With the city under fire by the mad Heliolisk and with no way of escape, civilians took to hiding under cover in hopes of avoiding the electrified Flash Cannons raining down on the streets. All they could do now was find shelter and pray for the worst to be over.

Amidst the anarchy unfolding, Armant's group took shelter at the marketplace and hid behind one of the stalls. They stashed the wagon full of the circus' explosive compounds behind some food crates, hoping to provide the most minimal of protection.

Armant glared. "The entire city's caged in. There doesn't seem to be a way out."

Frediano jumped on top of the counter and boldly proclaimed, "Then I shall eliminate this miscreant myself! The Great Frediano knows no fear to the likes of this madman!" Right as he jumped out into the open, Avel caught his shoulder with his tongue and reeled him back behind the counter.

"Are you insane?" the Shellder scolded. "This entire city is being supercharged with Electric Terrain. One direct hit from those beams will fry you."

Armant scratched his chin. "On top of that, the Flash Cannons seem to be taking on electric properties to boost their output. That's a Heliolisk up there, too. Perhaps a combination of Electrify and those Magnemite are what's generating this much power. They're feeding off each other's electricity, causing an endless amplification loop."

Wyatt stared blankly at the sky. "So…that's a bad thing, right?"

"Undoubtably."

Frediano dusted himself off and sighed. "Well, we can't just leave him to his own devices. If not me, surely you can knock some sense into him yourself, Armant."

"He's got the aerial advantage, unfortunately. I could knock him out of the sky, but I don't want to cause needless property damage. I'm deep enough into debt as is."

Avel shot him a deadpan glare. "I think we've passed the point of property damage being a moral quandary."

"Even so, my strength isn't something I let loose lightly, and I could put innocent bystanders in danger if I tried anything above my safety limit." Armant observed the electric dome entrapping the city and followed the dome's arch toward the presumed boundary point. "However, controlled usage would prove beneficial."

Frediano snapped his claws. "Aha! You wish to free everyone from this glorified lantern prison!"

"Exactly. I'll take the barrels to the edge of the city and try to get through the wall. Once I'm out, I'll find somewhere to stash away the barrels for later, then I'll do all I can to get the rest of the people outside."

Wyatt frowned. "That seems a little risky."

"I can handle it. Besides, I should be using my strength to protect people, not wreck the city. The knights will no doubt be focusing their attention on this madman." Armant glared at the sky, scratching his chin in thought. "Most peculiar, too."

Avel raised his brow. "How so?"

"Why go through all that effort to create the Scarlet Flame ritual, yet settle for basic terrorism? Call it a gut feeling, but something tells me he's misdirecting everyone's attention."

"Misdirection?" Frediano gasped. "Ah, the most sacred tool of a performer! How fiendish he uses the arts for his wicked purposes!"

"Misdirecting us from what, though?" Wyatt asked. "There's no way anyone can set up an elaborate ritual with him firing on everyone. He'd sooner set off his own bombs."

Avel turned his attention back to the sky, studying the Heliolisk's bombarding shots. As he focused on the attacks, he noticed a pattern to his shots. The erratic nature of his attacks made them seem like they were being fired at random, but closer observation showed they were avoiding a certain direction. It was incredibly subtle, but his training under Altair proved fruitful in identifying subtle signs to his environment.

"…Something's going on in the southwest section of the city."

Everyone looked to the Shellder in surprise. "How so?"

"He's not firing in that direction." Avel closed his eyes and pondered for a moment. "Now that I think about it, there's a breeze blowing from that direction, too. I'm not too sure what it means, but there's something going down in that general area."

"…" Armant glared. "Then you three should investigate it. I'll carry the bombs to the edge of the city and dispose of them. You figure out what's going on and put a stop to it."

"What about him?" Frediano asked, pointing to the mad Heliolisk in the sky. "You said it yourself. He may be a distraction for the knights."

