Year 864
"Is that him?"
"It has to be."
"Oh Arceus, is he looking at us?"
"Don't make eye contact."
It seemed baffling for such a small village to look upon a child in horror as they wandered the streets under the noon sun, yet the fear was palpable to even the most unobservant of bystanders. The villagers backed away, making as much distance as they could from the terror.
Yet, to the uninformed, the child was nothing more than a twelve-year-old Machop wearing a ragged brown tunic and ripped black trousers. Hands tucked inside his pockets, he kept his head down and tried to ignore the murmurs and rumors hovering above his head. He really, really tried to block out their comments.
Yet their fears were loud and clear.
"I still can't believe—"
"At such a young age, too."
"I was there when the authorities came to investigate the property. It was…oh Arceus, it was horrible."
The Machop kept a stoic face while hiding his clenched teeth. Their words pierced through whatever mental defenses he built up, but he persisted in his stone-cold silence. He focused his attention on his destination: a stall selling fresh fruit. The chatter and murmurs did little to distract him from the thundering in his stomach.
A Klawf manning the stand had his back turned to the counter as he polished an apple. The young Machop made his way up to the stall, though couldn't quite find his voice. He hesitated to speak up, considering to just leave and find food in the trash, but he needed something to satiate his hunger soon.
With a nervous quiver, he parted his lips and uttered a quiet, "H-Hello?"
"Hmm?" The Klawf set the apple down and turned around. "Yes, how may I—GOOD LORD!" He leapt from the ground and clung to the back of his stall, shaking in his rocky shell. "Y-Y-Y-You?!"
The young Machop narrowed his eyes, trying to hide his sadness. He pulled his hand from his pocket and dropped some loose coins onto the counter. "I…wanted to buy some apples."
The Klawf gulped. "I-I'm sorry, but w-we're all out of a-a-apples."
"…" He glanced warily at the fresh barrel of ruby red treats sitting in the corner, then back at the rock crab.
"…" Klawf sighed. "L-Listen, I-I don't want any trouble."
"I just want food," he muttered, his voice straining. "Please. I'm hungry."
"I-I'm sorry, but y-you…I-I just—"
He clenched his fist. The tears brimmed around his eyes. "I…didn't do anything."
"P-Please, I'm sure there's somewhere else you can find food—"
"I d-didn't do anything," the child insisted. "I didn't m-mean to. I…I was just scared. I didn't know I could—"
Sensing the child's trembling, Klawf jumped down from the walls and quickly pushed the barrel out into the open. "Alright, alright! You can have all the apples! Just don't hurt me!"
He staggered away in shock. "I-I just wanted five—"
"Take them all! Please! Please, just don't kill me!"
The rock crab's words stung. How can anyone even believe a child could rile up such fear and paranoia? Why couldn't they just see he was just as scared and confused as they were?
"I…I never meant to—"
"Please, just leave me alone!" Klawf insisted, pushing the barrel closer to the child. "I don't want to die!"
With tears flowing down his face, the child pushed back on the barrel. "I'm not a monster, I swear! Please, I just want a few apples, that's all!"
"Just take the whole thing, please! I'm begging you!"
"I don't want—"
"Please, just GO!"
He clenched his teeth, his temper rising. Without thinking, he curled his fists. "I. Said. I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!"
He slammed his knuckles across the barrel, causing it to rupture and explode. The force of the destruction sent the rock crab flying back into a sea of sharpened wooden and splattered apples even without the child directly touching him. The shock of his punch rippled out against the stall and caused a sizable chunk of it to be blown off as well.
The child stared in horror as the rock crab bounced back across his shell and slammed into a building. Cracks spread out from under his tunic, their size and shape indicating his entire underbelly was cracked open.
"N…No, I…I didn't—"
He looked at his arm and gasped. He saw the purple aura flowing through his veins receding. He never realized he activated it. He did so without thinking.
Just. Like. Last time.
He turned away from the unconscious Klawf and looked back to the audience of villagers all gathering behind him. The horror was even more palpable on their faces, as if witnessing the rise of a demonic force dragging itself from the fiery depths of the underworld. Some clutched tightly to pitchforks and sickles, yet the buckling of their knees said they had little confidence in their effectiveness. Children clung to their parents' legs, fearful tears running down their cheeks.
Armant Dufort stared blankly at the frightened villagers, tears still flowing down his face. No emotion on his face. Just…empty acceptance.
He picked up the remaining few apples left intact and stuffed them inside his tunic. Shoving his hands inside his pockets, he hung his head and shuffled his feet away from the destroyed stall. The villagers hurriedly parted out of his way as the young Machop made his way back home.
Back home…to the bloodstained crater that was once a house.
18th Red Ash Moon, 908—Ten Minutes Earlier
Through the raging downpour, gusts of wind blew through the streets, stoking the scarlet fire as two juggernauts of imposing power clashed fists. The streets melted, buildings crumbled, and air rippled as the two combatants held their ground, bursting with power to see who was truly deserving of victory.
