21st Noble Lion Moon, 908 – New Chariot Camp, Nightfall

Though a summer night, chills ran through the air on this particular night. The prospect of a deal in the making capable of going horribly wrong was on the minds of many moving forward. For New Chariot, a demonstration of their might. But for the Western Alliance…

A chance of victory.

Entering New Chariot's territory, three cloaked knights made their way up to the camp's gate, which stood illuminated by lantern light. Their presence wouldn't go unnoticed as soldiers appeared from the watchtowers with crossbows drawn and aimed on their location. The clicking of the crossbows ordered the knights into stopping.

"Identify yourselves," one of the guards ordered.

The leading knight raised his hands and spoke in a low, gravelly voice, "We are representatives of the Western Alliance. We come in response to this morning's negotiations."

"Drop your weapons," the other guard ordered.

The knights complied, dropping their swords, shields, and daggers on the ground. In the leading knight's case, he slammed his grand battle axe into the earth. Though still wary of the knights, the soldiers heralded their arrival, and the gates soon opened to them.

Floating out into the open, flanked by dozens of soldiers each armed with their own crossbows, was Chief Centurion Janus. His many eyes trained on the leading knight, a low chortle echoing from him. "I was expecting Sir Fulbertus to be leading your little party. Had he lost his nerve?"

The leading knight shook his head. "No. I came in his place. I wish to speak with the leaders of your group. Seems I have the honor of meeting you on the battlefield once again, Centurion Deputy Janus."

Janus narrowed his eyes. "I haven't been called deputy in decades. Do I know you?"

"About forty years ago. I believe you'll recognize me…" He pulled his hood and helmet back. "…as the man who took Emperor Tiberius' arm."

Janus' eyes widened briefly before glaring with newfound intensity. "Well, well, well…you finally decided to show your face, Sir Gaufroi."

The Ursaring stood tall and proud in front of the imposing Claydol, unfazed by the ancient doll's unsettling aura. "You haven't changed a bit, as expected of your species."

Janus chuckled lowly. "You've gotten old. You were a young man when we last saw each other. You must be pushing at least sixty by now. The battlefield isn't a place for an old man, I assure you."

Gaufroi glared. "My father served in the Senbo Knighthood until he died at ninety-three. I swear my allegiance to the Senbo banner even if I must ride into battle at a hundred and two."

"Hmph. Well, can't fault you westerners for your stubborn pride." Janus pointed his orb-like hand at the Ursaring. "Though, that stubbornness is very costly, so I hope you understand the purpose of your being here. Have you come to terms with our deal and willingly surrender yourselves to New Chariot?"

Gaufroi crossed his arms, his expression unreadable, yet cold. "No."

Janus chuckled. "I believe you're confused. I asked if you are ready to surrender yourselves, lest bad things happen to your precious princes—"

"I don't care what you do to Prince Tetrarch, but Prince Talbot is under my protection."

"Hmph. Some fine work you've done to keep him safe, but you seem to be missing the point. I'm a generous man, Sir Gaufroi, and I'm willing to let these jokes slide. We are serious. Surrender, or the princes die."

"…" And yet, Gaufroi remained firm in stance.

"…" Janus glared. "Shame. Emperor Nero might've enjoyed having two princes being thrown into the colosseum. Wasted entertainment, but nothing to be done about it. You've made your point clear, Sir Gaufroi, so I pray your superiors don't have your head for the death of their child."

Right as Janus raised his hand to the sky to fire the execution signal, Gaufroi calmly raised his hand. "A moment longer of your time, Chief Centurion Janus."

Janus glared. "You've wasted your opportunity to speak by defying our symbol. You have no room to negotiate."

"It's actually more of a demonstration." Gaufroi bowed. "I couldn't help feeling nostalgic for when I first did battle with New Chariot all those years ago. Meeting you here almost seems like fate drawing us together." His eyes gleamed a haunting glow as he looked into Janus'. "Hence why I thought we could reminisce on those old times?"

Janus' eyes glowed an eerie blue. "What babble are you muttering?"

"Has it really been so long that you don't remember the fine details of our battle? You seem to clearly recall my confrontation with Emperor Tiberius." Gaufroi raised his hand above his head. "However, you seem to be lacking in the details. For instance, why did he single me out in the first place?"

"…" Janus' eyes widened, flashbacks of a green mist flooding the battlefield over forty years ago. "Wait a minute—"

"I'd give you time to reminisce, but—" Janus backed away as Gaufroi and his two knights placed masks over their faces as several sparkling spheres descended from the night sky. "The attack order was given the moment I bowed to you."

Several spheres fell from the sky and exploded across the ground, releasing a lime-green gas into the air.

The roar and stampeding of soldiers alerted Erasmus and Darby in their captivity, but focused on the objective at hand. Craning his neck as far back as he could, Darby bit around Erasmus' blindfold and attempted to gnaw it off.

"Y-You sure this will work?" Darby grunted.

Erasmus nodded. "When we see the right opportunity, all you need to do is what you do best."

Darby smirked. "Right." He sawed his teeth between the fabric, feeling it break into threads. "Almost…there—"

"Keep an eye on the princes!" Their eyes widened at the sound of Liber's voice outside the tent. "I need to see what happened. If I'm not back in five minutes, execute them."

Darby stopped chewing on the blindfold and turned toward the front entrance as a Manectric and Tangrowth soldier entered. They both laughed as they looked down at the captured princes, unaware of the unraveling blindfold hidden behind Darby's head.

"Lucky us," the Tangrowth said. "We will have the distinct honor of killing you two." He ran his fingers along his spear. "Would it be in bad taste to prolong your deaths? Some added suffering would do wonders for the morale of your kingdoms."

Manectric snickered. "Soon, the mighty Wick and Senbo Kingdoms will bow to Emperor Nero, and the rest of the inferior west will follow. Feel honored that we will bring purpose to your sad patch of land."

Darby glanced over his shoulder, sensing Erasmus' nod. He closed his eyes and smirked to himself. "I'm…ashamed to admit this, but you have us bested. You truly are remarkable warriors."