"A deadly distraction, nonetheless. Something far worse may be happening as we speak. Better to nullify the unseen threat than worry about the beacon of light attracting us."

Wyatt glared. "Mr. Armant's right! If my brother says there's something going down in the southwest area, then we're going to put a stop to it."

Avel grimaced. "Let's hope I'm overthinking this."

Frediano nodded and jumped onto the counter. "Very well! My friends, we ride into battle! The Great Frediano shall lead the charge! Away!" With a flick of his cape, he dove majestically out from the stand and dashed valiantly down the street.

"Oi! Wait for us!" Avel yelled. "Wyatt, go!"

"Ah! Right!" The Lombre threw himself over the counter and chased after the flashy Weavile. "Slow down! Wait! Good grief, he runs fast!"

Armant shook his head before turning to the wagon filled with explosive barrels. He pulled apart the crates and used some nearby tarps to wrap up as much of the wagon as he could. It wasn't much protection itself, but he could easily swat away a stray Flash Cannon. He didn't want to think what a little spark running through the city would do.

"I have a bad feeling about all of this." He grabbed the front and started pulling it along. "Just like old times, I guess. Almost wish Dal was here to back me up."

Castle Visconti

Upon breaching the castle, Jason's team moved silently through the halls, keeping eyes and ears out for anyone who may jump out from around the corner. Once they were deep enough inside, Jason signaled Melissa to scope out their location. She nodded and extended her ears, reading out the sounds bouncing about in the castle.

"Well?" he whispered.

She scrunched her face as she concentrated. "I can't exactly hear footsteps from the Visconti family, but I do hear armored footsteps. Three, maybe four knights. I think they're doing a sweep of the castle. Protocol indicates the Visconti family are being transported to a safehouse."

Jason nodded. "So, we basically have free reign to explore their castle. That works perfectly for us."

Felix and Victoria saluted their commanders, the former asking, "How shall we go about the investigation, sir?"

"With the castle mostly empty, we'll have an easier time searching for clues on Grim Deadlock and Last Autumn. I don't normally recommend this, but it'll be easier if we split up into smaller groups. However, do not engage in combat unless as a last resort."

Melissa nodded. "It'd be better for you two to stick together while Jason and I search the castle on our own. Try not to draw unnecessary attention to yourselves."

Victoria waved it off and laughed. "Not to worry, Master Harlow. We learned from the best."

Felix grinned. "We'll have an entire set of documents on Last Autumn by the time we regroup." The apprentices shared a high-five before racing down the halls.

"D-Don't just run off—" Melissa groaned and facepalmed. "They are so reckless."

"They take after you," Jason quipped.

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, very funny."

He glared. "They'll be fine. They did well against Yukimura. I'm sure they can defend themselves should they run into the knights." He scratched his chin. "Though, if the castle is mostly empty, why are they still conducting a search?"

Melissa frowned. "I did say I can't hear the Visconti too well since they don't have footsteps. Do you suppose some of them are still inside the castle?"

He grimaced. "If that's the case, I have a sneaking suspicion as to why. If our supposed grim reaper is one of the Visconti children, chances are they can't risk secrets being discovered without their supervision."

"Hmm…" Melissa's ears suddenly perked up as a new sound entered her range. "Wait, I hear something. It's…coming further up the castle. Heavier footsteps. Rushed. Split off from the other knights below us."

"Someone must've been on the rooftop." Jason gripped his dagger and headed down the hall. "I'll go check it out."

"You sure you'll be okay with just a dagger? You did leave your sword behind in the catacombs when we escaped. We could spare a few minutes to raid the armory and get you a new one."

He shook his head. "Later. I can outrun just about anyone, so I can avoid direct conflict. Just promise me you'll stay out of trouble."

She smiled warily. "Heh, when have I ever gotten into trouble?"

