Year 901 – Algus Kingdom, Seven Years Ago
"So, New Chariot has the gall to set up their camps near Mt. Algus?"
Overlooking a campsite from atop the high mountain range of the snowy kingdom, an Armorouge clad in armored greaves and bracers impatiently cracked his knuckles, itching to race down the mountain and burn everything around the camp to cinders.
A Vileplume dressed in a heavy coat approached his side. "Sir Vilde, how will you have us approach them?"
Vilde laughed. "How else? The king ordered us to flush them out, and we'll do so just like all the rest. Do they not understand their arrogance for stepping so close into our territory? Especially after the countless armies we've wiped out from their previous pushes. I almost pity the soldiers for the pain they'll endure."
An Abomasnow punched his fists together, generating intense frost from the collision. "We're right behind you, Sir Vilde! We'll crush any and all who oppose the glorious Algus Kingdom!"
A Bewear, however, winced in objection. "I don't know. Something about this doesn't seem right. There's far less soldiers than they usually bring this deep into our territory." He glanced at Vilde. "Plus, with that civil war that happened last year, the empire has a new emperor leading them nowadays."
Vilde laughed. "And why should we be worried? If anything, that civil war means they're not at full strength. All the more reason to crush them like we always do. There's nothing they have that'll catch us by surprise. The Algus Kingdom will not bend the knee to any invader. We are the ultimate warriors of Virdis, and we will defend the honor of our king no matter the risks!"
The Abomasnow roared. "YEAH! We'll follow you wherever you go into battle, Sir Vilde!"
The Bewear sighed before slamming his fists together. "By your command, Sir Vilde!"
Vilde turned to the fifty plus knights standing at the ready behind him. "Is everyone ready to drive out these invaders? Let us fight valiantly or die with honor! To the Realm of Warriors we go!"
"HUZZAH!" the knights roared.
Vilde pointed down the mountain and yelled, "Advance!" He leapt first, surfing along the snow with his knights following behind him. "New Chariot Empire! You'll rue the day you challenge the Algus Kingdom!"
"WAAAAH!"
Melissa went flying out from the broken elevator shaft as a plume of fire erupted out. She flipped through the air and landed roughly in the arena right as Vilde came flying out into the open.
Melissa looked past the Armorouge as he gathered his bearings and observed the broken-down elevator, which had a gnarly slash through its gate. Something had cut through and severed the cables holding up the elevator, but a quick search around the arena showed no signs of other lifeforms.
What happened a moment ago?
"Skill Hunter!" She yelped as Vilde straightened up and pointed at her. "We're settling this matter once and for all."
She backed away with her arms raised. "V-Vilde, I don't know why you're so mad at me, but this doesn't seem like the time or place to be settling this."
He glared, slowly advancing toward her. "Do you have any sense of self-preservation? Risking everything over this insane prison break? You'd sooner meet your end for execution before escape could be achieved. This isn't the place for false hopes! I'm giving you one last chance to back down from this foolish endeavor before I'm forced to end it myself."
She stopped and glared back at him. "You would rather stay here as entertainment for New Chariot than fight for your freedom?"
"What other choice do I have? I've heard the stories and seen the consequences with my own eyes." He clenched his fists. "When I was dragged to the colosseum, I saw the aftermath of how they deal with bothersome prisoners. I had the misfortune to witness that wretchedness at my lowest. You don't have any right to say you know best when you're walking yourself into certain destruction! Maybe that would be fine on its own, but taking the rest of us down with you won't cut it! That recklessness will be our downfall! Burst Volley!"
Melissa gasped as Vilde summoned clusters of Psyshocks radiating in blue light and fired them at her. Acting fast, she used Quick Attack and raced around the arena wall with the pellets chasing her down. Vilde kept firing more and more pellets, adding on even more chasing down the Buneary down.
"Faithless Imitation! Althalos Style!" Melissa spun on her heel and scattered dark clouds into the air, catching and crushing the pellets to dust. She huffed before shooting Vilde an annoyed glare. "Very well. If you want to settle this the hard way…" She concentrated the Abyss Clouds around her hands before firing them into streams.
"Burst Scatter!" As Vilde ran, he fired flaming pellets from his palm, setting the dark clouds aflame. His attack kept the Abyss Clouds at bay long enough to make an opening. Once he saw it, he rushed through with his pauldrons wrapped over his hands. "Burst Shot!"
He lunged and thrusted his cannon at the Buneary's face, but Melissa tightened her leg muscles and dodged with a sudden burst of speed, narrowly avoiding the explosive blast. She zigzagged around him before lunging at his exposed back and delivering a heavy kick against him.
"AGH!" Vilde tumbled across the ground and slammed into the far wall.
Melissa skipped back on her heels, then shouted, "Look, I understand you're desperate to escape, but this barbaric sport isn't the way to do it! You have to trust me!"
Vilde picked himself up as his armor started to crack. "Trust you? Why would I trust someone so recklessly heading toward our destruction? I know how this ends, so I'm going to prevent it from happening in the first place! Renewed Armor!" He slammed his fists together, casting a metallic sheen over his body that repaired his cracked armor. Once repaired, he took off running with far greater speed.
Melissa took a deep breath and took off running with bursting skips. She dashed along the walls of the arena with Vilde chasing behind her dust trail. He summoned another round of Burst Volley and fired them at her. Melissa once again blocked them with a scattering of Abyss Clouds.
Vilde clenched his fists, causing his two pauldrons to detach and crumple into two dense balls of metal radiating in a silvery purple light. "Burst Mortar!" He fired his balled-up pauldrons around the Abyss Clouds.
