off his haunches and raced up the bunker ladder.

Constance gasped. "Erasmus! What are you—"

"I will feel better knowing Dimitri is safe with my own eyes! I shall find him myself!"

"Erasmus!" Gilbert yelled. "Get back down here this instant!"

Erasmus ignored his demands and pushed the bunker hatch open. Gilbert tried to follow after his son, but Wilkin grabbed his shoulders and restrained him. They watched the hatch close shut on the bunker.

The Houndoom turned around and snarled at Wilkin. "What are you doing?!"

"Your boy is clearly agitated sitting around down here." The Empoleon crossed his wings and scoffed. "I say there is nothing wrong with giving him a little freedom. Besides, if it will quell his mind, best to let him search for his brother by himself. If he cannot handle a few measly Foresters, he has no right to call himself the future king."

Gilbert backed off, but suppressed a growl in his throat. "What kind of father would I be if I allowed my son to put himself in danger?"

"By all means, follow him if it will put you at ease. He is worried about Dimitri, too. Trust that the boy can take care of himself."

Gilbert and Constance shared a worried look with each other before turning their gazes to the bunker ladder. Both were hesitant to climb up and brave the devastation going on above ground.

"Erasmus…" Constance mumbled.

"W-Wait, stop! Hold on!"

Dimitri's pleas for reason fell on deaf ears as Leon, now consumed in a sudden blind rage, chased the prince through the halls of the castle. They had since vacated the sandy battleground in the foyer, which sounded as if it had stopped sometime ago, though it hardly made Dimitri's situation any less terrifying.

"Stay still and accept your sins!" Leon roared. "Body Press!" With his shield, he threw himself at Dimitri.

The Glameow narrowly dodged him and watched as he crashed into the wall, easily breaking the stone. Dimitri raised his paws and said, "L-Look, I helped your Forester friends escape. Just leave me alone and—"

"Just like how you left my home alone?!" Leon pulled himself up and charged again, swinging his shield like a blunt weapon. "Do you have any idea what I lost because of the likes of you?! You Talbots, who swore to protect your people from outsiders, failed to keep a whole town safe!"

"What are you—WHOA!" Dimitri ducked his shield, which smashed through a hall table and vase. He bounced back onto his paws and backed away at a steady speed. "I do not know what you are talking about."

"LIAR!" Leon jumped and nearly slammed his shield down on Dimitri's neck had he not jumped back.

"I am serious! The Talbot family has always done its best to protect those in need. We would never—"

"Then why did my town suffer? Why did my family have to die?!" Leon kicked off with his hindlegs and managed to land a Body Press into Dimitri.

"GAH!" The prince skipped off the floor and slammed into the wall at the end of the hallway.

Leon panted heavily with fury cooking in his eyes. His legs trembled, his shield trembled against his side, and the signs of tears peeked through his half-mask. Dimitri struggled to pick himself up and gazed upon the snarling Aron with a mix of fear and confusion.

"What is it you want from me?" Dimitri asked.

Leon closed his eyes and scoffed. "You know, I used to look up to the Senbo Kingdom. They were the pinnacle of technological advancement, and I felt like I was honored to be born into such a prosperous kingdom. My father, he helped forge the weapons you made to protect this kingdom. He was as loyal as they come, and I followed his example. I wanted to become an accomplished blacksmith, and some part of me would've taken pride becoming an honorary knight. I truly believed you cared about us."

His face twisted into a scowl. "So why? Why is it that in our hour of need, you decided to overlook the little people and forget us while our homes went down in flames? Over three years ago, when we needed you most, you abandoned us to the wastes?!"

Dimitri frowned. "Seriously, what are you talking about?"

Leon growled. Having had enough, he pulled off his half-mask and threw it aside. "Look at my face! Look at it!" He pointed at the left side of his face, the horribly warped metal that looked like it was frozen in time, melting and distorting. Even little scraps of cooled metal oozed over his eye. "THIS! This is the proof of your incompetence as leaders!"

Dimitri's eyes widened. "What…happened to you?"

"I survived. That's what happened. I could've died in that fire with the lie that the Senbo Knights would protect us. I could've died with some comfort knowing you were there, even if a lie. But no, I survived, and I learned the truth. You left my town almost completely defenseless, and we suffered a raid by Freaks! Everything burned! My parents died in that disaster! I watched them die as I was clinging to life!"

"I…I…"

"Do you DARE pretend my town didn't matter? Was it just some plot to get rid of us? Are you truly that selfish like the rest of Virdis' royal families?!" He stomped his foot down. "What do you have to say for yourself? What do you have to say to the hundreds of voices that died and lost their homes in Boldvale?!"

"I…I…" Dimitri's eyes widened. "Boldvale? You are from…Boldvale?"

"Finally catching on?"

Dimitri frowned. "You…!" He gritted his teeth. "Please, just hear me out—"

"You dare try and justify what happened to everyone?! You don't deserve to speak! Your family is stained with blood and deserves to die for everything you've done!"

"Please, listen!" Dimitri snapped. "I am terribly sorry about what happened to your town, but there has been a mistake! I…I do not know how to explain this, but—"

"What did I just say?!" Leon blitzed at Dimitri before he could get the chance to move and tackled him into the wall.

"GAAAAH!" Dimitri collapsed to the floor and clutched his chest. Leon stomped on his bruised ribs, agitating the injury. "AAAAHHHHH!"

"You scumbag royals. Always trying to talk your way out of justice. You deserve to suffer for every dying scream on that night! Every wail of sorrow for those who watched their loved ones die!" He pressed his paw down harder on the cat's chest.

"AAAAHHHHH!" Dimitri grabbed Leon's leg and tried to push most of the pressure off. "I…please, I cannot justify the lack of knights guarding your village, but please…listen! We did not order your village to be burned down—"

"LIAR!" He stomped down on Dimitri, causing him to scream even louder. "I have been waiting years to finally have this moment. I do not care who ordered the hit. Your family will suffer for this."

Dimitri glared with tears streaking down his face. "Even my brothers? Even my little sister?" All he got out of Leon was a growl as he pushed his foot down harder on his chest. "Agh…! If that is how you feel, then I do not feel guilty for doing this!"

Dimitri activated Night Slash and clawed across Leon's face. The Aron recoiled in pain and covered his stinging face. Dimitri rolled onto his paws and hurriedly limped away. No reasoning with him. I need to find the bunker!

