Jason and Melissa descended down the dark, spiraling, stone staircase by the light of their lantern. Melissa kept one hand on Jason's shoulder as he took the lead. He kept one hand on his dagger, taking note of the cramped space between them. The walls were made from an old brick vastly different to the catacombs. They were entering territory long forgotten by history itself.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

Melissa shuddered. "A little cold, admittedly. I never imagined an earthquake could drag so much below the earth, and in decent condition." She gazed upon the old walls. "It's like stepping into the past itself."

Jason glared. "It is strange how so much got buried underground, yet managed to be preserved under all this earth. I can see why the Visconti would want to preserve all of this."

"How often do you think they come down here?"

"Not often, I imagine. Though…"

"Something wrong?"

"…" He closed his eyes and sighed. "Just hoping I'm worrying over nothing. When you walk down my path, you pick up on some paranoia. Useful for keeping you one step ahead."

"Mind filling me in?"

"I found bloodstains at the entrance."

Her eyes widened. "Blood? Were they recent?"

"I'm not sure. They were definitely made a while ago, but I can't tell how old they are. They've been wiped down thoroughly, too. Whoever was down here missed some spots, probably because of the dark. Though, the fact there's bloodstains near the entrance at all does raise questions. After all, the Visconti are the only ones who can access this passage."

Melissa grimaced. "R-Right."

"Worried?"

"I'm…still processing all of this. Maybe we're way off the mark. There's no way anyone from the Visconti could be Grim Deadlock. Evangelina, Azelia, and Asterio. I barely know anything about them, but I can't imagine them going against their roots like this. Maybe it's just one of their knights like we theorized."

"It wouldn't change the repercussions."

"What do you mean?"

"Let me ask you this. What do you think would've happened if information about your father executing my parents got leaked?"

She frowned. "That'd…be bad."

"Now what do you suppose would happen if it was Sir Artur that killed them?"

"Sir Artur?"

"It's not an uncommon practice for knights to take advantage of their status as royal military. It's supposed to be an honor, and it comes with benefits. If you have the right connections, you can get away with anything. Even if your father wasn't responsible, a knight covering up his crimes with his resources would still look bad. Whether it be a royal or a knight, Grim Deadlock's connection to the Visconti would bring nothing but trouble."

Melissa narrowed her eyes. "I…see your point. So, what do we do if we find out Grim's identity?"

"Haven't decided yet."

"…You're going to blackmail him, aren't you? Use his identity against him?"

"…" Jason closed his eyes. "War isn't kind. We do things to better our faction. That's why the wars in the east have gotten so bad. Everyone's got something the other wants. It's why the Arcania Kingdom has been losing power for so many years. Their secrets in alchemy are invaluable. They got too big, and now they barely have anything to their name. Just a few high-ranking clans willing to go down in flames defending what's left of their home."

Melissa frowned at the floor. "That's so sad."

"Consider yourself lucky you grew up in a privileged household. Some people take what they're born with for granted."

"…Right." She looked ahead and saw they were reaching the end of the stairs. "I'll make sure to remember that."

They reached the bottom and walked down a short corridor that led into a room. Melissa gripped the Pikachu's shoulders gently, apprehensive to what they may find inside. With plenty enough on her mind, she wondered what inside could tell her about her role in the past, and what it meant for Last Autumn. What secrets could they find in this forgotten crypt?

Stepping out from the corridor, Jason raised his lantern and shined upon the large crypt before them. The air was frigid and dusty with droplets of condensation leaking through the old stone walls. Cracks formed along the ceiling and floor, frozen in time from inactivity. Not being exposed to the elements aboveground had more or less preserved the structure of the ruins.

Further ahead were broken structures that resembled stone benches. Though pieces of it were scattered over the floor, what remained cemented to the floor was lined up in rows with a path cutting through the center. A raised platform stood at the end of the room along with a broken podium.

Melissa's eyes widened. "This looks like a church."

"Hmm, it does. But to who?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not entirely sure of my history, but Uncle Sherwood told me bits and pieces of the Great…Elysivine's culture. I'm pretty sure they didn't have the same religions as us."

Melissa frowned. "Huh. So, which god did they worship?"

"Not sure." He waved her along and stepped deeper inside the ancient church.

Melissa followed, gazing upon the walls in awe. She continued to be amazed by how well the architecture was preserved after sinking below the earth. As she gazed closer upon the walls, she saw images chiseled into their surfaces. Though the moisture had warped their clarity, it wasn't damaged enough that she couldn't make interpretations.

She approached one of the walls and pressed her hand to it. Under the glow of the lantern, she identified the shape of a castle surrounded by little figures representing the Elysivinians. Sitting upon the castle balcony was a figure wearing the crown, and they were being praised by the people.

"The royal family must've been adored during those days," she commented.

"Prospering for eight hundred years is not easy task," Jason said while inspecting the benches.

"Hmm. I'm curious. Since this is considered the 10th Century, what was going on during the first hundred years?"

