News traveled quickly around Skeleton Water when Amadeus' duel was announced. Residents of the town gathered atop rooftops and hung out from balconies to get a peek of their lord in action, a rare sight that must be savored. Amadeus Rimmer, a lord of words over action, wasn't to be underestimated.

He was, after all, the third strongest of the Deadly Seven.

Stepping out onto the wide street, both combatants took their places on opposite ends. Amadeus leaned back and, as if on command, sat himself onto a chair produced by one of his subordinates the moment he motioned to sit. He reached his claw out, taking a wine glass filled with water from another of his subordinates and sipping on it with the grace of a gentleman.

Amos, meanwhile, scowled at the pompous Kricketune. "He's mocking me…"

"And quite effectively," Caractacus mumbled, observing the vein throbbing in the Gligar's forehead. "Still, quite the lofty goal to achieve. He ranks above the Alolan Raichu in terms of power and status. You've hooked yourself a troublesome foe, Lancaster."

Amos glared at him. "I didn't come here expecting to get into another fight! I'm still reeling from my injuries from last time!"

Evelot winced. "It hasn't been that long since you fought Ulrich. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to retreat until you've properly recovered."

He sneered. "I'm not wasting my fucking time anymore. We had a close call encountering their leader yesterday, and now we finally have a lead that'll get us closer to Cain. The longer I wait, the longer that asshole can plot. I'm not backing down."

Magni glared. "This…bad idea."

"He may be the third strongest, but how much worse can he be over Ulrich? If I can survive someone who could level an entire canyon, what does this bastard have to one up him?"

Caractacus glared. "You survived mainly because I was offering support. Don't get your victories twisted. Unfortunately, I can't do that here. He'll just refuse to give up the information if we don't respect the terms of his duel. You're on your own with this one."

"Tch." Amos punched his pincers together. "Whatever."

Evelot gulped before handing him his bag. "H-Here. I supplied you with some fresh ammunition. Use it wisely."

He snatched his bag and clipped it under his poncho. After rolling out the cracks from his neck, he stomped one foot forward and shouted, "Alright, asshole! Bring it on! I'm going to enjoy dragging your face through the dirt!"

Amadeus finished his water, handed the glass back to his subordinate, and rose out of his chair, which was immediately dragged off the scene. He folded his arms behind his back and took a few steps forward. "And I assume you'll abide by the rules of our duel?"

Amos rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Name your parameters."

"This town will serve as our battleground. Don't be afraid to rough it up a bit. They're just buildings. They can be rebuilt." The cricket glared. "And you're free to come at me in any way you see fit, though you will do so alone. I hope I make myself clear, Mr. MacGyver?"

Caractacus groaned. "Singling me out. Rude."

Amos flicked his mechanical pincer and unleashed the curved Guillotine blade. "Oh, believe me, I won't be needing his help to mince your sorry hide. Enough with the prelude! I'll make sure you're alive just enough to tell us where Abel Underhill is. After that, I'm mounting your decapitated head onto the nearest flagpole!"

Amadeus sighed. "Such vulgarity. What an ugly soul. You have no passion for yourself. You corrupt your soul with this aura of menace and cruelty. You are hate itself."

Amos scowled. "I don't give a fucking shit about my soul or whatever you're rambling about! This ends with you either begging for mercy…or begging for death."

"…Hmph." Amadeus crossed his arms together and produced a gentle, sorrowful melody. "Tell me, do you understand what a soul is? Do you believe in souls? It is the truest essence of the self, and they are invisible to the naked eye. However, I can see the beauty of the soul at its peak. If you wish to show the beauty of your soul, I expect you to bring out its true light: fighting with all your heart! All your passion! Fighting as your truest self!"

Amos groaned. "Enough with the philosophy lesson! Just start this fucking duel already!"

Amadeus sighed. "Very well. Just so you know, this is your fault."

"Tch. I'll remember that."

He bowed to the Gligar before continuing with his music. "I hereby declare that this duel begins…now!"

Without wasting a second, Amos slapped his tail down and threw himself into the air on a cloud of sand. He opened the back of his pincer, throwing in six Blaze Bullets and taking aim. I'm ending this in one shot! Or more specifically, six!

