Ch.32: Clash of Burning Rage! Endure and Strike Back!
Not even a minute in and already the battle scene looked like a war zone.
The initial clash between Wes' Mystic Beam and Griffin's Exosus Release burned the epicenter of the blast, leaving behind a scorching crater. The mere sight of it, added to the dueling fighters, had the Pokémon running for the hills in terror. The combined pressures of their auras were intense.
Wes flew backwards after being batted away by Griffin's sword. He used the blade to absorb most of the Mystic Beam and negate it. Wes figured long range magic would be difficult to pull off should Griffin continue using his primary weapon. He'll have to get in close and disarm him.
"Warp Pad!" He formed the magic circle and sprung upward. A path of Warp Pads formed, ricocheting Wes all around Griffin. The Grovyle held up his sword and tracked Wes' movements meticulously. The purple streak of light was obviously trying to thrown him off, but he wasn't one to be fooled by hit and run tactics.
He spun his sword and pierced the ground. He poured energy through the blade and forced the ground to split apart in an eruption of loathing aura.
Wes narrowed his eyes. "Not this time!" He pulled out his Vortex Amulet and pulled himself in just before the blast reached him. The blast blew up the surrounding ground, leaving the Grovyle standing on a single pillar of earth inside a crater.
Griffin dislodged his sword and looked around. "Show yourself." A vortex opened up behind him.
"Surprise Warp Pad!" Wes sprung out of the Vortex Amulet, which reverted back to an amulet when he flew out, and kicked Griffin in the back. The Grovyle clenched his teeth, reinforcing his stance. He was pushed near the edge of his rock pillar, but refused to fall.
He spun around and grabbed the Umbreon by the ankle, before throwing him in the air and aiming his sword. "Exosus Release!" He fired off the blood red beam. Wes crossed his forelegs and braced himself as the attack collided. Thankfully, after being hit once before, he was more than prepared to endure another.
Once the attack ceased, Wes formed another Warp Pad and flew down on Griffin with a spinning kick. Griffin glared, then traded out his sword for a shield. The shield was bronze colored, circular, and had a golden sun emblem on the front. Wes slammed his foot down on the metal. The immediate contact triggered a gong like vibration that bounced Wes off the shield.
He slammed into a building and slid down. He shook his head, then gasped. "The Pride of Leones!" He squealed in excitement. "Oh my gosh! The mighty shield that repels all physical attacks!" He clapped his paws together. "I heard the warrior, Leo, deflected a meteor with it! It even makes for a good throwing projectile!" He gasped a bronze blur of color slammed into his gut and bounced off his body.
Griffin slowly walked towards him, catching the shield. "You know a lot about these weapons."
The Umbreon curled up on the ground, holding his stomach. He wheezed, "Yeah, well, I look at weapon magazines with my friend, Ella."
Griffin traded out the shield for Cekvar's Might. "Then I suppose you remember how this one works!" He heaved the massive sword over his shoulder, then swung it down.
Wes shrieked and slammed his paws down on his chest, with an eerie purple light piercing through his shirt. The sword came down on him, shaking the earth and splitting it.
Griffin narrowed his eyes, then gasped as a shadow seeped out under the sword and shot at the Grovyle. He crossed his arms over his face, but the shadow passed by him. The bounty hunter glared, looking over his shoulder and watching the shadow fly around. It took on the shape of an Umbreon.
Wes stuck his tongue out, mockingly. "Hahaha! Can't hit me!"
Griffin pulled the sword up and supported it on his shoulder. The ground sunk from his added weight. "You'll have to if you don't want me destroying anything else." He leaped in the air, surprisingly nimble with the massive sword, and threw the weapon down.
Wes gasped. If the sword pierced the ground like that, it could cause more than another earthquake. It could trigger a surge of lava to spew out. He flew down and intercepted the blade, deactivating his Amulet of Umbra and pulling out his Vortex Amulet.
"Oh no you don't!" he shouted as the amulet transformed into a vortex. The massive weapon started to warp before being pulled into the collapsed space inside the amulet.
Wes landed on his feet with a relieved sigh, but got punched across the face by Griffin and skipped against the ground. He rolled onto his feet and halted his momentum, then immediately blocked a second punch with a quick kick. Griffin spun around and slammed his elbow against Wes' cheek. He pushed against the strike and tackled the Grovyle in the gut.
Griffin slid back, but dug his toe claws into the ground. He narrowed his eyes. "I must say, you're remarkably strong."
Wes smirked. "Don't flatter me just yet. I've got lots more up my sleeve."
"So do I," Griffin said as he held up Wes' Vortex Amulet.
The Umbreon's eyes widened, then he looked at the paw that was holding the Vortex Amulet. "Oh, come on!"
Griffin aimed the amulet upwards and ejected the Cekvar's Might. He threw the amulet back at Wes, who fumbled it in his paws, and jumped up to grab the sword's hilt. Using his strength, he spun it vertically and aimed for the Umbreon.
Wes glared, then spun vertically, too. "Lumios Storm!" He fired off light arrows that slowed the momentum of the sword before jumping out of the way. The sword sunk into the ground, but thankfully didn't set off another earthquake.
Griffin switched the sword out for his six, long bladed daggers. He held two in his hands, then held two more with his curled-up toes. He held the fifth in his mouth and the sixth with the large leaf on his head, wrapping around it.
Wes narrowed his eyes. "Okay, I feel like I've seen those before…"
Griffin reared the blades back. "Flash Needle!" He slashed down, firing off a rainstorm of red glowing needles.
Wes dodged them to the best of his ability, but some of the needles jabbed into his skin, making him flinch. He stumbled out of the field of needles, then noticed they were glowing brighter. He looked at the ones on his skin, then deadpanned. "Those are the Exiled Souls, aren't they?" The needles exploded, sending the Umbreon flying in the air and landing on a roof. He coughed up smoke in response. "Yep…those are the Exiled Souls…"
He saw a shadow looming over him. He rolled away as Griffin struck the daggers at the roof. He pulled them out and slashed persistently at Wes. The Umbreon kept his distance while studying Griffin's movements. He watched the Grovyle attack ferociously, waiting for an opening to make itself known.