Armant edged out in the power clash, ramming his fist full blast across Paride's face and launching him skyward into the opposing buildings. His body blasted open holes with each successive crash, utterly demolishing everything in his path. He barely managed to contort his body and catch himself on the next building over, scraping to a stop inside a cartography room.
The corpse had little time to react, however, as the four-armed titan had already caught up. He rushed down the breached room and hammered his fists into Paride's skull. Fire spewed out from his body, torching maps and tables alike, before shooting down to the bottom floor of the building.
"Earthquake: Strike!"
Switching to a palm strike, Armant slammed his hand down on the axolotl's face and crushed him below the floor. The stone around them uplifted from the titan's unparalleled strength, taking down the entire building on top of them.
Right as the debris came crashing down, Armant burst out from the top and soared high up in the air in a single bound. He observed the destroyed building, his grimace growing. "I know they said I could be a little reckless, but…ugh, is this really necessary?"
He glared up at the electrical dome still surrounding the capital. He also noticed metallic objects flying up into the sky, gravitating toward a certain point. He guessed it had something to do with the Heliolisk that was trapping them all inside. Based on the sparks of flame erupting in bursts, he deduced their electric clown was waging his own battle.
At least someone will be reining in the main problem, but there's still the matter of destroying that dome. Details for later, however…
Armant landed and gripped into the side of a tall building. He glared down at the wreckage below as scarlet flame burst out from below. The flaming Quagsire pulled himself out from the molten earth and roared out to the sky.
Something about my connection to Dufort is stirring his ire. His attention will be fixated on me.
Flames jettisoned from Paride's back and launched him into the sky. "Scarlet…KNUCKLE!"
Armant leapt out of the way right as the corpse landed his punch, shattering the wall apart in a blaze of glory. The titan reared his leg up and slammed his heel down on Paride's head, spiking him into the ground below. He winced from the flames, but pushed past it and dove toward the corpse's position.
"Apex—" Armant reared his right arms back. The muscles expanded and flared with a blue aura, channeling all their might into his clenched fists. "Overhead Chop!"
He crashed down on top of the corpse and slammed both fists down onto Paride's head. The ground quaked and shattered under the titan's explosive power, the air rippling and expanding. His fists dug into the corpse's skull, sinking to the back of the head.
Even the most defensive Pokémon fall from a single strike like this. He gritted his teeth. And yet…!
The corpse persisted. He reached his hands out and grabbed hold of Armant, setting him ablaze in the scarlet pyre.
You're no ordinary Pokémon!
Paride, though with his head caved him, projected his voice through the flames themselves. "Inferno…Mud Knuckle!"
He hammered his fist into Armant's stomach. While painful in its own right, it wasn't the main course of the attack. Red hot mud expelled from the earth, slithering around Paride's arm, and blasted into the titan like a full force geyser.
Armant shielded his face and jumped off from his hold, biting back from the agonizing pain. Acting fast, he spun in place and sent the mud flying off his body. Harsh red burns coated his arms and bare chest. A smoldering scar burned into his stomach.
These flames are getting stronger. No matter my strength, they'll bypass whatever physical defenses I have so long as they feed off their fuel source.
Paride pulled himself up and molded his face back into shape. His infernal eyes burned wickedly. "Rebel…against the light!" He jetted forward on his flames, wrapping his fist in a vortex of flame. "Red Knuckle!"
Armant reared his right fists back, once against expanded his muscles and channeled his aura through the hands. "Apex—"
Paride threw his punch like a cannon, but Armant sidestepped the explosive torrent of heat and grabbed the corpse by the head. He reared his arms up and slammed them full force down on the neck and shoulder simultaneously.
"—Club!"
The blow staggered Paride enough for Armant to raise his foot and hammer into the chest. Paride went sailing across the street, bouncing and skidding before clipping the side of a building and spiraling through an opposing building's window.
Armant dropped down onto his hands, clenching into the ground and straining his muscles, before launching himself like a crossbow bolt. Blue aura traveled up to his head, toughening his neck and skull. "Apex—"
Paride burst out from the rubble right as the charging titan. He reared his head back and swung it down, meeting the clashing of skulls.
"—Battering Ram!"
Shockwaves and flames spewed out from the brief collision, pushing both fighters apart. While Armant reeled back from his burns, the undead Paride beat his chest and roared, showing no signs of slowing down.
"Inferno Lava Knuckle!" Paride swung his fist along the surface of the street, pushing up molten earth with it, and fired it out in a straight punch.
"Earthquake: Strike!" Hardening his stance, Armant released a straight palm strike and annihilated the lava-like mud. Again, he winced as the skin of his hand seared from brief contact.
"Red Knuckle!" Paride didn't waste a second. In the brief second of distraction, he launched himself on a jet of flame and slammed his burning fist into the titan, blowing him back in a grand explosion of fire.
"GAH!"
Armant dug his heels down and kept himself from falling over. He skidded to a stop before slapping himself hard in the chest, extinguishing the flames instantly. He panted softly, feeling the effects of the multiple burns taking their effect. His body stung all over, a pain he had not felt in years.
Despite being disappointed by the circumstances, he felt a grin stretching over his face.