As Amos climbed into the air, Amadeus remained where he stood, picking up the speed of his musical playing into a more energetic pace while maintaining its somber atmosphere. As his music picked up, streams of black and red musical bars surrounded him like rings. They rotated around him as fast as he played.

Amos, though questioning what the cricket was up to, didn't waste time lining up his shot. Gripping to his arm for stability, he yelled, "Burn to death!" He clicked his pincer gun and fired six bullets wreathed in trails of fire down on Amadeus.

They moved with speed and precision along the pathways of sand set up ahead of time. Amos smoothly guided their trajectory to strike from six separate directions, guaranteeing the cricket won't have a second to defend himself. The second the bullets make contact, Amadeus will be burnt to a crisp.

Or at least, that was the plan.

To Amos' horror, the bullets never touched Amadeus. More specifically…

They were sliced to pieces.

The moment his bullets connected with the musical bars surrounding the cricket, it was like they struck a wall of razors. The bullets were shredded to pieces, the individual shrapnel flying around Amadeus as he continued to play, seemingly oblivious to the close shave. Even the flames that were carried along were sliced up into embers before being snuffed out.

Amos floated along the sand currents, staring at his failed attack in disbelief. "What the…?"

Amadeus opened his eyes and gazed up at the hovering Gligar with an even glare. "It seems I was far too hasty to judge your soul. You are ambitious. You didn't hesitate to kill, or at least mortally wound me despite your mission. You fascinate me."

Amos gritted his teeth. What the hell just happened? What stopped my bullets? That aura around him?

Amadeus slowed down his playing, returning the song to an eerie despair of sound. "You'll find that my title as the Swordsman of Lust is a bit misleading. I rarely engage up close in a clash of blades. No, I prefer something more personal to my soul. Allow me to share with you the depths of my sound~!"

He sliced his arms together, projecting his musical aura outward. It expanded almost completely around the entire street, pulling the Broken Glass group and most of Amadeus' subordinates under the field. The sky became consumed in streams of musical bars, projecting his sound more clearly to the town.

Amos looked around anxiously. "What is all this?"

Amadeus brought his arms back together and resumed his somber playing. "To understand the soul, you must understand the melody that sings in your heart! I've conquered mine and transformed it into the most beautiful, dulcet tone!"

Amos quickly emptied the bullet casings out of his pincer and reached for new bullets. That aura isn't around him anymore! I might have a chance to—

"Soul Sonata!"

Amos' eyes widened as something sharp glided across his shoulder. He staggered back, barely keeping himself afloat, and gazed at where he was struck. A cut had been made into his shoulder. It was shallow, but deep enough to draw blood.

"…Cadenza," Amadeus whispered.

Amos pinched his shoulder and yelled, "What the fuck?!"

At ground level, Evelot trembled in disbelief. "C-C-C-Caractacus, what…what just happened?"

The Boltund clenched his teeth. I didn't see anything. What just cut Lancaster?

Amadeus continued his melodious playing as Amos held his bleeding shoulder. "I have conquered the depths of my soul's melody. Those that hear my sound…will understand the depths of its pain."

Minutes Earlier…

After exploring the ruins of her old home, Phoebe sat on the stoop of the front door with the broken sword sitting in her lap. She leaned her head back against the door, attempting to put aside the horrible memories festering within. She didn't understand what possessed her to relive the past, and it only brought more anguish to her negative attitude.

The past was dead, yet it kept rising to haunt its victims. No rest for those who try to forget. There will always be the ghosts of one's misdeeds, and the horrors of their actions will shackle them like a chain. A chain that'll extend with a new link, each one carrying the burden of her horrors.

Why was she cursed with life? To suffer the repercussions of her parents and their traits? Fated to be a demon hungering for bloodshed?

That wasn't who she was.

"…" Phoebe closed her eyes and sighed. "Would it be so bad just to end it all here?"

She gazed down at the sword in her lap. After a moment's consideration, she lifted the sheathed weapon and drew it out, staring at its broken, jagged tip. Flipping it into a reverse grip, she positioned the blade up to her neck.

She smiled irritably. "Oh, so simple, yet so…so complicated."

She traced the jagged sword across her neck gently. She shuddered, then lifted the blade to stare at the traces of dried blood on it. Her father's blood.

