Morning came, and the first rays of the sun spread across the earth.
After an entire night of brutal fighting, the once-proud Ironblood Knight Order had completely collapsed. Other than a small number of knights who managed to flee, the rest were all captured.
"Lord Aven, every single one of the prisoners has already been subdued with Sleep Powder," Sutter came forward to report.
By relying on Sleep Powder and the Gloom, they were able to properly secure the captives. By the time the knights and their Pokémon woke up again, the battle would have long since been over.
"Mm, very well done."
"Leave behind a portion of knights along with some Gloom to watch over them. The rest of us will press forward and continue on to Ironblood Fortress."
Aven gave his next command. At this moment, the Pokémon by his side still maintained excellent condition.
In particular, the Grass-type Pokémon were in peak form. Thanks to their Drain-type moves, they had absorbed vast amounts of stamina from the captured knights and their Pokémon.
Even the Nidoking tribe and Drapion tribes, who had been heavily involved in the fighting, were now mostly recovered under the restorative power of Grassy Terrain.
But as the price, the captured knights and Pokémon who had their stamina completely drained—when they awoke, even after regaining consciousness, they wouldn't have the ability to fight again for several days.
"Yes, Lord Aven, I'll give the orders immediately." Sutter nodded and hurried away.
"Now that the Ironblood Knight Order has been defeated, taking Ironblood Fortress itself should be no issue at all," Kale said with a smile.
"Although that may be true, we still need to proceed with caution," Aven replied, his tone serious.
"Ironblood Fortress has ruled this land for far too long. And with the addition of the many Pokémon left behind by the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild, there are still threats to be wary of."
As he spoke, Aven's mind drifted to one particular image—the pseudo-King-tier Spiritomb bred by the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild. That was the main reason he had come here in the first place.
No one knew if, aside from the Spiritomb, the Gilded Fang Merchant Guild had also cultivated other Ghost-type Pokémon of equal danger.
When Aven had first discovered the rift into the Ghost World, he even wondered whether this very rift lay hidden somewhere within Ironblood Fortress.
After all, in order to cultivate a pseudo-King-tier Spiritomb, mere wandering wraiths weren't nearly enough. A vast amount of Ghost-type energy would be required to sustain its growth!
"Yes, we'll have to be extra careful," Kale agreed.
"Not only do we need to guard against whatever hidden cards Ironblood Fortress might have left to play, but we also cannot ignore the threat of the Sorcerers."
"The Sorcerers' greatest desire is to weaken Aspiration City's strength. And right now, Ironblood Fortress is the perfect target to lure them in."
"If the Sorcerers offered their assistance to help Ironblood Fortress resist our assault, I highly doubt Marquis Hormay would have the strength—or the will—to refuse."
"In fact, they might even strike some form of agreement, just like when they approached me before. Perhaps promising that, if successful, he would be made the new Lord of Aspiration City itself!"
Kale nodded in approval. In recent times, no matter the situation, he always left room in his thoughts for the Sorcerers' schemes. And indeed, this possibility was far too real.
After all, the Sorcerers' long-standing agenda had always been to weaken the collective will of Aspiration City's people. By doing so, they could gradually erode the power of the Will of Aspiration City, which in turn would weaken Azelf's strength. And this—this was the perfect opportunity for them.
This was also why Aven chose to launch his assault on Ironblood Fortress at this very time. Beyond the massive stockpiles of resources accumulated within the fortress, there was also his deep mistrust of the place itself.
Ironblood Fortress sat behind them, in their rear lines. If, in the future, while they were locked in combat with the Abyss Beast tides, Ironblood Fortress were to suddenly stab them from behind, the consequences would be utterly disastrous!
The Eastern Alliance had also recognized this very threat, which was why they did not hesitate in the slightest to join the campaign against Ironblood Fortress. They too, did not trust the Ironblood Marquis!
"Also, what we seek is not just victory in battle—we must secure Ironblood Fortress's supplies."
"If the fortress were to grow desperate and burn all its grain stores, then our entire campaign here would no longer count as a success."
Aven's explanation was firm. That was why, the moment the battle on this side had concluded, he had immediately begun directing the knights onward without delay.
"Indeed. The Marquis of Ironblood Fortress is not known for mercy. Even I, a man from Marina, have long heard of his ruthless and venomous nature." Kale nodded gravely.
As the two conversed, their forces had already regrouped. With thunderous momentum, the army once again advanced toward Ironblood Fortress.
At the same time, lords from other territories were also converging rapidly upon the fortress. One by one, they encircled the Ironblood city.
But when they arrived at the walls, all of them froze in shock. The city gates were firmly shut, yet not a single guard stood atop the ramparts. It looked as though the fortress was an empty shell.
"What is going on? Could this be some kind of trap?" The lords looked at one another in confusion, uncertain how to proceed.
"Lord Aven, something doesn't feel right," Sutter muttered suspiciously. Could it be that the Ironblood Marquis had fled already?