Jason stood up and scratched his head for a moment. "Not entirely sure. It's possible when the arbiters first came here, they adopted the general calendar system the other regions used. Don't forget, they're not from here. Though, I'm not sure who, when, and why. It might be the turning point out of the Savage Era, though the exact specifics aren't known."

"Hmm. It's a shame so much of the Elysivine Kingdom's history was wiped out. There's so much we could learn." Melissa traced her hand along the walls, continuing to inspect the murals. She stopped on one and frowned. "That's a curious structure."

The mural depicted the figures surrounding a triangle with some sort of pillar rising up into the clouds. The way the figures were drawn indicated to her they were praying.

"Jason, what's this?"

He walked over to the mural and raised his lantern. "Huh. I'm not sure. It looks like a pyramid, though I've never seen one in the ruins."

"Maybe this is what they worshipped."

"A triangle?"

Melissa shrugged. "I've seen weirder. Sid once told me Rusty had a dream about becoming a god."

Jason rolled his eyes. "Of course she did…" He sighed and examined the mural once more. His eyes wandered down to the somewhat faded text below the image, emphasis on faded. "Ugh, the text is barely legible, and it's in an ancient language. I can't read any of this."

"I'll try and copy it down." Melissa reached into her bag and pulled out a notebook and an inkwell. She held the open book within the crook of her arm, set the opened inkwell down, and dipped a finger in.

As she fingerpainted the text, Jason walked to the other side of the church to examine more murals. A couple of them showed more of the people worshipping the rulers of Elysivine, nothing eye-catching.

Moving further down, however, he came across a particular image. It depicted warriors of the kingdom fighting back against…a cult? The opposing figures were drawn with what looked like robes, and flames were etched around them that spread toward the warriors in the shape of a dragon's maw.

"What is this?" he wondered aloud.

"What is what?" Melissa asked from the other side.

"I found a mural of the kingdom fighting a cult or something. I thought they were supposed to be the kingdom that ruled through eight-hundred-years of peace. I'm not sure what this is trying to say."

Melissa finished jotting down the text, placed her belongings away, and walked over while wiping her finger clean. "Was there a forest fire?"

"I don't think so." Jason looked around at the rest of the church. "I wonder when this was first built. So many different events, and I can't tell which are historical or fantastical. Or maybe both either way."

She crossed her arms. "You'd think the Visconti would want to research the history of this place. Why keep it locked up?"

"If only the Visconti have access to this place, maybe they didn't want anyone discovering the truth. Though, everything's so dilapidated that I wouldn't know where to start."

"King Massimo doesn't seem like the type to keep this stuff hidden, so maybe this is a family tradition. The passageway was built way before his time."

"That could be the case, but then why would the former ruler want this place locked up?" Jason walked further down the church with Melissa following.

As more light shined on the church, they got a better look of the front. Behind the broken podium was a large stone table with rubble sitting on top. Above that was a massive white sheet riddled from age and covering the wall behind it. On both sides of the oratorial stage were doors.

Jason nodded at Melissa, and they each went to one of the opposing doors. Jason took the one on the left and opened it. It led down another level through the church, though the stairs were destroyed. Even shining his lantern down couldn't reveal the bottom.

"Well, that's a bust." He closed the door and turned to Melissa's side. "What'd you find?"

She stepped out and showed him ragged cloth covered in dust. "Bleh! I think these are priest robes. Really old, disgusting, wet robes." She threw them to the floor and hurriedly wiped her hands clean. "Gross, gross, gross."

Jason knelt over the robes and picked one up between his fingers. "Spare robes before sessions." He stretched it over the floor, revealing the front depicting the emblem of a tree with its roots coiled around the sun. "Well, this more or less confirms we're standing in a church."

"Did you find anything on your end?"

"No. There's a basement, but I don't know how far down it goes. Too dangerous." He glanced at the white sheet covering the wall. "What do you suppose that's hiding?"

"I'm afraid to ask."

Jason set the lantern down, and the both of them walked up to the wall. They each took a corner of the sheet, stepped back until it pulled taut, and ripped the sheet loose. It fluttered over their heads and fell over the podium.

"…" Melissa's eyes widened. "What…is that supposed to be?"

"I…have no idea."

Everything they've seen up until now was relatively tame, if not a bit strange. Behind the sheet was another mural, though vastly different as it was made up of painted stone that had smeared over time. It depicted a bipedal creature hovering above the land posing in a godly fashion while little figures grouped into a circle praying to the creature. It was dressed in majestic white robes with a red scarf fluttering from its shoulders. A hood covered its face, and even the hands and feet weren't distinct enough to point to an exact creature.

However, that paled to the most noteworthy part of the mural. Two giant wings sprouted from the creature's back, resembling giant hands in the shape of bat wings. They were mixed with black and gray paint, and clusters of eyes with pinprick pupils resided within the wings.

Melissa backed away from the mural and gulped. "Ooookay, that's the creepiest thing I've seen in my life."

Jason glared. "What the hell is that? Is this what the church worships? I've never seen a creature like this ever."

"If this is what they worshipped, I'm beginning to think the Elysivine Kingdom was built up by demon-worshipping sadists! Who looks at this thing and goes 'Yep, that's my god right there!'"

