A Collection of Worldly Advice from a Pirate's Perspective – Lesson 1
"Greetings, my beloved child. Greetings. Greetings, greetings, greetings. Is that too formal? I wouldn't know, I've never been a father before. I'm sure you'll figure it out in your own time.
Regardless, I welcome you into the world, my child. I look forward to the day you hatch. Your mother and I are still trying to agree on names. Despite my claims you will be my greatest treasure, she insists that I don't actually name you Treasure. She has also forbidden the names Gold, Silver, Copper, Rich, Captain, and…well, the list goes on after that. I refuse to give my child a plain name. You are deserving of a powerful name, my child, one befitting of my own.
Well, you may be wondering about the contents of this journal. If your mother hasn't already explained it to you, we agreed that raising a child on a pirate ship wouldn't be the most suitable lifestyle. Now, if you were ten-years-old, I'd say otherwise. Ten is a good age to venture out into the dangerous, unforgiving world! But I digress.
This journal is meant to be my gift to you, my child. Sadly, I will not be a part of your life. I made a promise to your mother to help her start her life over. You both will be living in the region of Virdis. I have old contacts there that will ensure both your safety, and a plentiful bounty of riches so that you may never know want. Well, at least never knowing the cruel hand of poverty.
You are going to learn a lot about me, my child, and I hope to impart some wisdom onto you. As you may have surmised, and no doubt from what accounts your mother has mentioned, I am a pirate. I live for the life of piracy. It is my calling. Though you may hate me for not being there in your life, I've done everything to ensure your happiness so that you may create your own future.
To ensure you a grand life, this journal will contain all the advice I'd wish you to learn before you become a fine Pokémon. For that, this is your first lesson.
Lesson 1: Become the best version of yourself. Take heed of my advice, then use it to become who you wish to be."
With Love,
-Boreas Marchand
Geysers of dark blue aura erupted through the lower parts of Mt. Algus, each one generated by the marching stomps of Absalom as he ascended the mountain in search of the wayward Banette. Though pursuing Amos and Phoebe should take priority, Babylas had struck a nerve with the undead ape for his continued defiance. Allowing a trickster like him to vanish at this crucial moment, even with the odds of defeat heavily stacked against the puppet, was bound to cause unforeseen issues down the line.
Absalom made great leaps up the mountain, soaring away from the designated path and landing in snowy regions absent of Pokémon intervention. His landings created vast quakes that caused miniature avalanches to rumble down the rock spires, burying him in snow up to his ankles.
This region of the mountain was devoid of obstructions for the Banette to hide behind, and the sun provided a lack of accessible shadows to hide away in. However, Absalom didn't let his guard down, maximizing the grade of his aura to further his defenses.
"I know you're out there, Greed," Absalom called out. "How long do you intend to cower in the dark?" He slammed his fists together. "Has your appetite for immortality bestowed a fear of death in you as well? If you wish to kill me, you'll have to face me like a man—"
FOOSH!
He spun around, backhanding the flying shield away. He instinctively looked to the higher perches of the mountain for the Banette, but realized his mistake a moment too late. Liquid shadow engulfed Sacred Jewel, and Babylas popped out of the dark ooze armed with Divine One.
"You really are old fashioned, Wrath~."
Absalom turned and raised his arms, blocking a powerful strike from the three-sectioned staff. The sudden blow shattered his forearms and sent him flying back in the snow.
Babylas landed and deftly spun the chain staff, striking a pose as he laughed. "Strategic minds are just as manly as brute force."
Absalom pulled himself out of the snow, casting darkness over his arms to undo the damage. He huffed and shoveled up two rocks, which he grinded to dust in his grip. "May your blood stain this pristine snow!" He sprayed the dust into the air, casting a barrage of particle-sized, nearly invisible missiles at the Banette.
Babylas instantly equipped Sacred Jewel and bunkered down behind it as the dust particles bombarded him, riddling the snow and ground to pieces. As soon as the attack ceased, Absalom rushed him down with a heavy kick, sending the shielded Banette flying.
"Aeros!" He traded out Divine One for the silver chain and hooked it to Sacred Jewel. Before he hit the ground, he spun the shield around before tossing it at Absalom.
Absalom caught it out of the air with no trouble. "Was that supposed to—"
CLICK!
His eyes widened as Babylas' arm extended out from the shade within the shield, armed with the Dragon's Iron Breath. He looked back for a second, seeing Babylas disconnecting his arm through the back of a Shedinja.
BANG!
Absalom tossed the shield aside and ducked a split second before the gun fired. The recoil and heat of the blast knocked him over and incinerated his back. This only fueled his rage, snapping him into a temporary state of madness as he charged the Banette on all fours.
"Oops." Babylas retrieved his arm, sending his Shedinja away, and tapped on his Dark-Type infused chest plate, Malarmor.
Absalom attempted a decapitating lariat, but Babylas evaded like a shadow on the wind, getting up behind the ape with barely a second passing. Equipping Breaker with Shadow Armament, he unleashed a barrage of explosive punches into Absalom, each one shattering the ground and burying the ape through a crater.
Absalom caught one of Babylas' arms and twisted around, aiming a kick for his head. Babylas instantly traded places with a Shedinja, who remained undamaged as the kick wasn't infused with Ghost-Type energy. Before Absalom could rectify that mistake, a flurry of pink slashes erupted from under his shadow, dicing up his limbs and severing him through the torso.
Babylas emerged out from Absalom's shadow and aimed the Dragon's Iron Breath for a point-blank execution. An immense pressure emanating from Absalom retaliated, pushing the Banette away as Absalom ignited himself.
"God's Messenger of Wrath!"
The towering explosion ripped through the snow, shaving off the land and sending it tumbling down the mountain. Babylas, almost getting swallowed in the blast, retreated into one of his Shedinja which then vanished back into a shadow portal.
Through the blazing inferno of aura, Absalom rose, his body convulsing and erupting with a heavy steam as he repaired himself. When the light faded, with his body anew, he swiped his hand through the air and cast a heavy Malicious Fog, blowing away everything with terrible fury.
Babylas leapt out of the shadow portal and ducked behind a rock which was swiftly annihilated in the blast. Waiting for the dark winds to subside, he pulled out Glacial and Fangs.
"There you are." Absalom leapt into the air and angled himself to dive in the puppet's direction.
Babylas activated Malarmor again and flicker-vanished a millisecond before the attack connected. Skidding back in the snow, he struck his poison dagger against the icy gunbai fan, purple sparks flying off and shaping into three crystal spears.
Absalom shattered two against his fists before catching the last one. "Creative, but ultimately pointless."
Babylas smirked. "Is it now?" He clashed both weapons together and slammed them on the ground, sending forth a heavy mist.