Melissa detected them and leapt into the air right before the two pauldrons smashed hard through the ground. She gasped as they immediately sprang out from the earth and catapulted at her. She managed to kick one aside, but trembled from the weight she was striking against. This brief disorientation allowed the second pauldron to strike her in the chest and throw her across the arena, slamming her up against the wall.
"AGH!" she cried. These things are…surprisingly dense.
Vilde called back his pauldrons, caught them, and tossed them again as if he was throwing cannonballs. Melissa recovered from the shock and bounced out of the way. The pauldrons left deep craters inside the wall's surface. They flew back to Vilde's hands, where he tossed them again at the fleeing bunny.
Melissa sprung off her hands and leapt into the air, letting the improvised cannonballs sail under her. They curved back around and tried to snipe her out of the air, but she braced herself. One of the cannonballs reached her first, where she rode along the force before springing off with its kinetic energy, launching herself at Vilde with a heavy kick.
"GAH!" His mask erupted with cracks as he was knocked flat onto his face.
She landed away from him as his pauldrons crashed down. "Alright, maybe the plan is a little reckless, but is staying here and acting like savages any better? Fighting and brutalizing each other for New Chariot's amusement? Is that really the legacy you want to leave behind for yourself? Is winning all that matters?"
Vilde pulled himself up, pieces of his mask chipping away. "This isn't about winning. It's about proving I'm strong enough to overcome them! I can't show weakness in front of these monsters! I have to get stronger! I have to shoulder their sacrifices!"
Melissa's eyes widened. "Wha…?"
"Renewed Armor!" He clanged his fists together and once more repaired his cracked armor. "When I get out of here, I'll be the one to kill Emperor Nero."
"Vilde…"
As the two were preoccupied with their fight, giant roots grew out from the elevator shaft, carrying Terrowin and Galus to the top. Galus gasped and shouted, "Friend Harlow!" He tried to run to her, but Terrowin caught his tail.
"Best not to interfere." He stepped out of the elevator and sealed the entrance so no one could climb up after them. After tangling his wooden arm back to normal, he looked around the arena suspiciously. Strange. I could hear their fighting all the way from below. But why is it still so quiet here?
Vilde stomped one foot forward and channeled blue flames from his hands. "New Chariot will fall by my hands, and I won't let anyone else die on my watch! Only I can shoulder their pain!"
"…" Melissa drooped her arms and frowned at him. "You've…been alone for a long time, haven't you?"
He scowled. "Don't try to sympathize with me."
"…" She sighed and assumed a fighting stance. "Fine. Then I guess I'll have to reach you in your own language. You want your rematch so badly? Let me show you what we of the west are capable of."
"Tch. Very well." Vilde whistled, calling back his pauldrons. "Renewed Armor!" Upon catching his balled-up pauldrons, they neatly unfolded themselves and smoothed out their bents, returning to their original shape. They then cupped around the blue flames surrounding his hands. "Burst Incendiary!" He planted his feet down firmly and recoiled from the explosive blue heat jettisoning from his pauldrons.
Dozens of blue-blazing projectiles erupted into the open, scorching the very air they rode upon on a course for Melissa. She immediately bounced into the air, but the projectiles swerved and chased her skyward.
"Abyss Clouds!" She formed a curtain of dark clouds to block the projectiles, but the flames overtook her barrier and surrounded her in intense flame. "AAAGH!" She wrapped the dark clouds over her fur to block out the flame.
Vilde, with his newfound speed, sprinted at her as she fell and slammed his pauldrons into her small frame. "Burst Shot!" He recoiled once again from the explosive release of Psyshock from his pauldrons, which cracked under the pressure. The shotgun-like blast sent the flaming Buneary flying across the arena, leaving trails of flame behind her.
Melissa found her bearings and flipped onto her feet, her heels stopping against the arena wall. She waved her arm and dispelled the Abyss Clouds with the flames. She panted softly, tips of her fur scorched from the brief contact.
"Burst Incendiary!" Without a moment's hesitation, Vilde repeated his attack, launching projectiles streaking in blue flame at the distant Buneary.
Melissa scooped some loose rocks off the ground. "Sadie Style: Assisted Destruction!" Clutching the rocks tightly, she channeled the power of Helping Hand and After You through them before tossing them. The rocks flew with remarkable speed, scattering through the sea of blue flame and sniping down the incendiary projectiles.
Rocks that passed through the flames peppered against Vilde, who shielded with his arms. Mini cracks split across his body, but another dose of Renewed Armor quickly undid the damage. How many techniques has she copied?
Melissa took a deep breath before dashing forward at high speed. "Ignacia Style: Desolate Slash!" Channeling the attack through her hand, she chopped at the air and fired a molten blade of sand.
Vilde staggered as the blade connected. The heat didn't affect him, but the sand scattered over his eyes and blinded him. He tried to wipe his eyes clean, leaving himself open for a dropkick from the swift Buneary. As he doubled over, Melissa grabbed his wrists and leaned back, pulling him along.
"Eadwulf Style: Dragon's Fury!"
After pulling Vilde parallel over the ground, Melissa ignited her fists and ears in dark energy before wildly punching into his face and chest. Each consecutive blow knocked him higher above the ground, keeping him suspended by the sheer quantity of blows. Though a pale imitation of how Eadwulf used the technique, Melissa modified it well enough for such an occasion.
She ended off her attack string with a heavy kick to the side, throwing Vilde across the ground. She landed and struck a confident pose that she believed made her look cooler. "HI-YA!"
Vilde held his stomach and coughed up blood from inside his mask, struggling to pick himself onto his knees. "D-Dammit…!"