Griffin leaped into the air, then spun his body horizontally. Six rings of red energy wrapped around him. He fired off the rings at Wes. The Umbreon dodged the rings, which seemed to have buzzsaw-like properties. Even after hitting the roof, they were still chasing him down. Wes leaped over them and destroyed them with an Infernius spell.
Griffin lunged down and aimed the blades for Wes' head. Wes clenched his teeth. "Magi Effingo!" A crystal clone formed and lunged from his body like a spirit and took a direct blow with the blades to headbutt Griffin. "Mystic Burst!" Wes' body erupted with energy, then he lunged as well. He threw a sharp kick into Griffin's face.
The Grovyle flew back. He growled and clapped his hands, sending the six daggers to his pocket storage. He flipped and dug his claws into a roof, scraping up the tiles. He pulled out his black sword and aimed it. "Exosus Release!" He fired the blood red beam.
Wes landed in front of the beam and quickly saw that, if he dodged, the beam would destroy several other buildings. I can't let the damage build up! He whipped out the Dark Mirror and held it up. He braced himself as he felt the force of the beam crash into the mirror. Wes dug his hind claws in as he pushed against the beam.
Once it was absorbed, he pointed it up and flipped the mirror, sending the beam skyward. He panted in relief and nearly sat down to rest. However, there was no time as he dodged a slash from Griffin. Wes put the Dark Mirror away and kicked Griffin in the face. "Can't you give a guy a minute to breathe?!"
Griffin growled. "This is no game! You're fighting to live!" He slammed his palm against Wes' underbelly. "Repello!" Wes felt a strange energy wash over his body before being sent flying across the district.
He crashed through the windows of an office building and slammed into some desks. He groaned, then flinched as a stack of papers fell on his head. "Ugh…"
Griffin leaped towards the building, unaware his friends were watching the fight on the roof of a tall structure. Mack fell back and laughed, kicking his feet in the air. "What did I tell you?! He couldn't help himself!"
Holly crossed her arms and scoffed. "The damage isn't that bad."
"Heh, for now, maybe. Just you wait, once his limiter goes off, this entire city will be flattened." He snickered. "Oh, how I enjoy the misfortune of others." He smelled the air and listened to the sounds of screaming Pokémon. "Ah, can't you feel the fear they're emanating?"
"All I feel is sorrow," she spat with a glare.
He shrugged her attitude off. "Oh, like you've never killed anyone before."
"At least I make sure they die peacefully, not like what you've done on occasion."
"Can't help it, sister. Part of the whole package," he reminded, gesturing to himself. "Griffin's not going to stop until that Umbreon falls. And judging by how things are going so far," he smirked, "that's going to take a while."
Holly glared at him. "You just love bringing misfortune, don't you?"
Mack shrugged. "Hey, you, Griffin, and I travel together to serve a mutual purpose. We each pursue it in our own special ways. So, don't go lecturing me about how to handle my side of the issue. After all, it's like we agreed: we'll do anything to get what we want, no matter the cost."
Holly observed the Grovyle as he leaped into the office building. "I suppose so…"
Griffin kicked the shattered glass away, then walked inside. He supported his sword over his shoulder and looked around. "Where did you go? Decided to hide in your Vortex Amulet again?" His eyes widened, sensing the Umbreon's aura from behind. He whipped around, but only saw a small flash of purple.
"Not this time!" Griffin gasped as Wes rammed into his back headfirst and sent them both flying out of the office building. Wes jumped off the Grovyle's head and flipped onto another building.
Griffin smashed into the ground, but flipped up in recovery. He jumped onto the rooftops and slashed downward. Wes straightened his body up, letting the blade slide pass him, before hopping onto the blunt edge and spinning on it, sharply kicking Griffin across the face.
Griffin stopped himself and wiped some blood off his cheek. He glared at the Umbreon as he danced on the blade. "Hahahaha! Got your sword!" He bit down on the hilt and wielded it in his mouth. He gave it a swing, though nearly spun with the momentum. He smirked. "Whatcha' gonna do now?"
Griffin didn't say anything. Instead, he held his hand out and summoned another sword. This one had a black and yellow spiral hilt. What was odd about it was that it had two blades attached, with the sharp edges facing away from each other. He dragged the blade against the roof as he walked towards Wes.
Wes narrowed his eyes. "Okay, that one looks familiar." He smirked. "But that won't stop me!" He charged at Griffin and swung the sword.
Griffin raised his two-bladed sword and clashed against the sword. He grabbed the edge, saying, "Endless Regret is not a toy. Only I am allowed to wield it." He ripped the sword out of Wes' mouth, which made his jaw ache. Griffin sent the sword away, then raised his other sword. The two blades were vibrating and emitting an odd hum.
Wes rubbed his jaw, then glared up at him, only to gasp. He just realized which sword it is. "Oh crud, is that Echo Chamber?!"
Griffin raised the sword. "See for yourself." White electricity ran up between the two blades as sound waves became visible. He slashed the sword in front of Wes' face and sent him flying with a powerful sound wave.
Wes flew across the air while shutting his ears and gritting his teeth. The blade released a painful sound that was ringing in his ears. It absorbed kinetic attacks and channels it through the blades like an enchanted tuning fork. Releasing it can have a variety of effects depending on the technique, one those of techniques being deafening the opponent.
Wes landed in the streets. He tried to push himself up, but the ringing in his ears was affecting his balance. He couldn't stand without wobbling uncontrollably.
Griffin landed and clanged the sword against a wall a couple times, vibrating the blades. "I have taken a variety of enchanted weaponry over my years of wandering. The weapons of fallen warriors in my hands." He narrowed his eyes. "Do you see why I am the most feared bounty hunter?"
Wes rubbed his ears. "WHAT?!"
Griffin narrowed his eyes. "…right, you're deaf." He aimed the sword at him as it channeled electricity traveled up the blades. "Well, let's make that a permanent feature."
"Get away from him, you jerk!" He gasped as a massive vine shot out of the ground and nailed him in the gut. He aimed off course and fired a sound shot in the sky. The vine wrapped around his middle, raised him, and threw him skyward.
Flint, Gwyn, and Tony ran over to Wes and helped him up. "Wes, are you okay?!" Flint cried.
Wes shook his head and smiled. "OH, HEY GUYS! WHEN DID YOU GET HERE?!"