The shattered purple ice around Absalom reacted to the intense wind chills and rapidly expanded into a garden of sharpened ice, rising so fast that they pierced and slashed into the ape. As the winds picked up, the ice stretched across Absalom and through his open wounds, infesting them with frozen poison.
"You could shake that ice off with your pressure, but—" Babylas raced forward, trading his weapons out for Divine One. "You've clearly demonstrated your aversion to poison!"
Absalom broke free of the ice and snapped off some of the spikes, leaving some of his wounds filled with the frozen poison. He stood his ground and traded blows with the wicked puppet, who weaved and jumped around the retaliatory punches while dishing back his own strikes.
A dance of coordinated strikes matched by years of skill and mastery unfolded. Absalom matched blows with Divine One and attempted crippling punches on the Babylas while the puppet himself showed his combat expertise, using Divine One to deflect the punches whilst firing back with empowering staff strikes.
Their dance came to an end with one final exchange, fist and metal clashing with explosive pressure, ripping away the snow under the feet. Absalom's face filled with controlled rage while Babylas' eyes twinkled with chaotic mischief. Absalom won out the clash, tossing Babylas away with a burst of his aura's pressure.
Flipping through the air, Babylas taunted, "That one didn't have as much oomph behind it! Afraid of the poison in your system?"
Absalom scowled. I don't have time for this. He plunged his hand through his chest and tore out the frozen poison lodged inside. He grunted, ripping out muscle and blood as he removed the chunks of purple ice.
Babylas landed, raising his chain staff defensively as he eyed the undead ape. He seemed a bit more hesitant about ripping apart his body. Is there a cooldown on his regeneration? No, that doesn't sound right. With how many times I've torn into him, there's no way it's that simple.
He took note the energy rising up from the ground and repairing Absalom's wounds. Strangely, the process wasn't as instantaneous as earlier. It was actually taking a moment just to seal the gaping wounds shut.
Is the altitude affecting him? No, this is a Heavenly Emotion. I'm confident this regeneration is linked to that, thus it has something to do with his typing. What is he drawing on? Is it even anything I can see? He glared. Come to think of it, I have heard stories about how certain Pokémon can see different colors that we cannot perceive. I clearly see he's drawing from something, but perhaps it's because I still have one normal eye that I'm not seeing the full picture. So, if I can't see the source, I need to deduce the factors. What could be fueling the potency of his regeneration? And what about our change in location is affecting the speed?
Absalom's wounds eventually patched themselves up. He groaned in annoyance, catching a glimpse of Babylas' staring. He's plotting again. Unwilling to give the Banette a moment to counterattack, Absalom stomped forward on the ground, sending an explosive wave of his aura ahead.
Babylas snapped back to reality and leapt into the air, barely avoiding the blast. He spotted Absalom seizing a rock and reflexively dodged before the empowered projectile was thrown. "Stinger!" He summoned his light green, bug whip, snapping at the ground and reeling himself back down. He lunged forward, cracking the whip ahead.
Absalom jumped back, narrowly avoiding the whip's sudden turning. In that instance, Babylas threw Fangs at the ape's face. Absalom turned on his heel and dodged the dagger, only for it to be engulfed in shadow and replaced with a Shedinja.
"Wha—"
It raised its halo and blasted Absalom with a blinding beam of light. He recoiled, shielding his eyes and roaring in anger. Babylas retracted Stinger and summoned the Divine One, sliding past Absalom and delivering two critical blows to his kneecaps that knocked him to the ground.
"The Dragon's Iron Breath!" He whipped out the custom-made blunderbuss pistol and pointed it at Absalom.
Before it could be fired, Absalom's arm shot up and disarmed the weapon out of Babylas' hand. He pulled the Banette in and struck him with a brutal headbutt. "You got cocky." Even while blind, he seized Babylas by the face and bashed him into the ground. He ramped up the aura in his fist and threw down a volatile punch that caused the earth below to swell and detonate into a bright, harrowing flash of blue. It was like a dust fire going off in an enclosed space, filling the air with the scorched, spectral flames of the irate ape's unyielding power.
Babylas' body was torn to shreds in the aura, the shadows tearing away to reveal the Shedinja that swapped places to spare its master's life. Babylas leapt out of the shadows of the overturned terrain with the last remaining Shedinja hovering by his side.
Babylas touched the left side of his face, which was scorched in a blue hue after briefly connecting with Absalom's fist. Even when incapacitated, he taught the Shedinja to switch places with him if he was somehow caught off guard, even willing to take a deadly blow in his place.
"Thank you," he whispered. He glanced at the lone Shedinja by his side. He nodded, sending it back inside his shadow. He sighed, pulling Divine One out of his cloak and taking his stance. Come on, Babylas. Think. Think! Find a weakness.
He grimaced as Absalom's silhouetted form rose from the epicenter of his own attack, resembling that of a demon rising from the depths of the earth to raze all that stood in the light. A monster that couldn't be slain by conventional means, always set to rise from the depths of defeat.
I'm not done yet.
A Collection of Worldly Advice from a Pirate's Perspective – Lesson 12
"Babylas, my son, you are a really annoying baby. All you did after hatching was scream, whine, and complain about being hungry. According to your mother, this is very normal behavior for a baby. Personally, if any of my crew acted like that, I would've thrown them overboard ages ago. Oh, I would've still brought them back onboard, but a quick dip in the icy waters would set them straight. I wonder—
[REDACTED]
I've just been informed by your mother that I can't throw you into the water to toughen you up. This isn't the lesson, son, but a word of advice about women: do not give them a loaded firearm that they can use to discipline you. Actually, just don't piss off your mother. She is surprisingly volatile. Ah, what a woman!
Maybe I'm just not used to kids. Your old man had to be tough to get by. Life wasn't easy for me. Grew up scrounging for scraps back in my day. Had to barter with possessions I stole. I was aimless, just stealing to get by. No end goal. No joy. Just another job you got bored of. Why else would I seek an impossible adventure?
Babylas, my boy, sometimes you're going to encounter obstacles that seem insurmountable. Some may even say impossible. I personally believe that any boat can cross a whirlpool if you're crazy enough to ride the currents! Believe me, the things I've seen in these waters are truly unbelievable. There's a lot of wonder in this world, and it's our job as Marchands to discover it all.
Lesson 12: Life's going to be tough, so stand up to life with confidence and pride in yourself. Doubt is the death of us all."
With Love,
-Boreas Marchand
Babylas stayed on the evasive as Absalom rushed him down, throwing out earth-shattering punches that distorted the space around them. He tried to throw out strikes whenever he could, weaving in and out of Absalom's punches, but the aura building off of the undead ape softened the impacts like a dermal armor. With his focus primarily on dodging, he couldn't get a proper hit off.