Galus' eyes sparkled with amazement. "Friend amazing! Friend strong! Super skilled!"
Terrowin narrowed his eyes. She's even more talented than Fletcher himself. Though his skill at improvising with randomly assorted techniques was unparalleled, it's clear Melissa has been training with specific techniques she observed. She's even developed each technique to better suit her needs. This is beyond improvisation. She holds these techniques in high regard.
Vilde finally caught his breath and stood up, pieces of his armor chipping away. "R-Renewed Armor!" He slammed his fists together and sealed the cracks. "Agh…"
"Can you still fight?" Melissa asked.
"…" He grunted. "Don't mock me." He brought his pauldrons together and crumpled them into one giant ball of metal. "Burst Bomber!"
Channeling great heat through the pauldrons, he steadied his stance and fired them. They cut through and scorched the air at great speed, hurtling toward the startled rabbit. She narrowly bent backwards in time for the attack to sail over her, but the metal grazed her nose along the way. The improvised cannonball smashed into the arena wall with a wailing ring across the colosseum.
Melissa straightened back up and touched her smoking nose. "Th-That was hot…!"
"Burst Scatter!" She yelped and jumped out of the way as Vilde fired fiery pellets from his palms like it was Bullet Seed. He swept the attack across the ground to push Melissa away before calling back his pauldrons. One Renewed Armor later, they returned to their original shape.
"Super Springy Dash!" Melissa took off running once again, skipping around the arena at flickering speeds. She moved so swiftly that afterimages of herself danced within Vilde's line of sight.
"You think that's going to help you?" Vilde brought his pauldrons together, turning up the heat inside them. "Burn away in a sea of fire! Burst Rabauld!" Like a gatling gun, he fired a storm of heated projectiles from his pauldrons, each one glowing like a shooting star across the night sky and carrying enough heat to melt swords on contact.
Realizing the speed and power of these attacks, Melissa took off running with the trail sweeping behind her. Each shot punched a burning hole through the arena wall, and the sheer number of them being fired left a scorched streak along the way. One shot alone could do serious damage to her.
Terrowin and Galus gasped as Melissa dashed past their position and immediately ducked under Vilde's sweeping attack. "Scary fire!" Galus screamed.
Terrowin winced as some of the projectiles ricocheted off the walls and rained atop his back like hot coals. Such ferocity cannot be underestimated. This is a man who is truly willing to put his body on the line for victory. It's the most dangerous kind of opponent. How will you respond, Melissa?
Melissa checked back over her shoulder every so often to see the fire bullets still sweeping after her. She could feel the heat even from a couple meter's distance ahead. However, she also noticed Vilde was shaking as he continued to pour out the attack.
One of his moves is Overheat. He's wearing down his energy by prolonging this technique. In that case—
"Sidney Style!" Melissa leapt ahead and punched into the ground, deforming it. "Mud Dive!" She submerged below the earth just before the fire bullets reached her.
Vilde finally stopped firing and recoiled from the steam jettisoning from under his armor. "Agh…!" He staggered back, lightly shaking off his dizziness, and looked around cautiously. "Where did she go?"
"Fangs of Groudon!" The earth erupted open under him, and Melissa shot out with superheated claws wrapped over her arm. She delivered a heavy uppercut, scraping along Vilde's chest plate and into his chin.
"AGH!" He staggered back, but managed to slam his hand into her face. "Burst Scatter!" He released a barrage of fiery pellets into her, knocking her away as he fell onto his back.
"AH!" Melissa skipped across the ground as she was set aflame. She let herself roll through the dirt, smothering the flames until she stopped. She shakily picked herself up, panting and massaging her burnt face.
Vilde lay on his back for a moment to catch his breath, then clenched his fists and growled. "Why…are you so persistent about a pointless endeavor? The New Chariot Empire has reigned as a mighty power for over a hundred years. What can one measly Buneary accomplish what a century's worth of time couldn't?!"
Melissa wiped the ash off her cheek. "Are you really that scared of New Chariot?"
"…" He closed his eyes. "Why wouldn't I be? They're all monsters. I couldn't…it's my fault. It's all my fault."
She narrowed her eyes. "Vilde…"
He picked himself up, taking a second to regain control of his breathing, and stood up. His eyes burned with wildfire. "Even if I have to break every last warrior in this colosseum, I won't let anyone die so long as I can help it!"
Seven Years Ago…
It was as Vilde expected. With the civil war New Chariot went through the previous year, their manpower wasn't nearly as sufficient as other raids. With only his meager squad to enforce the law, they made short work of the soldiers, taking them by surprise and beating them unconscious.
All that remained was finding their acting commander.
Vilde worked with some of the knights to tie up the defeated soldiers while the other half searched the ruined campsite. They eventually returned to the Armorouge with a report of their findings.
"No one else appears to be here, Sir Vilde," the Vileplume stated. "Their commander doesn't seem to be anywhere near the camp."
The Beartic knight laughed. "What weaklings! We scared off their leader!"
The Bewear sighed in relief. "I admit, I was a bit worried about attacking, but it seemed Sir Vilde made the right call."
Vilde glared. "Still, for their commander to flee so abruptly…" He shook his head. "For the time being, better we call in backup and have these soldiers imprisoned. If we're lucky, they might make good hostages." He gestured to a Drifblim knight. "Return to King Widforss and inform him of our findings."
"Aye, Sir Vilde!" The balloon-like Pokémon puffed out his body and ascended up the mountain.
The Abomasnow knight picked up some of the soldiers onto his shoulders before asking, "Do we know why they were here in the first place?"
