Knights charged through the halls, alerted to the warning of intruders in the foyer. Guards would stop to briefly inspect the rooms as they passed by before continuing after their fellow guard.
The march of metal boots dampened the further they were from the inspected hallway. A pair of ears with eyes on the inside popped up from behind a door, scanning the vacancy of the hallway before swinging open. Lillia peeked her head out for another look around before running out into the hall.
Good thing they didn't check the wardrobes. Now, where's Dimitri's room again?
She paused and came to a stop, finding the broken down door of said room.
Duh.
She sneaked into the room and carefully stepped over the wall debris. A draft blew into the room and brushed across her face, causing her to shiver. She walked to the other side of the room, mostly so she didn't have to stare out over the long drop leading to the ground.
I hope whatever Dimitri heard didn't roll out through there. She sighed and looked around. Question is, what am I even looking for? For all I know, he was hearing things right after the explosion. Can we truly rely on the keen observations of someone lost in a coma?
She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.
Now is not the time for that kind of talk, Lillia. Blitz is counting on you, and you promised Dimitri you would get him the help he deserves. She glared and started for Dimitri's desk. For all we know, he probably heard an inkwell rattle onto the floor. Still, given what we're up against, a looksie is warranted.
She knelt onto the floor and combed through the darkness under the desk. Nothing but dust from the wall blown across the room.
Ugh, forget it. Hopefully the prince has a spare candle around here.
Blitz dashed across the rooftops of the city, wagging his tail and scattering embers into the air. He flipped off the edge of the roof and dug his claws into the side of a building, anchoring himself in. He kept one hand on his bow as he focused on the scattered heat. With less people out and the cool air of the night taking over, he'll have an easier time detecting movement from Hobs.
A member of Last Autumn all the way out here. Not only that, but the Tetrarchs are conspiring with them, too? What is going on? I thought Last Autumn was plotting to annihilate the ten kingdoms. Why would they align themselves with royalty? Something isn't adding up. What are they really up to?
He paused a moment and glared to himself. He said something about intel. How the heck did he know we had access to the Wraith vials? According to Percival and JoJo, there was confrontation trying to get those vials. Surely, Last Autumn didn't have such an extensive stock of their products to know how many were destroyed and how many were stolen. Either he bluffed a confession out of us…or someone told them. But that would mean—
He snapped from his thoughts to a cracking sound in the air. Before he could move, something bright rocketed into his blurred vision. He barely managed to move his head out of the way as the blinding projectile smashed into the wall. He pressed his hand against it, feeling the heat of the released energy.
A metal ball, just like the kind Percival uses.
He heard another crack in the air and moved. He heard the explosion coming from his right as he jumped to the other side of the street. He clawed into the building and scaled up as more metal pellets soared through the air. He grabbed the roof's edge and flipped himself into the air, feeling the projectiles fly just below him. He nocked an arrow before landing and focused on his Heat Sonar.
He's good.
Hobs hid himself around the corner of a building, pulling back on his slingshot. He took a big whiff of the air, detecting a sudden surge of heat in the air. He took a few more whiffs and located Blitz's new location.
So, that's the Forester's top archer. He was quick to anticipate my shots. Most wouldn't be able to tell the direction they're coming from. He glared to himself. His eyes didn't look right. Is he actually blind? So, he's no different from me. He's using a different sense than his sight. Hearing? Or touch? Or does it have something to do with this sudden heat wave?
Energy charged up in his pellet. He took a deep breath and aimed at the building corner in front of him. Absolute Hunt: Inescapable Shot.
He fired, ricocheting the shot off the wall and sending it flying through the street.
Blitz sensed something entering his Heat Sonar's range and dodged. However, the shot pinged off the edge of the roof and ricocheted after him. It landed its mark into his shoulder, bursting with power.
"AGH!" He lost his upward momentum and started falling. He fired his phantom grappler into the opposing buildings and reeled himself back onto the rooftops. He slingshot himself over and tumbled across the building. He took a second to catch his breath before plucking the pellet from his shoulder. Fortunately, his uniform's internal armor kept the pellet from piercing his shoulder.
This guy's a pro. He has years of experience over me. He glared. His sense of smell is far more acute than I anticipated. He can pinpoint my exact location, and from a much wider range than my Heat Sonar.
He wagged his tail again, spreading the heat out. He closed his eyes and raised his hand, feeling the flow of heat extending out. A mental image of the surrounding area pinged through his mind, its visage expanding the further the heat went out. After a few seconds, he detected an opposing heat source hiding in an alley.
There he is. He pulled out three smoke arrows. I'll just have to outthink him. He took off running and fired off two arrows into the air before plunging the third one against himself, releasing the smoke.
Hobs grimaced after scanning the area again. Something's in the air. Smoke? He's adapting to my superior sense of smell. He took another whiff of the air and detected three more sources of smoke shooting out from the larger mass. Now he's diverting the paths to confuse me. The arrows are interfering with my detection. Did he leave the smoke cloud, or were those just arrows?
He pulled out three pellets and loaded them into his slingshot. I'll just have to blast the area. Absolute Hunt: Time Bomb Shot! He fired the pellets into the wall directly in front of him and watched as they pinged back and forth between both surfaces, each ricochet building up the power glowing off the pellets, before arcing off into the air.
He sensed massive explosions bombarding the main smoke masses. He loaded up another pellet and sniffed the air. Did that get him?
"Purifying Shot!" Hobs looked up as Blitz, draped in smoke, flipped over the rooftops. He pulled back on his arrow, charging white mist around the arrowhead, and fired down.
Hobs dodged the arrow, but it bounced off the ground and punched him in the chest. He fell onto his back just as Blitz disappeared onto the rooftops. "The kid's clever. He figured I couldn't smell him out in the smoke."
