Direction was meaningless. Up and down had no constant. It was nothing but the endless void. As soon as Amos was snatched off his feet and dragged below ground, his senses were obliterated. Pitch-black darkness encroached on his vision. A deafening silence erupted in his ears. He felt nothing but the hook wrapped around his waist and the forces acting upon his body.

For the next five seconds, he truly thought he was dead.

Then, he fell out onto the floor.

Amos jumped to his feet with a start, drawing in a breath of the stale air as the lingering rattle of the windy chain faded within the shadows. He turned his pincer gun on the darkness, spreading out a curtain of sand through the area, finding he was alone for the most part.

He pulled his goggles back and blinked twice as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. He found himself in a ruined chamber with long, winding cracks split down into the floors. A huge chasm lay behind him, leading down to the next floor where even more ruin awaited. Each step he made crackled through the barren building. Even his breathing sounded louder.

He stepped out of the chamber, making his way into a hallway. He grunted. "Great. I'm stuck in another underground dungeon, just without the amnesiac assassin looming over my shoulder." He steadied his gun arm and shifted carefully through the building. "Burkhard? Magni? You two down here? Hello?"

He continued to spread his sand through the building, getting a better read on how far below ground he was. He grimaced as his sand continued to rise higher and higher until its sonar range. The Fauchers truly built a hideout capable of alluding assassins and mercenaries, though not well enough.

He sighed and aimed at the shadows on the wall, backing away slowly. "Okay, enough with the theatrics, Babylas. You know why we're here. You know what we want. Let's not make this any more difficult than it needs to be. Just hand over Evelot, and we can all leave in peace."

He stopped. He heard a rattling chain behind him. Slowly, he turned and aimed his pincer gun around. Leaning against the wall, spinning his hook and chain, was the Banette himself.

Babylas grinned. "And here I thought you were the 'shoot first, ask questions never' type. Hmm, no. No, that sounds more like Phoebe, doesn't it?" He unclipped the hook and chain, dropping them back into his shadow. He tucked his arms under his cloak and paced around the open hallway. "I'd say I'm flattered you came all this way to see me, but…well, you clearly want to put a bullet through my head."

Amos gritted his teeth, keeping his gun trained on the ghost's head as he roamed in a circle around the Gligar.

"You're hesitating to shoot me. Why? Think I'll dodge it?" Babylas chuckled softly. "Funny, actually. You pulled a similar last-ditch effort right after I cut your throat. Didn't think much of it. You fired four bullets. Four bullets. Four bodies."

"…"

Babylas grinned. "I should've realized you had something tricky up your sleeve. Was it some sort of remote healing wave? Did I kill four clones? Hmm?"

"…"

"Well, I suppose it doesn't matter. You're trying so hard to be brave, but you know the gap between us. And yet, you still came all this way just for Evelot?"

Amos' expression softened, yet he continued to glare at the smug Banette. "Evelot is coming with us. And this time, we're not to going to lose to you."

Babylas smirked. "I admire your boldness, as unfounded as it is. Regardless of how you and your friends avoided a one-way trip to Hell, it hasn't been that long since our encounter. You must be tired, and I doubt you've gotten that much stronger."

"We were caught off guard. Not this time. We're ready."

Babylas laughed. "You're ready? Good, good. That'll make this extra fun." He sighed and shook his head. "Look, I would love to hang out, but I need to get Evelot somewhere safe. You know, unlike what you plan on doing."

Amos scoffed. "I take it the offer to sail away is off the table?"

"Afraid so."

"What are you getting out of this? Do you honestly think Evelot is any safer with Last Autumn than out here?"

Babylas glared. "I'm doing this for her own good. There are dangers out there greater than anything you've faced."

"Tch. Sounds like an excuse to justify yourself."

"Then how about this? Did Evelot ever tell you anything strange? Perhaps anything relating to Absalom?"

Amos lowered his pincer gun a bit. "What?"

"Did she ever mention the 31st Rebirth Moon?"

"I…what? What are you talking about?"

Babylas huffed. "She's cursed."

"Give me an actual explanation."

"There really is no other way to explain it. Evelot is in danger so long as the 31st Rebirth Moon approaches. Getting her out of the Outlands, away from Absalom's influence, is the only way to ensure her safety. She's already starting to see visions of him. I don't know what he is, but Absalom seems keen on pushing Evelot's fate toward disaster. And I know how it'll end if she pursues the truth."

