"GAH! ACK! AAAAGH!"

With her part of the mission complete, Lillia retrieved her deployed Forester armor and went to battle. Keeping behind cover, she sniped soldiers from afar with electrified lasers, taking them down one by one. If any soldiers happened to discover her, she vanished with her Misty Terrain and relocated, hopping along buildings with floaty jumps thanks to her Psychic.

She grinned mischievously. Things are going better than I expected. We might actually have a chance of pulling this off.

She landed on the side of a taller building and scoped out the battlefield. For the most part, everyone seemed to be handling affairs on their own, though the Umbra Clock knights looked to be struggling the most. Given that most of them were volunteers scrambled together in preparation for the invasion, she didn't blame them for being woefully underqualified to take on trained soldiers.

She started up her Charge Beam and took aim. "Well, that's my role as the sniper: to assist my allies from afar—"

"Indeed. You played a dangerous hand today, Miss Vibiana."

Her eyes widened, casting a glance up the building to find someone standing over the edge high above. With his toga flapping against the breeze and hands crossed behind his back, Gemini looked down at the Meowstic with an unwavering calm.

"You've evaded our soldiers admirably enough, but I'm far more perceptive in these sorts of matters. Still, I must confess, you've caused me a great deal of grief. I haven't met anyone who can remain that relaxed under interrogation. You have my respect for that."

Lillia grinned uneasily. "Hard to say you had me figured out when your city's being flooded."

"True, so I won't say I saw this coming. Even so, though my job as Grand Advisor doesn't permit such actions, I'm not one to leave a job unfinished. Though I didn't apprehend you based off protocol, no such matters are required anymore."

"Well, that's good to hear—" Lillia suddenly jumped off and took aim. "Charge Beam!" She fired a narrow beam of electricity at the Medicham as she floated toward another building.

Gemini raised his hand and blocked the electrical beam, cancelling its power with his own. He leapt off the edge and soared at the flying Meowstic. "I used to be a tactician for the military, you know, until the former Emperor Tiberius took me on as an advisor."

Lillia landed and surrounded herself in Misty Terrain. "Your point?"

"It means you aren't leaving this city unscathed."

Gemini slammed his fists together, generating a thick cloud of steam between them. From his left fist, it glowed red with heat and flames coiling up his arm, burning away half his sleeve. From his right fist, it glowed light blue with cold and frost mixing with the air.

"Path of the Deva: Fist of Agni and Varuna."

The floods had reached critical height, making further entry into the palace inaccessible. Boats were deployed for soldiers to sail out and gather more civilians amidst the raging battles.

Saturn kept to his post at the front doors, his eyes vigilantly scanning the half-flooded base of the palace for potential intruders. No matter what, he couldn't let any of the Foresters or knights breach the palace walls, lest harm may fall upon Emperor Nero.

He caught sight of the cataclysmic fights carrying across the city. Nemesis unleashed hellish flames across the flooded city against the kingly Meowstic leaping across rooftops. Terminus waged battle against an Oshawott, their skill and melee prowess proving to be just as disastrous to their surrounding area.

He didn't envy their positions. He was far more comfortable acting as a line of defense to fighting on the frontlines.

"A valiant effort, but ultimately wasted," he muttered. "Helplessly fighting tooth and nail, and for what? Hmph. A pitiful ordeal—"

BAM!

Saturn's eyes widened as one of the deployed boats was suddenly seized by three figures crashing down atop it. The boat cracked under their combined weight, and they leapt off before it could drag them below the water with the unfortunate soldiers. The trio landed on the steps to the palace, barely above the water's edge.

Saturn stared in bewilderment before relaxing. The small consisted of a Hakamo-o, a Cinderace, and…

"Wait a minute…"

Rising at the head of the trio, an irate Hitmonchan cast a vicious stare at the defending soldier. "I thought I saw something that made my blood boil."

Saturn narrowed his eyes. "You're…Casimir, is that you?"

Ragger stood up and growled. "Is this the guy?"

"Yeah. That's him." Casimir clenched his teeth. "Burgwin, you bastard."

Saturn groaned. "Casimir. It's been a while. Been a few years, right? How's life outside the colosseum—"

"Save the crap! We're here to liberate a certain someone that has been held captive here for years." His face twisted into a scowl. "But more than anything, I'm here to get revenge for Tomomi."

Saturn shook his head. "You still haven't let that go?"

"You sold him out. I would've died into the colosseum, too, if he hadn't shouldered all the blame. You sent him to die by Tyranno's fangs!" He slammed his fists together. "And now I see you've been cozying up to the emperor just as you always have. Tch, not that I'm surprised. Even in the colosseum, you only stuck with Tomomi because he was the more intelligent of our little group. You've always been a suck-up, Burgwin."

"That name means nothing to me anymore. I am Saturn now, and I aim to protect the emperor."

"Give it a rest. You have no real loyalty to the emperor. You wouldn't even care if he died. No, all you've ever prioritized was your own survival."

Saturn glared. "And what's wrong with that? Tomomi made a convenient meat shield when he decided to cobble together that prison break scheme. I was allowed freedom for proving my loyalty, and I didn't have to spend years clawing at the dirt as these monsters' entertainment. I did the only logical thing."

Shale laughed bitterly. "Okay, I'm a bit screwed up in the head myself, but even I think you're a crackpot." She kicked up and juggled a stone on her foot. "Can we skip to the part where we break his bones? I always love that part."

Ragger cracked his knuckles. "First things first, where's my sister? Where's Freya?!"

Saturn spread his legs out, stomping them down one at a time. "I don't know who you're referring to, but it matters not." He raised his hands and stood firmly before the palace doors. "None of you will break past my defense."

Casimir scoffed. "I am so happy you're making this difficult." He bent his knees and raised his fists, bouncily readily on his toes. "Because now all those good times we shared in the colosseum as allies? Every single memory of that has been eradicated. I can finally focus on breaking you."

Ragger summoned up his electrified claws. "You can't stop us!"

Shale smirked. "Time for a swim, fatso!"

Saturn reared his hand back, channeling a dense spiral of air in the center of his palm. "What foolish delusions of grandeur. Allow me to strike you back down to reality."

