3rd Autumn Moon, 908 – Night
Before the collision of swords and arrows, an invisible standoff waged between the two quiet forces, one side unaware of the other's presence. The New Chariot army, its forces led by Commander Manlius, stood in silence within their campgrounds as soldiers patrolled the perimeter. Prepared, but oblivious to the western army's ambush.
Under the cover of darkness, Matthias led a small group of knights toward the camp. The rest lay in waiting behind the natural cover of trees and bushes. Further back, the archers primed their bows in waiting for Matthias' signal.
Matthias' group reached as close as they could to the camp without alerting the outer guards, ducking behind some bushes. A soldier peered in their direction, believing he heard a noise, but dismissed it and went back on his route. Once an opening was made, Matthias signaled forward, and his group scurried around to the back of camp.
Not much could be heard beyond the walls of the camp. The march of nighttime soldiers carrying out their duties and the like, the mindset of steadfast soldiers caring only of business. Even at such a disadvantageous time of day, New Chariot remained alert to all present dangers. To launch an attack on them at this hour, precision and cunning were key.
Matthias' group reached the back of the campsite. Matthias placed his ear to the wall to determine the exact number of active soldiers. He grimaced. "Far more are awake than I thought. Most of them must've been sleeping during the day," he said.
Nathaniel frowned. "That means this'll be a tough fight."
"If all goes according to plan, we should be able to eliminate the numbers advantage." He scowled. "Manlius will be the main target."
"We fight on your command, Sir Matthias," an Ariados knight whispered.
"…" Matthias nodded. "Nathaniel, prepare a barrier. The second I send up the signal, we launch our attack."
Sequestered away in the commander's tent, Manlius penned his report for the emperor regarding the minor setback imposed by recent events. News of Liber's death and Janus' disappearance brought bothersome delays to the capture of the west, but not so much to dissuade further action. Though the loss of the two chief centurions was a great blow, it wasn't without its benefits. The reports given back to him made note of the damages left in their planned assault against their enemy. No doubt they were still reeling from the battle.
If the Western Alliance were to attack, no doubt their resources and manpower were weathered along the way. By this point, they could be running purely on willpower. Now, it was a question of whether they would retreat to regain their bearings or if they aimed to launch an attack soon.
Either way, Manlius would be prepared.
Amidst penning his report, a Pyroar entered his tent and bowed. "Commander Manlius, our scouts have received reports of the Western Alliance settling in a small mountain up ahead. We haven't yet determined their next course of action."
Manlius nodded. "Well, that answers that question. Seems they've chosen to attack us directly. I admire their dedication, for as foolish as it is. How will they contend? They certainly can't be in the best condition to fight, but maybe that's what they're expecting us to think."
"How should we approach them, Commander?"
The Snorlax commander rose from his chair and picked up his war hammer from the corner. "Why waste the opportunity? Have our men set up the catapults. We recently received Emperor Nero's shipment of incendiary compound."
"But they haven't been properly tested, Commander."
"This will be the test. I trust the emperor sent us functioning ammunition. Besides, even if they don't go off, no one wants to get nailed with a flying barrel." He chuckled softly. "The unfortunate upbringings of the west. How arrogant they think they are defeating Auster, Liber, and Janus. I doubt those were easy fights, and now they'll be paying for their hubris soon enough. It's about time they saw the true might of New Chariot."
The Pyroar saluted. "I shall prepare the catapults for you, Commander Manlius!"
"See that you do. I want them ready in ten minutes. I look forward to seeing the west go up in flames—"
FWOOOSH!
Bursting out from the back of the commander's tent, a wave of black flame rushed through and collided with Manlius and the Pyroar. Manlius instantly raised his arms as the flames engulfed him while the Pyroar ducked behind his commander in shock. The flames quickly stretched along the tent's walls, burning it to a crisp and sending the ashes scattering into the air.
Manlius swiped the flames from his body, his Thick Fat ability preventing further damage. He looked at his bracers, noting the heat hissing off them. "That actually hurt…" He glared at the path of torched ground before him. "Seems I underestimated the west."
Walking out from a wall of flames, Matthias rested his giant broadsword over his shoulder and glared through his helmet. Black flames surrounded the edge of his sword and hissed from his knuckles. He growled, releasing plumes of smoke through the grate of his helmet.
Manlius reached for his war hammer. "Sir Matthias, I presume. Well, I must commend you for such a bold strategy. I would've assumed your army was weakened by our constant attacks. You still have the strength to fight back?"
Matthias tightened his grip. "I'd be more worried about your own army in the next five seconds."
"Commander!" the Pyroar exclaimed, pointing toward the ashy sky. "Look!"
Manlius gazed up and saw thousands of dark shapes scattering through the air in an arc. Realizing what was raining over the camp, he quickly grabbed his writing desk and lifted it over his head, shielding against the storm of arrows beating down on the camp. The Pyroar tried to duck under with him, but the arrows pierced through his hindlegs before he landed.
The arrows pinged off Matthias' armor as he approached the commander. "Your first mistake was thinking we could be subjugated so effortlessly. Your second…was not having the gall to take us on yourself."
From afar, led by Fulbertus, he commanded the archers to fire wave after wave of arrows. Their dark color allowed them to blend with the night sky, making them nearly impossible to detect until they came with range. He watched through his telescope as the arrows rained over the enemy army's campsite. Soldiers used their shields and armor to protect themselves, but the true target were the soldiers resting away in their tents. Arrows pierced through the roofs, each cluster increasing the chances of dealing a critical blow to the slumbering soldiers. Even if their training allowed them to rise at a moment's notice, they would be woefully unprepared to deal with an innumerable assault of arrows.
Once the arrow shower cease, that was the signal for the awaiting army at the bottom of the mountain. Darby stood at the head of the unit, acting as the leading commander in the assault. Though he wished to share in this glorious battle with his beloved comrade, Erasmus, the Glameow prince was still in recovery from his injuries. Thus, he will dedicate this battle to their friendship!
Darby drew his sword and shouted, "Advance!" He took the lead rushing toward camp with the western alliance following his command (some more begrudgingly than others).