"…" Amos lowered his arm. "You mean Spring-Loaded Harriet?"

"Phoebe finally told you. Yeah. She raided the Faucher's hideout all those years ago, and she led her minions to slaughter everyone. Evelot would've been among the pile had she not…" Babylas looked aside and sighed. "Evelot is stronger than she realizes, but the trauma of that day suppressed that inner beast within. If she ever finds out the truth, that beast wakes with her memories."

"…"

"But you and your friends were insistent on continuing your crusade against Last Autumn, weren't you?" Babylas shook his head. "Even if it means dooming Virdis for a little bit, I rather her safe and sound."

Amos glared. "You don't want Last Autumn completing their mission, too."

"A temporary setback. I've been around the Outlands for a long time. I left home when I was only thirteen. I got strong, and I learned things. A lot of things. I'm not ignorant about what Last Autumn is planning, but I rather see Virdis on fire for a short while than let fate play Evelot's strings. I made a promise to protect her and her dreams."

Amos stared at the Banette for a moment, taking in his proclamation, before sighing. "Yeah? Well, I'm not convinced." He took aim once again. "Regardless of what you think is right, I'm going to get Evelot out of here and protect her myself."

Babylas smirked. "I never expected someone like you to act so valiantly."

"There's nothing valiant about me." Amos braced his arm and fired at the ghost puppet.

Babylas casually sidestepped around the bullets and rushed the Gligar down. "Haven't you learned anything about last time?" He pulled his fire katana, Agni, from under his cloak. "Or do you need another scar as a reminder?"

Amos flicked his wrist, commanding the lingering sand in the air to twist around his airborne bullets and fire them back at the Banette. "Curve Shot!"

Babylas spotted them out of the corner of his eye, spinning around and cutting them down with his sword. The molten bullets pinged against the ground. Babylas glanced over his shoulder and watched as Amos disappeared down a branching hallway.

"Heh. Alright then."


Amos fired Rock Cluster Bullets over his shoulder, blocking off the hallway behind him. Once he was in a wide-open space, he reloaded his pincer and fired all six shots in the walls.

"Light Bullet!"

The bullets impacted the walls and released a strong light all over the space. Amos quickly slipped his goggles back on and looked around. Just as he hoped, the light wrapped around the entire space, leaving no room for shadows to form…all except his own, elongated shadow.

He kept his pincer gun trained on his shadow, constantly checking over his shoulder. "Nowhere for you to slip around and ambush me." He cast his Sandstorm and spread it down the two other corridors. "And if you appear anywhere down there, I'll have enough distance to react."

Leaving anything up to chance was a death sentence for him and the others. He didn't know how Babylas would go about toying with them this time, though there was a chance the fight won't last as long if he allows it. Getting separated so suddenly wasn't part of the plan, but it was a minor setback. He just needed to be patient and—

CRASH!

Amos' eyes flickered to the wall as it exploded open. A gigantic cleaver-like axe whipped across the air, connected to a twisted cluster of branches. He ducked his head back, wincing as the blade nearly grazed the surface of his cheek, and watched the weapon whirl around into another wall, taking it down.

He bounced back and fired sand bullets at the hole in the wall. The wooden axe retracted and intercepted the bullets, taking them within its entanglement of branches. It moved and stretched like the grotesque limb of a mutated Trevenant, dragging and scraping along the floor as it folded back into a thick club with an axe head wedged at the top.

Babylas stepped out of the hole, grinning at Amos' shocked expression. "Oh, did I not show you this one?" He supported the thick axe over his shoulder. "And I went through the trouble of putting on a weapon show for you and your friends."

Amos smacked his tail down and flew back, firing sand bullets as he rode through a sand stream. Babylas gave chase, blocking the shots with his wooden axe. Despite its burdensome size, he wielded it without issue, making only the slightest of adjustments with the handle to block the bullets.

"Cleave him to pieces! Natura!" Stopping on his foot, he whipped the axe forward and extended it down the hall.

Amos' eyes widened as the axe grew in size, towering over him like a falling tree. He slapped his tail against a wall and threw himself out of the way before it crashed down.

Babylas jumped out of the shadows and seized Amos by the cloak. "You want to save Evelot so badly? Then you better stop being weak!" He slammed Amos' face into the shadows, causing the Gligar to flip through nothingness before crashing onto his back.