Leon shook his head and growled as Dimitri escaped around a corner. He picked up his half-mask and strapped it back onto his face. He slid his shield back on his back and pursued after the fleeing Talbot. "I've waited too long for this day, and I will not let you get away!"

"Let the hunt commence!" With a proud howl to the sky, Hedwig lunged at Steinar claws first.

Steinar guarded his face and braced himself as she brought her claws down on his arms. They grazed against his tough skin, allowing him to repel her with a simple thrust. She flipped through the air and landed on all fours before lunging again. Exposing her sharp teeth, she went straight for the neck. She passed through his second guard and struck her mark.

"Gah!" Steinar grabbed her waist and pulled her off. He felt her teeth dig into his neck as he pulled her away, assaulting his ears with a nasty screening of bone and stone. "Get. Off!" He tossed the wild Pokémon away. "Stone Edge!" He stomped the ground and sent forth a wave of rising spires.

Hedwig caught herself on the ground and saw the spires charging toward her. Rather than dodge, however, she stood up and spread her arms to them. "Come!" The spires crashed into her. She anchored her feet down and endured the full force of the Stone Edge as more spires fired out of the ground and struck. A red aura outlined her body and increased in intensity the more spires struck her.

"Drill Run!" Steinar sprinted around the spires and lunged at Hedwig with his horn and whole body spinning in unison.

Hedwig punched through the stones and opened herself up to the approaching rhino. "Give it to me!" She braced herself as Steinar struck her chest. She buried her feet through the ground and steeled her against the rhino's forward momentum. She clenched her fist and reared it back. "Counter!"

She swung and landed a powerful punch into Steinar's side. The blow knocked him out of his rotation and sent him spiraling down the street, smashing through his own Stone Edge and crashing through a building.

Steinar collapsed onto his feet, trembling as he tried to stay upright. He winced and grabbed his side. He felt cracks in his skin, and a brief wave of nausea hit him. He felt like he was a moment away from passing out, but he stayed strong. He put pressure on his right leg to keep himself still and glared at the growling Lycanroc.

I can't take too many hits like that.

Hedwig howled and charged at the rhino, salivating through her teeth. "I crave blood!" She kicked off the ground and launched herself through the air with the grace of an angry Mankey. "I will dine on your flesh!"

Steinar pulled his arm back and lit it up with energy. "Hammer Arm!" He swung with a heavy punch and bashed his fist into the airborne wolf's stomach. Hedwig gasped out and briefly went limp. Steinar spun himself with the wolf still pressed into his fist and smashed her into the ground. "Stone Edge!"

With a quick stomp, sharps spires jettisoned from below Hedwig and sent her flying into the air. Steinar watched her fly with some relief, but gasped as she started flailing halfway up her ascent.

"I am no cowardly Mandibuzz who scavenges from the sky!" Hedwig dove with her claws forward. "I am a Lycanroc, predator of the earth!"

"Drill Run!" Steinar spun on his foot and lit up his horn.

Hedwig punched directly onto the point of Steinar's horn in a brief clash. The friction scraped away through her fur and caused blood to spray, but she paid no mind as her body lit up again. "Counter!"

"Dig!"

As Hedwig readied to bring both her fists down on him, Steinar fell back and disappeared into the ground. Hedwig punched the ground and sent a shockwave that ripped the street open, even shaking the surrounding buildings. She flipped back onto her feet and sniffed the hole her prey retreated into.

"You can't run, and you can't hide!" she yelled. "You weak prey! Cowering beneath the earth and escaping your fate! I will enjoy gnawing on your arm as I tear it from your shoulder—WAH!" She staggered as the street started to shake. "What trickery is this?!"

She looked around and saw the earth around her rotating at a single point. The mass of vibrations tore the street apart and spun it like it was trapped on the surface of a whirlpool. Hedwig stumbled amidst the spinning and fell on her back. She watched the surrounding houses shake with cracks running up their bodies.

"Domain of Gravel!" she heard beneath the vortex.

She growled and started violently punching through the crumbling earth. "You try to scare me with dirt? I eat dirt! I will eat you!"

"Drill Run!"

Her eyes widened as the ground burst open beneath her. Steinar drilled into her stomach and carried her up into the air, ripping through her uniform and exposing her stomach. Once they were above the buildings, he stopped spinning and raised his arm over her.

"Hammer Arm!"

He cracked his fist down on her head and spiked her back into the loosened earth. She crashed straight through with a mountain of tar and rock burying on top of her. Steinar landed just outside the affected area, massaging his arm. He watched as the top layer of earth shook from what was likely wild flailing, but eventually the earth went still.

He sighed in relief and backed away. "Crazy kid. Where do the Foresters find these guys?" He turned and glared into the distance. "Let's see, the rest of them went that way. I think Otis went on ahead, but better to catch up before he—"

"RAAAAAWR!"

Steinar turned with a gasp as Hedwig jumped out of the pit of gravel. "What the hell?!"

"You aren't dead yet!" Hedwig launched at him, swinging her claws with not coordination to speak of.

Steinar raised his arms again, but Hedwig managed a surprise uppercut through his arms and decked him in the chin. He staggered while she grabbed hold of his head and started bashing her skull into his repeatedly. She howled and laughed through her repeated headbutts, even as blood started dripping down her face.

"Crazy bitch!" Steinar swatted her off with a Hammer Arm and backed away.

Hedwig landed on all fours and howled to the sky. Her fur stood on end as a red aura started forming around her, but it wasn't like when she used Counter. This aura was much fiercer, like flames billowing around her body. The tatters of her uniform defied gravity and levitated like her fur.

"Wild Hunting Style!"

"Wild—what?!"

Hedwig broke into a powerful sprint that shattered the street behind her. The way she moved, with her tongue flying out from her mouth to the crazy look of hunger, resembled a wild animal who hadn't eaten in months. There was no proper form to her running, simply moving one leg forward just as soon as it swung back. Horrible, disgusting grunts escaped her open mouth. It sounded like panting, the kind you hear from someone salivating over a well-prepared steak that is just out of reach. It was so off-putting to Steinar, to see a Pokémon acting like their savage ancestors. For a moment, for a brief moment as he tried to prepare himself to fight back…

He was terrified.

Hedwig pounced once she was close and flailed all four limbs at Steinar as she descended on him. He immediately countered with Hammer Arm and punched her stomach, but her frenzied movements allowed her to roll with the punch. She clambered atop his arm and started digging into it with her claws. The speed at which she moved her arms was almost lightning fast, tearing pieces of stone flesh out in seconds.

