With the threat of the city known to the two bounty hunters, they swiftly made for the rooftops in search of the bombers. Though no clue to their whereabouts was known to them, they navigated through the less populated areas of the city in hopes of spotting their potential targets.

Armant landed to take in the environment. He pressed his hands down and closed his eyes, hoping to listen out for any unusual activity. "Hmm. Where are you?"

Frediano cupped his claws around his eyes and spun in circles. "You'd think our mysterious note-delivery stranger would've given us directions first."

"Can't be helped now." Armant opened his eyes and sighed. "Tracking was never one of my strong suits. My old partner handled stuff like that. You got any leads, Fred?"

"Not a clue, my friend. Not a clue." He tapped the side of his mask and hummed aloud. "Oh, how troubling. It'll take us ages to find our targets. How can the Great Frediano enact his heroic duties if he doesn't know where the stage is?"

Armant sat down and drummed his fingers on the roof's edge. "The Ritual of the Scarlet Flame. If they intend to burn the greatest number of people, they'd likely set up a tight ring around the carnival. This general area would work to their advantage."

Frediano snapped his claws. "You may have a point, my friend. It would guarantee a vast number of deaths. Still, that's a lot of ground to cover. We still need a lead on their location."

"Hmm…" Armant leaned forward and peered down in the running waters of the canal. He narrowed his eyes as something floated by on the water's surface, glinting in the sunlight. "Hello, what's this?" He jumped down to ground level.

Frediano dragged his claws into the walls and slid down. "What did you find?"

Armant reached down and pulled a pauldron out from the water. It had slash marks etched on the top. Turning it around, red smears could be found on the inside. "Lightweight knight armor. Probably belongs to a bird Pokémon. The damage is recent."

"How'd it get all the way out here?"

Armant watched the flow of the canal before glaring in the opposite direction. "Good enough lead to start with." He tossed the pauldron aside, tucked his arms inside his costume, and followed along the canal with Frediano.

Iris checked off her list as her two goons unloaded the next barrel. After connecting the fuse, they shoved it into a space in the wall they dug out. Once loaded in, they stepped back, allowing Sawk to punch the ground and seal the space up with Rock Tomb.

"Phew." Sawk wiped his brow and turned to Iris. "How close are we to finishing?"

She checked her list again. "We're halfway through. We should be done by the time of the deadline." She hugged her list tightly and giggled feverishly. "Soon, I get to see those beautiful flames engulf the city~. Ringmaster Itzal is truly magnificent blessing me with the ritual preparations. Ooooh, I'm getting tingly just thinking about it~!" Her cheeks glowed red as she laughed.

Both goons, accustomed to their superior's fantasies, shrugged it off and made way for the wagon. "Well, we should be done by dinner at this rate," the Dragonite said. "Should we grab lunch, though?"

Iris groaned. "Ugh, right. Food." She pointed to the Sawk. "Giotto, you pick us up some lunch while Ponzio and I head to the next spot."

He saluted. "Sure thing, boss. Any preferences?"

Iris closed her eyes and hummed. "Hmm, not sure I want any carnival food. I could go for a sandwich, I guess."

"I recommend the Prospero Tavern. They make a fine selection of sandwiches."

Iris smiled. "Oh, really? What kind of—EH?!" She and her goons spun around and looked down the canal.

Approaching the trio was the bounty hunter duo themselves, Armant and Frediano. Armant waved to them and said, "Oh, they have a wonderful assortment of smoked meats with your choice of seasonings. I do recommend a drink, because they can have a strong aftertaste for the unprepared."

Iris stumbled back and fell onto the ground. "Y-Y-Y-You…! Who are you two?!"

Frediano stepped forward and flicked his cape. "A fine question, milady! I am the beauty that rivals the freshest snowfalls! The star who shines brightest in the night sky! The raging typhoon of drama and glamor! I am…The Great Frediano!" He dropped to his knees and posed. "Become dazzled!"

Dead silence echoed over the air. The circus trio stared at the two men in bewilderment while Armant was trying to hold back his laughter.

"…Who?" Giotto asked.

Frediano gasped and rose to his feet. "I just told you! I am the Great Frediano! My name is spoken and revered on par with Arceus himself! How dare you not recognize me?!"

Ponzio stepped back with his hands raised. "W-What do you want with us?"

Armant gently pushed Frediano back and stepped forward. "I'll just cut to the chase." He cracked his knuckles on all sets of hands and rolled his shoulders. "We got a little tip that Scarlet Flame ritualists were causing trouble. I don't suppose you three are familiar with them."

Iris clenched her teeth. "Uh…"

Armant glanced at the wagon loaded with barrels and glared. "Or perhaps you're closer to the ritualists."

Iris scrambled to her feet and pulled out her bone. "Y-You stay back! I may not look it, but I know how to fight!"

"That pretty much confirms it."

"Ugh…" What the hell is going on today? First those knights, now…this?! Who even are these guys?! Her eyes widened. Wait a minute…a Machamp and a Weavile? Together? Wasn't there a pair just like that that caused trouble last year here? Are these two those bounty hunters?!

Frediano looked around for a moment before glancing at the water. "Huh." He lifted his mask a bit and sniffed the air. "I smell the faint presence of blood. Freshly spilt blood."

Armant raised his brow. "And I bet we'll find specs of it further down the canal. Maybe even the source."

Iris and her goons took another step back. "W-Where the heck is Chihiro?" Giotto whispered through clenched teeth. "Why isn't he stepping in and saving our butts?"

"I don't know," Iris whispered back.

Armant glared at the trio. "Well, this doesn't look good for either of you. So, does this mean you're in league with the Lord of Shadows?"

Frediano wrapped his dark ice claws around his arm and presented them. "If so, would you kindly point us in the direction of his current whereabouts? If you comply, the Great Frediano will make sure the authorities go easy on you."

Iris, though wracked with fear in her chest, managed to put one foot forward and growl at them. "You won't take this away from me. My master gave me the highest honor performing this ritual, and I won't let you take that away from me. I'll kill anyone who stops me from seeing those beautiful, destruction, glorious, passionate flames~!"