Vileplume shrugged. "Hard to say. I checked pretty much everything that wasn't destroyed. There doesn't appear to be any officially documentation about why they were stationed here. Though, it could've been a verbal order, though I'd assume they have something officially written down."
Vilde scratched his chin. "This area is too out of the way to effectively spy on the towns. There's too many sheer drops and cliffs for Pokémon unfamiliar with the terrain. Do you suppose they were trying to mine resources?"
Beartic scoffed, approaching a nearby rock wall and tapping on it. "From this far down? They'd risk starting an avalanche. Or worse, us starting one."
Bewear shrugged. "So, we have a campsite that was poorly positioned for any sort of reconnaissance mission. What does that leave us with—"
THUD!
The knights jumped as the Drifblim knight's body suddenly came crashing down in front of them. Their eyes widened at the jagged stones wedged through his body. Air leaked out from his body, and a ghostly energy wisped off his body as he struggled to stay awake.
He could only muster a single, fleeting word.
"R…Run…"
Curiosity took over as the knights turned their eyes up the sheer cliffs and saw someone dressed in a heavy cloak. The stranger rose up and pulled the hood back, revealing himself as a Kleavor. He sneered at the group below him, showing off the purple bloodstains on his axe hands.
"Worthless grunts," the Kleavor muttered. "Still, they served their purpose: luring out Algus' knights."
Bewear timidly staggered back while trying to keep his fists raised. "Wh-Who are you?"
"I've never seen a creature like that before," Abomasnow gasped.
Beartic scowled. "I have. It's an ancient form only spoken about in history, one awakened only by a rare material. It's a branching path of evolution. One of Scyther."
Vilde glared suspiciously. "Scyther?"
The Kleavor leapt off the cliff and landed on top of the Drifblim's wheezing form, crushing him beneath his feet and spraying more of his purple blood over the snow. The knights recoiled from the grizzly act, staggering further away from the stone mantis that radiated with an unending malice.
"I have no need of these weaklings," the soldier growled. "I serve the emperor's will. I'll crush anything that stands in his way, even if I must cut down my own underlings."
Beartic activated Ice Punch before asking, "What's the plan, captain?"
"…" Vilde readied his pauldrons around his hands. "Same plan as always: rush him down and end this quickly! Don't give him a chance to breathe!"
"You heard the captain! ATTACK!"
Rallied by Vilde's bravery, the knights rushed down the lone Kleavor. He hissed at their approach, summoning a powerful orange aura around his axe hands. He met their charge head on with a commanding lunge, quaking the very earth under him in only a few steps.
"Die."
"Burst Eruptor!" Vilde molded his pauldrons together and fired a blue fireball that resembled compressed magma.
Melissa bounced into the air and barely avoided the explosive splash. Flames erupted several meters around her previous position, setting the ground aflame in brilliant blue. "Brooklyn Style: Ascending Gale!" She spun, casting herself inside a funnel of wind, and glided herself away from the flames.
"Burst Volley!" Vilde whipped his arms, throwing clusters of blue pellets at the flying bunny.
"Abyss Clouds!" She stopped the wind funnel and blocked Vilde's attack behind a curtain of dark clouds. She dove back onto the ground and made a lunging tackle into his chest.
He stood his ground and bounced her off before catching her by the ears. "Burst Scatter!" He pinned her to the ground and proceeded to unload a blank point stream of fiery pellets on top of her. Each consecutive shot caused a geyser of flames to erupt around them.
"Friend Harlow!" Galus screamed.
Terrowin grimaced. I want to intervene and help, but this seems like something she needs to handle on her own. She seems dead set on helping him through whatever is haunting him.
Vilde didn't let up in his attack, aiming to only stop once she stopped moving. However, Melissa wasn't out yet, kicking up both her feet and knocking his arm away, causing his Burst Scatter to pepper in a straight line across the arena.
Smoking, but still kicking, Melissa spun on her hands and slammed the back of her heel into Vilde's cheek, chipping his armor a little more. She landed on her feet and whipped her fist across the same spot before backing off. Vilde retaliated with another barrage of Burst Volley, but Melissa dove back underground with the borrowed Mud Dive.
Realizing what was coming, Vilde took off running around the arena wall, using his heightened speed to keep ahead of any surprise attacks. "Burst Scatter!" Firing from both hands, he peppered the ground around him with burning pellets to dissuade the Buneary from surfacing.
"You're aiming at the wrong spot!"
Vilde froze as Melissa suddenly jettisoned out from the wall itself and kicked him in the face. She sprung off his mask, landed her feet against the wall, and bounced off, flipping over his head as he stumbled over.
He managed to regain his bearings and crushed both his pauldrons into spheres. "Burst Mortar!" He swung his fist and commanded both spheres to fly at the skipping rabbit.
"WHOA!" Melissa dodged the first sphere, then kicked the second to cancel its momentum. She staggered from the blow, but managed to strike back with her Mega Kick, firing it back at Vilde.
He caught it with one hand, sliding back a couple meters. He clenched his other fist, commanding the other sphere to fly back and hit Melissa from behind. Vilde threw the other sphere and clanged his fists together, smashing the Buneary between both spheres.
"GAAAH!" she cried.
Vilde rushed her down with a heavy uppercut, knocking her into the air. He quickly reformed his pauldrons, then slammed the barrel into the falling rabbit. "Burst Shot!" He unloaded the shotgun-like blast, sending Melissa packing in a smoking trail.
She tumbled across the arena before landing in the center. Before she could get her bearings straight, Vilde was already on top of her and slammed his Burst Shot right down on top of her, splitting the ground open upon firing.
Galus screamed and covered his eyes. "Can't look!"
"Harlow!" Terrowin gasped.