He sat up and touched his chest. He expected a fatal wound, but the worst he got were signs of bruising. He picked up the arrow and saw the arrowhead was actually a rounded tip. It wouldn't pierce through much, but the Purifying Shot compensated with increased power.
"Even knowing I'm his enemy, he still sticks to his no-killing principles." He snapped the arrow with his grip and stood up. "Hardly five minutes, and this kid's earning my respect. Tch, whoever said fighting at long-range was for cowards is an idiot." Hobs smirked. "There's no fairness in war."
Blitz kept running across the city rooftops, scattering his Heat Sonar to cover his flank. He heard a bellowing tick on his right and recognized it as one of the city's giant gears. He was near one of the factories. He stopped on his heel and ran toward it. He jumped between rooftops before leaping toward the factory, grabbing hold of the gear.
He perched atop the gear teeth and nocked an arrow as the capital's novelty gear steadily elevated him. Hopefully the height advantage will let me get the drop on him. Standing on this thing should throw off his trajectory in minor increments.
For a few minutes, he waited on the slowly ticking gear for a counterattack. A few night goers passed through his Heat Sonar, prompting him to ready his bow. No signs of aggression could be detected from the bystanders, no sign of a counterattack waiting to be launched.
He narrowed his eyes. He's waiting me out. He has to know I'm up here by now. Is he waiting for something? Is he waiting for me to make a move, or is lining up another shot? He pulled back more on the drawstring, gathering energy through his arrowhead.
The gear continued to tick, raising Blitz higher into the air. Based on the shifting of his perch, he found himself reaching the zenith of the gear's height. A bead of sweat dripped down his face as he adjusted his grip on the bow.
A crack in the air alerted him, followed by a fast moving object invading his sonar's space. He turned and fired his Purifying Shot immediately. The arrow and the pellet collided midair, rupturing with a shockwave. Blitz covered his face as the shockwave slammed into him.
Sleeeeeeeep.
Blitz's eyes widened, and he stumbled back on the gear. He held his head and groaned, feeling a wave of drowsiness hitting him. With the gear continuing to turn, he stumbled on the uneven platform and felt between the gabs of the gear teeth. He shakily picked himself up and groaned.
"What…was that?" he growled.
Another crack of air alerted him. A pellet exploded on his position and knocked him out of the gear. He flared his tail flame and blasted Heat Wave below. The hot wind slowed his fall enough to land on the factory roof with a hard thud.
He swayed as he pushed himself up. What little light he could perceive through his eyes was fading in and out. He slapped his cheeks firmly. "What did he hit me with?"
"Absolute Hunt: Slumbering Shot." He felt the Gumshoos enter his reduced range, his hind claws tapping across the factory roof as he approached from behind. "Your reaction time is impeccable. Most wouldn't be able to counter a shot like that so fast."
Blitz turned around and stumbled away on his heels. "Y…Yawn…"
Hobs smirked. "Sharp." He pulled another metal pellet from his coat and rolled it between his fingers. "Yawn's range is pretty limited. Little bubbles of drowsiness that lull you to sleep once they pop in your face. Though, along with my sharpshooting skills, there's another way to increase the range. Just add more power to the burst."
He juggled the pellet a couple times before squeezing it firmly in his hand. A red glow shined within his grip, intensifying the harder he pressed down. When he opened his fist, the metal pellet was glowing like hot metal.
Blitz grimaced as he continued backing away. "Bide. You store kinetic en…energy into those pellets—"
"Which increases the power of my shots. I've been practicing for a long time, kid. You're good, but you're an amateur intruding under my shadow. Perhaps another dose of sleep will do you some good." He let out a heavy sigh, wrapping a smoky white bubble around his pellet, and loaded his slingshot. "Absolute Hunt—"
Blitz fiddled inside his quiver, feeling through the fletching.
"Slumber Shot!" He fired at Blitz's feet, releasing the sleep-inducing shockwave.
Blitz pulled an arrow out and slammed it down, releasing a smokescreen around himself. Hobs hissed and backed away as the shockwave blew the smoke in his direction. It was the same irritant from earlier.
"Wisdom of the Dragon!"
An arrow let loose from the smoke. A dark blue vortex of flames surrounded the arrow and took the shape of a twister-like dragon. The flames tore a path across the roof. Hobs jumped out the way and held onto his hat as the flaming arrow passed by him, singing the tail of his coat.
"He used that foul smokescreen to snap himself awake," he growled.
Blitz rushed out of the smoke, nocking another arrow. "Acrobatics! Purifying Shot!" A sky-blue aura outlined his form, and he leapt into the air while firing down an arrow.
Hobs quickly countered with his own shot, cancelling out both projectiles. He watched Blitz glide over and grapple to a building across from the factory. He pulled out another pellet and squeezed it inside his grip, storing up kinetic energy.
"Dodge this." He loaded up the pellet, which blazed with a dark purple aura. He closed one eye and focused on the blind Charmeleon as he started running. "Absolute Hunt: Stalking Shot." He let loose the band, and the pellet shot straight forward like a beam of light.
Just as soon as the shot was released, it struck Blitz in the back. He screamed in pain and collapsed onto his face. His bow and several arrows spilled out over the roof.
Hobs jumped off the factory and scaled the opposing building. Once on the roof, he loaded another pellet and cautiously approached the downed sniper. He stopped as Blitz pushed his hands down and sat up on his knees. The pellet rolled off his back and clattered next to him.
"Tch. You Foresters come prepared. Most shot by those pellets end up with a wound through the body. Wonder how good that armor works at blank point range."
"Ugh…" Blitz felt around for his bow. "What do you get out of this? Helping Last Autumn?"