He crossed his arms. "Uncle Sherwood never told me anything about this. I wonder if even he knows about half this stuff."

"Can we please cover this back up?! That's one too many eyeballs to be looking at!"

Jason groaned. "Calm down, would you? We're supposed to be investigating this place."

"How would you like some creepy monster leering down on you in an abandoned church?!"

"Ugh. Pin back up yourself if it's bothering you that much." He walked away to investigate more of the murals.

Melissa pouted. "Jerk." She picked the sheet off the floor and jumped onto the stone table.

Jason shook his head as he watched her jumping up to the wall hooks, but soon turned his attention back onto the strange art. He hated to admit it, but the creature was unnerving to look at. Perhaps cultural differences were far more significant than he thought, but he never imagined an entire kingdom worshipping something resembling…well, a demon as Melissa put it.

Only the wings stand out, though. The body itself could be passed off as any bipedal Pokémon. Assuming this is based in fact, was this an actual Pokémon? Virdis hasn't seen a Ditto like JoJo, so it's not a stretch to say there are other Pokémon we haven't seen yet. During those days, a strange creature like that could be worshipped as a god. Perhaps…it's one of the arbiters?

He glanced over at the walls and noted one that Melissa hadn't checked yet in the corner. Turning his eyes away from the rabbit as she desperately tried to hide the terrifying mural, he approached the wall art with his lantern.

Raising it to the wall, the light showed a depiction of the church. The seats were filled with loyal subjects. A ceremony was taking place. Two creatures Jason couldn't identify joined hand-in-hand in front of the podium. One wore decorative robes with lines running down the side and was depicted in a darker color to the priest robes. The other wore a fanciful cape and a crown upon their head.

A wedding? He traced his fingers along the text at the bottom. This is the only mural like this. Is this the marriage of the first ruler of Virdis? And who were they marrying? He closed his eyes for a moment to think. With his limited knowledge on Old Virdis history, it would have to be someone of renowned status worthy of marrying the first ruler. Since it was the only mural of its kind in the church, that meant it was supposed to be a special occasion. A special occasion for the first ruler…

An arbiter.

The first ruler and an arbiter ruling Virdis together? That…could make sense. The arbiters' roots still grow through modern bloodlines. They brought knowledge to Virdis after the Savage Era. Still, it raises some questions. There's so much left unanswered about what took place during that time. How did the arbiters bring knowledge to a land of savage Pokémon?

He stepped away and pinched between his eyes. "Sometimes I wish Uncle Sherwood trusted me more. What the hell does he know that we don't?"

"Stupid…sheet…almost…there—GAH!"

Jason flinched as something crashed over the floor. He hurried back to the oratorial stage where he saw the sheet fluttering back to the ground and the stone table's upper half knocked over. Looking at the rest of the table, it occurred to him it was hollow inside.

"Rookie? You good?"

"Ugh. Yeah. I think I pushed the table back too hard."

He looked around, but couldn't see her. The lantern still sat in the corner, not casting much light over the stage. "Where are you?"

"I landed inside the table. Turns out the top was a…agh, lid."

"Are you okay?"

"Landed on something. Something crunchy? Kind of smells, too."

Jason went back to retrieve the lantern and casted its light over the stage. "Honestly Rookie, you have got to be the most accident-prone person I know."

"…"

"…Rookie?"

"…"

"…Harlow—"

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Jason jumped back as Melissa came scrambling out of the table and ran straight into his arms, trembling frantically. "Th-Th-There's…a…I…" She clutched her chest as she started hyperventilating.

"H-Harlow!" He set the lantern down and wrapped his arms around her. "Calm down. Breathe. Breathe."

She pressed her head against his chest, listening to the sound of his heartbeat and the sound of her frenetic breathing. She clutched his uniform tightly and stood there. As she listened to his steady heartbeat, her breaths slowed down. Her muscles untensed, and she relaxed her shoulders. She collapsed into his embrace and let her ears droop back.

"Better?"

"A-A little."

"Alright." He hesitantly let go of her, staying a few seconds to make sure she was alright, and walked over to the table. "What did you see?"

She grimaced. "D-Don't look."

Ignoring her warning, he pulled himself onto the edge and glanced down. It took a second for his eyes to adjust to the low light inside, but he got a clear view of what lay inside the table.

He no longer considered it a table. It was a now coffin.

"Oh my Arceus…"

Inside the table was a pile of bones arranged in the shape of a body. Some were broken, likely due to Melissa crashing on top of them. Based on the shape and size, they likely belonged to a mammalian Pokémon a foot taller than himself. The skull was caved in, making it completely unrecognizable. Though, based on the damage Melissa did to the ribs, he determined she wasn't the one who smashed the skull. Someone else did.

Jason took one whiff of the inside and backed away in disgust. He just spotted other matter clinging to the bones. Little bits and pieces of flesh preserved by the cold air. "Rotten flesh. This wasn't sitting here for two hundred years."

Melissa pressed her back against the podium and hugged herself. "I just landed on a dead body…" She clenched her eyes shut. "Oh Arceus, I need to take a shower. In boiling water."

