"He's yours!" Wallace said with a complicated expression after venting for a while.
At this moment, his heart was truly a mix of emotions. Number Four had been confirmed as the murderer of Number Two, so even if he wanted to protect Number Four, it would be impossible.
Although Number Four's death was self-inflicted, Wallace's prestige, as their leader and person in charge, had taken a hit.
Furthermore, his subordinates and Everard's subordinates already had some animosity, and now the conflict seemed even more serious.
However, they were in the wrong in this matter, and could only suffer in silence, like a mute eating bitter melon.
Wallace, with his Houndoom and Malamar, walked to the side, exposing Number Four, who was lying in the deep pit behind him, to the sight of Everard and his Pokémon.
"Mmm mmm mmm—" Although Number Four had lost the ability to speak, he saw everything that was happening. And because the intense pain had passed, the continuous pain actually made his mind sharper at this moment. He believed he had seen everything clearly, but was unable to express it due to his severe injuries.
Though he didn't know why Aoki was trying so hard to frame him, he truly wanted to reveal everything.
Indeed, Number Two had died by his hand, and he could accept death, but what he couldn't accept was that Aoki could watch from the sidelines. More importantly, Aoki, who was clearly the culprit in this matter, was completely unaffected and reaped all the benefits, while he became the scapegoat.
In his current thoughts, the only reason Aoki would do this was to monopolize all the benefits.
Unfortunately, as he watched Everard, who stood before him, looking down with no pity in his eyes, only rage and madness.
Never try to reason with a madman, especially when he seems to hold all the cards. No one stepped forward to explain for Number Four, so under the furious and deranged Everard's actions, no traces were left on the entire ground. Even the indentation originally created by Wallace's psychic power was now completely gone.
Number Four seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving no trace.
Everything seemed as if it had never happened, but Aoki could clearly feel that the people standing on either side of him at this moment—Number One, Wallace's subordinate, radiated a sad emotion of being abandoned after serving their purpose, while Number Five, standing on his other side, exuded a feeling of satisfaction and joy.
These emotions were not intentionally displayed by everyone; they were subconscious reactions that arose from the heart upon witnessing Number Four being dealt with by Everard.
Everyone who saw this scene would subconsciously put themselves in the shoes of the characters, imagining themselves as Number Four, or even Number Two, who had already died at the beginning.
However, the understanding of these uninformed people was often one-sided.
It wasn't just Aoki who noticed this scene; Wallace, whose expression was still complex, also did.
Why did he still try to protect Number Four after Everard produced Number Four's energy ball at the beginning? Wasn't it precisely because he feared the current situation?
Whether Number Four had done this thing, whether he was the murderer, was no longer important.
What was important was that as their leader, as their person in charge, he failed to protect his subordinate. Not only among his own subordinates, but also among Everard's subordinates, and even in the eyes of those watching, his prestige plummeted.
Actually, if he had dealt with Number Four himself, it might have been better, at least much better than having Everard deal with him.
But Everard was a madman, a complete and utter madman. Wallace understood him. In that state, if he didn't give him an outlet, his madness wouldn't stop, and then he himself might suffer. So, he chose to yield.
However, seeing the dispirited crowd in the arena at this moment, Wallace also felt some regret. Unfortunately, the die was cast, and his regret now was of little use.
Watching Everard gradually regain his composure, Wallace took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the displeasure in his heart.
Anyone who was "forced" to go through this would feel unhappy, let alone Wallace, who was also a strong individual.
But as a rational person, when facing a madman, one is always at a disadvantage, like a scholar meeting a soldier.
"Everard, what's the situation with Number Six?" Wallace asked after seeing Everard had fully recovered.
Number Two's problem was resolved. Now, he and Everard had each lost a person, which was considered even. Number Four also died as he deserved.
Hearing Wallace's question, Everard, who had regained his calm, paused, a conflicted expression on his face.
Seeing Everard's expression, Wallace instinctively sensed something was amiss, frowned, and said in a deep voice, "Everard!"
Aoki, who had been paying attention to the changes in the arena, couldn't help but let the corners of his mouth curl slightly. Number Four's death was just the fuse; this was the real bombshell!
Everard remained silent for a long time, but the longer he didn't speak, the more abnormal Wallace found it.
"Everard!! Don't force me!" This was the third time Wallace had shouted his name.
Everard knew he couldn't avoid it. He had just finished his outburst and had no intention of going mad again in the short term. Besides, he also knew he might have put Wallace in a difficult spot.
With a casual flick of his hand, he once again threw out two energy balls, also two clusters of psychic energy. However, only one of these two energy clusters matched the psychic abilities of the people present. The remaining one did not match anyone in the arena.
