9th Rebirth Moon, 908 – Skeleton Water

The Outlands was considered a lawless place where no order could exist. It was the natural state of anarchy where the very concept of society refused to tower over the earth it ruled over. However, pure anarchy didn't exist, or at least as far as one might believe. No matter how small or independent of the current world, some measure of society will always stand even in a world of crime.

All of that to say, the town of Skeleton Water was perhaps the only place in the Outlands worth living.

The Broken Glass Alchemical Company rolled up on the town after only a day's journey thanks to Absalom's suggestion. Unlike most of the other towns in the Outlands, Skeleton Water appeared to be the largest. Buildings sprawled out as far as the eye could see with a bustling population of thieves and crooks taking refuge in its domain. No wear and tear like in Scornpeak, and not an abandoned, remodeled ghost town like Crimehallow.

If they didn't know where they were, they'd say they reentered civilized society.

"Hey, wake up!" Caractacus yelled from the coachman's seat, kicking down on the roof. "We're here!"

The windows opened, and Amos and Evelot stuck their heads out to get a better view. Amos whistled at the grand town. "Damn, someone knows how to tidy up. Are you sure we didn't make a wrong turn?"

Caractacus smirked. "Unlike Ms. Burkhard, I actually know how to read a map. Besides, I've been here many times in my youth, so I can attest to its charm. You won't find a safer town away from the degenerates of the Outlands."

Evelot's eyes sparkled with joy. "Actual civilization? Oh, thank goodness! There is decency in this wretched land!"

"Tch. A load of shit, if you ask me." Amos and Evelot ducked their heads back in and looked at Phoebe, who was pouting on her bed. "I say we turn around right now and take our chances looking somewhere else. Why not Dead Man's Field? I can handle a haunted, underground asylum."

Amos lifted his goggles and glared at her. "You've been awfully keen on not coming here. Any particular reason?"

She scoffed. "Why should I bother explaining anything to you? I just think that creep gave us wrong directions straight toward a trap."

Evelot narrowed her eyes sadly. "But Pheebs, this is the only lead we have to find Abel Underhill. We should at least ask. Besides, Caractacus says it's safe, so there's no harm."

"It's not the safety I'm worried about."

Amos rolled his eyes. "Look, if you're going to pout like a child, you can stay in the carriage and let us investigate."

"Fuck you, Lamecaster."

He narrowed his eyes. She didn't put as much heart into the insult as she normally would. Something's definitely bugging her. Ugh, can't worry about that now. I just want to find Underhill and fast.

Magni carried the carriage up to the front of town. As Caractacus jumped onto the Scolipede's back to unhook him from his harness, Amos and Evelot stepped outside, leaving Phoebe to sulk on her bed. Evelot peeked back inside and said, "Well, you just rest up as much as you can. We'll be back in an hour or two."

"Ugh." Phoebe pulled her covers over herself and snuggled deep into her bed.

Amos rolled his eyes and shut the door behind him. "Yeesh. What's her problem?"

Evelot narrowed her eyes. "Don't be mean, Amos. You aren't the only one who has had it bad, and you were lucky not to live in the Outlands."

"…" He sighed and scratched at his nape. "Whatever. Alright, so Absalom told us we'll find answers to Abel's location here, but where the hell do we start?"

Caractacus jumped down after unhooking Magni. "If there's one thing I know about disreputable joints like this, you can always find secrets at your local tavern. A good of a place to start like any other."

Amos gritted his teeth. "The last time I followed that advice, I had to fight a cannibal."

Evelot shuddered. "I still have nightmares about those muffins…"

Ignoring their odd statements, Caractacus waved the group along. "Just stick with me. I know my way around crime towns." Without much choice, the company followed Caractacus through the main gateway and started their search through the populated town.

Ugh. Of all the places to end up, it had to be here.

Phoebe massaged her temples as she felt a headache coming on. Feeling parched, she threw off her blankets and traveled to the kitchen area to grab some water. She stumbled a bit, the carriage feeling slightly tilted from her thumping migraine, but she pushed on through until she reached the water basin.