"AAAHHH!" Steinar bashed her across the head and knocked her away. "Stone Edge!" He sent out another wave of spires.

Hedwig bounced off her back and scrambled back onto her paws with erratic flailing. She roared at the approaching stones and lunged at them. She swung all four legs and thrashed her way through the Stone Edge, tearing open a path straight back to Steinar, who was now running away from the rampaging wolf.

"What is WRONG with this chick?!" he yelled.

He fired off Stone Edges, one after the other. He didn't care where he was aiming, only hoping one of them struck the wild Lycanroc and put her down. Hedwig moved too swiftly for the rocks, however. She jumped off building walls or climbed atop the Stone Edge itself, jumping to another spire when her path was destroyed. Her movement couldn't be stalled or interrupted. Whatever path stood before her, she either smashed through or blitzed around it.

Steinar quickly held his hands together and concentrated. Particles of earth flowed out from the holes in his hands and collected together, growing into a large boulder with an orange aura shining around it. He braced himself as Hedwig finished escaping the gauntlet of stone and lunged at Steinar.

"Rock Wrecker!"

He blasted the rock blank point into Hedwig. Wolf and boulder pushed against one another until the colliding auras release a blast all around them. Steinar braced himself as he was showered in a curtain of dust.

Streaks of lightning and dark energy danced off their swords as the thief and prince clashed through Castle Talbot. Jason flipped and bounced around the hallway, dodging the shockwaves produced through Darby's swings. Even the gentlest scrape against the wall eradicated it like it was made out of dust. It was a sword filled with a vile power, matching its user perfectly.

"Too scared to face me, Fairy Knight?" Darby taunted. He sliced the wall and ripped it apart.

Jason jumped back onto the floor, dodging the shockwave, and sprinted into the prince with Quick Attack. He leaped and brought his sword down onto Darby's, entering a brief stalemate as they glared each other down. It didn't hold for long as the power in Darby's sword repelled the spry Pikachu.

"All that skill is pointless if you can't match blows with me," Darby said. "You think I have guards to keep me safe? They are just to make sure I do not go around killing anyone who misses me off, including annoying electric rats like you! Agility!" He boosted his speed again and raced toward the Pikachu.

Jason gripped his hilt with both hands and waited. Right as Darby swung, he angled his blade and parried him. He winced from the vibrations trembling from the blade to his arm. If he hits my sword at full force, it'll break. All I can do is strike first or parry. It's enough of a struggle deflecting those hits.

"You know, it is not as fun to taunt someone if they do not talk!" Darby swung for the neck, but Jason ducked back, feeling the breeze whipping the fur on his chin. "Where is the witty retorts? Have some fun before I kill you."

He swung down on the mouse, but Jason deflected his strike into the floor and smacked the butt of his sword into Darby's face. With the prince staggered, Jason swung the blunt side of his sword across his face, nicking him with the edge.

Darby touched his face, feeling the blood drip onto his wing, and snarled. "Is it so wrong that I wanted what was rightfully mine?!" He took his sword in both wings and went at Jason swinging. "All the women in this damned region, and I ended up falling for the one so easily molded by my charm. I had to play nice, but the one chance I had to get my precious Melissa back, you take her away from me!"

Jason sidestepped his swings, grimacing from the harsh energy trailing off. He pivoted off his heel, dodging another strike, and slammed his elbow into Darby's neck. The prince stumbled, but stayed strong as he came back with a swing. Jason dodged, but was shocked to see a pressure wave fly off the blade. The force alone punched a hole through the ceiling.

"What is the point of being royalty if I am not allowed what I want?" Darby pointed his sword at Jason. "One day, I will rule this region the way I wish, and I am spending my last precious years as a simple prince to live a life of indulgence. Who cares who has to suffer? I am a Tetrarch, and all else are peasants who should bow to their king."

Jason scowled. "I yield to no king."

"Then you will die as a heathen."

They tensed their leg muscles and kicked off. They ran past each other, their swords echoing through their brief collision. They spun around and clashed blades. The atmosphere crackled with lightning and darkness as the two growled through gritted teeth.

"I do so wonder if Sir Artur is smiling down upon me," Darby growled as he pushed back on Jason's sword. "He must be grateful that I stand before his killer ready to cleave his head from his shoulders—"

"Do you ever shut up?!" Jason twisted his wrist and fired his cable into Darby's right eye.

"AAAHHH!" Darby eased up and covered his eye. "You insolent devil—ACK!" Jason hammered his fist against the prince's throat. He stumbled back, dropped to his knee, and grasped his throat. "Agh…gah…"

Jason scoffed. "It's that kind of talk that pisses me off the most." He grabbed Darby's head and slammed his face into the floor. "You don't care about your subjects. All you care about is satisfying your sins. The only reason you're not dead yet is because I want to make this last."

Darby tilted his head and growled. "Y-You…!" He gripped his sword and swung.

Jason dodged and jumped back. Darby pulled himself up, snarling, and thrusted his sword, firing pressure waves of dark aura. Jason used Agility and nimbly dodged the attacks as they punched holes through the castle.

"H-Hold…still!" Darby put extra force into his next thrust, firing off a larger strike.

Jason, with electricity lighting up his fur, struck the energy wave with his palm. Most of the blast cascaded around him, leaving a portion of the energy trapped in his palm. To Darby's surprise, Jason captured the attack in a ball of electricity. It looked like an Electroweb, except it appeared more like a static coursing over the surface of the trapped energy.

"Thunder Fairy Step: Stasis Field." Jason held up the energy. "I've spent many years learning to manipulate my electricity." The energy twisted and coiled in his palm. "I didn't earn my nickname as the Flash of Lightning for nothing. Manipulating my personal electromagnetic field is child's play."

He tossed the energy back at Darby and struck him square in the chest. It punched a hole through his clothes and sent him flying onto his back. His sword slipped out of his grip, and the energy flowing from it and around his body faded. Darby tried to sit up, groaning as he held his chest, but Jason kicked him back to the ground.

He turned his sword upside-down and aimed it for Darby's neck. "You royals deserve everything that's coming to you." He tensed his arms and thrusted the sword down.

SHIIING!

Mere centimeters from hitting its mark, Erasmus suddenly swept past Jason and deflected the downward strike. Darby tensed up as the blade barely grazed his neck and sank into the floor. Erasmus spun on his front paws and tried to kick Jason, but the Pikachu jumped back and landed a fair distance from the pair.