"Nothing you need to concern yourself with. This is just business. Work comes first, not feelings. I've looked into the wanted posters of all known Foresters, and yours always tickled my interest. The Compassionate Sniper, they said. Someone so deadly and skilled with a bow, yet bound by his ethics. The first shot you took at me could've killed had it not been a blunted tip."
"I…don't do this to shed blood."
"I admire your conviction, kid, but there's hardly any room for compassion in a dispassionate world." He sighed. "World's cruel. Can't even trust your own parents in this kind of depravity. Only survival. My time was a different era, and things still haven't changed."
Blitz narrowed his eyes. "Yeah. I know what that feels like."
"I can smell the truth from you. You had it rough, too, kid?"
"Something like that. Only had one friend to keep me going while everything was dark."
"I do sympathize with you, kid, believe me. Why not just turn away from all this Forester business? Under my care, I can hone those skills of yours to their full potential."
He chuckled dryly. "Sorry, but I have my own guild. Besides, you shouldn't write me off…just because you're much more experienced." He found his bow and picked it up. "I acknowledge your experience, old man, and I respect your sharpshooting. I follow my own path."
Hobs glared. "You can't win, not against what's coming."
"Perhaps, but maybe the young's blood burns different. When I'm pushed into a corner, I can't help but get fired up." He turned and fired an arrow.
Hobs sidestepped it and scoffed. "What was that supposed to—"
Blitz raised his hand, channeling a ball of light in his hand. "Sunny Day!" The ball launched into the sky. Hobs watched the flaming ball travel high into the air. Once it reached the apex of its ascent, it exploded, releasing a shower of light across the night sky.
Hobs hissed and shielded his eyes. "What is this?"
Blitz picked up his scattered arrows and dropped all but one back into his quiver. "You're lucky, sir. If this were the middle of the day, things would be playing out quite differently. Still, you need to bring home field advantage with you." His tail flame started flaring up and glowed white hot, as did his foggy irises. Wisps of light flowed from his eyes. "I believe this will make up for my inexperience."
Hobs clenched his teeth. That kid's ability…is Solar Power.
"Purifying Shot!" He charged up the arrowhead, but this time it blazed with red hot heat energy.
"And that's Weather Ball!" Hobs backed away on his heels, ready to run.
Blitz let the arrow loose, and it cut through the air with a burning streak. It struck Hobs in the shoulder, exploding with heat energy and knocking him backwards. He screamed in pain as he went flying over the edge and fell to the street below.
Blitz took a moment to sigh, then winced as steam hissed off his body. He shook his head and started running down the rooftops. That won't stop him for long.
Hobs picked himself off the street as soon as he landed and pulled the burning arrow from his shoulder. He pressed himself against the building and gripped his smoking shoulder. He couldn't stop his acute smell from filtering out the burning flesh wafting in the air.
"Increased fire power on top of increased power from Solar Power? Kid's not fooling around." He grunted and reached inside his coat. "Still, he played his hand too early. That ability isn't suited for drawn-out fights."
He pulled out his herbs and grabbed a large pinch. He threw them into his mouth, munched on them, and swallowed. After that, he pulled out a flask and gave it a hard shake before slurping down the contents. He gasped from the burning in his throat and pounded his chest. Once the sensation passed, he tucked the flask away and gave himself a hard slap on both cheeks.
"Alright kid, let's make this interesting."
After fleeing the castle, Shingo and Brook took off into the streets with Vanessa safely secured on Brook's back. They looked over their shoulders and saw knights charging out from the castle walls on steeds. The gallop of Tauros and Rapidash hooves closed in on them.
"Get ahead of me!" Shingo ordered as he stopped on his heel. While Brook kept on running, he pulled out a handful of pellets and threw them across the street. Miniature explosions went off on impact and startled the steeds into stopping. "Smokescreen!" He exhaled a cloud of smoke in front of himself before following after Brook.
As he caught up with her, she asked, "Did you stop them?"
"Briefly, but we won't be safe until we're out of the capital." He looked around and scowled. "Still don't know where Blitz and Lillia are."
"Are we sure it's a good idea to leave them behind?"
"They'll have each other's backs. Besides, once we find a place to lay low, I'll head back to find them if they don't show up. You just worry about getting her back to Fort Lucus."
She groaned, but nodded in agreement. "Alright, but—"
"Ensnaring Nest!"
Their eyes widened as webs shot down from the sky. They stopped themselves and backed off just in time as a large spider web blocked off the entire street before them. They could see flickers of purple shining along the web. Their eyes turned up to an Ariados knight crawling along the web, hissing at them.
"Surrender the prisoner and yourselves to the Senbo Kingdom," he ordered.
Shingo summoned his Cut blade. "There's poison laced into those webs."
"Ensnaring Nest!" The knight shot a net of webs down on them.
Shingo lunged at the webs and sliced them to ribbons, catching some of the web to his blade and hand. He summoned another blade to cut down the knight when Brook suddenly shouted, "Shingo, behind you!"
Without looking, he threw the webbed-up blade and impaled into the street, pulling himself out of the air as an inky blast barely grazed his foot. Upon landing, he turned and glared at the rooftops, spotting a knight anchored to the side of a building. It was one of the Wick Kingdom knights, Jael the Octillery.
"Brooklyn, switch!" Shingo yelled, rushing straight for her.
Brook unfastened Vanessa from herself and let Shingo take her away. Jael fired on them with Bullet Seed, but Brook whipped up a gust to knock the seeds off course. Shingo scaled the walls of a building and took to the rooftops.
The Ariados knight fired a String Shot and flung himself after Shingo. "Maximum Web Stream!" He fired off a pressurized beam of webs at the fleeing ninja.