But everyone knew who the owners of these two psychic energy balls were. One of them perfectly matched the psychic ability of Number Five, who was standing not far from Aoki, clearly indicating he was the owner. As for the other, it belonged to Number Two, who hadn't appeared today and had died at the hands of Number Four!
Suddenly, the appearance of these two energy balls was like a bombshell dropped into the previously silent square!
The meaning was clear: Number Six, who hadn't come, was dealt with, just like Number Two. And it seemed that the people who dealt with Number Six were the already deceased Number Two, and the somewhat dazed Number Five.
Originally, Number Five still had the thought of watching a good show, after all, Number Six was Wallace's subordinate and had little to do with them. When Everard threw out the two psychic energy balls, one of which perfectly matched his own psychic ability, he was momentarily stunned.
His relationship with Number Two was indeed good, but that "good" was similar to the relationship between Butleram and Number Four: a relationship of mutual sparring and improvement.
Number Two's death was somewhat unexpected, but only somewhat.
But how did he not know that he had laid hands on Number Six?
At most, there were some minor frictions, but in his opinion, Number Six's strength was truly not even average. After a slight friction between them, the sensible Number Six never dared to cross his boundaries again.
"Sir!! Two sirs! This was not done by your subordinate!!" Number Five immediately ran out, shouting loudly. He was truly afraid, afraid of being dealt with like Number Four, without saying a word. So Number Five rushed out first.
And to be honest, unlike Number Four, Number Five's strength here was already considered among the top tier. He also possessed a certain level of power. While he was no match for Wallace and Everard, he wasn't completely defenseless, though the more he resisted, the more miserable he might become.
It was only when Number Five's voice rang out that the stunned crowd in the arena was brought back to reality.
The show had begun!
Wallace stared intently at the two energy masses on the ground and at Number Five, who had rushed out of the crowd, eager to explain.
However, Everard twisted his body, blocking Wallace's line of sight towards Number Five with his own body.
Could it be… before Number Four dealt with Number Two, Number Two and Number Five had teamed up and made a move on Number Six first?!
It wasn't just Wallace who had this thought; everyone else present shared the same idea.
Immediately after, the atmosphere in the arena changed. Originally, when Number Four attacked Number Two, Wallace's group was indeed in the wrong, and could only watch helplessly as Number Four was dealt with by Everard, without even saying a word. But his final desperate attempt to speak was imprinted in everyone's minds.
This formed a stark contrast with Number Five, who was now eagerly stepping forward to explain.
Why?!
Why did their people get a chance to explain when they made a mistake, while their own people didn't even get a chance to speak when they made a mistake?!
Is it merely because the leaders of the two factions are not the same person?!
Inevitably, Wallace's subordinates felt even more aggrieved, and some even harbored a deep thought that being Wallace's subordinate was truly not worth it.
Although Everard's personality was usually volatile and he would occasionally go mad, he was truly exceptional towards his subordinates. As long as they didn't intentionally make mistakes, Everard was absolutely a very protective person. Moreover, because he would even fight himself when he went mad, it made Wallace hesitant to act, not daring to overstep his boundaries too much, which made Everard's subordinates even more fearless.
Number Five, who rushed out at this moment, was the best proof. Although he was nervous, at least he had the right to speak, and his main target for explanation at this moment was Everard, not Wallace.
Wallace shifted his gaze from Number Five to Everard, with a tone of disbelief and feeling played, "Everard, you already knew who the owners of these two energy masses were, but you just took advantage of your madness to strike first?!"
It wasn't just Aoki who noticed the change in atmosphere; Wallace certainly felt it too.
At this moment, his situation became very awkward. Previously, in order to appease Everard, he had to hand over Number Four, which had already caused a dip in everyone's morale. But now the other party had thrown out the possible cause of Number Six's death. If he couldn't get justice for Number Six, then in everyone's eyes, he truly wouldn't be worth following.
And to get justice for Number Six, he would have to "bring Number Five to justice." However, given Everard's personality, he definitely wouldn't allow Wallace to do so. If he insisted on dealing with Number Five, he would inevitably have to fight Everard, perhaps even to a decisive victory, and it was highly likely that even after a victory, he might not be able to deal with Number Five.
This put him in a very awkward position. And no matter what, he would have to fight Everard, so it seemed Number Four would have died in vain.
If he had known this, Wallace should have fought Everard directly just now. That way, he could have at least protected Number Four, and perhaps even gained a wave of loyalty from everyone.