Light on her feet, Lillia sprung across the city wrapped in a veil of Psychic as Gemini chased after her, skillfully navigating the rooftops without loss of momentum. She gripped her wrist and charged a ball of electrified psionic light at the tip of her hand.

"Sacred Light Beam!" She took aim and fired at her pursuer.

Gemini pivoted off his heel and dodged the laser. However, it twisted around and boomeranged toward his exposed back. Gemini spun around again and stopped it against his fiery palm, cancelling out its energy in a single strike.

"Misty Terrain!" Lillia landed on a building, instantly deploying a sparkly smokescreen over the rooftop.

Gemini landed within it and carefully scoped out the obscured setting. "Curious. Normally, only male Meowstic can wield Misty Terrain. Though, it isn't unheard of for Pokémon to gain moves outside their normal parameters. You are certainly a Pokémon of many surprises, Miss Vibiana."

Lillia jumped out from the mist and took aim. "Sacred Light Beam!" She fired into the center, blowing a hole open through the mist. Her attack passed through unimpeded, and the parting mist showed no sign of the Medicham.

A shadow loomed above her. She quickly cast her eyes skyward before kicking off the roof and dodging a dive attack. Gemini's fiery fist slammed into the ground, burning a hole through the stone.

"Fist of Varuna: Heavenly Peaks of the Final Winter!" He slammed his palm down and channeled a burst of cold energy across the water's surface, creating a pathway of jagged ice spires.

Lillia fired her laser in a swiping motion, cutting through the ice before it could reach her. She tilted her head back, wincing as the frozen fragments exploded near her face. "Gah…!" She landed on some debris before dashing off again.

Gemini rushed forth, striking the air ahead with his right hand and causing the water to freeze. He skated along the frozen pathway of ice as he continuously pumped cold air ahead of himself. He reared his left hand back. "Fist of Agni: Ceremonial Flame Curtain!" He struck at the air, releasing a visible wave of heat ahead.

The wave caught up with Lillia and struck her with concussive force. She shrieked aloud, feeling the heat piercing through her armor like a laser of its own. She fell out of her hovering flight and crashed onto the nearest building ahead. She rolled onto her feet and backed away to the edge as Gemini closed in.

She gripped her wrist and steadied her aim. "Alright, try this." She focused a dense sphere of her electrical energy in her hand, wrapping it in rings of psionic energy. "Spiral…Magus Cannon!" She hardened her stance and recoiled as a wider beam coiled in psionic energy erupted outward.

Gemini raised his hands and slammed against the beam, though recoiled atop his ice pathway. The beam carried far more force than he anticipated, cracking the ice under his feet and threatening to plunge him through the water. Stifling a scoff, he focused all his energy into his left palm.

"Fist of Agni: Consuming Inferno Spear!"

He put thrust into his arm and struck back against the laser with a beam of heat shooting out of his palm. It split the laser down the middle and unwoven it into a mess of energy across the air. The second it dispersed, he launched from his ice platform and lunged at Lillia.

She ducked under her armor and tanked his first punch, wincing as the heat traveled through the metal almost instantly. She flew back, catching herself in her Psychic, and bounced onto another rooftop. "Sacred Light Beam!" She fired once again.

Gemini rushed her down, slamming his fiery hand against the beam. He readied his icy fist. "Fist of Varuna: Binding Chills of Divine Punishment!" He struck at the ground under Lillia, instantly switching his punch into a palm strike that caused ice to rapidly rise.

Lillia leapt into the air, feeling the cold air of his attack coil around her legs. She barely escaped the ice before it formed into a jagged cocoon. She somersaulted through the air before diving below the water.

Gemini hopped onto the building closest to her previous location and scanned the water. He narrowed his eyes. She's a long-range fighter. I'm fairly certain of that. I have the advantage in close-quarters combat. However, she hasn't demonstrated too much in the way of a varied arsenal. Either she's limited to a couple techniques, or she's saving something.

As Gemini searched the water, Lillia swam inside the building and found her way to a pocket of air to catch her breath. She pressed her ear to the ceiling, listening in on the Medicham's light footsteps.

I haven't been in a fight like this since I fought that Poliwrath. I've never been one for violence, so I felt more comfortable helping out back at the fort. She grimaced. Whether I like it or not, I must devote myself to assisting my allies. I joined the Foresters to do good, and that means pulling my own weight.

She took a deep breath and looked at both her hands. One crackled with electricity while the other flowed with darkness.

All my training with Blitz is finally going to pay off. I've been training specifically to become a combat sniper. Remain vigilant, and don't stop moving. I got only a glimpse of his skill back during that rescue mission, and I want to repay his kindness by showing what I've learned.

Gemini jumped along buildings, keeping a gradual distance from the water in fear of being snuck up on. She's being overly cautious. She's planning something in the shadows, but what—

He heard the sound of something breaching the water. Without hesitation, he extended his palm and fired a wave of heat in its direction. It turned out to be Lillia, as he expected, but she emerged faster than his attack could reach her.

Lillia grinned. "Sorry for the wait. Needed to catch my breath. Now, Sacred Light Beam!" From her right hand, she fired the electrical beam at Gemini.

Again, he stopped it in its tracks with his fiery hand. "A wasted effort if this was all you could accomplish—"

"Well, you should know that you're not the only one who can duel wield!" She raised her left hand out to the side, channeling a ball of darkness through it. "Forbidden Dark Beam!" She fired a second laser, this one as black as the night sky with an aura of psionic light wrapped around it. The beam, much like her light beam, curved through the air and directed itself at Gemini.

He raised his free hand and stopped the beam in its tracks, except this one carried far more force behind it. It caused his right side to recoil and lose balance while the light beam snaked around his arm and blasted him in the chest.

"GAH!" Gemini flew over the water, nearly falling into it. He grazed his right hand over the surface and froze a platform to land on. He grasped at the burn mark in his toga.

Lillia bounced on her feet, holding both types of lasers in her hands. "Stunned you, didn't I?"

Gemini narrowed his eyes. The light beam carries piercing power while the dark beam carries concussive force. Interesting combination of techniques. If one doesn't work, she could always switch to the other for a more effective strategy. However, I can't drop my guard. She clearly has something else up her sleeve.