"AGH!" He lay stunned on the floor for a moment before rolling to his feet. He looked around in a panic, pulling up his goggles to get a better look around. "Wait, what floor am I—"

He sensed something behind him and turned his pincer gun on it. However, to his horror, it was a Shedinja, which lifted its halo and blasted him blank point with Flash.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Amos stumbled back into the wall and rubbed his eyes. "I-I can't see!" It felt like a million suns were exploding directly atop his eyes. His vision burned away like parchment, leaving nothing but blinding white and scattered colors ahead.

Babylas jumped out from the shadows in the ceiling and pulled out Agni. Burn.

He went for Amos' neck, but the Gligar spun around and countered with his pincer blade. Babylas looked around and saw a scattering of sand flowing through the air. He grinned and bounced back as Amos took another swing at him.

"D-Damn you…!" Amos moved his pincer aside. Tears trickled from his clenched eyes, but his Sand Sensory pointed him in Babylas' direction. "A cheap trick like that won't work on me!" He rushed the Banette down, wildly swinging.

Babylas took gentle steps back, standing out of reach with each swing. "I admire your tenacity, but please stop embarrassing yourself. I don't even have my good eye uncovered—" He paused as one of his Shedinja whispered something in his ear. "Hmm?"

"HA!" Amos spun on his heel and whipped his pincer blade at Babylas' neck.

He grabbed Amos' wrist, twisted it, and smashed his face into the floor. "Ah. One moment, please." He jumped back and dove into the back of his Shedinja.


"Burrowing Bullet!"

Phoebe took off running as soon as the Shedinja watching over her got distracted. She loaded a bullet into her rifle, jumped, and shot into the floor, digging down several floors. She fell through the openings, reloading and firing Burrowing Bullets one after the other.

"Hang on, Evelot! I'm-a comin'!" She flicked another bullet into the chamber and prepared to fire.

However, as she squeezed the trigger, a pink flash soared out from the darkness below. Phoebe's Detect instantly activated, and she bent her head back as a razor-sharp whip blade nearly took her face off. She crashed onto one of the lower floors, springing onto her feet, and running away as the whip sword retracted.

"On second thought, give me another ten minutes!" she shouted.

"Stinger."

"Eh—WAH!" Phoebe slid onto her knees and whipped back as a whip with a massive stinger cracked at the air above her. The tiny wings buzzing off the bulbous stinger allowed it to change trajectory and snap back at her. Activating Detect again, she sprung off her hands and narrowly avoided the grotesque weapon.

"Terra."

She almost didn't notice it on her left side, but she felt the wind of something swinging at her face. She dropped down just as the earth-shaking war hammer swung over her head. She grabbed her fire dagger with her tail and sliced at her attacker, only to find no one there. She glanced at the airborne hammer, realizing it was being controlled by a Shedinja's Poltergeist.

"Aeros." A silver chain whipped through the air, tangling around Phoebe, and pulled her off her feet. Spinning through the air, she eventually crashed down into the floor with a hard slam.

"AGH!"

The chain retracted back into the shadows, and Babylas stepped out to greet the fallen monkey. "Phew, that was a close one. Almost got to the bottom floor, did you—"

"Surprise attack!" Phoebe reached around and whipped something out.

Babylas summoned his shield to guard, but nothing struck him. Confused, he peeked around and saw Phoebe had instead taken off running.

"Made you look!"

Smirking, Babylas grabbed the edge of his shield, wound himself up, and tossed it ahead. It ricocheted off the walls, bouncing closer and closer to Phoebe until it sniped the back of her legs.

"WAH!" She somersaulted backwards and landed on her face.

The shield bounced back near Babylas, passing into a shadow he was touching. He then reached into that shadow and pulled out his bident, Aquamarine. He twirled the two-pronged weapon, gathering up a ring of water vapor. "Where exactly were you running to?"

Phoebe weakly pushed herself up. "I…call bullshit on that ricocheting shield…"

"Good talk." He aimed his bident down and swung at her back.

Phoebe activated Detect and spun on her hands, slapping the bident away with her tail. She flipped away from the puppet and activated Metronome. Power surged through her fingers, granting her Hone Claws. "Eh, good enough! Stealth Dash!"

Bouncing twice on her toes, Phoebe suddenly launched forward at high speed, passing by Babylas and snatching the bident out of his hands. Babylas blinked twice and looked at his empty hands. "Eh?"