Frediano tilted his head. "I can see the passion radiating off her eyes."

"You sure? All I see is crazy," Armant mumbled. He shook his head. "Look, don't make this harder than it needs to. No offense, but none of you look like you can put up a decent challenge for me, and I rather not needlessly break bones."

Giotto lowered his stance and raised his fists. "Don't underestimate us, bastard. Iris, we'll cover you! Warn the boss!"

Iris' eyes widened. "What? I can't just—"

Ponzio punched his fists together. "You want to see that ritual with your own eyes, right? If it'll make you happy, we'll gladly buy you some time and hold them off!"

"…" Iris took a deep breath as tears welled up in her eyes. "You guys…" She vigorously wiped the tears away and nodded. "R-Right! I'll warn the master! Good luck, both of you—"

"I'm sorry—" Her heart stopped as Armant, in the literal blink of an eye, was already looming over her ready to grab her. "—but I can't let you leave."

S-So fast…!

Ponzio barely got between them and stopped Armant in his tracks. The ground sunk under his feet, and a fierce pressure blew down the canal way. Frediano jumped back in surprise and saw two sunken footprints from where Armant was previously standing.

"Iris, run!" Ponzio yelled.

"AH, right!" Wasting not a second, she spun on her heels and made a mad dash down the canal. Got to warn Ringmaster Itzal and fast!

Ponzio pushed Armant back and staggered, shaking the aches out of his arms. "I didn't even see him move."

Giotto tensed his muscles. "Not even a sound."

Both men stared at Armant with increasing fear. They couldn't explain it, but it felt like the man was cloaked in a dark purple fire that made the earth shake from his sheer presence. It felt like he towered over the buildings surrounding them, staring down at them with the apathy of a god observing its creations.

"Who the hell…is this guy?!"

Frediano popped out from behind Armant and laughed. "Ah, terrified of the Great Frediano, I see!"

"NOT YOU!"

Meanwhile…

Chihiro considered stepping in. After all, that was part of his assignment to Itzal. He was to jump in when things looked tough and stop whatever knight or authority figure came snooping around at the wrong time and place. There wasn't anyone the assassin couldn't kill.

And yet, the Machamp caught his attention. From a surface level perspective, he seemed like a man who carried himself in a lazy, free-loving manner. He had the gaze of someone who enjoyed life and let his guard down just so he could soak in the wonderful sunny rays of the sunbathed sky.

In that moment of ignorance, Chihiro decided to let events play out and the trio to marinate in another healthy dose of panic.

It was that split second he blinked that Chihiro got invested. The Machamp moved with a speed that could rival the Fairy Knight or the Roar of the Wastes. Silently, swiftly, and yet explosively. It was speed generated by pure, raw strength. Not a dash of physical enhancement by a move or some other temporary augmentation. It was a speed no Machamp he ever seen could achieve.

What a curious fellow. Chihiro, sticking to his dark corner high up above the canal, crossed his arms and smirked. I'll let the fools hash it out for a bit before I decide to intervene. This is some quality entertainment right here.

Though fearing the towering Machamp, Ponzio made the first move. Spreading his wings out from under his coat, he took flight and charged toward Armant. "Dragon Dance! Twister!" He spun through the air, generating draconic winds around himself. He tackled into Armant, gripping around his waist, and carried him off the ground. "I'll take care of this one! You worry about that showstopping nutcase!"

Giotto saluted him. "Can do!" He turned his attention back onto Frediano. "You and me, buster."

"Aha! I accept your challenge, villain!" Frediano punched his fists together and generated dark ice over his arms. "Dark Frostbite Claws!" The malleable ice manifested and projected out from his claws. "Prepare to be blinded by my sheer beauty!" He dashed toward the Sawk.

Giotto slammed his fist down. "Stone Edge!" Rocks protruded out of the earth and charged toward Frediano.

"Away with you!" Frediano lunged and, with fluid motion, sliced through the offending spires. Frozen debris rained down around him like a sparkling rain. "This is a stage worthy of my performance!"

Giotto dodged his attacks, feeling the cold air nipping at his face. He jumped over to the other side of the canal and struck down. "Maximum Earth Prison!" The ground broke apart under him, and rocks extended out toward Frediano.

Frediano clasped his claws together and morphed them into a shield. It staved off the impact of the rocks, but they started forming around the barrier instead. He detached himself from his ice claws and jumped back before the rocks snapped down around him. He rebounded off a wall and soared above the rocks, reforming his claws.

"Flying Claws of Majesty!" He molded his claws into a cluster of ice and fired icicles like bullets.

"Close Combat!" Giotto flailed his arms precisely and struck through, shattering all the projectiles into powdered snow. A red aura built up around his body the more projectiles he struck down. "And…Mega Punch and Counter!" Once he broke through, he channeled the aura through his fist, transforming it into a blazing ball of dark red. He leapt across the canal and swung his fist down.

Frediano struck his claws down and propelled himself into the air, narrowly avoiding the attack. It split through the floor, erupting the ground underneath in a glorious explosion. The pressure slammed into Frediano and pushed him higher than intended into the air.

"You're not escaping me!" Giotto tracked Frediano's movements, his eyes shining red. "Laser Focus." His kinetic vision locked onto the flying Weavile's weak spots. He stomped the ground, ejected a Stone Edge out, and launched it with Mega Punch.

"You think that will stop me? I laugh at your ineptitude!" Frediano molded his claws into another shield.

The stone spire struck, but the force behind it proved too much and shattered straight through. Frediano barely moved his head out of the way, feeling the stone scraping along his cheek and mask. A thin line of blood opened up from his face.

Frediano gasped. "How dare you!" He adjusted his form and dove back toward the canal. "You could've ruined my suit!" His ice claws extended and grew in size, resembling gigantic wings from a descending Corviknight ready to snatch its prey.