She grabbed a spare canteen and pulled on the pump's handle, pouring a steady stream of water out. Once the canteen felt moderately full, she released the pump and started guzzling down the refreshing liquid.

She sighed in relief and leaned forward on the basin. "Sooner they find that info, the better."

"Oh? Not interested in checking out the old place?" Her brow furrowed, feeling the haunting presence echoing in her mind. "I thought coming back here would bring a whole wave of nostalgia. Just like the good ol' days."

Phoebe looked up and glared at her reflection in the upper window. The bloodstained, bloodshot Aipom smiling back at her snickered at its flesh-and-blood counterpart, tauntingly sipping on a canteen filled with dark red blood.

"Doesn't this look delicious, Phoebe? You loved the taste of blood. You still do~."

"What part of fuck off wasn't clear last time?" Phoebe groaned. She pinched between her eyes and turned away. "I'm not listening to this. You're not real. You're not some mental hallucination. You're just stress."

"Am I?" Phoebe opened her eyes and saw the disheveled Aipom standing right in front of her, snickering mischievously. "Are you sure I'm not that bloodlust you've been keeping in check?" She paced around her counterpart, tracing her tail's digit along Phoebe's chin. "You've only let loose a couple of times after you met that little crybaby."

"Don't talk about Evelot like that," Phoebe growled.

"I'm you, sweetie. That's how you view her, whether you care to admit it or not." Cracked Phoebe stepped back in front of her counterpart and held her hands. "Come on, we haven't been back home in years. Why not get a good look at the old place? So much has changed ever since he took over. This place actually looks clean. We could cause a mess~."

Phoebe shrugged off her cracked mirror's hands and turned away. "I am not entertaining the delusions of my own delusion."

Cracked Phoebe smirked. "You don't even want to see our old home?"

"…" Phoebe gripped into the kitchen counter and growled.

"I bet Dad's still there. He'd be so happy to see you after so long. He was so proud of you when you left home. A chip off the old block, he said. So talented at such a young age. So much potential." Cracked Phoebe walked up and wrapped her arms around the Aipom. "Don't you want to relive the glory days? Don't you want to see how far you've come since those times? And what you've been missing out on?"

"…" Phoebe glanced out the window, staring in the direction of where…that place was. She sighed and clipped her canteen to her side.

Cracked Phoebe grinned. "Good answer."

Entering anywhere in the lawless land felt like a death sentence on a countdown, yet the Broken Glass Alchemical Company couldn't help feeling unnerved by how relatively peaceful everything was so far. Granted, with the exception of Caractacus, their only points of reference were a barbaric trading post and a ghost town being ran by a party-loving cannibal.

Skeleton Water, however, carried an atmosphere of order unlike anywhere else in the Outlands. Though it was clear the residents that populated the town were the same brand of thugs found through the land, there appeared to be a mutual sense of community as they went about their business. Trades were being conducted in the streets without one or the other pulling a knife out, no dead bodies or blood smears (save for one outside the tavern they were heading to), and no general unpleasantness taking reign of its people.

One could almost call it a normal town.

Amos glared. "This is almost creepy."

Evelot gulped. "Y-Yeah. I'm used to people threatening me if I don't give them a deal on potions. Everyone here seems…nice, almost."

Caractacus laughed. "You'll have to thank the current lord of this town for that change of pace."

Amos raised his brow. "You mean to say someone actually convinced these lunatics to follow the law?"

"The only law in this town is to obey the lord, and everyone here generally has a high respect for the guy. I think the current lord has been running this place for…eight or nine years, if I recall correctly."

Evelot raised her hand. "Do you think he'll know anything about Abel?"

"Eh, he's probably a busy guy. Couldn't bother to talk to a few wandering strangers like us." Caractacus rubbed his chin. "Wouldn't be a bad option if the tavern doesn't offer up anything useful."

"…Huh," Amos hummed.

"What?"

"Nothing. I think I remember someone from a while ago mentioning he was from Skeleton Water."

Evelot glared. "You mean the Lickilicky you got our old carriage from?"

"Oh yeah, that fatass. I think he said something about running for lordship of this town. Wonder if he's running the town now."