His friends flinched and covered their ears. "Yikes! Wes, no need to sho-!" Tony tried to say, but Wes interrupted.
"YOU'RE PROBABLY WONDERING WHY I'M SHOUTING! WELL, APPARENTLY HE HAD THE ECHO CHAMBER SWORD AND-!" Flint pinched the Umbreon's lips shut.
"You know what? Don't speak until your hearing comes back." He made a few paw gestures to get his point across, which Wes understood and nodded at.
Gwyn glared where her vine threw Griffin. She pulled out her Forest Dragon Whip. "How many weapons does that guy have?"
Tony smirked lazily. "I don't know, how many dead warriors are there?" Gwyn glared at him. "Rhetorical question, I see. Sorry." He cracked his knuckles. "Well, I said I'd give that guy hell, so I'm keeping my word."
"Tony, hold on! We need to strategize first and-!" Flint tried to get in, but Tony ignored him.
"Time for round 2, bastard! Light Speed!" He zipped off to find Griffin.
Flint pulled on his ears in frustration. "Am I just expelling hot air?!"
Gwyn blinked, then raised her hand. "Uh…technically, yes?" Flint deadpanned.
"Ah, now this is living," Ella sighed blissfully, relaxing in the spa as her masseuse, an Illumise, rubbed between her shoulder blades. Ella was wearing a white robe provided by the spa. She wore a mud mask and cucumbers over her eyes. She got finished enjoying the dining hall and was back to enjoying her spa time, soaking in as much time as she could before they inevitably set back out on the road.
"Are you enjoying yourself, miss?" Illumise asked.
"Oh, most definitely," she sighed, her smile relaxed and peacefully. Her tail wagged happily. She, however, frowned when she felt the building shake. "Um…what was that?"
Illumise stopped massaging her and looked at shaking cabinets. "Oh my, are we having an earthquake?" She shrieked when she heard a faraway, yet loud boom. It sounded like it came from somewhere near the hotel. "O-Oh my! What is going on?!"
One of the cabinets tipped over from another earth shake, falling towards her. She screamed and covered her head. She waited, but nothing fell on her. She looked up and saw the cabinet being suspended in the air by Psychic. The firefly looked at Ella. "M-Miss?"
Ella sat up on the table. Even with the mud mask and cucumbers, her disgruntled expression was prominent. "Ugh." She waved her paw and set the cabinet down, rearranging the supplies back in their proper places. She psychically pulled off her cucumber slices, glaring. "I need to cut my appointment short."
Tony and Griffin slashed at each other all across the immediate area. With Light Speed active and Quicksilver in use, the two were moving at nearly untraceable speeds.
Tony clashed his electrified Razor Shell against the speedy sword, smirking. "You need a sword to keep up with me! But I AM lightning! Fast and precise!" He zipped all over the Grovyle and kicked him in the back.
Griffin performed a recovery roll and pulled out Infinity Breaker in combination with Quicksilver. He spun the glaive and extended it at Tony. The Dewott leaped over it. The blade struck a wall, but the impact didn't full register because of how fast they were moving. Tony ran down the blades, branding his two weapons against each other.
Griffin snarled. "Your impulsive. Undisciplined." He retracted Infinity Breaker, throwing Tony off, before reextending it.
Tony wasn't fazed, still smirking. "It's part of my charm." He caught the blade between his hands, stopping it from hitting his chest. "And my battle style!" He threw himself upward and pointed his finger. "Lightning Shot!" He fired the blue electricity beam.
Griffin retracted Infinity Breaker again and blocked the beam with Quicksilver. Tony laughed, but gasped as he saw himself slowing down. "Oh crud!"
Griffin narrowed his eyes. "Seems there's a time limit." He dashed at Tony and slashed the sword across his body.
Tony's protective aura kept him from taking fatal blows, but he received fast cuts over his body. He slammed into the street. Griffin sheathed Quicksilver, ending his speed boost. He held his head as he felt a dizzy spell wash over him. Ugh…I used Quicksilver for too long. He shook his head and sent the weapons away.
Tony flipped to his feet and glared up at the bounty hunter. He seems to be proficient in weapon usage rather than spells. Then again, with so many weapons at his disposal, he has a wide arsenal of varying uses. The thief tapped his chin. Someone went out of their way to send this guy and I intend to find out.
Griffin leaped off the building and summoned the Exiled Souls. He spun down and slashed at Tony, who dodged at the last second. Tony kicked off and slammed his foot down on the bounty hunter's head.
Griffin pushed against in and slammed his palm against him. "Repello!"
Tony was fired off by a repulsive force. He tried digging his feet in, but the repelling force prove to be greater. Griffin traded out for Echo Chamber and raced after Tony. He clanged the weapon a couple times, then slashed the street. The sonic slash nearly hit the Dewott down the middle, but he countered with his own sound spell.
"Dragon Thunderclap!" He clapped just as the sound blade got in range. The power of his Dragon Thunderclap canceled out the sonic slash.
Repello's effects wore off and Tony was able to get his footing together. He aimed his finger at the approaching bounty hunter. "Lightning Shot: Lotus Bullet!" He released the bullet hell attack.
Griffin pulled out Endless Regret and blocked the shots. The sword's blade glowed with electrified magic before being completely negated. He spun the sword and slashed the street, sending a wave of his spiteful aura towards Tony.
Tony ran at it. "Light Speed!" He zipped around it in a flash of light. He got in close with Griffin and punched his relentlessly. He grabbed him by his head leaf and flipped him in the air, with the Grovyle's expression slowly shifting to surprise. Tony snickered. "Can't do much while I'm moving at this speed." He aimed his finger. "Let's try this again. Lightning Shot: Lotus Bullet!"
Once Light Speed ended, he fired off the barrage of Lightning Shots. Griffin immediately held up his sword and negated the shots. However, with Griffin unable to dodge in midair, Tony ran up the side of a building, kicked off, and slashed Griffin across the back with his Razor Shells.
Griffin glared at the thief before trading out Endless Regret for Pride of Leones. He smacked Tony across the head with the shield, then threw it at him. The shield bounced off the corner of a wall and nailed Tony square in the face. He held his nose in pain as he stumbled back dizzily. Griffin caught the shield and slammed it on top of Tony's head.