"…" She scowled. "Why couldn't you have suffered in those final moments? Why did you have to be smiling?" She groaned. "Why…?"

As she sheathed the sword, her ears perked up to a…familiar, haunting tune.

"Wha…?" She lifted her eyes, which widened in horror. "Oh…Oh no…"

An aura of musical bars floated over the town, carrying with them their haunting melody. As she squinted, she noticed a purple speck hovering above the buildings. Upon recognizing it, she burst off the ground and rushed into the heart of the town with the sword gripped tightly in hand.

"No, no, no, no, no!"

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!" Amos took off flying through the town, firing off shots in shifting directions. The bullets pierced through the air on a direct course for Amadeus, only to be sliced up before they could get within a meter's reach. All the while, Amadeus danced in place as he played the haunting melody over the town with the sounds of his subordinate's cheering him on.

"Soul Sonata!" he exclaimed before swinging his arm down.

Right as Amos reloaded his pincer, he gasped out in pain as a slash dug across his back from seemingly nowhere. The cut was shallow like the first one he took, but it was also just as imperceptible. It didn't seem to matter if Amadeus was paying attention to him or not. Wherever Amos was, something would strike him.

He dove out the sky and swerved into the connecting streets, getting out of the cricket's field of vision. What the hell is going on? He's nowhere near as strong as Ulrich, but…this technique is on an entirely different level! What is he—

He screamed out again as two more slashes cut across his back. He fell out of his sand cloud and tumbled face first onto the street, rolling into a group of barrels. Amos glared over his shoulder and found blood seeping out from the back of his poncho.

There aren't even any cuts on my clothes. He's striking directly onto my body. Amos picked himself up and scattered more sand into the air. Still, I did sense something before I was hit. The timing was almost impossible to perceive, but something definitely tracked my position.

He steadied his shaking legs and gritted his teeth, listening out to any sudden changes in Amadeus' song.

He heard the familiar twang and immediately dropped down without thinking. The tips of his ears were dealt slicing damage while the top of the barrels behind him were severed, spilling out water and fruit onto the ground.

There are slashes! Invisible ones, and they're fast! I couldn't completely dodge them, but I sensed them with my Sand Sensory.

He heard more erratic twangs from the song and tried to run, but the cuts rained down on him faster than he could effectively escape. Two slashed across his arms, one on the back of his neck, one across the forehead, two to the legs, and one to the chest. Blood spurted from the open wounds, once again saved by the grace of them not being too deep.

Amos slapped his tail down and took off into the air again. What moves is he using to make this happen? What the hell am I dealing with?

Back in the starting street, Amadeus continued to play his song, staring wistfully at the ground as he did. "Do you wish to continue running away? Have the chains that bind your soul tightened? You deny its purpose. What soul do you hide under that grime and misery?" He clashed his arms together, producing a reverberating sound. "TELL ME~!"

"AAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

Caractacus, Evelot, and Magni winced from Amos' distant screams, no doubt being subjected to a painful laceration. Evelot covered her ears and shuddered against Magni. "I-I-I hate this!"

Caractacus glared. "He doesn't even need to see Lancaster to fight him. It's like this entire town acts as his eyes and ears." He looked up at the aura of music hovering over the town. "Or maybe…it's something else entirely. Not his ears."

"Huh?" Magni groaned.

Before Caractacus could elaborate, Phoebe came rushing over to them. She stumbled against Magni, pausing to catch her breath, before shouting, "Where the fuck's Lamecaster?!"

Caractacus grinned. "Ah, nice of you to be joining us—"

"SHUT THE HELL UP! I'm serious, where is he?!"

Evelot gulped and fearfully pointed at the sky. "Uh…somewhere over there?"

Phoebe ignored the direction she was pointing in and glared at the Kricketune in the middle of the street. "Are you fucking serious?! Whatever you idiots did, tell him to call this fight off!"

Evelot winced. "B-But, this is the only way we'll get any information on Abel—"

"WHAT?!"

Caractacus glared. "The way you're reacting, it's as if you know Lancaster's opponent. Were you aware he was the Lust bearer?"

Phoebe's eyes widened. "Wait, Lord Rimmer's a Deadly Seven?!"

"Well, that answers both questions."