Following her attack, Lillia took aim once again and fired both beams forward. "Dodge this!"

"Heavenly Peaks of the Final Winter!" Gemini swiped his hand across the ground, forming a barrier of jagged ice in front of himself. It intercepted the beams, allowing him to leap over and rush the Meowstic down.

"Oh no, you don't~!" With a twist of her arms, the beams carved against the ice before boomeranging back at Gemini.

"…" Gemini closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Dance of the Destroyer."

The lasers pierced through the Medicham's back…and missed?!

Lillia's eyes widened. "Eh?!"

For a split second, the Meowstic thought she was seeing double, but her Keen Eye ability revealed the truth in the moment of confusion. Gemini, in the split second before the beams connected, had bent down while leaving behind an afterimage of his likeness. The movement was so instant that her Keen Eye didn't immediately pick up on it. To any other, it looked as if there were two Gemini in that moment.

Gemini continued his advance, but his movements changed up. Rather than a headlong rush in the fight, his legs swung and twisted in a brisk, joyous dance. Layers of afterimages followed along with his movements, looking as if ten or twenty Gemini were dancing in the same spot. It was a far cry to the stern and logical man Lillia pinned him as, how he moved with such freedom and passion. His limbs moved with wild, yet graceful coordination that it was almost hypnotic.

Thankfully, her Keen Eye kept her focus as her vision suddenly filled with flame.

She leaned back, wincing as the advisor's fiery fist nearly grazed her face. Her eyes flickered over her shoulder, watching as he instantly moved behind her while his afterimages danced in front of her. This time, she leapt into the air and dodged his icy cold punch.

My ability allows me to perceive what cannot be seen normally, but his movements are something else. I can clearly see which is real and which isn't, but it's his speed that's throwing me off. He must be combining Double Team with another move.

"Fist of Agni—" Through his coordinated dance, he struck his palm at the air. "Ceremonial Flame Curtain!"

Lillia sent a burst of Psychic out to push herself out of its path. She winced at the heat brushing across her fur. His skill isn't to be underestimated.

Gemini slowed his dancing down and glared at the floating Meowstic. "I was assigned to keep our soldiers safe in the throes of war. I was one of the best, and I still am. My job now is to keep the emperor safe and to ensure his will carries on."

Lillia glared. "Even if it means burning everything to the ground?"

"We wouldn't be the first ones to plunge Virdis into the depths of Hell. All that matters is that I keep the emperor's vision of prosperity in line. I, too, wish to see our people flourish into the next century. That will always come first."

"…" Lillia narrowed her eyes. "I wish there was an easier way for us to come to an agreement."

"On some level, I think even Nero wished he could've taken that path like his brother." He leapt high into the air and swung his blazing fist at her.

Lillia burst herself higher into the air, dodging his attack. "Yeah, well…I have my own vision of prosperity to protect, too. So, sorry in advance."

Lillia took a deep breath, then clapped her hands together. Crystalline screens appeared in the air, each circular and the size of a dinner plate. She extended her arms toward them, and the screens spatially followed her hands. Another crystalline screen formed over her left eye like a floating monocle.

"Because I aim to carry out my mission in the name of the Foresters. Activate, Deadeye Witch: Gunslinger."

Without a moment's hesitation, Casimir made the first move, his fists glowing red and hissing with steam. "Second Stance: Rush Down!" He charged at the Hariyama with his fist sailing through the wind.

Saturn casually raised his hand in response and blocked the mighty punch. He hardly felt a thing as the punch's energy dissipated on contact. For Casimir, it felt like he was punching into a pillow. Again, he bombarded into the Hariyama's palm with a barrage of punches, each one striking ineffectively to almost completely nullified. Saturn didn't even budge against them.

Ragger zipped around, aiming for the guard's blind spot, and lunged with his arm encased in giant, electrified claws. "Thunder Storm Claws!"

Saturn raised his other hand and stopped the attack in its tracks. Ragger gasped, sensing that his claws weren't piercing through the giant's thick palms. His technique guaranteed higher chances of inflicting debilitating status upon his foes, but to see it being rendered ineffective in the first strike was unbelievable.

Shale saw her opening and leapt toward Saturn as she laughed. "Oooh, you can block attacks! That's cool! Too bad you only have two hands, idiot! Double Edge!" She burst forward faster, a trail of light erupting behind her.

Saturn paid the young Cinderace's remark no mind and shifted his stance. He first deflected Casimir and Ragger's attacks away, sending the two spiraling in opposite directions, and then extended his hand out to catch Shale's kick.

Her eyes widened, feeling all her momentum cancel out. She didn't even feel the recoil from Double Edge firing back on her. "Wha—" Before she could get another word out, he seized her ankle, whipped her over his shoulder, and smashed her face first into the stone ground. "GAAAH!"

Saturn narrowed his eyes calmly. "You brought children to aid you, Casimir? Seems you haven't forgotten your time in the colosseum—"

"Shut your mouth!" Springing back into action, Casimir aimed to sock his fist across the Hariyama's face, only for his punch to be nullified against the giant sumo's palm.

"God Hand," Saturn whispered. "You remember our time together? You were our muscle, Tomomi was our strategist, and I was our shield. We made a perfect team, slowly but surely getting by. It's a shame Tomomi wanted to risk all that effort on a foolish prison break."

Casimir growled. "You sold him out. You got him killed! Damn you, Burgwin!" He arced his fist around the sumo's hand and tried to strike his face.

Pivoting on his heel, Saturn redirected Casimir's position, causing his fist to fly off course. "He was a dead man walking. I just helped him find the grave faster." He put some thrust through his arm and sent Casimir flying.

"Aaaagh!" Casimir forcefully thrusted his body down and crashed onto the ground before he flew off the stairs. He reared his fist back and channeled his energy through it. "Ragger, Kid! Keep him busy!"

Ragger and Shale, who recovered from her faceplant, rushed on both sides of the guard. Shale kicked up a plethora of stones and spun on her hands. "Pyro Ball!" She struck the stones with whip-like kicks, sending forth a barrage of flaming projectiles.