Tony gritted his teeth and glared at the bounty hunter. "I've taken worse hits. Ventusphere!" He formed the condensed wind ball and slammed it against Griffin's chest, knocking him away.
Griffin jumped onto the side of a building, then sprung off. He bounced off the surrounding buildings at incredible speeds, trying to throw off Tony. Griffin threw the Pride of Leones from behind, but Tony was able to sidestep out of the way. "Got you! Lightning Shot!" He fired the beam.
Griffin held his palm out. "Repello!" The beam angled off his palm and pierced the ground. He landed and sprinted at Tony, throwing a sharp punch. Tony deflected the punch and threw a jab. Griffin caught him by the wrist and attempted to slash his face with his claws, but the Dewott bent away from their reach.
The two repeatedly traded blows with each other, countering each of their hits and trying to hit back harder than the other. However, Tony wasn't aiming to beat him just yet. What he really wanted was answers, and those answers lied somewhere in the Grovyle's pockets.
Tony dodged another punch, then went to work. With fast moving precision, he snaked his hand into the bounty hunter's coat and fished around for anything that would explain this whole mess. His fingers pinched down on a piece of paper. With a smirk, he ripped it out of the jacket and stuffed it into his bulging pocket.
Griffin didn't notice the quick steal. Instead, he brought out two of the Exiled Souls and slashed Tony across the chest. The Dewott winced and jumped away. Griffin crossed the daggers and swung. "Flash Needle!" He sent a barrage of red magic needles.
Tony crossed his arms and endured the slicing needles. However, his eyes widened when he felt a rip in his pants. He looked down and saw his pockets were slashed, dropping all the stolen items he collected. "NO!"
Griffin pulled out Endless Regret and aimed. "Exosus Release!" He fired that loathing beam.
Tony leaped over the beam, but was completely devastated by the destruction it brought upon his stolen goods. All that hard work…gone. He growled and glared at the bounty hunter. "You bastard! That was supposed to be our hotel money!"
Griffin aimed the sword. "Watch your tongue." He fired off a second beam.
"Light Speed!" Tony zipped downward and delivered two sharp kicks to his back.
Griffin stumbled forward, but spun around on his heel and struck the Dewott in the jaw with his hilt. With the Dewott briefly disoriented, Griffin took aim once more and finally landed his mark. Tony screamed in pain as the aura burned at his skin. He was thrown and sent through a building.
Griffin brushed off some dust from his shoulder and scoffed. "Now, back to what I came here for." He turned around, but his foot sank into the earth. "What?!" The street crumbled under his feet. He fell into a small pit. He landed on his feet, then looked up to see rock floating over his head. His eyes widened, then he covered his head as the rocks dropped down and buried him.
The dust cleared on the surface, revealing the annoyed Espeon who took him down. "Ugh, you couldn't have done this until after my spa appointment?" She glanced to the side and saw the Pride of Leones sitting off to the side. "Hmm…" She walked over and psychically placed it on her back. She looked around. "Tony?"
Her ears twitched, then she turned in the direction of a loud groan. "I'm good…" She saw him pushed himself out of some rubble. He had a wok sitting on his head, with noodles, vegetables, and broth dripping down his face. "Can't say the same about our hotel fees…"
Ella groaned. She was about to make her way over to him, but stop when she felt the ground rumble. She turned and paled. "Crap!" She brought the shield out and held it in front of her face.
The buried pit exploded in a red flash of energy, with an angry war cry shouting out. The debris smashed into the shield, fully protecting the Espeon from any harm.
Griffin jumped out of the pit. He was cloaked in his aura, silhouetting his figure. His eyes flashed through the aura cloak with a blood red glow. "Exosus Cloak!"
Tony narrowed his eyes. "Oh, so he CAN use more than two spells?"
Griffin landed and blitzed towards Ella. She held the shield up, but, while it did protect her from the angry Grovyle's attack, it didn't her form being thrown off her feet and sent flying into the air with the gong sound following her. She wrapped Psychic around her body and stopped herself in midair. She sighed with relief, but gasped as the Grovyle jumped up to her level with surprising height and slammed both his fists down on the shield, sending her back down to earth.
She aimed the shield for the ground and braced herself. It absorbed the impact to the ground, along with her Psychic mostly protecting her. No physical damage, but the near instant accelerations made her stomach churn. "Ugh…shouldn't have eaten all that food…"
She felt Griffin's presence growing closer, so she psychically threw herself out of the way as he smashed through the ground.
Tony picked himself up and threw the wok off his head. "Ella!" He ran over to her.
Griffin jumped out of the crater and lunged at Ella. She held up the shield, but saw a flash of blue light and found herself on the rooftops. She glanced to her left and saw Tony, panting. "Phew…that was a close one."
Ella smiled. "Thanks, Tony." She glared down at Griffin. "This guy's nuts."
"He's a hothead, but I can't say he's totally crazy." Tony sighed and pulled out the wanted poster he snagged. "This was the only thing that didn't get shredded from my pockets. My entire morning was for nothing." He groaned. "Flint's going to give me hell later…"
Griffin looked around with a fierce, piercing glare. "Where are you?!"
"Mystic Burst!" Griffin got struck in the back by Wes, cloaked in his own aura.
The bounty hunter flipped and recovered from the hit. "You…"
Wes landed and smirked. "Yes, me!" He glared. "Now come and get me!" He sprinted right at him.
"With pleasure!" He rushed the Umbreon at full speed.
The two threw sharp punches at each other. However, when they made contact, both attacks phased through each other. Griffin was caught off guard by this. When his punch went fully through Wes, the Umbreon shattered like glass. The Grovyle was baffled, but then narrowed his eyes in realization.
"An illusion." He looked around carefully. He didn't see Wes cast it, so he must be getting assistance from one of his friends. "He could be anywhere."
"Not anywhere." Griffin's eyes widened, then he looked around as several figures appeared around him. An army of Wes. They all smirked cockily. "Everywhere."
Griffin growled. "You impudent fool."
The Wes illusions laughed. "What can I say? I'm a charming guy!" They all used Warp Pad and sprung towards him.
Flint, who was using his illusion spell behind a corner, clenched his teeth. Wait, Wes! Don't!