How sad that I'm actually beginning to enjoy this. Beating up a dead man like my own personal punching bag. My body is quaking in ways long forgotten. There are still forces in this world I haven't fought.
He snapped back to attention as Paride charged headlong into him, tackling the titan backwards. Armant steeled his stance, anchoring his feet into the ground and taking hold of the infernal clown. Raising him high above his head, he let out a ferocious shout and drove Paride's head straight through the earth.
"Even so—" He ripped the axolotl loose and kicked him in the stomach. "I can't let you live!"
Paride's body went soaring down the street, skidding and colliding off buildings before crashing back to where their fight started. He drove his feet down to catch himself on the street, but Armant had already caught up and hammered his fists across his face, blasting him into the capital's wall. Upon contact, combined with the electrified stone, the corpse lit up in a bright inferno of scarlet flame. It tore through his weakening body, tearing more and more of it down.
Armant hissed and brushed the smoke off his knuckles. Still, his body is holding out longer than I expected. It's definitely withering away, but it's hardly flesh anymore. What on earth created a force like this?
Paride pried himself out of the wall, the extra flames subsiding. Shaking his head, he let out another unholy roar and flared the scarlet cloak. Armant raised his brow, noticing the axolotl's burnt flesh starting to harden. Rather than wither to ash, a shell of molten rock was oozing out from the skin and binding to the exterior. Cracks of heat opened up across the armor, and the corpse's infernal eyes peered through in the shape of a knight helmet's visor. Molten rock shaped from the back, creating vents for the flames and hardened fins protruding along the spine.
"Scarlet…Molten Armor!"
The corpse jettisoned flames from its back vents and rocketed into Armant at far greater speed. He shielded behind his arms and tanked the infernal's fiery punch. It struck harder than before, jagged rock forming from the knuckles digging into the titan's flesh.
This isn't just some kind of zombie. The flames are truly controlling his body, accessing whatever latent energy he had! Even if he were to be completely liquified—
Flames vented from the armored corpse's knuckles and blasted Armant away. He kept his footing, skidding to a stop and fanning the embers off his arms. The attacks didn't stop. Paride launched himself again, unleashing a flurry of blows onto the titan. Armant raised his guard and endured against the storm of fists exploding across his skin.
It's getting faster, too.
"Red…Knuckle!" The corpse struck into Armant's guard and blasted him back in an explosion of heat.
"Grr!" He clutched into the ground and stopped himself, shaking off the embers again.
Paride punched the ground and summoned a straight wave of molten mud racing toward Armant. "Inferno Mud Wave!" The width of the molten mud expanded and rose, rising into a towering tidal wave of lava-like liquid.
Armant reared his arms back. "Earthquake: Clap!" He slammed his hands together right as the mud came crashing down, splitting the molten liquid around him and splashing it across the street and buildings instead.
Paride rocketed forward, skidding his knuckles across the street. "Inferno Lava Knuckle!" The ground melted under the intense heat of his fists and wrapped around them.
Armant stomped down and forced a section of the street to be dislodged. Once completely vertical to the ground, he kicked it and sent it crashing against the infernal corpse. It did little to slow Paride down, however, as his fiery body melted a path through. Armant leapt into the air before Paride broke through, dodging the two streaking waves of lava coming after.
"Apex—" He reared his leg up and channeled his aura through it. He careened from the air and rammed the back of his leg down on the corpse's shoulder. "—Leg Drop!"
The force of the impact sank and dislocated the right side of Paride's body, shoving him into the ground with destructive force. Armant reared his arms back and backflipped off before the corpse could erupt in flames. He shielded himself from the embers and soared to a nearby building, landing on its roof.
Paride ripped himself out of the earth, pulling his collapsed body back into position. The damage seemed significantly lessened thanks to the outer armor, which was repairing itself with more molten mud.
Armant scowled. Nothing's lasting. No matter how many times I pummel this thing, it'll just pull itself back together. It's not a living creature anymore. Not motivated or deterred by pain. I need to do more brutal damage.
A thought passed him by, and he grimaced.
That would be my only bet, but…ugh, I don't want to use it again. Last time I used it was to save Fred. It would put an end to the threat, but…I don't want to deal with the aftereffects. I've relied too much on that power, and it ruined the fun of battling. Using it now—
"RRRRRRAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
Armant's eyes widened. Upon snapping out of his thoughts, he saw that Paride was no longer in his line of sight. Spotting the trail of footprints, however, he quickly leapt from his perch as a pillar of molten mud burst through the building with Paride riding the wave.
"Rebel! Rebellion!" Paride's voice became more and more distorted, housing a legion of different voices all fighting for presence.
Armant growled. "You're getting on my nerves." He clenched his fists and sent energy through them. Kicking off from a building, he flew into the corpse and rammed his knuckles. "Pulverizing Rush!" His arms fired out like pistons, pounding and beating into the corpse with ruthless targeting.
Even as they crashed into the ground, Armant didn't let up in his barrage, kicking up a plume of dust around them and reducing the street to powder. His arms were barely visible, a blur moving at high speed with the express purpose of keeping the infernal corpse from moving.