Phoebe gripped her ears and growled. "No, no, no!" She cupped her hands around her mouth and screamed at the top of her lungs, "LAMECASTER! GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE! THIS FIGHT IS—"

"—over until I say so." Her eyes widened in horror as Amadeus lifted his gaze at the spectating company. "Your friend agreed to this duel of his own volition, and it shall finish when one of us remains standing. Do not interfere with this, Phoebe Burkhard."

Her eye twitched. "You…remember me?"

"…" Amadeus turned his attention back toward the sky. "He's far more durable than I thought."

Amos came soaring out from behind the rooftops, hissing with rage as droplets of blood flew out from his shallow wounds. He quickly reloaded his pincer and fired several Drill Bullets down on the cricket.

Amadeus twirled on one foot and slashed his arms together. "Soul Sonata: Arpeggio!"

Several slashes appeared over the spiraling aura of the bullets, tearing them into pieces that flew around the dancing cricket. Amos, in the chaos of shrapnel, fired his last shot through a blind spot. However, Amadeus raised his arm in time and severed the bullet in two, parting it around himself.

Amos dove out of the sky, rearing back his Guillotine blade. Whatever you're doing, you still need to move to make the action! I got you now!

Amadeus started to speed up the tempo of his music. "Soullllllll Concerto!"

The music aura receded from the sky and concentrated around himself. Amos swung his blade down on the cricket's aura, but found himself pushing back against a wall of high-speed blades. Sparks ignited off his blade as he tried to resist.

Amadeus glared up at the Gligar in disappointment. "You're far too reckless. Did you think you could kill me with that empowered blade of yours?" He stared at the glowing, curved blade. "This is one of the many tools you used to execute Ulrich. Don't even bother attempting to stab me with that explosive stinger of yours."

Amos' eyes widened. "How did you—"

"How long do you think we've been keeping an eye on your group?" With a wave of his arms, Amadeus pushed Amos back with his lacerating aura. "But none of that matters~! This is my performance now, and you shall witness the majesty of my soul!"

Amos snarled. "Will you quit saying soul like that means anything to me?!"

"Soul Sonata—" Amadeus expanded the range of his musical aura again before rearing his arms back. "Cadenza!"

That attack! Which means…!

Amadeus swung both his arms upward. Amos acted before they struck, dodging to the side on a cloud of sand. One of the slashes struck the ground, but the other hit him directly across the torso. Blood spurted out from under his clothes, but he muscled through the pain and stayed on his feet.

"Displace Bullet!" He whipped his pincer around and fired.

Amadeus severed the bullet in two, causing the two halves to strike opposing buildings. However, this caused sections of the buildings to spontaneously teleport and appear above the Kricketune's head. Right as they did, Amos slapped his tail down and launched himself forward.

Two choices, pal! Get crushed or get minced!

Amadeus' gaze remained steady and unfazed as the rubble rained down overhead and the Gligar sailed toward him with murderous intent. With an annoyed sigh, he spun on one foot and spread his arms in a grand gesture.

"Soul Sonata: Arpeggio!"

The rubble above him was cut to ribbons, harmlessly raining down over him. With his guard wide open, Amos swung for the shoulders, aiming to cleave his arms off.

"…Do not act so haughtily, Amos Lancaster."

Amos' eyes widened as several, mini cuts opened up across his skin at once. The shock threw him backwards as his blood sprayed into the air, splashing upon Amadeus' vest and face. As Amos fell onto his back, Amadeus flicked a droplet of blood off his cheek and gazed upon the Gligar in disdain.

"You were hoping I couldn't counterattack more than two targets? Foolish mercenary!" He brought his arms together and continued the haunting melody. "Music…reaches everything~!"

Evelot quivered against Magni. "What's going on?!"

"…" Caractacus smirked irritably. "Oho. What a devious technique."

Phoebe grimaced. "You figured it out?"

"I didn't even know Perish Song could be used in such a manner. How delightfully inventive!"

Evelot looked at him in shock. "Wait…Perish Song?" She immediately covered her ears. "Th-Then why are we still—"

"Conscious?" He laughed. "Perish Song allows the player to create a zone of despair that'll extinguish the will to fight to those who hear it, but it seems our malevolent maestro has reworked the move into his technique! He converted the sound into a physical presence, transforming the soundwaves into remote swords. Sound has been reportedly shown to obliterate even stone at certain levels! If I were to guess, he combined it with Aerial Ace and Bug Buzz, creating sound blades that slash whoever he wishes so long as they can hear the despair of his soul!"