Giotto dodged out of the way before Frediano struck down. The icy cold energy cascaded out and froze part of the sidewalk and canal water. He didn't stop, however, immediately bounding after the Sawk upon landing. Giotto tried to dodge again, but Frediano struck fast and slashed across the goon's side, blistering his skin with chilling cold.

"GAH!" Giotto stumbled back, gripping his frozen side.

Frediano spun to a stop and posed. "Are you satisfied with my performance?"

Meanwhile, Ponzio carried Armant high up into the air, betting on the Machamp being ineffective off the ground. He tightened his hold and yelled, "I won't allow you to tarnish Ms. Iris' dreams, bounty hunter!"

Armant, despite his predicament, smiled in bemusement. "Letting gravity do the work for you? Smart plan. However…"

With a swift chopping motion, he easily broke the Dragonite's hold around his waist. Ponzio's arms flung back against his will, and his eyes filled with horror as Armant raised his fingers toward his forehead.

"Nothing I haven't seen before."

With a simple flick, Armant sent the dragon careening out of the sky, sending him crashing down into an empty street. The impact uprooted nearby lampposts and shattered windows all over. Ponzio, sunken deep inside the earth, coughed up blood and fought to stay conscious.

W-What…?

Armant landed in front of the crater unharmed and cracked his neck. "Phew." He scratched the back of his head and groaned. "Ah damn, that's going to wrack up my debts even more. Let's see: streetlamps, windows, the actual street—"

Ponzio pried himself out of the ground, gasping for air. "Gah…ugh…y-you knocked the wind out of me."

Armant raised his brow. "Oh? You're still awake? You took that better than I thought." He glared, noticing the dragon's scales shimmering briefly. "Ah, Multiscale. That's why. Still, impressive. You put most defensive Pokémon to shame with that kind of resilience."

Ponzio growled. "Don't you dare patronize me, bounty hunter!"

"I was actually praising—"

The dragon took flight again, this time lighting up his fist in flames and wrapping Twister around it. The combination of moves caused the flames to grow wildly out of the control, turning the flames of a chaotic purple. "Dragon Flame Fist!"

Armant smirked and puffed out his chest, taking the attack. Ponzio came to a dead stop, as did his attack. The flames did nothing more than burn through Armant's costume, exposing his clothes underneath. Flames spewed out all over the street, yet the force of the attack couldn't lift the Machamp from his position.

Ponzio's eyes widened. "H-How?!"

Armant grinned. "Sorry about this." He reared his hand back, stretching and cracking his knuckles simultaneously, and delivered a hard palm strike into the dragon's face. "Earthquake: Strike!"

Ponzio's vision rattled from the heavy blow. It sent him flying down the street, skidding off the ground and ripping through his coat and scales. He managed to regain enough clarity to stretch his wings and catch himself on the air. His moment of reprieve didn't last, immediately receiving an agonizing blow from Armant's pinkie finger to the stomach.

"GAAAAAH!" Ponzio cried out, collapsing onto his knees and spitting up blood.

Armant grabbed his head with one hand and lifted him to eye level. "Please stop fighting. I don't want to send you to jail with broken bones." He scratched his chin. "Then again, you're working for a guy who sets people on fire for fun. Maybe I could break one arm—"

Ponzio snapped to his senses and reared both fists back. "Dragon Ice Fist! Dragon Thunder Fist!" Twisters formed around his arms, one alight in cold energy and the other in lightning. Whirlwinds of purple frost and lightning exploded around his arms, and he drove the attacks into Armant's chest.

The combined wind pressure was enough to lift Armant off his feet and blast him away. Armant calmly dug his heels down and dragged himself to a halt. Ice coated his bare chest while sparks danced off his skin. He casually brushed the ice off and shrugged off the sparks making his muscles twitch.

"Alright, you got some moves. Want to show me anything else?" he asked.

Ponzio snarled. "Stop mocking me."

"Again, it's more praise than mock—"

Ponzio stretched his wings out and channeled a draconic energy around himself. His irises turned red, and the elements of fire, ice, and electricity channeled through both his fists at once. They turned a harsher purple, raging like a perfect storm. The combined energy pressure surged through his body and caused the air around him to quiver.

"Perfect Elemental Dragon."

Armant stared in silence for a moment, then grinned. "Ooookay. You have my attention." He stretched and cracked the bones in all his four hands and lowered into a proper attack stance. "Give it everything you got. No holding back!"

Frediano flipped off the walls and over the canal, firing an endless stream of icicles. Giotto charged through, breaking down all the ice and charging up his Counter. He found an opening and dove out of the ice attacks. He ran up the wall, channeling his counter punch. Once he reached the same height as Frediano, he lunged over the canal and swung.

Frediano broke his claws apart and extended them into the wall behind him. He flung himself down, dodging under Giotto's punch, and slingshot back into the air. He kicked the Sawk in the stomach, dispelling his Counter Punch, and continued to kick him up into the air.

"Behold, the Great Frediano's Upside-Down Tapdancing Routine! Be amazed!"

Giotto gasped and grunted through the pain before blocking with his arms. "Oh, I'll show you something amazing!" He caught Frediano's ankle and reactivated his Counter Punch. "Let's see how well you can handle this, you miserable Weavile!"

Frediano pulled one set of claws back and molded the ice into a drill shape. He overlapped it with Whirlpool before spinning it. "Majestic Drill!"

Giotto and Frediano's attacks clashed, ripping out over the sky. The raw kinetic force of Giotto's punch matched that of the sparkling beacon of ice from Frediano's drill. The Whirlpool sapped away the energy spilling from Giotto's punch and added it to his own, turning the water red.

"And now…Majestic Drill—" Frediano wrapped his legs around Giotto's waist and spun him around, aiming him toward the canal. He pressed the ice drill into his chest. "Deluxe Chandelier!" He fired the drill off his arm and blasted the Sawk into the water.

The ice drill impacted and exploded into a massive, clustered tower of ice in an instant. It resembled a frozen tree with snow falling around it. The ice formed to the bottom of the canal, pinning Giotto down by his chest as he struggled to hold his breath.

