Ch.114: Coordinated Strike! Fight as One!

The trumpets of battle roared out before the imposing dark castle. Horde of Honchkrow golems and shadows flew out from the windows and ground, blanketing the sky in their numbers, and dove onto the opposing party to smite all in their way. However, the Ravenfield-Pirate Alliance would not fall so easily, not with their futures at stake.

"FIRE!" Arid yelled.

Ray, operating the torn-out laser defense system, tracked their movements and rained down laser fire on the first wave. The beams split through the golems' stone bodies and sent the pieces scattered across the battlefield while the shadows were reduced to charred wisps. His paws moved like lightning on the tracking ball, his attention splitting between hundreds of mobile targets yet keeping pace with them all. His reaction time proved efficient. Whenever one tried to fly in from his blind spot, he'd anticipate and shoot them out of the sky.

"I've got you covered, Captain!" Ray exclaimed.

Arid raised his hand toward the opposing army and yelled, "Leave no survivors!"

The pirates and veteran Ravenfields charged out from behind the captain and pushed back against the golems and shadows. While the pirates took on the frontal wave, the veteran Ravenfields advanced beyond and barreled through larger numbers. Ava and Willow sliced through golems and scattered their parts across the air while Alex pummeled shadows with a flurry of kicks and jabs.

"This is for my ship!" Jones yelled. Armed with cutlasses in each of his four arms, he cut down a row of shadows in his path. Two tried to lift him by the arms, but he overpowered and smashed them into the ground, dispelling their forms. A golem tackled his midsection and nearly toppled him over, but he stood his ground and seized the creature. "No. You. Don't!"

He pried its beak open and stuffed a bundled cloth down its throat. He kicked it back into the army before whipping out a flintlock and firing. He struck its throat dead on, causing the bundle inside to explode into a ball of light. The blinding flash caused shadows to scream and burn from the intensity.

"Excellent move, Jones." Drake dashed past the helmsman with his katanas deployed. He weaved through the golems, slicing them up as he passed. He leapt over a larger cluster and vertically slashed through their backs, tearing them to ribbons. He spun in place, taking in the environment with his one eye, and lunged toward a group aiming for Cheshire.

The Banette barely defended himself with a dagger before Drake sliced the golems up. The witch smirked. "I thank you, Drake."

"Don't lose focus." The Grovyle chased after another group of golems.

"Oh, I intend to." He reached around his waist, revealing Ambrosine's throwing scalpel kit. "I'm sure she won't mind if I borrow this." He pulled out handfuls of scalpels, each marked with a blood-drawn circle. "Come, come, little golems."

Golems descended upon the witch with their haunting shrieks. He smirked and threw the scalpels at them. Once the blades touched their stone bodies, they began to corrode and wither away to dust. Cheshire shielded his eyes as the dust sprayed over his body.

"Pleh." He shook himself clean and raised his hands as the scalpels returned to him. "Well, this saves the trouble of buying new knives." He ran into the fray, chucking knives like a madman.

Tyrone and Pain Train kept close to each other, standing in the center of a shadow tornado. The umbric phantoms cackled all around them, firing down fireballs at their feet. Tyrone raised a wall of plants around himself using seeds he was loaned by Gwyn. They conjured a thick bramble of thorns that staved off most of the flames' impact.

Pain Train jingled worriedly. "Any idea how we're supposed to defend ourselves?"

Tyrone gritted his teeth. "I'm still trying to figure that out. I'd be wasting light bullets if I tried firing into that." He glanced at his gauntlet for a moment before saying, "Can you lock them down?"

"Eh, maybe, but not with this many moving around."

Tyrone grabbed the Klefki and clenched his fist. "Time…FREEZE!" One of the gems glowed and commanded time to freeze around them. He let go of Pain Train and collapsed to his knees as the gauntlet's recoil began hitting him. "AGH! H-Hurry!"

Pain Train escaped out of the thorn fortress and outside the shadow storm. "Mass Lockdown!" Golden chains spawned out from his back and pierced through the shadows. He hurried to the best of his ability, coiling as much of the chains around the storm as possible.

Tyrone collapsed onto his side and panted. "Can't…hold it!" He released the time freeze.

Time resumed, but the shadows collapsed over themselves in the webbing of chains. Pain Train tugged on the chains and bundled the shadows into each other, taking them down to the ground. Tyrone opened a path out of the thorns just as they came crashing down.

"Perfect!" Tyrone pulled out a bundle of flash powder. "Eat this!" He chucked it over their heads and fired his flintlock into it. It released the searing blast of light that scorched their shadowy hides, causing them to shriek out in agony.

Pain Train flew down and laughed. "In your faces!"

Further down the battlefield, Julius roared with laughter as he blasted his way through golems and shadows. Smith stuck by his side, nervously firing with his dual flintlocks and screaming whenever a golem swept by him.

"Th-This is insane!" he screamed.

Julius laughed. "I know! Isn't this the life? I haven't felt this alive in ages! Come at me, ye scurvy sky dogs!" He twisted his pincer cannon and fired shot after shot into the airborne targets, taking them down in a fiery explosion. "I love the smell of gunpowder in the mornin'!"

"RAAAAAH!" Fulke came charging past them with his club held high and battered through a group of shadows. "This is for Ambrosine, you hapless ink stains! Come get some!" The peglegged Primeape leapt above retaliating shadows and clobbered them across the heads, screaming like a maniac.

Julius laughed. "That's the spirit, Fulke! Give 'em hell!"

Smith whined. "I knew I should've become a seamster like my father!" As he cried, he fired more light bullets into the sky and sniped down a few more shadows.

"SQUAWK!" Jeffery attempted to charge into battle by his captain's orders, but quickly found himself overwhelmed with golems chasing him down. "PLEASE! Spare me! Kill the others instead!"

One nearly got its talons on his backside, but Malcom swooped in and bashed the golem's face in with his bare knuckles. He grabbed Jeffery's ankles, tucked him under his arm, and dodged a five-way dive attack from another group.

"WAH!" Jeffery gulped and grinned nervously at the Golduck. "Y-You know, I was only joking about the whole…heh?"

Malcom smirked. "Good, then you can help me out."

"Eh?!"

Malcom reared his arm back. "Serves up!" He chucked Jeffery toward the golems.

"WAAAAAAAH!" He pinged off the golems' heads one-by-one, staggering their briefly for Malcom to smash them apart. "I DIDN'T AGREE TO THIS!"