Tangrowth struck his spear down and laughed. "Seems your talk with Chief Centurion Liber has improved your attitude. A pity flattery will not serve in your survival."

Darby shrugged. "A sad revelation, this is true. Truly, we were the inferior beings on this day." He sighed. "I suppose that is to be expected. After all, the greatest of cowards serve as the mightiest of leaders."

Manectric laughed. "Yes, you would do well to remember that for all the time you have—" His and Tangrowth's eyes widened. "What…did you say?"

Darby smirked to himself. "Oh? Sorry, a slip of the tongue there. Don't mind me."

Tangrowth glared. "What words do you speak in the name of our emperor?"

He shrugged. "I did not mean anything by it. It makes strategic sense for your emperor to sit back in the comforts of his throne. Royals have a tendency to be cowards."

Manectric narrowed his eyes. "…Are you trying to get a rise out of us, Tetrarch? Such insults will not move us."

Darby nodded. "Oh, of course. I'm not so foolish to think trained soldiers such as yourselves would be antagonized by mere facts."

Tangrowth scoffed. "I believe the term you refer to is insults."

"Hmmm, no? No, that's not it. I mean, don't get me wrong, he has done wonders for the New Chariot Empire. It's just…well, you call us inferior, yet I'm certain we're the ones risking our necks for the sake of our kingdoms. In fact, I do recall the news of the king of Umbra Clock charging into battle in the name of his people. It takes a special kind of ruler to fight alongside his men. I believe it's to show their faith in their soldiers."

Tangrowth slammed his spear down. "Emperor Nero is a proud and dignified ruler who mustn't waste his time sullying his hands with the blood of inferiors. He would tear your flesh apart with his bare hands should he so choose. You have no right to think of him as your lesser."

Darby chuckled. "And yet, as I recall, your former emperor went into battle as well. In fact, many of your previous emperors fought on the frontlines of war, correct? Sorry, my knowledge of your bloodthirsty land of brutes is limited. Seems to me Emperor Nero is either scared to face us, or he doesn't consider his soldiers worthy of his presence." He shrugged. "So sad, but I suppose I wouldn't want to be caught dead leading mindless brutes."

Tangrowth glared. "You dare mock the honor of New Chariot?"

"I'm a dead man either way. Might as well air out the grievances." Darby leaned his head back in a dramatic sigh, all while nudging the back of Erasmus' head to unravel the last threads of the blindfold. "You underestimate the west. Our deaths won't lead to the destruction of morale. We will gladly die as martyrs to boast the strength of our people. Where we fall, our brothers will take our place as the heirs. We chose to enter war to inspire our knights knowing our deaths were a possibility. I'd say we hold more integrity than your coward of an emperor."

Manectric noticed Tangrowth's spear shaking in his grip. "Hey, Liber said to—"

"What's the harm?" Darby taunted, his smirk growing. "Are you really going to let me get away with insulting your god? We're already slated to die. If anything, I'm going to use every little second of breath I have left to describe the absolute failure that is your emperor. A coward who hides behind his riches, and you have all the authority to shut me up. After all, if he were a competent emperor, why has war in New Chariot gone on forever? It's because New Chariot, despite all its achievements, is made up of mindless brutes who flock to the word of their emperor and throw their lives away for the sake of meaningless praise—"

Tangrowth lifted his spear. "I'm sure…Liber will request the order to have you executed now. Your bodies will be strung up across our banners, princes of the west!" He thrusted the spear with great force, aiming for the penguin's neck.

Darby clenched his eyes shut and braced himself. Right as he did, Erasmus' blindfold snapped off. He craned his neck back and flashed his blindingly blue eyes at the vine monster. "Eyes of the King!"

The illumination of his eyes reflected off Tangrowth's, causing his strike to waver and slice across Darby's ropes instead. As soon as his wings were free, Darby seized the spear out of the startled soldier's grasp and immediately funneled his energy through it.

"Blade of Desire!" The spear turned black in his energy, and he cracked it across both soldiers, sparks of black igniting off the air. They went hurtling out through the tent, ripping it open, and crashed into the neighboring tent ahead.

Erasmus huffed. "That…was too close."

Darby balanced himself on the spear to catch his breath. "You're…telling me." He shook his head and sighed deeply before straightening up. His eyes widened. "What the…?"

Erasmus looked over his shoulder and noticed green mist flowing across the ground. "Is that…what's causing all the commotion outside?"

Darby peeked outside the tent and noticed soldiers blindly charging through the camp, even ignoring him as they ran directly past him. He stumbled back into the tent and grunted. "Seems our allies launched quite the surprise attack."

Erasmus raised his box shackles. "Questions for later. Let's bail."

Darby nodded and walked up to the Glameow, steadying the spear at the shackles. "Keep completely still. I've never wielded a spear before."

The march on New Chariot's camp was swift. Rising up from the shadows in the hills, the Western Alliance advanced with sword and shield in hand. Gaufroi led the advance, using his mighty axe to cleave through the defensive perimeter in a couple strikes. With the walls collapsed, the Western Alliance marched into camp.

Green gas funneled through the camp, reaching the noses of unsuspecting soldiers. One whiff of the gas caused their minds to overload with rage, provoking them into battle. Their only context was the explosions that rang out moments ago, and their well-trained minds concluded that it was the enemy launching an attack. This gas fixated on that combative mentality, turning it into a narrow-minded pursuit for blood.

Soldiers raced out from their tents armed with spears and shields and met the knights at the entrance. Their formation was sloppy, too fixated on killing to recognize the immediate danger. The knights were prepared, raising their shields and defending against the cluster of spears.

Gaufroi raised his axe and yelled, "Advance!"

The knights made the push forward, battering back against the soldiers with their shields and cutting them down with their blades. The soldiers were pushed onto the defensive, but even their disorganization and enraged minds didn't impede their years of military training. They kept their stances and traded blows, striking shield to shield.