Erasmus raised his claws at the thief while glancing down at Darby. "You look well."

Darby picked himself up and rubbed his throbbing throat. "Shut…up."

"Have you seen Dimitri anywhere?"

Darby blinked. "Dimitri?" A brief smirk flashed over his beak. Through his hoarse voice, he said, "Actually, I was just looking for him when this…maniac attacked me. I am uncertain as to Dimitri's current status, though I do believe he vacated the top floors." He pointed at Jason. "He just tried to end my life mere seconds ago. I knew these Foresters were savages, but for shame of them to try and take my life."

Erasmus flexed his claws. "Darby, leave this to me. I can take him."

"Of course not, my friend." Darby picked up his sword and activated his Blade of Desire once more. "To leave you to battle alone? He merely caught me off guard. Come! Let us…" He paused and broke into a coughing fit. "Ugh…you…get my point."

Erasmus nodded. "Your funeral."

Jason held his sword in both hands and scowled. Oh great, just what I needed.

"Feel the burning aura of my evil wrath! Flame Wheel!"

Wasting no time, Pandora kicked off the street and rolled herself into a ball. Flames spewed from her mouth and wrapped around her into a flaming wheel that propelled her toward the smug Kecleon. With but a simple sidestep, he dodged her first attack.

"Come now, you simply must try better than that," he said.

"Shut up!" Pandora spun around with a sharp turn and charged back at Otis again.

Otis tipped his hat and smirked. "Hollow Style: Phantom Whip." He inflated his cheeks and spat his tongue out.

It moved with such speed and control that Pandora didn't see it coming. It arced at her side with a sharp turn and delivered a quick crack through her Flame Wheel. Pandora lost control of herself and went flying out of the fire. Otis mockingly stepped aside and bowed as she tumbled right past him. She rolled to a complete stop on her back.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow!" Pandora pressed her paws down on her side. "That stings!"

Otis chuckled. "Whips are so yesterday. Thanks to all that training I did, I have far greater tongue control than any other."

Pandora grimaced. "Please never say that again…" She lifted her paw and saw a bloodstain on her paw pads. One shot, and I'm already bleeding. I know whips can do some serious damage to the skin, but I never thought I would experience it like this. That metal attachment on his tongue must be increasing the striking force.

Otis stuck his tongue out and flexed it. "Still think you can take me, sunshine?"

She rolled onto her paws and shook herself. "Oh, I'm just getting started, you stupid ugly face…guy!" HA! Nailed it!

Otis shook his head. "Disappointing. I wanted to make this as painless as possible, too." He inhaled again, puffing out his chest. "Hollow Style: Slashing Whip!"

Pandora's eyes widened as the Kecleon whipped his head while shooting out his tongue. It resembled a long, white blade cutting across the air, extending across the street and hurtling toward her. She yelped and dropped onto her stomach as the bladed tongue soared over her head, cutting a few hairs off. The tongue cut into the front porch of a shop and sliced the support beams, bringing the whole awning down on top of it.

Otis retracted his tongue and charged at Pandora. "Hollow Style—"

"Flame Wheel!" Pandora spun herself into flame on her side and bounced up into the air.

"Slashing Whip!" Otis spat his tongue after the airborne Growlithe.

Pandora suddenly broke from her Flame Wheel. "Psychic Fangs!" She opened her mouth and projected a large pair of psionic teeth from her own. Mirroring her actions, she bit down and caught the tongue in midair. She smirked and yelled, "Gotcha!"

Otis chuckled. "Do you?" He widened his stance and pulled his tongue.

Pandora's eyes widened as the tongue suddenly pulled her out of the air and slammed her straight into the ground. She released his tongue and cried out in pain, squirming on her side while cradling her aching head. Otis just laughed as he watched her wreathe around like a discombobulated Ekans.

"You really haven't been an actual fight, have you? That's just sad. What kind of Forester can't even defend herself?"

Pandora twisted her head around and scowled. "Shut UP!"

"This is almost too easy." Otis spat his tongue at her again.

Pandora rolled out of the way. The metal-tipped tongue cracked across the street, leaving a sizable hole from its impact. It was like firing a bullet out of his mouth. He fired with such speed and precision that she completely missed the moment he retracted it.

"That's called skill, sweetheart. Maybe you should give it a shot."

Pandora growled. "I'm just getting warmed up!" She spun herself into a Flame Wheel again and charged.

"This again? Hollow Style: Phantom—"

"The Noxious Flame of EVIL!"

Otis paused on his attack as Pandora's Flame Wheel started to turn a sickly purple. She made a hard left and raced circles around him. She tilted herself at a slight angle to increase her speed. As he watched, he noticed discolored fumes coming up from the scorch marks forming in her path. The fumes permeated through the air and filled in the space inside the flaming circle.

Otis covered his mouth just as he was engulfed inside the smog. "What is this? If you're trying to gas me out, you've overplayed your cards—"

His eyes widened, feeling an ungodly burning over his body, even his eyes themselves. The smog wasn't just toxic. It was like fire. Whatever mixed with the Flame Wheel caused a reaction that gave the poisonous smog a burning quality that irritated the skin. It felt like his whole body was catching fire. He could've sworn he saw smoke in his vision.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

Otis shot his tongue out of the smog and grappled onto a building's roof. He pulled himself to safety, throwing himself down on the tiled roof with an ungraceful landing on his back. He quickly pulled a canteen off his waist, unscrewed it, and dumped the whole thing over himself. Instant relief washed over him.

"Oh, that sucked." He sat up and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his eyes. He blinked them a couple times, still feeling the lingering effects of the smog. He glared down at the street, where the purple cloud slowly spread itself thin. "Okay, stay away from that—"

"Surprise attack!"

"Eh?" Just as he turned around, Pandora tackled him off the roof with Flame Wheel, sending them both back to the street. "No, no, no, no!" He shot his tongue back onto the roof and pulled himself away from the cloud while Pandora landed inside it.

"Toxic!" Pandora spun around and fired a glob of purple sludge from her mouth.

Otis slashed up the roof tiles and used them to shield himself from the sludge. Some sprayed onto him, but thankfully just on his clothes. He tossed the contaminated tiles away and glared into the smog, where Pandora cheekily waved at him.

"I can breathe this stuff in just fine." She inhaled the toxic, burning vapors and sighed. "Kind of stupid to use your tongue as your primary weapon. Biological warfare is one of my favorite subjects!"