"Out of my way!" Leigh roared. She took to the sky against the shadows and golems. She swung her battle claws with the ferocity of an irate Ursaring, cleaving stone in two and ripping darkness to ribbons. She pressed her claws together and spun through a group like a living drill, shredding them to pieces. "Worthless! ALL OF YOU!"

Further out in the battlefield, the veteran Ravenfields dealt with a larger section of the army, all of which sensed the imminent threat they carried. Though even with their greater numbers, they couldn't match the overarching skill and power of the experienced fighters.

Ava and her Guardian stood back-to-back of each other, slicing and breaking through golems and shadows without missing a beat. Ava's third eye shined bright across her forehead, absorbing all environmental information around her and allowing her to react accordingly.

"Disappear!" She struck her hands out and blasted the golems away with a burst of psychic energy. Shadows tried to strike from below, but her Guardian intercepted with a brutal stomping, dispersing their forms. Ava took a second to catch her breath and shouted, "How are you two holding up?"

Alex and Willow moved in sync with each other. Willow charged through the army with quick slashes, then used her sword's internal magic to swap places with Alex. He used the newfound momentum to blow through a pathway of golems, scattering their pieces up into the air. He tossed the sword up, where Willow teleported to and further cut their pieces to pebbles.

Willow landed beside Alex and grinned. "Just like old times, huh?"

Ava smirked. "If this weren't the end of the world, I'd be enjoying myself, too."

Alex cracked his knuckles. "Enough chatter. We've got a king to introduce ourselves to."

"Right!"

During the entirety of the battle, Graham kept his distance, teleporting in between fights to lend assistance or spread battle information to the pirates. He reappeared beside Arid and said, "We have an advantage so far, but—"

"I know." The captain settled his gaze on the shattered fragments of the golems as they gravitated to each other. "So long as the Shadow King lives, those things will just keep regenerating."

"Cheshire's doing all he can to reduce their numbers, but far too many outweigh our numbers."

Arid nodded. "Then we'll need to prepare for the next phase of our plan. Is Banama's group in position?"

"I believe so. They'll be awaiting your signal."

"Where are Flint and Ella? Did they make it out of the castle?"

Graham nodded. "They did, though I saw them getting caught up in their own fights. The Watchog and the Being of Nightmares. The Shadow King is by himself currently."

Arid nodded. "Excellent. Continue with your surveying, Graham." He clenched his fists and headed toward the battlefield, blocking stray fireballs with timely-raised sand walls. "I've got a score to settle with Apollo."

Meanwhile…

High up above the enormous crate the dark castle sat in, Banama and his team perched themselves atop its edge masked behind an illusion from Zerif. Lyra spied on the battlefield with her telescope, scanning through the dust and clutter, before singling out the Shadow King in the far back.

"Found him." She handed off the telescope to Banama and pointed him in the right direction.

Banama studied the distance for himself and grimaced. "Oh boy. This is going to be a tight shot."

Zerif growled. "I should be out there fighting, too. I'm itching for some action."

"We can't compromise the mission, Zerif," Banama warned. He pulled out a stand for the telescope to rest and swivel on. He adjusted it to sit a little off the ground before laying down on his stomach. "We only have one shot at this. We need to wait for the captain and the others to get the Shadow King into position."

Lyra touched his shoulder. "You got this. I believe in you."

He took a deep breath and nodded. "I sure hope so."

Earth Zone Village

Lightning soared through the streets as Leroy continued on the offensive. With his seamitars bursting with electricity, he struck against the undead Entrustian knight, who countered with his twin crystal broadswords. The magical lightning split around the puppet, scorching the street and buildings behind him.

Andreas held his ground against his larger opponent and grinned. "Now be absorbed." His crystal swords took in the magical lightning and added it into his own. "Prismatic Armatura!" Adding his spell-boosting magic, the lightning changed into multicolored thunderstorms. He put one foot forward and shoved Leroy back with his increased power.

"GAH!" Leroy was thrown back, catching himself on his Nebula Rider and retreating into the air. His strength is incredible. He grunted as shadows continued to encompass his body. My attention's being split on too far. I'll be reaching my limit before he ever does.

Andreas stomped the ground and launched himself on a crystal pillar. "Slowing down already?" He combined his electrified swords into one large buster sword. "I expected better from you, Storm Mage!"

Leroy growled and flew out of the Kecleon's swing. "Don't get cocky." He tossed his seamitars at him.

Andreas deflected and knocked them flying in opposite direction. "Heh! What kind of swordsman throws his—"

Leroy clapped his hands together. "You shouldn't have absorbed my magic. Storm Splitting Guillotine!"

Andreas saw both seamitars sparking wildly before firing electrical beams toward him. His crystal sword shifted and blasted its wielded out of the way before the beams connected. It violently shook in the crossfire, vibrating at such intense speeds that the lightning began to lacerate the sword to pieces.

Andreas grinned. "You clever bastard…"

Leroy quickly retrieved his falling blades and chased Andreas up toward the sky. "Flash Splitter!" He captured all the remnant electricity in the air and channeled it through the shell blades.

Andreas pressed his hands together and pulled back, manifesting a crystal bow and blazing rainbow arrow. "Alright then…" He aimed up and fired into the sky. "Starlight Ballista Rain!"

Leroy stopped and gasped as the arrow exploded across the sky. From the explosion, thousands of small crystal arrows wrapped in the prismatic aura hovered over the village. Andreas raised his hand toward them and, with a cunning smirky, commanded them to fall with a flick of his wrist. Thousands of prismatic arrows streaked from the sky, their sights set on the lone Samurott.

"Do history books recount how I was a lackadaisical knight in my youth? How I was too whimsical to be a soldier?" Andreas' smirk stretched wider. "A good soldier knows how to keep the morale of his fellow soldiers high with songs and games. But a commander…can do the same by being a reliable ace on the battlefield."

"Shit!" Leroy sheathed his blades and extended his fists. "Impetus Pressure: Maximum Tremor!" He fired the wide burst of kinetic force out from his fists, intercepting the raining arrows.

They didn't shatter on impact as he hope. They rode against the opposing force with their own momentum to ride out the storm. Thousands of arrows were caught in the pressure wave, some shattering one by one, but most persistently braving the powerful spell on course for the Samurott.

Andreas laughed. "Even in your current state, you're still this strong. The modern world is incredible! Magic in my day was so simple and basic. My father, Buster, was a man born with incredible magical reserves that made up for his lack of spell prowess. I learned all I could in his example, learning how to increase the power of my magic. I may not have acted like it, but I took my job as a knight seriously. I wanted to be as strong as my father, the hero of the Shadow War!"