"You can worry about that later. I think we have other problems."

"Like what?!"

Jason covered his nose and growled. "I don't know how to tell you this, but this confirms my worst suspicions. Based on the smell, I'd say whoever this used to be was killed a while ago."

"W-What?!" Melissa sprung back onto her feet. "H-How recently?!"

"A few years ago. Maybe a little longer."

Her eyes widened. "That…That recently?"

He stepped further back from the coffin and crossed his arms. "Someone must've wanted to hide the body. But I don't understand. Echo Bell sees death every day. What would possess someone to hide a body all the way down here?"

"…The Visconti are the only ones who can access this place," Melissa mumbled in horror. "Not even the knights should be allowed down here without their permission. Th…That means…"

"…"

"Oh sweet Mew, what is going on?" She crouched to the floor and pulled on her ears. "W-What is all of this? I'm more confused than ever!"

He looked down at her sadly, then back at the coffin. "Let's…not jump to conclusions yet, Rookie. We don't have the full story."

"…Jason. I want to go back to the inn."

"…Alright." He grabbed her hand and helped her back to her feet. "You can take some time off tomorrow to relax. The rest of us will investigate the circus troupe."

"O-Okay."

He patted her back and led her off the stage. "You're going to be okay. I promise, I'll stay by your side no matter—"

Both their ears shot instantly as the floor rumbled. Through the corridor passage, a wave of mud came rushing toward them. Jason grabbed Melissa and dove out of the way. The wave struck the edge of the stage and blew out the entire front. The podium scattered into pieces and rained over the walls and coffin.

"Oh, you can't leave already! I haven't even gotten to my act yet."

Jason and Melissa picked themselves up as a Quagsire marched into the ruined church. The clown-faced axolotl rotated his shoulders. The front of his green clown uniform was blown open by the sheer size of his muscular physique. The duo looked where the wave struck through the floor and saw the stone had been warped from the attack.

Paride grinned. "Don't worry. This show doesn't cost much. Just two lives will suffice."

Jason and Melissa backed toward the destroyed stage, reaching for their weapons. "You're one of the performers," Jason said.

"HA! Wow, you are smart, Fairy Knight! What gave it away, the makeup?" He punched into his palm. "But since you know who I am, you might know why I'm here."

Melissa glared. "H-How did you find us?"

"Oh-hoho! Why spoil the fun? You got to keep the audience in suspense when putting on a show."

Jason glared. "We know about the bombs, clown. The Foresters will stop you—"

"As much as I appreciate the heroic sentiment, you're not in much position to be telling me off, Fairy Knight." Paride stopped and flexed his muscles. "That's high-grade muscle you're looking at. Years of hard work in the making." He kissed his bicep and laughed. "I could crush your head inside one arm."

Jason pulled out his sword and coated it in electricity. "I'll destroy you before you get the chance to blink."

Paride laughed again. "You think I hunted you down not knowing what you're capable of? Guess what, idiot? I'm a Ground-Type. Half your tricks won't work on me."

"No, but my sword will."

"Oh-ho! You going to kill me, Fairy Knight? Just like you tried to assassinate the prince of Senbo?"

Jason clenched his teeth and growled. "You…"

"Jason, he's trying to get under your skin," Melissa warned.

"I know."

Paride punched his fists together. "I don't know what those losers are so afraid of. The great Fairy Knight is a legend built up on lies! He's only as strong as the people say because he has his own personal army. You don't look anywhere near as tough as Grim Deadlock or the Roar of the Wastes. I can probably kick their sorry asses halfway across the region. But you look a lot more fun to kick. Like a kickball."

Jason narrowed his glare and backed away, pulling Melissa by the shoulder. "There's a handful of reasons you would come down here, but I think I know the main one: your boss somehow figured out why we were down here."

Paride smirked. "So, you know the truth."

"Last Autumn. Who is your boss? Your ringmaster?"

"Why would I go around telling you that? You think I'm just going to spill all my secrets because I have you cornered? I'm not stupid enough to give you an edge, Fairy Knight. This will be your tomb, and no one's ever going to find you." Paride cracked his knuckles. "So, why don't we get to the beatings?"

He flexed his arms and bulked up his entire body. Abs tightened over his stomach, his biceps bulged, and the veins in his neck popped out. His whole form surged with a dull blue aura.

"Remember my name well, Fairy Knight, and take it with you to Hell!" he exclaimed. "I am the strongman of the Cirque du Madness. I am the man who moves mountains and cleaves the earth in a single blow. I am the incarnation of Groudon himself!"

As the Quagsire boasted about himself, the Forester duo noticed something coming out from the church entrance. Their eyes widened as a black smog rolled across the floor and stretched out across the walls. The light being cast from Jason's lantern disappeared from the space behind Paride.

"Uh, M-Mr. Clown—" Melissa mumbled.

"I am the quaking of the earth with each step I take!" he continued, ignoring her feeble warning. "I am the one who holds up the sky!"

Two piercing red eyes shined through the black fog. A crescent of metal emerged, the fog hissing off its sharpened blade.