Otis glared at her. "You are becoming a mite troublesome, little lady." He tipped his hat. "Fine. I guess I'll have to step it up a notch."

"I like to see you try!"

He smirked as light shimmered off his body and clothes. "I'm sure you will." Light washed over him and, in a matter of seconds, erased him from sight.

Pandora's eyes widened. "Eh? How did he—" She blinked twice, then pouted. "Right. Kecleon. They can…normally do that." She shook her head and started backing into the thicker parts of her smog. "He even has clothing that reacts to his Camouflage. Oh, that's just wonderful."

She looked around for any signs of movement in the smog. The second I see anything strange, I'm going to bite his butt. Really, really hard. I hope he gets an infection. Oh, what am I worried about? He can't even hit me in here. I'm completely safe—

CRACK!

"AH!" Pandora recoiled as something shot her in the face. She slid back and covered her cheek, shaking from the brief scare. Her eyes turned in the direction of the attack and saw a thin space of disturbed smog. She removed her paw and saw more blood stained over it. "I practically warned him this stuff will burn his insides. Is he stupid or some—"

More cracks sounded in the air. She gasped and started running, feeling the brief puffs of air from where the tongue cracked. It managed to nick her in the hindleg and send her tumbling onto the ground. Even downed, the whiplashes didn't stop, bombarding her back. She screamed out as the tongue lashes sliced through the back of her dress and cut under her fur.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" Pandora screamed. He's going to rip me open! "Psychic Fangs!" She projected the psionic canines and chomped down behind herself. She didn't snatch anything, but it momentarily stopped the invisible assault. She rolled onto her stomach and whimpered at the strong scent of blood coming off her back.

"A brilliant plan, sunshine, but not foolproof." She weakly lifted her head and tried to find the source of the voice, but the compacted street bounced his voice all around her. "I use my tongue as a whip because it offers me better control, but it comes with the downside of exposing myself to the taste of blood. I carry water to remove the taste. If I can relieve myself of your smog with a simple shower, simply spitting it out should do the same. Better to suffer some irritation to the tongue than in my stomach."

Pandora pushed herself up and growled. "C-Cheater…"

"Who's cheating?" Another whipcrack struck her shoulder, sending her into wails of pain. "You really thought you could take me on your own? You're either very stupid or…no, that's the only reason."

She tried to keep herself standing, biting through the pain. "You're in the presence of a genius, you two-bit bounty hunt—AAAAHHHH!" Another whiplash crossed her sore back. She doubled over, tears streaming down her face.

"As if I want to watch a poor girl cry and suffer. Just stay down."

She glared over her shoulder. "I will not surrender to anyone. Don't underestimate me—AAAAHHH!" He struck several more times, slicing her side and cutting her other cheek.

"You're a weak, trembling girl. You've got no moxie for this stuff. I sensed more fight from your limping friend back there. Why did you even bother staying behind?"

Pandora clenched her teeth. "I'm sick and tired of people underestimating me just because I'm a girl. They see the greatest genius ever born before their eyes, and they just gawk like Magikarp over how cute I am. No one ever appreciated my worth. Only reason people paid attention to me was because of my grandfather. That's all I was: some pretty puppy with good genes."

"I…never asked for your backstory." Otis whipped her again, ripping up even more of her dress. "Why are you expositing all this crap to me, exactly?"

Pandora chuckled. "You're ignorant. Are you unfamiliar with the glory of a villainous monologue?"

"I just get paid to put up with this. I'm going to shut you up now. Hollow Style: Phantom—"

"A true villain…!" Pandora suddenly turned around and charged in a random direction. "A true villain delivers an epic monologue before their glorious victory!"

"Oh, shut the hell up! Phantom Whip!"

"The Corruptive Mimic of EVIL!"

Pandora wrapped herself into a Flame Wheel and launched forward. Otis' tongue shot through the air and collided with her Flame Wheel. The flames suddenly turned black as she repelled the tongue whip out of her way. With the tongue briefly stunned, she saw a light shimmer trailing back to a shape in front of her. She charged full speed and rammed into the cloaked Kecleon.

"GAH!" He flew back and slammed into the wall, briefly coming out of invisibility. He fell onto his hands and knees, clutching his burning chest. He glared up at her. "How—"

"I was listening for your footsteps while I was monologuing. You know how many evil speeches I've practiced? Enough times to know when someone's walking away." She pouted. "Which is, by the way, very rude…"

Otis stood up and resumed his invisibility. "Lucky shot."

She smirked. "Not really. I realized that Phantom Whip of yours was using Sucker Punch. That's how you were able to hit me out of my attacks so fast. I copied it with my Flame Wheel to cancel it out."

Otis scoffed. "You got one good hit on me, and you're bleeding pretty badly. You won't last much longer in this fight."

A cruel, twisted grin stretched over Pandora's muzzle. "That's the funny thing about me, cowboy. I'm not a fighter, I'm a crackpot inventor!"

The dust settled after the collision between beast and rock. The blast had pushed Steinar and Hedwig to opposing sides of the street, resting in the collapsed walls. Steinar was the first to recover as he righted himself up, using a crumbling piece of wall to lift himself up. He massaged his head, grimacing from the ringing in his ears.

"And here I thought the Kecleon's Flash was irritating," he grumbled.

He glared at the building ahead of him and saw Hedwig picking herself up. However, she wasn't moving with the same erratic movements as before. She seemed sluggish, swaying side to side as she tried to keep still.

"Whatever that combo attack was, it must've dazed her." He punched his fists together. "Good enough for me." He bent his legs and broke into a sprint toward her.

Hedwig groaned and held her throbbing head. "W-Where am…I?" She heard stomping steadily approaching her. She lifted her head, but could only make out the vague, blurry shape of something. "Whaaaaaa—"

Before she could assess the situation, a Hammer Arm clobbered in the chin and sent her flying further into the building she landed again. Her body smashed through support beams holding the ceiling up, and a creaking groan echoed through the building.

"Oww…" She tilted her head and saw she was laying on a pile of tools and wood. To the best of her knowledge, she was in a workshop. "Ugh." She sat up and rubbed her face.

"Got to admit, you gave me quite a scare." She looked up again. Her vision started to return as Steinar approached her. "I won't make the same mistake again. Hammer Arm!"