"GRRAAAAAH!" Leroy roared, outputting more magic into his Impetus Pressure. Arrows were being destroyed at a faster rate, yet they continued on course toward their target.

Andreas sighed. "How conflicting of me, for I now serve the shadows. Well, it matters not. In the end, I'll do my father proud and see to my ambition no matter what form it takes! I failed to save my kingdom, but I will gladly serve in honor of the shadows!"

"…Foolish."

He raised his brow. "Oh?"

Sweat dripped down Leroy's brow as he scowled at the approaching arrows. "I've been fighting this corruption for a whole week, yet you let your personality be distorted by their influence. Don't speak so frivolously of your change in allegiance like it means nothing!" His magic flared wildly off his body. "A real warrior…must accept their mistakes. They must change for the better. I was one who refused to leave the practice behind. All I knew was battle, yet…"

He saw images of Angel, Cheri, and a scowling Tony passing through his mind.

"I want to do better. I have to do better! I won't let something as pathetic as this stop me from atoning for my mistakes!"

With one final roar, he fired full blast at the arrows, shattering them all in one go. Andreas was blown out of the sky, catching himself on floating crystal platforms. Just as he recovered, an electrical blade sliced through and split half his face off. Shadow blood sprayed out in bursts.

Leroy caught himself on the Nebula Rider and raised his sparking seamitar high. "That's why I'm still fighting."

Andrea's face regenerated. He glanced over his shoulder and grinned. "Heh. The modern world…is full of so many wonderful surprises." He summoned two crystal blades and wrapped them in Prismatic Armatura. "If I were completely in control of myself, I'd say something like…finish me off, Storm Mage! Don't hold back!"

Leroy smirked. "Gladly!" In a flash, he bolted toward the rainbow knight.

Andreas spawned crystal wings out of his back, lighting the tips with bursts of his magic. "This is going to be fun!" He propelled forward and met the warrior halfway.

They struck true and swift, decorating the sky with bursts of sparks and color. It was like a dual between two dragons made from storm and the northern lights. Twisting and coiling around each other, snapping their fangs back and forth, their attacks roaring like majestic battle cries. The clouds that blanketed the sky in perpetual darkness were split in two by their tremendous power.

"Light Speed!" Leroy darted swiftly around the puppet and slashed him from behind, erupting his back in a torrent of electricity.

Andreas endured and channeled the electricity through his empowered swords. "Shining…Falchion!" He struck back, slamming both swords into the Samurott's side and blasting him out of the sky with a prismatic slash wave.

Leroy toughed it out, slipping free with Light Speed and charging toward the sky. "Fulgur Channeling!" He called upon whatever electric charge lingered in the clouds and directed it through his hand. He aimed and charged the tip of his horn. "Lightning Shot: Lotus Bullet!" Massive electrical beams rapid-fired out from his horn and sailed toward the airborne Kecleon.

"Starlight Arrow Wave!" Andreas manifested his bow and fired a consecutive stream of rainbow arrows in retaliation.

The electrical beams and arrows exploded into each other and lit up the sky like a field of fireworks. Both warriors ceased their long range assault and flew between the explosions, clashing blades once again. Their blades grinded and sparked off each other, vibrating the air with their magical pressure.

"Haaaa! I haven't had this much fun in ages!" Andreas exclaimed.

Leroy grinned. "Agreed!"

On ground level, as the two warriors duked it out, the circus troupe was getting into position to lend their assistance. With the shadow monster's numbers decreasing, Seth rallied all remaining villagers to enact his plan. After explaining the details, the villagers scattered through the streets with their weapons and began drawing lines in the dirt.

They didn't have the firepower to overtax Andreas' regeneration. Only Leroy could manage that kind of firepower, but it was clear to all he would be at his limit soon. Instead, they needed a surefire way to nullify Andreas.

Fortunately, they had a secret weapon right under their noses.

"Hurry, hurry!" Seth called out through a conjured megaphone. "We need this entire village primed and ready!"

Vince nervously tapped his claws together. "Are you sure this will work? Are we really going to put our lives into Cheri's hands? She's only just discovered how to utilize her magic."

Seth glared. "It's our best bet. Besides, even if we do defeat Andreas, Leroy could turn at any second. This will guarantee pacifying him as well. It's just a matter of how long Cheri can maintain concentration."

"Oh dear…"

"I have faith in the girl. If she thinks she can pull this off, I have nothing but confidence in her."

"If you say so…"

Tabula Rasa floated over to her master and bowed. "Seth, by my estimations and the rate of the villagers, we'll be finished in five minutes."

Seth nodded. "Good. Make sure everyone's in position. Triple check and correct any mistakes in the magic circle. We need to get this right on the first shot."

She saluted. "Yes, sir." She flew off.

Seth crossed his arms and glared up at the fighting in the sky. "It's a waiting game at this point. If this doesn't work, Andreas won't give us a second chance to do it again."

Vince gulped. "R-Right…"

Cheri, the Young children, Angel, and Faye stood at the perimeter of the village and the edge of the magic circle. Cheri sat on the ground, concentrating as her aura manifested around her. She was attempting to get a better feel for its power. She knew everyone was counting on her to get this right, so she couldn't screw up. She refused to fail her friends.

Abby covered her eyes as more explosions lit up the sky. "The fighting's getting intense up there."

Carrie held Charlie closer and gulped. "I really hope this works."

"Big boooom!" Charlie gasped.

Faye grimaced. "Nebula should be getting into position, too. I hope she knows what she's doing because we've never done something quite like this before."

Cheri shuddered. "Y-Yeah…"

Angel knelt beside her daughter and rubbed her shoulder. "Nervous?"

"A little…"

She smiled. "I know you can do it, Cheri. I'll be right here cheering you on. If Tony were here right now, he would be so proud of you."

"…" She took a deep breath and smiled. "R-Right!"

"Just take deep breaths. Block out all those nervous energies, and concentrate on the objective. You got this!"

Cheri nodded and took a deep breath. "I got this. I got this. I got this." She exhaled and clenched her fists. I got this!

Sky Zone

The clash of war rang out across the battlefield. Apollo stepped lightly through the battlefield, easily deflecting stray laser fire and wild spells let loose. He observed the opposing pirates as they fended off his stone golems. Though he possessed superior numbers, their drive to win pushed them to their limits. They were contending against an endless army of regenerating golems, and not the slightest trace of fear was in their faces.

Apollo glared. "What motivates them to fight a hopeless battle?"