Absalom suddenly stomped his foot forward, rattling the ground and knocking Babylas off balance, and attempted a decapitated uppercut. Stinger flew from under Babylas' cloak and stabbed Absalom's other leg, throwing off his balance and causing him to whiff the attack. Babylas rolled before springing back onto his feet.
Absalom glared at his bleeding leg before channeling a mass of aura through it. "Justice!" He stomped down, releasing all the stored energy within and launching himself across the air at breakneck speed.
Babylas narrowly avoided the flying lariat aimed at his neck. As Absalom flew by, Babylas saw that the leg he used was mangled, similar to how he escaped his attempted execution.
I see. So, he can build up his aura through a specific body part and converts it into raw kinetic force. It seems to destroy whatever limb he was using, which isn't an issue, obviously.
Absalom dug his hand into the ground, catching himself out of the air, and used his other leg to spring back at Babylas. Unable to avoid, Babylas, equipped Sacred Jewel and tanked the incoming punch. The force rattled through the shield and his body as they both careened back through the snow.
As they slid through the snow, Absalom bombarded the shield with a storm of punches. Though it withstood just fine, Babylas winced as the vibrations shot through his arm and chest. Sacred Jewel was a shield that could withstand a myriad of powerful attacks, but it never took on this much abuse. Was it capable of holding out until victory?
"You lack a warrior's spirit," Absalom taunted, hammering blow after blow against the shield. "Only those with ironclad conviction are worthy of immortality. The likes of you couldn't bear the weight of that responsibility!" He slammed down a charged-up punch, shattering the ground under Babylas and blowing apart the snow.
Absalom grabbed the shield to tear it away when he spotted something out of the corner of his eye. It was the last of Babylas' Shedinja wrapping itself in liquid shadow. Absalom dug a rock out of the ground and turned to snipe the carapace down the moment it swapped places with Babylas. Except—
Wait, he's usually more subtle about these switches.
He realized his mistake too late. Before he could turn his attention back onto the pinned Banette, Divine One came swinging out from under the shield and clobbered the Annihilape across the face. Babylas unequipped Sacred Jewel, took Divine One in both hands, and fired back a torrent of strikes that distorted Absalom's body.
"Glacial!" He pulled the gunbai fan from under his cloak and waved it in Absalom's face, coating him in a thick layer of ice.
"Agh!" Absalom leapt back, staggering on his frozen legs, and panted. He tried to gather darkness around himself, but his injuries weren't healing fast enough. In fact, they didn't appear to be healing at all.
Babylas glared. Now it's stopped? He glanced at Glacial for a moment, then smirked. That's right. Even if I can't discern the exact source, you're still regenerating. Unless born with a non-organic body or with the Ice-Type, life can't grow in freezing temperatures! He lunged at the ape, cackling like a madman. "You're a real moron having this dramatic moment in the Algus Kingdom!"
Shit, he realized. Absalom dug his hands down and ripped away the earth into a charging wall of ground.
Babylas smirked, knowing he hadn't called back his Shedinja yet. The airborne carapace traded places with its master, leaving Babylas to freefall over the ground wave. He gathered the wind around Glacial and brought down a curtain of cold on top of Absalom.
"Agh…!" Absalom shielded his head as ice rapidly formed over him.
Babylas landed behind him and switched to Divine One. "Who wants Annihilape-shaped ice cubes?"
"God's Messenger of—"
Babylas struck across the head, breaking the ape's concentration. "Oh no, you're not pulling that nonsense again."
Twirling the chain staff with increasing speed, he hammered away at the half-frozen Annihilape, aiming primarily for the head to keep Absalom from focusing even for a second. Though it wasn't quite the brittle state he wanted, frozen patches of fur were chipped away by repeated strikes.
"Not so tough when you can't heal from everything, huh?" Babylas brought both ends of Divine One together and thrusted them against Absalom's face, shattering the upper layer of frozen fur. "Well, I'm certainly enjoying this, so let's keep at it—"
Absalom suddenly lunged to life and grappled the Banette, pinning his arms. Babylas winced, staring into the shattered, distorted face of the undead ape as he began to glow in a concentrated aura.
"God's Messenger of Wrath: Full Release!"
With only precious seconds to act, and unwilling to waste another Shedinja, he had to move fast. He summoned Sacred Jewel into his hand and tossed it away with a flick of his wrist. At the moment Absalom released his technique, Babylas swapped places with his shield in a surge of liquid shadow, barely escaping the blast. Emerging from the liquid shadow, Babylas shielded himself from the burning aura seeping out behind him.
"Vault!" He reached toward the eruption, recalling his shield back into the shadows, and dashed off as the blast expanded outward. He reached the edge of a cliff, leaping off as the blast overtook the last of his ground. The shockwaves threw Babylas further along the air as he watched the blast wave dissipate.
In the center from where the blast occurred, he saw Absalom gathering up a massive vortex of darkness from the ground, repairing the damage done to his scorched body. Despite Babylas' earlier deductions, the undead ape was healing just as quickly as before.
"What's going on? One moment he's taking a moment just to fix some superficial wounds, and now he's coming back from the edge of death after pulling the murder-suicide tactic?" Babylas focused his left eye on the darkness gathering around Absalom. "Where's the logic? Why is his regeneration so inconsistent?"
Thinking back, this was the first time he ever saw inconsistencies like this. He had always kept close tabs on Absalom when he first joined the Deadly Seven, but he never witnessed anyone pushing the ape this far. He could heal off any wound with no trouble. All Babylas gathered so far was that the altitude was affecting the speed.
…Was it the altitude, though?
The Outlands and the surface level by Mt. Algus. Was there anything about the terrain they had in common? A mostly desert region and a snowy landscape beside a mountain. Nothing noteworthy. What else?
By the time Babylas floated down to the lower regions of the mountain, Absalom had already sprung into the air, locking onto the Banette's position. Babylas lifted his cloak and flicked it around himself as Absalom crashed down atop him, obliterating the ground with thunderous pressure.
Absalom grabbed at what he presumed was a dead Banette, only to lift an empty cloak out of the snow. With a startled realization, Absalom spun around and countered a surprise attack from Babylas' Divine One, knocking the Banette away.
Babylas dragged his hand through the snow to catch himself. "Tch. You're getting smarter."
Absalom glared, noticing that Babylas' right arm was missing with only frayed, ghostly threads left behind. He immediately tossed the empty cloak away as a hand reached out and swiped at him with Fangs. Babylas rushed down the startled ape, switching to Breaker, and sent an uppercut flying into his snout.
Absalom, however, didn't flinch. He headbutted back at Babylas' fist and rammed a sweeping kick across his chest. Babylas rolled with the kick in the nick of time, but was still sent sailing back in the snow. He crashed into some rocks, breaking them against his head.