Vilde panted, hovering over the smoking crater under him. He trembled back, returning his pauldrons to his shoulders, and exhaled the steam building up in his body. "You…You want to lead an escape from this place? If you can't even beat me, what hope do you have against the whole of New Chariot? You saw what Nero is capable of. Why do you still insist on resisting when you're this weak?!"
"…Ugh…"
Vilde scowled. "Well?!" He reached down and pulled the bunny out from the ground. "Answer—"
Melissa's form collapsed in his grip. He staggered as she broke apart into a mess of gray goop onto the ground. His mind rapidly sorted through a list of explanations before realizing something. She was obscured by the smoke covering her body. Did that mean—
"Substitute!" he gasped.
"Fangs of Groudon!"
Melissa burst out from the earth and uppercut him with superheated claws, shredding the left half of his helmet. She then delivered a roundhouse kick, throwing him onto his back.
"You think I don't understand what I'm up against?!" she shouted. "You don't know the connections I've made! I've seen what the other kingdoms are like through their experience! Their stories!" She landed and skipped back to make some distance. "That's why I'm still here fighting!"
Terrowin grinned, wiping the sweat off his brow. She managed to switch between two different styles almost instantly. She used the smoke to create a double of herself, then used that diving technique the very moment after the double was created. Such seamless mastery.
Melissa took a deep breath before returning to her attack stance. "I think I'm beginning to understand you a little more, Vilde. Despite your anger towards me, you just want me to worry about myself. You don't want me throwing my life away for a dream." She glared. "I'm sorry, but I'm done playing passive. If I'm going to save Virdis, I need to keep pushing forward into certain danger. I've dedicated the whole of my training to making the lives of everyone in Virdis a little easier. No more wars, no more suffering, and no more division! I'm going to make these kingdoms understand that, even if I have to beat some sense into them!"
Vilde scowled as he stood up. "You're insane! You're risking everything over something that isn't even tangible! What good is a dream compared to the lives of others?! Are you willing to lead your allies to their deaths?!"
She glared. "I'm only following my own path. I can't force people to follow my example. Shouldn't a leader inspire others to make their own calls? If they choose to follow behind me, that's their choice!"
His eyes widened. "Wha…?"
"We'll follow you wherever you go into battle, Sir Vilde!"
"I admit, I was a bit worried about attacking, but it seemed Sir Vilde made the right call."
"…" He growled. "Why did those idiots listen to me? I was just some naïve brat who got too comfortable with his position."
"Because they respected you!"
He jolted at the Buneary's affirmation. "What?!"
"I don't understand what you went through, Vilde, but it sounds to me you made a bad call. I understand that feeling. I worry everyday if what I'm doing is the right thing." She shifted her footing. "But I know I'll have my allies to support and guide me! If your allies followed your example, they must've believed in your strength. Maybe you were reckless back then, so why not make the effort to ensure that never happens again? Don't shoulder the burden of failure onto yours alone! Don't let their sacrifices be in vain! Keep fighting! This isn't just about you! It's about giving meaning to their sacrifices!"
Vilde's eye twitched. After only some scattered sentences, it's like she already understands what I went through. What the hell is wrong with her?
She bounced readily on one foot. "Vilde, please let me prove myself. I won't let anyone else die on my watch! I'm going to save everyone! I won't lead a war that ends in bloodshed!"
"…" Vilde's arms drooped to his sides as he stared wistfully at the ground. "I haven't…been neglecting their deaths. I…I wasn't, right?" He clenched his fists, hot tears dripping down his helmet. "Did they really trust me that much…?"
Seven Years Ago…
"GAH!" Vilde recoiled from the Kleavor's devastating slash that tore through his armor. His blood sprayed out onto the snow as he collapsed onto his knees, shaking in pain.
"Stone Axe." The Kleavor leapt into the air, rearing his axe hand as it erupted in orange light, and came down on the Armorouge.
"Sir Vilde!" The Beartic hurriedly raced to his captain's side and blocked the Kleavor's attack with his armored bracers. However, the attack was far stronger than he expected, cutting through the bracers and into his wrists. "GAAAAAAAH!"
Vilde's eyes widened. "NO!" He sprung back on his feet and fired Psyshock, but the Kleavor jumped out of the way. He caught Beartic and set him down on the snow. "Oh gods…!"
"Wood Hamm—GYYAAAAAHHHHH!"
Vilde jolted as the Abomasnow knight was ruthlessly cut down before he could get an attack in. The Kleavor rushed past him and delivered a cross slash that split into the snow monster's chest, taking him to the ground.
Bewear jumped down from the cliffside and ambushed the Kleavor with a death hold. "Bind!" He flexed his muscles and held the stone mantis down. "You're not going anywhere—"
Amber-colored slashes suddenly exploded across the knight's body, shredding into his arms, and forced him to let go. The Kleavor spun around upon release and slashed through the giant bear's stomach, sending him flying into the mountain wall.
"Perish, New Chariot Scum!" The soldier spotted the Vileplume knight running out from cover with Moonblast as blood ran down his eyes. "Captain, report back to the king! SAVE YOURSELF!"
"NO!" Vilde screamed.
Vileplume fired the Moonblast, but the Kleavor swung and split the attack in two, sending both halves careening down the mountain before exploding. Vileplume tried to fire another, but the soldier already rushed him down and delivered a brutal chopping attack into the middle of his face. Blood ruptured out, and the soldier chucked his body like a sack of potatoes. Vilde winced from the sound of bones crunching after the flower monster's body hit the mountain wall.
The Kleavor rolled his shoulders before turning his sights on Vilde. "Next."