Frediano landed on one of the ice tower's branches and bowed. "The Great Frediano is an entertainer first and foremost! To become famous, one must turn their techniques into an art! Remember that, you third-rate villain!"

Giotto struggled under the water. He tried punching through the ice, but he couldn't work up enough of a swing to make a dent. Growling, he pressed his hands to the canal floor and summoned up Stone Edge. The rocks converged on all sides of the ice tower and broke through the base.

Frediano gasped as his glorious creation trembled under his feet. It tilted to the right, forcing him to flee as it crashed down and shattered against the building walls. He rolled and tumbled hitting the sidewalk and sprang to his feet. "Well, someone has no appreciation for my art—"

Freed from the ice, Giotto leapt out onto dry land and struck his fists down. Rocks protruded out and punched Frediano up against the wall. He tried to form his Dark Frostbite Claws, but Giotto punched the rock spire and commanded it to close around his arms.

"No more of that," he grumbled.

Frediano kicked his legs and yelled, "Is this how you treat the Great Frediano?! I expect nothing beyond the highest honor!"

Giotto walked along the rock spire, channeling Mega Punch through both fists. "Consider this a public execution. You'll definitely be remembered for that."

Frediano shook his head. "No, no, no! It's all wrong! My death should be spectacular and original! You call yourself an artist? I demand a more appropriate—"

Giotto stomped his foot against his mask and pressed his head into the wall. "Will you ever shut up?!"

"You, sir, have no flair for improv! I am aghast!"

Giotto snarled and raised his fists. "I'm going to enjoy this."

Frediano groaned exaggeratedly. "This is why I specialize in one-man plays. You can't trust anyone to follow their lines. Very well, I will pick up the slack for both of us."

Before Giotto could dish out the brutal beating, the showboating actor applied Quick Attack through his legs and rapidly kicked into the underside of the spire. He struck precisely into one spot until the rock split open under Giotto's weight. The Sawk collapsed and faceplanted into the sidewalk.

With the rock no longer pinned to his chest and arms, Frediano flipped over the downed goon and reapplied his Dark Frostbite Claws. Giotto tried to hit him with Stone Edge, but Frediano dashed in and tackled Giotto before he could activate it. He drove his claws into his arms and detached them, shackling the goon in place.

"The Great Frediano is prepared for all scenarios. You cannot compare to the likes of me! Ahahahahaha!"

"Hehehehehe. I think I've seen enough." Frediano tilted his head in confusion before turning his eyes up. He noticed someone crawling down from the shadows above. "You're an amusing fellow, bounty hunter. I think I'll enjoy playing with you and your friend when he returns."

"…Eh?"

Giotto growled. "Dammit, Chihiro! What took you so long?!"

The assassin dropped down and sharpened his bladed arms together. "I was enjoying the show, obviously." In a few quick swings, he cut Giotto off the wall. "Now then, as for you…"

Frediano raised his ice claws at him. "Ah, another actor has joined us on stage. Come to steal my light?"

Chihiro touched his lips and snickered. "I come for a different sort of entertainment. Tell me, what color is your blood?"

Meanwhile…

Out of my way, out of my way!

Iris barely paid mind to anyone she shoved past, her mind focused exclusively on getting back to the circus. Her mind wandered back to the condition of Giotto and Ponzio, wondering how they were faring against the bounty hunters. Whatever confidence she had in their skills were dashed instantly the second the monstrous Machamp caused her life to flash before her eyes. She feared he was already tailing her, biding his time to catch her at the last second.

"AAAAHHHH!" Scaring herself, she tripled her pace and bulldozed through the crowd, knocking taller Pokémon over. "I CAN'T DIE YET!"

She managed to get through most of the crowd, but nearly fell backwards upon hitting someone from behind. She barely muttered an apology before pushing to the front and barreling toward the ringmaster's trailer.

Unbeknownst to Iris, she happened to run into a certain barmaid who flashed the fleeing Alolan Marowak a suspicious glare.

Ringmaster's Trailer

In preparation for the Ritual of the Scarlet Flame, Itzal reached into a secret compartment in the trailer's floor, pulling out a withered book beaten down by the passage of time. The pages were discolored and worn down at the edges. An ashy aroma hovered off the cover with hints of flame having grazed the spine many, many years ago. The front of the cover had a faded emblem made of metal and rusted from time. It portrayed a flame alight on a scepter.

"You were the one that brought me salvation in those dreadful years," Itzal whispered, stroking the book's spine. "A purposeless existence in those forgotten ruins, protecting a lost history no one cared about. My foolish mother, what did you see in that worthless history? Why care for any of that when we can live in the moment?"

Itzal carried the book over to his desk, lay it down, and opened it halfway. He skimmed through pages before landing on a drawing inside. It depicted Pokémon dancing around a majestic fire of scarlet with sacrifices in the center.

"This book was more of guide to me than you ever were, Mother. It taught me the value of happiness and appreciating the moment. We are not bound by ancient secrets and laws. We are all free creatures who deserve to be happy. But…But this world continues to disregard happiness. All I wanted was to enjoy life. Do away with kingdoms and laws and authority. Embrace the passion of the scarlet flames and live for your ideal!"

His shadow stretched along the walls, grabbed his scepter, and brought it over to him. Itzal grasped and raised it high, lighting up the room in the ominous red glow. The flames roared on the inside of the glass sphere. Heat radiated around the outside, slowly catching the air on fire.

Itzal leaned his body back and grinned at the ceiling. "Cast aside your shackles and let yourself be liberated by the flames! That is our one and only purpose in this world! Abandon society and embrace your ideal futures with love and glory—"

His trailer door flew open. "Ringmaster!"

"GAH!" Itzal extinguished the flames and slammed the ritual book shut. He growled at Iris as she slammed the door behind her. "Iris! Knock before you enter! You're ruining my moment!"

She gulped. "A thousand pardons, my glorious master, but we have a situation on our hands!"

Itzal frowned. "Are the knights catching on to my plans?"

"Not yet, but it may be worse. Two bounty hunters who are looking for you found us while we were setting up the barrels."