Evelot's eyes widened. "WHAT?! What does that mean?!"

Caractacus laughed. "A technique that certainly could be negated by me, but one I couldn't easily get around. Our fight would've ended in a stalemate or with this entire town being leveled. Anyone who listens to that song will be targeted with an automatic slashing attack that moves with the speed of his music! A nearly unavoidable attack!"

Magni glared. "Nearly?"

"I suppose if one could move at the speed of sound, you could dodge it, but how does one dodge sound? It's like having your heart ruptured the second the sound of someone snapping their fingers reaches your ears. Sound isn't like a bullet. It's a wave that encompasses everything. You can either outrun it or endure it. You can't dodge sound! AHA! Absolutely scintillating!"

The Boltund's maniacal explanation fortunately reached Amos' ears as he picked himself off the ground. Seriously? You mean as long as I'm hearing this depressing violin music, I'll get cut up no matter what? Fuck that! There's got to be some way around this. There's no way it's that powerful!

Amadeus flashed his even glare down on the Gligar. "MacGyver is quite perceptive, but that knowledge alone will not spare you. Those with despair in their hearts, no matter how small, are susceptible to the brilliance of my performance~! Though my attacks are shallow, I have yet to show you my full strength~! Will you proceed further toward your execution~?"

Amos snarled. "Don't look down on me, asshole!" He smacked his tail down and took off into the sky. He reloaded his pincer and took aim. "I'm just warming up! Now, Blaze Bullet!" He fired three more flaming bullets from his pincer.

"Have you learned nothing?" Amadeus gallantly swiped his arm across the air, delivering a series of invisible slashes that rent the bullets and flames to pieces. "Your performance must move me to tears!"

Amos aimed through the scattering flames. "Warp Bullet!" He fired two shots, then performed his curve shot to clash the bullets together. A dark vortex opened in the epicenter of the scattering flames, sucking them in.

"Hmm?" Amadeus wondered aloud.

Amos raised his pincer and shouted, "Eat this, asshole!"

A dark vortex opened up under Amadeus, releasing a rising cyclone of shadow and flame into him. The pressure flowing out from the cyclone shoved back the thugs standing by, some wincing from the heat.

Amos laughed. "Ever heard of a dust explosion? Hopefully you won't be cooked too badly to give us that location—"

His eyes widened as a series of slashes cut through the fiery tornado, splitting it apart. Standing unharmed in the center of the cyclone was none other than Amadeus with only the trim of his clothes singed. The darkness and flames were cut to pieces and scattered around him like flower petals.

He lifted his sparkling gaze toward Amos. "Hmm, yes. It seems your soul isn't as filthy as I thought. Come, show me more of that passion~!"

Amos gritted his teeth. Seriously?! He rapidly rotated his pincer and took aim. "Block this! Sandstorm Rapid Fire!" He fired condensed sand bullets from the gun pincer as he circled through the air.

Amadeus graciously twirled, decorating the air in a wave of slashes and cutting apart the sand bullets into harmless particles. No matter the number or speed, not a single one could get through without even lightly grazing his skin. He performed a grand pose, swiping his arms together and blessing the atmosphere with a harmonizing sound.

Amos gasped as several cuts opened up across his body and wings. He bared his teeth through the pain and spun his pincer even faster. "Sandstorm Rapid Stream!" Instead of a hail of bullets, he fired down a continuous stream of sand, beating down on the wall of slashing attacks surrounding the lord.

Amadeus performed a majestic waltz across the street, cutting the sand stream into circles before dicing them up into smaller and smaller chunks until they dispersed around him like fog. With an upward swing, the sand stream was cut in two, and a long cut ruptured along Amos' arm all the way to his back.

"GAAAAH!" he screamed, crashing down from the sky and onto a roof.

"AMMO!" Evelot screamed.