Griffin knew only one of them was using an actual Warp Pad. He growled and crossed his arms. "Exosus Release: Maelstrom!" His body discharged an explosion of blood red aura. The clones gasped and were eradicated by the explosion. The real Wes got caught in the blast and was sent skyward in a fiery blaze of red aura.
Griffin leaped after him, but a whip wrapped around his ankle. He glared down at the attacker, Gwyn. She glared at him. "This is for the other day!" She spun him around in circles before slamming him face first into the ground. She slipped on her glove and threw down a seed. "Accelerated Growth!"
She summoned a wooden golem, reaching the height of the nearby shops. Griffin pushed himself out of the ground, with his Exosus Cloak dispersed. He glared up at the golem looming over him. It raised its foot and stepped on the Grovyle with a loud boom.
A moment of time passed, then golem's leg was incinerated by Griffin's Exosus Release, channeled through his prized sword. He leaped out of the ground and traded Endless Regret for a different sword. This one was a rapier with a green hilt and golden colored guard. He aimed the sword and thrusted it.
The thrusting movement rocketed him downward, straight through the golem's chest. A gaping hole was left in place. The golem stumbled back and fell over. Griffin raised the rapier and aimed it at Gwyn.
The green Mew pouted in annoyance. "Alright, let's try this!" She made a couple hand gestures before cupping her hands around her mouth. "Venenata!" She inhaled deeply and exhaled a thick smog of poisonous gas.
Griffin held his breath as he was engulfed in the gas. However, even then, he could feel his body tingling from the gas. He glared in irritation. Damn. This stuff must be seeping through my pores. Got to get out of here. He leaped out of the gas and jumped onto the rooftops.
"I'm back!"
"Huh-?!" was all Griffin could say before Wes came flying down with a sharp kick to the Grovyle's face. Griffin stopped himself and glared at the Umbreon. "You don't go down easy, do you?"
Wes adjusted his hat and smirked. "I told you, it's part of my charm."
Griffin narrowed his eyes. "Very well. Then let's see how you deal with this." He traded out the rapier and pulled out two short swords. The blades were thick, copper colored, and curved. The hilt was gray and the guard was surrounded in a beige colored fur. He spread his arms out wide and twisted his body. "Have a load of this!" The Grovyle kicked and spun him like a tornado.
A ring of wind circled around his feet before picking up. The winds became darker, traveling up the bounty hunter's body until they completely engulfed him in the dark gray mass. Wes held onto his hat and kept his ground, nearly being thrown off his feet by the controlled winds, as he stared in shock.
The Infinity Breaker. The Exiled Souls. The Pride of Leones. Now the Twin Storms?! How many weapons does he have on him?!
The tornado reached several feet into the air before spiraling downward, flying towards the Umbreon like a drill. Wes clenched his teeth, then charged up his Mystic Beam. He was fully prepared to shoot it down the middle, but gasped as the spiraling wind split in two. Wes canceled his Mystic Beam in shock as he now had two spiraling tornados aiming the sandwich him, with no indication which one contained Griffin.
Wes jumped out of the way, letting the two winds collided into each other, but they simply fused back into one and chased him down once more. Wes jumped into the air with Warp Pad, glaring intensively as he tried to sense the insides of the tornados. Unfortunately, the tornados were mixing with his aura. Even if they split in two again, they'll likely have a bit of his aura inside to confused opponents pulling the same trick. All the Umbreon could do was run.
Down below, Gwyn and Flint chased after the two on foot. "Where's Ella and Tony?!" Flint shouted.
"I'm not sure!" Gwyn shouted. "But I'm sure they're alright! We need to worry about Wes first!" She pulled out some seeds. "Grr, I wish I had my Naturae Fruits ready! One of them would come in handy right about now!" She tossed the seeds in her hand before throwing them in the sky. "Accelerated Growth!"
The seeds grew into giant, white cotton balls that mixed into the winds. As she planned, they messed with Griffin's flight path and made him spin out of control for a short period. "Alright Flint, your move!"
He nodded, then stopped. He quickly clapped his paws together. "Magnification Ring x4!" He summoned and aimed the rings at the out of control tornado.
Gwyn summoned and absorbed one of her flowers. She aimed her fingers like a gun and shouted, "Cyclone Eradication!" Deciding to fight wind with wind, she released the violent tornado spell through the Magnification Rings, increasing its power tremendously.
The tornado countered Griffin's and blasted him out of the Twin Storms' self-made tornado. He glared at them with a vicious snarl. He traded out for the rapier against and launched himself at them. Gwyn and Flint tried to run, but the bounty hunter landed in front of them.
Gwyn glared and pulled out her whip. "I got you this time!" She whipped at him.
He dodged and aimed the rapier. He struck her in the chest, blasting her down the street and into a wall.
Flint gasped. "Gwyn!" He glared at Griffin. "You'll pay for that!" He coated himself in Flame Charge and lunged at him. "Take this-!"
Griffin simply slapped Flint out of the way, knocking him into the building behind him. "You aren't worth my time." Griffin jumped back onto the rooftops to continue his fight with Wes.
Flint slid to the ground and lay there face down. He groaned in pain. "I'm…just going to…lay here for a bit…"
While the fighting was going on, Tony was sitting on the roof and examining the wanted poster closely. Ella, however, was tapping her foot impatiently. "Hey, I don't mean to rush you, but…" She grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "Our friends are getting their asses whooped over there!"
Tony's eyes shook his response. He shook his head and said, "I know, I know, but I need to figure out who made this." He looked over the paper carefully. "Someone went out of their way to make this official, but who?" He narrowed his eyes carefully.
"Look, I know you're curious and all, but the fight seems a bit more important at the moment!"
Tony ran his finger against the paper. "Someone knows who we are…and wants the key…" His eyes widened, then he clenched his teeth. "Oh…no, you have got to be kidding me!"
"What?!"
Tony slammed the paper down and aimed his finger at it, charging a Lightning Shot. "If my hunch is correct…" He blasted the paper, setting it on fire. The paper burned away, but left behind a marking in response. A swirling, yellow symbol. "There it is."
Ella's eyes widened. "Wait, how did you…?"
"I looked at the paper and realized it was lined with magic. The guy who made this paper placed a spell trigger so that it would suck in a specific item in response." He growled. "I only know one bastard who would place this AND would know about us: Aeternus."