By the time the New Chariot soldiers recovered from the arrow raid, they opened their gates and saw the western alliance making their move. The soldiers readied themselves, drawing their spears and shields, and rushed out onto the plains with a glorious roar cry.
The two armies met halfway and slammed into each other. With New Chariot's superior range in spears, they used their shields to block the frontal attacks and thrusted their spears around cover. However, the alliance wasn't unprepared for their nearly perfect formation.
Bursting out from the crowd of knights, Rikmai surged around the soldiers in her water form and flash-froze their shields against the knights' shields. This sudden shift in balance caused the soldiers to stumble forward, allowing the front wave of knights to rip their shields away and strike them down with their weapons. Blood splattered off maces, and halberds pierced through the weak points in the soldiers' limited armor.
The soldiers attempted to flank the knights on both sides, but this proved ineffective as well. On the left side, Ivone swooped down from the sky and barreled through clusters of soldiers with his Purified Luster technique. Their spears and shields were no match in impeding his flight.
On the right side, Noel raced into battle atop the Rapidash steed, Jane. Jane galloped gracefully around the soldiers' counterattacks while Noel mercilessly slashed them down with her battle axe. The heat emanating off the blade's edge melted through their armor and left searing wounds along their flesh.
An aerial unit of soldiers attempted to strike down the back of the opposing army, but were sniped down by Jael, who balanced atop a Tauros steed. The Octillery focused his reticle eye on several targets before firing. "Thermal Force Bullet!" A rupturing shockwave of steam erupted from his snout and broke the aerial unit out of formation. He focused his reticle eye onto the crowd next. "Frozen Ink Bullet!" He rapidly fired explosive ink shots at the grounded soldiers.
His shots exploded against their faces and flash-froze upon splattering, blinding a chunk of the frontal unit. The knights took advantage of their weakness and threw themselves against the enemy with physical techniques.
Realizing the situation they were in, a Carkol and Mamoswine soldier exhaled a combined Smokescreen and Mist attack that enshrouded the New Chariot army. Instantly, the soldiers retreated into the inky fog.
"Shields up!" Darby ordered.
Upon his command, several different attacks fired from the fog and bombarded the knights. They stood their ground behind their shields, feeling the combing elements attempting to break their defenses. Ice crawled along their shields, fire broke out under their feet, and geysers of water slammed against them.
Serell took off into the air holding Jakke under the arms. "You ready?!" Serell yelled.
"NO!" Jakke screamed.
"Good!" After spinning a couple times to build up momentum, he tossed the Alolan Golem into the mist.
"I said NO!" he screamed. However, shaking off his nerves for the moment, he steadied himself and prepared to land. "Demon Thunder Mountain!" Upon landing, he uplifted a wave of electrified earth, scattering the hidden soldiers out of formation.
Lionel rushed through the fog, his fangs bursting with flame. "Burning Hunt!" Using his sense of smell, he picked out the soldiers in the dense crowd and delivered swift, burning bites at great speed. Soldiers went up in flames one by one. The blind Arcanine danced around their spear work and escaped out the back of the fog, pouncing upon the unprepared soldiers outside it.
Rikmai surged under the feet of soldiers, striking them with her watery tail and crushing their shields from the sheer pressure she exuded. Their attempts to stab her were futile, their spears passing through her liquified body effortlessly. She coiled herself around the soldiers before swiping her tail, sticking them together in a web of ice.
"Gelid Prison!" she called out before surging off to a denser cluster of soldiers.
Linota, with her smaller size, rushed under the legs of her fellow knights and took the enemy soldiers by surprise. "Wheel of Vengeance!" She lunged into a combined spear attack, snapping the weapons against her bucklers, and plowed through a group with her headbutt/shield bashing combo. "Wheel of Justice!" She curled herself into a ball of flames and burst through the crowd like a comet, bouncing off shields and faces.
As the fighting escalated, Darby calmly walked through a vacant path as the two armies started to break into separate conflicts. Groups of soldiers attempt to run him down with their unbreakable formation, but were woefully unprepared for the Prinplup's dark evolution. No longer the reckless prince he once was, callously entering conflict like he was invincible. He dared not lower his guard against such inferiority, even for a second.
"Dark King Aura." By just focusing on the charging unit ahead, Darby instantly paralyzed them on the spot. The soldiers collapsed to their knees, struggling to rise. Darkness wrapped around Darby's feathers like a thin film and coiled around his sword, turning the blade midnight black. "A worthy state, bowing before your king."
A Heatmor soldier balanced on his spear, forcing himself to rise. "I…bow to no king! All hail Emperor Nero!"
Darby scoffed. "Pity. Dark King Rend."
The soldiers had no time to react as Darby instantly blitzed them and delivered a single stroke of his sword. Darkness erupted from the path he cut through, setting the soldiers ablaze in his dark aura like a geyser of rushing water. He flicked the blood of his sword and continued forward, never looking back at the mountain of corpses left in his path.
"Soon, you and I will conquer Virdis together, Erasmus," Darby whispered, his sclera creeping with darkness. "I shall carve these inferior beings into a worthy kingdom of our design."
Meanwhile…
Left with only a select few knights as protection, Erasmus sat idly in his bed, picking up on the faint sounds of battle whistling along the wind. Though he wished to partake in the battle himself, he sadly must recover from the poison and injuries he sustained in his battle with Liber. Darby assured his fellow prince he would fight on both their behalf, carrying the burden of Erasmus' glory into battle.
Perfect.
However, Erasmus wasn't nearly as injured as the dark prince believed. In fact, the physicians tasked with healing Erasmus were of Senbo, and they were ordered to give a false report to the worried Tetrarch. The only people who knew the truth of his current state were his current protection, and his three trusted knights.
"You three understand the assignment, right?"
"We'll secretly inform the Senbo knights of your plan, Your Highness. They will gladly heed your command, no matter the request."
"Th-This seems a little dangerous, though. How will the Verde Kingdom react to this? They've been allies with Wick for far longer—"
"That will not matter. I am sure they will be interested to hear of the evidence I have against Darby."
"So, the Foresters sent you everything we need to turn Verde against the Wick Kingdom?"
"Now it's just a matter of using this battle to weaken Wick's knights. Rikmai, think you can perform a little sabotage from behind the scenes?"