"God Hand: Rejection of All Creation." A pulse of amber light emanated from his palm, causing all the flaming projectiles to stop in their tracks.

Ragger ran in from behind, leaping above the Hariyama, and reared back his Thunder Storm Claws. "Got you now!" He brought his fists down like he was wielding two thunderbolts.

Saturn raised his other hand and performed the same technique, stopping Ragger's electrified claws where they stood. With a flick of his wrist, he sent out a pulse that blasted the Hakamo-o away. He then did the same to Shale's Pyro Balls, sending them flying back at her.

"Wah-oh!" Shale skipped and danced on her heels, weaving around the projectiles with comical exaggeration.

Saturn turned his sights back onto Casimir, who finished channeling his energy through his fist. "Third Stance—" He tensed his leg muscles, the energy bursting wildly like a red mist. "Crash Punch!"

He rocketed forward at blinding speed, crossing the distance between him and Saturn in less than a second. An explosive burst of wind blasted across the airspace as the punch connected, the shock blowing back Shale's fur and pushing back Ragger.

It was a punch that was virtually unavoidable once Casimir was in motion, guaranteeing an instant KO against anyone in his path. It was his most reliable method of ending fights as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately, he developed this move in the colosseum, thus Saturn knew about it.

Much to Casimir's dismay, he felt the familiar padding of Saturn's hand shielding against his brutal strike. Though he managed to push the Hariyama back a couple feet, it did nothing to shatter through his unbreakable defense.

Saturn looked down at the distraught Hitmonchan, almost pitying him. "It seems you're just as weak as I remember. Let me show you…how much I've improved." Saturn took a step forward and channeled the air around his hand. "God Hand: Almighty."

Casimir felt his entire body being repelled straight into the ground as a titanic pressure burst from Saturn's hand. A visible shockwave erupted from his palm as Saturn directed his palm over the Hitmonchan and crushed him into the ground. Just by the mere act of pushing the air, he trapped the bounty hunter under an unending wave of pressurized air.

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!" Casimir screamed. His body was pinned down, and he sank deeper into the stone the longer the shockwaves bombarded down on him.

Saturn glared. "I have been deemed by Emperor Nero as the Demigod of Defense. I alone will be the one to protect the palace to the bitter end."

"Caz!" Shale cried.

Ragger growled. "Get off him, you asshole!" He clanged his armored sleeves together and sprinted at Saturn from behind.

"Hmph." Saturn turned his free hand toward the scaly dragon. "God Hand—"

"Let me show you what I've been working on!" He scraped his arms together and ignited flames around his arms, transforming them into ferocious claws. "Fire Storm Claws!" He slammed them down and used the flames to propel himself ahead.

He struck into Saturn's guard, forcing him to cease his second attempt at a shockwave. Though the force was nullified, the flames erupted in greater volumes, swirling through the air and wrapping around him and Saturn.

"Drop dead!" Ragger growled.

Saturn grunted. "As I've been saying, you cannot bypass my God Hand."

"He doesn't need to!" With the Hariyama's attention diverted, Shale rushed in and sprung off her hands, landing a heavy Double-Edge upside his jaw. "Eat dirt, jerkface!"

Saturn recoiled, losing his concentration and ending the shockwave attack. Casimir, feeling the weight leaving his chest, gasped for air as his body relaxed from the strain.

Ragger bounced back, amped up his flaming claws, and rushed Saturn down again. "I'll char and broil you until there's nothing but ash!"

The palace guard regained his footing and faced down the soaring dragon. "Don't get ahead of yourself." He reared his hand back and encased it in a metallic sheen. "God Hand: Mortal Arrogance!"

The two attacks collided together, the air whipping with flame-coated shockwaves. Ragger tried to hold his own against Saturn's attack, but the density of his palm pushed against the piercing strength of his claws, striking back with a heavier weight. Saturn put more weight into his strike and broke through Ragger's fire claws, landing a direct strike square in the face.

"GAAAH!" Ragger sailed away and skidded across the palace yard, nearly falling over the edge and into the waters below. He barely caught the ground with his claws and stopped himself.

With Ragger down and Casimir recovering, Shale took the lead, racing circles around the Hariyama with snide remarks at the ready. "Hey Fatso, catch me if you can!" She sprung into the air with Bounce, laughing as she ricocheted between the palace columns.

Saturn kept his cool as she bounced back and forth all around him. He raised his guard and steadied his mind. "A child like you has no place in the throes of war. If you intend to fight alongside these invaders, you will be dealt the same end—"

"BOOM!" She flew down and nailed the back of his head with High Jump Kick. "Yaaaaawn!" She sprung off before he could swat her away. "Oh sorry, I was so absolutely moved by your bad guy monologue that I nearly drifted to sleep! Blah, blah, blah, I've seen a man strangled by his own guts and etcetera! I've heard this lousy hype talk from lesser morons!"

She continuously raced around the courtyard, using the columns and various covers to escape the Hariyama's sight. Bit by bit, she rushed out from hiding and delivered a nasty kick to his unguarded openings, striking into either his side or his head. His retaliations were pathetically sluggish, like swatting at a Sharpedo underwater. She laughed louder and louder each time she avoided his retaliatory swings.

"Aww, is the big, bad palace guard getting too old? Go take a nap, Gramps! I'll even walk you to your rocking chair after I'm done breaking your kneecaps!" She landed against the wall and sprung forth again. "Pyro Ball!" Tossing out a handful of stones ahead of herself, she kicked them and sent forth a barrage of flaming spheres.

Saturn whipped his hand toward them and emitted a shockwave to stop them in their tracks. Shale zipped around him the moment her attack was stopped and lunged for his unguarded back. Got ya!

"…I grow weary of your childish taunts."

Shale's kick landed, only to feel all her momentum cancelling out. Her eyes widened, finding her foot caught inside the sumo's giant hand. He flicked away the stalled fireballs and glared at the trapped Cinderace as she tried to kick her leg free.

"I think I've allowed you to see the futility of your efforts long enough." Saturn swung her around and slammed her into the ground. "God Hand—"

"C-Crap!" Shale struggled to stand and tried to run.