"…I'm being serious. I'm your knight. I trust your abilities, but it wasn't too long ago that you were dealing with serious issues. The only reason I'm even allowing you to search the castle on your own is because there's so few knights roaming around." He glowered. "And we're dealing with the Lord of Shadows."

"…" Melissa sighed and smiled at him. "I promise I'll stay safe. I'm not the same weak Buneary that stumbled upon Fort Lucus."

"…I know." He turned and sped down the hallway, disappearing around the corner.

Melissa let out a breath she was holding and turned down the opposite direction. "Besides, I need to do some investigating of my own." She bounced off the tips of her toes and sped through the hallway.

Meanwhile, within the city…

"Put your backs into it, dear brothers! The good word of joy must be spread!"

Finding a suitable open space far out in the city, Iris and her brothers unloaded their wagon and worked on setting up the barrels. Jasper set up a pit marked with giant icicles. Gasparo carried the barrels filled with Iris' special compound and dumped them within the pit. A huge mound filled the inside, nearing halfway to the top.

Iris spun on her heels and laughed. "Oh, I can feel the energy of the universe flowing around me. It makes my skin tingle with jubilation. Ringmaster Itzal, you've truly blessed me on this day. What an honor to be granted the right to this glorious moment."

Jasper grinned. "Someone's getting over her stage fright."

"Oooohhhh, Ansaldo wasn't kidding. This high I'm feeling just thinking about it. Everyone will be screaming when they witness the flames created by me. To be at the center of attention as I grace this world with true happiness and pleasure~!" She held her face, laughing as her cheeks heated up. "These beautiful flames given purpose beyond arson and destruction, but to release the miserable souls and bring them to enlightenment~! Oh, what glorious flames~!"

Unfazed by his sister's manic fervor, Gasparo unloaded another barrel and said, "Whatever makes you happy, sis. Just don't get too lost in the stars and forget your roots."

She turned and smiled at the Sandslush twins. "Oh, I couldn't have possibly gotten as far as I did without your encouragement. Jasper, Gasparo, you two have always been there for me even at my lowest." She placed a hand over her heart and sighed. "No one values the beauty of flames like I do. Why can't they see their brilliance beyond the destruction? Who cares if some things need to be burned down? This world is my canvas, and I shall paint it in flames."

She grinned lustfully. Her breathing hastened as her imagination wandered to the art she'll create once the ritual begins. Her heart raced excitedly, beating like a wild inferno flaring up deep beneath her soul.

"And now I found my muse~! The Scarlet Flames give me purpose~! They will be my inspiration to live~! All thanks to Ringmaster Itzal~!"

Hours earlier…

"Oh my…" Iris flipped through the pages of skull-faced book given to her by Itzal, reading the passage requested by him. She tapped the page depicting a skill requiring the use of Rain Dance. "This will help spread the compound?"

Itzal nodded. "The idea is to burn and infuse your compound into Rain Dance and spread it into the sky. With the aid of the wind, the rain clouds will move through the city and spread it like an artificial downpour. Normally this is done to spread poison, but I'm sure you can come up with a way for a flammable substance such as this."

She turned to the ringmaster in confusion. "Where did you come across this book?"

"When Basil ran off my last alchemist, I needed supplementary assistance to refill my potion stash for special effects. I hired a number of alchemists to supply us, but I had a chance encounter with a particular fellow known as Nightbane."

Iris' eyes widened. "Nightbane? You speak of Vladimir Nightbane?! The Toxic Alchemist?!"

"The very one."

"You did business with him? Interacting with him is surely a death sentence. He's to be executed on sight!"

Itzal chuckled. "The criminal underworld allows me many different contacts, my dear Iris. Nightbane provided much for me and more. He provided a copy of his notes at the time as a gift, thinking I may find some use for them. Or perhaps to pass on his knowledge to another worthy alchemist."