"Heh. I'll do all I can, Your Highness."
Erasmus glared up at his tent's ceiling. "All that matters now is surviving this battle. And once that has been achieved, another victory will be had in the morning."
The clash of blades and shields ran across the open plains of New Chariot's territory, their melodious symphony of bloodshed a welcomed accompaniment to the war-raised empire. These were the sounds Commander Manlius was raised from, and they will be the sounds that herald their inevitable victory no matter the threat that stands before them.
Manlius crossed his arms and glared down at the black knight before him. "An impressive display of willpower, Sir Matthias. You have my respect."
Matthias pointed his sword at the Snorlax. "Save the praise. Death comes for you." Nathaniel, the Ariados knight, and a Crawdaunt knight joined by his side with their weapons drawn. "You have nowhere to run, Commander Manlius."
The Snorlax snorted in amusement. "You think you're in control? I'm afraid you have the situation backwards. It doesn't matter how many times you come into conflict with us. New Chariot will always stay ahead. You can take down as many of us as you can, but there will still be thousands more to crush you. Even now, I can tell your resources have run thin. This is a desperation attack, isn't it?"
"…" Matthias glared. "You have no idea what I'm like when I'm desperate. Pray you never see such ferocity."
Manlius smirked. "Amusing. However, as much as I would love to crush you myself, I'm the last resort of New Chariot for a reason."
Upon snapping his claws, a fierce sandstorm whipped up behind him and nearly toppled the knights over. They stood their ground, shielding their eyes from the dense storm. Suddenly, something glowing in a white aura shifted swiftly through the sand and struck into the knights, knocking them back with the force of the wind.
Matthias dragged his sword into the ground to catch himself while the others disappeared into the storm. Peeking through his hand, he barely made out the shapes of an armored Midday Lycanrok and a Gigalith standing beside Manlius.
The commanding Snorlax laughed and backed away into the sandstorm. "Don't stop on my account. I'll be sure to keep an eye on your allies. Maybe make a few corpses or two."
With the commander vanishing within the sand, his two subordinates advanced on Matthias. The fire monkey growled before sheathing his sword and running off on all fours. Gigalith commanded his sandstorm to chase after him.
The winds picked up around Matthias, focusing solely on him. He stopped and shielded himself as the sand scratched against his armor. He could feel it slipping through his helmet and scraping his skin, yet he remained unfazed by his weaker opponents.
"You dare mock me, Manlius?" Matthias growled. "Knights! Take them down!"
Nathanial burst through the sand without trouble and targeted Gigalith with his Bone Rush. He ceased focusing his sandstorm and hardened his skin with Iron Defense, enduring the onslaught of energy bone strikes. The Lycanroc soldier used Accelerock and disappeared inside the sandstorm to ambush Nathaniel.
"Maximum Web Stream!" Recovering from the initial attack, the Ariados knight fired a beam of webbing into the wolf's ankle catching him out of the air. He craned his head back and flung Lycanroc towards the awaiting Crawdaunt knight.
"Strong Hammer!" Channeling a watery aura around his pincer, he dealt a heavy punch that nearly folded the wolf's spine. His eyes twinkled with mischief. "How do you like that, you lousy—"
The wolf's form crumbled into sand and blasted across the crustacean's face. He sputtered and coughed sand, wiping his face off. Just as he calmed down, the Lycanroc appeared out from the sand and tackled the knight from behind with Accelerock.
"Substitute—" the Ariados knight gasped out before being rushed down by the wolf. He skipped off his back and disappeared into the sandstorm.
Nathaniel stopped attacking Gigalith and sprung into the air, firing off Heal Pulse into both knights. As he did, the Gigalith unhinged his jaw and formed a spiraling amber orb of sand, firing it into the airborne Lucario. It exploded against his chest plate and sent him careening through the storm.
The Lycanroc soldier smirked. "This is the power of New Chariot! We've been raised to fight against any and all odds. You stand no chance against the likes of us, not on our home territory!"
Nathaniel struck his energy staff down and pushed himself up, panting softly. "Your commitment to your emperor is most admirable…but ultimately annoying." Aura flashed through his eyes. "We are not so easy to defeat! Right, men?!"
The Ariados and Crawdaunt knights picked themselves off the ground and nodded resolutely. "Right!"
"Sir Matthias!" Nathaniel yelled out.
The two soldiers looked back as Matthias picked himself off the ground, dusting his pauldrons. He nodded at the Lucario and yelled, "I'm leaving this to you, Sir Nathaniel! Make me proud!" He turned and rushed off in the direction Manlius disappeared.
Lycanroc growled. "You're not going anywhere, Black Knight." He howled toward the sky, calling upon a figure flying above the sandstorm.
Matthias breached the wall of the sandstorm and looked out toward the battlefield, spotting Manlius approaching his allies. He ignited his sword in flames and prepared to attack when he heard a horrible screeching from above. "What the—"
He craned his head back and spotted an Aerodactyl careening from the sky. He immediately raised his sword and blocked the ancient beast's armored kick, sinking Matthias to his ankles. His eyes widened as the soldier charged up a Hyper Beam and fired blank point at him. The explosion separated them, throwing Aerodactyl into the air while Matthias sailed across the ground.
He dug his fingers through the earth and caught himself, then reared his blade back. "Scorching Rain!" He dashed forward, dragging a superheated trail through the ground, and fired a barrage of fireballs at the soldier.
Aerodactyl shielded himself behind his wings and resisted the oncoming fireballs. He expelled the flames with a flap of his wings before conjuring rings of sharp stone around himself, firing them down like cannon fire.
Matthias swung his heavy sword and obliterated a cluster of rock in a single swing. He flailed the massive weapon with ease, destroying every last stone and shrouding himself in a cloud of dust. "Direct Incineration!" He whipped the sword over his head and slammed it into the ground, forcibly rupturing the earth in pillars of heat.
The ancient soldier sailed around the searing wall of heat and circled around Matthias, firing off another hail of stones into his back. Matthias braced himself as the stones exploded against his armor. One nailed him across the head and tore off his helmet's grate, revealing the malevolent red glow flaring from his eyes.