His eyes widened. "What?"

"I don't know how they knew, but someone apparently tipped them off that we've been setting up explosives around the city. I-I don't know if they recognized me from the circus or not, but we've been compromised!"

He glared. "How is that possible? Who tipped them…?" His eyes widened. "You said bounty hunters. As in…someone tipped off bounty hunters. Just bounty hunters?"

She frowned. "Uh, sir?"

"…" Itzal facepalmed and growled. "That conniving little Salandit tricked me. I shouldn't have made him promise in his own words."

"S-Salandit? You mean that Basil guy you've been ranting about?"

Itzal clenched his fists, shaking with anger, but kept himself under control to take a deep breath. After breathing in and out a couple times, letting the stress leave his system, he calmly turned to the Alolan Marowak. "Iris. Be a dear and gather the others for me. We're having an emergency meeting. Now."

"Uh, yes! Right, sir!" She stumbled back on her heels and ran out the door.

Itzal tucked his scepter behind his back and turned toward the ritual book. "Alright, Basil. That's how you want to treat your old ringmaster?"

His shadow reached out and flipped the book open, turning to a page with a cult leader and his subjects catching fire. He stared into the flame eternally burning inside his scepter and waved his hand over it.

"You may have weaseled out of your punishment, but you've only incited the depths of my wrath."

Ponzio took off into the air with a deafening roar. He looped twice and dove toward Armant, his body crackling with the empowered elements.

Armant crossed his lower arms and grinned. "Alright, good. Good." Cracking his knuckles, he raised his upper arms and waited for the attack to reach.

Once Ponzio got in range, Armant caught his fists and stood his ground. To his relief, the attack had quite a lot of power behind it. He felt the kinetic energy surge down his body, to his feet, and through the earth which split open under the pressure. It was a hefty sum of power being unleashed in the dragon's berserker state.

"You've got talent and power. You lack technique, though." Tightening his grip, Armant spun the dragon around and threw him down the street.

Ponzio skidded and bounced off a couple times, but caught the air under his wings and stopped. Snarling, the Dragonite roared and rocketed back toward Armant. He threw a punch, but Armant effortlessly caught it with only his clothes feeling the oncoming pressure.

"If you're going to punch me like that, don't just stretch your arm out and expect me to run into it. Use your whole body when you throw a punch." He reared both his right arms back. "Like this."

He applied a modest amount of his strength into the twin punches. Ponzio, in his berserker state of mind, didn't believe so as it felt like someone fired two cannonballs into his chest. Worst of all, because Armant still had a tight grip on his arm, the full force of the impact drove into his body. It nearly knocked him out of his technique.

"Just like that, see?" Armant let go and pushed the staggering dragon back. "Alright, now try again."

Ponzio shook out of his daze and growled. He reactivated his multi-elemental fists and charged at Armant again. The Machamp allowed him to strike in the chest unguarded and was woefully disappointed by the lack of change in power.

He sighed. "I knew I was getting my hopes up over nothing."

Ponzio tried to throw another punch, but Armant just grabbed his head and smashed it into the pavement. The Dragonite twitched briefly before passing out.

"Sorry about that, mate." Armant turned him onto his face and brushed the dust off his face. He licked his thumb and wiped some blood off the dragon's maw, too. "There you go. Now then…"

He shot up in alarm to the sound of screaming from a few streets away. He turned in the direction of the sound and realized it was coming from the canal Frediano and he were investigating.

"Fred?" The Machamp growled and crouched down. "Hang on, little buddy!" He leapt high over the buildings toward the source of the commotion.

However, unbeknownst to Armant, Ponzio wasn't quite as unconscious as he assumed as the dragon suddenly clenched his fist and bared his teeth with a low growl.

With barely a moment to breathe, Frediano was hopping between buildings and jumping over the canal to avoid Chihiro's attacks. The Leavanny moved swift like the wind, tracking the speedy Weavile down and slicing all that stood before him. In his narrow escapes, Frediano watched as the assassin slashed through stone like clay without any attacking moves. His arms moved gracefully as well, flying around him like dozens of swords.

"Don't run from me~!" Chihiro called out. He fired String Shot and flung himself after Frediano.

"The Great Frediano doesn't sign autographs with his blood! I have my limits for requests!" He formed his Dark Frostbite Claws, extended them into the water below, and pulled himself out of the air. He barely avoided Chihiro's slash with his cape getting nicked.

Chihiro landed on the wall and watched Frediano dive into the water. "Well, he's lasting longer than the knights, at least." He backflipped off the wall and spun over the canal. "Let me shower you with the grace of death!" He fired off Razor Leaf into the water.

Frediano expected the attack to lose power hitting the water's surface, but the leaves penetrated and moved with the same speed and power. He frantically swam and dodged out of the way. He used his ice claws to launch himself back out of the water, only to feel something catching his wrists: two threads of web.

Chihiro, with the threads clench between his teeth, coiled them around his arms. "Dance, my little puppet. Dance~!" He landed on the wall and pulled.

Frediano flew up by his wrists, then crashed back into the canal sidewalk. More threads attached to his ankles, and he was lifted up again. He flailed about in the air before swinging into the wall.

Repeatedly.

Chihiro laughed as if he was performing tricks with a ball and string, bashing Frediano again and again into the wall with increasingly creative maneuvers.

First, a ballet routine that ended with a faceplant.

Coiling and unwinding him off the wall.

Forcing him to walk and slip on an imaginary banana peel before sliding back into the wall.

And pretending he was caught in a vicious windstorm and flying into the wall.

Chihiro laughed through his teeth. "Come now, clown! This is the basics of entertainment. What was the motto you types go by? Tragedy begets comedy?"

Frediano stumbled back after his twelfth impact into the wall. "The G-Great Fred…Fredia-ano is not some c-common showman, you—" The threads pulled and threw him against the wall again.

Chihiro snickered. "Sorry, didn't hear that last part." He pulled the threads and dangled Frediano off the ground. He looked down at Giotto and said, "My friend, would you be interested in testing out this pinata? It may have some treats inside."