"Agh…!" He laid a hand over Malarmor, which took the brunt of the kick. He winced, finding a crack split across the center. The Dark-Type energy infused within leaked out in weak sparks.
"How many times must I say it, Greed?" Babylas picked himself up against the rocks and glared as Absalom slowly marched toward him. His fists and fur crackled in the dark blue aura as he glowed even brighter than before. "You're wasting your time. What do you hope to accomplish? That girl has no chance once she has her fated battle with Harriet. What are you hoping to prove with your fruitless stalling?"
Babylas weaved his arm back onto his body, pulling his cloak out of darkness with a flick of his wrist. He smirked, throwing the cloak back over himself. "I promised not to interfere with the path she has chosen, but she of all people deserves to see why so many people are fighting for her. My stalling is precisely what I'm trying to accomplish. Just for a chance to selfishly latch onto that hope she favored."
Absalom glared. "All of this at the cost of your life?"
Babylas snickered. "Oh Absalom~." He equipped Breaker to both of his hands and clashed his fists together. "You should know by now. Cheating Death out of my prized soul? That's just another hobby of mine."
A Collection of Worldly Advice from a Pirate's Perspective – Lesson 36
"Babylas, let me tell you something about being a pirate. You'll likely come across a teacher or someone who'll tell you all that feelgood, moral stuff. If they ever teach you, "Cheaters never win," tell them that they don't know jack squat. Cheat, my boy, cheat!
Son, there's no such thing as honor on the ocean, especially when you're a rotten pirate. Now, I'm not the kind of man to pillage the downtrodden or have my way with vulnerable women—also, seriously, do not mistreat women. Bad look. Unless they hit you first, then strike back with the force of Kyogre! Wait, I'm getting off track. Where was I?
Right, honor. Honor is reserved for duels and regulations. On the ocean, it's every man for themselves, and you need to do what you can to survive out here. Cleverness always wins at the end of the day. Don't follow rules and regulations, especially when your health and happiness are at stake. Believe me, I would be seriously depressed if some miscreant stole my treasure. I robbed that from the enemy ships I sank fair and square!
Though, I suppose honor isn't without its dues. When I first heard your mother was captured by these sea-sailing degenerates, well, it felt like my duty to rescue a fair maiden. Don't take it like your mother was weak. She's definitely not weak. Good grief, that woman nearly crushed my hand when we were delivering your egg. Keep in mind, we Banette don't exactly have bones to crush. It was scarily impressive. The doctor on my crew had to give me pain meds after that.
Lesson 36: Find your own honor when exploring the world. Morality isn't a written rule. It's your job to decide what is fair and just, and I trust you will make the right decision when you become a man."
With Love,
-Boreas Marchand
Hand-to-hand combat with an unstoppable, undead Annihilape seemed like suicide to the average outsider, but Babylas was raring to put the wrathful berserker in his place.
Babylas channeled his full concentration, weaving in and out of Absalom's punches and kicks as he attempted to land his own. With Absalom's reaction speed steadily rising as the fight pressed on, they were becoming dead even in reflexes, dodging and parrying each other blow for blow. Even with the few lucky hits Babylas managed, the aura surrounding Absalom continued to sponge up damage, further converting it into raw power.
Babylas activated Malarmor and sped circles around Absalom. The ape held still, scanning the terrain for an opening. Babylas raced circles through the crumbling landscape, landing on the side of a mountain wall and leaping at the ape while his back was turned.
Absalom wasn't so easily fooled, spinning around and blocking Babylas' punch. Even while amped up with Shadow Armament, Babylas couldn't break through the ape's increasing defenses. Silent Fury, a persistent buff that empowered Absalom's power out, was a frightening technique when combined with his unique physiology. Anyone else attempting to replicate this power would've shattered their skeleton within minutes.
Babylas retreated before a counterattack could be thrown. He traded out both Breakers and exchanged them for Stinger and Majestic Wind. Gripping the insect whip and fairy-like ribbon sword, he raised them both over his head and snapped them forward, unleashing a whirling hurricane of green and pink.
Absalom braced himself as he became surrounded by the weapons from all sides. Hundreds of slashes cut through his body while several dozen puncture wounds opened up across his limbs and torso. An ocean of purple blood splattered over the air. If left unimpeded, Absalom would be torn to ribbons.
"I'm getting real sick and tired of these…"
He patiently waited, feeling out the tempo of the weapons against his body. Once he found the rhythm, he lifted his hands and gripped into the air, catching the whip and flexible blade in one go.
Babylas flinched. "Crap!" He tried to send them back into his vault, but—
"Too late!" Absalom raised the weapons up. "Justice!" He channeled his own aura through them before snapping them back at Babylas.
Babylas let go of his weapons and jumped back before the rippling aura reached him. Once the energy cracked through their hilts, they both shattered to pieces, sending shrapnel propelling across the air like bullets. A piece of Majestic Wind's blade pierced through the puppet's stomach as he dodged through the hail of debris.
"Agh…!" Babylas stumbled back and covered his bleeding side.
"RAAAH!"
Babylas felt his whole world flip upside-down as Absalom shoulder-charged him unexpectedly, throwing the discombobulated Banette toward the edge of the mountain. He snapped back to his senses and rolled out of the way of a diving punch that took down another chunk of the mountain, sending it tumbling into the snow below.
"To think I was anxious to fight you, Greed," Absalom said as his heals began to heal. "Look at yourself. You look no different to a mangled corpse."
Babylas smirked uneasily. "Just keep talking, immortal man." He equipped Fangs and sprinted at Absalom.
The ape dodged his first couple of swings, then launched a kick across the puppet's side. Babylas rolled with the hit and tumbled through the snow. As Absalom leapt forward to pummel him, Babylas whipped out Glacial and struck the ground, shrouding the area in a chilling mist.
Absalom landed within the mist, losing sight of Babylas. He slammed his fists together and unleashed Malicious Fog, blowing away the mist in a thick haze of shadow. He commanded the shadows to tighten and ensnare the area, ripping apart snow and stone and shaving it to dust. The uneven terrain evened out, soon becoming a barren surface of rock within the mountains.
"Has the fear finally settled in, Greed?" Absalom taunted. "Have you finally come to terms with this pointless duel? The hopelessness of victory against impossible odds? You're not special. You'll die like all the rest. It's almost fitting your grave will be made here, in an environment where countless died before they could reach the halfway point of Algus' peak!"
"And I thought I couldn't keep my mouth shut." Absalom instantly looked up as Babylas fell from a portal created by his Shedinja. He dove down with Divine One, smashing the ground open as Absalom dodged. He twirled the chain staff and rushed down the undead ape, swinging rapidly into his guard.