However, as he already assessed, it was still a corpse.
Hot mud fired into Armant's face and briefly blinded him. "Gah!" He ceased his assault and tried to scrape the burning mud off, but it wouldn't matter.
Paride burst out from the ground and hooked his arms around Armant. Without any warning, the corpse launched himself and Armant into the air, carrying him high above the buildings. They passed through the metal littering the sky and reached near the top of the electrical dome.
Armant wiped the mud away from one eye and realized the situation he was in. Crap. This is bringing back memories.
Paride tilted his body back and vented his flames, rocketing straight back toward the earth at high speed. "Inferno. Lava. Impact!"
Armant tried to rip Paride's hold off, but hot mud was splashing over him and hardening around his joints, stiffening his movements just enough. Not to mention, he underestimated just how strong the flaming corpse actually was, perhaps drawing and adding on to the strength of the living user. The Scarlet Flame, the longer it burned, added more to the corpse's latent power.
Is this thing…actually going to kill me? Is there no way for me to beat it?
"Invincible? Pah. A brat like you, still thinking of such archaic terms? Invincible? Unbeatable? Here's a piece of advice, brat: even dripping water can hollow out stone over time. There's nothing in this world that can't be broken. If you think you're the strongest, then you don't know shit about the real world."
"…" Armant smirked. That bastard. I wonder if he's still alive. He clenched his fists and huffed. Screw the aftereffects. This thing proves there's still stronger people out there. That means…I don't have to hold back!
"Perish. Perish. Destroy the light!" Paride roared, boosting his flames to their absolute limits.
Armant shielded his head and braced for impact. A silver glow reflected off his eyes. I'll show you…how bright my light is!
With all the strength he could, Paride slammed Armant headfirst into the street and ruptured it open in an explosion of mud and lava. It splashed across the neighboring buildings and tore them down under the immense pressure of the impact. A geyser of lava sprayed out from the point of impact, emitting heat that melted even the metal hovering above the city.
The street became an active pool of lava once the impact quieted down. Pieces of stone floated up to the top, barely intact but still warped. Buildings caught in the lava pool tilted inward as their bottom floors melted under the extreme heat, sending their withered structures toppling into each other. It was almost like a makeshift roof hanging above the pool.
Paride pulled himself back onto the surface, lava dripping off from his armored body. Curious, he looked around for signs of his target, finding no trace of his corpse or remains on the surface level.
"Light. Perish. Rebellion." Paride turned toward the burning city. "Objective: spread the Scarlet Flame."
He raised one leg and stepped out onto the unaffected land—
"What's the rush, clown?"
Paride froze. Glancing over his shoulder, he watched as something emerged out from under the lava. The superheated mud slid off the body of the figure like water on a Ducklett's back. A tremendous, silver aura surrounded the figure, giving off a pressure that made the corpse's inner flame waver.
"Im…Impossible…survival not—"
The Machamp rose to full height, emphasizing the staggering difference in their heights and builds. It was like a Pichu standing at the foot of a Regigigas staring down at the tiny rodent. His normally red eyes shined a striking silver, like two beacons of light.
Most striking of all was the purple glow spreading out across his exposed chest and arms. His very veins glowed in the striking purple, pulsating with energy that traveled across the entirety of his imposing stature in quick intervals. His muscles seemed leaner, and a harsh steam flowed off his skin.
Armant smirked down at the infernal zombie. "I'm just about done warming up."
Year 864
No one ever came by to the blood red crater on the edge of the village. Most steered clear of those grounds, even those once neighbors to the house that once stood there. It gave the young Armant a place to be by himself. A place away from the stares and whispers of his fellow villagers.
He sat under a makeshift hut made from scraps of wood, hiding from a rainstorm passing over the village. The rain did little to clear away the reddened earth, perhaps a grim reminder of what he was born as. Was it perhaps Arceus' cruel joke, or was it simply a work of the fates? Either way, Armant didn't put much thought into it, wishing only to forget.
He watched the rain beat down on the earth around him, feeling a few raindrops permeate through his sad hovel. He picked up an apple from his collection food, noting the squishy texture it developed. It had gone bad some days ago. Still, without a better option, he forced himself to bite into the soggy apple, swallowing its slimy texture down his throat and resisting the urge to puke it back up.
He forced down the rest of the apple until there was only the core. He tossed it over his shoulder before pulling his legs up to his chest, burying his face into his knees. He let out a quick shudder from the smell of blood and petrichor in the air.
"Someone just kill me…" he muttered.
"That doesn't sound very nice, you know."
Armant, almost alarmed, lifted his gaze as someone approached his hovel: an Oranguru around the same age as him. He wore nicer clothes compared to Armant's, though he happened to notice the black eye the ape was sporting. He shielded himself from the rain with an umbrella while also protectively holding a weaved basket. One whiff of the aroma permeating out told Armant it was fresh, warm bread.
"…" Armant narrowed his eyes. "You're…Dalibor, aren't you?"
The Oranguru bowed. "Dalibor Azimov. I live on the other side of the village."