The Sawk grinned and cracked his knuckles as he approached the dizzy Weavile. "Payback time, you lout."

"L-Lout? How dare you!" Frediano exclaimed. "I am many things, but the Great Frediano is not—BAH!" Giotto socked him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of his lungs. "Paaaaaaaaa…in."

Chihiro sat on the roof's edge and laughed, kicking his feet up. "I haven't enjoyed an assassination in a long time. You have my thanks, strange little clown." He turned himself around and hung upside-down off the edge, grinning at his dangling prey. "Now then, care to explain how you came across our little operation? Who tipped you off?"

"The Great…Frediano does not trade secrets with villains. Ugh, my stomach…"

Chihiro sighed. "Oh, what a shame. Giotto, mind giving him another—"

"Would you kindly—" Chihiro's eyes widened, feeling a towering mountain of malice descending on him. "—let go of my little buddy?"

Chihiro immediately escaped the roof, narrowly avoiding a crushing palm strike. The force carried down to the sidewalk and ripped through the stone under Giotto's feet, knocking him back into the canal water. Chihiro landed on the other side of the canal and gazed up.

Armant jumped down to Frediano and helped him up. "You alright, little buddy?"

Frediano panted lightly as he adjusted his mask. "You are a most timely stagehand, my friend."

Chihiro glared. My, my. When was the last time that happened? Not since facing the head of the Takigawa Clan has anyone instilled fear into me.

Giotto pulled himself out of the water and gasped for air. "W-What the?!"

Armant stood up and cracked his knuckles. "Who's this fellow?"

Frediano massaged his throat and coughed. "Don't know. He just showed up and started swinging at me. It was very rude."

Chihiro grinned. Well, it matters not. The Fujimori Clan specializes in taking down brutes of any kind. He may look tough, but we are the greatest assassins for a reason. "Giotto, be a dear and distract the Weavile."

Giotto pulled himself out of the water and huffed. "Whatever. Stone Edge!" He punched the ground and summoned sharp rocks across the canal.

Frediano jumped over them while Armant stood and took them. The stones shattered against his body and turned to dust. He saw the shadow of Chihiro flipping through the air just before hundreds of Razor Leaves struck down. The sharpened leaves bounced and fluttered off his skin without so much as a nick.

Chihiro stuck to the wall above and hummed in intrigue. He's not even dodging. What a cocky attitude~.

"Not this again!" Frediano turned and ran as Giotto chased him down with Mega Punch. "You had your time on the stage, fiend! What more do you wish from me?!"

"Stop talking and fight!" Giotto lunged forward and struck the sidewalk. Combined with Mega Punch, he activated Stone Edge and sent rock spires splitting out ahead.

Frediano formed his ice claws into a large spearhead and drove in through the middle. It smashed a path through the rocks. However, even as they attempted to close in around him, he expanded his ice claws and ripped through the foundation, destroying most of the rock in one move.

"Aha!" Frediano broke into a short tap dance routine and posed. "The Great Frediano has no equal, fiend! You will do well to—"

"RAAAAAAAH!"

"Who dares interrupt my declaration of—GREAT GALLOPING CURTAINS!" Frediano ducked as an enraged Ponzio came soaring out of the sky and nearly crashed into him.

The dragon's sights were locked onto Armant with his fists enveloped in the draconically-charged elements. "Take…THIS!"

"Eh?" Armant turned around just as the Dragonite came into range.

With all his might, Ponzio cracked his fist across Armant's face. The elements exploded off on impact, roaring with the same intensity as their caster. In his enraged mind, Ponzio knew this attack would destroy anything that got in his way. It was designed to wither and eradicate by the sheer force of the mixed elements combined with the berserker strength of his Outrage. It was an attack that—

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

An attack that completely failed the moment it landed.

Not only did Armant withstand the attack, but it also didn't even budge him. Most of the kinetic force transferred into the sidewalk instead, breaking it under his feet. For Ponzio, however, his entire right arm folded in on itself with bones audibly cracking.

Ponzio snapped out of his enraged state and collapsed onto the ground, gripping his shattered arm and wailing in pain. The sight left Giotto and Frediano disgusted and in awe.

Armant, however, frowned at the wailing dragon and knelt beside him. "Oh, I am…so sorry. If I knew you were going to do that, I would've loosened up more." He slapped himself in the face and groaned. "Great, another medical bill to pay."

Chihiro glared at the Machamp's back in utter bafflement. What in the world? He didn't even flinch. No, not just that. He reacted in the same way someone does when they're being pelted with cotton balls.

Armant stood up and glared at Chihiro. "Look, I don't who you are, but just tell us where the Lord of Shadows is. I don't want to needlessly hurt anyone."

Chihiro stared at him for a moment before smirking. "What a noble soul, you are." He bit the tips of his arms and pulled back thin strings of thread. "You don't want to hurt anyone? What a beautiful fantasy you live in." He swiped his arms and fired something out.

Armant dodged it, but realized too late it wasn't intended for him. He saw the nearly invisible threads shimmering in the light and connecting to both Ponzio and Giotto.

Giotto, too, noticed this. "W-Wait, why am I—"

Chihiro leapt up high on the walls and raised his arms. "Don't hold this against me. You are just expendable extras, after all."

Giotto and Ponzio were lifted off the ground by the threads embedded into their skin. With a wave of his arms, Chihiro commanded their bodies to lunge at Armant and Frediano.

"W-Whoa!" Giotto spun through the air and kicked at Armant's neck. He bounced off the titan's body and hissed at the pain flaring through his shin. "AGH!"

"AAAH!" Ponzio's broken arm swung against his will, nearly striking down on Frediano who dodged at the last second. The dragon hissed with tears running down his face. "I-It hurts!"

Chihiro bellowed with laughter. "Oh, don't be such a crybaby! We're having the time of our lives here!"

Armant growled. "You despicable cretin!" He leapt up at the assassin. "Release them at once—"

Chihiro tugged on his threads and pulled Giotto in between them. "Fight back, or I'll kill you."