"W-Worthy? Me?" She hugged the notebook against her chest. "R-Ringmaster Itzal, I—"

"I took a special interest in you when we first crossed paths, Iris. That passion you hold deep within yourself is something wild, yet restrained." He glared at her. "You fear how the world may see you if you let your true self come out. Why do you think I forced you to take Benvenuto's place as master of ceremonies the other day?"

Her eyes widened. "Th-That was on purpose?"

"I wanted to see the real you coming out of her shell." Itzal cupped his hand under her chin, gently tilting her face up. "Your brothers told me you were misunderstood. Scorned. Ostracized from your parents and neighbors. A young girl with a fixation on fire. You burned down your village playing with sticks and oil. You caused great devastation. So much destruction that you were forced to flee Alola."

Iris frowned. "Y-Yeah…"

"Do you feel shame for what you did? Or, even as you were treated cruelly for your supposed defects, what did you feel after the flames died?"

"…" Her cheeks glowed red as a smile crept over her lips. "I felt indescribable pleasure from the ash and soot~."

Itzal smirked. "Never let anyone make you suppress your true feelings. Let the fire locked away inside you burn bright. Show the world the heat of your passion. Let the flames consume you and everything. Become the star you were born to be."

"Become…a star." Her breathing hastened. Her eyes lost focus. Her tail wagged and slapped the ground uncontrollably. Sweat dripped down her skin as she grew hotter and hotter from the excitement. "Let the flames…consume me…"

Itzal stepped back and lifted his scepter toward her. "Iris, I think you're ready."

Still in a lustful daze, she asked, "R-Ready for what?"

Itzal blew on the glass orb, expelling the scarlet-colored flame out into the open. It swirled into his open hand, condensing itself into a tightly packed fireball. He held it up to the Alolan Marowak's face, letting her eyes reflect the stunning glow of its heat.

Her eyes widened in realization. "No…No way. Are you—"

"Iris. Hold out your hand."

She could barely contain her excitement through heavy breathing. She shakily lifted her hand before being engulfed in the Gourgeist's grip. Her tail shot up as a flame erupted between their linked hands and traveled up her arm.

"Y-Yes! YES! OH YEEEESSSSS~!"

Itzal laughed maniacally. "Iris Adesso, as the head of the Scarlet Flame, I bless you with the flame's embrace! No longer are you bound to my will! I hereby declare you…the Scarlet Priestess of Eternal Passion! Let this flame burn as bright as your soul! Bring this kingdom to ash, and let the world know your name!"

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Iris ripped the bandages covering her right arm off and let them flutter away into the wind. Scarlet-colored burns that wrapped around like ribbons covered her sleeveless arm and glowed with an internal heat festering inside her.

She arched back and laughed at the sky with an excited, lustful expression that permeated joy the pyromaniac hadn't felt since she was a child with eyes burning scarlet. "I am the Scarlet Priestess! I shall bring this world one step closer to pure happiness! Let us all burn together into the flames of passion!"

"Sister!" She looked back with her excited grin as Jasper and Gasparo dumped the last of the volatile compound into the ice pit. Jasper saluted her and said, "The ritual is ready whenever you are!"

"Excellent~!" She stumbled over to the pit, giggling at it with infatuation. She climbed on top and stared down at the mound of blue clay. She held her cheeks and teetered back and forth with growing glee. "Jasper, Gasparo~. Take cover~. I don't want you two getting hurt~."

The Sandslush brothers nodded and took shelter behind their transport wagon. Iris pulled out her bone club and lit both ends in green fire. However, as the scarlet flame grew inside her, her natural green flames soon mirrored its sacred red.

"I call upon the power of the Scarlet Flame," she whispered. "Bring forth this creation of science and let it merge with the sky. Rain down its contents so that the flames may spread into every inch of this wretched kingdom. Bring forth a storm that'll drown this city in fire!"