"Uh, you shot him dead."

"…Oh yeah. Good times."

Magni huffed. "Bad times."

The group came up to the town's tavern, letting themselves inside. As Magni struggled to squeeze through the unaccommodating doors, the group approached the Slugma serving as the bartender. He shook up drinks while wearing protective mittens, then passed the drinks along to the barmaids to carry to the tables.

"Ah, welcome to the Skeleton Watering Hole!" the Slugma exclaimed. "What can I get you, strangers?"

Amos glared. "We're not here for drinks."

"Speak for yourself, I'm parched." Caractacus plopped himself onto a barstool and grinned. "I'll take a Forest's Curse Margarita, salt on the rim."

Evelot plopped herself into a seat and said, "I'll take a water. Oh, and your largest tankard of water for a friend of ours."

"…" Amos rolled his eyes and took a seat between the two. "Give me your shittiest rum."

"Coming right up!" The Slugma jumped out of his chair and scooted off to fetch the bottles.

Magni finally squeezed through the door and walked up behind his friends, curling up on the floor right behind Evelot. "Too small," he groaned.

Evelot patted her neck. "They really should make buildings like this more approachable for Pokémon of your size, Magni. I'd hate for you to sleep outside all the time."

"Lived in caves whole life. No problem."

Amos groaned. "We're here to get answers, not get drunk."

Caractacus laughed. "Patience, mon ami. You can't rush these things. You got to get to know the people first before you dig into the big questions." He glared. "Besides, best not to get on anyone's bad side. This entire town may seem normal, but everyone here is a resident, meaning they serve under its lord. We're not in a regular town. This is one massive hideout for an entire gang."

"…" Amos sighed. "Right."

Evelot looked over at Caractacus. "How would asking around about Abel cause any trouble?"

He glared. "You have to remember that Cain Underhill has connections all over this land, and I wouldn't put it past the lord of this place not to know who he is. Best to say he may even know Cain personally."

Amos glared back. "Is that why you didn't try to suggest this place?"

"Any direction we went would be a waste of time if we didn't know where to go. I just know getting involved in a gang war wouldn't do us any favors. Still, if our mysterious acquaintance believed we would find answers here, better than nothing."

"Your drinks, my friends." The Slugma returned, setting down everyone's requested beverages before heading off to check on another customer.

Amos grabbed his tankard and asked, "Well, since you're the supposed expert, how do we approach this?" He took a swig of his drink, which he nearly spat out in revulsion. "Uuuuugh, fucking dammit! This shit sucks!"

Evelot winced. "Uh, maybe order another drink?"

"…Meh." Amos took another sip of it.

Caractacus sipped his margarita as he scanned the row of patrons. He smirked as his eyes landed on a group of Pokémon playing cards around the table. "Leave the sweettalking to me." He extended his mechanical arm from his back to carry his glass, then approached the table of card players. "Bonjour! Mine if I get the next round?"

Amos groaned, resting the back of his head down on the counter. "I should've stayed in the carriage with Burkhard…"

Most of Skeleton Water felt so different compared to her time before. So much had changed. So much changed when he took over as lord. Phoebe didn't remember anything about the previous lord of Skeleton Water. Didn't bother remembering the man's name. All she knew was that he was the reason it was such a bad place to live before the current lord took over.

However, it seemed one building remained the same after so long.

Phoebe looked up at the old, withered cottage that had been long since boarded up. Shutters hung limply off the window, and the old brick that made up the exterior was chipped and faded. Windows were cracks, tiles were missing from the roof, and the old chimney had a huge chunk taken out of it.

It looked exactly as she left it.

Phoebe walked up to the boarded-up door, glaring at it with contempt. "Ugh…"

"Come on~," Cracked Phoebe whispered from around her shoulder. "Papa's probably waiting for you inside~."

"…" Phoebe took out her heated dagger and plunged it into the boards, cutting them loose. Once all the boards were pried off, she kicked the weakened door, swinging it inward with a loud crash against the wall.