From the sky, Fulbertus watched the battle unfold as the camp collapsed in the collision. His eyes shined softly. "Incredible. Almost ingenious. Utilizing an alchemically treated form of Rage Powder and launching them as mortar fire to encompass the entire camp. The soldiers are focused exclusively on the threats in front of them. The thought of executing the princes is far beyond their current mindsets."

He grunted and raised his hand. From outside the invaded camp, several flickers of fire ignited, revealing a squadron of archers laying low in the darkness.

"Tch. Sir Gaufroi, you…are truly the most insane man I've come to work with." He gestured forward and yelled, "FIRE!"

The twang of several bowstrings echoed through the night sky, followed by the sailing of dozens of arrows tipped in fire. They rained down over the enemy camp, striking into unsuspecting soldiers or igniting tents. Some of the arrows struck into tents containing flammable material such as dry wood, spreading the fire even faster.

And yet, the soldiers didn't care, prioritizing the removal of their enemy. They instead roared at the opposition and continued their charge into battle.

Among the affected soldiers, few remained. Due to the gas being made from vaporized Rage Powder, there was a select number of Pokémon uninhibited, that being Grass-Types, those with specific abilities, or even those who had their faces covered.

Liber looked out from behind a tent in shock as chaos ignited across camp, watching as his and Janus' soldiers ran rampant trying to kill the Western Alliance. "What in the name of…?" he growled.

"Chief Centurion Liber, what's going on?" a Forretress soldier asked.

"Has everyone gone insane?!" a Grotle soldier gasped.

Liber glared. "It seems we underestimated the west's cunning tactics. I can't believe they managed to whip this up in a matter of hours. There's no way they had something like this on standby and only chose now to deploy it."

"Sir, look!" Forretress gasped, facing the sky.

Liber looked up and gasped, spotting Janus high above the camp. Due to Janus' large eyes, Liber could see just how bloodshot they were. Even the mighty Janus had succumbed to the gas, angrily firing upon the land with Ice Beam and even freezing his own men in the blast.

"The damned fool," Liber growled. "He calls me reckless, and he let this happen on his watch?"

"Sir, the fighting is getting way out of hand," Grotle pointed out. "If we let this go on any longer, we'll lose a huge chunk of our supplies and soldiers."

"…" Liber glared for a moment before looking behind himself. "I wonder if the gas reached the princes."

"Huh?"

"I can't take any chances if those two go on a mindless rampage and somehow free themselves." He pointed his tendril at his soldiers and ordered, "Get Janus under control and order an immediate retreat from the area. I need to secure the prisoners and make sure they're dead."

Grotle saluted. "By your command, sir!"

Liber hurriedly hopped away while his soldiers ran into battle. The Victreebel growled lowly. I should've killed them before I went to check on what happened. If my guards failed to kill two incapacitated princes, I'll have to step in and finish the job myself.

Peeking out from behind a tent, Erasmus and Darby watched as fire ignited across the camp from a shower of raining arrows. They kept their heads down as arrows flew over their heads, striking into more tents further back. The green mist had settled, leaving only the ground up their ankles filled with the lingering fumes.

"Well, this certainly isn't the kind of tactic I'd expect from Fulbertus," Darby mumbled. "Is it one of yours?"

Erasmus glared. "Considering I saw a few soldiers being tossed through the air, I assume this is Sir Gaufroi's doing." He looked at his paws and saw they were sprinkled with the dust floating in the mist. "Best to breathe in as little of this as possible." After checking around the corner again, he signaled to Darby and led the way forward.

Darby kept his beak covered as they walked along the burning tents. "Seems a little risky to be launching this kind of assault with us being held captive."

"I trust Sir Gaufroi's decision. If we were still restrained, chances are we wouldn't be able to do much even if we were infected." Though, the intent to murder you would be out of my control, so good thing that did not come to pass.

Darby squinted. "I can barely see anything ahead of the flames."

"Just keep moving forward, and we will reach the alliance at the front—"

SNAP!

Something flew from the princes' blindsides and struck across their sides. They hurtled through a burning tent, collapsing it over themselves, and crashed into some crates buried inside. Erasmus tore the fabric apart as he struggled to get back on his paws. Darby lay on the ground in a brief daze.

"Typical." Erasmus glared ahead as Liber hopped slowly up to them, his vine tendril fluttering menacingly around him. "It's always like this. I leave you alone at the last second, and you find some way to break yourselves free. Tch. I'll have to give a good scolding to my soldiers for their incompetence."

Erasmus finally picked himself up and panted quietly. "You…should not have underestimated the west. We, the princes of Senbo and Wick, will not stand idly by in the face of danger."

Liber laughed, cracking his tendril against the ground. "That sad little bird says otherwise. I'm surprised he had the strength to crawl out from his execution."

Darby pushed himself to his feet and brandished the broken spear at the Victreebel. "I will not stand here and be mocked by brutes like you. My friend and I will be walking out from your camp, and you will permit so, lest it be your head mounted upon your banners."

Liber snickered. "A tempting offer. May I offer a counterpoint?" He raised his vine high, secreting poison along it. "How about your immediate extermination? Sweet Poison Strike!" He cracked his tendril across the air.

Erasmus and Darby jumped in opposite directions as the whip struck down between them. Their eyes widened as they smelled a familiar, heavenly scent coming off the dripping poison. Their minds wavered a bit, but they came to their senses as the whip sprung to life again, sailing toward Darby.

"Blade of Desire!" Empowering his spear, he slashed into the vine like he was wielding a sword and countered it. He winced as the aroma wafted in his face. "C-Can't…concentrate…"

Liber torqued his body and cracked the whip toward Erasmus. "Flawless Blade!" He extended and lengthened his claws, setting them ablaze in a dark purple aura, and struck back against the whip. His nose twitched from the scent assaulting him. "Th-This is…!"

Liber retracted his whip, bursting with laughter. You idiots don't know what you're up against. All that wine I've been drinking wasn't just because I'm a struggling alcoholic. The berries it was made from has given my poison a delectable scent enhanced by my Sweet Scent. The more the aroma fills the air, the less focused you'll become. It's only a matter of time before you falter into a lethal attack!

Erasmus stumbled back and yelled, "Darby! Try not to inhale any of the poison aroma!"