She dropped the bone club. It jettisoned a mixture of flame and mist, causing it to spin and hover over the clay. As it built up speed, it caused the clay to spin and gravitate to the center. The bone club drew the compound up and mixed it within the ring of flames. However, instead of igniting the whole pile, it released a blue gas that flew out from the top of the spinning bone toward the sky.

Iris bent back and watched as the column of smoke extended high up, soon to transform into storm clouds packed full of volatile rain. She couldn't contain her laughter and broke down into a fit of maddening giggles as she hugged and caressed her shivering body.

"Ringmaster Itzal. Ansaldo. Are you both watching me? I'm about to step out on stage and shine~!"

Castle Visconti

Jason dug his claws into the high ceilings and scaled them as he entered the higher parts of the castle. He flicked his ears to get a better read on the heavy footsteps marching through the castle, and they seemed to be getting closer.

My hunch is that Grim Deadlock has vital information that can't get out. An operation like this can't go on for as long as it does without some secrets being recorded.

He steadied his breathing as shadows bounced off the walls around a corner. Rounding the corner was a female Frillish and a Swampert knight, and they appeared to be racing toward a set of double doors leading to a bedroom.

Jason glared. Evangelina Visconti. Melissa spoke of her many times. Eldest child of the Visconti family, and a devious mind wrapped around an air of class. Now, why is she still hiding out in the castle.

The princess stopped in front of her doors and threw them open with a furious shout. "I'm going to wring that blasted clown's neck!"

"Your Highness, let's be reasonable here," her knight pleaded as he followed her inside.

Acting fast, Jason electrified his system and bounced off the walls. He ricocheted three times before darting inside the room and leaping into the shadows of the high ceiling. He moved so fast, neither princess nor knight noticed his intrusion before the doors were closed.

Evangelina floated toward her window and pointed toward the electrified chaos reigning on the nighttime streets. "What do you call this? A tomorrow problem?! I made it clear to those jerks that I'd do anything to keep my city safe, and I stand by that. When I'm done with them, for every life they've taken tonight, that's the number of times they'll be chopped to pieces before I allow death to take its natural course!"

Jason winced. Melissa neglected to mention her vindictive side.

Her knight calmly approached her. "Your Highness, with all due respect, you are not suited for combat. Your brother certainly is in no condition to be fighting, but you have no experience in a brawl."

"I can still sling a Night Shade or two. I'm not completely…" She paused and looked at her empty bed. "Wait a minute, where is Asterio? He should've been sleeping."

Her knight glared warily. "Do you suppose one of the knights escorted him out?"

"And not hear a fuss about him being covered in mysterious electrical burns? Yeah, chances are he fled as soon as he realized what was going on." She covered her face and groaned. "That damnable fool. He's going to kill himself faster than natural selection will."

Jason's eyes widened. Mysterious electrical burns? And she knows how he got them? Does that mean…?

Evangelina glared out her window, pressing her fins to the glass. "If this is how they make friends around here, then they have a funny way of inviting me into their little club. What? Was making a weighty choice in a week too much for them? Impatient, aren't they?"

The Swampert approached and gently massaged her shoulders. "Your Highness, I don't think this decision was spurred because of your indecision. Don't forget of the other events taking place these last few days."

Evangelina glared. "The Foresters. But what did they do that forced the circus to blow up the city early? Explain that to me, Romano."

The knight rubbed his chin. "I'm beginning to wonder if the two ploys are in any way connected. You said Last Autumn is trying to go about this heir system as peacefully as possible. This doesn't seem like it's part of their plan. Perhaps a rogue agent of sorts."

That seemed to calm the irate princess a bit. "So, this is just an unfortunate circumstance?"

"It appears so."

Jason glared. They do know about Last Autumn, though it seems there was no involvement with the circus exactly. So, they were reaching out to Evangelina as one of their candidates. Darby Tetrarch. Riko Amano. Evangelina Visconti. He grimaced. And, at one point, Melissa Penworth. Potential candidates to inherit the Elysivine Kingdom's sacred treasure.