Hedwig snapped to her senses and dodged his punch, which scattered broken tools like bomb shrapnel. She dropped low to the ground, avoiding the scraps, and snarled. "I will enjoy chewing on your flesh!" She dug her claws down and, after tensing up her muscles, catapulted herself forward.

"Stone Edge!" Steinar stomped the ground and erected a wall of stone.

Hedwig gripped into the spikes and climbed over them. When she hopped over, she caught the tail-end of Steinar retreating into the ground. She dropped down and started clambering inside the hole. "You think you can escape me?!"

Since Steinar was much larger than her, the underground tunnel had plenty of room for her to run through. She pumped her legs with all her determination, dead set on catching up with the rhino and ripping his tail off with her teeth. However, up ahead, she made out the signs of a drop off point. She dug her claws down and stopped herself just before the edge.

"What?" She looked down and sniffed the earthy air. "Fight me like a Pokémon, Subterran!"

"Stone Edge!"

The tunnel rumbled around her. Rock spires shot through the walls and struck into Hedwig from all sides. She tried punching through them, but more kept appearing and overwhelming her. Try as she might, swinging her claws and tearing stone to dust, the rocks kept coming down until they had her body and limbs pinned.

"I told you, I won't be taking you lightly anymore! Drill Run!"

Her eyes widened as Steinar came out from below and speared his horn into her back. She howled in pain as he dragged her back up to the surface, shooting out of the floor. He tore into her uniform and dug his horn into her back, breaking through her tough skin.

Hedwig clenched her teeth. "Counter!" She flexed her body and released a short-range shockwave of aura that knocked Steinar off.

He managed to land on his hands and feet, but fell onto one knee from the Counter's effects. It wasn't nearly as bad, but he was hanging by a thread of consciousness as he took deep breaths to stay awake.

Hedwig, meanwhile, landed on all fours and shook herself as the smell of blood invaded her nose. She ignored the stinging pain of her body and huffed. "Hunt like savage. Now hunt like beast."

She dug her claws down as her fur started to stand on end. She growled through clenched teeth, dripping with saliva. The red of her fur glow red, as did her eyes, blotting out her own pupils. She stretched out her fingers and sank them harder into the ground, crushing it with the gentlest of grips. Her mane turned prickly.

"Beast Slaying Style!"

She charged at Steinar, but this time with a more controlled sprint. Her arms and legs worked as long, moving efficiently to carry her as fast as possible. She launched herself at him and threw a punch. Steinar quickly blocked her blow, but his legs buckled under the impact. The ground cracked under his feet, sinking a whole foot down.

His eyes widened. "Now what?!"

Hedwig swung her body under his guard and kicked him in the gut, then backflipped off. As he stumbled, she threw her whole body and tackled him into the wall. She followed it up with a rising claw slash, tearing through his clothes and digging into his stone skin.

"AAAAHHHH!" he screamed. She's just been recklessly throwing herself at me, even if it gets her hurt! How is she getting all these attacks off?! His eyes widened in realization. No. Don't tell me her ability is No Guard?! She's instinctively leaving herself open to attacks, but also finding the perfect moments to strike back.

He swung his Hammer Arm down, but repeated use made his movements sluggish. Hedwig dodged with little effort and sliced into his legs. He screamed staggered, trying to stomp the spry wolf into the floor. She wasn't moving with the same erratic movement like last time. She was side-hopping between strikes and attacking when his guard was down.

She lunged and brought down both claws onto his face. They dragged into his stony skin and left deep claw marks crossing into each other. Steinar roared in pain and stumbled back. Hedwig threw herself and tackled the rhino to the ground.

She roared in his face, spitting globs of saliva, and bombarded his chest with a rapid flurry of punches. The shockwaves emanated through the ground and shook the building. A cloud of dust built up around them, and cracks formed through the floor and walls.

Steinar gritted through the pain, feeling his consciousness wane by the second. A savage…she has no style or grace. She is fighting like a wild Pokémon. All she cares about…is killing! Alright then, playtime is over!

"Hammer Arm!"

He swung both his fists and bashed them between Hedwig's head like pincers. She recoiled and howled, grabbing her aching head. He seized her ankles and threw her off. He picked himself off the floor as the wolf girl flailed around furiously. He snarled and revved up his horn.

"Try and stop this. Giga Drill Charge!"

His horn wrapped in a shimmering white light and doubled in length. Steinar lunged forward and torqued his body into a tight spin. The light of his horn wrapped around his rotating body, resembling a giant metal drill hurtling through the air.

Hedwig recovered from her headache and glared at the approaching drill. She showed no fear, even roaring at it. She lunged forward and slammed her hands into the spinning rhino, stopping it in its tracks.

However, she came to a startling realization as she tried to stop his rotation. As she dug her claws down, an intense burning flared through her hands. The high speed friction of Steinar's stony body made it feel like she was grabbing on a belt of spinning sandpaper. Smoke huffed between her hands, and a belt of red started forming around him through her hands. She couldn't get a grip into him with her claws, either. Each time she tried to dig them down, it felt like they were being sanded off.

Hedwig bit back her screams and tried to stay strong. She roared in the rhino's rotating face as a red outline formed around her.

"Oh no, I'm not letting you try that trick again! Stone Edge!"

Rock spires shot out from under the spinning rhino and stabbed Hedwig's stomach, digging into her previous injury. She growled through a scream as the Counter faded away. The glow in her fur started to fade, as did her berserker strength. She strained her muscles to keep Steinar at bay.

"So, that's it. You were using some sort of combination with Thrash and Outrage, each one changing up your mindset as you fight." Steinar increased his rotation speed and pushed harder into the wolf. "But whatever you're combing them with drastically shortens the duration. It's an all-or-nothing onslaught. Pathetic!"

Hedwig growled. "Y-You…!"

"Let me show you true strength, you animalistic freak! HA!"

He gave himself one final push and broke through the stalemate. Hedwig lost her grip and howled in agony as the drill struck her chest. Steinar pinned her to the ground and drilled down on top of her. The vibrations of his attack shook the building and the last of its integrity. All Hedwig could do was scream, but even her cries were masked under the rhino's screeching rotation.

The vibrations tore the building apart and brought it down on top of them. The collapsing debris echoed out through the street with a shallow pool of dust. The trembling earth went still once more as the debris settled. No longer was the atmosphere plagued with the howls of a dying wolf, nor the screeching of a drill.