"That sounds like obvious advice, but whatever!" Darby charged at Liber from the side, igniting his spear with another charge of dark energy. "Blade of Desire!" He swung at Liber, but he squished and contorted his body to dodge the strike. "Hey!"

Liber reeled his whip in and caught Darby by the neck. "Going up!" He swung him high into the air, then cracked his whip into the ground. "Going down!" He focused all his energy into the tip of the tendril, slamming Darby into the earth with the maximum amount of strength.

"GAH!" Darby gasped, bouncing off his back and coughing up blood.

"Sweet Poison Wave!" Liber swung his tendril again, this time secreting a large wave of poison behind the strike.

Erasmus raced ahead and lunged, pulling Darby out of the ground and barely avoiding the attack. Poison splashed out from the impact and washed over the ground. Erasmus rolled once he landed and managed to get out of the poison's reach.

"Sweet Poison Spear!" Liber cracked his tendril forward, shooting it ahead like an arrow.

Erasmus deflected it with his Flawless Blade, then smacked Darby in the face. "Wake up!"

Darby groaned and struggled onto his feet. "Ugh, I'm awake, I'm awake." He massaged his cheek and glared. "Okay, this guy's more trouble than I expected."

"We just need to stay clear of the poison, and we'll be good to go."

Liber smirked. "That's not your only concern." He puffed out his body, then expelled a geyser of sparkling green mist from his mouth. "Sweet Nectar of Soothing Slumber!"

The princes' eyes widened as the familiar mist expanded across the sky before flowing down over their heads. "Run, run, run!" Erasmus yelled. They turned and ran before the mist came crashing down on top of them.

Liber puffed out his body again. "Drunken…Nectar Festival!" He expelled a high volume of toxic sludge from his mouth, swallowing the green mist and flooding the camp ahead in an instant. Tents and supplies were crushed under the rushing poison as it traveled after the fleeing princes.

Seeing the poison chasing behind them, Darby grabbed Erasmus' foreleg and threw themselves onto a lone wagon. The poison smashed into the wheels and brought the wagon to ground level, but they managed to jump off and land on a crate that was floating along the poison sea.

Erasmus panted heavily. "Thanks…"

"Don't thank me yet—GET DOWN!" Darby pushed Erasmus' head down and deflected a surprise whip strike from below the poison sea.

Erasmus' eyes widened. "Don't tell me—"

Liber emerged out from under the poison with his robes stained purple. "Well, you're not as worthless as I pinned you, Tetrarch. Sweet Poison Spear!" He fired his tendril forward.

Erasmus rose to his paws and deflected the strike with a timely Flawless Blade. "Darby, now!"

Darby clenched the broken spear and funneled a mass of dark energy through it. "Envious Return!" He swung and unleashed a dark shockwave of energy forward.

Liber swung his tendril into it to counter the force, but didn't expect the sheer volume of power being thrown at him. The shockwave engulfed him, shredding through his robes and skin, and threw him across the poison sea. He dragged his leaf hands down and skidded to a stop, balancing atop the viscous surface.

His body smoked from the brief exposure to the energy, shuddering as he caught his breath. He really is the spitting image of his father. So, that means he has Power Trip. He smirked. But it's nowhere near as powerful. He's just using the immediate benefits of Power Trip. It's just raw power. That, I can get around.

Liber bounced high up into the air and secreted another wave of poison from his tendril. "Drunken Nectar Hangover!" He expelled a purple gas from his mouth sprinkled with green dust. It spread over the sky and rained down over Erasmus and Darby.

"Envious Return!" Darby swung at the air, splitting the mist around them. He gripped the broken spear tightly and watched the mist divert away. "Great, now what?"

Erasmus glared. "I'm going to take a wild guess that if we inhale that stuff, we're never waking up again."

"Ah, fun."

Liber dove back into the poison sea, then emerged out with poison erupting from his tendril. "Sweet Poison Wave!" He cracked the whip forward.

The princes jumped off their perch and watched the poison wave split the crate in two. With nowhere safe to land, they unfortunately landed on the poison sea. They sunk up to their ankles, and moving through it was difficult. It was like trying to trudge through honey.

And worst of all—

"The aroma is strong!" Darby yelled, covering his beak.

Erasmus stumbled a bit, his sensitive nose picking up a large whiff of the poison. "C-Can't…think…"

Liber skated across the poison, laughing aloud. "Did you really think you had a shot at beating me? You two aren't even at full strength thanks to the drugs we fed you! I'll just keep wearing you down until the poison takes affect!"

Erasmus grunted, shaking his head and fighting off the fatigue. "You…won't get the chance!" He pulled his paws out from the poison right as Liber swung his tendril. "Perfect Parry!"

He guarded against the tendril, briefly stunning it, and lunged at Liber with incredible speed. He delivered a powerful slash of dark energy into the Victreebel, striking with explosive force. Liber doubled over the blast, wheezing pollen from his mouth, before taking a sharp backhanded strike from Darby.

"Wing of Desire!" Darby smacked Liber across the poison sea, sending him over its boundary and onto dry earth. He helped Erasmus to his paws and carried him to the edge. "Hang in there, Erasmus!"

Erasmus coughed. "You're…handling this surprisingly well."

Darby smirked. "Heh. Once you get used to it, it's not so bad. I'm used to working around sweet-smelling concoctions."

"…" No comment.

Liber picked himself up and glowered as the princes stepped out of the poison sea. "Tch." He looked around and watched as the number of soldiers charging through camp ran thin. "We're withering ourselves to nothing. Damn it all, Janus, what's taking you so long?"

After Erasmus and Darby caught their breaths, they raised their claws and spear at the centurion. "What's the matter, New Chariot scum? Are we actually starting to worry you?" Darby taunted.

"…" Liber glared at them. "Do you really think I fear defeat? We are New Chariot's finest. Regardless if we fall or not, we will rise up stronger than before. You hold no power over us."