Evangelina breathed an annoyed sigh. "Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Is this divine punishment for me? Or am I just unlucky? All I ever wanted was to pull the Echo Bell Kingdom out from the mud, and the one opportunity I get that could change everything ends with my city being destroyed. Just…brilliant."

Romano frowned. "You're under a lot of stress, Your Highness. Ever since that dreadful incident with the Vermin Butcher, you've been pushing yourself too hard. I'm willing to follow you into Hell to see your vision come true, but this is too much strain for you."

She brushed his hands off and floated to her bookcase. "We live in a world of liars, cheaters, and killers. Someone must make the sacrifice to keep the happiness of others alive. That's what being a ruler means to me."

Jason glared at them in confusion. Vermin Butcher? What's going on here?

Evangelina fiddled with the books until the secret compartment inside opened. She pulled out her notebook of notes and newspaper clippings, scowling at the contents hidden inside. "I'm no better than the rest of the scum on this wretched land, but I've acknowledged who I am. Do you suppose that's why Last Autumn wants me as their candidate? Because I'm cunning and cruel enough to get results?"

"…" Romano sighed. "You've shown me your dark side many times in the past. I'd say you've proven long ago you'll do anything for Echo Bell."

Evangelina clutched her book tightly. "Even if it means covering up the truth behind those serial killings."

Jason's eyes widened. What?!

"Sneaking, sneaking, sneaking~," Victoria and Felix whispered as they inched along the walls, dancing gently on the tips of their toes as they rounded the corners.

Victoria broke from their quiet chanting and formed a puzzled face. "Hey, Felix?"

"Yeah?"

"What are we looking for, anyway? Specifically?"

"…" He frowned. "Huh. I don't know. They just said find evidence, and the bosses know where they're doing."

"So, how do you find a spooky grim reaper or secret society clues?"

He scrunched his brow as he pondered for an answer. "Uh, let's see…where do most people keep their secrets?"

"In a wardrobe?"

"Right, so…" He groaned and slapped himself in the forehead. "This was so much easier when we were just hunting for a crown. I'm happy to help and all, but we don't know what we're looking for. I barely understand half of what we saw the other day. Secret societies, conspiracies, drug trades—"

Victoria giggled. "We picked a terrible time to be recruited into the Foresters."

He laughed back. "Guess we did!" He shook his head and punched his feelers together. "But we made a promise to Master Harlow that we would find clues for her, and we will find clues for her!"

"Yeah! Let's break stuff!" Victoria grabbed a vase off a table and threw it against the wall.

"…" Felix blinked at the broken pottery before looking at her. "Why did you do that?"

"…I don't know. I was just super hyped—"

"I heard something break over here." The two apprentices stiffened as a set of armored footsteps headed down a hallway, their shadow casting along the walls. "Your Highnesses? Is that you?"

"Oh my lucky stars!" Victoria squeaked as hush a tone as she could.

Felix, though feeling excitement from the approaching danger heading their way, glanced around for an escape route. His eyes landed on a large set of double doors that were slightly ajar. "Escape is in bound, my partner!" Grabbing the Azumarill in his feelers, he pushed the doors open and dragged her inside the room.

They found themselves in a large bed chamber with an oversized and eccentric bed. Seeing a gap under it, the apprentices leapt and slid under, curling themselves within the shadows.

They held their breaths and kept still as a Gholdengo made his way into the chamber. He twisted and turned, searching out the room for possible occupants. Or intruders based off the way he was attaching wrist-mounted crossbows to his arms.

"Is someone here? Come out with your hands, paws, or whatever other appendages up." He loaded the crossbows and moved cautiously around the room.

Victoria and Felix kept their mouths clamped shut as the knight made his way around the bed, checking inside the wardrobe first and behind some furniture in the corner. Their eyes widened as he started toward the bed.