Absalom threw back counter punches, but Babylas weaved and jumped around them, flipping over his head to land a strike in the back. He endured the attacks for a few more seconds before slamming his heel back, causing a brief tremor to throw Babylas off balance. He grabbed the Banette's wrist and threw him over his shoulder into the mountain wall.
"Then allow eternal silence into your heart!" Absalom tore a rock out of the ground and reared his arm back. "Justice!"
Babylas straightened up and immediately unzipped his mouth. "I wouldn't—"
"Die!" He chucked it, instantly striking the Banette in the head and throwing him back against the wall. Absalom snorted, a moment of relief settling in after finally landing a lethal hit, but the moment passed when he saw sparks flying out of Babylas' head. "Huh?"
In actuality, the rock didn't pierce Babylas' head, but rather landed inside his mouth. More specifically, the empowered rock of coiled in a net of glowing teal string inside Babylas' mouth, the threads sparking and fraying as they endured the unyielding power of Absalom's throw.
Absalom gasped. "That's—"
"A skilled archer…can turn anything into an arrow," Babylas groaned. He glared and shouted, "Psimon's…got one last shot left in it!"
The rock fired out of Babylas' mouth, completely destroying the last of Psimon's drawstring. Absalom, still in shock from the outlandish maneuver, recoiled as the rock pierced through his shoulder, obliterating most of his right side and rupturing his arm up to the elbow.
Absalom staggered, gripping his bloodied side in anger. "AGH! You—"
"Think fast!" In another surprise maneuver, Babylas brazenly tackled the debilitated ape, locked his arms around him, and pushed him across the ground before leaping off the mountain. "Now!"
He and Absalom swapped places with his airborne Shedinja, where they fell from an even greater altitude up the mountain. Falling toward a field of jagged spires, Babylas kicked off of Absalom and let his body impale itself atop the rocks while he sailed toward a safer patch of snow.
Babylas staggered, clutching at his own wounded side and panting. It was taking every ounce of concentration to push through his debilitating state. In all of his years of mercenary work, this was the most damage he took in a single day, and it was still partway through the morning.
He didn't have the luxury of rest, sadly. Not even a minute after landing, Absalom's aura violently erupted, blowing away the rock impaling him and blasting a heap of snow into Babylas that nearly buried him.
After popping out of the snow, Babylas dodged a surprise punch from a flying Absalom, who sent his energy coursing through the ground after landing. The earth erupted beneath them, blasting Babylas into the sky like he was in the center of an active volcano.
He held his ground on a slab of rock and kept his eyes peeled for Absalom's next attack. It came sooner than he hoped as an invisible bombardment of powder ripped through the flying rock. Babylas jumped off his slab and rode along the updraft, searching the ground from above.
He detected Absalom as the undead ape launched himself with a powerful kick off the ground. He sailed after Babylas, both his fists erupting with intense light. He roared, slamming his fists together and blasting Babylas even higher into the sky with Malicious Fog.
"AAAAAGH!" Babylas screamed, equipping Sacred Jewel to take the brunt of the force.
Absalom used his own Malicious Fog to propel himself through the air, catching up with the airborne puppet. "You're only option is to either switch with your Shedinja or sacrifice another of your weapons. Go ahead! Take your pick! I'll tear you down piece by piece until there's nothing left to hide behind!"
Despite being in pain, Babylas just smirked. "You made a mistake yourself, tough guy. I know for a fact you need to stay ground for your regeneration to take effect."
Absalom growled. "What's your point?"
"I'm not useless in the air." Babylas unequipped Sacred Jewel and clapped his hands together. "Because no matter where in space we are, where there is light, there is also shadow!"
He widened his left eye, and a splotch of darkness expanded out from behind him. In an instant, he and Absalom became engulfed in a void of shadow with clusters of purple stars in the distant space. They were in Babylas' domain now.
"Endless…Darkness."
A Collection of World Advice from a Pirate's Perspective – Lesson 77
"Babylas. My son. Our time together is short. We may be a week or so out from reaching Virdis, and I still have plenty of lessons left to document. I must admit, I've grown fond of you. You're a cute little fellow, especially when you're not being fussy. Good grief, you are fussy.
If anyone ever asks where your old man is and assume I'm just some deadbeat who left you and your mother to fend for yourselves…well, if you think I'm a deadbeat, I wouldn't blame you. I plan to leave you both with all you'll need to live comfortably. It's not becoming of a father to abandon his family, is it?
Along with my lessons, I'm sure you've been reading my journals documenting my adventures with the Dusk Eye Pirates. My son, I have a dream. I dream of finding a legendary city said to only be a myth. I was called many things. A fool. A dreamer. A pathetic lunatic chasing a fairy tale instead of facing reality. Heh, reality. I hate that excuse.
Son, why does a man believe in Arceus? Is there even an Arceus? Gods? Where did any of this come from? Are they fools for believing in higher powers? Is there a logical explanation for everything? Or is it simply more than we can comprehend? Personally, I think not knowing makes it more enticing. It's…fun. I like fun.
Imagine I found the city the week after I drop you and your mother off. That'd…be a bit anticlimactic. It's my life's purpose. It's my dream. What does a man do when he reaches his dream? Perhaps start another?
I became a pirate because I felt like the world lost some of its whimsy. Too boring, everything is becoming. So, I decided to chase a dream because I believed it was real. Some people want a comfortable, affordable life. Others want adventure. These are both valid dreams, and who are we to deny them that?
Lesson 77: Find a balance between reality and fantasy. Set a future for yourself that you believe is obtainable, then reach for that future with faith in your heart. What is it that you desire, son? What is your treasure?"
With Love,
-Boreas Marchand
Surrounded in darkness and suspended in a state of never-ending freefall, Absalom could only look upon the Banette hovering high above, who triumphantly grinned at his helpless prey.
"You have no dominion over the darkness. In this realm, I reign supreme."
Absalom glared. "Die." He fired a blast of Malicious Fog at the Banette.
Babylas cackled as he faded into the darkness, the pressurized fog dispersing into the endless void. Absalom spun around, eyes flickering with rage as Babylas shifted in and out of sight, laughing at the Annihilape. Absalom tried to move through the darkness, but it felt as if he was trapped deep underwater, unable to swim toward the surface or move from where he was.
"Can't fight back, old man?"
BAM!
Absalom staggered, taking a punch to the back of the head. He swiped his fist at the Banette, but he disappeared back into the shadows. Another punch cracked across his shoulder, and another struck him square in the face. Absalom only got a brief glance at the Banette's fist after it made contact.
"I can move freely within the shadows. No restriction. No delay. I am the shadows!"