Erasmus scoffed. "None of that matters." He faced Darby and widened his eyes. "Psych Up." His eyes flashed blue, and a dark aura briefly surrounded him. He extended both sets of claws and ignited them in a dark purple aura. "The west will not fall so long as we have breath to spare."

Liber chuckled. "A bad choice of words against me. I specialize in taking my opponents' breaths away." He snapped his tendril across the ground and laughed even louder. "We are the soldiers that carry the symbol of Emperor Nero! Do not look upon us with such defiance! We are the true rulers of this region!"

"…" Darby clenched his teeth. "Emperor Nero…doesn't deserve the throne. There's only one king worthy of taking that title, and it shall be me."

Erasmus raised his brow at him. What is he talking about?

Darkness exuded off his spear, brief crackles of energy lighting off. "I will…surpass my father and become the king I was destined to become. I will become the Dark King of Virdis, and I shall destroy anyone who opposes my kingdom."

Liber smirked with poison gas seeping out from his mouth. "I'd like to see you try, little prince."

Darby nodded at Erasmus. "Ready to show him the west's true strength?"

Though slightly unnerved by Darby's earlier comment, Erasmus nodded in agreement, raising his claws. "Let us contend."

"RAAAAAH!" Gaufroi barreled through row after row of soldiers, throwing their bloodied bodies into the sky with a single swing of his axe. His aggressive stature earned the ire of the irritated soldiers, their infected minds centering their focus onto him solely.

"Wheel of Justice!" Linota charged in from behind Gaufroi, leaping at soldiers and battering their faces with her flaming bucklers. One soldier tried to spear her, but she tossed her shield at his throat, knocking him to the ground in a fit of coughing. Catching her rebounding buckler, she smashed them down atop a soldier's helmet and catapulted over the horde to punch another in the face.

Serell took the skies, firing attacks from his halberd and causing disruption among the horde. As he did, an Ice Beam nearly clipped his wings, causing him to shriek. "ACK! What the—" He looked to the sky and gasped as the rage-filled Janus fired Ice Beams from his orb-like hands. "WAH!" Serell flailed and twisted his body around the crackling beams of cold. "S-Sir Gaufroi! We have a situation!"

Gaufroi smashed a soldier's head into the ground and snarled at the airborne Claydol. "That's going to be an issue." He pressed his hand to his temple, connecting to the psychic channel. "Sir Fulbertus, order the archers to fire on Janus!"

"Aye!" Fulbertus signaled to the archers outside camp. "Fire on the Claydol, now!" With a wave of his hand, the archers launched a volley of arrows through the air.

Janus' wildly twitching eyes saw the sea of arrows arching through the sky. "Ancient Power!" He channeled a spectral aura around himself, conjuring ancient rock from the air, and fired it at the arrows, destroying them in a single blast. "Destroy! Destroy the enemy!"

As Janus narrowed his focus on the Western Alliance, Liber's Grotle and Forretress soldiers snuck out from behind a burning tent. Grotle winced. "He's gone absolutely mad."

Forretress glared. "Remember the plan?"

"Yeah. Do it."

Forretress closed into his shell and hurtled himself in the sky. He hovered above the rampaging Claydol and started spinning rapidly. "Apologies, Chief Centurion Janus. Gravity!" He created a cylinder of gravitation force below himself, slamming down atop of Janus.

"WAH!" The Claydol plummeted of the air and crashed hard into the earth, burying himself five feet deep. "RAAAAAH! What insolence—"

Grotle came out of hiding and extending glowing vines from the bushes on his back, wrapping them around Janus. "Giga Drain!" His intention wasn't to drain Janus' energy, but to clear away the Rage Powder flowing through his system.

Janus struggled under the effects of Gravity, flailing and roaring in his captivity, but Grotle's remedial Giga Drain soothed his chaotic mind. His eyes gradually returned to normal, and his senseless roaring calmed into his panting huffs. Once Grotle was sure he had calmed, he deactivated Giga Drain.

"Sir?" Grotle called out.

Once the Gravity lifted, Janus picked himself up, his stoic expression present in his eyes. "Hmmm…that was unpleasant." He twitched his eyes all over, scanning his surroundings. "They've caused quite the mess to camp."

Forretress floated down. "Sir, Chief Centurion Liber ordered a retreat. We should evacuate the area immediately."

"…A fine proposition." Janus picked himself up. He pointed to the Forretress. "Get the unaffected soldiers through one of my portals." One of his eyes lit up and fired a warped portal of psychic energy into existence. He pointed to Grotle after opening more portals from his eyes. "You, cure as many of the soldiers as you can and have them drag the rest through the portals. We'll worry about their behavior later."

"Aye, sir!" With that, the soldiers ran off.

Janus glared at the battle taking place ahead, psionic energy blazing from his many eyes. "Sir Gaufroi, this injustice will not stand."

With a full-scale retreat across camp, more room opened up across the land. Liber, now free to go all out, cackled as he launched wave after wave of toxic sludge across camp trying to drown Erasmus and Darby. The two princes used their surroundings, jumping across planks of wood and smashed wagons to get over the initial attacks.

Lunging through the sky, they descended upon opposite sides of the Victreebel and went for the kill. Liber dodged a swing from Erasmus, then used his tendril to grapple Darby's wing and throw him across the sludge-covered earth. He bounced back from a flurry of claw swipes from Erasmus before swinging a Power Whip straight down. Erasmus barely rolled out of the way in time.

"Sweet Poison Spear!" Liber whipped his tendril and fired it at the Glameow.

"Eyes of the King!" Erasmus rolled onto his paws and shined his radiant blue eyes at Liber, causing his attack to waver subconsciously. He lunged at the disoriented fly catcher and unleashed a storm of slashing attacks. "Pure Whirlwind!"

Several cuts opened up across Liber until he retracted his tendril to defend. Thanks to the power boost Erasmus copied off of Darby, his attacks were striking with even more ferocity than usual. Each cut sprayed the centurion's green blood onto the poisoned earth, shredding apart his robes and tearing into his face.

"Drunken Nectar Festival!" Liber managed to get a clean strike across Erasmus to get him off before expelling a torrent of poison at him.