"Smokescreen!" Shingo jumped over the web beam and sprayed smoke cover around himself.
"You won't escape!" The knight fired another String Shot into the smoke and snagged something. With a hard tug, he flung the Indeedee out of the smoke. "Someone catch her!"
A Fearow knight swooped in and grabbed the Indeedee by the arm. "Secured!"
"Excellent! I'll pursue the other one—" As the spider turned back to the smoke, he saw Shingo bursting out and continuing his escape. To the knight's shock, he was still holding Vanessa on his back. "What the?!"
Shingo glared in his direction and held up his fist, revealing thin wires around his hand. "Hidden Art: Bomb Substitution."
He pulled the wires, showing they were connected to the Indeedee in the Fearow's clutches. The wires plucked from the fake, which reverted back into a mass of frubbles. The Fearow's eyes widened as the frubbles melted away and revealed a string of miniature pellets that exploded in his face. He fell out of the sky and landed on the rooftop.
"Ascending Gale!" Brook kicked off the street and took off into the air, blowing past the startled Ariados and following behind Shingo. She snatched Vanessa from him and took off ahead.
"Don't stop, keep going!" Shingo ordered.
"Roger!"
As they got further ahead, Jael scuttled onto the building with the Ariados and fallen Fearow. "What a deceptive bunch," he said. He closed one eye while the other glowed red. "They won't escape my sight, though. Keep pursuing them no matter what!"
Blitz pressed his back to a wall and panted quietly. He had an arrow prepped in his bow as he sensed for any incoming danger around him. Nothing entered his Heat Sonar, though he figured his opponent was already well-adapted to its mechanics. For now, he felt he was mostly safe.
With a sigh, he slid to the ground and clutched his aching shoulder. He was right. If it weren't for the uniform's internal armor, any one of those shots could've done serious damage. No matter if I'm escaping or if he's in hiding, those shots are practically bullets. It must be a combination of moves along with his ability. Probably Stakeout. If I leave his sight for a moment, it gives a natural boost to his attacks the next time he sees me. The perfect ability for a hunter.
He winced and doubled over. Steam hissed from his skin while his tail flame and eyes continued to burn white.
Speaking of abilities, it's been a while since I've had to use mine. I've trained to mitigate the recoil, but how long am I going to last again someone like this? Still, it's my only hope of getting the drop on him. I need to be cautious and make every shot count.
He reached around at his quiver, feeling up the fletching and taking note of how many he had left. His claws grazed something attached to his quiver: a collapsed compound bow.
The bow Pandora made for me. The draw weight alone could give my arrows most strength, but I can't possibly use it against this guy. I won't have enough time to pull the drawstring back. I'll have to wait for a moment to take a shot, though that's easier said than done.
Finding his second wind, he stood up and shuffled towards the street. He kept his back to the wall and tried to sense for anything within his range. With Sunny Day up, it helped increased the range his Heat Sonar, yet there was still nothing.
Did I actually lose him? Blitz hesitated, but stepped out from cover. He's not nearby, and he can't be above me. Maybe I did—
Just when he stepped out from the alleyway, he felt something pierce through his Heat Sonar. An object was ricocheting between the buildings and closing in on him.
Shit!
He turned his bow on the projectile, but staggered as it struck him in the chest, sooner than he anticipated. The explosive force sent him flying back and knocked him onto the street. He dropped his bow and hugged his chest, seething in pain. He could feel the pellet digging into his skin. He could feel blood trickling from the wound.
That's…not good.
On the street parallel to where his target was, Hobs pressed his back to the wall as he loaded another pellet. His fur was tinged red from the heat of his blood. A harmless steam hissed off his body. He took a whiff of the air and detected the slightest hint of blood being drawn from the downed Charmeleon.
Sight is a reliable sense for most Pokémon. Our eyes react to light sooner than the ears can interpret sound. Information takes time. Whatever alternative method he's using to detect my presence, there's a delay between when information is received and interpreted. As long as I fire these shots faster than you can predict their trajectory, I'll claim victory.
He aimed down the alleyway and fired his shot. He listened to the pellet ricochet off the walls, heading to the parallel street.
Just a tinge of Work Up, and we'll get to test the limits of your armor.
Blitz sensed another shot coming his way. He rolled out of the way and narrowly avoided another pellet grazing by his head. He picked up his bow and took off running, keeping one hand on his chest.
He must be taking cover in some shade to avoid the Sunny Day. He's nearby, but he's definitely not above me!
He stopped in the middle of the street and pulled out a potion. He bit the cork off and downed the whole thing in one sip. He wiped his lips, sighed, and stashed the vial back into his quiver.
That should dull my pain when it kicks in, but I can't afford to waste time.
He picked out two arrows and nocked them. He closed his eyes and pulled back on the drawstring.
I can't tell where he is, but I have a general idea of his location. That's good enough for me.
He aimed up at the sky, charging up both arrows. "Purifying Shot: Cleansing Fire!" He fired both arrows into the air, arcing them over the buildings.
Hobs glared as he took another scan of the opposite street. He fired into the air? Has he pinpointed my location?
He ran out from cover and readied his slingshot. He paused a moment as the arrows came into view, and he saw they weren't the same blunt-tipped arrows. These arrows, though wrapped in flame, were clearly made of a bulbous glass. Confused, he sniffed the pathway of the arrows.
There's something in those arrows. Something's leaking out from cracks in the glass. Oh shit!
He immediately leapt out of the way as the arrows struck the ground, shattering their tips. The flame-induced Weather Ball ignited the combustive liquid and expanded into a volatile explosion. Hobs braced himself as the flames slammed into him and knocked him across the street. Shards of glass from the tips flew into him. Hot glass cut across his skin or shot through his jacket.