Absalom raised his guard as a barrage of fists flew out of the dark, pummeling into him one after the other, each one equipped with Breaker. It felt as if dozens upon dozens of Babylas clones were emerging from the dark, raining down their divine punishment upon him.
"Nowhere left to run!" Babylas cracked his fist across Absalom's face, knocking him across the void. "No regeneration to draw from!" He instantly appeared in the ape's path and sent him flying with an uppercut. "No way to resist!" He appeared above, clasped his hands, and spiked the ape. "Just you and me! A final dance with death!"
"RAH!" Absalom fired off another Malicious Fog, only to get sucked punched into the stomach. He tried to grab Babylas, but ended up receiving a punch to the back. "GAH!"
Babylas shifted around in the dark, cackling like a maniac. "You're in my world now, Wrath! No way out of it!"
Absalom wiped some blood across his hand and reared it back. "Justice!" He channeled his energy through the drops and threw them like mini bullets.
They posed no trouble for Babylas, who effortlessly dodged them and returned the favor by stabbing into the Absalom's eye with Fangs. He twisted the knife through the eye socket before ripping it loose.
"AAAAGH!" Absalom grabbed Babylas's neck, but the Banette vanished in an instant, returning an onslaught of strikes from Divine One. "AGH!"
Babylas cackled, throwing Absalom around and around in the void with pinpoint strikes from Divine One, each one shattering bone and tearing away flesh. Babylas seized him by his fur, spun the ape around, and threw him in the direction of himself, delivering another bone-crushing strike to the face.
Blood dripped off the Divine One, floating in the void and splashing across Babylas' face. He smirked at the beaten Annihilape, clanging his chain staff together as he floated closer. "I wonder what'll happen if you die without access to your regeneration. Maybe I should keep up in here until brain death takes over. It'll be a pain to keep this much darkness active, but worth it."
Absalom, drifting aimlessly as a bloodied pulp, lifted his glare at the cocky Banette. "I'm…not done yet…"
Babylas snickered. "Sure, you aren't." He gripped Divine One and soared toward the bloodied ape. "After all, I'm not done playing with you yet! Let's keep dancing until the end of time—"
"I've had enough of your nonsense."
Babylas froze as Absalom's body suddenly emitted a blinding blue light, piercing through the infinite darkness of his void. He darted back, laughing. "Seriously? You're going to try and blow up my Endless Darkness with that? You don't have the power to—"
"Silent Fury Lv.3."
His eyes widened. "Level what?"
Absalom, summoning up every ounce of strength in his mangled body, let out a horrible, screeching roar with such ear-splitting volume that the darkness visibly rippled. Babylas shielded himself, thrown back by the immense pressure exuding from the epicenter. He could barely keep his eyes open, feeling as if he was staring into the sun.
CRACK!
His eyes widened, turning his attention skyward as cracks opened up across the darkness. "His aura's overriding my Endless Darkness?"
"Correct."
Babylas recoiled, feeling a hand grasp his face. The sudden shock of the grab shattered his concentration, causing the darkness to break away and return them to the outside world, still suspended high above the mountain. As he tried to open his eyes, he was meant with that same intense light.
Absalom's form, once shrouded by a cloak of darkness, became completely engulfed in his aura. His fur and body radiated in the energy like they were made of flame. His aura trembled with such force that space seemed to warp around it. He exuded a pressure unlike anything presented earlier. This was way beyond anything Babylas expected.
He was keeping this one in his back pocket! Babylas raised Divine One and attempted to fight back.
Absalom caught the chain staff, suffering no damage despite the visible shockwave after connecting. He effortlessly ripped the staff out of Babylas' hand and threw it into the sky, lost beyond the clouds. He tightened his grip and reared Babylas back.
"As I said before…die!"
With just his own berserker strength, he threw Babylas out of the sky and back toward the mountain. The wind rushed around the Banette as the ground rapidly approached, mere seconds away from becoming a bloody splatter over the snow.
"Sacred Jewel!" Babylas summoned the shield and faced it toward the ground. He braced for impact, steering himself toward a slope in the mountain. He connected, the shield taking the brunt of the initial landing before sliding onto leveled ground. The shield caught something under the snow, flipping Babylas off and sending him careening forward. He slid across his face before going limp and letting his body flail through the snow before ultimately crashing against a wall of rock.
He lay in a daze, only startled out of unconsciousness by the sound of his shield impacting the wall a mere inch above his head. He groaned, touching the shield and sending it back into his vault before shakily standing back up. Right as he rose to his feet, the ground rumbled, heralding Absalom's landing.
Babylas trembled against the wall, coughing up blood on the snow. He focused his left eye on the undead ape, marveling at the fascinating array of blues illuminating his aura. It was almost beautiful enough to sit back and admire. He shook himself from his daze, equipped Breaker to his fists, and sprinted at the ape.
Absalom narrowed his eyes, unimpressed. "You're kidding? Right?"
"HA!" Babylas through a right hook at the ape, but he effortlessly caught it. Babylas tried to throw another punch, but Absalom caught that one, too.
"Enough." With minimal effort, Absalom tightened his grip and shattered the knuckledusters off of Babylas' hands. The Banette barely pulled his hands free before they were crushed, too. "You're done."
Babylas reached inside his cloak and whipped out Glacial, but a quick-fire punch from Absalom shattered the fan out of his hand. He staggered back, digging around in his cloak for another weapon. Right as Absalom raised his fist, Babylas pulled out Sacred Jewel and tanked a heavy punch. However, the impact was far more staggering than he expected. His eyes widened as cracks opened up on the underside
"You're pathetic." Absalom hammered another punch into the shield, pushing the Banette back. "Scrambling to get a win. Cheap tricks. Dirty tactics. You've gotten by on nothing but skill and cleverness." Another strike, breaking open more of the shield. "You don't have real strength. Hiding behind your tools. Without those, what else do you have? Cowering behind a shield."
"AGH!" Babylas stood his ground against another punch, wincing as light peered through the cracks.
"You wanted to be immortal? You don't deserve such a prestigious gift. You're just another selfish, greedy Freak like the rest of the Outlands." He scowled. "No wonder they were so easy to manipulate. Stroke their egos and feed into their greed, and you have a disposable army to work with."
"…" Babylas glared. "You created the Deadly Seven just to keep the Outlands in order. So that you could help your boss rebuild Last Autumn."
"Tch." Absalom pulled his fist back, channeling a mass of aura into his fist. "You should've just bowed your head like the rest."
His fist soared like a cannonball, breaking through the cracks and shattering it to pieces. Babylas recoiled as the fist broke through his Malarmor. At the last second before the pain fully set in, he traded places with his Shedinja, letting it shatter in his place as it and the ground in front of Absalom was blown away in a devastating wave of pressure.