"Oh, I'd say a plethora of things." He glanced up as three figures leapt out of the battlefield and landed around the god king: the veteran Ravenfields. Alex rose into a fighting stance. "Hope. Anger. Defiance. Pride. The list goes on."

Ava summoned her sword constructs. "You've forgotten what drives mortal ambition, Apollo. What it means to survive. To live. To strive for betterment."

Apollo grunted. "What good is any of that when the world will continue to tear itself apart in the name of progress? You all wish to perpetuate the dangers of magic for your own selfish reasons?"

Willow glared. "If anything happens, we'll be there to stop it. You can't assume the world will go down a route of self-destruction."

"Why not? I've seen it plenty of times. What do you think I was doing before I was reincarnated through Archibald? I've been watching existence unfurl. For each life sanctioned by hope and trust, I saw countless, frivolous ends. People slaughtering each other for practicing magic, dictating order on other wills, hapless deaths caused by mortal ignorance. I tried to end it there with my revival, but the Ravenfields continued to vex me. Archibald inspired the use of magic in the war, and his son became the bane of my existence. Ever since then, magic has been running rampant, evolving with each generation. It'll all end the same."

Alex growled. "You can't know that for sure."

"And you don't know either. Better to just cut out the problem before it begins."

"Now look who's being ignorant."

Apollo felt the earth shake under his feet. He jumped out of the way, dodging a maw of sand rising up and slamming its hardened teeth together. The sand crumbled, and Arid stepped out of the pile brushing his shoulders off. He snapped his fingers and channeled a sandstorm around himself.

"A child doesn't learn if they don't make mistakes. That's what living is: making mistakes and fixing them. What you propose isn't living…it's waking death."

Apollo growled. "I'm not wasting my breath on you fools." He clenched his fists, lighting them in golden flame. "Zaros may have stolen half the idol's power, but I still know how to bring out the most of it. Combined with the power of shadows, I rule over mortality itself."

Arid scoffed. "We'll see." He raised his hand and yelled, "Engage!"

Alex and Ava sprung into action first. Apollo prepared himself as Ava came in, swinging her blades. He deflected them with timely palm strikes and kicked her out of the way before blocking Alex's dive kick. The ground shook under his feet, but he maintained his stance and tossed the Scrafty across the sky.

"HA!" He pivoted off his heel and dodged Willow's sword strike. She dodged an attempted grab and kicked her sword at his face.

He knocked it over his head, but felt the wind shift above him. Alex, who teleported to the sword, grabbed it and sliced down into Apollo's shoulder. The god king tried to grab him, but he shifted places with Ava, whose Guardian seized his wrist and threw him across the earth.

Arid slammed his hands down. "Let the earth swallow you whole." Mountains of sand rose like a tsunami.

Apollo skidded off the earth and crashed into the sand wave. With a wave of his hand, Arid brought the sand back down and applied pressure across it. The sand hardened and compacted together to crush all trapped within. However, the god king was not so easily slain, casting a protective bubble that effortlessly blew the sand off his person.

Arid touched the ground and summoned up condensed twisters. "Try stopping this!" His gauntlet flashed purple, and his shadow sand mixed within the regular. He guided the twisters to snake through the air and collided on both sides of the god king.

Apollo struck his palms out and stopped the twisters from advancing further. He condensed all the sand into tightly packed spheres and fired back with a beam of pressurized sand. Arid dove through the earth as the attack scraped across the land's surface.

Ava, using her Greater Agility, dashed around the sand beam and lunged at Apollo with her Guardian. They extended their legs out and nailed the god king with a psychically charged kick, expelling so much energy that it sent him sailing.

Apollo spun through the air and forcibly crashed himself into the ground to stop his momentum. The impact caused a chunk of earth to uplift from the earth behind him. He dug his fingers through, tensed his muscles, and chucked the massive boulder toward them.

"Alex!" Willow yelled.

"Right!" Alex performed backflips over the ground as Willow leapt into the air. After the fourth flip, she landed on his upward soles, where he kicked her toward the incoming rock.

Willow brandished her blade and cut into the rock's surface. The impact carried through the other side, splitting it open. Digging her claws in, she ran across the flying boulder with her sword cutting through. Once she reached the end, the boulder split it two and went flying in opposing directions around her team.

Apollo conjured a light sword to block her dive attack. Willow twisted her body and, using her sword, flung off his block. She landed and struck back with her hindlegs, kicking him into the air. Apollo literally grabbed hold of the air like it was solid ground and caught himself. With a clap of his hands, hundreds of wind blades spun into existence and fired down on her.

Willow shifted places with Ava, who blocked the wind blades with a barrier. "Now!"

Apollo turned around in time to see a wall of sand rising up behind him. He flew out of the way before it crashed down on him again. Sensing another attack, he extended his arm and blocked a surprise kick from Alex. The god king easily overpowered and tossed him aside.

"What a shame, Alex Ghostwind!" He snapped his fingers and conjured flaming lances around himself. "I almost feel bad having to kill you. You were a fine host!" He flicked his wrist and commanded the lances to rain down.

Alex growled. "I can't say I feel the same way!" He rose onto the tip of his foot before dashing toward the raining lances.

With delicate adjustments to his stance and footing, Alex weaved through the weapons like water. His movements were ghost-like and fluid, shifting his balance around each attack like he was becoming one with the air itself. It was almost hypnotic the way he moved.

Apollo realized this too late when he lost focus of Alex's position. One moment he was dodging flaming spears, the next he was gone. The Scrafty's position became known immediately after when he suddenly catapulted into the air and kicked the Infernape upside the jaw.

"GRAAAAAH!" Apollo seized the Scrafty's ankle and threw him back toward the ground. He puffed his chest, inhaled to his limit, and exhaled a ferocious scream that carried a pure white beam of light.

Alex tumbled and rolled to his feet right as the beam came barreling down on his position. Right as he braced himself, the ground collapsed and dragged him under. The beam impacted and split the earth part in an array of light. The blast traveled across the battlefield, sending nearby golems and shadows scattering from expelled debris and pressure.

Ava grabbed Willow and shielded her behind a barrier as the pressure passed over them. She snapped her fingers and called upon her Guardian. "Awaken, now!"

Her Guardian shed its armor and repurposed it into a new outer shell, transforming into a samurai-like humanoid with a sword attached to its hip. Mirroring Ava's actions, it sliced forward and cut through the barrier and pressure blasting into them. The swing was so precise and powerful that the kinetic energy parted around them, destroying all but the space they stood on.