"I've…seen you a few times at public school."
The young ape gestured to the hovel and asked, "May I?"
"…" Armant looked away. "You're not afraid to sit with the monster?"
Dalibor frowned. "I don't think you're a monster."
"Tell that to everyone else."
"Everyone else? They're just idiots. Too wrapped up into their fears to see a scared child in front of them."
Armant glared, then pointedly directed the ape's attention to the ground. "See this? This crater we're in? I did this. That enough reason for you?"
"…"
"…" Armant sighed and scooted over.
Dalibor crawled in on his knees before plopping down beside the Machop. He opened the basket and handed Armant a loaf of warm bread. "My mom made plenty. Help yourself. It'll taste better than that garbage you're inhaling."
Though hesitant, the alternative didn't sound any better. He snatched a loaf and tore a hardy bite out of it. Almost immediately, the warmth and fluffiness melted away whatever disgusting residue was left on his tongue. The crispy exterior carrying that golden color and flavor before being highlighted by the soft interior that held in the tantalizing heat that only added to the experience.
Dalibor grinned. "Well?"
"…This is the best thing I've eaten in weeks."
He laughed and patted the Machop's back. "I knew you'd like it."
Armant swallowed before casting a curious glare. "Thanks and all, but…why are you here?"
"Someone in this village has to be the bigger man, right?" The Oranguru looked away, gently touching his blackened eye. "That, and…well, I needed to get out of the house for a bit. My…dad had a rough day on the village farm."
"…Oh." Armant looked down at his half-eaten loaf and frowned. "I'm sorry."
"…" Dalibor glanced at the Machop. "Did you have a good relationship with your dad?"
"…He was the only one around to take care of me. My mom never wanted a kid, so she just…left my egg with him and never looked back." He sighed. "We didn't have a lot of money, but he did everything he could to make me happy. I'd say he was an alright dad."
"Heh. I'm jealous." Dalibor frowned. "So, it's true? It really was just an accident?"
"…" Armant closed his eyes and sighed. "I'm cursed."
"Cursed?"
"Every little thing around me is so…fragile. When I was growing up, whenever I got heated, I'd have these…moments of berserker strength. Every time that happens, I feel…different. Everyday, it felt like I was relearning my own body. It just wouldn't stop." He curled his fists gently, and the bread squished apart in his grip. "I'm cursed."
Dalibor frowned. "I don't think you're cursed."
"You're not the one living with it." Armant sighed. "I hate thinking about what I'm capable of. I'm worried I'll break something…or someone if I'm not careful. I don't like living as a monster."
"…" Dalibor looked out into the rain. "If you ask me, from my perspective, you're the furthest thing from a monster. I think…you've got a special gift."
Armant sighed. "You sound like my dad."
Dalibor smiled and hooked his arm around the Machop. "Well, I'll just stick by your side until we beat those fears out of your head!"
Armant's eyes widened, and he felt his cheeks warming from the ape's closeness. "I, uh…"
His grin stretched. "Armant Dufort, I hereby declare myself as your new best friend! We'll stick by each other's side to the bitter end, no matter what obstacles or hardships stand in our way!"
"Best…friend?"
An…actual friend?
Was such a gift truly worthy for a monster who only wrought destruction?
The air turned tense as the imposing titan stood over the infernal zombie, his veins glowing across his skin. Paride made no sudden movements as the titan casually flexed his grip, judging the strength flowing through his body. He grimaced as he tightened his fist.
"What a pain, but it can't be helped." He glared down at Paride. "Still, I wonder how many of these you can take."
Paride stepped back. "Light. Rebel. Light."
Armant smirked. "I have to admit, that last move of yours was truly something. Reminds me of this annoying punk who kept asking me to train him a long while ago. Without those flames of yours, he'd still have you beat in grappling strength."
Paride growled. "Rebel."
Armant narrowed his eyes. "I hate using this power of mine. It's the source of all my woes. All those years of abusing it has turned me into the force I am today." He looked at his clenched fist before sighing. "I hated who I was back then, but if it means I can protect lives, I'll take on the curse."
Paride roared and vented flames from his back. "Rebel!" He launched himself forward, rearing back his fist. "Red Knuckle!"
He swung his burning fist for Armant's face, striking with all its available firepower, and…
His entire collapsed inward smashing into the unmovable titan.
Paride's eyes widened. "What?"
He jetted away from Armant, holding onto his limp arm, and gazed upon the man with growing trepidation. Armant brushed off some rock dust from his face and patted off the lingering embers before slowly advancing toward the infernal zombie.
"Yveltal's Blessing," Armant whispered. "With the essence of my Superpower, I can multiply my strength tenfold. Every fiber of my being has been turned into an unstoppable weapon." He extended his pinky finger. "I rarely use this…because I could easily kill someone without monstrous durability. But you can handle it, right?"
Without warning, he rushed the zombie down and thrusted his extended finger into its chest. A second of delay after impact, as Paride was hoisted off his feet, his back ripped apart in a devastating shockwave rippling with purple static. Though dead, he spat up hot mud and roared out in shock. The force of the impact extended as far as the rooftops, piercing through the walls.
