"You won't have to wait until 'meet again.' You'll stay here today."
But at that very moment, Aven's voice rang out abruptly, halting Marquis Hormay mid-air.
His eyes snapped toward the Ghost World gate, where the figure of Froslass slowly emerged from its depths.
In that instant, a terrifying aura erupted outward—one that unmistakably belonged to a King-level magical beast—sweeping across the battlefield in all directions.
Billowing gray mist churned around Froslass, swallowing the very portal itself.
"T-that's… that Froslass?" Marquis Hormay's eyes widened slightly.
The very next second, his face drained of all color, twisting in horror. The aura emanating from this Froslass was no less than that of a King-level magical beast!
And worse still—the overwhelming ghost type energy radiating from its body was identical to that of Dusknoir's!
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Suddenly, shattering sounds rang through the air.
Before his horrified gaze, fractures spread across the Ghost World portal, like blades stabbing into the depths of his very soul.
Crack! Crack!
Two more ruptures split apart, purple-black fissures crawling across the once-stable gate!
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The space itself began to collapse, splintering like fragile glass, the cracks spreading outward like a spider's web.
"The portal—n-no! NOOO!!!"
"Don't break, don't break, don't break!"
Marquis Hormay's eyes widened, his face twisting into an expression of sheer terror as he let out a frantic, trembling roar.
Crack—crack—!
The passage to the Ghost World continued to shatter piece by piece, chaotic Ghost-type energy swirling violently in midair like a storm!
Watching this unfold, the antennae on Dusknoir's head suddenly emitted a brilliant light, rapidly stabilizing the collapsing passage to the Ghost World.
At the same time, it quickly condensed an orb of energy in its hand, and without hesitation hurled it directly at Froslass!
"Get out of the way! Get away from me!" Marquis Hormay's voice had already turned distorted and shrill.
But in the very next instant, his expression froze. Against Dusknoir's powerful strike, Froslass's body surged with gray mist, completely engulfing the Shadow Ball and swallowing it whole without leaving a trace!
The mighty Dusknoir's full-force attack had been brushed aside so casually, as if it were nothing at all. The scene utterly stunned Marquis Hormay into disbelief, his mind collapsing in fear.
Even Dusknoir itself, upon witnessing this, saw its pupils shrink sharply. Then, in the blink of an eye, its figure darted into the void, a Ghost World fissure opening up, and it vanished inside at lightning speed!
"Lass~"
Froslass silently gazed at the retreating figure. Around its neck, the Odd Keystone floated slowly before it, glowing faintly with a cold light.
As soon as Dusknoir disappeared, the glow upon the Odd Keystone gradually dimmed, and the gray mist around Froslass also began to recede.
Crack… crack… crack!
Immediately after, even denser shattering sounds echoed across the battlefield. The passage in the sky leading to the Ghost World, due to Dusknoir's absence, slowly began to collapse and close.
"Don't go! Don't leave me! Don't abandon me, don't go!"
Watching the vanishing Dusknoir, watching the Ghost World channel splinter and disappear before his eyes, Marquis Hormay's voice turned utterly hysterical, edged with despair!
At this moment, he was already completely broken. His mind was a mess, overwhelmed with chaos. He had no idea why everything in front of him had turned into such a nightmare!!
Gradually, the heavens regained their radiance. Sunlight once more poured down, scattering across the battlefield.
High in the air, Crobat, equally panic-stricken, flapped its wings frantically before suddenly darting upwards, desperate to flee!
But the entire battlefield was still covered beneath the iron cage. Crobat slammed into it headfirst with a loud crash, its body reeling back as it was knocked away.
Then, wings trembling, it tried again and again to break out from another angle, but each attempt was thwarted by the steel barrier. The once-proud Crobat now looked like a headless fly, fluttering about chaotically in midair with no direction!
The very iron cage that had originally been erected so that they could leisurely enjoy the spectacle of a battle magical beast to the death, had now become their prison, blocking all hope of escape. No matter how much they struggled, there was no way out!
BOOM! BOOM!
Another violent collision rang out, and Crobat's body was flung back once more.
This time, it failed to catch its master in its claws. Marquis Hormay plummeted straight down from the air and smashed heavily onto the ground!
Creeeeak—creak—creak!
Crobat, panicked, dived down after him.
But at that very moment, a flash of sword light swept across the air, slashing straight through Crobat's wings!
A spray of crimson erupted instantly, both of its bloodstained wings severed in midair!
BOOM!
Without balance, Crobat crashed heavily into the earth.
It raised its head weakly, struggling to look at its master. Its torn wings trembled as though trying to flap, but no matter how hard it tried, it could no longer take flight.
"Crobat!!"
Marquis Hormay staggered to his feet, staring at his battered partner struggling before him. His voice trembled uncontrollably, cracking with fear and grief.
But then, his eyes lifted—and what he saw made his blood run cold. Empoleon was walking forward step by step, its steel-blue form exuding a majestic and suffocating presence.