Apollo waved the dust out of the area and growled. "Why can't you fools just accept your own ignorance? Nothing is going to change. How long until magic reaches an irreversible limit? Scum of the earth will always prevail because they seek to make the world as sad and miserable as they are. There is no limit to the cruelty a creature can deliver! Whether it takes ten or ten thousand years, someone will perform magic that'll end life itself just for the hell of it! That kind of thinking shouldn't be taught! That kind of ambition needs to be squashed!"

Sand shot out of the earth and ejected Alex. He rose to Apollo's level and kicked him across the back. "It's not our job to police magic! It's our job as adults, as their teachers, to guide them to a better future!" He dug his foot in harder and kicked Apollo out of the air.

Apollo caught himself in the air and remotely grabbed Alex in his fist. He swung and commanded his body to slam into the ground, burying him deep under. He attempted to fire a laser on the crater, but sensed powerful magic gunning for his neck. He ducked under a concentrated energy slash that sliced through the air itself.

Ava and Willow charged toward the god king, the former shouting, "No matter how hard anyone tries, there will always be taboo magic littered within the good! Rather than suppress that knowledge, it's our job to teach them the dangers of practicing it!"

"If we call can teach our students and our children to make use of their judgment, the world you envision will never come to pass!" Willow shouted.

Apollo fired a couple shots at them, but giant sand walls rose up to block them. A sand hand extended out from under to crush Apollo, but he flew up higher out of its reach. The sand collapsed with Arid pulling himself out of the ground with Alex leaning on his shoulder.

"And if that doesn't convince you otherwise, there's plenty of crazy, rebellious kids who would willingly jump into the inferno to become legendary heroes!" Arid shouted. "In this day and age, Apollo, we make our own destinies! Gods be damned if they think they get a say on who's chosen or not!"

Apollo charged two balls of godly magic in his hands, snarling through gritted teeth. "I won't let the world destroy itself over a dream! It's time for you mortal fools to wake up and see the truth! You will lead yourselves to your own destruction, and I am the one who will save you from your—"

BOOOOOM!

Apollo cancelled his spell and turned toward the battlefield, where a giant smoking crater opened up in the middle of the battlefield and destroyed a fair chunk of his golems. To his astonishment, looking back at the veteran Ravenfields and Arid, they were also surprised by the explosion.

"W…What in the world?" Arid gasped. "That wasn't from any of my men."

"None of mine, either," Apollo said. "Where did that—"

"YAAAAR! HAR HAR HAR!"

All eyes turned up to the swirling vortex of clouds above, where a massive vessel descended from the magically-charged lightning. They recognized it as an airship armed with several rows of cannons protruding from the hull, aiming down on the battlefield. Each one fired a streak of crimson that touched down and incinerated golems and shadows alike without hitting the Desert Beasts.

Apollo flew back in disbelief. "What nonsense is this?!"

"Is that a…pirate ship? Willow gasped.

"Who's driving it?" Ava wondered.

Alex glared. "And what does that laugh sound eerily familiar?"

Arid's eyes widened in disbelief. "Don't tell me…"

The ship dipped out from the clouds, where everyone could see the jolly roger painted across the main sail depicting the skull of a Krokorok. The magical lightning repelled off the side of the ship, highlighting its foreboding size. It was easily three times the size of the Wasteland.

The laughter echoing off the vessel became clearer, turning their attention to the bowsprit where a Krokorok in an oversized blue coat and tricorn hat stood. He laughed bravely amidst the violent storm, his right eye aglow with a spectral green magic.

"Ahoy, mateys! Hold fear close to yer hearts! Captain Specter is here to plunder and pillage these spectral menaces and send them packin' to the ethereal beyond where they belong!"

Earth Zone Village

Leroy and Andreas continued to raze the sky with their magic. Lightning rained down on the village followed by a volley of rainbow arrows exploding across the streets. They locked blades as they careened out of the sky, refusing to let the other gain the edge.

Andreas grinned. "You're running out of time, Storm Mage."

Mere patches of Leroy's body remained untouched by the corruption, including half of his face. His vision blurred slightly at the lack of sleep began to hit back full force, but he continued sending his magic through his system to stimulate his senses. It was a minor fix, but every precious second counted.

"You're going to lose control and kill everyone. How will you contend?"

"I…won't fall. Flash Splitter!"

He electrified his seamitars and broke through Andreas' guard. The knight flew back and soared across the village with Leroy in hot pursuit. He fired off Lightning Shots with Andreas catching them in his swords. Leroy stomped on his Nebula Rider, activating Light Speed, and zoomed behind him.

Andreas anticipated the attack and blocked the Flash Splitter. "Try this!" He molded his sword into a hammer and slammed it on top of him.

"GAH!" Leroy fell through his Nebula Rider and fell toward the street. He conjured another storm cloud in time to catch himself. "Ugh…my head." As he shook himself to his senses, he took another look at the village. "Wha…?"

He had been so preoccupied with the battle, he didn't notice the villagers were all running around drawing out a large magic circle through the entire area. He recognized it as one of Seth's. He also sensed a concentrated source of magic that had a faint similarity to his own. Glancing toward the perimeter, he spotted Cheri at the circle's edge.

"This…is Cheri's magic?" He glared. "Wait, that electrical field around her. Is that…?" A grin crept over his lips. "Smart girl. I get what you all are doing." He turned his sights back onto Andreas and climbed back into the fight.

Andreas grinned. "You look pleased all of a sudden!"

"That's because I'm feeling pride! Flash Splitter!" He electrified his seamitars and slashed them on both sides of the Kecleon.

Andreas blocked them with hastily formed crystal armor. "Wonderful!" He knocked the shell blades off and headbutted Leroy in the forehead. "But pride won't be enough to kill me!"

Leroy, as he staggered, grabbed Andreas by the head and pulled him into the fall. "Not from where I'm flying!" He sent electricity through his horn. "I'm running low on magic, so this'll have to count for something!" He fired a beam into the clouds. "I call upon this spell! Rite of Storms: Cry of Zeus!"

A massive magic circle opened up across the sky, crackling with heaps of lightning. Andreas managed to turn his head enough to look up and gasped as a falcon-like creature pulled itself from the circle. Its heaven-piercing cry sounded across the vast landscape as it pried itself free and dove onto Leroy's position.

"A spell of this magnitude will destroy that puppet body of yours and reduce it to ash!"

Andreas smirked. "Ingenious, but it's still magic! Crystallo Atmosphere!" He puffed out his cheeks and exhaled a misty pale fog with colorful sparkles.

The vapor quickly expanded over the village right as the lightning falcon descended upon them. It struck the vapor and was put into a standstill. The crystal-laced air diverted its electrical power over the village, sending it flying into the fields beyond.