"Don't look so proud of yourself!" Matthias drove his sword into the ground and rushed through the rocks, beating them down with a flurry of fiery punches radiating in a vibrant orange glow. "Scearing Fist!"
Aerodactyl attempted to flee into the air again, but Matthias proved far more agile than he looked in his armor. He leapt after the ancient beast and seized his ankle in his burning grip. The soldier let out a shrill cry of agony, feeling his flesh catch fire despite his natural resistance.
"Hurts, doesn't it?!" His screaming ceased as Matthias clutched his throat. He pulled himself up to look the flailing beast in the eye, raising his fist radiating like a miniature sun. "Let me show you true pain!"
He cracked his blazing fist down on the Aerodactyl's face, instantly setting his rough scales ablaze. Even as they fell out of the sky, Matthias kept a tight grip over the soldier and repeatedly slammed his fist into his face, breaking off molten chunks of teeth and ripping apart his scaly hide. Each punch caused the flames around his fist to glow hotter.
Once they collided into the ground, Matthias delivered one last punch that split the ground open in a spider web of flames. The Aerodactyl lay still on the ground, twitching with barely a thread of life holding him together. Matthias rose off the downed soldier, shaking the burnt blood off his knuckles.
"Now…"
He looked over his shoulder and sneered as more soldiers ganged up around him. A Poliwrath with spiked knuckles, a Heracross wearing full-body armor, an Electivire with bladed gauntlets, and a Machamp quad-wielding spears. They stared at the fiery knight warily, yet still brimming with confidence.
Matthias shouldn't be taking pleasure in snuffing out their wills like candlelight.
"Who's next?"
"HA!" Linota barreled through another group of soldiers, kicking off one's face and flipping through the air. Serell swooped down and caught her arm before the soldiers could retaliate. "Alright, do it!"
Serell spun around and tossed the Rattata knight back into the action before aiming his halberd. "Ocean Style: Rogue Force Typhoon!" He recoiled from the explosive cyclone of water shooting out from his weapon. It crashed against Linota, who curled herself into a ball and rode the force of the attack into a group soldiers.
They attempted to defend themselves with their shields, but Linota effortlessly bashed through their formation and broke them apart. Serell's attack ripped their weapons from their hands as it sent them spiraling through the currents and throwing them across the battlefield.
Linota uncurled herself and dug her bucklers down to catch herself. She shook the water off her armor and smirked. "You jerks have some never underestimating us—"
"Linota!" Serell yelled.
She looked back and saw a Chandelure looming over her, readying an Overheat. However, a surge of water snaked around Linota and blasted into the haunted chandelier, dousing both his attack and his flames. The water coiled around him into a bubble before flash-freezing into a ball of ice.
It crashed down, a part of it melting off and taking shape as the watery Vaporeon, Rikmai. "Keep a better eye on your surrounds, Lin!" she joked.
Linota smirked. "Shut up." She clashed her bucklers together. "Alright, who's next—"
The trio froze as a geyser of dust erupted further up the battlefield. Following after, the ground started to shake and roll like ocean waves. Rikmai and Linota stood their ground while Serell hovered over them to keep watch. Soon, the entire battlefield staggered from the rolling earth, all except New Chariot who seemed to withstand the shifting earth with grace.
"Attack!" one of the soldiers announced, taking advantage of the alliance's imbalance to run them down. Many knights defended themselves, but a few were speared to the ground before they had a chance to recover.
A Rhydon soldier charged at the girls in their confusion, but Serell grabbed them and carried them into the air (though he struggle to get a grip on the watery Rikmai until she partially made herself solid).
"An earthquake?" Linota gasped.
Serell grunted before pointing his foot in the direction of the dust geyser. "We've got a problem."
Walking out from the dust cloud, with his men charging out to aid their comrades, Commander Manlius settled his weathered war hammer over his shoulder and grinned over the battlefield as if watching the third act of an intense play. His laughter echoed out over the noise of metal clashing and grinding against each other, booming like thunder in his deep, commanding tone.
Rikmai winced. "One-Shot Manlius."
Linota cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, "The commander has entered the battlefield! Everyone, keep your guard up!" She grimaced. "It doesn't matter whether or not those rumors are true, this guy is still the primary threat."
Linota's warning rang out over the battlefield, dancing along Manlius' ears as he laughed. "So, they know of my infamy? Do they think that will save them from my hammer?!" He struck the ground again, shaking up the battlefield in rolling waves of earth.
Knights toppled over each other trying to stay upright, leaving them vulnerable to New Chariot's counterattack. Ivone soared from the sky and battered against the attacking army to buy his allies time to recover. The spears scraped against his reinforced hide, yet the recoil didn't knock the soldiers off balance in the shifting land.
I see. Manlius trained his soldiers specifically to fight under these circumstances. They know how to keep their footing even when the entire battlefield is being destroyed under them. What terrifying efficiency!
Manlius smirked. With a snap of his claws, more soldiers rolled up behind him with catapults. "It's time for Emperor Nero's secret project to be tested. Boys! Let's light up the night!"
The soldiers lit the damp rags sticking through the alchemical barrels, then readied the catapults. After adjusting their position, they pulled the cords and launched the barrels through the sky. The flames coming off their wicks streaked through the night sky, drawing the attention of the warriors below.
New Chariot instantly backed away from the fight and bunkered under their shields. Before the alliance could act, the barrels smashed over the battlefield, rupturing into a sea of dark red flames. Those closest to the barrels were splashed in what felt like liquid flame, splattering over their armor and sticking to it like goo. It dripped through the gaps in their armor, searing the flesh and cooking them from the inside.
All across the alliance's side, screams of agony echoed all over. Unaffected knights backed away from their burning comrades as they reached out for help. One unfortunate soul was brushed by an arm, sticking the flames to their own armor before setting them ablaze, too.
Manlius laughed as more barrels launched over the sky and struck down on the battlefield, coating the ground in a sea of flame. Knights dropped one by one, death by the sheer pain or the smoke inhalation within their armor from their own burning flesh.
Fulbertus teleported onto the battlefield and yelled, "Put out the flames, now!" Every Water-Type on standby blasted their strongest water attacks into the flames, only for them to be nearly extinguished on contact. Fulbertus' eyes widened. "What in the…?!"