Erasmus sliced down the middle of the poison stream, diverting it around him. As he did, Darby ran up from behind the cat, jumping off his back and lunging at Liber. A single swipe of his broken spear tore a gash through Liber's side, spilling green blood onto the ground.

"AGH!" Liber cracked his tendril after the penguin and caught his ankle. "Drunken Nectar Hangover!" He expelled the toxic sleep gas at the trapped penguin.

"Envious Return!" Darby swiped up and diverted the gas with the pressure waves. He bashed the vine off his ankle and rolled to his feet. "Envious Divide!" He struck the ground, splitting it open with a blade of roaring darkness.

Liber dodged out of the way, but left himself open for an attack from behind by Erasmus, who struck true with his Flawless Blade. "AGH!" Liber growled. He cracked his tendril down onto the cat, but his attack missed. Several cuts opened up across his skin as Erasmus lunged by. "Tch. You're one tricky cat."

Erasmus sneered. "As I have been told."

Darby clutched his broken spear and charged down the stunned fly catcher. "Blade of Desire!" The darkness roared off the spear. With his Agility boosts, he caught Liber by surprise and struck him dead on. The impact sent the centurion flying across camp, smashing through tents, crates, and the like.

Erasmus squinted at the dust and debris. "I don't think that stopped him."

Darby growled. "How tough is this guy?"

Liber pulled himself out of the wreckage, coughing up blood that dripped down his face. Despite the injuries he sustained, he laughed through the pain. "I'm so wasted right now~. Can't even feel a thing~." He scowled at the princes. "Now I'm mad."

Erasmus crossed his claws together. "Do not act recklessly. Every second that passes, a little more of our strength returns. Surrender, and you shall be tried fairly by the…the…" He staggered briefly before collapsing onto his front paws. He panted ragged. "Sh-Shit…"

Darby's eyes widened. "Eras…mus?" He covered his throat as his face started to heat up, like he just contracted a fever. "W-What…?"

Liber smirked, cackling under his breath. "And so it begins. Those fumes are finally withering your senses away. Oh, this'll make killing you so much sweeter~!"

Erasmus clenched his teeth. "Bastard…"

Liber looked to where the fighting was taking place and grinned. "Janus is keeping your allies busy as we retreat. He won't let a single one of them get by until I've finished the job. Not even that grizzly bear will get the chance to save you."

Erasmus panted heavily, fighting through his fatigue, and picked himself back up. "Don't…underestimate us."

Darby pulled himself up, trying his best to smirk. "We're too stubborn to bow down to scum."

Liber scoffed. "You keep calling me scum? You're just a pampered prince! You have no honor to hold yourself up to!" He twirled his tendril over his head in long, winding motions before cracking it through the air. It erupted with poison. "Sweet Poison Wave!"

Erasmus and Darby, unable to dodge, braced themselves as the tendril struck across them, coating them in the poisonous slime. They dragged their weapons into the ground to catch themselves, trembling the poison dripped over open wounds.

Liber skated along the sludge-covered earth and thrusted his tendril forward. "Sweet Poison Spear: One Thousand Advances!" He cracked the tendril with such speed and ferocity that it resembled thousands flying at the princes.

Erasmus pushed Darby aside and lunged at the flailing tendril. "Pure Whirlwind!" He swung his forelegs wildly and unleashed a storm of slashes in defense, meeting each thrusting jab with a cutting blow. Poison and sparks ignited in the center of the clash, both sides pushing back for dominance.

Liber laughed. "What are you fighting for?! You think you hold the right to rule? We have been surveying your kingdoms for years! You think we don't see what lies beneath your holier-than-thou attitudes? You do not deserve to call yourselves the righteous ones! We stand as the truly righteous! Power belongs in the hands of the strong!"

Erasmus growled. "Shut. Up! Perfect Parry!" He crossed his claws and stopped the tendril in its tracks before retaliating with a wave of explosive dark energy, pushing Liber back.

Liber laughed louder. "A true ruler has no need for lies and subterfuge! Emperor Nero takes what he wants and doesn't cower under the threat of his reputation! He is the very example of righteousness! When there is no road ahead, he destroys what lays ahead and makes a road for himself! The road goes where Emperor Nero marches, and we follow him even into death!"

"Geez, do all you idiots want a piece of your emperor or something?!" Darby yelled, running out from behind Erasmus and thrusted his darkness-coated spear.

Liber sidestepped the attack and coiled his tendril around Darby's wing. "If you had any pride as a ruler, you'd understand the expectations of leadership. I don't see a king before me." He lifted and tossed Darby aside. "I see a pathetic prince who was coddled all his life for greatness! You're just a weak, spineless shit who finally got a taste of reality!"

Darby dragged the spear into the ground to catch himself, then growled at the Victreebel. "You have no idea the power I—"

"I've gotten a taste of it already! It's flashy, but it's certainly nothing I can't handle!" Liber grinned. "You've got nothing—"

"Flawless Blade!" Erasmus lunged from behind and performed a dual slash across the fly catcher's back.

Liber staggered, but spun himself around and laughed with greater enthusiasm. "You, however, are a problem. Sweet Poison Strike!" Giving Erasmus little time to react, he cracked his poison-covered tendril across his face and sent him flying back.

"AAAGH!" Erasmus skidded off his back and crashed into a pile of destroyed crates. He covered his face as blood dripped from his nose, and his face was discolored with purple as the poison dripped into his wounds.

"Erasmus!" Darby called out. He flipped the broken spear into a reverse grip and chucked it at Liber's head.

Liber caught the spear in his tendril and tossed it into the sludge. "Don't throw a javelin if you don't have the assurance to kill them." He cracked his whip behind himself and smacked Darby aside, throwing him into the burning remains of a tent.

Erasmus stumbled back on his paws and panted, but couldn't catch his breath before being smacked across the face by Liber. He caught the cat by the neck and lifted him into the air. Erasmus could see the toxic sludge bubbling inside Liber's mouth, its sweet, yet equally foul aroma assaulting his nostrils.