Ella blinked. "That psychopath from before?"
"Guess he's not over the key business yet." Tony flipped onto his feet. "Meaning he indirectly hired this chump to track us down and take it from us." He clenched his fists. "That mad clown won't leave me alone no matter where I go." He cracked his knuckles. "I am SO beating his face in if we cross paths."
Ella glared at the battle, wearing she could see a rising Exosus Release and Mystic Beam. "All fine and dandy, but that guy isn't going to listen to us. And I don't think he cares about the bounty at this point."
Tony rubbed his shoulders. "Well, that's not stopping me from beating the shit out of him. He torched my money and now he's going to pay, figuratively and literally!" He wrapped his arm around Ella. "Light Speed!" They sped off towards the fight.
Wes kicked Griffin's Endless Regret out of the way, letting it sink into the roof. He then spun on his paw and delivered a double kick to the cheek. Griffin ignored the blow and struck Wes in the face. Tiles pushed up as the Umbreon slid to the roof's edge. He shook his head, then powered himself up with Mystic Beam.
Griffin raised his sword, then glanced through his peripherals. He spun around and blocked a vial of black smog thrown his way. The gas quickly surrounded him, obscuring his vision. "What is this?"
Gwyn used her whip and flung herself overhead. She lit a match and dropped it into the smog, igniting it into a beautiful blaze. She grinned. "Got him!" The flames, however, jumped up to her. Griffin, who could be seen inside the flames, grabbed her by the ankle. She shrieked and flailed her arms in a panic. "I don't got him!"
Griffin threw her downward with all his strength and practically buried her in the street. She fell through the ground like she fell in water for a brief second before finding herself twenty feet underground. Her eyes spun dizzily.
Griffin landed and parted the flames with his aura. "You fools think you can beat me?"
"Who are you calling a fool?!" Wes jumped kicked him and unleashed a barrage of kicks that knocked the bounty hunter back. Wes raised both his hind legs and struck the bounty hunter square in the gut. Griffin rocketed into the ground. He immediately flipped up as Wes came down on his crash spot, but the Umbreon was relentless in his approach now. He chased down the Grovyle, kicking and swinging without a moment of rest. "How's that?! Taking me seriously now?!"
Griffin knocked away his kick and lunged. "You're about to find out!" He grabbed the Umbreon by the face and slammed it against the buildings before running along them, dragging the Umbreon against the wood and stone walls.
Wes growled. "Warp Pad!" He threw his feet up, pressed against a Warp Pad, and rocketed in the opposite direction. Griffin lost his grip and fell onto his back. He jumped onto his feet and pulled out Echo Chamber. He chased after Wes while banging the sword against any solid surface he came across.
Wes used the Warp Pads and ricocheted consecutively around Griffin. The Grovyle kept his guard up and followed Wes' movements.
"Try this on for sized! Improvised Mystic Burst Blitz!"
Griffin turned and saw the Umbreon rocketing towards him. Griffin's sword was charged to the brink with kinetic energy. He twirled the weapon, then swung. The two attacks collided against each other. The impact released a widespread sonic boom mixed with Wes' magic. The explosion sent them both flying away from each other.
Wes dragged his feet into the ground and positioned himself to charge full speed at the bounty hunter, but he was quick to the draw. Griffin lunged at the Umbreon and slashed his claws at him. Wes jumped back, but Griffin managed to wrap his fingers around Wes' Start Amulet. He gripped it tightly and ripped it off of his neck.
Wes tumbled back, while his fur color changed back to his midnight black coat. He looked at his paws in shock. Oh crud!
Griffin sprinted at Wes and threw a punch. Wes dodged, but got struck in the stomach. He couldn't bring out his magic aura into its physical form, but thankfully it could still passively protect him from fatal injury, even if that wasn't saying much now. He coughed up blood and skipped across the ground. He gasped and rolled out of the way of a diving sword strike with Endless Regret. Wes spun on his back and struck the bounty hunter across the cheek.
Griffin slammed his elbow against the Umbreon and kicked him back, then supported his sword over his shoulder. "Hmm, not as energetic as before. Where's that fighting spirit?!" He slashed at the Umbreon.
Wes ducked under the sword. He felt a few hairs get cut off. He smiled nervously. "Uh, must have dropped it?" He scrambled to his feet and made a bolt for it.
Griffin glared and chased him down. He's not using any of his magic all of a sudden. He raised a suspicious brow and looked at the Start Amulet, still clutched in his hand. Wait…don't tell me…
Wes ducked behind an alleyway and panted. Okay, don't panic. You just lost the only item that allows you to use your magic! Nothing to freak out about! A loud smash sounded next to him. Wes shrieked and scrambled deeper into the alleyway. However, he ended up running into Griffin.
Griffin glared at the black fox. "You can't use magic, can you?"
Wes fell on his back and held his paws up with a guilty look. "Heh. Well, I mean, I have magic aura, but…I can't exactly bring it out without my amulet."
Griffin stared at him in bewilderment. "You can't…" He looked at the amulet, then glared again. "…you can't use magic. You have such a crippling weakness…and yet you still fight me?"
Wes chuckled. "W-What can I say? I'm a thrill seeker." He froze up when Griffin aimed the sword for his face, lighting it up with Exosus Release.
"You must be the most foolish warrior in all of Mysto." Griffin sneered. "Why would anyone fight without a reason? You fight for amusement. I fight to grow stronger."
Wes narrowed his eyes. "You think I'm weak without my amulet?" He smirked. "Buddy, you know nothing about me."
"As do you." Griffin's sword lit up brighter. "I've been fighting to survive."
Wes raised a brow. "You've been through a lot, haven't you?"
Griffin closed his eyes. "Let me put it to you like this. Someone I've come to respect…" He snarled. "And despise…told me that life serves no purpose. Time goes on…and life will continue to be a burden." Griffin opened his eyes. They glowed red with anger. "I intend to fight that man again…and prove to him that I can be so much more."
Wes blinked, looking down in thought. "What does life mean to you…" he mumbled under his breath. His eyes darted up for a moment, then they widened in surprise. He shook his head and kept a neutral expression. "Is that why you asked me that earlier?"
"Precisely. My opponent will not earn my respect unless he answers that question. I shall judge their ideals."