"I've trained my whole life to counter powerful magic like this, Storm Mage! An impressive spell such as this makes no difference!"

Leroy moved his arms around Andreas and grappled him tightly. "That's not the spell you were supposed to intercept!"

"H-Huh?!"

Leroy took a deep breath and shouted, "SETH! Whatever you're planning, do it now!"

Seth grinned at the falling duo and saluted. "He caught on quick." He leapt off his perch and landed behind Cheri. "Cheri, now! Infuse your magic into the circle!"

Cheri clapped her hands, creating electrical coils between her palms, and slammed them down on the circle. "I never used a spell before, so, uh…Big Nullifying Field!"

Her magic quickly raced through the lines in the village, turning them a stunning blue. The entire village became illuminated in her magic in second, shooting up at the sky like a beacon.

Leroy braced for impact and crashed into the street. Right as he touched the ground, his whole nervous system was shot with Cheri's Magneto Magic, which transferred into Andreas as well. Both men screamed out as their magic began to go haywire.

"W-W-W-Whaaaaaat?!" Andreas gasped.

Leroy bared his teeth and grinned through the pain. "You've trained against all sorts of magic, but it's like you said earlier: magic was simpler in your day! You've never seen anything quite like this! A branch of Storm Magic that directly interferes with the flow of magic! Whatever you're made of, your shadow was animated with magic! Ergo, your regeneration and spells have been neutralized!"

Andreas clenched his teeth into a tight smirk. "I-Is that so?! Unfortunately for you, it's having an adverse effect on your body!" He flung his head back and headbutted Leroy in the nose, causing him to let go. He stumbled onto the ground, struggling to pick himself up. "Whoever's using this magic hasn't used it on inorganic lifeforms like me. They can't shut down my movements as easily!"

"Y-You—"

Andreas dragged himself through the electrified streets. "Once I get out of the area, I'll make sure to tear this all down—"

SHINK!

His eyes widened as a knife impaled him through the forehead. "H-Huh?"

"Sorry, fella!" He looked up at the rooftops and saw the Brionne, Nebula, armed with dozens of throwing knives. She was also not being affected by the magic circle. "We went through all this trouble just for you."

He gasped. "How are you moving?!"

"What did Seth say again? Hmm…" She fanned the knives in front of her face and smirk. "Right, I remember. It's his Data Magic. He programmed the circle to only react to certain magical signatures. As far as I'm concerned, I'm standing in the middle of an impressive light show! Perfect for a star like me!"

Andreas growled. "The modern world is so frightening…"

Nebula tossed her throwing knives into the air. "That's just the law of the universe, baby! Style always wins out in the end!" She clapped her flippers and spawned a myriad of bubbles over Andreas. "Why don't you enjoy my performance? Let's dance until the end of time itself!"

Andreas felt the ground becoming soapy. A bubble film filled through the street around him. No, it wasn't just that. Upon closer examination, the bubbles Nebula deployed were forming into a ceiling right above him. He was standing in an open cylinder of bubbly film.

As her knives fell back down toward her, Nebula blew one last sheet of bubble into a makeshift umbrella for his knives to disappear through. "My grand finale! Rain of the Infinite Parade!"

Andreas' eyes widened as hundreds of knives fired down from the bubble ceiling. They cut and sliced through his body like a shower of sharpened hail. Some nicked his skin, others pierced through his body like it was pudding. Any attempt to move out of the way would be meant with stepping deeper into the knife rain. Shadow was oozing out of his body little by little, fizzling out due to the electrified field he stood on.

As he focused on the knives, he noticed some of them were covered in black stains. It was his own blood coated over the blades. The knives were sinking into the bubble floor and being propelled out at greater speeds, placing them in an infinite loop of falling while keeping them at the same high speed. It reached a point where he could barely identify the knives, just a blur of multiple objects cutting through his body.

Andreas collapsed to his knees, or what remained of them. His body was being torn to shreds by the second, and his regeneration refused to kick in because of the nullifying field. However…

"He said it interfered with the flow of magic, not necessarily nullified." He gritted his teeth and clenched into his chest. "If I can absorb this magic and recorrect my own magical flow…"

Leroy picked himself off the ground in time to see Andreas passively absorbing Cheri's magic. His eyes widened. "Oh no!" He turned and shouted, "Seth, he's going to empower his regeneration!"

Seth gasped. "What?!"

Cheri grunted. "I-Is that bad?! This is the best I can do!"

Seth looked around for a solution, but then noticed Leroy's Rite of Storms still being held back by the crystal fog. He grinned. "No, this is perfect!" He whistled and shouted, "Tabula Rasa! Destroy that fog!"

"Right!" She flew toward the standstill electrical falcon above.

Andreas unsteadily picked himself up, pumping his system with Prismatic Armatura. Slowly but surely, his regeneration was kicking in again and staving off the damage. It wasn't nearly as fast, but enough to keep him from being turned to ribbons. It was also enough that he had some control over of his magic again, to which he set his sights on Nebula.

The Brionne gasped. "Oh no."

"Crystallo Growth!" He punched the ground and fired out a single pillar toward the seal.

She jumped out of the way, but the impact startled her enough to break concentration. Her bubble films popped simultaneously, causing all the freefalling knives to imbed themselves into the street and Andreas' skull.

Andreas fought against the electrical field as he conjured a short sword into his hand. His expression twitched as he took one step forward. He raised the weapon at Nebula, but he managed to grab his wrist and pull back. "N-No…I-I can't…!"

Her eyes widened. "Cheri's magic is disrupting the corruption!"

"B-Barely…!" Andreas growled. His feet continued to step forward against his refusal. "J-Just barely…! G-Get out of here while you still…N-NO!" He lost control and broke in a mad sprint toward her. "G-Get down!"

Nebula braced herself, but Leroy rushed over in time and tackled Andreas to the ground. The electrical field was staving off some of his corruption as well, parting the shadows away from his face. "A true warrior…doesn't stop fighting! No matter the odds!"

Andreas grinned up at him. "W-Well said!"

Tabula Rasa fired into the crystal fog and used her psionic power to tear an opening out. The electrical falcon found its way through and continued apace toward its target. "Incoming!"

Leroy and Andreas spotted the descending falcon and shouted at Nebula, "Get out of here!"

She nodded. "Right!" She blew a bubble around herself and popped out of sight.

Leroy slammed Andreas' head down and pressed all his weight onto his back. "You…were a magnificent knight."