Vilde glowered. "Murderer…"
"Tch." He swung and fired a Psycho Cut at him.
"Captain!" The Beartic suddenly sprung up and pushed Vilde away before taking the attack instead.
Vilde collapsed in the snow and screamed as the Beartic fell onto his back, his white fur almost completely stained red. Fire erupted from his eyes. "BASTARD!" He summoned an Aura Sphere and fired it at the soldier.
Kleavor backhanded and destroyed the attack in one strike. "Allies are worthless. They only slow down the mission. That's why Emperor Nero made me his most trusted soldier. I'm the only one who can get the job done."
Vilde panted frantically, looking around at the mountains of dead bodies and blood coloring the snow. All his knights he led under his command, their lives taken in an instant. All the remained was him. Him and the murderous soldier responsible for it all.
"Why…?" he whispered. "Why all of this?"
Kleavor glared. "To show the Algus Kingdom what will be coming for them eventually. Under Emperor Nero, we will demolish the kingdom of warriors and establish the east as—no, the entire region as the empire's territory." He walked slowly, displaying his blood-covered axes. "These deaths…are your fault. Their lives have been snuffed out because of your foolishness."
Tears welled up in Vilde's eyes. "Wha…?"
"The pride of Algus. So foolishly holding on to their beliefs of valor, thinking you'll ascend to a realm of heroes even in death. What honor was there in this massacre? Algus' pride will eventually be demolished and make way for the true essence of glory."
Vilde dug his hands into the blood-red snow. "K-Kill me…just kill me already…"
The soldier glared. "No. We're going to set an example for Algus. We're going to prove that your warrior spirit…is all a hopeless façade. We will break you. You will not be allowed death until the emperor commands it. You will fight, and you will be broken. Your future, your destiny, is decided by the God of War."
"…" Vilde slammed his fists down, his body quaking. "M-My friends…I-I'm so sorry…"
The Kleavor raised his axe over the Armorouge's head. "Shoulder that guilt, and let it consume you."
He brought his arm down and knocked Vilde unconscious in one strike.
"…How could I possibly face them?" Vilde mumbled, tears dripping down his helmet. "I fear dying because I fear seeing them in the great beyond. I have to win. I have to win so that I can leave this godforsaken torture house! If I am ever to die in glorious combat to see them again, I must shoulder the burden of tearing New Chariot down! I refuse to die until they've paid for the decades of misery they brought with their wars! Why…Why was I chosen to survive that day?! Why couldn't I have just died with the rest of them?! WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE ME?!"
The Armorouge's somber sobbing echoed through the empty colosseum. Melissa looked upon him with her ears drooped over her eyes while Terrowin and Galus watched in silence, unfit to speak up in the middle of the man's strife.
"Why…Why did I have to be the last survivor…?" Vilde whimpered.
"…" Melissa silently approached the quivering spirit.
"I can't die now. If I die here, their deaths would've been for nothing. Our pride as warriors, tarnished by these monsters. What right do I have when they were the ones bravely putting themselves on the line?! I should've been the only one who died that day! WHY DID I HAVE TO SURVIVE—"
BAM!
Vilde recoiled from a sharp blow to the chin and fell back onto his rear. His eyes shook in disbelief, his expression twisting in bafflement as cracks formed over the helmet. He shakily massaged his chin before sitting up, staring at the Buneary who so unabashedly kicked him.
After lowering her foot, she turned her back and walked back to where she was standing, further confusing the Armorouge. Once she returned to her spot, she faced him and resumed her stance.
"Stop insulting your allies."
His eyes widened. "W…What?"
She clenched her fists. "You were given the chance to live, and you wished you died along with them? You're from the Algus Kingdom, right? Warriors don't fear death because dying in combat is considered the greatest honor in war, right?" She scowled. "But I don't see your survival as a mark of failure. You live to carry on their fight. You stand here now wishing you died?!"
"…" Vilde narrowed his eyes. "Skill Hunter…"
"No one can take on the world on their own! You were a leader, weren't you? Don't wallow over their deaths! They fought their hardest under your command! If you want to grieve for them, channel that grief and their strength! Don't let their deaths be your excuse to push away the world! If they were willing to fight to the death by your side, doesn't that mean they knew the risks like you did?!"
"I…"
"They gave you a chance to keep up the fight! The time for mourning is over! If you want to avenge their deaths, stop burdening yourself with their strength! Let us carry that burden with you!"
"…" Hot tears trickled down Vilde's helmet. This damn kid. Who…does she think she is? Telling me off like she knows anything. He vigorously wiped his eyes before sighing. And she's right. I can't keep mourning over what happened. I'm holding myself back. I was never this cautious, and now I'm going in the complete opposite direction. I was so focused on doing things the safe way…that I forgot our Algus pride.
Melissa shifted her feet and tensed up her legs. "How will you respond, Vilde?"
Vilde finally picked himself off the ground, taking in a deep breath. He exhaled a jet of steam before glaring at her. "Show me…your warrior spirit, Skill Hunter Harlow!"
Terrowin smirked. Looks like she finally reached him.
"Burst Cannon!" Vilde formed his pauldrons together and fired a ball of condensed heat straight at Melissa.
Melissa rushed it down with cold energy erupting off her fist. "Kenny Style—" She hammered her fist into the heat sphere and completely evaporated it into steam. The ground under her flash-froze the moment the attack dispelled. "Cruel Ice Age!"
Vilde sprinted at her while she was momentarily suspended off the ground. "Burst Shot!"
However, before he could slam his cannon against her, she spun and boosted herself over his head on a gust of wind. "Brooklyn Style: Ascending Gale!" She activated Mega Kick and swung at his head.