"I am the one who shall destroy the Three Deadly Storms! Remember the name of Paride Scor—"

SHIIIINK!

Jason and Melissa gasped as the scythe swooped down and struck Paride through the back. The Quagsire's bravado deflated as he gasped out in a breathless scream. The scythe lifted him off the ground, digging the blade more through his flesh and up to his heart.

"W…Wha…?" he choked. He rigidly craned his neck around and met the eyes of a reaper cloak in billowing shadow. "W…What a-are you doing—"

The reaper casually swung their scythe and sent the clown flying off. His body crashed against the wall with a wet smack, then slid to the floor with a large streak of blood painting over the mural.

The Foresters cautiously stepped back as the reaper emerged from the corridor. Cloaked in a robe of darkness and balancing his scythe over his shoulder, he glared down at the pair with eyes that conveyed the purest essence of vitriol ever witnessed by them.

"Grim Deadlock…" Jason mumbled.

"Fairy Knight Jason…" Grim replied, his voice as cold and raspy as Melissa remembered.

Jason pointed his sword at the reaper. "Stay back! We don't want to cause any trouble." Melissa hid behind him, cowering under the reaper's stare.

Grim examined the pair for a moment before glancing further ahead. His eyes widened at the opened coffin and the little bits of bone sticking out into view. "You…opened it?"

"H-Huh?" Jason looked over his shoulder. "The coffin?"

"You…" His stance changed. He gripped his scythe in both hands and summoned a crescent blade of red energy over the scythe's blade. He reared his weapon back, extending the energy blade further. "No one leaves here ALIVE!" He swung, sweeping the space before him.

Jason pulled Melissa to the ground as the blade slashed across all four walls in one rotation. A bit of dust was scattered, but no visible markings were left behind. Still, they didn't waste time examining it as Grim flew at them prepping another swing. They rolled out of the way before Grim struck and gashed the floor open.

"HA!" Jason smacked the corner of a bench with his sword and batted the chunk at the reaper, but it passed through effortlessly. He pulled Melissa to her feet and ran for the door. "Hurry!"

"Reaping Shadow!" Grim fired a blade of shadow energy above the entrance. It detonated and sent rubble crashing down, blocking off their escape.

They stopped and dove behind some benches as he fired another Reaping Shadow. They covered their heads from the exploding debris. "I don't remember him being this mad!" Melissa cried.

"How much do you know?!" Grim fired another Reaping Shadow through the floor, forcing the duo to jump out from cover before it sliced through the bench. "I won't allow you to leave with the truth!"

"What are you talking about?!" Jason yelled behind another bench. "Do you have something to do with that corpse?!"

Grim's eyes burned redder. "That corpse is everything wrong with this city! Everything wrong with this kingdom! Everything wrong with this WORLD!" He spun his scythe over his head. "Reaping Shadow: Blades of Nevermore!" A barrage of smaller shadow blades flew out from his scythe.

"Stay down!" Jason ordered Melissa. He jumped out and lunged at the blades. "Thunder Fairy Step: Storm Tango!" His fur prickled with electricity. With his body reacting to the incoming attacks, he sliced a path for himself straight toward the reaper. "Take this!"

He sliced through the reaper's body, but it passed through with no resistance. He punched through Grim's body and landed back on the destroyed stage.

"Criminals. Scum. Liars. Traitors." Grim scowled over his shoulder. "I'll cut down every last dark heart until the blood of evil runs rampant through the region."

Jason adopted a defensive posture and backed toward the coffin. "You didn't seem so hesitant to ally yourself with the circus. Your own city is being threatened by criminals, yet you bend the knee for them just to earn favor with Last Autumn."

Grim aimed his scythe at the Pikachu and growled. "Speaking nonsense won't save you."

His eyes widened. "Nonsense? You just killed a member of your allies—"

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about, but all I saw was the black heart of evil in that man. All scum deserve death. No exceptions!"

Jason blinked in disbelief. "What?"

Melissa peeked out from behind cover with the same confused expression. He…doesn't know about the meeting the other day? The heir system? The circus? What's going on?! Did Victoria and Felix make a mistake?

Grim reared his scythe back. "You turned your back on your principles when the Foresters tried to assassinate Prince Talbot, and I won't allow your crimes to carry on any longer!" The red energy blade overlapped over his scythe once more. "Breathless Execution!"

Jason narrowly ducked the wide slash and darted under the reaper. He dragged himself to a stop in the center aisle and sighed. "No point getting through to you." He raised his sword and shouted, "Come at me, Grim Deadlock!"

"Reaping Shadow!" Grim fired the shadow blade at him.

"Thunder Fairy Step."

The shadow blade exploded across the floor, but Jason vanished in a flash. Grim's eyes darted around the room as a bolt of lightning shot back and forth off the walls in rapid succession. The second he saw it land on a surface, it would already ricochet to another side of the room.

"The Flash of Lightning…" Grim reared his scythe back. "Your speed wasn't exaggerated."