Seconds after all went quiet, Steinar pulled himself out of the wreckage, panting heavily. His clothes were torn to shreds, exposing the scarring left behind by Hedwig's assault. There were cracks in his chest, claw marks over his body, and a band of blood over his chest from where Hedwig got hold of him. His drill horn finally came to a stop, steaming from overuse.

He let out a deep sigh and glared down at the wreckage. He could barely see the wolf girl buried underneath. He trembled on his way down the wreckage, careful not to trip and fall. He massaged his aching arms, wincing as his palm grazed over the deep cuts.

"That's going to take forever to buff out." He groaned for a moment as he stretched the aches out. He sighed and glared down the wrecked street. "There's still time to get those little runaways." He glared back at the wreckage and sneered. "You should've stayed in the Savage Era where you belong, freak."

A part of him worried she would jump out and assault him for the remark, but the wreckage remained undisturbed.

He nodded firmly and limped his way down the street. "I'll die a happy man if I never have to deal with that freak of nature ever again…"

"Thunder Fairy Step!"

Jason kicked off at high speeds and blasted through the princes, knocking them backwards. Erasmus clawed into the ground while Darby went flying onto his face. Jason dragged to a stop and lunged at Darby, bringing his sword down to his neck. Erasmus swiftly blocked his strike and repelled it.

"Stay out of my way," Jason growled. "I have no quarrel with you."

Erasmus crossed his claws. "Too bad."

Darby picked himself up and laughed. "Good show, Erasmus. Sorry in advance, by the way." He reared his blade back and fired a pressure wave that cleaved through the walls.

Jason ducked under the pressure wave and dodged Erasmus' dive attack. The Glameow instantly bounced off his paws and sprang after him, swiping relentlessly. Jason deflected his strikes and backed off. He plunged his sword through the floor. "Thunder Fairy Step: Stasis Field!"

An electric current washed over the floor. Darby growled. "Erasmus. Off the floor!"

They both jumped onto the walls, sticking to them with sword and claws, before the field could touch them. Erasmus looked down and saw the field was covering the rubble littered over the floor. "What is that?"

"He claims to have electromagnetic influence," Darby groaned. "Strangely, for a Pikachu, I have not once seen him fire off a Thunderbolt."

Jason scowled. Due to my defect, I can't fire off electricity from my body. I had to train day and night to get around that weakness. Fortunately, as long as I'm touching something, I can still pass it through a suitable conductor. Magnet Rise even gets around THAT condition.

"Repel!" Jason punched the ground, sending a wave through the electric field. The loose rubble, as the name suggested, repelled from the floor and fired into the walls.

The princes dodged the rapid-fire rubble and landed back on the electric-free floor. Darby thrusted his sword and sent forth dark pressure waves. Jason dodged and flipped through them, slicing through some with his sword. Erasmus extended his claws and sprinted.

"You asked for this, prince!" Jason yelled. He electrified his sword and rushed the cat.

Erasmus narrowed his eyes. "Eyes of the King!" His eyes widened with a blue flash. His sclera turned blue while his irises turned a much brighter sky blue.

Jason twisted his sword, aiming the blunt side at the cat, and swung for his face. To his surprise, however, he missed. His attack nearly grazed Erasmus' dress coat as the two slid past each other. He looked back at Erasmus in disbelief.

What the? Did I misjudge my aim? I was sure I had him.

Erasmus turned around with a cold stare and lifted his claws. Jason squinted and noted the red dripping off their tips. Erasmus had only just arrived to fight, so why was there blood already on his claws—

Jason winced and gripped his side. He looked down and saw blood on his uniform. His blood. He pulled his arm away and saw a slash across his side.

I never saw him swing his claws. Not even a flicker. He glared at Erasmus and his strange, glowing eyes. What kind of enhanced move is that?

Erasmus flicked the blood off his claws and lowered into an attack stance. "Is something the matter, Fairy Knight?"

Jason's expression hardened as Darby laughed behind him. "Excellent maneuver, Erasmus! I dare say you have him scared." He smirked. "My turn." He ran at Jason and swung for the back.

The thief turned and blocked his attack, but was once more thrown by the power exuding off the blade. Erasmus lunged and passed by Jason, delivering two successful back slashes. Jason caught himself on the floor, shaking off the pain.

Darby laughed. "Do not hold back, my friend. You are looking at the killer of an esteemed knight from the Verde Kingdom. He deserves no pity and no honor. Only death!"

Erasmus crossed his claws. "He will be tried fairly, Darby. There will be no execution committed in this castle." He rushed toward Jason.

The wicked prince smirked. "Have it your way."

Jason blocked Erasmus' first strike and tried to retaliate. Once more, his aim was off by centimeters, all with Erasmus making the laziest of dodges. He blocked the second strike and tried again, but missed. The exchange went on five more times, each not getting the thief closer to landing a hit on the prince.

Is this some sort of future vision? Jason blocked a cross slash. No, that can't be right. There's something off about the way he's dodging. Is he reading my technique? Again, no. Same issue.

Erasmus dodged another swing and jumped back. Jason raised his sword at him, but paused as he looked down his arms. There were tears in his sleeve and scratches through his fur, all of which weren't there a moment ago.

Where are these marks coming from? There's no way he's moving faster than me…is he?

"Enough of this, Fairy Knight," Erasmus said as he retracted his claws. "You are outmatched. Surrender peacefully, and I will make sure a fair trial is held for you. I cannot speak pleasantly of your crimes, but we can negotiate."

Jason scowled. "Don't patronize me." He gripped his sword in both hands, sending electricity through it. "Not until I kill him."

Erasmus glared. "For what reason?" Before Jason could say, Darby thrusted his sword and blasted him with a pressure wave, knocking him over. The Talbot prince gasped before glaring at his partner. "Darby, are you out of your—"

"I was merely enforcing his right to remain silent. Besides, he is sore that I got in the way of his mission. I do not know why he was skulking through the castle…" Darby smirked. "But best not to let him talk his way out of this. He may spill his secrets with a professional interrogator. You are much too great to sully yourself with the complaints and grievances of a disgraced commoner."

Erasmus narrowed his eyes. "Darby—"

"Thunder Fairy Step!"

It happened in a flash, but Darby was barely able to stop Jason's high-speed assault. However, unlike before, he was actually pushing back on the penguin's sword. The power boosts Darby gave himself were starting to wear off. Jason pushed past the sword and swung for Darby's neck.

"NO!" Erasmus pushed Darby down, barely dodging the attack.