Giotto, with sweat sliding down his face, crossed his arms and intercepted Armant's palm strike. Armant managed to hold back his strength so he didn't break the Sawk's arms. A red aura channeled around Giotto and into his fists.

"C-Counter Punch!" He lit both fists and unleashed a barrage of punches.

Armant crossed all his arms and intercepted the consecutive blows. They delivered enough force to knock him out of the air and into the sidewalk. Giotto's body careened down on the fallen Machamp, releasing the last of the countered energy down on him. The sidewalk blew apart and sent water splashing up into the air.

Chihiro cackled. "I was never cut out to be an actual assassin, you know. Stealth? Silent killing? Quick and efficient? What fun is that? Everyone's heard a standard assassination, but no one's going to forget the time a lunatic killed his victims by turning them into his puppets!" He tugged on the threads around his other arm. "Isn't that right, Ponzio?"

"P-Please stop!" the Dragonite begged as his arms swung recklessly at Frediano, who did his best to dodge and avoid fighting.

"I enjoy a good puppet show as much as the next fellow, but I am entertainer," Frediano said. "An entertainer doesn't make his audience or stagehands suffer for art! It is an experience all are supposed to take pride in—WHOA!" He dodged another hefty, bone-crunching punch from Ponzio.

Chihiro cackled even louder. "Suffering for art? I'm doing this because it makes me laugh!"

Armant dug himself out of the ground and grabbed Giotto by the head. "You're sick."

"I know!" Chihiro spun the threads and forced Giotto to grip his own neck.

"GAK!" The Sawk gasped as his thumbs pressed down on his windpipe.

"NO!" Armant pushed Giotto to the ground and seized a handful of threads in his hand.

"No, no, no~!" Chihiro called down, waving his arms in a scolding manner. "I'd be gentle with how you attempt to remove those, tough guy."

Armant frowned before kneeling over Giotto and ripping the shoulder of his shirt away. He spotted a tiny sore where the thread was connected, and he found a green barb of sorts wedged deep down.

Chihiro nibbled on the tips of his arms and snickered. "A little something I created through years of training. If you attempt to rip those barbs out by force, there's a chance it'll tear the muscles apart. His entire shoulder blade will be minced."

Armant growled. "You…"

"It makes the game all the more entertaining." Chihiro raised his arms.

Armant stepped off of Giotto before he was lifted off the ground. He and Ponzio rose high up before diving back down to their respected targets. While Armant aimed to block Giotto's attacks, Frediano returned to fleeing for his life.

"This isn't funny at all!" Frediano yelled. "This is way off script!"

"M-Make it stop!" Ponzio sobbed, recklessly swinging at the fleeing Weavile.

Chihiro grinned manically. "How about I turn the wannabe actor into a puppet, too? Won't that be grand? Ponzio, immolbilze him!"

Ponzio's wings stretched and propelled him with a great burst of speed. Frediano tried to dodge, but slipped on some water by the edge. Ponzio grappled him in his arms and took him to the floor. In the collision, Frediano's mask bounced off his face and clattered over the sidewalk.

"Fred!" Armant tried to run to him, but Giotto got in the way again, fruitlessly pummeling the Machamp's face. "Ugh! FRED!"

Chihiro skipped across the roof until he was directly above Ponzio and the downed Weavile. "Hehehehe! Now, show me the depths of your despair, you little clown! I want to smear your blood over these walls and sip it from the finest wine glass!" He bit his arm, pulled, and fired invisible threads with long, green barbs. "Come to me, my little puppet!"

"…Despair? You don't know the meaning of the word."

Chihiro's eyes widened as dark water suddenly surged out from under Ponzio and pushed him off. The deployed threads got caught in the waves and dispelled.

Frediano picked himself off the ground, his crest of feathers damp and matted against the back of his head. His arms were wrapped in vortexes of darkened water taking on the shape of claws. He looked up at the perched assassin with a gloomy, yet irritated scowl.

"Dark Typhoon Claws."

Armant raised his brow. "Fred?"

Chihiro glared in confusion. What the hell? His demeanor changed all of a sudden.

Frediano knelt and crossed his water claws together. "A worthless soul like me must know despair to understand how to make others laugh. I don't compare to Armant, but I suppose I should at least try. Quick Attack…or whatever." Frediano sped toward the wall and ran up its surface.

Chihiro bit his threads. "Ponzio, defend me!" He tugged the string, but found they've been snapped—no, not snapped. Weathered. Dissolved. The water surrounding Frediano eroded the threads' integrity.

Frediano reached Chihiro's level and struck. Chihiro blocked against his attack, feeling the spinning force of his claws adding to its power. Frediano pushed more water to the front of his claws and blasted him away.

Chihiro clawed into the roof to stop himself. "Alright then…" He scraped his arms together. Pale green energy infused and extended them into blades. "Have it your way!"

Frediano sped forward and extended his claws out, striking down on the assassin. Chihiro jumped over the raging waters, landed behind him, and slashed. Frediano barely turned to block the attack.

"Why are you wasting your time with a worthless stain like me?" Frediano groaned. Dark blue water channeled through his right water claw. "Insipid Chill." He morphed his claws into one giant drill and hammered into Chihiro.

"AGH!" He kicked off the roof and put some distance between them. His whole body let out an exaggerated shiver. C-Cold.

Frediano grunted. "Ugh. So useless." He punched the ground and spread the vortex across the roof. "Insipid Knives."

Icicle Spears spawned out of the water and, with the force of the vortex, fired out at great speed. Chihiro stepped back lightly and sliced through the icicles. Their numbers grew in size, firing at an increased rate. He swung his arms faster as more and more fired all around him, even below his feet as the vortex passed under him.

"Just fall already," Frediano grumbled. "You're making me look even more pathetic than usual."

Chihiro smirked. "You're more interesting than I gave you credit for, little actor." He puffed out his cheeks and fired a thick glob of webbing connected to a thick line, catching Frediano's leg.