Phoebe stopped on her heels, twirled the watery weapon, and lunged back at the ghost puppet. "And here comes Phoebe with the win—"

Babylas snapped his fingers, causing the bident to disappear into liquified shadow right as Phoebe swung at his face. Her eye widened as she stood frozen in confusion under the puppet's smug grin.

"…I call bullshi—WAH!" Phoebe went flying from an uppercut to the chin, courtesy of Babylas' glowing knuckledusters.

He clashed the twin weapons together and approached the fallen monkey. "Sorry, but anything I deem as my weapon can't trade owners unless I say so, and you taking it out of my hands for a few seconds doesn't elapse that limit."

Phoebe stood up, massaging her jaw, and growled. "You just can't give me a break, can you?"

He grinned. "Nope!" He lunged at her, swinging his fists.

Phoebe backed away on her heels, stumbling out his reach. She grabbed her heated dagger and swung back, countering his knuckledusters. Her arm trembled, the vibrations of his punch shooting through the dagger and the rest of her body. She pivoted on her heel, swinging around his next punch, and thrusted the dagger for the back of his neck.

"Malarmor." Babylas vanished in a flash, dodging the swing by a hair.

Phoebe, without a second to react, felt the Banette reappearing behind her. She tried to counterattack, but Babylas struck first, slamming his palm under her chin and following up with a palm strike to the face. He grabbed her wrist, twisted the dagger out of her hand, and stabbed it through her shoulder.

"AAAAAAAGH!" Phoebe tripped over her heels and fell onto her back, clutching the dagger as it seared into her flesh. "AAAAAAAAGH!"

Babylas lifted his cloak a bit, showing off the chest plate and bracers that glowed in a dreary gray. "Enhanced speed and perception, though not that I need the extra perception."

Phoebe ripped the dagger out of her shoulder, screaming. "BASTARD!" She grabbed her wind sword and sliced at him.

Babylas tilted his head, dodging the wind slash, and grabbed Phoebe by the neck. He lifted her to eye level and grinned. "You were always so eager to pick a fight with me. Still think you can handle me?"

"Fuck you!" She tried to kick him, but he grabbed her leg and threw her into the nearby wall.

"You haven't even realized how far away from Evelot you really are." He grinned. "Tell me, Phoebe, how many floors were there in this hideout?"

She picked herself up and growled. "W-What are you…?"

"Which floor did you start on when I threw you down here?"

"…The fourth?"

He stepped back, sinking into the shadows along the wall. "And I'll let you figure the rest out." He vanished into the inky darkness.

Confused, Phoebe glanced around until she noticed she was near the hideout's stairwell. However, her eye widened as she read the number posted above the entrance. She had dug down multiple floors just to get here, and yet…

"Why…am I only on the sixth floor?!"


Magni didn't contribute much to the planning process for rescuing Evelot, on account of his limited English and his general lack of understanding anything beyond traditional Subterran tactics.

Nothing beat the classic approach of charging headlong through a wall.

Building up greater and greater speed, Magni barreled through several walls at a time, roaring and thrashing his way through the hideout. He eventually found a weak spot in the floor, jumping and slamming his weight down to bring himself to the next floor.

"Must find friends!" he roared, whipping his neck and utterly decimating a column in his way.

A sharp whistle caught his attention. He stopped and spun around before growling at the smug Banette waving at him half-hidden in shadows. "Hello, big guy! Did you miss me?"

"RAAAAAHHHHH!" Magni charged at the Banette full speed.

"Apparently not." Babylas leaned back and fell into the shadows.

Magni half-expected to crash through the wall, but instead found his legs falling out from under him. He hurtled forward in empty space before spilling out onto the floor, sliding into a wall. His eyes snapped open as the amber glow of a hammer swung down at his face. He rolled, narrowly avoiding Babylas' attack. The hammer sent shockwaves across the floor, overturning the rock and throwing Magni back in a wave of rising spires.

"Well, I certainly missed you," Babylas said, spinning the hammer onto his shoulder. "But my aim's getting better."

Magni picked himself up, shaking the dust off his cloak, and growled. "Stinging…SHRIEK!" His roar razed through the floor and ceiling, carrying a myriad of poisonous needles that colored the scream a purplish hue.

Babylas spun the hammer around before striking the floor and raising a slab of stone. The scream cascaded over the slab, withering it down until it was utterly vaporized. Babylas disappeared behind the slab's shadow before its destruction and popped up from Magni's.