Reappearing behind Absalom, Babylas whipped out Aeros from his cloak and attempted to wrap it around the ape's neck. Absalom wasn't so easily fooled. Without looking, he reached behind him and grabbed Babylas' neck. He spun around, eyes blazing with anger.
"You just don't listen, do you?!"
A heap of energy ripped across Babylas' left shoulder, tearing away the arm holding Aeros. He kicked the arm away, slammed Babylas into the ground, and kicked him in the stomach.
"GAAAAH!" Babylas rolled across the snow, blood dripping from his zippered mouth. He rolled onto his feet, trembling with his eyes barely able to stay open. He touched his severed shoulder, smearing the blood over his palm.
"You won't be able to reattach it as usual," Absalom taunted. "You're out of Shedinja. Your weapons are limited. You've lost." He took a deep breath and let out a deep exhale, extinguishing the aura from his body. "To think…I was forced to push myself that far. Consider it an honor."
"…" Babylas hung his head, taking a step back.
Absalom stepped forward, scoffing. "Finally accepting your failings? It's too late for forgiveness. I've had enough of your antics today. It's over."
"…" Babylas lifted his gaze and cracked a smirk. "You really are scared of me, aren't you?"
Absalom shook his head. "You're unbelievable. I've wasted enough time with this farce of a battle." He clenched his fist, activated the first stage of his Silent Fury. "Time to drag your wretched soul to Hell."
Babylas raised his fist. "You can try, but you won't like what happens next—"
"Enough." Absalom blasted forward, rearing his fist back. "You're not talking your way out of this one. Death awaits!"
Babylas couldn't dodge. He couldn't run. He couldn't escape into the shadows. All he could see was the approaching aura of blue rocketing toward his face. He staggered, perhaps a last-ditch effort to salvation, but it was all fruitless. Absalom left nothing to chance, putting everything into his strength so that the Banette couldn't dodge.
His punch connected, blasting into Babylas' face and caving his head in. Blood erupted from his eyes and mouth as his fabric-like skin was torn to ribbons by the sheer might of Absalom's pressurized aura. Babylas' limbs and torso went limp. A split opened across his neck, his head milliseconds away from being ripped from the shoulders. A punch that was guaranteed to disintegrate all matter it came into contact with.
Absalom…had won.
A Collection of Worldly Advice from a Pirate's Perspective – Lesson 100
"It's almost time, Babylas. We're a mere ten minutes away from docking in Virdis. You and your mother are moments away from starting your new lives. The crew and I…we're going to miss you both. It's going to feel different around here without your constant whining. Sad that I'm actually going to miss these moments.
For that, I offer you my final lesson. This is perhaps the most important lesson. The one I learned during my time at sea.
Son, as you get older, life's going to be rough. I know I've mentioned this in an earlier lesson, but it needs to be said. Whether you're setting out on your own adventure or dealing with the mundanity of society, there will be challenges ahead. It's going to be scary. It's going to be tough. It's going to be unfair. Life…is unfair. No one in this world is born as equals. Some are born into poverty, and some are born into wealth. Some are born talented, others are lucky to be born. You are perhaps in the better halves of those, but never take those things for granted.
If you want to get by in this world, don't half-ass anything. Passion is what gives us strength. I wanted to find the ancient, legendary city. I learned everything I could to make that dream come true, and I'm working every day now toward that dream. When you find a goal of your own son, or a passion you want to fulfill, don't be lazy. Improve. Grow. Adapt. You are the master of your own destiny.
The world can throw a million and one obstacles in your way, all for the sole purpose of ruining your life. Respond back with a million and two countermeasures. Don't let anyone get the better of you. Always stay three—no! Stay fifty steps ahead of anyone who puts your dream in jeopardy! Your dream is your treasure! Hold onto that treasure! Don't let anyone take it away from you! Become the man you wish to be! Follow the dream that you desire, my son!
The final lesson: When faced with the cruelty of this world, fight back against their fury! Don't let the wrath of this world discourage you! Take hold of that dream, and show them who you are! Remind them of the meaning of your name! Make them regret ever crossing you, Babylas Marchand!
Go forth, my son! Take hold of your treasure, and fight back!"
-Boreas Marchand, your father
CRACK!
Absalom's eyes widened as Babylas' body exploded into liquid shadow. Left in its place…was the shattered remains of a carapace.
"W…What the—"
Every interaction. Every mission. Every movement. Did you really think, after all these years, I'd show you my whole hand, Absalom?
Stepping out from the ape's shadow draped in a curtain of darkness, Babylas raised his poisoned dagger over the stunned ape, his left eye gleaming with mischief.
This whole time, I've actually had eleven Shedinja.
"Shadow Armament!"
Babylas plunged the empowered dagger through Absalom's back, spreading the poison through his body. Absalom roared out in pain, feeling the blade twist into his spine. Babylas pulled it loose, then unleashed a vicious barrage of stabs across the ape's back like an angry horde of Beedrill gone berserk.
Absalom staggered, feeling the empowered poison shooting across his body with each injection. Enraged, he swung around, screaming, "DAMN YOU!"
Before he could rip the Banette's head off, Babylas ducked out of the way, weaving back behind Absalom while slicing into his arms and legs. As Absalom tried to grab the shifty Banette, Babylas continued ducking and evading his attempts without ceasing the onslaught of dagger strikes. His blade flashed across the ape like lightning, smoothly cutting the skin and spraying the air in a shower of purple.
With each successful stab, Absalom's reaction speed grew slower and slower. His attempted grabs at Babylas faltered significantly as the onslaught persisted. Even as his body healed to try and push the poison out, there was far too much being injected into him to manage. Even with his own injuries, Babylas continued to be a difficult target to pin down.
Eventually, Absalom stopped moving. Babylas took this opportunity to triple his efforts, unleashing a ferocious hail of stabs upon the ape's back, funneling more and more poison through his decrepit form.
"Can't catch your breath, Wrath?" Babylas taunted. "Don't worry! Death is a wonderful cure all for unbearable pain! You should try it—"
Absalom's back exploded open, and a hand caught Babylas by the wrist. His eyes widened, frozen in disbelief. Absalom had punched himself through the stomach to catch Babylas off guard. He knew the ape was willing to cut off an arm to spare himself, but this?
"I've. Had. Enough."
Absalom reeled Babylas' arm through the hole in his stomach, then shot his leg up, striking under the puppet's shoulder. The force of his aura sawed through the arm and tore it away, completely disarming him.
Babylas staggered back, bleeding from both shoulders, and pressed himself up against a wall. Before he could catch his breath, Absalom grabbed him by the neck, lifted him off the ground, and pinned him against the rock. He squeezed around the Banette's throat, choking him slightly.