"Yveltal's Blessing: God Rending Spear."
He grabbed Paride by the jaw and tossed him into the air. Acting fast, he raced over to where the compound barrels were being safeguarded and grabbed two. He leapt back out into the open and tossed them at the flying corpse.
The barrels smashed apart across Paride, releasing the compound and setting the infernal zombie ablaze in a tremendous explosion. The explosion ripped through his armor, revealing his scorched skin and bones underneath. The zombie roared out in outrage and tried to retaliate with a counter attack.
Armant leapt into the air and steadied his arm. He pressed the back of his middle finger to his thumb and aimed. "Time to take this barrier down for good. God Roaring Shot."
He flicked his finger and fired a concentrated stream of compressed air carrying the crackling purple static. It struck Paride, flattening his torso inward, and blasted him into the top of the electric dome. He soared faster than any cannonball ever fired in history, smashing across the electric dome and bending into its durable field.
Normally, any attack that collided with the Starlight Imprisoning Stage would be rendered useless. Any type energy, whether composed or infused, would transform into electricity and assimilate with the overall barrier. It was the perfect trap to keep an entire city on lockdown.
And yet, despite the energy crackling off Armant's air shot, it wasn't assimilated into the barrier. It remained infused with the concentrated air stream and continued pushing Paride into the electfied surface until…
BOOM!
Paride's body smashed through the electrified dome and flew out into the greater airspace. The dome, having been breached, collapsed inward and fizzled out into pieces. The visible sky, obscured in a sheet of electricity and storm clouds, gave way to the pristine night sky of Echo Bell.
Paride spat up lava, still shaking from the hit he took. "Light…rebelling—"
A rush of wind alerted the infernal corpse. He bent his neck forward and saw Armant hovering above him with his palm reared back. Without warning, he smacked the zombie across the face and spiked him out of the sky, colliding with brutal force into the greater plains outside the capital. The ground sunk under the corpse before rupturing and exploding upward into a giant crater.
Armant hover briefly in the air as he watched the earth sink. "Rebel against this."
No one could believe what they were seeing. As Raffaella assisted in evacuating the civilians, they all paused at the thunderous boom echoing above their heads and gazed upon the electrical dome in all. From where the explosion occurred, the barrier crumbled apart, fizzling into harmless static that rained down over the city.
"(By the gods,)" an Excadrill gasped.
"(We're saved!)" a Zebstrika cheered, stomping his hooves in excitement.
"(We can escape!)" a Chatot cheered.
However, their celebrating didn't last as the ground suddenly shook. Everyone held onto each other and braced against the rumbling earthquake. Raffaella pressed herself against the capital wall and stared up in the sky in shock.
"(I…don't think it's safe to leave the city yet.)"
Armant dove from the sky and landed in the open, grassy plains outside the capital. He touched down with the grace of a feather, the force exuding off his body parting the grass away from him. The glow of the flames burning within the castle cast a red glow across his back and shined across the dark atmosphere.
Armant cracked his knuckles, a simple action that rippled the air and cracked the earth under his feet. "Get up. I've got four more minutes to burn through. Think you can survive that long?"
At his taunting, Paride pulled himself out of the earth, though was looking worse for wear. Red, boiling sludge dripped out from his armored face and burned the grass. A hole had been punched through his stomach, exposing the liquified lava sloshing inside. His right arm hung limply, still crumpled and bent.
The zombie lifted his head, his hollow eyes channeling infernos within. "Remember…"
Armant glared. "Eh?"
"Flame. Rebel. Light." The zombie's head twitched and snapped back, twisting itself upside down for a moment. A stronger voice overpowered the cacophony of echoes. "The Elysivine Kingdom's…weapon."
"…Weapon?"
"Happiness…fake. Peace…fake." Paride grabbed and pulled on his arm, resetting it back to normal. "The Scarlet Flame…was created to rebel against their fake peace."
"…" Armant narrowed his eyes. "What does this have to do with me?"
"Light…and flame…kin."
"The light and flame? Kin?"
Paride clenched his fists. "Scarlet Molten Armor." Red hot mud oozed out from the corpse and draped over the exposed skeleton, hardening back into a solid armor with new vents around the arms. Flames fired from the arm vents. "The Ritual…of the Scarlet Flame…will burn the remnants of the Elysivine Kingdom!"
He launched himself forward, burning the grass behind him, and swung two burning fists into Armant's face. An explosion of heat and lava erupted across the empowered titan, incinerating the land behind him and reducing it to ash.
"…God Shattering Strike."
Armant's open palm thrusted through the flame and crashed across Paride's face. His armored shell shattered to pieces, and the air exploded around them, parting the flames and lava away. The corpse went sailing backwards, skidding off the grass before crashing into a small hill in the distance. Upon impact, his body melted through the surface, laying him inside a molten crater.
Armant's hand hissed with smoke, but his flesh remained intact from the heat. He glared calmly and said, "So, that's it, huh? You're a ghost from another time."