"Agh!" He landed on all fours and growled from the piece of glass burning in his abdomen. Seeing it hadn't gone in too deep, he pinched it and ripped it out. "GAH!" He fell to his knees and clutched over the wound. "Son of a devil!"
He pulled some gauze from his jacket and took a moment to wrap it around his stomach. He compressed it around the wound and tied it tight. His blood seeped through, forming a small red splotch.
"That's definitely going to need stitches after this." He put the roll of gauze away and picked up his slingshot. "Damn kid. He's ruthless. Much more than I expected. Is he really the Compassionate Sniper everyone's been calling him?"
He stood up, rolled his shoulders, and let out a fierce battle cry of, "Work Up!" A fiery red aura flared around his body. His fur glowed red as his blood started heating up. A red flash shined off his irises, and his fedora blew off as his hair floated like tendrils.
With his grin growing more excited, he plucked out a handful of pellets and marched down the street. "Can you hear me, kid?! You're getting me fired up, too! Let's make this a great hunt!"
Blitz heard the cry of his opponent and glared as he nocked another arrow. He could sense Hobs out in the sunlight, and he could detect the vast amount of heat building up around him. He was getting serious now, and Blitz shared in his sentiments.
"…Very well."
Two streets apart, and a row of buildings separated them. They couldn't see each other, but they could sense the other's presence as they stood directly parallel with their weapons drawn and ready. Both their auras, each brimming with heat, flared up from the excitement in their pounding hearts. The blood rushed through their bodies, and the pain in their bodies faded as they prepared to let their respective weapons grace the battlefield.
In an instant, they took off running in tandem to the other's position. Blitz let loose arrows over the buildings while Hobs peppered the alleyways with his pellets. Each projectile soon came into the other's range, and they weaved through them. Blitz slid and ducked under pellets flying out from the alleyways while Hobs weaved through the arrows raining down on him.
"AGH!" Blitz staggered as a pellet ricocheted off the street and struck his leg. He stumbled on one foot and growled. "Try this!"
He pulled an arrow from his quiver. The tip was wrapped in a cylindrical, bamboo casing with a fuse. He snapped his teeth near the fuse and lit it before tossing it into the air. He fired his phantom grappler into a building and launched himself into the air just before more pellets bombarded his location.
Hobs skidded to a stop and looked up as Blitz shot himself over the rooftops. "What the—"
Blitz snatched the airborne arrow and nocked it. "Purifying Shot: Wings of Ember!" He fired the arrow.
As the arrow soared, the fuse met its end and detonated the bamboo casing, releasing a shower of miniature flaming arrows. Hobs covered his head and braced himself as the arrows rained down on him. The arrows burned to ash after a few second, leaving behind charred splinters all over the Gumshoos.
Blitz dove toward the buildings and slowed his fall by digging his claws along the brick exterior. He gradually slowed down and kicked off the wall, rolling into the street with an arrow prepped for fire. Flames encircled the blunt arrowhead.
"Fury of the Blind God!"
It let the arrow loose. Draconic blue flames ignited around the arrow and launched it forward in a superheated streak. Hobs shook off his injuries and prepped a pellet.
"Absolute Hunt: Cataclysm Shot!"
He fired the pellet directly into the arrow. Both projectiles slammed into each other and locked into a brief stalemate. The energy in Hobs' pellet, strained from the pressure of Blitz's arrow, released into a flaming explosion that engulfed the street. Both snipers were thrown off their feet and sent flying across the street.
Both sides went silent with only the crackling of flames in the street. Both were sprawled out on their backs, their weapons thrown from their hands. Hobs' slingshot was a few inches from his reach. Blitz's bow, however, was snapped in two.
After a long minute, Hobs exhaled through his teeth and coughed. "Don't make…this difficult for me, kid. Enemy or not, I'm not in the business of killing children."
Blitz panted slowly with his eyes closed. "Are you letting us go?"
"Only if you never interfere with Last Autumn again. It's for your own good."
"Yeah…sorry, but I can't do that."
"…" Hobs closed his eyes and groaned. "I can't imagine anyone in Virdis will look up to you guys ever again. We did everything to tarnish what little merit you had in the eyes of the people. Noble thieves turned to dark dealings. What are you all working toward when there's nothing left to gain? What are you even fighting for?"
"What…are you fighting for?"
"I fight for myself. That's the business. What's the point in abiding by laws and regulations when those in power never give their word? The little guy will always be second to those in their golden thrones. You Foresters understand this better than anyone."
"…Yeah."
"That's what we're after. That's what Last Autumn has always worked towards. We just want a future without these ten kingdoms, divided by culture and pride. Riches and status. Isn't that what you want?"
"…" Blitz let out a slow sigh. "The Foresters never had an end goal to their mission. This is how it's always been, and we're just doing whatever we can to make that pain a little duller. Maybe the world would be better off without the ten kingdoms feuding over everything."
"Do you see my point?" Hobs asked.
"However…" Blitz pressed his hands down and grunted as he sat up. "Achieving that dream through violence and death? I believe we can do so much better. We can make a better Virdis without needless bloodshed."
"I've heard the stories of your leader. Your dream will never come to pass."
"Maybe…but I know someone who wants to see that reality. Ever since she came into our lives, things haven't been quite the same." He struggled to his feet and straightened up. "And that might not be such a bad thing."
"…Heh." Hobs groaned as he picked himself off the ground. "You're crazy, kid." He picked up his slingshot and dusted himself off. "What was you name again?"
"It's Blitz. Blitz Leafwind."
"Heh. Strange name. The name's Hobs." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I envy you, kid. Still full of hope for the future. Can't say I'll ever believe in a future like that. As long as I stand and can draw a breath, I'll keep fighting for my boss. I wonderful if he and your friend…will ever meet."