Aven frowned deeply. "Hmm… let's wait until Mismagius returns. Once we see what it reports, then we'll decide on our next step."
Not long after he spoke, the shadowy figure of Mismagius slowly materialized, having already scouted the fortress.
"Maaa~"
Mismagius nodded to Aven, and then, in the next instant, the space around them twisted.
All at once, everyone was drawn into one of Mismagius's illusions. A view from the skies appeared before their eyes, overlooking the fortress.
To remain safe, Aven had not allowed Mismagius to enter the fortress directly. Instead, it had hovered high above, observing from the air as it swept from the southern gate to the northern gate.
At first it was only a bird's-eye view, but then the image suddenly zoomed in. Soon, they could clearly see civilians running desperately through the streets, while behind them, vicious Pokémon chased after with unrelenting ferocity.
These Pokémon were covered in wounds, their bodies bearing countless scars, and yet they still attacked everything in sight with maddened frenzy. The helpless civilians could do nothing but flee for their lives. The streets were filled with screams and wails of terror.
"What in the world? Those Pokémon… are they slaughtering the common people?" Seeing this scene, everyone was stunned.
There was an unsettling sense of déjà vu. They remembered the madness of the magical beasts back in Keystone Town—the very same frenzied rampages!
But that time, they had been the ones to unleash those monsters. This time, however, Ironblood Fortress had not even been breached—so why had their enemy fallen into chaos on its own?
Just then, the scene shifted again. Now in their vision loomed a massive coliseum—the largest magical beast-fighting arena in all of Aspiration City!
Outside the coliseum, crowds of civilians were being driven in by knights, forced into the stands. The arena floor itself was shrouded beneath a gigantic iron cage.
And within that cage, a solitary figure stood silently, a glass of red wine in hand, eyes calmly fixed upon the main gate.
"That is… Marquis Ironblood, Lord Hormay!"
The moment they recognized him, a fresh wave of shock swept through them all.
The sight was bizarre beyond words—the Marquis himself standing in the arena. What was he plotting?
"Into the city—we must enter the city immediately!" Aven's gaze turned sharp as he stared toward the distant fortress.
At that moment, he felt it clearly—this Marquis seemed to be waiting for him. And the coliseum would be the place where everything would finally be decided.
"Yes, Lord Aven!" Sutter answered at once, swiftly mobilizing the knights.
Kale approached as well, his brows tightly furrowed. "Those rampaging Pokémon—he must have released them deliberately. He intends to bury the entire city with him!"
"Yes, I know. Which is why we absolutely must stop him," Aven replied, his voice steady. Then he added, "And now, suddenly, I am starting to believe your earlier suspicions."
"My suspicions? You mean… the Sorcerers?" Kale's brow arched.
"Exactly. If Ironblood Fortress is completely destroyed, the blow to Aspiration City will be enormous. The Will of Aspiration City will weaken, and with it, Azelf's divine strength will be diminished further."
The thought made both men's expressions darken. They exchanged a grave look, then turned their eyes toward the rapidly assembling army, before rushing forward together.
The Nidoking tribe and Drapion tribes surged toward the city walls. This kind of siege work was perfectly suited to these mighty Pokémon.
Drawing close, they found the walls wholly unguarded. The Nidoking leader and the Drapion leader raised their immense power and struck the gates with all their strength!
"EMPO!"
Empoleon gathered its energy as well. With a powerful slash imbued with immense force, it shattered the heavy gates wide open.
At the same time, the army of Yanmas and Mothims had already poured into the city from above. Under the guidance of their knights, they dove against the frenzied Pokémon wreaking havoc below.
"Awoooo!"
A Mightyena howled madly, drool dripping from its fangs, its face twisted with savage bloodlust!
Its sharp eyes darted, and in a heartbeat, it locked onto a figure cowering inside a house. With a snarl, it lunged.
But before the Mightyena could strike, a slicing gust of air crashed down from above. An Air Slash struck it directly, sending its body tumbling violently away!
"Awooo! Awooo!"
The Mightyena roared in rage, but already, Yanma had descended.
The Mightyena, already gravely wounded, could not endure for long. It collapsed to the ground, defeated.
"…Such a pitiful Pokémon." The knight descended, landing beside it, and let out a sigh.
Then, turning, he gazed at the building. The terrified civilian inside finally pushed the door open, trembling.
"Thank the Marquis—thank the Marquis, I've been saved at last!" The man stumbled out and knelt to the ground in gratitude.
"The Marquis?"
"Hmph. These crazed magical beast were unleashed by Marquis Hormay himself. Do you really think he intends to save you?"
The knight's cold retort left the civilian utterly dumbfounded. He couldn't comprehend what was being said.
Looking more carefully at the knight, he realized the man was not clad in the blood-red armor of the Ironblood Knights, but in lighter gear entirely.
"Remember this well—it was Earl Aven who saved you this day!" the knight said with a hard tone. "Find somewhere safe to hide. We cannot look after you right now."
With that, Yanma swept him back into the air, carrying him away toward another battlefield.
(End of Chapter)