Everard clearly knew what direction things would take, so after he returned, he immediately disabled Number Four, preventing him from speaking. Then, he used the opportunity to lash out and present evidence, forcing Wallace to hand over Number Four. With the deed done, Wallace, no matter how strong, couldn't reverse the situation.
"No wonder you, who were clearly on the verge of madness, could reason with me. You played me?!" Wallace's voice was cold.
Everard might have a mental problem, but that didn't mean he lacked the ability to think, nor that he would only act unreasonably. As a psychic, when his mind was clear, he was far smarter than everyone else present!
Wallace was truly in a difficult spot now, truly caught between a rock and a hard place.
If he didn't deal with Number Five, his subordinates would definitely not be as loyal as before. This had nothing to do with interests or the pressure of power. Even if everyone remained respectful on the surface, how they acted behind the scenes would depend on their own thoughts.
But if he were to deal with Number Five, he would inevitably have to fight Everard. Leaving aside whether he had the confidence and ability to defeat Everard, either of these choices would be a huge setback for the current mission.
And from the current situation, it seemed that the two sides were already somewhat at loggerheads.
"Didn't you also fail to determine if Number Four was the real murderer based on just one energy ball before?! Now, how can you conclude that Number Five is the murderer based solely on this energy? And those Poké Balls are all real; Number Four's crime is truly conclusive evidence, he must die!" Everard did not back down at all. No matter what, Wallace was in the wrong.
Although Everard did use some minor tactics to prevent Number Four from even defending himself, this was also because Number Four was indeed the murderer beyond a doubt.
"You!!" Wallace was truly in an unspeakable predicament, in an extremely awkward position.
He truly regretted it, not that he regretted not saving Number Four, but that he regretted taking the easy way out and leaving everything to Everard, allowing him to seize the initiative. Otherwise, if he had seized the opportunity, he might have been able to deal with Number Five first, at least preventing his current awkward situation.
Meanwhile, Aoki silently watched the events unfold. Although the development in the middle deviated slightly from his plan, the current outcome was roughly similar to what he had planned, even smoother than he had anticipated.
However, no matter what, Number Four was destined to die. Whether Number Five died or not, the conflict had already escalated. After today, the pressure from the cult on Aoki and the others would be significantly reduced. If managed well, the pressure would be at least halved.
This would give Aoki more room to maneuver.
The two faced off, Wallace and Everard's auras soaring. At this moment, their subordinates no longer stood according to their previous numbers, but directly positioned themselves on two sides, confronting each other just like their leaders.
The two groups already had a conflict, and now it had become irreconcilable.
Aoki's grasp of Wallace and Everard's personalities was truly spot-on.
Wallace appeared to be a burly, rough man on the outside, but he was actually meticulous beneath his rugged exterior. Otherwise, the Divine Cult would not have entrusted him with the responsibility for this matter.
Everard, on the other hand, had a very different personality from Wallace. The most prominent traits were his May break out at any time,A mental illness that can cause an epidemic (mental illness that could flare up at any moment), his tendency to act without much consideration for consequences, and his extreme protectiveness of his subordinates.
This kind of personality might be a good thing for his subordinates, otherwise, so many people wouldn't be willing to follow him and not the seemingly more normal Wallace.
However, for a partner or companion, this personality was a ticking time bomb, liable to explode at any moment.
Aoki precisely seized upon the characteristics of their personalities and, by fanning the flames, instigated the escalation of the conflict.
The superpowers at both locations, Number Two and Number Six, were arranged by Aoki for Brad and Catherine to execute. The goal was to muddy the waters; while this wasn't enough to convict Number Five, Number Four was certainly going to die. Once Number Four died, no matter how things developed afterward, they would reach this point.
The only difference was the degree of conflict escalation.
From the current situation, the effect was indeed better than Aoki had imagined.
Even Itsuki and Bailin, who were observers, and the four Remaining Ones who used Eevee-like Pokémon, were stunned and somewhat confused by the turn of events.
It was supposed to be a simple content report, so how did it turn into such a mess?
And now it seemed these problems couldn't be resolved quickly.
The air was thick with tension, but neither side had made a move, waiting for Wallace and Everard to make their choice.
Wallace actually didn't want to fight, but it seemed he couldn't avoid it now, at least outwardly. However, Everard, if he fought, would go berserk, unleash excessive combat power, and attract unnecessary attention from Dialga and Palkia, which wouldn't be good for completing the mission.
As Wallace's thoughts raced, he slowly summoned his Pokémon one by one, adopting a fighting stance.
Seeing Wallace, who was usually relatively calm, preparing for battle, Everard licked his somewhat dry lips, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit, and summoned his own Pokémon.