He felt a psychic buzz in his head and answered the call. "Sir Fulbertus!" Evangelina called out.
"Princess, what's going on?!"
"I felt the pain of the dying knights. Those flames have properties akin to glue. If it touches you, it won't come off easily."
"Yeah, and we can't extinguish it, either."
"Damn. I didn't even know New Chariot was dealing with alchemical weaponry."
Fulbertus glared. "Seems the emperor had other ideas. What do you suggest we do?"
"They wouldn't be launching this stuff if they weren't prepared to fight in it."
As she said that, New Chariot soldiers marched through the flames. Though they stepped into the adhesive flame, their protective footwear and greaves prevented the flames from spreading over them.
"You're gonna need to find alternate ways to put out the fire. Overturning the earth and snuffing out the oxygen would be a good start."
Fulbertus winced. "Easier said than done."
"Have the Fire-Types and all fire-resistant knights handle most of the fighting for now."
Fulbertus nodded, then yelled, "Knights of the Western Alliance! Those susceptible to fire, keep your distance! All others with fire resistance, you're on the defensive!"
Lionel was among the first to leap into action, racing into the fire as his body heartily absorbed it. "This is my element now, bastards! Burning Beast!" His body ignited with heat. He rushed through the flaming field and swatted at the soldiers, pinning one's face against the flaming ground and setting him on fire.
Serell landed the girls behind ally lines and yelled, "I'll draw their fire from the sky!" He fluttered high over the battlefield and fired his own attacks down.
Fulbertus focused his telepathy onto Noel and Jane as they effortlessly raced through the flaming terrain. Lady Freia and High Steed Jane, we need you to take out those catapults!
Noel growled. "Get out of my head, I know what I'm doing." She pointed in Manlius' direction and shouted, "I'll turn your entire army to ash! HI-YA!" Jane picked up speed and dashed around the enemy army's spear attacks.
Fulbertus groaned. "Stubborn woman."
Jael scuttled over and yelled up to Ivone, "Hey, get me in the air! I can provide support from above!" Ivone swooped down and allowed the Octillery to hop onto his back, escorting him over the battlefield.
Darby eventually joined Fulbertus' side and sneered at the battlefield. "Does he think so little of us? His army stands no chance with these petty tricks."
Fulbertus glared. "Do not let hubris cloud your mind, young prince. We have yet to see Manlius take the helm of this battle."
Deep within the localized sandstorm, Nathaniel and his two allies kept their distance from the speedy Lycanroc running in and out of cover. He most likely had the Sand Rush ability, making him twice as fast within these horrid conditions. Even if they landed a solid hit on him, it would most likely be a Substitute clone.
The Ariados knight focused his energy on webbing up the wolf, but the speedy soldier wouldn't fall for the same trap twice. He kept out of the spider's range, letting the webs tangle themselves in the winds, before swiping him at his lowest.
The Crawdaunt knight rushed down the Gigalith soldier, aiming to end the sandstorm. Gigalight, remaining stationary, activated Gravity and intensified the downward force around them. Crawdaunt staggered over himself, nearly faceplanting into the ground. With the knight partially disabled, Gigalith fired his Power Gem/Weather Ball combo and blasted the stunned crustacean away.
"GAAAAH!" The Crawdaunt landed beside Nathaniel, who was getting weathered down by Lycanroc's speedy attacks. "Agh…screw this! They're too in-sync with each other!"
Nathaniel swiped the air, destroying a sand clone instead, and gasped as the wolf soldier bit into his neck. He swiped again, but the soldier evaded back into the sandstorm instantly. He collapsed onto one knee and panted. "We will not falter before our enemy just yet. We've come too far to surrender."
Ariados hissed. "How do you expect us to hunt an enemy we can't see?"
"I can see them both just fine with my aura, but the Lycanroc is the primary issue at the moment." He glared. "Or rather, the Gigalith is making him a threat. Hmm…" He rose to his feet. "Sir Trapper. Sir Solon. Can I trust you both to take on this enemy?"
The two knights glared determinedly and nodded. "Aye, Sir Nathaniel!"
Nathaniel raced into the middle of the sandstorm, prompting the Lycanroc to chase him. His wolfish grin permeated through the heavy storm. This idiot. Going after my partner? Not happening!
The Gigalith glared before activating Gravity, putting a halt on Nathaniel's movements. However, upon feeling the gravity increase over him, the knight stopped and crossed his arms defensively. "Big mistake! Now, Knight's Guard!" A blue vacuum of aura encompassed Nathaniel.
Lycanroc glared and backed off with an irritated smirk. Does he really think I'm stupid enough to fall for that? I've heard reports of this one. He can draw in all attacks on the battlefield from his enemies. Why would he do something so wastefully? I'll just get out of his technique's range and—
His eyes widened as Gigalith started scooting toward Nathaniel instead. To his shock, Nathaniel had completely disabled his barrier and formed an Aura Sphere, one with the same vacuum-like property. This Aura Sphere looked like it held a mini vortex within its core.
Nathaniel smirked. "I figured you would've had some report on me, but I haven't been using all my tricks, especially this one! Vanguard's Gambit!"
The Gigalith tried to dig his feet down and stop himself from being pulled into the attack's gravity well, even intensifying his own gravity to stave off advance, but Nathaniel merely amplified the technique in response.
Lycanroc growled. "Dammit!" He stopped running and attempted to attack Nathaniel from behind, but stop as a wall of thin webbing appeared in his path, nearly catching him. "What the—"
"Hey! Remember us?!" Lunging out from the sandstorm, the Ariados, Trapper, locked his legs around the wolf's neck. "I've had enough with your hopping around!"
"Get off me!" Lycanroc tried to shake the spider off, craning his head back and snapping his teeth at the legs.
"Infested Venom Cage!" Trapper expelled copious amounts of poisoned insects from his mouth, each one trailing with toxic webbing. They scurried over the wolf's body, each individual gnat biting at his skin as they coiled their webs around him.
"A-A-AAAAGH!" The wolf collapsed onto his side, convulsing and flailing as the poisoned gnats bound him in a purple cocoon. "S-Stone Ed—" However, before he could launch his attack, he saw the Crawdaunt knight, Solon, looming over him with his pincer radiating in a silvery blue.