Jason bounced off the walls a few more times before prepping his sword and lunging at the reaper from behind. In one stroke, he cleaved through Grim's midsection, tearing his gaseous form in two. He dragged his fingers through the ground to catch himself and sped into Grim again, cutting into his arms next. He darted back and forth, cutting up Grim bit by bit with the force of his speed.

"I've already been notified of your perfect intangibility, Deadlock!" Jason landed and stuck to the ceiling. "Even if I can't hurt you, I can dice up your concentration!" He kicked off the ceiling and came down spinning.

Grim immediately reformed himself and blocked Jason's strike. He spun his scythe and tried to bat the Pikachu away, but he vanished in a flash again. He patiently tracked the speeding thunderbolt's movements before turning and blocking a fast, powerful slash. Jason retreated again, striking from another angle. Grim spun his scythe around himself, repeatedly blocking the electric mouse's attacks.

Melissa watched from behind cover in awe of the sparks dancing through the church. They're evenly matched. She looked over at Paride's motionless body for a second before running over to him. She slid over and turned him onto his back. "Are you okay?"

Despite being dealt a fatal blow, the Quagsire miraculously clung to life. His breathing was barely audible, and it sounded like he was struggling to draw air. He looked up at Melissa with fearful eyes. "I…I don't want to d…d…"

She grimaced. "I'm so sorry."

"…You have…such kind eyes." His makeup ran as tears spilt from his eyes. "I…I'm glad they'll be…the last thing I'll…see…" His breathing slowed until his chest stopped rising. His arms fell to the floor, and his head went limp in her hands.

Melissa frowned. "Poor thing…" She waved her hand over his eyes and closed them. "Rest your burdens away."

"AGH!" Her ears shot up as Jason went flying across the church and slammed into the rubble blocking the exit. He quickly recovered and dodged another Reaping Shadow. "Harlow!"

"R-Right, sorry!" She gently placed Paride's head on the floor and ran off, never noticing her shadow stretching from his shadow for a second.

Grim lunged across the church with his scythe spinning between both hands. Jason raised his guard and shielded against the reaper's flowing strikes. Sparks danced between their weapons as Jason parried each strike. He dug his heels down and stood his ground while the reaper beat down on him. He patiently deflected the next three strikes before firing his phantom grappler.

It passed through Grim's body and hooked to the ceiling, allowing Jason to slingshot himself across the church. He scooped some rubble off the ground and tossed it. Grim easily deflected them and fired off Reaping Shadow.

Jason impaled his sword through the ground and raised his hands. "Thunder Fairy Step: Stasis Field!" The shadow blade struck, but became instantly wrapped in his bioelectric field. "Harlow, now!"

Grim glanced over his shoulder as Melissa bounced off the walls and chucked smoke pellets into his face. Jason reared his arms back and threw the shadow blades through the smoke, cleaning slicing an X-shaped cross through it.

"Pathetic!" A psychic wave blew the smoke and Melissa away. Grim emerged and soared toward Jason. "You cannot hurt me!" He gripped the end of his scythe and swung it at a wide arc.

Jason braced himself and blocked the pole with his sword. The strength behind it swept him off his feet and smashed him through the stone benches. Grim took hold with both hands and batted Jason down the aisle before splitting it open with Reaping Shadow. Jason rolled on his feet and intercepted the shadow blade, splitting it around him.

He let out an annoyed sighed and shouted, "Deadlock, listen to me! We didn't come here to start trouble! Don't you know your city is in danger?"

"This city and kingdom have been in danger since the Visconti began their rule!" he roared. "Whatever harm comes to it, I'll cut down every last criminal until they beg for mercy, and only then will I end their miserable existences."

Jason clenched his teeth. "We were not the ones who tried to assassinate Prince Talbot! We were framed—"

"Your words mean nothing," Grim growled.

"It's the truth! Listen to me!"

"Truth? What even is truth? Whose truth is the truth?" Grim narrowed his eyes, almost sadly. "Believing anything is good and decent brings pain. There is no truth in this world. We are all born liars putting on a performance to hide the darkness every Pokémon carries." He glowered at the Pikachu. "And what of you, Fairy Knight? Were you not the rumored Mortal Zerora who carried out the Bloodless Massacre? The only who killed Sir Artur of Verde?"

Jason's stance wavered. "I…"

"I have watched one too many people die because of scum. I was born from the ignorance of the royal family. I was created by the anger and sin of the countless victims who lost their lives to crime. I have amassed hundreds of corpses that will never spill innocent blood again. No justice, no jury, no chances. The only recourse is death."

For a moment, Jason's confidence waned. His grip loosened, and his sword nearly slipped from his hands. However, before it touched the ground, he collected himself and raised it against the reaper. "I cannot undo my mistakes, but I'll keep fighting until I've atoned for them."

"Atone in Hell." Grim let go of his scythe and suspended it in black fog. "Stance of Acheron." With a flick of his wrist, the scythe vanished.

Jason perked his ears up. "What the—"

"Jason, on your left!" Melissa shouted.