"Could've sworn I heard someone," the knight muttered. "The prince or princess wouldn't just run off hiding, would they? Prince Asterio! Princess Evangelina! Please, come out right now! We've already evacuated your family and most of the staff. If you're a staff member, please come out. I promise you're going to be fine."

Victoria and Felix felt their hearts racing faster as the knight knelt in front of the bed, looking like he was about to check under it. Felix already had a feeler on his card holsters, ready to make a run for it.

Right as the Gholdengo began to lean down, the apprentices heard the window shatter followed by a bright flash. The knight leapt out of the way, giving the duo a perfect view of the stray lightning beam that blasted into and singed the rug in front of the bed.

"(Good grief!)" the knight barked in his native tongue. He turned toward the window before racing out the room. "I can't waste too much time."

The apprentices waited a moment in absolute silence until they could no longer hear the knight's footsteps. They let out a sigh of relief, then Felix started laughing with excitement. "Oooooh, that got the blood pumping. That was sweet!"

Victoria pulled herself out from under the bed and investigated the damage: a burnt streak through the floor and melted glass scattered about. She looked out the window, getting a view of the maniacal Heliolisk still terrorizing the city.

"How come they aren't shooting him down with cannons or something?" Victoria asked.

Felix pulled himself up and dusted his uniform off. "Didn't you see what was happening outside? He's emitting some kind of electrical field that's causing almost everything to levitate. I think they realized firing cannonballs will just give him ammunition to throw back."

"How are they going to take him down?"

"Best way I imagine is getting in close, though I'd hate to be the Flying-Type daring to go near him." He shrugged. "Still, his timely rampage spared us a long, tedious chase."

"Lucky us!" Victoria cheered. She paused and looked around the room. "Hey, what room are we in, anyway?"

Felix studied their surroundings and pondered. "Based on the size of the bedroom and the bed, not to mention the assortment of clothes poking out from the wardrobe, I'd say we're in—"

"F-Felix…" Victoria tugged on the Sylveon's hood and turned him toward the bed. "Loooook."

Their eyes widened at the left nightstand, a cluttered mess of items including skin moisturizer and a mustache comb. However, none of that mattered to the gold mine sitting among the clutter, carelessly left behind in the sudden evacuation.

A crown.

King Massimo's crown.

"I'd say…" Felix and Victoria felt wide grins stretching over their lips. "We got ourselves a royal flush."

Melissa may not have known much outside the Verde Kingdom, but she was familiar with the histories of her ally kingdoms as a part of her studies. One subject Theobald taught her was the Echo Bell Kingdom's culture and how they've taken in much of the Great Kingdom's during early development. With the royal family's access to the catacombs and their immediate closeness to the ruins…

"No. No. No. Ah! Here we go."

She took a detour to the castle's private library, which housed a number of books and documents on the history of Echo Bell. She searched the shelves until she found a certain book: Lost History Before Echo Bell.

She took the book and made her way to a nearby window, sitting below it and keeping herself out of sight of the library's entrance. She opened and flipped through the pages, skimming a vast number of texts in search of anything that would be useful to her.

"They had to have studied the catacombs when they first discovered them," Melissa whispered to herself. "The Echo Bell Kingdom would be the only ones with incentive to study the history that was lost. They must've discovered something useful."

As she feared, the further she skimmed through the book, the less it seemed like anything of significance was discovered. Most of the book detailed theories and vague statements of how the Great Kingdom lived. Some firsthand accounts were sited to personal records, though she didn't have time to search the archives for reference. Even so, all the accounts generalized what they saw.

She felt her heart tense when she skimmed past a particular account:

"Abundance of metal unlike anything discovered. Hoarded by an archaic land lost to centuries of isolation. Claiming these resources would prove a grand boon for centuries to come."

"…" Melissa closed her eyes and shuddered. "I was raised my whole life to be proud of my heritage. I…never fully understood the ramifications of how we obtained our status. When the ten lands invaded Virdis, did we…did we even recognize there were innocent creatures living here?"