"Strong Crush!" He slammed his pincer down on the wolf's head, smashing him through the ground. Lycanroc jolted from the heavy blow, a faint gasp escaping his maw, before ultimately passing out on the ground.
"N-No!" the Gigalith soldier gasped before flying off the ground and soaring toward Nathaniel's attack.
Nathaniel stood his ground and thrusted the vortex-like Aura Sphere into his target. The energy ruptured on contact, blasting the Gigalith away in a powerful explosion. The rock monster skidded off the ground, landing face first and falling unconscious across his back.
"Heh. That's…what the west is capable of." Nathaniel glared as the sandstorm lifted and saw the catapults lined up ahead, firing barrels at their allies. He grunted. "We need to help disable those!"
Trapper and Solon saluted him. "Aye!"
"Aaaaaagh…w-what the—"
It was hardly a fight for Matthias. Though New Chariot trained its soldiers to their peak, they hadn't encountered a foe as formidable or as terrifyingly efficient as the black knight.
The remaining soldier, the Electivire with bladed gauntlets, looked around at his allies as they had fallen one-by-one. The Heracross' fireproof armor did little to stave off Matthias' burning hot fury, leaving him scorched and broken on the ground. The Poliwrath had his arms twisted and burnt, sitting in a scorched crater in the ground. The spear-wielding Machamp believed he could've overpowered the fire monkey, but was left with broken hands and his body flickering with flames as Matthias casually held him over the ground by his face.
It all happened so fast that the Electivire barely had time to process the knight's brutality. New Chariot was trained on such brutality, so it wasn't something they were unaccustomed to. However, their knowledge of the black knight's infamy proved insufficient. Even after purposely disarming himself, Matthias proved to be a dangerous hand-to-hand combatant.
He tossed aside the wounded Machamp and rolled the aches out of his shoulders. "Next."
The Electivire growled. "Don't you dare look down on me, western scum." He lit himself up in a cloak of electricity and rushed him down. "Even if you defeat all of us, you stand no chance against the likes of Commander Manlius! He will destroy all who stands before the empire's goals!"
He swiped with his blades, prompting Matthias to sidestep them. The electricity brimming off the blades grazed his armor, tingling his skin underneath. Annoyed, Matthias jumped back as the soldier continued on his warpath, thrusting his blades at the fire monkey for a decisive hit.
"It doesn't matter how many of us must fall! The pride of New Chariot is everlasting!" Electricity concentrated around his arms even more, radiating like two meteorites blazing over the region. "You will never know peace so long as we reign—"
Matthias reached his hands out and caught the soldier by his wrists. The soldier gasped as Matthias kept the electricity at bay with a protective layer of black flames around his arms. Their power neutralized the electricity and kept it from spreading. He tightened his grip, cracking into Electivire's gauntlets.
"I haven't known peace for over a decade." He tightened his grip further as the flames grew hotter off his arms. "What makes you think…I'm looking for it in the first place?!"
He smashed his forehead into the soldier's, staggering him back. With the soldier stunned, Matthias pulled back his fist and channeled his black flames into a single point on his knuckles. With a fierce shout, he hammered his fist into the electric yeti's chest plate, scorching the air in a fierce geyser of heat.
"Blackfire Impact!"
His punch utterly incinerated the armor off Electivire as well as scorching the front of his body pitch black. With Matthias' tight grip over him, the full force of his strike hammered into the immobile yeti, who could only stare into the flames with a hollow expression of silent agony.
The flames parted, and Matthias released the yeti, letting him collapse to the ground. The air carried the stench of burning flesh around him, the supposed elite of Commander Manlius standing no chance against the likes of the black knight.
"Tch." Matthias walked over to his sword, pulled it out of the ground, and set his sights on the commanding Snorlax ahead. "I won't stop. I won't fail my kingdom. Never again."
Barrel after barrel, Manlius' unit fired the catapults at the alliance, turning the battlefield into a nearly impassible sea of dark red flames. Unlucky souls were caught up in the inextinguishable flames, their dying screams ringing through his ears like the most majestic music. Though the alliance put up a fight with their fire-resistant knights, their numbers couldn't surpass his own. Soon, the battle will turn toward his favor as it was predestined.
"Celebrate, my loyal underlings!" Manlius cheered. "These foolish westerners march to their deaths in our honor! Continue to show them our military might—"
"Molten Geyser!" Manlius spun around as a line of heat traveled under one of his catapults and erupted into a geyser of molten earth. It caught the catapult operator by surprise, and he was drenched in the molten rock before he could flee. He and the catapult sunk into the ground burning away.
Manlius glared in the direction of the attack and spotted Noel flanking them atop Jane. Her axe hissed with heat as they charged into another catapult. She took a hearty swing at it right as it began to launch. She chopped through the firing arm itself, causing its ammunition to flip upward and crash back down on the catapult, causing it to explode in the operator's face.
"Nice!" Jane exclaimed. "Seven more to go!"
Noel's fiery mane flared through the vents in her armor. "Commander Manlius! I advise your immediate surrender, because I'm going to enjoy slaughtering you where you stand if you resist!"
Manlius sneered. "What an annoying woman. Soldiers, bring her down!" His soldiers whipped out their bolases and flung them at the stampeding duo.
Jane hopped and swerved around the bolases as best she could, but two managed to snag her legs. "Ah crap—" She faceplanted into the ground, but used the last of her momentum to buck Noel off.
Noel flipped through the air and came crashing down with her axe. "Vulcan Burst!" Heat swelled through the ground, spreading through cracks until the entire area around her expanded and glowed with heat.
Manlius braced himself while his men aimed their shields down. A fiery explosion ruptured the earth beneath them, sending them flying back in the blast. About half his unit were disarmed of their weapons, most of which melted into molten slag. The rest of the unit barely managed to land on unscorched earth. Half of the catapults were caught in the blast and turned to ash, scattering the alchemical barrels' flaming contents across New Chariot's side of the field.
Manlius stood within the center of the explosion, his thick hide protecting him from the heat. He peeked through his smoking arms and grinned. "Is that all?"
Noel panted lightly, pulling herself to her feet and spitting on the ground. "I spy three more catapults to destroy. You shouldn't be acting smug."