Amadeus stepped lightly, arms spread apart as the melody continued to play all around him. "How tragic. To bear the fangs of a beast, you fail to hone your killer instinct. Where marks the savage's kill? Have your fangs been plucked by your gaolers? Do you wear the chains of a beast tied to his past? How many links trail in your steps, shackling you to time's ruination?"

"RAAAAAAH!" Amos burst back into the air, seething with venom. "I'm going to rip your head off!"

Amadeus glared. "Time is a predator that always finds its prey. Will you let its fangs reach you first?" He put one foot forward and bowed. "Will you satisfy the anguish in your soul?"

Amos dove down, rearing back his Guillotine blade. "Does it look like I need a reason to claw away your smug attitude?!"

Amadeus stepped aside and elegantly sidestepped Amos' descent. The Gligar gasped as numerous slashes opened up across his body. He dug the blade into the ground, spun himself around, and rushed the cricket again. He swung, looking as if he was about to score a direct hit.

However…

"Soul Concerto—"

Amadeus swung and met Amos' strike. Amos glowered as his blade once again failed to reach the lord's body. The musical aura had once again compressed, this time wrapping itself around his blade-like arms. The sharp music grinded against his glowing blade in their stalemate.

"Crescendo!"

Amadeus parried the Gligar's strike before slashing him across the abdomen. It felt as if someone was dragging a cheese grater against his skin as the lord's arm smoothly glided off his stomach and lacerated through his poncho and upper layer of skin.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!" Amos tumbled across the ground, barely managing to roll himself onto his feet. He staggered from the sudden hit of nausea and collapsed onto one knee with blood dripping below his waist.

"I stand above the Pepper Brothers, Ulrich, and Vilgot in terms of technique. I am an opponent unlike anything you'll ever face. You are a novice in the ways of the Outlands. You do not have the instincts to survive out here."

Amos slammed his pincers down and picked himself back up. "Shut up…"

"I know precisely why you seek Abel Underhill. I was already informed the moment you entered this town."

Caractacus glared. Someone told him we were here already? That's impossible. Did someone from Crimehallow make the journey over here about these three? Then again, with the damage they insinuated, I doubt anyone could get this far without medical aid. Was someone following us? How is that possible?

Amadeus approached Amos with arms spread open and guard lowered. "What world do you think you are entering? Do you wear your chains as an act of rebellion? Do you defy the orders that be solely to stand above those you deem below you? You seek to topple powers far beyond your status. A noble pursuit, one filled with passion, yet your mind is clouded by an endless hunger for carnage. So long as that carnage thrives within you, you'll never seek true peace."

Amos growled. "I don't need peace." He reloaded his pincer and snapped it shut. "All I need…is Cain's anguish after I dangle his beating heart above his eyes!" Amos fired two shots into the air before rushing Amadeus.

The lord readied his musically charged arms. "And what matter of assault is this?"

"See for yourself!" Amos flicked his wrist, commanding the airborne bullets to descend around the lord. However, rather than directly striking Amadeus, they struck the ground and instantly excavated tunnels below him, causing the ground to become unstable.

"Hmm?!"

"Burrowing Bullet!" Amos aimed and fired another bullet, this time shooting out a trail of green light that transformed into a cluster of vines. The vines tangled around Amadeus' torso as he staggered out from the collapsing earth. "Snare Bullet!" He twisted the vines around his pincer and spun it, causing the vines to twist and tighten around Amadeus and pinned his arms down.

Amadeus scoffed. "A sneak attack…"

Amos launched forward on a sandstorm and aimed his tail out. One shot of my Maximum Venom, and you'll be history in minutes! With his target successfully restrained, his victory was in sight. Without hesitation, he thrusted his mechanical stinger forward, going for the kill.

…

…

…

"Soul Tremolo!"

Amadeus' carapace burst out from under his clothes, and his wings began to beat quickly. A sharp, blistering sound exploded out from around him, striking Amos recklessly. The Gligar, unprepared for the acoustic assault, fumbled his launch and crashed at Amadeus' feet.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Amos screamed, covering his ears and writhing on the floor in agony.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Phoebe's eyes widened as Caractacus, Evelot, Magni, and all the thugs watching from the surrounding buildings covered their ears and mirrored the Gligar's agonizing state. She winced, gently covering one ear as she forced herself to keep watching.