"Almighty."

She barely managed to jump to safety before the impact wave fired down. She screamed in pain as the pressure caught her foot, slamming it through the ground right before she could roll to safety. It was only for a couple seconds before she was out of its range, tumbling into a column and grasping at her ailing foot.

"Aaaaagh!" she wailed, rocking back and forth with tears in her eyes. "Aaaaagh, that freaking sucks!"

Saturn glared. "You thought you could challenge me? You're just a brat flying by pretending she's on top of the world." He reared his hand back. "All of you are inconsequential—"

"Oi. Burgwin."

"Huh—" Right as Saturn turned around, his vision became consumed in a flood red before recoiling from a heavy impact to the face. His feet left the ground briefly as he went flying back, barely bringing himself back down and maintaining his stance. His vision flooded with stars and tilted erratically as he tried to reclaim his bearings.

Casimir, standing tall and panting heavily, raised his smoking fist and growled. "I won't have you disrespecting my partner, you got that?"

Lillia, with her crystalline filters activated, took aim and charged up her attack. "I recommend dodging, because even I'm not sure how much power I'm unleashing at this point!"

Gemini glared. "What the—"

"Forbidden Dark Beam!" She fired her dark laser into the crystal screen aligned with her hand. A brief delay stalled the laser upon contact before it bled through the screen and fired down, its size doubling. It rippled through the air with far greater force, something Gemini took notice of immediately.

"Dance of the Destroyer!" Gemini entered his rhythmic dance again and dodged the laser. It blasted through the roof and shook up the building. Cracks spread along the roof, bringing the building into the water. He leapt off before he was swept down with the rest of it.

What the…? He glared at the floating Meowstic. That was far more powerful than her previous shots. I'd say it carried the same force as the spiraling beam from earlier, only this time she didn't need to charge it.

"Sacred Light Beam!" From her right hand, she fired the light beam, increasing its power as it passed through the floating screen.

Gemini leaned back as the laser swept past him, cutting across the water and buildings in its path. A delayed explosion occurred, blowing open the rooftops down the middle.

Doesn't seem she can manipulate their trajectory as easily, but I can't afford to be hit by those lasers now.

Now becoming the hunted, Gemini hopped along the floating debris while Lillia leapt after him with floaty jumps. She focused through the crystal screen in front of her left eye as she took aim. The crystal structure shifted itself, allowing her to magnify her line of sight.

Deadeye Clairvoyance.

"Now, Forbidden Dark Beam!" From her left hand, she fired the amplified dark beam at the fleeing Medicham.

Gemini felt the energy rushing toward him and stopped. He clasped his hands together and took a deep breath. "Deva: Divine Presence!" Building up a mass of erupting force between the hot and cold hands, he spun around and slammed his palms into the laser. With a swift flick of his arms, he forcefully pushed the beam around himself and let it blast into the water. The surface erupted, spraying down a brief rain shower over him.

Lillia landed on a higher building and cast herself in Misty Terrain, obscuring the entire upper half of her perch. With Deadeye Clairvoyance, she could peer through the mist with even greater clarity.

"Deadeye Witch: Artillery! Thousand Looking Glass!" She formed a large screen in front of herself, its surface constantly shifting, and took aim. "Sacred Light Beam: Sagittarius!" She fired into it, her energy spreading along the screen before firing out as a barrage of light arrows.

Gemini twisted and danced around the raining light arrows, punching down any that he couldn't reliably dodge. His perch and the surrounding water erupted with light-filled explosions, casting the area into a heavy mist the longer the firing went on.

Lillia dispelled the screen from her left hand and extended out to the side. "Forbidden Dark Beam!" She fired, curving the beam across the air and weaving it through her light arrows.

Gemini noticed the attack too late and only managed to brace himself before it blasted across his side. His loss of balance left him open to the unending shower of light arrows, plunging him into the depts of their erupting illumination.

"RAH!" Lillia turned up the power, casting down a greater shower of light arrows that ignited the rooftop with the light of the sun. Though excessive, leaving anything up to chance was a death sentence. She had to be certain.

It wasn't enough.

A form dashed out from the array of light, leaping across scraps of debris in the water. Gemini, though with his robes singed, escaped with minimal injury. Even as he moved across the water, his rhythmic movements persisted with a trail of afterimages mirroring his dance-like steps.

Lillia kicked off a tall building and soared away from the area. Even that wasn't enough to put him down?

Gemini cast a glance in her direction as she fled and chased after her. He waved his right hand, channeling a bridge of ice ahead. "Fist of Varuna—" He leapt forward, channeling his cold fist to its maximum output, and punched the water. "Heavenly Peaks of the Final Winter!"

The water erupted and stretched toward the sky as a glacier of jagged ice, rapidly chasing the floating Meowstic. Acting fast, she reactivated the first mode of Deadeye Witch. She aimed down her Forbidden Dark Beam as a second screen appeared in front of the first.

"Gunslinger! Grade Two Magus! Fire!" She released the dark beam, passing it through both screens, transforming it into a massive dark laser that distorted the air around her.

The beam struck into the rising glacier, shattering it instantly with immense concussive force. It impacted the water, punching a gigantic hole down to the street and pushing the water back. Gemini had to jump out of the blast range, feeling the shockwaves ripple across his body. He stared at the parted water, the force of the explosion keeping it suspended for as long as ten seconds, maybe longer.

As soon as he landed, he lunged across the gap as water started to fill back over the street. "Dance of the Destroyer—" He reached the other end of the gap and touched the water's surface with his cold hand, proceeding to spin atop it. "Eradication of the Life Star!" He spun on his hand with such speed and grace that it whipped up a chilling whirlwind around him. The water froze beneath him, allowing him to switch to a frenetic dance that whipped up the winds even more.

Lillia shielded herself as the whirlwind reached her level with frost coating the outside of her armor. How is he doing most of this?!

All around him, the water rapidly froze against the increasing wind chill. Right as the gap in space started filling with water again, Gemini's majestic dance carried with it a fierce cold that slowed it descent until the water froze solid, leaving behind an icy crater with bits of the street below uncovered. The cold reached a sizeable block of the city, leaving it as a massive chunk of ice in the flooded streets.