"Oh, but that's not your concern at the moment." He whipped out his war hammer and reared it back like a club. "Titan: Earth Splitter!" He swung and scraped his hammer across the ground, sending out a pathway of shockwaves.
Noel pushed through her spell of fatigue and narrowly avoided the rupturing earth. The pressure emanating from the earth distorted the air above it, whipping across her fur. Her eyes widened, realizing her mistake focusing on the ground as the foreboding shadow of the commander loomed over her with his hammer raised.
"Titan: Helm Rupture!"
Noel barely raised her axe and struck back against his hammer which blazed in a metallic aura. The vibrations of his attack traveled down her axe and through her arm, nearly shooting it out of place. If that had struck her in the head, the best she would've gotten away with was a concussion.
Manlius smirked. "Your instincts are fine-tuned, but you're still inferior to New Chariot's might!" He spun on his heel and whipped his hammer around.
Noel raised her axe to her side and barely braced herself as she was knocked away by the heavy blow. She skidded across the back of her armor before flipping herself back onto her feet. As she rose, her eyes widened as Manlius turned his sights onto Jane, who was still restrained on the ground.
"Helm Rupture!"
Jane's eyes widened. "Wait, I'm just the steed! JUST THE—"
Manlius cracked his hammer down on her position, rupturing the earth beneath them. He grinned with excitement for a moment, then frowned as no blood splattered out from the Rapidash's head. He swiped the dust aside and found no signs of the steed's mangled corpse.
"You lack a certain decorum for warfare, Commander Manlius."
Noel looked over her shoulder and found Fulbertus and Darby standing behind her, the former holding an untied Jane by her armor. Jane panted heavily. "Oh crap, that was too close…"
Darby scoffed. "You attempt to strike down an unarmed opponent? How cowardly."
Manlius stared at them before cackling through his smirk. "So, the Prince of Wick decides to face me in battle himself." He stood up and tapped his hammer against the ground. "Have you know understanding of your predicament? I am one of New Chariot's strongest commanders. To dare to carry yourself in the same status as me is foolish. You will find no equality between us."
Noel growled. Great, I got saved by this prissy bastard. Ugh, as much as I want to chop his head off, the mission comes first. She stood up and settled her axe over her shoulder. "What's the matter, Manlius? Scared you'll lose to some westerners?"
He snickered. "You think such petty taunts will change anything? Perhaps a demonstration of my power will change that attitude. I'll take you all on!"
Darby glared. "Fine by me. Sir Jael, Sir Ivone! Bring him down!"
"Huh?!"
Ivone and Jael dove down from the sky and circled above the Snorlax. Jael inhaled deeply and fired stone-shelled seeds. "Stone Seed Bullet!"
His attack struck true across Manlius' bareback, bursting into dust on impact. "AAAGH!" Manlius swung his hammer around and struck a few seeds back at the airborne duo.
"Purified Luster!" Ivone turned his front toward the redirected attack and tanked it without a scratch. He continued on course through the air with Jael firing more Stone Seed Bullets.
Manlius covered his head against the seeds. "Annoying little—"
"Keep your eyes on the opponents in front of you, commander." His eyes widened as Darby got up under him with his sword blazing in dark energy. "Dark King Collapse!"
Manlius bent his body back and barely avoided the dark shockwave emanating from the penguin's slash attack. It split through the air like a guillotine. One clean hit could deal serious damage to any who faced his blade.
"Tch. Child's play." Despite his rotund size, Manlius landed on one hand and spun himself around on it with remarkable ease. He whipped his hammer around as it glowed in a hot, silvery aura. "Titan: Prometheus Descent!"
"Dark King Armament!" Darby's feathers turned pitch black before tanking the hit. His body rattled from the attack before being flung across the battlefield. He bounced and skidded off his face, but managed to flip and catch himself on his feet. His wings smoked from where they were struck. "Agh…"
Fulbertus glared. "Seems the tall tales of the commander's infamy were just that."
Darby smirked. "That…was nothing. Heh, agh…" He hid his face and scowled at the ground. Even with Dark King Armament to sponge up the damage, that attack still did serious damage. I'm pretty sure I resisted whichever moves made that technique up, too. Agh, whatever. He's not as strong as we thought, at least.
Noel rushed Manlius down after Darby was flung away. "Magma Cleaver!" A lava-like smog wrapped around her axe and expelled propulsive flames from the back. She launched herself off the ground, taking her weapon in both hands, and swung at Manlius.
"Titan: Divine Hyperion!" Swinging his hammer, which glowed in a silver and golden aura, he met Noel's strike and locked them both in a stalemate of raw power. The heat and energy of their attacks pushed the ground under them apart.
Noel amped up the flames propelling from her axe and pushed harder against Manlius. "One of you…idiots! Help me!"
Fulbertus extended his arm and fired a spiraling beam of silver and dark energy. "Twilight Cannon!"
The attack raced around Noel's side and blasted Manlius in the face. He staggered, giving Noel the edge to push back against him. Amping the thrust of her axe, she performed an underhanded swing and struck his hammer over his shoulder. With the commander's stance unbalanced, Noel landed and spun herself around, using the last of her thrust to drive her axe into his exposed side.
"Now die!"
"…" Manlius smirked. "Don't get a big head, westerner."
Before her axe could reach him, he slammed his foot back and triggered Earthquake. The brief tremor threw Noel off balance, instead grazing her axe across his stomach. Manlius immediately rose up and socked the Typhlosion square in the face.
"GAH!" She skidded back, covering her bloodied nose.
Manlius stomped rhythmically on the ground, shaking up the battlefield. "Did you really think you could throw me off my stance that easily? I've trained my men to fight under these conditions. What made you think I was the exception? Titan: Earth Splitter!" He struck the earth again, splitting a fissure through the ground.
"Scatter!" Fulbertus ordered. Noel, Jane, and Darby jumped out of the way before the ground caved in under them.
"Jane, get to cover!" Noel ordered.
"Don't have to tell me twice!" The Rapidash turned and galloped back toward the flaming battleground.
"How about another—" As Manlius wound up for another attack, a pressurized wind blast shot him in the back. "GAH!"