Paride pulled himself out of the melting earth and roared out to the sky, erupting in jets of flame. He struck his fists down on the ground, sending waves upon waves of molten mud forward. They built up over each other, rising into a titanic tidal wave greater than before, easily eclipsing the height of the capital walls.
"Inferno Mud Wave: Burial!"
Armant stood before the advancing lava wave with crossed arms and indifferent expression. The heat flowing off the massive wave caused the grass around him to catch fire, yet it did little to the titan himself. A wave of such scale could easily drown an entire city in one motion, but to him…
It was just another mountain to walk through.
"God Roaring Shot." He raised his pressed fingers and flicked a stream of condensed air into the center. It struck the lava with such force that it split down the middle. Losing its structure, the peak of the wave lost its balance and came crashing down early, splashing across the grassy plains mere meters away from impacting the castle wall.
Paride rocketed out from his crater and ignited his fists with lava-like mud. "Inferno Mud Knuckle!"
Armant outstretched his hand and stopped the attack in its tracks. Even the mud rushing off and blasting across his skin did little to impede his stature. He curled his fingers around the corpse's fist and crushed it with no effort. The liquified flesh fell apart like a rotten orange in his grip.
Paride leapt back with goop dripping from his severed wrist. Lava spewed out and reshaped into a rock fist to plug the spill. He roared and launched volleys of flaming mud from his mouth. "Scarlet Mud Shot!"
Armant advanced forward with a steady stride, taking the lava-like shots without issue. Though burning across his skin, the mud slid off and showed no signs of damage, not even when one fired into his face and open eyes.
Paride landed and struck the ground, sending streams of lava waves toward the titan. "Inferno Mud Wave: Serpent!"
The lava streams jettisoned from the earth and struck Armant with the force of a Hydro Pump. Continually unfazed, Armant marched through the heated mud as it dripped off his skin harmlessly.
"Im…possible…" the infernal corpse growled. He roared out in outrage and exhaled a beam of lava, incinerating the land under it. "Inferno Lava Shot!"
Armant, getting fed up with the attacks, broke into a sprint and charged through the lava stream. He extended his pinky and thrusted it into the zombie's neck. "God Rending Spear!"
The force of his little finger ruptured the back of the zombie's neck and nearly blew the head off. Paride staggered back from the attack and coated his ripped neck in hardened lava to keep it on. "Red Knuckle!" He lunged forward and hammered his flaming fist into the titan's face, sending out a tremendous explosion.
Unfazed, Armant whipped his arm and backhanded the zombie off, sending his limp body skidding across the grass. Paride's infernal soul would not be deterred. He dragged his fingers into the ground to catch himself, then stomped down to unleash another towering lava wave.
"This again? God Roaring Shot." He flicked his finger and blasted the wave to pieces.
"RAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Armant's eyes widened as Paride came bursting out of the ruptured lava and tackled his waist. "Inferno Vortex Impact!" Flying inches of the ground, Paride torqued and spun himself and Armant into a tight vortex of lava and flame. The flames added lift, keeping them suspended off the ground as the zombie rammed Armant straight into the same hill he crashed through.
The hill erupted in flame, turning to molten sludge under the intense heat, and collapsed down on top of the duo. Paride burst out from the top and roared, commanding the heat to expel out from the molten puddle and harden into dense black rock.
"The Scarlet Flame…will liberate this corrupted world!" Paride dove back onto the rock and struck his fists down. Scarlet fire erupted within the rock, keeping contained with only a few jets shooting out of tiny cracks, aiming to incinerate everything inside. "The Scarlet Flame…our purpose. Our reason to live." A stronger voice overpowered the echo. "My rebellious creation against their devil!"
The surrounding earth began to melt into pools of lava, resembling that of a volcanic island in the middle of a molten sea. He kept stomping on the black rock, increasing the intensity of the flames within to burn all to ash.
"The Elysivine Kingdom will never rise again. We shall burn the remnants of their corruption and burn away their false peace! That is the purpose of the Scarlet Flame! Liberation from—"
The zombie's mad tirade ceased as the black rock shattered open. He fell back as a giant mass of muscle caked in flame lunged out from the inner furnace, the bright glow of his silver eyes peering through the overpowering fire. Without warning, the titan kicked the zombie square in the face and sent him packing over the lava.
Armant landed on the black rock and spun until the flames extinguished off his skin. He got a few new burns, but nothing more. "Yveltal's Blessing: God of Destruction." He clenched his fists and erupted with purple static. The glow of his veins shined brighter as if he was painted in florescent paint. His arms smoked with an opaque white mist as they coated themselves up to the elbow in a flickering white aura.
Paride roared and launched himself. "Red Knuckle!" He slammed both his fist and rocky prosthetic into Armant, but his attacks did absolutely nothing. In fact, not only did they do nothing, but the recoil of his own attacks ended up doing far more damage to him. His shoulders shot back and forcibly dislocated themselves.