Blitz reached into his quiver and pulled out a handful of flammable liquid arrow. "I won't die here."
"Neither will I." Hobs loaded up his slingshot and took aim. "So, may the best hunter win."
Lillia looked up from her searching and saw the blazing light in the sky along with the smoke billowing from the streets. What was once a mostly silent night turned to a symphony of explosions going off one after the other. She could've sworn she saw flames streaking through the air in droves.
"I need to hurry." She ducked back onto the floor and carefully waved her candle under the furniture. So far, she found dust and fur, plus the occasional sheet of parchment. She checked under the wardrobe, the bed, the desk, and other areas of the room. She had yet to check under the nightstand.
"Maybe he was mumbling nonsense," she said under her breath. "There was an explosion in his room. What are the odds it was just some weird ringing in his ears? Still, he seemed sure he heard something, unconscious or not. Hold out for a little longer, guys."
She angled the candle under the nightstand and did a once over. She found more dust and fur, same as all the other spots she checked. However, as she moved the candle along, something gleamed back at her eyes. She glared and steadied the candle to get a better look. As her eyes adjusted, she saw a small thing of glass.
"Hello, what do we have here?" she mumbled. She psychically pulled the object toward her and sat up on her knees as it rolled into her awaiting hand.
It was a small potion vial filled with a pale green liquid.
"What the?" She placed the candle on the nightstand and stood up. She turned the vial a couple of times in her hand. "This isn't Wraith, and I'm almost certain this isn't medicine. This must belong to the assassin. What is it, though?"
She flinched from another explosion in the city. An eruption of flames shot up from the streets. The orange glow of a burning wall of flame lit up the darkness of the city.
"Well, it's definitely suspicious, so I'm done here!" She pocketed the vial and made her way around the bed.
She stopped at the open wall and paused. Climbing down would take too long, and staying in the castle any longer would draw unwanted attention to herself. The best course of action was to leap out onto the surrounding wall, using her Psychic like a glider.
She winced, feeling a dash of vertigo hit her. "Maybe there's a safer way down."
"This way!" She gasped and looked over her shoulder, seeing shadows dance off the hallway outside. "I think I heard something!" The clanking of armor told her all she needed to know.
She gulped. "Okay, guess I'm flying."
She took a few deep breaths, steeled her nerves, and charged through the open wall. She leaped out into the open and glided over the courtyard with her Psychic. The cold air whipped across her face as she dove toward the castle wall. She caught the ledge and pulled herself over.
"Phew. If I ever fly with Brooklyn again, I'm going to develop a fear of heights." She went over the outer side of the wall and peeked down. Knights were marching out into the city. Just up ahead, she could see someone flying over the city in a twister. "Shingo and Brooklyn already escaped. Good." She stood on the wall's ledge and took another breath. "Okay, don't think about falling. Just glide, Lillia."
She took another leap and glided into the city in a psionic glow, aiming for her fleeing allies.
A chain of explosions went off through the street. Flames spread as the flammable liquid of Blitz's arrows ignited from the embers in the air. With his standard bow broken, the Charmeleon darted through the street chucking any remaining arrows he had at Hobs.
Hobs dodged the arrows and shielded his eyes from the embers flying in his face. He growled, stomped his foot down, and roared up to the night sky. "Thrill of the Hunt!" A red glow outlined his body before erupting into an inferno of scarlet energy.
Blitz kicked off a building and came down on Hobs with an Acrobatics-boosted kick. He felt the power engulfing Hobs increase in intensity, knocking him away with the explosive pressure.
"You want a brawl?!" Hobs lunged and seized the archer by his neck. "Let me show you the divide in our experience!" He whipped his arm and hammered Blitz through the flames and against a building, cracking the wall. "This is what it means to survive!" He socked him in the gut.
"GAH!" Blitz cried, spitting up blood. "I…Inferno!" He slammed his palms into Hobs' face and fired the move blank point.
Hobs roared through the flames, but the scarlet aura around him continued to grow. "This is nothing!" He tightened his grip and threw Blitz across the street.
The archer bounced off the side of a building, but landed dizzily on his feet. He growled and reached for an arrow, but found he only had one left. A standard blunt-tipped arrow. I need to buy myself time!
Hobs pulled out four pellets, squeezed them in his hand, and loaded them into his slingshot. He sniffed the air and yelled, "Thrill of the Hunt: Inescapable Derecho Shot!" He fired off four metal pellets.
Blitz tried to dodge, but the pellets accurately ricocheted off the various surfaces around him, and at speeds that lagged with his Heat Sonar. He did his best to avoid as many as he could, but three of the four shots convened on his location. One got his ankle, another pierced through his right arm, and the final pinged off the street and sliced across the left side of his face, specifically across his closed eye.
"AAAAHHH!" Blitz fell over and covered his face.
Hobs grinned as his aura continued to rise, his hair fluttering in wild strands. "Is this the gulf of your skills, Blitz Leafwind? You want to make your ideals a reality, you need to take hold of them with every fiber of your body! Don't stop, and keep fighting until you can't move anymore!"
The archer picked himself back up, clutching his right arm and clenching his left eye shut. "The Foresters will not fall! We'll take on whatever Last Autumn has to throw at us!"
"Then prove it to me with your skills, boy! Surpass us! Surpass me!" Hobs loaded up his slingshot.
Blitz winced once more from his Solar Power, and he could feel it flickering. The Sunny Day's going to go away any second. I need to make my next shot count. He grabbed the compound bow and unfolded it with a flick of his wrist. The conditions are all perfect. This is exactly what I need to end this fight.
"Thrill of the Hunt: Stalking Sirocco Shot!" The pellet radiated with intense scarlet energy, and it fired with a chaotic streak left in its path.