Absalom didn't look too good himself. The poison was hampering his regeneration, and he was barely able to keep himself conscious. He focused his mind, gathering the spectral forces from the ground to undo his injuries. He couldn't do much about the poison for the time being, but that would have to wait.
"You gave away…your last trick…just to buy yourself another thirty seconds of life. Wasteful."
"…Heh." Babylas hung his head, chuckling under his breath. "Not…a total waste."
"Hmm?"
"Something you said earlier…"
"It's almost fitting your grave will be made here, in an environment where countless died before they could reach the halfway point of Algus' peak!"
"That's why your regeneration was so inconsistent…" He smirked weakly. "I took up many subjects in my youth, and history was among by best. I recall the battles waged during the founding of the Algus Kingdom, how they used the mountain to their advantage. Naturally, there were more deaths at the bottom. And naturally, the Outlands would be a hunting ground for you. It's your Ghost-Type. You channel the lingering energy of the dead, don't you?"
"…" Absalom narrowed his eyes.
"Funny…I couldn't see it clearly until now." Babylas lifted his head a bit, finally seeing a spectrum of dark fog circling beyond Absalom, and even further down the mountain. "Being this close to death…it's like staring into a dream. And it looks like there isn't a whole lot of death around here."
"…Not yet." Absalom ignited his fist with aura. "You'll be enough."
Babylas laughed quietly. "Shame. I found all your weaknesses, and now I can't even exploit them."
"You didn't stand a chance."
"Is that right?"
Absalom huffed. "However, as a courtesy for pushing me this far, I'll grant you the honor of your final words. You'll get your immortality one way."
"Heh. You sure? I thought you didn't like my talking?"
Absalom furrowed his brow. "Is that what you want them to be?"
"Alright, alright…" He sighed, hanging his head for a moment as he thought them over. "Well, I suppose I do have something I want to say. I…wanted to get this off my chest for the longest time, and it's…well, it's kind of embarrassing."
"Just say it."
"If you say so. Heh. Well, um…remember when I saved Lancaster and Burkhard? And remember how I said I got here?"
Absalom glared suspiciously. "Yeeeeah?"
He gently raised his head, and he looked upon Absalom with his face covered in shadow. A haunting grin, and the glow of his left eye, radiating with the aura of a trickster god's wrath.
"I lied~."
SHIIING!
Absalom recoiled, vomiting blood onto Babylas as something ruptured out from his back. His muscles locked up, feeling some strange influence coursing through his system. He could barely move, only managing to strain his eyes to peek over his shoulder.
The discarded Aeros had sprung from the ground, sinking into a puddle of darkness with Babylas' lost arm clutching with its lingering strength. The chain pierced through Absalom's back, connecting to a weapon that had been snuck into his body: Babylas' ghost hook, Reaper.
Something else was attached to Aeros and Reaper: the remaining Galvano arrow, combining its energies with Reaper to create a haunting, electrical field that paralyzed anything caught in its grasp.
"When Evelot and I clashed our Endless Darkness techniques, there was a bit of an aftereffect." Absalom looked back at Babylas, any signs of dread or defeat melting away from his mischievous eyes. "Both our powers came from two of those weird creatures. Sacrificing their physical forms and becoming an eye for each of us. Because of how Inherited Wills work, requiring the unique energy of two, our similar techniques reacted to each other. It completed the link, allowing me to connect my shadow with Evelot's, even from so far away."
Absalom's eyes widened in realization. "When she walked past me—"
"I entered your shadow."
Absalom trembled, or at least as much as he could with his body currently unresponsive. "But you said—"
"Just because I said I was hitchhiking in their shadows doesn't mean I was." He smirked. "If I had done that, you would've really had to deal with a rampaging Scolipede. Heh. I wasn't lying, you know. I do regret not being able to help them. I prioritized taking you down…over helping them."
Absalom grimaced, trying to maintain control of the situation. "You…You haven't won. I can't be killed—"
"True, but that's only because nobody knew how to. Until now." Babylas snickered weakly, the light flickering from his eyes. "I really am greedy. I won't allow anyone else…to have this moment. I will kill you one day."
Absalom growled. "You're dying."
"Then…let's make a bet." Babylas twitched his mouth, manipulating his zipper to open. "If we both survive this day, the next time we meet, let's have a rematch. But I promise you one thing: I think so little of you that I can kill you with anything. A weapon master can make anything a weapon. I could even kill you with something as insignificant as a toothpick."
Absalom's eyes widened as something emerged from the void in Babylas' mouth. It was the Dragon's Iron Breath, locked and loaded. He tried to rip himself away from his bindings, but Babylas' severed arm kept a tight grip over Aeros, making sure the ape couldn't flee his fate.
"I doubt this will kill you, but it should take you out of the picture for a while," Babylas said. He glared. "You manipulated Evelot. Pushed her down this path. I'm above taking revenge, but there's always room for exceptions."
Absalom growled. "You—"
"Who will wear the crown? Who will bring Virdis to a prosperous age?" Babylas laughed. "If we both have the will to survive, let's find out together!"
CLICK!
BOOM!
A violent explosion of draconian and steely energy erupted from Babylas' mouth, sending shockwaves across the terrain. The shock of the blast traveled high up to the towering peaks, dislodging snow from its static state. The ground shattered open, reducing all in its path to cinders.
On this day, the people of Algus will wonder what transpired to cause so much destruction and discord to their homeland. If only they knew what monsters lurked on the lower regions of their mountain.
Babylas' weapons were utterly destroyed in the blast. Reaper, Galvano, Aeros, and even the Dragon's Iron Breath after being empowered with Shadow Armament. Pieces of metal flew out of Babylas' mouth as he fell from the ape's iron grip, laying limply in the snow.
Babylas grinned with pride, staring at the mutilated torso standing before him. The entire upper half of Absalom's body was blown to pieces, leaving behind only a single arm and his bloodied legs with half his body barely intact. It wobbled unsteadily, dropping to its knees and going limp in the snow.
Babylas sighed, breathing a sigh of relief before looking up the mountain. Snow rumbled down the side, his final blast triggering an avalanche heading straight for them. Buried under several tons of snow would keep Absalom on ice indefinitely, until someone dug him out. His own chances of survival weren't looking too good, however.
"Heh." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "This…This is fine. I'm not done yet." He relaxed, feeling the first flakes of snow pile over him. "Now then, what's your next move? Evelot?"
The snow tumbled over the battleground, swallowing up both bodies in a sea of cold. Absalom's body was swept away, lost to the vast ocean of white. Babylas remained where he lay, a weak grin plastered over his face as he succumbed to the first bout of slumber in his life.
As he drifted out of consciousness, the snow accumulating around him, an archaic symbol vaguely resembling a "Q" glowed over his left eye.