Armant grabbed the zombie the head and held him in place. "I've learned a lot about my Inherited Will in the last three decades. I've come to understand the extent of my gift and the boundaries meant to be pushed. To push until it matures into its true form. I can only use Yveltal's Blessing two times a day, and each one lasts five minutes." He glared. "However, if I were to use a second charge while the first is still active…"
He tossed Paride into the sky, then extended his finger. He aimed it toward the sky, closing one eye to track the zombie's flight.
"…it increases my strength by fiftyfold." With a gentle swing of his finger, he whispered, "God of Destruction: Danse Macabre."
All seemed still in the air for a moment until…it struck.
A visible wave of distortion cut across the sky, splitting the very air within Armant's eyesight apart. The distortion cut across Paride's stomach and ripped him in two. The zombie screamed out in agony as lava spilled out from his waist. The voices fighting for supremacy all ceased their bickering, screaming out as the flames controlling the corpse began to waver.
"No…NO!" Fire jettisoned from Paride's back and waist. He turned and fired himself out of the sky with geysers of lava erupted from his arms. "Won't…let…light win!"
Armant narrowed his eyes before gently kneeling down. Just as Paride crashed into the earth, the titan made a simple, effortless leap that sent him skyrocketing into the sky in less than a second. He moved so fast that Paride, upon striking the ground, didn't even realize the titan had dodged for three seconds.
Armant took a deep breath and reared his fist back. He winced as the energy crackled wildly off his body. Only one shot left.
He focused down his target, who was frantically looking for him, and steadied his shaking fist.
Channel all your power into a single spot. Do not let any more or less destroy the environment. Focus…on the one spot.
Calming the rushing of his mind, he swung his fist with the speed of a rising Slakoth and gently extended it into his line of sight.
"God of Destruction: Threnody."
A visible wave fired out from his knuckles and struck down on the infernal zombie. With little warning or preparation, Paride could only succumb to his inevitable fate as a crushing force exploded down on top of him, flattening his body into a fist-shaped crater. All the explosive force concentrated on the one spot. While the earth shook, it did not split open or crumble to dust under the immense weight of energy.
Paride's voices were drowned under the intense pressure. The flames cloaking his body, once burning with great fervor and unending heat, found themselves flickering and losing light. The flames couldn't sustain themselves no matter how much they willed themselves to stay burning. The flames howled to stay alight, fighting for control against the crushing wave…
But it was all for naught.
The flames extinguished little by little around the Quagsire's liquified body while his armored shell was crushed to dust. The ground continued sinking under the weight of Armant's contactless punch, burying it meters below the surface with seemingly no end. The flames continued to wither away, their core burning bright in the center as it fought to stay ablaze as long as possible.
When it seemed it would be ultimately snuffed out, the endless stream of pressure soon came to an end. Armant's attack finally ended as the energy surrounding him burned out, and he fell back to earth with a plume of white smoke hissing off his skin.
Armant braced himself and crashed down onto his feet, crushing the earth beneath his weight. Though fully capable of taking a fall without breaking his body, he staggered forward and collapsed onto his hands and knees. He coughed up blood and twitched from the pain rupturing across his muscles.
"Th-That…was rough." He shook his head, taking a moment to catch his breath, and stood up. He wiped the blood dripping off his lip and clutched his aching sides. "Heh. Not a…bad fight."
He limped up to the crater where the smoking corpse lay deep down. All the remained of the Quagsire was brittle bits of his skull and bones, all crumbling apart to ash. However, curiously, a small scarlet ember burned within the skull, barely clinging to life.
Armant dragged himself down the crater walls and landed next to the burnt skeleton. He huffed and said, "After all of that, you're still holding on. Tch. I wasn't even going all out in that last attack, but I'm still surprised a shred of you is still clinging to life." He glared as the ember sparked and smoke, losing some of its size. "…Well, mostly."
Paride's burnt skull tilted a bit as if looking up at the titan. The ember, its voices weakened, managed to speak. "You…carry the light of…Dufort."
Armant narrowed his eyes. "You said something about us being kin."
"I…created this flame. I…created it in rebellion…against the Elysivine Kingdom's fake peace."
"You're…the one who created the Scarlet Flame?"
"A fraction of our wills, our spirits, reside in this flame. Our desire…to achieve and liberate true happiness from the shackles of fake peace. Fight…against the devil of Elysivine. The monsters…they are many, but one. It is something…that should've never been discovered. The Scarlet Flame…and the light of the eight warriors…are kin."
Armant watched as the flame began losing more and more of its life, mere seconds away from burning out. "…Who is this monster you speak of?"
The flame was merely a tiny spark with only a second of life remaining. In a hollow whisper carried on by the smoke of its fading voice, the titan received only one word.
"Logos."
The skeleton crumbled to dust, releasing smoke that rose out from the deep crater. Though only a fraction of the true source, Armant would remember the weight of its power and the depths of its purpose.
He collapsed back against the crater's walls and looked up at the night sky, alight by the flames still burning topside. He closed his eyes and took a second to compose himself. He lingered on the flame's final message, wondering if it was a warning or even a cry for help.
"Logos…" Armant leaned his head back, repeating the word over and over in his mind. "Logos. That name…where have I heard that before?"