She paused a moment to wipe her eyes. There was no time for crying.

After collecting herself, she returned to study the text, though didn't expect much more out of it. However, as she neared the end, something caught her eye: a wall of text underlined in ink. The ink seemed…almost recent, by her best guess.

"What the…?" Melissa skimmed through the underlined text. "Something, something…missing structure?" She flipped to the back and found the name of the book it was being referenced from. It was a history book on the warring period.

Melissa quickly scoured the library until she found the correct book. Cross-referencing for the correct page, she flipped open the book to the final days of the war. Once again, there was somewhat fresh ink underlining a passage.

"A mighty earthquake struck over the land, its origin unknown and unexpected. Accounts speak of a pillar of light erupting into the sky and washing over the whole of this land. Many claimed they witnessed the origin of the light, and a mighty structure that served as the pride of this kingdom sunk below the earth. Many lives were lost in the collapse, including the life of the last son of the kingdom."

"A pillar of light? A sunken structure? The pride of the Great Kingdom?"

Melissa recalled something she saw in the underground church: a pyramid with a pillar shooting into the clouds. It…sounded eerily similar to what was witnessed by the soldiers at the time. But what did that mean? What was the purpose of this structure? Why was it used before it sunk below the earth? More importantly…what did it do?

"Is this the sacred treasure Last Autumn's referring to?" she wondered aloud.

She closed the book and stashed everything she collected inside her bag. As she stood up, she wondered as to who wrote inside the books. Based on the ink, she assumed it was done recently. Perhaps…Perhaps it was whoever was offered as a candidate to the heir system. They wanted to learn more about the sacred treasure, too.

"But I still don't know what it is," Melissa grumbled. "All I know is that it may be a pyramid that shoots light into the sky. If that's true, what produced that light? Was it even light? How can something like that even exist in those times? How advanced were the arbiters—"

Pat!

Her ears perked up. She turned to the window and saw the remnants of a raindrop sliding down the glass. Confused, she pried the window open and looked out to the sky. Though hard to see, storm clouds rolled in over the city. Storm clouds, yet she didn't hear any thunder or see any lightning. Were they not actual storm clouds?

"It wasn't supposed to rain tonight." She stuck her hand out and waited for another raindrop. One plopped into her hand, and she pulled it up to her nose. "Doesn't smell like rainwater. This scent, I can't quite place it. Is this even water?"

A troubling thought, though however unlikely it seemed, came to her.

She channeled a bit of Basil and rubbed the water between her fingers to produce a spark. She kept her hand as far away from her face as possible before snapping.

A dramatic explosion far greater than what she intended erupted from her hands and spewed flames over the walls and floor. She gasped and hurried stamped out the flames before they could spread. It took a bit of effort, but she snuffed out the fire with only a burnt rug and fur as collateral.

She looked at the blackened fur on her hand with a horrified expression. "What…is going on here?"

"Ah man, it's raining, too?! How can this day get any worse?!"

Melissa's eyes widened. Peering out the window, she spotted an Alcremie running through the electrified streets and heading toward the castle.

"Is that…Monica? Why is she all the way out here?"

She looked back up at the sky and noticed the rain was coming down in greater quantities. Worst of all, she saw a random, fiery explosion going off in the distance due to the electricity coursing through the city.

"If she gets drenched in that rain, she'll—"

She had no time to think. The rain would start downpouring any second. Acting fast, she leapt out from the window and raced toward the unsuspecting Alcremie. Moving as fast as her feet could move, she snatched the archivist up by the waist.

"EH?!" Monica gasped. "Who are—"

"No time to explain! We need to get inside, now!"

Melissa turned and rushed back to the open window. She made a daring leap back into the library just as the rain came crashing down over the city.

Though she didn't understand how it was being done, she knew exactly what was going on.

The Ritual of the Scarlet Flame…was about to begin.