Number Five, standing behind Everard, instantly understood that his safety was likely assured when he saw his boss about to stand up for him. With a hint of excitement in his eyes, he walked into his group of people and confronted Aoki and the others.
Although they were outnumbered by the opposing side, they weren't too worried if it came to a group battle.
Aoki and his group also had one or two Pokémon beside them, all with their energy poised, ready to attack at any moment, just waiting for the two big bosses to give the command.
At this point, the few people who had initially been watching the show slowly retreated. They hadn't considered trying to mediate; a fight was best! The best outcome would be for both sides to suffer heavy losses!
"I..." Wallace had summoned all his main battle Pokémon, but the bitterness in his heart was imaginable. He truly didn't want to fight. Once the fight started, this mission would be completely ruined, and as the person in charge, he wouldn't be able to account for it.
But just as he opened his mouth, Aoki, who had been focusing his attention on him, didn't give him another chance to speak. He secretly ordered Gengar to immediately throw the Shadow Ball it had been concentrating for some time.
Boom!!!
Because Aoki's Gengar made the first move, the already tense crowd retaliated without hesitation, launching their own attacks, and a battle of internal strife thus began.
"I thought we'd better sit down and talk properly..." At this moment, Wallace's words were finally completed from his mouth.
But it was too late; the battle had already begun, and no one heard what he was saying.
Looking at his subordinates in disarray, Wallace was momentarily stunned, unable to react. Who made the first move no longer mattered; what mattered was that the battle had begun.
Although the people below were not as strong as them, they were still a group of Champion-level trainers. Their collective outburst of combat power here, not to mention the impact on the surrounding environment, was definitely something an ordinary area could not withstand.
At this moment, the summit of Mount Spacetime was already littered with shattered rocks, and a large amount of flying debris and turbulent air almost ravaged the entire mountaintop.
Everard looked at Wallace. Only he heard what Wallace said, but he wasn't very inclined to listen. He had suppressed his madness before, but now that the people below were fighting so heatedly, he was also itching for a fight.
"Hehe, Wallace, you're still all bark and no bite. Now it seems we have no choice but to fight!" Everard was eager to start.
"You! Don't you know what it means to reach this point?" Wallace felt utterly exhausted.
"You've said so much nonsense, aren't we still going to fight?" Everard's voice was filled with mockery.
Wallace had actually been suppressing a surge of anger in his heart from the beginning until now.
Just because he was the only normal one, he had to be constantly suppressed by this unreasonable madman?!
Just because he was in charge of this mission, he had to consider so many things?!
Damn it!! I'm not made of mud!!
Let's do it!
Seeing the change in Wallace's eyes, Everard's expression also became serious. He felt the fighting spirit emanating from Wallace and knew that this overly cautious fellow was also being forced to let go of all his concerns.
Everard was somewhat excited; Wallace at his full strength was an opponent he had always yearned to fight.
Wallace no longer held back. They were all members of the Divine Cult, so why should he be forced to hold back?
He took out a Divine Stone and directly threw it onto his Houndoom, then merged his own psychic power with that of his Malamar.
He immediately went all out, using his strongest state, indicating he was truly prepared for an all-out battle.
Everard became even more excited. Wallace was using divine power infusion, and he couldn't show weakness. He had already been forcibly suppressing his desire to fight.
Alakazam showed no signs of weakness either, undergoing Mega Evolution using a Divine Stone.
Although the Divine Cult's Divine Stones provided much weaker amplification compared to normal Mega Evolution, Divine Stones of different qualities also had different effects. At least for top-tier Divine Cult leaders like Wallace and Everard, the Divine Stones they could use were definitely of the highest quality.
Therefore, for their Pokémon, the amplification was also quite considerable.
As a result, not only Everard's Alakazam but also Wallace's Mega Houndoom successfully broke through the second barrier of the Champion level. Such strength, even in the Pokémon world, belonged to the absolute top tier, and the combat power they could unleash in a short period was unimaginable.
If the two of them truly went all out, changing the topography of an area was no problem for them.
The Divine Cult's plan was actually quite good. Since trainers who had broken through the second Champion-level barrier were not allowed into the Spacetime Continent, they allowed these two individuals, whose strength was precisely on the edge, to unleash such combat power in a short time by adding the amplification of the Divine Stones.
Aoki and the others immediately scattered once Wallace and Everard truly began to fight. They didn't even dare to linger on the summit of Mount Spacetime, instead flying to the side with the help of their Pokémon, watching the battle between Wallace and Everard.
In terms of raw strength, Everard had a slight advantage, but it wasn't a significant one. Wallace, on the other hand, had an advantage in Pokémon typing. Although Psychic-type Pokémon could use Miracle Eye, it still felt somewhat restrictive.