"Terra—" Right as he swung the hammer, Magni swung his head around and caught it between his horns, both empowered in a thick armor of poisonous energy.

"Stinging Scissors!" He swung Babylas and the hammer around before throwing them away.

Babylas spun gracefully and landed on his feet, catching the hammer inside his shadow. "Ooh, the big bug's got moves—" Magni didn't waste a second, sprinting full speed and nearly skewing the Banette on his horns. Unfazed, Babylas pulled his shield out and deflected the horns away from him, sending the full force of Magni's charge past him. "You all haven't gotten stronger, but you're certainly more persistent."

Magni dragged his feet and spun himself to a stop before instantly breaking into a charge. Babylas touched the ground, causing the shadows to ripple.

"But you're on my territory now."

Magni's foot sank into the shadows, and he plummeted briefly. He came flying out of a wall, sliding across the ground.

"WHOA!" Magni nearly ran into someone before he rolled onto his feet. He picked himself up, shook his head, and looked down in shock at the Gligar under him. "W-Who's there?!"

"Friend Amos?"

Amos rubbed his eyes until he could pry one open. "What the—Magni? Where did you come from?"

"Bad Banette use shadow."

"Ugh…" Amos pulled his goggles back on and blinked his eyes until they finally readjusted. "Something's off about this place. I tried using the stairs only to end up stumbling…well, up!"

"That make no sense."

"You think?!" He plucked some bullets from his bag and loaded his pincer. "Babylas is playing us for fools again. If we don't get him to sit still for a second, we'll never be able to enact our plan—"

"A plan~?" Amos' blood turned cold, feeling the Banette's icy breath on his ear. "Oooh, don't leave me out of the loop—"

Amos instantly spun around and sliced into the puppet's neck, but his blade was stopped against a Shedinja's carapace. Magni roared and swung his neck like a whip, bashing the undead carapace aside.

Amos jumped back. "Where the fuck are you, Babylas?!"

"I've had a lot of time to practice with my Inherited Will, Lancaster. I've fine-tuned it to perfection. Here, let me show you."

Amos stumbled onto a shadow, and he felt the floor give out under him. He spread his wings to stay airborne, but then looked down at the abyss in horror as layers upon layers of floors in mind-boggling orientations floated inside the void.

"Endless Darkness: Hollow Castle."


"What the fuck is going on down here?!"

Phoebe ran head first through any entrance, stairwell, or even wall she could find, only to stumble out into a completely different part of the hideout. She even ran through a wall and ended up running across the ceiling, resulting in a nasty faceplant into…well, another ceiling when she landed inside another shadow. Because of how dark the hideout was, she couldn't tell which parts were pitfalls or not.

Babylas had merged the shadows of the hideout, connecting them within a space of nothingness that seemed to go on for infinity. She could fall for hours, days, or weeks if he so desired, and she'd just end up on a floor above where she originally fell. Gravity, direction, and space? All those concepts were utterly annihilated in the dark.

Phoebe jumped down another shadow, throwing herself into the stairwell. She tried to race down the steps, but her foot caught an empty step, sending her face first into…another ceiling, which then sent her falling onto her back.

"Agh…!" She clutched her scorched shoulder, pausing to catch her breath. "Of all the—EVELOT! Where are you?!"

She jumped, hearing her echo bounce back at her, almost like it was whispering directly into her ear. She jolted to her feet, keeping a grip on her wind sword, and looked wearily at the individual patches of darkness around her.

"Lamecaster? Magni? Anyone?" She grimaced. "I fucking hate this."

"What's the matter, Phoebe?" Chills ran up her spine at the sound of Babylas' voice, its dulcet, yet haunting tone echoing all around. "I thought you of all people would appreciate a little…madness~!"

"WAH!" Her foot gave out through the floor, and she plummeted into the darkness. Her eye flickered wildly as hundreds upon hundreds of floors flew past her, each one showing a different angle of the hideout. She swung to and froe, flowing with the twisted channels of gravity trying to pull herself back into the light.

"This is only a fraction of how I perceive the world. You couldn't comprehend what madness I see through my eyes."

Phoebe curled herself into ball and swung herself in whatever direction she could. She ended up falling to the left and flew out from the floor, rolling to her feet. She clutched her chest and took a breath. "Holy—"

"Agni."

Phoebe's Detect went off, and she pulled her heated dagger in the nick of time, countering the flaming katana inches from slicing her face off. Babylas stared her down, his cold, calculating grin as wide as ever.