He slowed his dance and sprung back on his feet, continuing with his normal rhythm. "I believe this will serve as a more practical battlefield."

Lillia descended upon the frozen flood with half her armor coated in ice. She panted heavily as the cold reached inside the armor with only her fur keeping her warm. This is insane.

Gemini glared. "You show remarkable talent, Miss Vibiana, though your skills in deception are the true mark of my praise."

"…It's actually Lillia. Misty Witch: Lillia Sacerdos."

"Hmph." He ceased his dancing briefly and bowed to her. "Gemini Servius. The Demigod of Dance. A pleasure."

"My, what a lofty title."

Gemini chuckled softly. "A sort of teasing nickname gifted by Emperor Nero, but one I wear with pride." He glared. "I do not fault you for seeing Nero's actions as cruel. This…is simply how New Chariot has been. This is how he has been raised. How we all have been. This is simply the way of New Chariot's culture, just as all others have been forged in the last two hundred years. Perhaps if I was born in another kingdom…"

Lillia took aim, readying her Gunslinger technique. "Then why serve the emperor?"

"Because…Nero's the only one who never lies about his intentions." Gemini clasped his hands together. "When you're in this line of work for as long as I have, you meet those with their own objectives. Their lies and their ploys. Loyalty? Respect? Those aren't frivolous toys to be handed out. All I can do is guide the emperor to prosperity for the empire. Because a man who betrays his allies for gain…is worse than scum. And that kind of vile attitude is why this hatred festers within me. Forgive me…for seeing me in this state."

Lillia stepped back and watched as Gemini's body started to flicker. The Medicham closed his eyes and focused on his breathing, concentrating his energy around himself.

His body started to change.

Without breaking his prayer-like stance, two sets of arms extended out, two raised toward the sky and two crossed just beneath the original pair. Next, his head flickered and sprouted two more, one on each side. The transformation was so seamless that it almost appeared natural.

Lillia could hardly believe her eyes. Though she could see something off about the strange form, she couldn't deny that it looked…real. Was she looking upon a clever illusion? An uncanny metamorphosis? Her well-trained eyes were in conflict discerning what was reality and what was the trick.

Six arms.

Three heads.

All moving in perfect harmony as the Medicham struck an attack stance.

"Path of the Asura: State of Cosmic Balance."

"First Stance: Phantom Boxing!" Casimir launched ahead with flighty skips.

Saturn reared his hand back. "God Hand: Mortal Arrogance!" Wrapping his hand in a metallic sheen, he thrusted the attack straight at the Hitmonchan.

It seemed to connect for a second, but Casimir's form melted into the wind as he weaved around the giant palm strike and hammered his fist into Saturn's stomach.

"Second Stance: Rush Down!" Now up close, Casimir's fists glowed red as he pummeled into the Hariyama relentlessly, each strike growing stronger and stronger by the second.

"GAH!" Saturn kept his stance up and tanked the heavy punches to the best of his ability. "God Hand: Almighty!"

"Sixth Stance—" Casimir stopped punching and jumped back, relaxing his posture. Saturn threw down the shockwave strike, but Casimir once again melded with the air with greater movement. "Drift State!"

"HA!" Saturn fired over and over trying to catch the Hitmonchan off guard, but his evasive stance proved formidable in escaping the all-powerful impact waves. Casimir danced around the Hariyama like a phantom, appearing in and out of sight by just the flicker of his peripherals.

As Casimir kept Saturn preoccupied, Ragger regained his senses and rushed over to Shale's side to check on her leg. It was showing signs of bruising after the hit she took, but otherwise recoverable. "I'd offer you a drink to dull the pain if you weren't under the drinking age," he half-joked.

Shale pushed herself up against the column and snickered weakly. "G-Give me a minute. D-Dang, I haven't been banged up this badly since…yeesh, this might be the worst scrap I've been in."

Ragger glared and reignited his Fire Storm Claws. "Hardly my worst experience. But now that Caz has the brute distracted—" He turned and raced for the palace doors. "Going with the original plan and tearing my way through!"

Saturn ceased firing at Casimir once he heard the horrible screeching of metal from nearby. He whipped his head around and saw Ragger wildly slicing into the doors, each striking tearing through the metal. "And what do you think you're doing—"

"Oi, Burgwin!" Casimir leapt into the air. "Second Stance—"

"God Hand—" Saturn immediately interrupted and slammed his palm into Casimir. "Almighty!" He blasted Casimir away, throwing him into the palace itself, before stomping after Ragger.

The scaly dragon hurried the heavy stomps and only had a second to respond the moment he glanced over his shoulder. He slammed his flaming claws down and propelled himself skyward, narrowly avoiding a point-blank Almighty. Ragger twirled in the air, stoking his fiery claws, and dove on top of Saturn.

"Now burn!" He drove his claws into Saturn's shoulder and lit him aflame.

"Aaaaaaaagh!" Saturn screamed.

Ragger gritted his teeth. "You're not keeping me from breaking in!"

Saturn faltered onto one knee and coughed. "God Hand—" He raised both his hands. "Domain of Sanctity!" With a thunderous clap of his hands, he emitted a rippling shockwave that extinguished the flames off his body and threw Ragger off.

"WAH!" Ragger went hurtling through the air, catching his claws into a column and hanging from it. He winced from the strain on his shoulder as the winds continued whipping against him. "Aaaagh…"

Saturn turned around and stood firmly before the palace doors. "No one is allowed entry. I forbid it." He glared around at the downed trio. "You would risk putting innocent lives in danger?"

Shale picked herself up, balancing on her good leg. She smirked. "Oh, quit with that holier than thou garbage. Caz already has you figured out. You're not as dedicated to your people as your precious emperor is." She laughed jeeringly. "He would throw himself into the fires of war if it meant saving at least one elderly man. But you? You'd throw the smallest child in reach if it meant saving your skin! How ironic that the palace guard is so unloyal? Then again, better to keep the untrustworthy meat shield close by in case he gets ideas!"

Saturn growled. "I will not hear more of this childish screaming."