Andreas closed his eyes and grinned. "And you were an impressive warrior." He took a deep breath as the area became bathed in a sparking electric blue. "You said you were trying to be a father. You and your family…have much to work out."

"…" Leroy closed his eyes and sighed. "I'm going to try and make amends. I don't expect forgiveness for my actions, but I hope to be accepted back into their lives."

Andreas laughed. "I get that. I do." He opened his eyes and faced his impending doom with a smile. "Dugald, I hope we can make peace with each other in the afterlife. I'll see you soon, son—"

The Cry of Zeus landed its mark and erupted. A tower of wild lightning exploded over the village and shot high into the clouds. The circus and villagers braced themselves as the blast carried a powerful shockwave, blowing down crumpled houses and sending surviving shadow monsters flying out of the village.

"WAH!" Cheri was nearly thrown away, but Angel hooked her in her tail in time. She held onto Seth and Vince while Tabula summoned a barrier for the remaining circus troupe.

The blinding electric blue washed over the village and engulfed their vision for a staggering ten seconds that edged on eternity, but soon the rumbling ceased and the dark atmosphere gradually returned to normal. Lingering sparks of electricity zapped through the air, tingling nerves and spiking up fur and hair.

Leroy braced himself for the impact. While it was his own magic, it left a serious burn across his back, though with the added bonus of burning off some of the corruption. He finally relaxed himself and took a long-needed breath, shuddering from the weakness in his bones.

He looked under his arms and found the charred remains of a puppet burnt to ashes. The wind rustled across its ashes, and Leroy could've sworn he heard a faint thank you tickling his ears. He sighed and rolled over onto his back with a heavy groan.

"It's…over."

"Indeed, it is." The Storm Mage cracked one eye open as Seth came into view. He grinned and waved at the half-baked Samurott. "How you doing, you grumpy bastard?"

"Tch. Lazy bum."

"Harsh." Seth walked around Leroy, drawing a circle in the ground with his heel. "Not bad for a man running on zero sleep." He closed the circle and stepped back. "I don't remember you speaking with such passion over anything other than fighting."

Leroy closed his eyes and huffed. "I don't need a lecture from you."

"Suit yourself." He waved someone over. "Either way, we're gonna have to contain you until we figure out what to do with that corruption of yours."

Leroy felt a familiar magic coursing through the drawn circle under him. Turning on his stomach, he came face-to-face with Angel and Cheri. Angel smiled sweetly at him while Cheri shot an indifferent pout in another direction as she focused her magic into the circle.

"…" Leroy sat up and sighed. "Hey."

Angel smirked. "So, you really think you're ready to be a parent now?"

"…" He bowed his head. "Angel, I—"

"You can apologize to me when you come home and do the chores." His eyes widened as she snickered. "You want my full forgiveness, you'll get to play househusband and see what it takes to be a real parent. That means learning how to do laundry, cooking, the taxes, cleaning—"

Nebula and Faye, who had followed behind, smiled awkwardly as the motherly Raichu gave the imposing Samurott an earful. "She's…eviler than I expected," Nebula mumbled.

"Mothers are truly the scariest people," Faye added.

"—and, only then, can you ramble on with your long list of apologies," Angel finished. She took a deep breath and smiled. "Sound fair to you?"

Leroy stared at her in bewilderment before smiling in defeat. "I'm starting to remember why I took a chance with you…"

"Oh, you were a mess back then." She winked. "Don't expect any sparks to fly, but I'm willing to give you a second chance so long as you put the work in. Lightning can only strike the same place so many times, right?"

"Heh. Right." He looked down at Cheri and frowned. "Cheri, I…hope I can be the father you deserved."

She turned away with a huff. "Mom may be going easy on you, but I'm going to give you Hell, buster!"

"Cheri!" Angel exclaimed with a laugh.

Leroy smiled a little. "Heh. I look forward to it."

Sky Zone

Arid, the veteran Ravenfields, and Apollo stared at the sky aghast the pirate ship's arrival. With its multitude of cannons turned on the battlefield and the mad captain laughing like a maniac at the front, it almost seemed like a demented angel had answer their call for help.

Alex stumbled back and laughed. "That crazy bastard…"

Ava grinned. "What took him so long?"

Willow giggled. "Have heard that laughter in ages!"

Arid was stunned silent, dropping to his knees as his gaze became fixed on the floating vessel. Flashbacks of drinking and laughter aboard a similar vessel swam through his mind. The days of Desert Jaime and his merry band of pirates as they sailed across the skies plundering and pillaging whatever they set their eyes on. How long was it since he heard that infamous laughter and pride?

"Captain…" he mumbled.

Captain Specter slammed his foot down on the bowsprit and, with his arms crossed proudly, grinned viciously at the golden light known as Apollo. "What's the matter, Shadow King? Too stunned to see greatest that ye can't muster a word? Have we struck fear into that cold dead heart of yers?"

Apollo shook out of his stupor and glared at the vessel. "Fool." He raised and lit up his fingertip. "Begone from my sight." He fired a massive golden beam at the ship.

Specter flicked his tailcoat and laughed. "Ye'll find we puny mortals aren't as helpless as ye think! This is what mortal hands say to god's work!"

The beam came within inches of the airship, but came to a dead halt against a white barrier that spawned in its path. The beam couldn't penetrate through the shield despite the amount of power behind it, thus it was forced to cascade around the barrier and away from the ship.

Apollo cancelled the attack and gasped. "That spell—"

"Warp Pad!" The god king lurched back from a high-speed kick to the gut, courtesy of the last face he expected to see back in the Sky Zone: a Jolteon puppet blazing in white aura.

"Y…You!" Apollo coughed, staggering through the air.

Garret flipped through the air before landing on the ground. "You know, I've never been good on my timing when it comes to promises, but…" He craned his head back, showing his neck was bare and free from the king's collar. "I always stick to my word."

His eye twitched. "Impossible. How did you remove that collar?"

"You can thank me, buster!" He snapped his gaze back toward the ship where the Salazzle, Zola, made herself known. She pulled out a handful of different and increasingly strange tools, waving them tauntingly. "I've dealt with some pretty nasty spells, traps, and curses just to keep my crew safe. Picking open an anti-magic collar made by a false god is child's play."

Garret laughed awkwardly. "Well, not for me, it wasn't…"

Apollo growled. "Wretched scum…" He brought his fingers to his lips and let loose a sharp whistle, alerting his golems. "Destroy that ship!"

Half the golems fled the battlefield and ascended toward the pirates' airship. The cannons fired down, sniping down one golem after the other, yet their superior numbers outpaced the rate of fire. They swarmed the airship in mere seconds, circling around the occupants aboard.