"Still think you can face Last Autumn?"


Amos catapulted himself out of the darkness the moment he fell through, landing in some kind of kitchen area that had seen better days. He took off running, firing Light Bullets to push away the shadows. His mind was racing for answers. If he had known this was what the Banette was capable of, he and Phoebe would've spent more time crafting Light Bullets. They only had so many on hand.

"There's no use trying to fight him in here. We're at a complete disadvantage—"

"Is that the attitude of a feared mercenary?" Amos' sand detected movement, and he jumped out of the way as Babylas came flying out of the shadows with his gunbai. The chilling air that surrounded it coated the floor in frost. "Where's all that bravado, Lancaster?" He swung the war fan, casting a cold wind ahead.

Amos jumped out of the way and fired sand bullets in response. "What is wrong with you?! Can't you see we're on the same side here?!"

Babylas deflected the bullets with his fan and pulled out Aeros. "What can I say? I'm a self-serving bandit just like my old man." He clipped the gunbai's handle to the wind chain. "And how can I work with fellow thieves who jeopardize my own mission?" He swung the chained weapon over his head, mixing wind and ice to create a thick cyclone of chilling wind.

Amos shielded under his poncho and growled as the kitchen area became encased in a layer of ice. "Look, we were wrong, alright?! We shouldn't have pushed Evelot to follow our example, but—"

"And now, because of your influence, she's already colluding with Absalom's spirit."

Amos growled. "What does that even mean?"

"Do you even know who he is? Who he was? Ever since I joined the Deadly Seven, Absalom and I have had it out for each other." He smirked. "Probably because I'm the only one who knows about his past."

Amos backed away as more ice encroached over the area. He tried to run out the entrance, but the path was sealed off in a thick wall of ice. He bundled tight under his poncho and faced the storm with icicle-like whiskers growing over his face. "Then who is Absalom? What does he get out of all of this? What benefit does he get from serving Last Autumn?"

Babylas snickered. "See, that's the funny part. He and I are pretty alike. I'm doing this to fulfil a contract, and he's doing this to fulfil his oath"

Amos' eyes widened. "What?"

"Fitting, actually. One of us seeks the secrets to immortality, and the other…heh, well, I guess he just doesn't want the competition."

Amos shielded his face under his poncho. What the hell is with these two?


Magni hurled his way through the shadows to find Amos, only to end up crashing through some kind of storage room. He barreled through empty crates and rammed through a wall. "Stinging Smash!" He summoned a boulder covered in poison spikes and hurled it into another wall, bringing it down instantly. "RAAAAH! Shadow Man! Face Magni!"

He heard the pattering of footsteps and roared, charging in their direction.

"Stinging Spear—"

"WHOA, WHOA! It's me, big guy!"

Magni's eyes widened. He pressed his heels down and skidded to a stop, inches from skewering Phoebe to the wall. He backed away, panting in relief. "Friend Phoebe!"

She clutched her heart and groaned. "Geez, I shouldn't be having heart attacks until I'm an old, cranky bitch!" She paused, then snickered. "Okay, so mostly the old part, but still…"

"Where Shadow Man?" Magni growled.

"I don't even know where up is anymore! I was fighting Babylas, he teleported or some shit, and then—"

"Surprise!"

Phoebe squeaked, taking a punch to the stomach from Babylas, and went flying into the shadows. "Are you fucking kiddiiiiiiiiiii—" Her voice drowned in the endless darkness, though hums of her rage echoed from the shadows around.

"RAH!" Magni shook off his shock and charged down Babylas. "Stinging Spear!"

Babylas wagged his finger. "Ah, ah, ah." He pulled out his three-sectioned staff and swung it against Magni's horns.

The crippling force of the Fighting-infused staves knocked Magni off course and sent him spiraling off his feet. Babylas masterfully spun the weapon around himself as Magni hovered off the ground, then struck his midsection, throwing the beastly megapede into the darkness.

Magni roared from the agonizing impact. He twisted his body as he fell out of the darkness and crashed on his feet. However, Babylas instantly caught up with him, bashing him across the head with the Divine One. Blood sprayed from the megapede's face. He staggered over himself, leading Babylas to deliver another strike to the back, forcing Magni to his knees.