"Can't handle the truth, Fatso? I bet the only reason your emperor kept you around was because he found your callousness mildly amusing. He'd snap your neck if you even thought of betraying him. That's what you're good at, right? Defending the most important thing if your world: yourself. I thought shields were meant to protect the weak." Her smirk grew. "Then again, I suppose that's still the case for you! HAHAHAHAHA!"

Saturn stomped his foot down and roared, "I said silence, you insolent brat—"

"Letting a child get on your nerves, Burgwin?" Saturn's eyes flickered back to Casimir, who had sprinted forward with his fists steaming. "And to think I looked up to you back then. Second Stance: Rush Down!" With the Hariyama briefly off-kilter, his guard was down, leaving Casimir to deliver a brutal string of punches into his gut.

"AAAAGH!" Saturn howled.

"I crawled my way out of that hellhole and spent the last few years plotting exactly how I would end you. You don't get to stand behind your status and say you succeeded!" He hammered his fist, knocking the sumo back into the palace doors. "We're breaking the kid's sister out, and I will break every bone in your body!"

Saturn shook his head clear and blocked Casimir's next string of punches. "I did what I could to see the light again! You're the one who toiled in that colosseum like the savage you are!" He slammed his other hand into the Hitmonchan. "Now, God Hand: Almighty!"

The shockwave released and repelled Casimir away. He swung and anchored his fist through the ground, screaming as he fought against the debilitating pressure. With blood spurting from his mouth, he yelled, "Ragger! Don't stop! Keep fighting!"

Ragger leapt from the columns and reared his claws back. This time, a chilling frost hissed off his arms. Energy coiled around and transformed into a pair of icy claws. "Ice Storm Claws!" He spiraled through the air, building momentum through his arms, and rained down a chilling force upon Saturn.

The sumo grunted, collapsing onto his knee and cancelling his attack as frigid waves permeated across his body. Jagged ice froze throughout the surface of his skin, biting him like hundreds of Joltik.

With Saturn briefly stunned, Shale tested the pain in her foot. Though still stinging, she pressed through the pain and launched forward at the downed sumo. "Double-Edge!" She extended her good leg and kicked him across the face. "And…Pyro Ball!" Tossing a stone ahead, she lifted her other leg and kicked directly into his chin with the stone, erupting in a plume of fire.

"AAGH!" Saturn's head snapped back, and he stumbled back against the palace doors. "God…Hand—" He slammed his hands together and generated another hurricane-like shockwave. "Domain of Sanctity!"

Ragger and Shale were repelled back while the palace courtyard was torn asunder in the blast. Ragger shielded behind his armor while Shale took cover behind a column. With room to breathe, Saturn reared his hand back and concentrate his energy into the center of his palm.

"God Hand: 100 Unruly Disciples!" He thrusted his palm forward and fired an air burst in the shape and color of his hand.

Shale ducked her head as the air strike slammed into the column. She felt the vibrations of the parting air rattling above her head. When she looked back around, she took off running as Saturn started firing off a storm of air palms across the courtyard.

Ragger and Casimir took off running for cover, jumping and rolling around the air bursts. Each one carried enough force to crack stone, worsening the damage across the columns holding up the stone awning above them. The duo shared a quick nod with each other as they passed by before rushing both sides of Saturn, forcing him to split his attacks.

"Fire Storm Claws!" Ragger ignited his fiery claws and rushed low to the ground as the air palms soared over him.

"Sixth Stance: Drift State!" Casimir weaved around the stream of air palms like a wispy phantom.

Avoiding the stream of air palms, they lunged at Saturn and slammed their attacks into his side. Saturn stood his ground, howling in pain, and slammed his hands down.

"God Hand: Almighty!" He released the shockwave through the ground, blowing up the floor beneath them. Ragger and Casimir recoiled from the projectile stones blasting up in their faces, knocking them into the air. Saturn lifted his hands and slammed his palms into them. "Once again! Almight—"

"Bounce!" Zipping in like a blur, Shale flew into Saturn and rammed her knee into his face.

"Agh!" he growled, stumbling back against the doors.

Ragger and Casimir landed, the latter jumping back. "Hold him still!" he shouted.

"Thunder Storm Claws!" Ragger threw himself at Saturn and drove his claws through his armor, unleashing a veritable storm of electricity through the sumo's body.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Saturn roared.

"You're not going to stop us!" Ragger yelled. "We're busting down those doors and taking charge!"

Casimir lined himself up with the paralyzed sumo and reared his fist back. "This is for everything you've done! Now suffer! Third Stance: Crash Punch!"

With energy rippling through his body, Casimir hurtled himself at blinding speeds and hammered his fist into the guard's stomach. Saturn, unable to hold his ground, went flying back into the palace doors with Ragger continuously pouring electricity through him. Casimir didn't let up, throwing all his explosive momentum against Saturn as the doors creaked against their combined weight.

"NOW GET LOST!" the duo screamed.

The doors wailed, creaked, and bent against the stress, their hinges tearing off the frame. Confused shouts and marching guards on the other side could be heard. The residents of Telo Martius who were taking refuge in the palace would soon be in for an unfavorable surprise.

With one last burst of strength…

The doors snapped open.

With one final shove through the minimal security in the palace, Terrowin tore through the underground archives of Martius Palace and descended into its dimly lit space. He produced a powder from within his arm and rubbed it between his fingers, creating sparks and lighting a nearby lantern.

His wooden arm extended and parted into dozens of tendrils, digging through all the drawers and producing scrolls. His eyes skimmed through the hundreds of labels flying past him, throwing aside all that didn't meet his interest. Everything from the Martius lineage, the previous linage of New Chariot, documentation on all active soldiers, and more, but none were his target.

Eventually, however, his thorough search bore fruit as he produced a scroll that caught his eye. The tube was titled Lineage Protocol. Curious, he popped the tube open and produced the parchment within, unfurling it within his cluster of malleable roots.

It was a document that dated as far back as the days of Lord Martius' own father, or Nero's grandfather. Within was a detailed account from the former emperor regarding a discovery and a plan to improve the Martius bloodline for years to come. Tiberius had apparently signed off on the plan as his own handwriting was on a few notes, though there were some notes left behind by the late Mercurius and Nero himself.