Wes crawled back and stood up, keeping his head low. "By murdering all that stand in your way?"
Griffin scoffed. "That means little to me." He narrowed his eyes. "But there's more to my path than you realize."
Wes slowed his breathing and closed his eyes. "I'm sure you have a lot to tell." He opened them into a glare. "You have a lot to answer for…and I don't intend to die to get those answers!" The Umbreon flipped backwards and struck Griffin in the chin.
Griffin stumbled back and held his chin. He growled. "I shall not fail. I shall not lose!" He rushed the Umbreon and swung his sword.
"First time for everything!" a voice called out. A figure jumped down and held up a shield to absorb the strike. The ringing gong sound echoed through the alleyway. The Grovyle stumbled away from the Pride of Leones, with Ella popping out behind it with a cheeky smirk. "The warrior killer with pay his debt!"
Griffin stepped back and aimed his sword. His eyes widened as he felt two fists press against his back. He glared as he heard the sparking of electricity. Tony smirked deviously. "Impetus Pressure."
Ella tackled Wes to the ground just as the pressure wave was released. Griffin spat out blood and clenched his teeth. He swung his sword, but Tony disappeared in a flash.
Tony appeared overhead and aimed his fingers. "Lightning Shot: Double Barrel Shockwave!" He fired the large, twisting electrical beam.
Griffin recovered from the pressure wave and growled. His irises were glowing blood red, resembling the texture of lava. He clenched his fist and threw it at the spell. "Exosus Cloak!"
His fist collided with the beam, wrapped in his aura, and dispersed the beam into harmless sparks. Tony gasped and tried to get away, but Griffin leaped up to him and punched his face. Tony caught himself on the ground, but was bombarded by consecutive flow of punches and kicks. One punch should gave sent the Dewott flying, but Griffin caught him by the vest and kneed him on the chin.
Tony clenched his teeth and blocked one of the punches. The two traded blows with each other, countering and trying to outdo the other.
Ella stood up and raised her paws. She psychically lifted the Pride of Leones and threw it at Griffin. The Grovyle saw it coming and raised his hand, sending it away in his pocket storage. This, however, gave Tony the opportunity to strike back. He slammed his fists against the bounty hunter once more. "Impetus Pressure!" He fired off the pressure wave.
Blood trickled from Griffin's mouth. He dispersed Exosus Cloak and fought his way through the pressure wave, then pressed his palm against the Dewott's face. "Repello!" Tony was thrown away by the repulsive force.
Gwyn pulled herself out of the wall and panted heavily. She rubbed her sore shoulder. She jumped when Tony flew into a building. She narrowed her eyes and ran over to the battle.
Flint pulled himself together and met her halfway. "Gwyn!"
She pointed at the building Tony flew into. "Go check on him! I'll help Wes and Ella!"
Flint had no objection with that plan. "Right!" They ran off in separate directions.
The Flareon ran over to a pile of rubble and dug through it. Tony pulled himself out with a gasp for air. He held his face. He could feel the blood tricking. "Ugh…that's going to leave a mark."
"How are the others doing?" Flint asked.
"Well, Wes is fighting without his Star Amulet, so you tell me," Tony deadpanned.
"WHAT?!" Flint nearly made a break for the fight. "We need to get it back!"
"No need." Flint turned around and gasped as the Dewott was holding the amulet in his hand. He snickered. "I'm a very unorthodox strategist. Everything I do has some semblance of genius in it."
Flint blinked, then groaned with an exasperated smile. "You are such a pain…" He narrowed his eyes curiously, then looked back at the fight. "Actually…I have an idea." Tony raised a brow in interest.
Ella and Gwyn fought hard against Griffin, trading off blows so they could keep his focus off the other. Gwyn swung wildly with her whip, leaving slash marks behind. Griffin would turn to attack her, but Ella would be hitting him from behind with a concentrated psychic beam.
Gwyn flipped backwards from Exosus Release slashes and threw down some seeds. "Accelerated Growth!" She summoned a tree, which had her explosive berries growing on the branches. She picked three off. "Nutrient Transvoro!" She absorbed all three and raised her hand at the bounty hunter. "Detonation Wave!" She snapped her fingers.
The oxygen in front of her combusted and sent a fiery wave towards Griffin. He crossed his arms and endured the hit. He swung his arms and parted the smoke. He lunged at her, but Wes jumped off the walls and tackled him to the ground. Griffin jumped up and struck Wes across the face.
"Give up! You can't beat me!" Griffin shouted as he expelled more of his aura in his fury. Wes and Griffin traded blows with each other. The impact of the hits was prominent and emphasized threw their strikes. One could actually feel a strong breeze with each impact.
"I'll admit, you're a tough guy!" Wes complimented, leaping over and using the Amulet of Umbra to turn into a shadow. "But I'm not so easy to out down!"
Griffin snarled, then crossed his arms. "Exosus Release: Maelstrom!"
Ella's eyes widened, then she psychically flew out of the alleyway, grabbing Gwyn as she did. She was thrown out of her flight as the explosive wave's force collided with her. Thankfully, the two didn't get too hurt hitting the ground.
Wes and Griffin fought against each other with all their might, but Wes couldn't match up to the bounty hunter's strength and was being pushed back with each hit. Even so, the Umbreon kept his guard up and endured the hits for as long as he could.
Griffin pulled out the rapier once more and took aim. Wes crossed his forelegs to block. However, a Ventusphere was thrown their way and landed between them, pushing the two fighters apart. Wes flew in the air and was caught by Tony. "Hey bud! Looking for this?" the Dewott asked, dangling the Start Amulet.
Wes grinned. "Oh yeah!"
Griffin recovered from the hit and raced towards them. Gwyn stood behind the corner of the alleyway and waited for him to pop out. Once he did, she snapped her fingers. "Detonation Wave!" The explosive hit consumed the bounty hunter. Griffin reached out of the explosion and slammed his palm against Gwyn.
"Repello!" Gwyn flew down the street, trying to find a hold in the ground.
Griffin waved the smoke cloud away and looked around. He bared his teeth in fury. "Good…looks like you're not total weaklings." Blood red energy started forming from the brim of his eyes and slowly stretched out into stripes. They stretched to about his cheeks.