Blitz balanced on his hand and spun into a breakdance-like maneuver. "Scorching Tempest!" Blue flames flew from his body and rose as a might tower taking up the width of the street. Hobs' shot completely vanished inside the storm, and he staggered as the hot wind blew in his face.
He clenched his eyes shut and dug inside his pocket for another pellet. "Dammit all!" I can't smell anything. It's just scorched air. I can't tell where he is anymore!
"Allow me to correct your earlier assumption!" He peeked one eye open and saw the familiar, flickering white glow of the Forester archer standing in the center of the fiery storm. "They don't call me the Compassionate Sniper because I'm merciful."
Shit! Hobs found a pellet and loaded it into his slingshot.
"They call me that…because I put an end to my target's suffering immediately." As the storm cleared, Blitz lined up his bow and lit up the arrowhead. "Survival won't corrupt my principles!"
"Thrill of the Hunt: Stalking Sirocco Shot!"
"Fury of the Blind God: Ascension!"
Both fired their projectiles. Blitz's arrow traveled through the flames encompassing the street. The rotation of the Inferno incorporated into the shot pulled the surrounding flames into itself. The dark blue flames slowly transformed into a vibrant, blinding purple.
Both arrow and pellet crossed paths, energy and flames shooting out from the brief stalemate. For a moment, it seemed like they would both cancel out each other's momentum. However, the force against their rounded surfaces allowed both projectiles to scrape by each other and continue on the path ahead.
The pellet struck against Blitz's chest, ripping through the fabric and knocking him backward. "AGH!"
Hobs tried to move, but stumbled and coughed blood as his Thrill of the Hunt flickered. The arrow slammed into his abdomen with searing force and rocketed him across the street. His screams were muffled out by the attack's roaring flames.
The slingshot fell from his hand, and he skidded off his back to a dead stop. The arrow seared through his clothes and partially through his body before crumbling to ash.
Blitz panted, stumbling around on his feet. He dropped his bow and spat blood. The pellet managed to pierce through his chest. Blood soaked into his torn uniform and dripped down his body.
A soft smile formed over his lips. "Heh. Good…fight." He dropped to his knees and fell unconscious.
"We're almost there!" Shingo yelled, pointing out the wall. The knights were still hot on their trail, galloping through the street on their steeds or taking to the rooftops after the pair.
A flash of light followed by an explosive thunder startled them. Brook looked over her shoulder and saw flames flaring up from a faraway street. "What was that?!"
Shingo glared. "Blitz." He stopped and leapt to the buildings on the other side of the street.
Brook gasped. "Shin—"
"Get Vanessa out of here! Don't worry about me!" He dashed off to the explosion site. Some of the knights chasing by rooftop veered off and continued after the fleeing ninja.
Brook clenched her teeth. "Dammit, Shingo." She shook her head and started flapping her wings. "Please get them to safety. Ascending Gale!"
With the last of the buildings in her path, she launched off and rocketed into the air in a tight twister. Arrows rained down from the guards manning the wall, but they were knocked aside upon grazing Brook's twister. She flew over the wall and took off into the open plains outside the capital.
If you don't get out in ten minutes, I swear…!
The commotion in the streets didn't fall on deaf ears. Looking outside the castle windows, Erasmus and Darby stared in shock at the pyre building in the capital streets. Explosions occasionally went off, pillars of flame flaring up followed by their thunderous booms.
"What is happening out there?!" Erasmus yelled.
"Either someone has been taken to fire-based rituals, or there's a fight brewing out there," Darby said. He shuffled back on his crutches. "No doubt by Forester hands."
"Boys!" The princes turned as King Talbot and Gaufroi ran to them. The king sighed in relief. "Thank goodness, you are okay."
"Father, what is going on?" Erasmus asked. "Why are the streets on fire?"
Gaufroi crossed his arms. "We got word from that Flygon chick that there was a break-in. Four suspected Foresters. Two of them were snooping around in the dungeon and released Vanessa from her cell."
His eyes widened. "What?"
Darby sighed and shook his head. "How dreadful. They return to the scene of their last crime and flock to reunite their murderous acquaintance to their guild."
Gaufroi ignored the penguin and continued, "The knights are giving chase to the intruders as we speak. We've yet to sight the third intruder, hence why we came looking for you both. The rest of the Talbots and Tetrarchs are being monitored for safety measures."
"What of the fourth intruder?" Erasmus asked.
Gilbert glared. "Ms. Desierto informed us her father pursued the intruders on the upper level. Apparently, they were sighted near Dimitri."
He gasped. "Dimitri?!"
Darby stamped his crutched done. "The injustice on display today! They return to silence him once and for all. Truly despicable creatures, my friend." He patted the shocked Glameow's back. "Take heart, for I will be by your side as we exact vengeance against those heathens—"
"Hold your tongue, Your Highness," Gaufroi interrupted. "We already checked in on the prince. Aside from a mild scuffle, there were no signs of harm brought onto the prince. No signs that he had been injected with another poison or afflicted with wounds. He's fine."
Darby winced. "I…yes, of course."
Erasmus sighed in relief, but then frowned. "But surely, they were there for a long time before Mr. Desierto intervened. Are you certain no harm befell Dimitri?"
Gaufroi nodded. "Triple checked, Your Highness. He is fine."
"I…" He looked down with a narrowed brow. "That is good, but…why were they in his room?"
Darby shook his head. "Think nothing of their intentions, my friend. They were no doubt wicked in their schemes and plotted something far worse than death. Best be grateful fate was smiling upon Prince Dimitri that he will see another sunset in the future."
"I suppose…" Still, something about that feels off.