"Huh—" Chihiro lifted him off the ground, dispelling the vortex field, and slammed him back into the ground. "Ugh…"

Chihiro cut the line loose and rushed at the fallen Weavile. "I'll just butcher you nice and quickly! Take THIS!" He crossed his arms together and slashed.

His blades didn't reach their target. Instead, they were intercepted by Armant who landed in front of the attack and took it for his fallen friend. Much to Chihiro's growing displeasure, Armant's bare stomach received no damage from the assassin's sharpened blades.

Even a direct attack couldn't—

"I've had enough of you." Armant grabbed both of Chihiro's arms and hoisted him off the ground. He reared his lower hand back, fingers stretched wide apart. "Remember how I said I didn't want to break any bones today? Congrats. You've exceeded my patience."

Armant's hand whipped across the air and delivered a firm, thunderous slap to Chihiro's chest. It felt like a small earthquake went off inside his body, centering on his sternum. Blood shot out of his mouth and nostrils, and he felt a few ribs breaking like thin twigs. His head felt like someone was playing the drums directly onto his open skull.

This…from a simple, openhanded strike…?

Chihiro dangled in Armant's grasp, panting through incredible pain. Armant cracked his knuckles before rearing his hand back again. "How about another?"

The assassin clenched his teeth. I don't fear death, but I have no business with the reaper yet!

"Sticky Web!" Summoning up his strength, he spat webbing into Armant's face. With his captor blinded, he turned himself upside-down, pressed his feet against Armant's arms, and forced himself out of the iron grip. His arms felt like they were being stretched to the point of being torn off, but he managed to get loose at the cost of dislocating his right arm. "Agh!"

Feeling the assassin get loose, Armant quickly pried the webs off his eyes. By the time he removed them, Chihiro had already disappeared. "Dang it…" He wiped the webbing against his vest.

Frediano picked himself up and looked around irritably. "Oh. I'm still alive? Cool, I guess. What happened?"

"He got away."

"Oh." Frediano fell back onto his side and curled up into a ball. "I really am a failure…"

Armant sighed and helped him to his feet. "Come on, Fred. Let's check out this bomb of theirs."

Chihiro scurried along the rooftops, biting back against the pain wracked through his body. He hurried as far as he could manage before rappelling into an alleyway on some web. Once he landed, he sat down and rested against the wall to catch his breath.

"That…was unexpected," he said between breaths. He cleared his throat of little pools of blood swishing around as he worked on fixing his dislocated arm. "Abasolo's not going to like this. What a shame. I was almost looking forward to seeing the flames myself. Oh well, can't be helped."

He closed his eyes and let his mind wander back to the troublesome duo who unearthed the circus' nefarious deeds. The Weavile, despite that sudden turn in behavior, wasn't much of a threat to the assassin. He dealt with many loud, obnoxious personalities in the past. This one just had the common sense to learn basic defense. Still, he had to admit the mood shift caught him by surprise.

It was the Machamp that troubled him the most. Not a single attack forged from years of mental fortitude and tortuous training could break through the man's skin. Chihiro spent countless moons perfecting his techniques. He slayed the strongest Steel-Types and handcrafted metals to perfect the sharpness of his arms. There wasn't anything he couldn't kill.

Yet that Machamp barely put up a fight. The raw strength of an Outrage-empowered Dragonite couldn't even budge him, instead shattering his own fist against the man's face. That level of strength and fortitude was…impossible. Such strength was spoken of in legends.

It reminded him of a western folktale his father told him during his youth. The countless legends whispered among the common people spoke of a man who was born with the power to destroy the world. Someone whose power was unrivaled, surpassing that of all physical limits. There wasn't a creature born in the modern world that could acquire such feats of strength.

Chihiro thought of it as superstition conjured by the inferior minds of the west, yet he was aware of The Ghost and his infamous status as a legend. If one folktale was true, why wouldn't this one be?

"Is it possible? Is that man the one they call the God of Destruction?"

After restraining Giotto and Ponzio in their own fuse wiring, Armant ripped out the rock covering the barrel. He pulled the lid off and reached his hand inside. It was packed tight with a goopy blue clay that dripped off his hand like syrup, minus the stickiness. He knelt over and gave it a sniff check.

"Doesn't smell like gunpowder or anything I'm familiar with. This is definitely alchemy at play." He pulled on the long fuse connected to the barrel, but frowned when he found it frayed at the end. "Looks like all the fighting snapped the fuse, too. We'll need to track down the remaining barrels. Fred, did you find anything in the wagon?"

The Weavile lazily hung on the wagon's edge as he pushed through the barrels. "Nothing…" He slid off and collapsed onto the sidewalk. "I'm sorry for being so worthless."

Armant stood up. "You're freaking me out, you know that? Where's your mask?"

Frediano groaned. "Who knows? Probably lost forever, just like my self-esteem. Just let me lay here and waste away."

"Can't do that, pal." He scratched behind head as he approached the wagon. "Who knows how many of these they planted in one morning? It'll take us forever to find them. We may have to report this to the knights."

Frediano sat up and frowned. "But won't they just throw us in prison if they recognize us?"

"Eh, a small price to pay. Can't exactly let the capital get torched."

"I couldn't agree more, my fine bounty hunting compatriots!" The duo jumped with a start as a Salandit stepped out from behind the wagon, twirling Frediano's lost mask by the eyehole. "This is one little mystery that requires a bigger operation."

Armant glared. "And…you are?"

"The messenger of your anonymous tip." He tossed Frediano his mask back. "I've been keeping a close eye on everything these past few days, and I happened to recognize you two as the bounty hunters who were here last year."

Frediano grimaced. "You're the reason we wound up in this mess?"

"You say that like you weren't looking for trouble."

The moody actor groaned. "I suppose you're right…" He placed the mask back on, then burst out with uproarious laughter. "You got me there, my mysterious friend! How about you shed some light on the both of us and explain why you secretly hired us to do your dirty work?"

Armant crossed his arms with a huff. "I'd like to know that as well."

Basil leaned against the wagon and grinned. "What if I told you there was another group of troublemakers in the city whose current goals aligned with yours?"