Amadeus shrugged off his bindings and walked around Amos, who kicked and flailed on the ground with blood trickling out from his ears. "Sound reaches the soul like no other attack, wouldn't you say? It'd be too easy to just rely on Perish Song's base mechanic, but why sully the creative spirit for simplicity? Isn't that the very nature of enhanced moves? It is art! Art is sound! And sound is soul! Do you understand?!"

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

"…Oh yes, you probably can't hear me." He sighed and gently massaged his ear canal. "Apologies. I forget sometimes that most others cannot handle this level of volume."

Amos finally cracked one eye open. "B…BASTARD!" He ripped his mechanical pincer away from his ear and aimed at Amadeus' face, emptying the chamber of the three remaining bullets.

However, they were sliced to pieces upon the immediate activation of Soul Concerto, though thankfully cancelling the deafening sound prior to it. Amos quickly staggered back onto his feet and backed away, shakily trying to reload his gun pincer. The sound lingered in his mind, though, frying his concentration.

Amadeus sighed. "You have yet to prove your resolve to me, Lancaster. I tire of this duel."

Amos growled. "I-I'm…not…d-done…y-yet!"

"Hmph." Amadeus pressed his arms together and started playing a different type of song. This one carried itself like the beginning stages of a classical piece made up of hundreds of stringed instruments. "Though you have proven your soul isn't beyond salvation, you will never reach the truth. I shall spare you from facing the rest of the sins. Their torment will not be as merciful."

Amos opened his pincer and tried to load a bullet in. "D-Don't you…"

"Lancaster!" He snapped his head back to the sound of Phoebe's scream. She took a deep breath and shouted, "RUN! NOW!"

"Burkhard—"

"Now…!" Amos whipped his head back around as Amadeus picked up the speed of his playing. "Let me show you…my masterpiece~!"

Sensing danger, Amos slapped his tail down and took off into the air, hoping to somehow avoid what was coming his way. However, even in the back of his mind, he knew escape was impossible. All he could do was cross his arms and endure whatever came his way.

"Come forth! Soul…Requiem!"

Spreading his arms apart in an extravagant gesture, a torrent of sound exploded out from his body, carrying the song of a powerful orchestra performing a climatic piece akin to the final part of a heroic play. It was as if being swarmed by thousands of murderous violins serenading your death with their angelic battle music.

The sound absorbed the entirety of the street ahead of Amadeus and violently ripped it and the fronts of the surrounding buildings apart in a vicious storm of endless slashing attacks. Stone and wood were slowly withered down into dust, and a trench opened up within the street itself.

And Amos?

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

He could do nothing but endure the wave of supersonic slashes striking him down from all sides. The same assault of shallow cuts he had been taking struck down on him without a millisecond's worth of delay in between each one. Thousands—no, millions—of cuts striking down on him, shredding his goggles and poncho to pieces while leaving his unbreakable pincer and stinger intact.

Phoebe, Evelot, and Magni braced themselves as the sound slashes barreled in their direction and encompassed the street. However, the slashes would never reach them. They lifted their gaze and found themselves bunkered under Caractacus' Negative Space as he calmly watched the massacre unfolding outside.

"W…We're not dead?" Evelot mumbled.

"Like I said, his attacks still have a degree of mass to them," Caractacus explained. "They don't automatically appear on your body just from hearing the song. That's why his last attack affected me. It was just a high-pitched sound. This is just an assault of sharp sound. However…"

Evelot gasped. "AMMO!"

The sound coming from outside was so dense and loud that the group could barely see or hear the Gligar's anguished screams. He looked more red than purple as his skin turned raw from the repeated slashing and blood dripping over his body. Fortunately, he made the wise decision to clamp his eyes and mouth shut the moment he felt cuts across his tongue.

An unbearable twenty seconds of nonstop slashing soon came to an end. Amadeus lowered his stance, dispelling the extraordinary sound, and took a bow. "Thank you…for witnessing my performance."

Amos' body dropped out of the air. His skin was riddled with cuts that showed the raw muscles underneath in some areas. Whatever part of his body that wasn't lacerated with cuts was instead drenched completely red in blood. Even his teeth and eyes were stained red. He struggled to breathe, paralyzed from the shock and pain. It was a miracle he was still alive.