Gilbert turned and waved the princes along. "There is no time for chatter. We must seek refuge until the streets are cleared. Mr. Desierto was last seen in pursuit of one of the Foresters, and the battle is getting out of control. The knights are marching out to contain the flames. In the meantime, we must seek shelter until the castle is cleared."
Darby nodded and hobbled along. "Lead the way, Your Majesty."
Erasmus lingered for a moment, looking out the window once more with a hint of confusion. Why were they in Dimitri's room? Were they really going to do something horrible to him? He closed his eyes, sighed, and followed behind his father.
Shingo hopped between buildings, closing in on the flame-covered street. He readied a Cut blade and dove onto the battlefield. He made a cursory scan of his surroundings before spotting Blitz laying on the ground. He dispelled the Cut and ran over to him.
"Blitz?" Shingo picked him up and pressed two fingers to his neck. He grimaced at the wounds sustained by the archer, though sighed in relief upon feeling a pulse. "Sometimes I forget just how intense you can get." He stood up with Blitz laying in his arms.
"Shingo!" He looked over his shoulder and saw Lillia descending onto the street with her Psychic. She stumbled on her landing and ran over to him. "Oh no, Blitz!"
"He's alive," he assured. "Barely, though. He'll need immediate first aid."
Lillia looked down the street and saw Hobs laying on the ground. She glared and ran over to him, kneeling down to his side and checking his pulse. She sighed and checked the wounds he sustained.
"Lillia, we need to move," Shingo said.
She reached into her supply bag and pulled out some medicine and fresh bandages. "Just because he's our enemy doesn't mean he doesn't deserve kindness. I'm leaving this stuff here for the knights that will be arriving shortly."
He sighed. "Alright, fine, but hurry. Brooklyn's likely over the wall. The mission's complete." He kicked up Blitz's compound bow and hooked it around his pack.
She nodded and stood up. "Lead the way." They took off running just as they heard the clanking of knight armor approaching the area.
Shingo and Lillia evaded the knights originally pursuing the ninja and made their way to the capital wall. Shingo scanned their surroundings for any knights in hiding.
"Help me secure Blitz to my back," he ordered.
He moved the unconscious Charmeleon around until he was laying on his back, and Lillia worked to swaddle him onto Shingo with his own scarf. She pulled taut on the scarf and tied the knot before giving it a cursory tug.
"Okay, that'll hold him," she said. He nodded and started climbing up the wall. Lillia pulled out her climbing claws and followed after him, using Psychic in small bursts to give herself an extra burst. "You said Brooklyn's already over the wall?"
"Most likely. Knowing her, she's waiting for us within sight of the capital." He shook his head. "Better for her to go ahead without us, but the aid is welcomed—" He paused and glanced over his shoulder before gasping. "Lillia!"
She heard something whistling in her direction and jumped out of the way, dodging an Octazooka. She yelped as she tried to get her grip back into the wall, which she thankfully did. She didn't take the moment to breathe and looked behind herself to see knights popping out of hiding. Leading the group was Jael, whose left eye was noticeably glowing red.
"Not that guy again," Shingo growled. "Lillia, don't stop! I won't be able to effectively defend you with Blitz strapped to me!"
"Don't worry, I can take care of myself!" she exclaimed, hurriedly climbing up the wall.
"I'll hold you to that!" He followed after her.
"Bullet Seed!" they heard before a barrage of seeds fired on their location.
"Aerial Ace!" With his left leg, he rapidly kicked the seeds and knocked them out of the air.
"Charge Beam!" Lillia carefully turned around and fired an arcing electrical beam across the air, roasting and deflecting the seeds. She aimed her hand and charged an electrical energy with a psionic glow. "Here's a little something for you! Sacred Light Beam!" She fired down on the knights.
Jael jumped out of its path, but the beam turned sharply and blasted him into the knights arming their bows.
Shingo whistled. "Not a bad shot. Now, hurry up!" They started climbing faster over the wall.
Their eyes widened as knights appeared over the wall's edge, aiming their bows at them. "In the name of the Senbo Kingdom, you are under arrest!" a knight shouted. "Come quietly, or we'll be forced to take drastic measures."
Lillia winced. "Now what?"
Just as the knights looked like they were going to shoot, a twister flew over their heads and knocked their bows out of their hands. The duo shielded themselves as the discarded arrows and bows fell on top of them before looking up again to see Brook soaring in the air.
"Brook!" Lillia gasped with joy.
Shingo sighed with a dry grin. "Should've figured."
Brook dove down and snatched the duo off the wall before arcing back into the air. Lillia gasped and held onto Brook's neck as she felt the world spinning around her. "Oh, I did not miss this!"
Brook smirked at Shingo as he adjusted himself on her back. "Mission's over, right? Now I have ample reason to save your butt."
He chuckled. "I suppose. Where's—"
"I hid her behind some bushes. We'll drop off there and find somewhere to camp once we're out of pursuit."
"Lead the way, but be careful! Blitz is in bad condition!"
"Roger!" Brook pumped her wings and gently twirled within her twister, shooting over the wall and soaring out into the open plains while the knights tried to get their bearings in order.
Jael groaned as he picked himself off the knights, then glared as he spotted the Foresters escaping over the wall. "Dammit…"
The Ariados knight signaled to the standing knights and ordered, "Assemble the cavalry and give chase!" They saluted and started down the buildings. He sighed and glared at the wall. "In all my years under the Senbo guard, I've never thought I'd see someone break into the capital and escape. Twice. Those Foresters…"
Jael narrowed his eyes. "Indeed." Well, not what we hoped, but within Prince Darby's expectations. Let them flee with the maid. Iron-cladded evidence to the anti-Forester narrative. They'll be destroyed within a matter of months.