Darby wheezed after landing on his back. He rubbed his throat and glared at Erasmus. "See what I mean? There is no reasoning with this maniac."

Erasmus glared. "Perhaps, but…"

Jason growled. "Alright, I'm done holding back against you. Thunder Fairy Rush Dance!"

Electricity coursed through his fur. Jason flickered out of sight for a moment, causing the princes to stand up with their weapons/claws raised. Soon, their vision was filled with streaks of yellow and lightning bouncing off the walls around them. They tried to track his movements, but even Erasmus was struggling to keep pace with the Pikachu's position.

"Work Up! Agility!" Darby activated his boosts once more, increasing the dark aura of his sword. He stood back-to-back with Erasmus and said, "As you would suspect from a Forester. Full of tricks, empty of morals. He seems about ready to cut you down, too."

Erasmus' eyes moved around the hall, trying to keep pace with Jason's speed. "This is the Fairy Knight. Incredible." His eyes flickered to the right. "There!" He intercepted a yellow blur and went straight for it, but it swept under his claws at the last second. "Huh?!"

Jason rebounded off the wall and snatched Erasmus by the neck. He smashed him up against a wall, followed by a swift punch to the face. Erasmus collapsed to the floor with his stinging cheek in paw.

"Big mistake!"

Jason turned and blocked Darby's strike, but that ended up being his biggest mistake. He wasn't thinking and struck back with the whole of his sword. The energy exuding out of Darby's sword dug through Jason's. First, it was a tiny crack, then the vibrations caused the crack to spread at an alarming rate. Seeing his chance, Darby tensed his muscles and pushed on.

Jason bent back as Darby's blade sliced through the sword and barely grazed his face. Sword shrapnel fired around the hallway, some even hitting Jason himself. They mostly hit the protective padding of his uniform, but one ended up getting him in the arm.

"Agh!" Jason staggered back and gripped his arm.

Darby laughed. "You are supposed to be the legendary Flash of Lightning? Guess rumors have a funny way of exaggerating nobodies."

Jason growled at him. He dropped his broken sword and stepped back, still gripping his arm. He stopped when Erasmus picked himself up, massaging his sore cheek. He glared at Jason and brandished his claws at him.

"I am giving you one last chance to surrender, Fairy Knight. Do not make this difficult."

Jason clutched his arm, sending an electrical pulse through it, and jettisoned the sword shard out. "Alright, playtime's over."

Darby smirked. "And you are still trying to act cool?" He lunged at the Pikachu, shouting, "Can you not see you are finished?!"

He went for the kill, but Jason pivoted around Darby's attack and snatched his broken sword off the floor. Darby tried to turn, but was too slow to stop the thief. With the broken sword clutched in a reverse grip, he sliced its jagged end across Darby's side and ripped into his flesh.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!" Darby dropped his sword and clutched his bleeding side.

Erasmus gasped. "Darby!"

The Prinplup growled at Jason. "You lousy—"

Jason slammed his palm into his chest, blue sparks crackling through his fur. "Touch…of Zeraora."

Darby's eyes widened. He threw his head back and screamed as electricity poured through his body. Erasmus stood frozen in place for a moment, staring in shock as he watched his fellow prince light up like a lantern. He could see Darby's veins lighting up, as well as his eyes. Even his teeth glowed from the surge of energy forcing its way through his body. It was unlike anything he had ever seen from an electric attack, but he couldn't reason why.

He noticed the electricity spreading through the ground like a water leak and backed away. He looked around and saw the hallway itself was being coated in the electricity, destroying wall lantern, frying paintings, and burning doors.

Jason pushed Darby to the floor and pressed down harder, growling as his own eyes and fur lit up in the blue electricity. "You were right, Darby. I'm just about finished toying with you."

"Good grief, how hard is it to find a Kecleon in this city?" Serell complained as he soared over the city streets. "They couldn't have gotten too far. I know Stormbreaker is still in the castle, so they shouldn't have left already—"

He stopped midair and directed his attention to a mess of spires and stones in the middle of the road. Streets were ripped up and buildings had collapsed into piles of debris from what looked like a war centered on the one intersection. He noticed signs of claw marks in parts of the roads that weren't completely torn up with rock.

"What happened over here?" He fluttered down and gently tapped the road with his halberd. "This is going to cost a lot of tax money to clean up. I should check for survivors."

He fluttered around and searched the buildings for any sign of life. He wasn't in the residential district, and there wasn't anyone laying in the streets, so at worst he might find a couple of wounded store owners. At least, he hoped that was the worst it got.

He stopped in his search upon flying over one building. He spied a hand sticking out of the wood pile with fresh blood in the fur. It was a three-clawed hand from what he could make out.

"Ah geez." He soared down onto the pile and carefully tiptoed over to the hand. "Please don't be a dead body, please don't be a dead body…"

He set his halberd aside and gently dug through the debris. He definitely could smell faint traces of blood under the pile. Whoever was under the wreckage must've got caught in the crossfire of some battle. By his best guess, one of the bounty hunters was involved, likely the Rhyperior based off the rocks in the street.

"If it was him, what caused him to go all out like this? I swear, hiring gang members has to be one of the stupidest decisions King Talbot ever did. Oh, they were recommended by King Tetrarch—yeah, that doesn't comfort me on your choice. But what do I know? I'm just the punching bag according to Rikmai—"

He brushed his hand over the pile and uncovered a head underneath. He squinted and pulled back more of the wreckage until he got a good look at the face. His eyes widened upon seeing it was a Midnight Lycanroc, and a very familiar one.

"Oh…shit." Serell stood up and slowly backed away. "Okay, found a dead Forester. That's…fine. I will just leave them here and continue looking for the prince's girlfriend." He reached for his halberd and picked it up. However, upon bending back up, his foot slipped on an uneven board, causing a mini avalanche.

There was a brief pause of silence with Serell clutching his weapon against his chest.

"…Heh. Scared myself there. No harm, no—"

The wreckage exploded open in front of him, and the Midnight Lycanroc lunged out with an animalistic roar. Serell screamed and tried to fly away, but the wolf was faster and pounced on him. She pinned him to the ground, pressing his head down.

"DON'T EAT ME! I TASTE LIKE GARBAGE!" Serell screamed.

However, she briefly sniffed him before turning her nose in a different direction. He peeked one eye open and saw her eyes were a solid, glowing red. No traces of her pupils. She also seemed to be salivating, mixing with the dried blood on her muzzle.

"Survive…survive…survive…"