Evelot stepped out from the Negative Space and rushed over to him with potions. "AMOS!" Before she could reach him, a giant Klawf jumped down from the rooftops and landed on top of her, pinning her to the ground. She dropped her healing potion over the street. "AH!"

Phoebe gasped. "Evelot!" She, Caractacus, and Magni ran to her.

Amadeus buzzed his wings and quickly landed in front of them, halting their advance. "Unfortunately for you, we had a deal. My victory means I take Faucher prisoner…and execute Lancaster."

Phoebe growled at Caractacus. "What were you idiots doing?"

He shrugged. "I mean, I wasn't in any danger?" She attempted to slap him, but…well, couldn't.

She growled before snapping her glare back at Amadeus. "You're not taking them away from me!"

Amadeus crossed his arms. "Hmm, I haven't seen those fangs in a long time. What brings you back to Skeleton Water, Ms. Burkhard?"

She stomped her foot down. "None of that matters. I didn't agree to this fucking duel, so I say you let them go now! Evelot Faucher is under my protection!"

Amadeus chuckled softly. "You? Is she your next victim?"

"Shut. Up."

Evelot nervously lifted her head. "P-Phoebe…"

Amos struggled to crane his neck. He couldn't speak, but the angry snarl he made told the Aipom all she needed to know.

Amadeus sighed and turned his back to her. "I had hoped you would move past your violent upbringing, but your savagery hasn't changed. Your brutality in Crimehallow, and even the slow reversion back to that thing inside you."

Her eyes widened. "How do you know about—"

"You really are the spitting image of your father."

"…"

Amadeus folded his arms behind his back and walked away. "Stay as long as you wish. I doubt you'll be joining in tonight's execution, but I will give you the chance to say goodbye to Ms. Faucher before she's handed off to Dr. Underhill."

"EEP!" Evelot folded herself inside her costume as the Klawf picked her and the beaten Amos off the ground, following behind the lord.

Magni growled, scraping his foot down as if preparing to charge. "Kill. Kill him!" However, Phoebe stuck her tail out and stopped him. "Hmm?"

"…" Phoebe sighed before glaring at the retreating lord. "Then I propose a duel!"

Amadeus immediately stopped and looked over his shoulder with intrigue. "Oh?"

She scowled. "You heard me. You and me. If I win, I get Lancaster and Evelot's freedom back with the information on Abel Underhill!"

"…" Amadeus laughed. "There's not much incentive for me participating. What could you offer me that they haven't? Unless you plan to bargain with MacGyver's life, though I doubt he'll be as willing to cooperate."

Caractacus scoffed. "You wish."

"…" Phoebe sighed. She stepped forward before dropping down onto her knees. "I offer myself. As your slave."

Amadeus' eyes widened in genuine shock. "P…Pardon?"

"The deal with my father. The one you two made before I killed him. I'll reoffer myself as your unfeeling assassin. I'll help you kill every last gang in the Outlands and bind them to your rule, even if it means I must give up ownage of my will and body."

"…" Amadeus stepped back, looking uncomfortable by the proposal. "Ms. Burkhard…"

"I don't care what you think of me, and I especially don't care about your views of my father, but I swore to protect Evelot no matter the costs. If I lose her, what's the point in anything? I might as well just turn into another mindless savage…just like what he did to Mom…"

"…" Amadeus closed his eyes and sighed irritably. "That man…" He raised his arm and gestured to his thugs. "Take Ms. Faucher and Mr. Lancaster to the holding cells. Allow Ms. Faucher to treat his wounds so he doesn't die."

Phoebe lifted her head in surprise. "Y-You accept?"

"…" He crossed his arms and glared at her. "I will give you three days to prepare. Return here on the twelfth at sunset. I'll be waiting." He turned away and proceeded down the street. "Will you learn to quell the savage that festers in your heart? Or will you become the devil your father raised you as? I look forward to seeing which prevails."

Phoebe released the breath she was holding and collapsed back onto her hands as the lord and crowd dispersed from the streets. She stared vacantly over the sunken street as if she imagined the entire interaction.

Caractacus joined her side and placed his paw on her shoulder. "Uh, do you have any idea what you just signed yourself up for?"

"…" She closed her eyes and clenched her fist into the dirt. "I wish I didn't."