Upon stepping inside, her nostrils were assaulted with a horrid smell of decay, one that frightfully didn't bother her. It was quite a nostalgic smell. The walls were painted with splatters of dried blood, and old furniture from chairs to couches were covered in it. There was a table snapped in two surrounded by a ring of broken chairs, only one remaining.

The open kitchen revealed the destroyed pantry doors with cracked cups and a heaping layer of dust. Utensils lay out across the counter and floor, and the old iron stove was riddled with rust. An old lantern hung above the kitchen, creaking side to side from the Aipom's disturbance.

As she entered further into the house, old chains and hooks could be found attached to the ceiling, some of them holding the rotting remains of long-deceased Pokémon. The damage was so horrific that even she forgot who were attached to those chains. One body lost its skull, which had fell to the floor with its right side chipped.

Phoebe picked up the discarded, rotting skull, dusted it off, and set it on a side table before approaching a short hallway that led to the spare rooms.

Opening one door, she found the old washroom, which contained an old, rusted metal tub, some bathing supplies like a back brush and soaps, and a cracked mirror. Phoebe pulled out a stepstool and propped herself up to look in the mirror, staring at her smiling, cracked reflection.

"You spent a lot of time in this washroom. Remember those days~?"

Phoebe glanced at the tub, noting the bloodstains on the inside. She glared at her reflection, but didn't say a word. Instead, after waving the reflection away until it turned normal, she flashed her teeth and poked around at some of her teeth. After digging at a couple, they started to wiggle. She pinched one and, after taking a deep breath, pulled it loose.

The tooth she held was hollow, hiding the sharp canines underneath.

She dug around her mouth again, pulling out three more false teeth. She dropped them onto the ground, then ran her tongue around her freshly unsheathed canines. Two on the top, two on the bottom. A gift from her parents.

After checking to make sure her teeth weren't damaged, she hopped off the stepstool and carried on through the hallway. She reached a door on the right and kicked it open.

Inside was an abandoned bedroom, though one could've mistaken it for a prison. She looked around at the etch marks made in the wall, a collection of crude slashes and phrases. Most of them just said Blood and Devil. The room itself was fairly minimal, only really having an old cot and dresser.

She approached the weather cot, kicked it a couple times, then frowned at the ceiling where one last message was carved. Unlike the rest of the room, this one said:

No one loves a demon.

"…"

She stepped out of the room, gently closing it behind her with her tail. She sighed, then glared at the remaining door at the end of the hall. It was her parents' bedroom, a forbidden ground for her a long time ago. She rarely entered their room, perhaps only two or three times in her life. All she remembered coming from that room were the screams.

She sighed and finally lifted her leg to kick the door open. Stepping through, the room looked just as trashed as the rest of the cottage, if not worse. The stench of decay was even stronger in this one area with a carpet of blood leading up to the master bed.

And something sat pinned above the backboard of the master bed.

The rotting skeleton…of an Ambipom.

"…Tch. Hey Dad. I'm home."

Laughter boomed through the tavern as Caractacus engaged with the group of card players, fancying them with his wild tales. Amos, Evelot, and Magni watched on from the sidelines, gradually slipping into drowsiness as the Boltund went on and on with his prattling. Amos had already downed three mugs worth of ale, and he dreaded the fact his Immunity kept him from going into a drunken coma.

"…and the poor sap had the gall to try and swindle me out of my money," Caractacus said, holding back his snickering. "So, as an act of gentle retaliation, I loaded his prosthetic with a hidden explosive that blew the rest of his leg off. Fifty steps in, and he didn't see it coming."

The card players burst with laughter, slamming their appendages down on the table and scattering their cards. Caractacus leaned back in his chair, confidently sipping his margarita as he examined the cards in his metal hand. None of them even knew he was cheating through most of the rounds. Too caught up in their laughter to notice him stealing cards.

"Ha, oh boy, you are a crazy fella," a Noctowl said. "Never thought we'd get the chance to see the legend himself again."

Caractacus waved it off. "Come now, I'm no legend. Far too pedestrian a term for me."

Oh brother, Amos thought with an eye roll.