So, after Wallace, with a dark expression, truly began to fight and the battle continued for a while, Everard slowly began to fall behind.
But Everard was truly a strange individual. Wallace's powerful strength didn't put any pressure on him; instead, he became more and more excited. Furthermore, the Pokémon he used were all extremely offensive types, almost completely neglecting defense, truly living up to his reputation as a madman.
Aoki and the others watched the battle intently. Who won or lost might not be the most important thing; what mattered was to maintain their pride and not lose their momentum at this critical moment.
However, just as Aoki and the others were engrossed in watching the battle, another anomaly occurred.
Everyone present was a Psychic, and they were all individuals who had broken through the barrier of the Spacetime Continent to enter this area, so they all had some degree of sensitivity to space.
Just now, everyone sensed an extremely massive spatial energy, like a meteorite, violently impacting the spatial membrane of the Spacetime Continent.
There was no earth-shattering explosion, nor any abnormal phenomena. This extremely powerful spatial energy was like a fish entering water, so natural and effortless, as if this was its most preferred and accustomed ecological environment.
The faces hidden beneath the psychic membrane suddenly changed color. Even Wallace and Everard, who hadn't concealed their appearances, had their expressions drastically alter.
A single name simultaneously appeared in everyone's minds.
Palkia!
The God of Space, Palkia!
"Roar—" A clear dragon's roar echoed throughout the entire Spacetime Continent.
Upon hearing this dragon's roar, a large number of wild Pokémon on the Spacetime Continent quickly scurried back into their respective caves, hiding in the deepest parts, trembling and daring not to make a sound. Some weaker Pokémon, closer to the roar, even rolled their eyes and fainted directly.
The entire Spacetime Continent suddenly fell into a very silent atmosphere. At this moment, beads of sweat appeared on the foreheads of both Wallace and Everard, because this Palkia appeared on the summit of Mount Spacetime less than a second after entering the Spacetime Continent. Any distance seemed to hold no meaning for it.
Palkia and Dialga, the legendary Gods of Space and Time, respectively, are known for their extremely strong territorial instincts. This Spacetime Continent was their shared property, and they had created it at an unknown cost.
Even if the two Pokémon were at odds, that was between themselves. When external forces interfered with them, they would definitely unite against the outsiders first.
Just like the Divine Cult and the Alliance, they had a tacit understanding from the beginning not to allow people with Champion-level strength beyond the second barrier to enter, because they knew that doing so would definitely attract the attention of these two legendary Pokémon, and then it wouldn't be so easy to handle.
The destructive power and strength of these two Pokémon were not something one or two trainers could contend with.
Palkia was light purple all over, with theropod features, and had purplish-black stripes with gray inner arms.
On its shoulders were disc-like structures adorned with purple stripes, each embedded with a pearl, surrounded by gray rings.
Its arms had elongated structures resembling metal gauntlets, with a purple band on each wrist.
Palkia had a long neck, a pointed crest on its head that extended to its wings, two tusk-like horns beside its mouth, and a thick tail.
Palkia's two red eyes stared emotionlessly at Wallace's Mega Houndoom and Everard's Mega Alakazam.
Although the strength of these two Pokémon posed no significant threat to it, they were not entirely without threat.
A threat meant it had to be eliminated. Nothing that posed even a slight threat to it, whether an object or a living creature, could exist within its territory.
Mega Houndoom and Mega Alakazam felt as if they were being targeted by a terrifying prehistoric beast. In its presence, they felt as weak as chicks; the two were simply not on the same scale.
Aoki and the members of the Divine Cult hid in the distance, silently watching this scene, not daring to make any sound, fearing they might attract Palkia's attention.
However, from Aoki's body, in a shadow no one noticed, a Pokémon resembling one with white hair slowly emerged. Its two blue eyes were fixed on the imposing Palkia.
It was Darkrai, who had been hiding in Aoki's shadow. Its appearance at this moment would not attract anyone's attention, but Pokémon...
Palkia, who had been staring at Mega Alakazam and Mega Houndoom, suddenly felt its heart race, and the hairs on its body, a beast's instinct, twitched.
It immediately looked in the direction where Aoki was. It had just sensed a threat even greater than that of the Mega Alakazam and Mega Houndoom below, but when it turned its head to look, it found nothing.
Darkrai returned to the shadows at top speed, shrinking itself to the deepest part of the shadow, and had Mismagius cover it with her Ghost-type energy.
A flicker of doubt crossed Palkia's eyes. It knew it hadn't imagined it, but it couldn't find the source of that slightly dangerous feeling!