He saw something glinting on his left and barely blocked the flying scythe. It rebounded off his sword and spun wildly through the church like a roaming boomerang. He gripped his sword and dashed across the church as the scythe homed on his position. He dove and deflected the weapon as it spun over his head. It curved and swept across the floor. Jason leapt over it and lunged at Grim.

The reaper let Jason's sword pass through him and commanded his scythe to snipe him out of the air. Locking Jason within the crook of the weapon, it spun him around before pinning him and itself into the wall directly above the skeletal corpse.

"Agh…" He felt the blade pressing against his neck.

Grim floated toward the pinned mouse. "It matters not who enters my domain. I'll crush them all the same. Villainy, corruption, dishonor. Everyone. Everything that has tormented the region. I was born when the pinnacle of sin entered my heart. There is no justice. There will never be justice!"

"Get away from him!" Grim didn't move as Melissa dove with her dagger. She passed through him before being caught in his Psychic. "Oh no—AAAHH!" Grim whipped his arm and threw her against the wall, cracking one of the murals. "Aaaagh…"

"Harlow the Maniac Thief. No. You go by Skill Hunter now, don't you?" He turned and glared at her. "I remember you. Three months ago. You…You managed to escape me."

As Jason struggled to remove the scythe from around his neck, he noticed his sword laying on the floor. He squinted and noticed smeared droplets of water across its surface. He noticed the droplets gravitating in Grim's direction. What the…?

Melissa struggled as the psychic pressure kept her pinned up. "G-Grim, please. Maybe w-we can talk this out. There doesn't need to be any more bloodshed."

He curled his fist. "I've spilt too much blood to turn back. Criminal scum needs to be executed. This world needs to be purged of its vices. I can't allow another one of them to exist!"

Melissa winced. "Another one of what?"

"…" He lowered his gaze to the floor. "My greatest failure."

"Grim—"

"Stasis Field!"

Grim barely turned around in time as Jason touched the scythe and repelled it away from his neck. The scythe decapitated the reaper's head and impaled itself on the far wall. As he reformed and dropped Melissa from his psionic grip, Jason jumped off the wall and retrieved his sword off the floor.

"Your fight's with me, Deadlock," Jason said. He rubbed his neck, feeling some blood trickling from a cut. He wiped it into his fur and held his sword in both hands. "Rookie, copy my Thunderbolt and blast me!"

"Huh?!"

"Just do it!"

Grim raised his hand. "Stance of Acheron!" The dark mist surrounded his scythe and pried it from the wall.

Melissa concentrated and summoned up a yellow aura around herself. "Thunderbolt!" She pressed her ears together and fired a streak of lightning.

The scythe flew at Jason from behind, but he leapt into the air and stuck to the ceiling. The Thunderbolt gravitated toward the Pikachu and struck him. His fur spiked up, and blue sparks surged through his fur.

Grim caught his scythe and reared it back. "Breathless Execution!" Summoning the red blade over his scythe, he spun it and slashed across the ceiling.

Jason jumped off and somersaulted to the other end of the church. He landed of his feet and one hand, raising his sword in the air. "Rookie, get down!"

Melissa dove behind a bench and covered her head.

The electricity coursed through Jason's body and prickled his fur into spikes. Static jolts shined in his eyes. "Dodge this. Thunder Fairy Step: Flash and Crackle!" He tensed his muscles and burst forward in an explosion of light.

"W—"

Grim could barely get a sound out as Jason instantly crossed the distance and sliced through him. As Jason swung his sword down, Grim's body erupted in a cloak of blue lightning. For the first time since both Foresters encountered him, the reaper screamed out in pain.

Melissa's eyes widened. I couldn't keep track of his movement. It's like he teleported!

Jason growled as smoke hissed through clenched teeth. His body and fur smoked, yet he fought through the pain wrenching his body. "Again!" He lit up in blue electricity again and slashed through Grim, lighting him up a second time.

Melissa frowned. I don't get it. All our attacks weren't working before. Did…Did Jason figure something out about his intangibility?

Jason landed on the other side of the church again and collapsed onto his knees. His entire body was covered in smoke. He shakily raised his arm and saw the tips of his fur turning black from the heat. I haven't practiced this move too much. I've got two more shots left in me.

Grim collapsed forward, holding himself up with his scythe. He panted and trembled against the floor before glaring at the Forester leader. "I see now why the criminal underworld fears you, Fairy Knight. You hold such power, yet you still refuse to take lives."

Jason picked himself up and dusted his arms off. "I'm surprised you're still conscious."

Grim rose to full height and spun his scythe deftly. "My entire being…is fueled by pure hatred. Your attacks will not put me down."

Jason took a deep breath and took on an attack stance. "Thunder Fairy Step: Plasma Cutter Z-Strike." He traced his hand across the blade and lit it up in condensed blue lightning.

Grim reared his scythe back. "Stance of Cocytus." Darkness enshrouded the scythe and transformed the blade into a massive energy blade that flowed with shadow energy. It was half the length of the pole.

The two elite criminals locked eyes, shifting their stances and studying each other. The crackle of Jason's sword and darkness of Grim's scythe emanated across the church. A mix of flickering blue and shimmering dark purple covered two halves of the room. Melissa peered out from behind the benches, nervously gripping the stone.