With his pauldron still hovering over his hand, Vilde spun around and countered her attack with a timely block. "Burst Mortar!" He crushed his spare pauldron into a glowing ball of metal and fired it at Melissa.
She activated another Mega Kick and cancelled out its energy before springing off. Okay, time to put Decebal's training to good use! She took a deep breath and contracted her leg muscles before she touched the ground. Though, I'm sure the original creator won't appreciate this name.
"Frantic Bunny Hop!"
Vilde blinked, and Melissa completely disappeared from his vision. He frantically scanned the arena, only briefly spotting pockets of dirt exploding off the ground from each of Melissa's consecutive dashes. He managed to catch tiny blurs of her moving, but they were so brief that one could mistake it for the wind.
Terrowin was equally shocked. Is that Harriet's Ground Dance Art? When did she learn to do that? And she's…incredible! I can barely keep track of her movements!
Realizing he wasn't getting anywhere with tracking Melissa, Vilde summoned a cluster of empowered Psyshock's between his hands. "Burst…VOLLEY!" He spun and threw out the clusters in all directions, waiting for the additional Aura Sphere to lock onto her aura.
The clusters eventually caught onto Melissa's aura and attempted to chase her, but her frequent turns and dashes caused the attack to spiral into itself. Even still, Vilde kept firing, peppering the arena in explosions.
I know you've been training with Decebal. But that also means you haven't built up the stamina yet to use it as long as him. So, when are you going to stop moving?
"Frantic Bunny—"
Vilde was barely able to look over his shoulder before Melissa crashed into him from behind with a brutal kick to the back, sending rows of cracks to his armor.
"—Dropkick!"
Melissa dragged Vilde across the arena with him keeping his legs firmly planted in the ground. Despite the pain swelling inside him, he swung his arm around and backhanded the Buneary off.
"Burst Rabauld!" He clamped his pauldrons together and fired the stream of enhanced fire pellets, purposely shooting the ground first to prevent Melissa from diving under.
Melissa, unable to repeat the Frantic Bunny Hop for the time being, dove onto the ground and slammed her fists down. "Luna Style!" Pockets of Grass Pledge opened up in front of her and erupted into walls of leafage. They were set aflame by Vilde's attack, but provided ample time to dash out around him.
Vilde stopped firing and opted for Burst Scatter, firing burning pellets from his hand. Melissa kept ahead of his aim before dashing under the attack. Vilde immediately switched up to Burst Cannon and fired at her, but far too late. She dashed through just fast enough for the attack to explode against the ground and propel herself even faster into him.
"Mega Kick!"
"Burst Mortar!"
They clashed attacks together, their energies ringing out over the arena. Melissa pivoted against Vilde's attack and twirled around it, using her spinning to deliver a devasting Mega Kick into the side of his face. Even with pieces of armor chipping away, Vilde didn't back down and punched her away with Burst Mortar.
"GAH!" Melissa tumbled off the ground, but flipped herself onto her feet.
"Burst Incendiary!" Vilde mashed his pauldrons together and fired clusters of blue flame-streaking pellets that locked onto Melissa immediately.
"Pandora Style!" Melissa grinned evilly before rushing down the flaming projectiles. "The Noxious Flame of EVIL!" She curled into a ball and ignited herself in toxic purple flames. She charged through the flaming projectiles, protected behind her flaming aura, and rammed straight into Vilde.
He caught her by both sides of the flames and held her in place, ignoring the searing pain being emitted by the noxious smoke coming off her. He reared his leg and kicked her into the air before firing Burst Scatter.
Melissa broke from the flames and stopped the attack with Abyss Clouds. However, instead of just blocking, she reached around and fired tendrils of black clouds, catching Vilde's wrists and binding them together. She dove out of the air and landed on his face with a hard kick.
"RAH!" He threw his head forward and knocked her off. The Abyss Clouds engulfed his hands, but he concentrated an Aura Sphere within and caused the clouds to tear away. "Burst Scatter!" He fired on the downed bunny.
Melissa immediately sprung off her hands, dodging the attack, and used Abyss Clouds to grapple and launch herself at Vilde. "Mega Kick!"
Vilde blocked with his pauldron, grabbed her ankle, and tossed her away. Despite growing more and more winded, his eyes lit up with a lighter flame. "You are…truly persistent, Skill Hunter."
Melissa caught herself and smirked. "Just doing what I do best!"
"Hmph! Then let's see…if you can handle this attack!" He clamped his pauldrons together and began to charge heat in front of the barrel. "If you can endure this, my path will be decided! Show me your resolve, Skill Hunter Harlow!"
Energy swirled in front of the barrel, compressing itself in a ball of blue heat. Cracks opened up across Vilde's armor as the pressure around him built up. The energy expanded, the attack closely resembling that of a blue sun from the heat energy swirling and erupting across the surface. The ground beneath it caught fire from the close proximity.
"This attack…normally can be made much stronger!" Vilde yelled. "But for you, I'll only use the bare minimum for your sake…and mine!" The cracks worsened across his body. "Now, show me your resolve!"
Melissa stared down the fiery attack in horror for a moment before seizing her nerves and raising her fists to it. "Bring it!"
"Then witness…my strongest attack! Burst Basilisk!" Vilde fired the blue sun, his armor splitting apart in a web of cracks from the recoil as he fell to the ground.
The almighty attack rushed across the arena grounds, burning a scorching hot trail in its wake that left the earth a searing path of molten rock. As it rapidly approached Melissa, she could feel the intense heat radiating off its surface. It shined like the brightest lantern in the pitch-black abyss, nothing but that fiery blue overtaking the darkness.