"Did you know my species in the savage times used to lure Pokémon into their mouths and hold them captive until they were digested?" Liber smirked. "I find it quite vulgar, but why not make an exception for more…royal tastes?"

Erasmus growled. "Screw…you."

Liber cackled. "What are you going to do about it?" He coiled his tendrils tighter around Erasmus' forelegs. "Those pretty little claws of yours aren't good for much, and your partner back there is hardly worth the effort."

The cat scowled. "You do not think I carry the weight of a true king?"

Liber smirked. "Only Emperor Nero knows the burden."

"Tch. Well…" Erasmus closed his eyes. "I carry something much greater than a title. I carry the burden of my people's futures. All their fear…and all their pain. Would you like a sample of that?" He opened his eyes wide, his irises bright blue and sclera golden yellow. "Eyes of the King: Suffering in Silence!"

Liber's eyes widened as they reflected the glow of Erasmus'. He recoiled, screaming out as newfound pain wracked his body. Erasmus, as well, howled in pain even before he was dropped to the ground. He gripped his sides as smoking, golden wounds formed over his body, ones only he and Liber could perceive. Liber also suffered these golden wounds across his body.

And their wounds…mirrored where the other's real wounds sat.

"W-What the…?!" Liber growled.

Erasmus struggled back onto his paws, panting heavily while keeping his eyes locked on the Victreebel. "M-My pain…and your pain. We're both perceiving what the other is feeling. Any damage you inflict on me, you'll feel the phantoms of that pain reflected onto your body, and vice versa."

Liber panted, feeling like he was getting warmer. He felt like he was…poisoned? "W-What kind of…technique is this?!"

"A deterrent. As long as I keep my eyes on you, you and I will keep inflicting pain on ourselves until one of us collapses. I, however, do not fear pain." Erasmus winced, but managed to raise his paw and unsheathe his claws. "A king…must sacrifice to protect his ideals!"

Pulling himself out of the wreckage, Darby looked upon Erasmus in awe, marveling at the pain he was pushing through to secure victory. He has seen the cat in battle numerous times, but never pushed so far. To think he had such a technique that had such a crippling impact against himself, yet willingly embraced the agony for his beliefs.

"Has every decision you made in your life, decisions of great importance, hinged on your absolute conviction rather than the will of others?"

I never sought or wanted for anything that wasn't already in my reach. Darby pushed himself to his feet, trembling yet moved by the golden light that radiated around his fellow prince. Erasmus, have I fallen so far behind that I didn't realize I've been clinging inside your shadow? The very definition of conviction. The very thing I was destined for, and I never wanted for it from the most important part of me: my soul.

Looking down at the wreckage, he spotted a lone sword sitting among the crates. He picked it up, studying its feel and weight, and took a few practice swings at the air.

You worked hard for your achievements, and my father gave me everything. I never wanted for anything. He clutched the sword tightly. If I wish to satiate my desires, my destiny, I must be willing to sacrifice those things and put my duties as a king first. Is that what you were trying to teach me, Erasmus?

With pain linked as one, Erasmus and Liber charged forth at each other, a battle of wills. Liber cracked his tendril furiously at the tricky cat, who dodged around them and cut across the fly catcher's stomach. Erasmus hissed, feeling the phantom of his own strike appear on his stomach. He endured the pain and delivered two slashes to Liber's back.

"GAAAH!" Liber endured as well, cracking his tendril behind himself and striking across Erasmus' face with his poisoned tip. He howled as the same wounds glowed across his face, and the illusion of poison in his system burned even hotter. "Y-You wretched…!"

"Pure Whirlwind!" Before Liber could finish his remark, Erasmus lunged forth with a flurry of slashes, cutting down the Victreebel relentlessly. Each wound inflicted marked another golden phantom across Erasmus' skin. The pain was unbearable, but he powered through it. No matter it be double, triple, or ten times the pain, he will not fall.

Liber, however, was of the same mindset.

"Sweet Poison Wave!" He jumped out of the whirlwind of slashes and cracked his whip through it, breaking through the claws and striking Erasmus' side. The pain reflected back onto Liber, but he carried through and battered the cat away. I just need to get him to stop looking at me, and this damned curse will be lifted!

Erasmus tumbled across the ground, barely managing to keep his line of sight trained on the fly catcher. He dragged his claws down and lunged back into the battle, dark purple aura blazing off his claws. "Flawless Blade!"

"Drunken Nectar Festival!" Liber expelled a high volume of poison forward, summoning up a massive tidal wave charging at Erasmus.

Erasmus cancelled his attack and lunged at the poison. "Pure Whirlwind!" He broke through the wave within a barrier of slash attacks and popped out through the other side. However—

"Sweet Poison Spear!"

Erasmus recoiled as, from the smallest of blind spots, Liber had launched his tendril and stabbed him in the stomach. Blood trickled down from the wound as he felt his energy being sapped away. The tendril coiled around him while remaining pressed into his skin.

Liber panted, taking deep breaths as he felt his injuries slowly closing. "Finally~." He brought Erasmus closer, squeezing him tightly in his coils. "You are…truly something, Prince Talbot."

Erasmus' golden eyes flickered until they returned to normal. The golden wounds shining off both their bodies lifted, the pain subsiding for all but their memories. Erasmus felt himself growing weaker, barely able to keep his eyes open.

"A…Adenine…" he mumbled.

Liber held Erasmus over his mouth as poison churned inside. "Let's…try this again. I hope you can bear the burden of your own suffering. May you pass on as slowly as possible—"

"Enough."

Liber paused, pulling Erasmus aside and looking behind himself as Darby limped toward them. He dragged his newly claimed sword behind himself. He held his head low, his eyes obscured in shadow.

Liber smirked. "Oh, don't worry. I'll get to you next. I'll make your death extra special if that's what you're worried about—"

"Let go…of my friend."

Liber laughed. "Your friend is about to become my next meal. You may judge me all you want, but my people were pure carnivores at one point. Indulging a bit won't do any harm." He lifted Erasmus again. "Now, be a good prince and wait your turn—"

"Dark King Aura."