"Thermal Force Bullet!" Jael sucked in the heat and cold energy of his attacks and fired a second shot down on Manlius, pushing him an inch deeper into the ground.
Darby and Noel rushed forward while Manlius was off guard. With Dark King Rend and Magma Cleaver, they brought their weapons down on the Snorlax in hopes of a decisive kill. However, Manlius' boast from earlier proved true as he lifted his hammer and blocked their attacks even while doubled over.
"Titan—" He deflected their weapons back, then whipped his hammer into the ground. "Gaia Shatter!"
The ground instantly split apart from the point of contact. Darby and Noel braced themselves as the ground started rising beneath them by the force of Manlius' strike. They were nearly thrown and crushed beneath the folding earth, jumping away in time before it all came crashing down on them.
From the air, Ivone and Jael watched as cracks raced around the battlefield and tore itself apart as if a volcano was erupting below the surface. Ivone clenched his teeth. "He's a lot more dangerous than I thought."
Jael focused through his reticle eye and locked onto Manlius' legs and arms. "Meteorite Bullet!" He inhaled and fired a barrage of flaming rock onto the Snorlax.
As the flying rubble cleared away, Manlius staggered forward as the flaming rock pelted across his limbs. His thick hide protected him well enough as he turned his sights to the airborne duo. "Afraid to fight me up close?" He swung his hammer against the flaming projectiles and fired them back.
Once again, Ivone spread his wings and tanked the repelled shots with his Purified Luster. "It's going to take more than that to—"
"IVONE!" The Corviknight's eyes widened to the sound of Nathaniel's voice below. "LOOK OUT!
Ivone looked back and saw one of the catapults lining its shot. The operator pulled the cord, causing the barrel inside to let loose and launch straight into the air. It flew on a direct course for him and Jael, and it was coming in fast.
"No!" Ivone beat his wings and attempted to get out of the way, but he had acted too late.
Jael, however, detached from the Corviknight and flung himself into the barrel, knocking it off its path. "Got it!"
"Sir Jael!" Ivone gasped.
Jael leapt off the barrel and inhaled. "Thermal Force Bullet!" He fired into the barrel, causing it to explode in the air. With the force of his attack piercing through, it carried along the adhesive flames on a direct course for Manlius. "Burn, you bastard!"
Manlius stared at the raining flames before smirking defiantly. Rather than dodge, he crossed his arms and let the flames drench him whole, much to everyone's shock. The flames coated him head to toe, lighting up the darkness around him, yet the commander laughed as if he was bathing in sunlight.
"What the—" Noel gasped.
Manlius dragged his hand across his face, smearing away most of the compound. "I've trained under the harshest conditions to get the most out of my Thick Fat ability. Heat and cold barely exist for the likes of me! These flames…will burn all but me!"
Fulbertus charged up his Twilight Cannon. "Crap."
"I like your spirits. I'm starting to have fun." His smirk grew. "So, why don't we get to the main event? You wanted to see my reputation in action? I'll give you something to fear! Titan: Atlas Unbound!"
Manlius fiercely slapped himself across the belly, each strike sending golden ripples through his body. The longer he slapped himself, the brighter his golden aura shined. The sheer intensity of his aura blew the flames off his body and whipped up the air around him, pushing everyone back.
Nathaniel and his group stopped short of reaching the commander, keeping their distance. "What is this…?"
Matthias soon ran up on the scene, glowering at the light show. "Manlius…"
The Snorlax ceased powering himself up, then picked up his discarded hammer. His aura traveled along the handle and infused itself through the hammerhead. He spun the weapon deftly as if twirling a baton. He then pointed it toward the alliance, waving it around as if directing an arrow for his next target.
"Did you really think I was giving it my all earlier? No, no I wasn't. Why would I waste my full power on zygotes like you?" He snickered. "But that error of thinking is over. You want to see how strong the might of New Chariot is? I hope you all can survive a direct impact…from this!"
Manlius kicked off into the air, soaring high above the group. Immediately, everyone scattered to get out of his way as he dove their way. He reared his hammer back, trailing the golden aura off its hammerhead.
"Why don't I start by making an example out of you?!"
His target tried his best to get away, but he wasn't nearly fast enough.
In a last-ditch effort, Jael spun himself around and charged up his snout. "Thermal Force BULLET!" Expelling all that he could, he fired at Manlius at full strength, ripping the air itself open.
A successive strike was landed, but not an effective one. Manlius powered through the Octillery's desperation maneuver, gripping tight to his hammer, and bringing it down on the helpless sniper.
Jael's eyes widened as the hammer reflected across his fear-filled eyes. "N-No—"
"JAEL!" Fulbertus started up his Teleport and attempted to—
RAAAAAANG!
But it was too late.
Everyone froze and stared in horror as Manlius brought the hammer down on Jael, his entire body folding and disappearing beneath the ground. The earth split apart under the weight of Manlius' attack with particles of blood shooting from the cracks. Pieces of Jael's armor chipped off and bounced into the air. A torn piece of tentacle smacked across Manlius' grinning face.
The rumbles passed under everyone's feet as they remained paralyzed by the immense display of strength. No one made a sound, lost in the moment. They couldn't take their eyes off the crater where a flatten Octillery now resided, with the only sign of his existence being a limb tentacle hanging over the edge of the crater.
Fulbertus' eyes glistened with moisture. "J…Jael?"
Manlius rose up, prying his bloodstained hammer out of the earth. He brushed off the pieces of red skin stuck to its side, then rested the weapon over his shoulder. He glanced at the shocked group, chuckling aloud at their expressions.
"I wonder…if I should keep some of you alive? I wonder what those faces will look like when I slaughter half of your allies."
Noel's horrified expression twisted into an ugly scowl as the flames on her back vented louder from her armor. "You…!"
Darby raised his sword, channeling his dark energy through it. "You will pay dearly for this."
"…" Fulbertus wiped his eyes before aiming his charged Twilight Cannon wordlessly.
Matthias brought out his sword and ignited the blade in black flames. So, this is what Gaufroi was warning me about. The horrors of war. I won't let anyone die by this man's hands.
Manlius wagged his claw beckoningly and laughed. "Come on, come on. Which one of you has the guts to take on One-Shot Manlius?"