"Oh, I almost feel bad for how weak you three are. Maybe your chances could improve if Caractacus was here." He glanced off to the side. "He is here, right? Either Arethusa was weaker than I thought, or he's keeping her distracted. Or maybe you swindled another idiot to fight for your cause—"

"RAH!"

Babylas quickly pulled his shield out just as Magni struck with his Stinging Spear. It managed to knock Babylas off his feet, throwing him across the room. He dragged the shield down and skidded to a stop just before touching the far wall.

He grinned as Magni picked himself back up, spitting toxic-covered blood on the floor. "Ha! You just can't stay down, can you?"

Magni growled. "Give back Friend Evelot."

"Testy." Babylas stored his shield away and clutched the Divine One in both hands. "Alright, show me what you got, big guy."


"—iiiiiiing ME?!" Phoebe plummeted through another wall, landing on a sheet of ice. "Agh! Where the fuck…?!" She picked herself up, struggling to stay balanced. "Where am I, the fucking middle of Sinnoh?!"

"Ph-Ph-Ph-Phoebe?"

"Eh?" She gasped, finding the half-frozen Amos standing by the wall and bundled tightly under his poncho. "What the fuck happened to you?!"

Amos grimaced. "C-C-C-Caractacus…m-m-may have h-had a p-p-point about your o-overuse of th-th-that word."

"Oh, shut the fu…shut the flying flubbin'…AGH! I swear like a sailor, fucking deal with it!" She pulled out her heated dagger and sliced at his frozen body. "We are losing. Badly."

"I n-n-noticed."

"How are we going to get to Evelot if we're stuck in this labyrinth of poorly lit hallways? We can't even initiate our plan without getting our butts kicked!"

She chipped through the last of the ice, allowing Amos to move freely. He shook the cold water off his limbs and grunted. "I d-don't know. I'm making m-most of this up as I go."

"Yeah, that wouldn't be the first time!"

Amos rubbed his arms, taking several deep breaths to get his circulation going again. He sighed, frowning at the floor. "I'm starting to worry about Evelot. Babylas said Absalom did something to her."

Phoebe frowned. "Did…something? We only talked to that guy for, what, a brief afternoon? What did he do?"

"…Phoebe, you said there's been a darkness lurking inside Evelot since the day this place was raided. Do you think Absalom is trying to push her to confront her past?"

"What would he get out of that? Why would he be working with Last Autumn, yet pushing Evelot to face Harriet? Those two ideas don't coexist with each other."

"Doesn't make any sense. After all, Evelot is the only one with access to the Rainbow formula."

"…" Phoebe looked aside for a moment. "Yeah…" She shook her head and glared. "Ugh, we don't have time for this. Magni's getting his butt kicked as we speak. Since you making things up as we go hasn't failed yet, what's your next stupid idea?"

Amos tapped his chin. "We have no method of restraining him, and fighting him close quarters is an eventual death sentence. He has ground control, and my Sand Sensory is virtually useless if we're stuck in a disconnected void." He closed his eyes for a moment, shifting through his thoughts. "What would Althalos do in this situation? What would…Harlow do?"

He thought and thought through every possibility available to them…

And an idea came to mind.

"Phoebe, do you have any blanks on you?"

She pulled out a pouch full of them. "Tell me what you need."

"I have an idea so stupid that not even we'll know how it'll play out, and chances are Babylas won't know either."


Evelot didn't understand what was causing so much noise throughout the hideout. It sounded as if someone had invaded the hideout. Because Babylas had his eye covered, she couldn't see whoever he was fighting, and whatever voices she did hear were pretty muffled.

However, she had a hunch.

"Is it…them?" she whispered, eyes shimmering with hope. "Are they…alive?"

Was it possible the Broken Glass Alchemical Company wasn't gone after all?

Before she could dwell on her thoughts, she heard the whispers of the wind calling out to her again. She turned around and glared at the specter standing by her bedside, his hand pointing in the same direction as before.

She growled. "I understand where you are pointing, but it doesn't tell me anything! I don't remember anything from that night! I just remember…shadows and screaming. And fire. That's it! What else are you trying to tell me?!"

The specter narrowed its eye before slowly approaching her. It reached its hand out, hovering it over Evelot's head.

"…Are you going to help clear away the fog that has been covering my mind?"

The specter said nothing.

"…Do I want to know what happened that night?"

Again, it remained silent, but that silence spoke a thousand words to the Mimikyu.

"…Then show me everything about that accursed night. Let me see the truth."