A Makuhita calmed his laughter and asked, "So, what brings the legendary MacGyver down to our little town? Finally decided to get away from the rough and tumble of the ingrates?"

Caractacus laughed. "Well, your town certainly has a decorum and sophistication worthy of my status, but I'm afraid my business here is strictly that: business. My associates and I strolled on through in hopes of acquiring some information. Respectable gentlemen such as yourself wouldn't happen to be in the know about any happenings as of late?"

Sensing the hound was finally moving on to their mission, Amos finished the last of his beer and shook Evelot and Magni. "Rise and shine, you two."

Evelot wearily blinked her eyes open. "M-Morning?"

They quickly gathered at the table as Caractacus placed his cards face down. "It's a trifle of information we seek, nothing too burdensome, I assure you. How well off are all of you when it comes to information on missing people?"

A Geodude snorted. "We're not bounty hunters if that's what you're asking. If you're looking for someone, you may want to try somewhere else."

Caractacus leaned forward, paws folded under his chin. "Oh, but I'm sure you're familiar with my target. He supposedly passed through here at some point, perhaps frequented this lovely tavern. Any of you familiar with a certain Abel Underhill?"

An immediate shift in tone filled the air, the thugs dropping their cards and staring at the Boltund in surprise. "Abel?" the Noctowl asked. "You're looking for him?"

Caractacus grinned. "Oh good, you do know him. Care to share?"

Geodude glared. "Why are you looking for him?"

"Like I said, we have business. He was a business partner of mine, so I'd really appreciate if you tell me where he's hiding out."

Makuhita winced. "Uh, if you're looking for him here, you're fresh out of luck. No one has seen him in months."

The company's eyes widened. "What?"

"You mean he was here at some point?" Amos asked.

Noctowl nodded. "Yeah. He came here like four months ago. He looked terrible, too. I thought I could see his veins bulging out from his skin."

Caractacus frowned. "That's…disturbing."

Evelot jumped onto the table. "D-Do you know why he was here?"

Noctowl rubbed his chin. "I think he came here to seek out Lord Rimmer, hoping he could do something about whatever was afflicting him. Uh, nothing really came from it, though. He stayed a few nights and eventually left. He looked worse than the last several times he came here."

"He came here frequently?" Amos asked.

"Oh yeah, he and Lord Rimmer were friends, and he needed someone to vent to. He was depressed, let me tell you. He would drink himself into a near coma every time he came here. Kept going on and on about how fucked up and hopeless everything was. It was starting to bum us out."

Evelot narrowed her eyes. "Do you know what had him so depressed?"

"Not really. Only Lord Rimmer knows the answer to that. He just said that Abel couldn't take it anymore."

"…" Caractacus looked off to the side for a moment. I wonder…

"We haven't seen him since he stumbled back here. Never really questioned it. Just assumed he got sick off cactus juice or something." Noctowl sipped his beer and sighed. "Believe me, you make that mistake only once. O-Or, in my case, twice…"

Amos glared. "So, if you're all familiar with Abel Underhill, you wouldn't happen to know anything about Cain Underhill, right?"

The card players immediately tensed up at the mention of the sinister doctor. The Geodude gulped and frantically shook his head. "No, no, no, no. Even we know not to get involved with that crazy bastard. Abel was a saint. That guy is a monster."

"He's the kind of twisted sort that'll do whatever it takes to satisfy his research," Makuhita said. "I heard he captures wandering Freaks like us from the Outlands and uses them for his evil experiments. They say he commands a legion of monsters that can scramble your brains."

"I heard he made some creepy metal puppet that he keeps locked deep below his lab, the souls of his victims trapped within," the Noctowl said.

Amos crossed his arms. "Well, seeing as you hate the guy so much, that's why we're asking about his brother. If you can give us some inkling as to where he ended up, we'll be sure to take Cain with us."

Noctowl winced. "The thing is, that's…not really an option."

Evelot tilted her head. "Oh? Why's that?"

"Who do you think gave me the power to run this town?"

The company spun themselves around as the tavern doors swung open. Stepping inside was a sharply dressed Kricketune, donning a white dress shirt, green vest with golden trim, and black pants. He tapped on the pocket watch resting inside his breast pocket. He stopped before the company and bowed to them.