"I wish not to take part in this plan. It goes against my ideals for a stronger empire. I wouldn't condone these actions no matter the boon to our family. Denied." Signed, Mercurius Martius.

"She's a child. I'm over a decade older than her. The Martius family will stand strong by my blood alone. I don't know what Gramps was thinking, but you sure picked the wrong time to carry out his will, Father. The empire will always have a history for its atrocities. Of all that, this is a line I will not cross. Denied." Signed, Nero Martius.

Terrowin skimmed further down and found a record detailing some key notes of interest.

Escaped. Spring of Year 901.

Child of Solberg.

Carrier of that rumored power?

Terrowin read a bit more regarding the details of the prison escape and glared. "So, that's what happened." He sighed. "We already know her current location. It's only a matter of if we need to exercise contingencies. As long as Project Talos goes off without complications, we won't have to resort to this."

"You really tried to convince her you're doing this for the greater good, aren't you?" Terrowin narrowed his eyes wearily and glanced over his shoulder, spying the Pikachu entering the archives with an electrified sword pointing his way. "I don't know what promises you've been feeding Harlow, but I know they're hollow words. After all the crimes you committed, growing a conscience won't spare you."

Terrowin rolled up the scroll and slid it back into its tube before tangling his roots back into the shape of an arm. "Have you come to kill me, Stormbreaker? A harmless old man?"

Jason hissed. "Spare me the melodrama. Everyone saw how powerful you really are. You just prefer to hold yourself up as the benevolent one. Your kind act of sparing Tyranno from his suffering. That's the only life you've taken, naturally," he spat sarcastically.

"…" Terrowin tucked the scroll tube inside his wooden arm. "You could've struck me down where I stand. Why are you really here?"

"Other than to stop whatever it is you're up to? Maybe I just have questions of my own. So, what's Project Talos? Something we should know about?"

"You'll know in time. Sooner than you may think." Terrowin glanced up at the ceiling. "I sense that a new era will wash across Virdis by the end of the year. Honestly, I can't thank you enough for what you've been doing."

Jason glared. "Pardon?"

"Do you want to know something interesting? New Chariot has been at war with Algus and Subterra for quite some time. Three battle-hardened territories and cultures. However, ever since Nero took command, they've backed off. I don't think you understand the consequences of your scheme, Stormbreaker. Or, should I refer to you as Son of Hawthorne?"

Jason growled. "Get to the point."

"If anything were to happen to Nero, Algus and Subterra will take full advantage of that weakness. They fear Nero, and you know why. You may think you got the better of him, but he isn't considered the God of War for nothing. Only a fool would claim it's a meaningless title. His strength is what keeps the other kingdoms in check."

"…" Jason lowered his sword a bit.

"The people worship Nero because he was raised to be the ideal symbol of their culture. Good people do live and prosper in New Chariot solely because of him. Do you think they deserve to suffer again? Do you think they'll deserve to have their homes tarnished because you took away the one thing that keeps their enemies in check? A man so powerful that his mere presence invites fear and respect?"

"…" Jason clenched his teeth.

"Of course, that's…assuming you are plotting to assassinate Nero as per your ruse. If you somehow convince him into a treaty, that predestined war will never happen."

"…I'm not letting you toy with me."

Terrowin shrugged. "Believe what you will. It wouldn't be the first time you doomed an enemy to death with your inaction. I wonder how the Dukes of Buzzard are faring these days."

"…" Jason raised his sword again. "If you plan on talking, you might as well answer a question."

"And what's that?"

"We found King Penworth's—no, we found Roscoe Fletcher's secret compartment. We know he was conspiring with Last Autumn. We know that he's been secretly funneling funds to you while bleeding the Verde Kingdom dry with the high taxes." Jason glared. "He's not actually dead, is he?"

Terrowin stayed silent for a moment before sighing. "Is that what you wanted to know?"

"No. Because if all of that is true, then that means what he did that night was because of you." Tears trickled down the Pikachu's scowl as a low growl rumbled deep within his throat. "So, why don't you tell me the truth? Why did my parents have to be executed?"

A chilling silence followed suit. Terrowin felt a twinge uncomfortable in line of the Pikachu's fury, daring not to look over his shoulder to acknowledge his hurt emotions. Instead, all he could do was sigh and shake his head.

"You may be right about one thing, Son of Hawthorne," he whispered. "Maybe the words I speak are hollow. Maybe for all I've done to maintain a sense of order, a part of me dies a little more. So close to death, have I lost touch with my empathy and hold onto some pale imitation of that justice?" He covered his face and sighed. "How I wish I could give you the closure you seek. Alas, you Foresters have pushed me to take drastic measures. If I cannot save Virdis as I intended, I might as well go back to the days of the original Last Autumn. I can't afford to stay here and let you kill me."

Jason's fur bristled. "You don't get that choice." Electricity sparked through his arm as he crouched down. "I'll tear the truth out of you if it's the last thing I—"

"{Alfhild. Remove him.}"

Jason had zero time to react as a hammer came crashing through the ceiling, boomeranging around the archives, and striking into him. In just a second, the Pikachu had been swept away as if he was never there.

Terrowin turned back toward the stairs and made his way out. My sincerest apologies, Son of Hawthorne, but I have yet to recover my full strength to risk a hate-fueled confrontation.

Jason went hurtling out of Martius Palace, flying past several bystanders within the palace and crashed down into the back gardens. He twisted his body back and kicked the hammer off him before it could throw him into the flooded streets.

He heard a thunderous snap and looked ahead as the hammer hurled back toward the Tinkaton stepping out from the wrecked wall. Armed with her hammer and a bunch of repurposed New Chariot armor she slapped together, she took a stance and faced down the Pikachu.

"{Let the magma boil within our blood!}" she roared.

Jason glared and took hold of his sword once more. "I'm only going to say this once: get out of my way or suffer."

Alfhild didn't take the hint and rushed the Pikachu full speed. Annoyed, Jason tensed his leg muscles before rocketing forward, clashing with the Tinkaton halfway and shattering the earth around them as their weapons grinded against each other.

Suffering, it is.