Melissa sorted through a list of techniques she copied over the last year, aiming to find one that would best help her survive. She had a few defensive measures, among them being the ever-flexible Abyss Clouds, to the more offensive capable of rending the molten cannonball if allowed.
However, she promised to meet Vilde's challenge head on, so she would do so with her own technique.
In less than a second, she hopped one on her foot, preparing her leg muscles as energy surged through them. In that instance, she cleared her mind of all doubts and possibilities of failure. She was going to match and surpass the attack with all she had learned.
She landed on her foot and compressed her leg muscles to their maximum. "Frantic Bunny—" Her muscles, the very instant upon contracting, erupted with an explosive rush of energy that catapulted her toward the molten cannonball at breakneck speed. "—Spear Kick!"
She extended her foot forward, which radiated in intense blue light while the rest of her body was engulfed in an orange aura. By combining Mega Kick with her Endure, plus the explosive speed of her Frantic Bunny Hop, it was a kick capable of piercing through any attack that stood in her path.
The two forces collided in the center of the arena, their impact rippling out in a devastating wave of heat that set the arena ablaze. The heat traveled rapidly over the arena, forcing Terrowin to bunker himself and Galus under a dome of fire-resistant roots. Even then, the surface of the done caught fire.
Melissa screamed internally from the heat washing over her body, but kept going through her Endure. She dug her foot into the Burst Basilisk, refusing to let it overpower her. The longer they maintained the stalemate, the more molten the center of the arena became. She could only imagine how far down the heat was traveling. Any longer and it would melt a hole straight down into the dungeon.
"Now…BREAK!" Melissa reared back her other foot and launched a second explosive kick into the attack, this time with far greater power since it was at close range.
The attack worked its magic, sending a ripple of kinetic force across the cannonball's surface. The heat energy flowed with the force of her kick, causing it to unravel and blow apart, scattering through half the arena. As the cannonball's power diminished, the displaced heat splashed across the colosseum seating area and torched all the stone benches until they began to melt.
The last of the cannonball's energy faded, and Melissa collapsed onto the ground with the soles of her feet burnt black. The rest of her body wafted with a thick smoke as she panted heavily, feeling every inch of her skin stinging from the heat. Endure managed to keep her conscious, but just barely. Anything at this point would likely knock her unconscious.
The silence was filled with the hissing of scorched earth and burnt roots, which Terrowin undid to see the results of the fight. Galus immediately raced over to Melissa's side, picking her up in his arms. Terrowin smiled softly and approached them.
Such reckless abandonment, yet such unbending spirit.
Melissa weakly cracked her eyes open and looked up to Galus as he worriedly hovered over her. She giggled wearily. "Guess I overdid it."
"Friend Harlow!" Galus cried, hugging her against his chest. She awkwardly patted his back.
"Ugh…" Vilde picked himself off the ground, pieces of his ruined armor falling off. Too tired to repair it, he shakily rose to his feet and limped over to Melissa. "Is…she okay?"
Terrowin leaned down and placed his hand on Melissa's forehead. Before she could ask, a soft green glow wrapped around her, soothing her burns and injuries. "You both fought valiantly. You should be proud of your victories."
Vilde glared. "My…victory?"
He smiled. "Yes. Don't you feel like you've won?"
"…" He closed his eyes and sighed. "That's…not important."
"Heh."
With her injuries mitigated, Melissa propped herself up against Galus and looked up at Vilde. "You're really strong, Vilde. I imagine you were respected for that strength."
"…" Vilde sighed. "I was unjust in my anger towards you, Skill Hunter. I was so desperate to break free and take revenge that I stopped considering the pride of my kingdom. I alone cannot finish this fight. For their sakes, I cannot continue on as is."
He dropped to one knee and bowed his head to her. Melissa gradually pulled herself away from Galus and approached Vilde. "Vilde…"
"…My name is Vilde Drakenberg. I was a knight of the Algus Kingdom, and I have been imprisoned here for about seven years. Skill Hunter Harlow, I would be honored to fight by your side as your shield and cannon. Command me as you see fit, and I shall carry out your orders with the utmost precision."
Melissa smiled softly. "You don't need to be so formal. Still, I look forward to working with you, Vilde. Thank you for finally giving me a chance."
"I'm risking everything on your skill. Please, allow me to carry my brothers-in-arms into battle one last time."
She nodded. "Of course." She gasped as Vilde started to falter. "Whoa there!" She quickly caught his arm, causing more armor to chip off. "Terrowin, can you—"
He moved over to the Armorouge's side and wrapped his arm around his shoulder, lifting him to his feet. "I'll heal him back in the prison. We should get out of here." After securing Vilde, the group limped back to the walled-off elevator shaft.
Galus gulped. "Scary fighting."
Melissa chuckled weakly. "It was quite bracing."
Vilde glared. "I'm…surprised, though."
"How so?"
"That couldn't have been ignored. I didn't even consider it, but the guards never showed up."
Terrowin glared. "Yeah, I noticed that, too."
Melissa laughed. "Well, maybe we got off lucky and no one heard—"
Everyone froze as lanterns suddenly lit up across the top of the colosseum, illuminating dozens of guards armed with crossbows aimed directly at the arena.
"…Yeeeeah, that makes more sense."
They jumped when two large pits of flame erupted from the royal spectator seats. Turning their heads up, they spotted Emperor Nero lounging on his throne with Terminus and Jason standing on each side. He smirked down at the group, his laughter audible even over the roar of flames.
"Well, well, well. It seems we have a few escapees roaming around late tonight. That, I'm afraid, is grounds for…execution."