"You must be the Broken Glass Alchemical Company. I've been awaiting your arrival. I am Lord Amadeus Rimmer, the lord of Skeleton Water. You may refer to me…as the Swordsman of Lust."

It truly felt like the house hadn't been touched since she last saw it. Twelve years, and his body still remained strung up where it drew its final breath. The grizzly sight didn't shake Phoebe, nor did she feel remorse for the excruciating pain that man felt in his final moments. It was simply a logical move on her part made into a decorative art piece hanging over the master bed.

Only the ribcage and skull, with its rotting flesh keeping the individual bones together, remained fixed up on the wall. The rest of the skeleton lay on the pillows below with the rotting flesh having decomposed across the sheets. Dust had collected around the room and the bloody skeleton, particles of it scattering through the air even from the gentlest interaction from Phoebe's entrance.

Looking around the room, Phoebe noted other additions to the scenery, such as the wall of different surgical tools, chains, and hooks. Coils of rope sat in the corner along with a rusted metal chair stained in blood. On the other side of the room was a simple wardrobe once shared by her parents. All that remained was the tattered remnants of her father's coats.

She glanced down at the foot of the bed and found the scabbard to a single-edged short sword. Picking it up, she looked to the tool in question, the very instrument that was used to pin her father above the bed. She jumped onto the weathered mattress, kicking up a cloud of dust, and approached his skeletal remains.

"…" She scoffed and gripped the hilt of the short sword. "I can still see the damn grin on your face. So fucking proud of yourself even in Hell."

She pried the sword loose, causing the skeleton to collapse with the rest of the bone pile. She examined the blade, finding the dried remains of his blood on it. The time spent in the wall withered the blade's integrity, leaving only half of it intact with a jagged tip. She tossed it in the air, held the scabbard out, and expertly sheathed the weapon upon falling.

She jumped off the bed and approached the sealed wardrobe. She pulled the doors open, inspecting her father's remaining coats. She sneered at the blue dress and shackles laying in the back.

"…So fucking proud of yourself," she grumbled.

"A shame about dear Mother, hmm?" Phoebe's brow furrowed as Cracked Phoebe popped up behind her. "Oh, how Father truly adored her. One of the few luxuries he kept mostly intact. Or, at least the one he kept around the longest. Oh, but do you even care? After all, empathy is for the weak."

"…" Phoebe slammed the doors shut and exhaled a long, exasperated sigh.

"Why do you let yourself feel so much pain?" Cracked Phoebe gently wrapped her arms around her counterpart, whispering softly against her ear. "Let me back into your life again. Why let yourself suffer such trivial feelings? You never cared about anything but satisfying your own urges. After all, why would a demon deserve something as sacred as love? You don't deserve it. No one loves you. You're just a spawn of the underworld, just like dear Father."

"…"

"Take me back, Phoebe~. I missed our time together so much~."

"…"

"You've been slipping lately. You know you want this~. Just let go and embrace the sheer bliss of blood—"

Phoebe backhanded the apparition, causing it to dissipate into a cloud of dust. She shuddered, gently wiped the wetness out of her eyes, and turned back toward the bedroom door. She hesitantly stepped back into the hallway, glancing back one last time at her father's remains.

"…No one loves a demon," she mumbled.

With a melancholy sigh, she shut the door behind her.

The company took a hesitant step back from the gentlemanly Kricketune as he finished bowing. Amos already aimed his pincer gun at him while Caractacus casually leaned back in his chair, sipping on his margarita.

Amadeus narrowed his eyes. "I see that you are familiar with my moniker."

Amos clenched his teeth. "Yeah, and I'm about done dealing with you sinful bastards. You better give me a good reason not to shoot you dead?"

Amadeus pressed his arms together and prepared a gentle, wistful melody that hummed across the tavern. "What an ugly soul."

"Eh?!"

"You carry an air of malice and distrust. It's most suffocating and unappealing." He narrowed his eyes in a relaxed manner. "Cease your tension, Lancaster. I prefer you didn't eviscerate my town over my cohorts' actions. This is a meeting between gentlemen, not violent oafs."