Liber's eyes widened as an indescribable pressure of darkness engulfed him, holding him in place. It felt like gravity was pushing him down, yet not actually crushing him. He couldn't move a single muscle, all but his eyes. They frantically twitched, looking at everything before landing back on the penguin who had his wing stretched out at him.

"W…What?" Liber gasped.

Darby finally lifted his head, revealing the darkness that colored his sclera. "I finally understand, Erasmus, what you've been trying to teach me." A dark film of aura slowly crawled across his body, turning his normally blue feathers pitch black. "If a king desires for something, he must first learn to sacrifice those desires and put forth his goals. If I want all the power balanced atop my wing, I must evolve into a stronger version of myself."

Liber struggled against the oppressive aura surrounding him, barely managing to crane his neck around. "W…What did you do?"

Darby glared. "My father once taught me that, in times of need, we can forgo the moves we know in exchange for others. I inherited quite a few from him, but I spent my limited moveset on satisfying what I desired. Not anymore."

"W-What?!"

Darby gripped his sword in both wings, channeling a torrent of dark water around the blade. I will sacrifice my Lover's Trance, composed of Attract and Captivate, in exchange for two other moves. Quash, the power to suppress my enemy. Liquidation, the power to break all who meet my blade.

The darkness coating his body encroached up to his face, turning him almost completely pitch black. Darkness crackled off his body and sword as he slowly advanced toward the stunned Victreebel.

I never fully realized the power I wielded, but now I see the potential. No longer will I just use moves together, but weave them together. Power Trip, Work Up, and Agility. No longer working separately. I'll combine their attributes and magnify my power to even greater heights.

"Dark King Armament."

Liber trembled as he tried to break free of the suppressive aura, which seemed to grow stronger in conjunction with Darby's power. "You…worthless prince! You dare challenge the likes of New Chariot? You will suffer the most! Your kingdom will be burned by our hands! Don't you dare underestimate—"

"Shut up…" Darby growled, raising his sword above his head as the world around him darkened under his aura. "…and disappear from my memory."

Liber's eyes widened. "By Nero's might, what…are you?!"

"Dark King…Rend."

Darby took one step forward…then blitzed past the centurion. In a single motion, he reclaimed Erasmus in his wing and sliced Liber down the middle.

All was still for both sides, an eerie silence hanging in the air as Darby's dark form faded away. Then, Liber let out a horrific scream as darkness exploded down the middle, splitting him open. The ground split open in darkness under him, and the atmosphere trembled from the explosive force emanating off the centurion.

"Emperor…Nero!" Liber cried as the light faded from his eyes. "Avenge…us…" With green blood gushing down his wound, he collapsed, the last signs of life slipping in a single breath.

Darby stood there catching his breath, basking in his moment of triumph, yet he didn't celebrate his victory. He instead looked over his shoulder, glaring down at the puddle of plant matter in disdain.

"Only you…will be forgotten from history, nameless scum." Darby threw the sword away and propped the unconscious Glameow atop his shoulders. "You, Erasmus? I'll be sure no one forgets you. You…will be my inspiration towards becoming a better king. Thank you…for showing me my weakness."

And so, with the battle over and forgotten, Darby made his way to the camp's entrance, the darkness in his heart swelling more than ever before.

Little by little, Janus and Liber's soldiers evacuated through the former's portals as more and more of their camp burned to the ground. Janus kept the knights at bay, raising walls of ice with his Ice Beam and pushing them back with his Ancient Power.

"Keep moving!" Janus ordered. "Don't stop for anything!"

"Janus!" His eyes flickered to a charging Ursaring wielding a lofty battle axe. He lunged across the camp, swinging the mighty weapon overhead. Janus summoned up his Ancient Power to barely block the heavy swing.

Janus glowered. "Sir Gaufroi. You're as persistent as always."

Gaufroi clutched the axe in both hands and pressed his weight down on the floating stones. "You should've stayed buried forty years ago."

"Tch. How could I die knowing such a monster remained a threat to the emperor?"

Gaufroi growled, his fur standing on end. "You want to see how much of a monster I am—"

"Sir Gaufroi!" His eyes widened. Craning his neck, he spotted Darby trudging out from the fiery camp and holding an unconscious Erasmus over his shoulders. "Erasmus needs medical assistance! He has been poisoned!"

"They're alive," Gaufroi mumbled, mostly in relief for Erasmus. He turned to the sky and shouted, "Serell, get the princes out of here now!"

"Aye, sir!" Serell dove down to Darby and Erasmus.

Janus scoffed. "If they're still alive…" He sighed. "Liber, you idiot…" His eyes illuminated with psionic energy, then he blasted Gaufroi back with an Ancient Power. "I can't keep the portals open forever. Men! Those who remain, fight on in the name of the emperor! Fight, and survive!"

Though the remaining soldiers remained feverish under the Rage Powder's effect, they roared in response and charged back against the knights with greater gusto. The winded Claydol turned toward one of his portals and entered into it.

Gaufroi, however, wasn't having it. He looked to Serell as he got Darby's wing around him and shouted, "Serell! I'm leaving you to report back to Sir Matthias when he gets back from his mission!"

Serell and Darby's eyes widened. "Report? Wait, what are you—"

Gaufroi picked up his axe and charged after Janus. "In war, you have to take out the enemy's biggest advantage! Leave their teleporter to me!"

Janus' eyes widened. "What—" The Claydol staggered from a full-body tackle from the Ursaring knight, causing the portal to fizzle and warp out of control as they fell through. It stretched and squashed on itself before collapsing into a ball of light and sparkling dust.

Serell and Darby at where the portal stood, jaws hanging open in disbelief. "Did…Did he just…?" Darby muttered.

"Yep," Serell mumbled.

Linota, after clobbering a few more soldiers to the ground, ran up on the startled pair. "What are you idiots standing around for? We need to get Erasmus medical attention, right?" She looked around at the barren area. "Wait, where's Sir Gaufroi?"

"…I…don't know."

"H-Huh?"

Serell turned to the Rattata with a solemn expression. "I don't think Sir Gaufroi knows where he is, either."