"Empo~" 'So noisy.'
Empoleon muttered with disdain as it arrived before the fallen Crobat. With a single merciless swing of its Steel Wing, it brought silence back to the battlefield.
Afterward, Empoleon turned its gaze toward Marquis Hormay. The nobleman's legs shook violently, and he stumbled backward in terror. His foot caught on something, and with a cry he toppled onto the ground.
"No! No, you can't kill me! You cannot kill me!"
"I—I am the Ironblood Marquis of Aspiration City! Yes, that's right, I am a Marquis, you cannot kill me!"
"My knights, yes, my knights! I still have my knights—yes, yes, and the commoners!"
"If you kill me, all those commoners will be buried with me, they'll all die too!"
"So, release me now! Only if you let me leave here alive will those people have any chance of survival!"
Like a drowning man clutching at the final straw, Marquis Hormay shrieked desperately. His entire body trembled, but his voice forced itself into coherence, wild with hysteria, as he gasped frantically for air.
"Your knights?"
"You mean those men?"
At this moment, Aven's voice suddenly rang out.
Following Aven's gaze, Marquis Hormay turned—and what he saw left him utterly frozen.
His knights, those sworn to his service, had already discarded their weapons. They stood with their hands raised high in surrender. Pokémon Domain
Around them, the knights of the Pokémon Domain skillfully bound them tightly with ropes, stripping away the last pretense of loyalty and strength.
Meanwhile, the Golbats that had been circling in the air earlier were still fluttering aimlessly. They seemed almost lifeless, still flying yet unresponsive. By their sides, a Mismagius floated silently, its eyes glowing eerily.
After all the careful preparation, the Golbats had long since fallen into Mismagius's illusion. Completely ensnared, they were utterly oblivious to what was happening in the real world.
"Forgive me, Marquis Hormay, but after seeing Lord Aven strength and honor, you are not worthy of my allegiance."
A knight—bound hand and foot, yet voluntarily submitting—suddenly looked toward Marquis Hormay, letting out a cold snort as he revealed the reason for his betrayal.
Those words, like the final straw that broke the camel's back, struck deep into the heart of Marquis Hormay, shaking him to his very core. Blood burst from his lips as he spat it out violently, his mind unraveling.
"You—you… all of you…!"
Marquis Hormay staggered to his feet, pointing a trembling finger at his knights. His eyes were bloodshot, his body swaying on the verge of total collapse!
"Don't worry, I will not kill you."
At that very moment, Aven's calm voice spoke again.
Marquis Hormay froze. His mind went blank, his eyes staring at Aven in disbelief. Like a man in a dream, he murmured, "Yes… yes, you won't dare kill me. You won't dare."
But before he could finish his words, Aven silently drew out a Poké Ball and pressed the button.
In an instant, a blinding flash erupted, and a twisted, chaotic mass of countless vengeful spirits materialized in midair.
The air instantly grew colder, the entire arena sinking into a chilling gloom. A harsh, eerie wind howled across the field as sorrowful, vengeful wails erupted, each face contorting in pain and rage as they emerged within the writhing shadows.
And then—suddenly—all sound ceased.
For a single moment, the world seemed to pause. Every wraith, every twisted face, every phantom cry—all of them turned their gaze simultaneously toward one figure below: Marquis Hormay.
The next second, the world lurched back into motion. The wraiths howled as their forms elongated, stretching and reshaping into ghastly human figures, each one clawing desperately toward the terrified Marquis.
"What—what are these things?! Get away! Stay away from me!"
Marquis Hormay's face was the picture of horror. He stumbled back as he stared up at the writhing mass above, at the endless forms straining toward him.
"AAAAHHHHH! Don't come closer! Get away! AHHHHH!"
"I was wrong! Please! Don't come inside me, don't—don't enter my body! I was wrong, I admit it, I was wrong! AHHHHHH!"
Suddenly, wave after wave of wrathful souls surged from Spiritomb's body, flooding over Marquis Hormay. They swarmed upon him, tearing relentlessly at his very soul.
"These spirits… don't you recognize them?"
"Perhaps not. After all, in your life you have probably killed so many that you cannot even remember anymore."
"But even if you have forgotten, these spirits will never forget. And now, at last, they have waited long enough for this moment."
Aven's voice was calm, detached, as he watched the scene unfold. To untie a knot, one must resolve it from the source. To purify these wraiths entirely, their hatred must first be appeased.
Gradually, the flood of spirits poured into Marquis Hormay's body. His screams grew fainter, weaker… until, finally, they warped into a mindless giggle.
"Hehehe… hehehehehe…"
Among the countless tortures in the world, none are crueler than the devouring of one's soul. For this was the torment of having one's very essence torn apart, ripped into countless fragments.
By the time the last vengeful spirit faded away, only Marquis Hormay's body remained, lying limply on the ground. His soul had long since been devoured, yet his body still clung to life, a husk without its spirit.
(End of Chapter)