"Hey! Blood Moon Rogue!" Griffin turned around and saw Wes rushing at him. The Star Amulet was back around his neck, bringing out his magical aura to the surface. Wes jumped and clapped his paws together. "You want a sword fight? I'll give you a sword fight! Septem Gladii Virtutis!"
His body glowed and summoned the seven sword constructs. They spun around him like a carousel shield as he ran.
Griffin narrowed his eyes. "Very well then." He brought out Endless Regret and charged.
The bounty hunter slashed his sword and collided with two of the sword constructs. They were surprisingly durable against his strike, but their energy was being sapped by the black blade. Wes mentally raised three sword and slashed them down.
Griffin jumped back and slashed fiercely. Wes continuously blocked the strikes and dished out as many with the seven blades. The fast and expert slashing of the sword sent purple and red sparks flying around the two. Their slices even looked like they slashed the air with the ripples of distortion around them.
Endless Regret, however, was eating away at the magic constructs. The cracks forming in the faces were evident. Wes won't be able to fight back with them much longer.
Griffin tightened his grip and slashed threw two of the constructs, shattering them into glass before they vanished. Wes jumped back and clapped his paws. "Magi Effingo!" He created four crystal clones. Each one, plus him, grabbed a sword in their teeth and charged at the bounty hunter.
Despite now being five on one, Griffin was more than capable of defending himself. He clashed his sword against the energy swords, wearing them down with each hit. Two clones tried to get the jump on him, but he decapitated and destroyed them in one stroke.
Wes parried one of Griffin's strikes when he heard his brother calling out to him. "Wes!" The Umbreon looked over his shoulder, seeing the Flareon waving his paws. "Get him over here, hurry!"
He nodded. He wasn't sure what his brother had planned, but he wasn't one to doubt him. Wes jumped back as Griffin destroyed the other two clones.
Griffin aimed his sword and channeled Exosus Release through it. The blood red, glowing stripes stretched farer over his face, reaching to his nape. "Do you plan on running again?"
Wes smirked. "Nah, I plan of living!"
"Then prove your worth! Exosus Release!" He fired the beam at full force. The surrounding buildings scorched from the heat. The walls crumbled into pebbles and dust. The ground tore apart as the beam traveled.
Wes gritted his teeth and pulled out the Dark Mirror. He dug his back paws into the ground and pushed back against the Exosus Release. The Dark Mirror absorbed its power, putting noticeable strain on Wes. Once it was absorbed, he jumped back and held up his Vortex Amulet, sucking himself into the collapsed dimension.
Griffin clenched his teeth. "Now what?!"
"Right behind you!" Griffin turned around and saw Wes aimed the mirror at him. He could see his Exosus Release swirling inside. "Let's see how you like it!" He flipped the mirror upside-down and fired the increased Exosus Release.
Griffin gasped, then glared furiously as he held his sword up defensively. However, Tony and Gwyn leaped over the bounty with both wrapped in Tony's Light Speed spell and, with a quick snap, Gwyn wrapped her whip around the sword and pulled it out of his hands before he could blink. Griffin immediately noticed this as the beam drew closer.
Without any options left, he pressed his hands against his own Exosus Release and tried to endure its power. The energy wasn't burning him like it did with his previous victims, but he could feel the power pushing against him, especially with the added power boost.
His feet dug into the ground and pushed up dirt as he was pushed towards where Flint was directing Wes. The stripes forming over him vanished. The Exosus Release eventually overcame his strength and engulfed him. He was blasted across the street, completely thrown off his feet.
Flint saw the incoming attack and worked fast. He clapped his paws together. "Ensnarement!" A magic circle appeared in front of him and sprouted chains. He ducked as the beam flew over his head. The chains sensed Griffin and dove into the beam, wrapping around him and pulled him out.
The Dark Mirror eventually expelled all of the Exosus Release, with steam coming off the face. Wes sighed in relief and fell on his back. "Thank…goodness…"
A cloud of dust accumulated the street, obscuring the scene. However, Mack and Holly knew what had happened the moment Wes used the Dark Mirror against Griffin. Holly narrowed her eyes. "Well…that's something you don't see every day."
Mack smirked. "Heh. He actually lost. These treasure hunters are full of surprises."
"Should we help him?"
Mack shook his head. "Nah. I say give him some time to cool off. Being unconscious is probably the best way to go about it."
Holly crossed her arms. "We will have to help him should he get arrested or something."
"Yeah, yeah…"
Team Ravenfield hobbled over to where the bounty hunter lay. He was unconscious, tightly bound by the Ensnarement spell. The chains bounded his limbs tightly, ensuring that he cannot escape.
Gwyn dragged Endless Regret over with Tony and collapsed on the ground. She was exhausted and wounded. "Well…that hurt…a lot…"
Flint helped her back up. "Tell me about it." He grunted and held his chest.
Gwyn grew concerned. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, just…a bruise rib or two," he wheezed.
Ella poked at the chains with a skeptical expression. "Are you sure this'll keep him down?"
Flint nodded. "Positive. I set that magic circle up in advance. I used Wes' Star Amulet to give it extra power. He won't be able to break out of that binding like that."
Tony crossed his arms. "Well, that's all fine and good, but…" He gestured around the street. "Anyone else notice a particular problem with this picture?!"
The team looked around and sweatdropped at the property damage dealt. True, nothing as drastic as Marble Stone City, but definitely bad. Wes scratched his head. "So much for minimizing damage."
Flint pulled his hat over his face and groaned into it. "Of course…we're going to jail for this…"
Tony smirked. "Not…if we don't get caught."
Flint pulled his hat up and glared. "Tony…"
"Hey, the battle was happening too fast for anyone to get a good read on it. I'm sure everyone evacuated the area by the time everything escalated. So, I say we have some time to get out of here and pretend we weren't involved in all of this."
Wes grinned. "I like this plan already!"
Flint gestured to Griffin. "What about him? We can't drag him to a police station without the authorities demanding questions out of us. They'll know we're partially responsible for this and pin that against us."
Tony tapped his chin, then glanced down at the unconscious bounty hunter. "Yeah, that would be a problem." A light bulb went off in his hand. He snapped his fingers. "Okay, I have an idea that'll benefit all our problems."
"What?" Ella asked.
"First things first…does anyone have a burlap sack on hand?"