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A synchronized volley of gunshots rang out, leaving behind a heavy, deafening silence in the apartment.
Calmly stepping over the now-motionless bodies of the fallen beastmen, Bokue made his way to Asagi. He reached out, pulling the trembling blonde girl into a gentle embrace.
"Sorry, I got held up for a moment there," Bokue murmured softly.
Asagi closed her eyes, leaning into his chest, relief flooding her as she clung tightly to him.
"Honestly, it wasn't that scary. I knew from the start that if something went wrong, you'd definitely come to save me," she whispered softly.
"You trust me that much, huh?" Bokue chuckled, clearly relieved enough to tease her gently.
Asagi puffed her cheeks slightly, protesting in a mild tone. "What's wrong with that? Or are you saying I shouldn't put so much faith in you?"
"I never said that…" He smiled faintly, finding her reaction cute.
Despite the ongoing crisis outside—evident from the distant yet relentless explosions shaking the entire cityscape—these two young people found a brief respite, exchanging casual banter as if the chaos around them didn't exist.
Boom!
Suddenly, a deafening blast echoed from the harbor direction, violently shaking the floor beneath their feet. Startled, Asagi stumbled slightly, losing her balance, but Bokue caught her easily in his firm grasp.
Asagi felt a chill run down her spine, fear momentarily returning. She had acted brave in front of Gardos earlier, but in truth, the sight of explosions and the knowledge of active terrorists attacking the island deeply terrified her. It wasn't until Bokue appeared that she had finally felt safe again. Only now, with her guard fully down, did that anxiety return in a rush.
"Bokue, about those machines… the Nalakuvera, I—" Asagi began.
"Don't worry. I already know everything." He gently squeezed her shoulder. "Leave the rest to me."
However, before he could finish reassuring her, a weak chuckle emerged from the floor behind them.
"He…hehe… You're wasting your… time…" Gardos, bleeding heavily from the head, gasped out. Somehow, despite the gunshot through his temple, the powerful beastman clung stubbornly to his last fading breath. "You cannot stop… them. They're… divine weapons… Even a Primogenitor… can't—"
"But I'm not a Primogenitor," Bokue interrupted calmly. He didn't even bother turning around; instead, he casually tapped his foot.
From beneath him, golden energy cascaded outward, instantly dissolving every beastman corpse into harmless motes of golden particles that drifted softly into nothingness.
Gardos was the last to fade.
Even in his dying moment, disbelief twisted his bloodied features, eyes wide with confusion and unwillingness. He simply couldn't comprehend how Dimitrie Vatler—the man closest to becoming a Primogenitor—had failed to hold back a single human teenager.
How… was this possible?
But there was no more time left for the leader of the Black Death Emperor Faction to ponder this mystery. He disappeared quietly into nothingness.
After ensuring no trace of the intruders remained, Bokue turned back to the girl still holding his arm tightly.
"Asagi, stay here," he said gently, preparing to teleport. "I'll handle everything else."
She nodded obediently, reaching out instinctively to fix his clothing as though she were already his devoted young wife.
Yet, when her hand brushed against his pocket, she suddenly paused, startled.
"Wait—what's this?" she asked curiously, feeling the shape of a small spherical object hidden there.
Bokue raised an eyebrow subtly, pulling away just enough to avoid further questions. "It's nothing special."
"Really?" She tilted her head, confused.
Before she could pry any further, he gave her a reassuring smile and waved casually. "Anyway, I'll be back soon."
With those words, he vanished into thin air, leaving Asagi alone again.
Standing in the empty room, Asagi thought carefully about that strange object she'd briefly touched. From its size and shape…
A sudden amused realization lit her features.
Wait—did he actually buy some Pokémon merchandise??
She recalled a nostalgic memory of their childhood days, when they'd spent hours on their handheld consoles, engrossed in Pokémon games. Imagining the aloof, mighty Bokue secretly keeping a Pokéball souvenir was surprisingly adorable.
"Geez, Bokue… If you liked it, you could've just told me. It's not like I'd tease you for it."
A gentle smile crept onto her lips as she sighed softly, warmth filling her heart.
❁❁❁❁
Meanwhile, Bokue had already teleported above Itogami Island's secondary harbor.
Below him, what was once the bustling port—responsible for nearly all of Itogami Island's logistics—had descended into absolute chaos.
Thick, choking black smoke billowed up from shattered warehouses, countless delivery crates and goods scattered amidst fierce, crackling flames. Even the emergency fire vehicles lay destroyed, their ruined chassis overturned by the mechanical spiders prowling relentlessly through the rubble.
The scene before him looked like something ripped straight from an apocalyptic sci-fi blockbuster.
Yet Bokue simply tilted his head calmly, observing the destruction without much emotion.
"So, these toys are the legendary Nalakuvera?" he mused quietly.
No answer came.
"Oh, right. Forgot you were on mute," Bokue remarked casually. He reached into his pocket, pulling out what resembled a small golden tennis ball.
Except it wasn't a normal ball at all.
There, grotesquely trapped on the ball's golden surface, was the unmistakable anguished visage of Dimitrie Vatler. His miniature, distorted face was alive and moving, desperately sobbing and begging for mercy, like a tiny captive monster sealed within an absurdly small Pokéball.
"Kill me… please… kill me already!" Vatler's miserable voice whimpered, his pathetic expression making the once-arrogant vampire lord look utterly pathetic.
Bokue chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Oh, come on. You're always bragging about your legendary endurance, aren't you? It's still early in the game. Don't give up just yet."
His eyes narrowed coldly.
"Now sit tight. Once I've cleaned up your pathetic mess, I'll deliver a personal message to your beloved Warlord's Domain."
"Don't mess with me—unless you want your entire country erased."
With those chilling words, Bokue swept his hand downward sharply. Invisible blades of wind sliced through both bridges connecting the secondary harbor island to the main island of Itogami. He raised a single finger, calling forth a powerful magnetic field to envelop the entire port facility, effortlessly lifting the entire structure from the ocean as easily as picking up a lightweight brick.
Bokue tilted his head upwards slightly, his gaze fixed calmly on the distant golden sun, blazing steadily high above the clouds.
Then, in the blink of an eye, Bokue disappeared once again, teleporting himself—along with the entire floating port and the captive Dimitrie Vatler—straight up into the sky.
They swiftly broke through the Earth's atmosphere, racing silently past the Moon's orbit.
Vatler's screams continued to echo faintly in the void, muffled by the golden "Pokéball" imprisoning him.
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