"Jason…"

Jason made the first move. He launched himself down the aisle. Grim spun his scythe and countered the strike. Lightning crackled through the air mixed with an explosion of ghostly energy. The two forces pushed the fighters away, but they tightened their stances and rushed each other down again, clashing enhanced blades and sending sparks through the air.

Jason utilized the terrain to jump and dodge Grim's wide swings. He went in with close, quick slashes, but Grim intercepted them with the polearm and battered him off with the rear of the scythe. Jason caught the walls and sped circles around the room, leaving a hot streak of blue in his path.

"Reaping Shadow: Blades of Nevermore!" Grim spun the scythe over his head and fired off a myriad of shadow blades all around the room.

Melissa ducked her head as explosions went off against the walls. Jason utilized his Storm Tango to dodge them and repositioned himself on the ceiling. He dove down on Grim, but the reaper intercepted and blasted him back with the enhanced scythe. Jason caught himself on the walls and lunged again at greater speed. Though Grim blocked his strike, the force sent them both flying into the opposing wall.

"Stasis Field!" Jason hooked his hand around the scythe and repelled it out of Grim's hands. "Take this!" He sliced vertically up the reaper, cutting his form in two.

"Binding Shackles!" Dark fog reached out from the shadow cloak and slithered around Jason. He kicked off the walls and avoided the shadow tendrils. Grim reformed himself and spread his darkness onto the ceiling. "Rain of the Styx!"

Jason looked up as dozens of miniature Shadow Balls formed above. He cut through a bench and threw the slab of stone over himself as the explosive orbs rained down and detonated across the room.

"AAH!" Melissa was thrown into the air by the explosions. Though the Shadow Balls didn't hurt her, the accelerated debris sliced across her uniform and face. She went flying into a wall and landed on the destroyed remains of a mural.

Jason pulled himself out from cover and grabbed a chunk of rock. "Stasis Field!" He repelled the rock and fired it like a bullet, punching a hole through Grim's face. He reactivated his Plasma Cutter Z-Strike and dragged it across the floor as he rushed the reaper.

Grim reformed his face and reached his hand out, calling his scythe back from the rubble. "Stance of Acheron!" The scythe spun like a buzzsaw, cutting through the floor and leaving a trail of sparks.

Jason stopped and turned around, blocking the scythe. The powdered rock gave him little traction on the floor, allowing the scythe to shove him into the wall. Grim recollected his scythe and spun himself around with Stance of Cocytus reactivated. Jason blocked his right side and intercepted the enhanced blade before it detonated against him. It blasted him across the floor, smashing through the left side door.

"Reaping Shadow!" Grim slashed across the ground and fired a tracking shadow blade.

Jason clung to the walls of the dark space and launched himself back into the main room. He tilted his body parallel to the shadow blade, his back grazing against the volatile energy, and kept running as it exploded behind him. The two outlaws struck their blades together and lit the church up.

Jason tightened his stance and held the stalemate. He growled and yelled, "What do you know about Last Autumn?!"

"You're still on that?" Grim pushed down on his scythe and pressed his weight against the Pikachu. "A desperate plea to distract me from executing you? I will give no quarter!"

Jason clenched his teeth. "You…really have no idea what I'm talking about? Then answer me this." His fur prickled up with electricity. "Who are you? Are you a knight? Or one of the Visconti?"

"I am the Specter of Punishment. I am the Reticence of Wind. I am the shadow of crime given form." His scythe crackled wildly with ghostly energy. "I am nobody. My damned exists only to atone for the criminal underworld allowed to exist. That is my fate. That is my punishment. I am Grim Deadlock!"

The energy surrounding his scythe exploded and blasted Jason backwards. He caught himself on the floor, but quickly ducked back as the blade swiped near his face. Suddenly forced on the defensive, Jason blocked the reaper's endlessly flurry of spinning strikes. One after the other in rapid succession, he wielded the scythe with such haunting grace that it appeared to flow with the fog itself.

"Can't…keep…up…" Jason watched his movements carefully before ducking under a swing and darting to the other side of the church where Melissa was hiding. Electricity coursed through his fur and prickled it. "Flash and—"

Melissa's eyes darted over at Grim and noticed him rearing back his scythe. Her eyes widened at the red glow lining its edge. She saw the brief flashes of movements being played out ahead of time, reading the intended maneuvers of both fighters after passively studying them. Worst of all, Grim's scythe was being obscured with fog at the angle Jason was staring down.

"Jason, don't—"

"CRACKLE!"

"Breathless Execution!"

It happened in a flash. Jason crossed the distance in an instant and sliced through Grim once again, lighting him up in a painful burst of lightning. However, Grim had apparently anticipated the speed of his movements and swung his scythe early. It had already been swung by the time Jason cut him.

Jason crashed into the wall and landed on his back. Melissa's eyes widened in horror at the glowing red slash marked across his side, bringing forth flashbacks of Fabrice and Klaus from months prior. Her fur stood on end, chills ran through her body, and her throat tightened.

"JASON!"