"…" Amos lowered his pincer. "Asshole."

Amadeus sighed. "Even you know shooting me dead wouldn't be keen, not unless you want to know where Abel Underhill is."

Caractacus smirked. "Ah, so you do know where he scampered off to."

Amadeus turned away, staring sadly at the ceiling. "His soul was as black as coal last I saw him. The light I once saw in his eyes was extinguished. He was a walking corpse without a purpose, and I deeply wished to help him. Sadly, he was beyond saving. His body and soul were beyond repair."

"…" Evelot raised her hand. "Does anyone know what he said? I'm lost."

"Don't know," Magni mumbled.

Amadeus turned back toward the company. "Abel was very sick when he last came to Skeleton Water. He sought my aid, but…I couldn't do anything to heal him. So, he sought to go ahead on his own, hoping to die and wither to dust in the desert. He was a brave man enduring the torment that chained him so. It was…a beautiful glimmer in that tainted soul."

Amos winced. "Yeeeeeah, I don't give a shit. I just want to know where he is, not how depressed he was."

The Kricketune huffed. "You truly have a cantankerous soul, Lancaster. Just like all the other wretches of this land. And yet, I sense contempt for the soul itself. You are a troubled one."

Amos growled. "Just tell us where Abel is, unless you want to meet a similar fate to your friends."

"Hmm. So, the brothers, Ulrich, and Vilgot are no longer with us? Shame. Truly a shame. Even so, you'll find I'm quite different in terms of skill. I'm afraid a simple gun won't fell me like it did the others. Besides, I was specifically ordered by Cain Underhill to execute you and capture Ms. Faucher there."

"Eep!" Evelot ducked behind Magni, who started to growl at the gentleman cricket.

"…" Amadeus sighed. "However, that would be rude of me. A true gentleman fights in a duel. It is where the deepest parts of our soul spark to life and show the world its magnificent beauty! That is the truest essence of living! To express oneself as their truest, unchained self! The inner beauty of the soul!"

Amos cringed as he became overwhelmed by the cricket's blinding aura of grandiose personality. It's like Arceus placed the sun behind him, what the fuck?!

Caractacus finished off his glass and set it down. "Tell me, Lord Rimmer, are you proposing a duel?"

Amadeus bowed. "That is the mark of a true gentleman's wager."

Caractacus smirked. "Alright, then how about these terms? If we win, you tell us where Abel Underhill went off to."

"Hmm. Yes, a fair trade. However, if I win, I shall execute Lancaster and take Evelot Faucher into my possession."

Amos winced. "I didn't agree to the execution part…"

Evelot gulped. "And…if we refuse?"

Amadeus folded his arms behind his back and leaned down. "Well, my dear, do you have a reason to refuse? After all, you could take your chances with Wrath, Greed, or Sloth. I have a town to run, after all. This is my way of completing my duties as a Deadly Seven."

"…" She shuffled back behind Magni and whimpered.

Caractacus slid out of his chair and laughed. "Alright, we accept. I'll meet you outside, Lord Rimmer. May the best man—"

"However—" His eyes widened as Amadeus pointed at Amos instead. "Considering your team is proposing the challenge, it is only fair I pick my opponent."

Caractacus gulped. "Uh, you sure you don't want to fight me instead—" Amadeus suddenly slapped a tankard out of one of his subordinate's hands, hitting Caractacus' Negative Field. The liquid and tankard remained suspended against the barrier of electricity, slowing sliding to the ground.

"Oh yes, I'm quite sure of my decision."

"My drink…" the poor thug whined.

Amadeus glared at Amos. "So Lancaster, what do you say to a gentleman's wager? Are you willing to take on the Swordsman of Lust?"

"…" Amos glanced at the cowering Evelot and the unsure Caractacus before groaning. He glared back at Amadeus and raised his pincer. "You have a deal."

Amadeus' mustache curled up as he shook Amos' pincer. "I look forward to seeing the man who killed three Sins in action. Do not disappoint, Amos Lancaster."