Specter, however, was unfazed. "How excitin'! Undying Apparitions, show the king how we party!"

Breok and Zola ran out across the deck armed with their weapons. Breok, with his bronze axe, leapt at the golems and crushed an entire cluster in one swing. The debris went flying like bullets, punching holes into unsuspecting golems and taking them out of the air. Zola, with her whip sword coated in emerald flames, performed a ribbon dance that sliced up and burned all golems descending upon the ship. With a flick of her wrist, the whip sword slapped the flaming debris off the ship to rain down on the battlefield.

Pelham, who was manning the wheel, saw more golems flocking on his left. He reached for the cannon sheathed across his back and lifted it onto his shoulder. "Get off me ship, ye winged parasites!" He pulled the trigger and blasted the stone menaces away.

Specter saluted them. "Provide air support for the Desert Beasts. I've got a bone to pick with the king." He leapt off the ship and dove toward the battlefield.

Garret created a Warp Pad to break Specter's fall. "Hope your old man back doesn't slow you down, Hal," he teased.

"That's Captain Specter to ye, Ravenfield!" Specter landed and skipped off the Warp Pad. "And don't ye go mockin' me. I'll power through whatever aches and pains these old bones throw at me!"

Ava smirked. "Well, well, well."

"Glad to have you with us, Specter," Alex said.

Willow bit down on her sword tightly and grinned. "We could use a little extra firepower."

Specter laughed. "One last hurrah for the old days!" He glanced over and noticed Arid staring at him in awe. The old pirate grinned. "Why are ye standin' there all slack-jawed, Jaime? We've got a battle to win!"

"Captain…" Arid mumbled. "I haven't seen you in forever."

"Heh. Ye've raised a fine crew, Jaime. Ye've exceeded me expectations."

"…" Arid stood up and nodded. "Th-Thank you, Captain."

"Aye. Now, as for ye…" Specter pulled his false arm off and aimed the Sword of Silence at Apollo. "Time to pull the curtains off yer little operation!"

Apollo summoned light swords into both hands and crossed them together. "It doesn't matter how many of you there are. It doesn't change the outcome of this battle. You will all perish under my rule."

Specter smirked. "Is that so?" He steadied his blade parallel to his chest and clenched the blade around his fingers. He squeezed tightly enough to draw blood. "Didn't ye know? The dead aren't too kind, and I am a dead man walkin'. Ye've brought upon plenty of sin with yer actions, and ye justify it as mercy. Don't go tellin' a pirate what mercy is. Me granddad wrote the definition himself in his day."

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

"Ever heard of the Golden Tooth Grins? They're known for two reasons: for bein' the most infamous pirate gang in me granddad's day. And…" His smirk stretched as spectral magic leaked out from the sword and climbed up his arms. The Eye of Silence reacted to the surge of energy, lighting up his skin. His very form hissed with a ghostly smoke. "For havin' their slaughtered corpses displayed as an example to all future pirates, courtesy of me granddad himself."

Specter pulled his sword back and sliced his own hand open. Spectral magic flooded out from the gaping wound before his entire body became engulfed in the magic. Arid and the veteran Ravenfields shielded their eyes against the intense glow.

Apollo stared through the light with an irritated intrigue. With his enhanced senses, he could hear the wails and shrieks of the undead stitched into the aura permeating out of the pirate. The sound itself made his skin crawl and his bones shiver as if ice formed around them. These sounds…

They reminded him of when he first became the gods' champion.

Specter stomped one leg forward, his stature and physique having grown within the flames. His end of his coat rose up in the aua, displaying feathers of spectral light. His tricorn hat also displayed a bundle of these feathers, waving in the air like they were part of the wind itself.

He extended his right arm out, showing that the Sword of Silence had taken new form. The thin metal blade had transformed into a spectral arm. In its grasp, it carried a large cutlass with a skull-shaped guard around the hilt. The blade was black as night with green, spectral waves flowing through the metal.

The flames parted from Specter's body. An old Krokorok no longer stood in the captain's place. Instead, a towering Krookodile rose to full height with his stripes aglow and hissing with the spectral mist. The Eye of Silence took new form around the right side of his face as a golden scope that flared with magic.

Garret gasped. "Hal…"

Arid's eyes shimmered in awe at his former captain. "By the gods…!"

Apollo scowled. "You are surrounded by death itself…"

Specter swung his sword down, startling the earth itself, and flashed a large grin at him. "It's only fitting two kings must introduce themselves at their best. Greetin's, Chosen Champion. I am Captain Specter, King of All Pirates!"

? ? ?

The absence of time can leave one lost and displaced. What has not happened, what has not existed, beyond the scope of mortal perception is simply not for it has not been perceived. How much time truly passes when one loses connection to the mortal plane?

For some, that is the first question they ask themselves when they wake up.

Red eyes opened weakly. A small, tired gasp called out. The mind throbbed from a troubling migraine. The entire body was wracked with pain.

Pain.

Pain.

Pain?

"…I feel pain?"

The creature, as their vision cleared up, gazed upon their new surroundings. A dark void with millions of tiny lights in the far, far distance. Were they stars? Were they in space? What was all of this?

The creature tried to massage their head, but felt only one paw reaching its destination. The right was no more, lost forever. They don't remember how that came to be. Did something happen to their foreleg? Why did they hurt all over?

They then noticed something else. They floated upside-down, suspended in a thin, spiraling cocoon of purple thread. It wrapped around them in a nurturing, yet withdrawn manner. Never getting too close, but assuring them they were safe.

"What…is all this?"

"I see you're finally awake…Wes Ravenfield."

Wes' eyes widened. Hearing his own name aloud, memories of the battlefield came flooding back into his mind. The moment before death flashed before his mind. He recalled feeling his entire body being torn down atom by atom. He remembered tossing away his bag of magical trinkets, hoping they would serve his friends well in his demise. It was the last thing he remembered doing before everything went dark.

But, if he was dead, why did he feel like he got ran over by a stampede?

"Who…Who's there?" Wes turned his gaze to the source of the voice. "Who are you?"

Floating beside the thread cocoon, sitting on the air itself, was a face he hadn't seen in ages. A Hypno who was dressed in a stylish white shirt, purple vest, black pants, and black shoes. He lifted his hand, pulling on string connected to his fingertips. They seemed to be attached to something, but there was nothing Wes could see.

Wes gasped softly. "You're…"

Morgan glanced at the stunned Umbreon and grinned. "Hey, kid. It's been a while, huh?"