"What exactly have I done, Lillie, for you to treat me with such disrespect?"
Lusamine's hands were pressed against the empathy device she had painstakingly built, her posture leaning forward as she demanded an answer from the golden-haired girl.
"You won't even call me—"
"Shut it! Maybe if you still had a shred of shame, things wouldn't have come to this!"
Lusamine had meant to scold Lillie, but before she could finish, the girl cut her off sharply.
In terms of sheer anger, Lillie wasn't backing down one bit.
After all, she was Haru's official girlfriend, and she had made an agreement with Lusamine before.
And yet, what happened?
Yes, technically Lusamine did honor that "agreement."
But behind the scenes, she kept stirring up trouble—always finding loopholes to exploit.
Even when Lillie went as far as to lock a chastity device on her, Lusamine somehow managed to use psychic resonance and remote "possession" tricks to keep pulling her little stunts.
After everything that happened, if Lillie could still treat Lusamine with a calm and forgiving heart, she'd have to be some sort of saint.
"..."
After hearing Lillie's voice—raw and trembling like a cuckoo crying blood—Lusamine fell silent.
Come to think of it... she really didn't have the right to scold Lillie, did she?
Everything she'd done… yeah, that was downright inhuman.
She'd just been bullying the honest one.
And Lillie was really honest, wasn't she...
After a moment of reflection, Lusamine sighed and decided it was time to adjust her "strategy" toward Lillie.
Her tone softened. "How about this—we make another agreement. What do you say?"
"Again? You seriously think I'd still believe you?"
Lillie's temper flared the instant Lusamine said that. Agreements—there had been plenty of those. And the result was always the same.
She wasn't going to fall for it again!
"Ah—times have changed, my dear."
"This time, the entire signing process will happen right before your eyes. No tricks, no secret clauses. How's that?"
Lusamine waved a hand casually as she spoke.
"...And what exactly do you want?"
Lillie didn't believe her for a second, but she still decided to listen—to see what that woman was planning.
Lusamine leaned in close, her voice brushing Lillie's ear as she whispered her terms.
And when Lillie heard them, her expression shifted—layer upon layer of emotion flashing across her face.
At the same time, a rather intriguing idea began to form in her mind.
If Lusamine's words were true, then a battle between Sabrina and Haru was practically inevitable.
And if that's the case... why shouldn't she make use of it?
While Lillie and Lusamine were finalizing their Treaty of Equality, the long-awaited showdown between Haru and Sabrina (possessed by Lillie/Lusamine) finally began.
On the surface, it looked like a simple one-on-one battle—but for some reason, haru couldn't shake a sense of dread.
It felt as though... he wasn't just fighting Sabrina.
Behind her, he could almost feel the presence of two war gods from hell. Which, by all logic, should have been impossible.
Driven by that ominous premonition, he decided to play it safe—and used his trump card even before the match began: Dynamax.
He didn't have a Dynamax Band, and this wasn't even an energy spot, but Haru could still perform localized Dynamax through his own power.
And once he did, even facing a psychic powerhouse like Sabrina, he was confident in his victory.
If nothing else, he had one unbeatable ace: Max Airstream.
Every time he used Max Airstream, his Speed increased by one stage.
Stack that up—Attack +5, Speed +6—and he'd be literally unstoppable.
He was going to win.
Just as that thought solidified in his heart, his opponent made the first move.
It was Sabrina—no, Lusamine through Sabrina—who struck first.
As one of the people most familiar with haru's battle style, she knew exactly where to hit him hardest.
So her opening move wasn't a test—it was meant to defeat him outright.
And the move she used... was Fishious Rend, the signature attack of Dracovish and Arctovish!
Even though Sabrina (Lusamine) didn't have the Strong Jaw ability, Fishious Rend itself was formidable—base power 85, only 5 points lower than Earth Power.
And more importantly, when used first, its power doubled.
Pokémon battles weren't like Yu-Gi-Oh—there was no such thing as "attack second for strategy." Fishious Rend was designed to punish passive opponents like Haru.
Fall, Haru. Fall before my peerless strike!
Lusamine thought with a manic thrill.
"Tch... that's not an easy one to block."
As the abyssal jaws tore through his psychic barrier, Haru couldn't help but feel a twinge of anxiety.
He knew exactly how devastating Fishious Rend could be—one clean hit, and he'd be left like a certain hero in a monster-girl RPG: completely wrecked.
But still—this alone wouldn't defeat him.
He'd fought through countless biting attacks before and built up resistance.
He even had several counters prepared—some of them very powerful.
He swiftly dodged, entering a state of near-enlightenment.
Then, pulling out his wooden staff, he lightly tapped Sabrina's head three times—sending her a subtle "suggestion."
Moments later, he transformed the staff into a spear and unleashed a technique aimed at the throat: Abyssal Thrust—a direct counter to her Fishious Rend.
Just a little Fishious Rend? He'd pierce through it with a spear technique imbued with the Lion's Ring!
Abyssal Thrust was a Dark-type move with 80 base power—no higher than Zen Headbutt, a staple of certain Mega Psychic/Fighting-types notorious for being low-tier.
But this move had a special effect: any Pokémon hit by it would lose the ability to use sound-based moves.
And unlike Zen Headbutt's unreliable 90 accuracy, Abyssal Thrust hit every time.
Don't underestimate a 10-point difference—in real battles, that could easily decide the outcome.
Plus, with Haru in Dynamax form, the attack's power was further magnified.
He was going all in—straight through the enemy's defenses.
Oh no—Haru was angry.
That next strike might not be a killing blow, but taking it head-on would cripple her for the rest of the fight.
Lusamine quickly realized this and made her move.
At the last second, she withdrew her consciousness—letting Sabrina herself take control of her own body again.
Perfectly reasonable, right? It was Sabrina's body, after all.
Let her handle the incoming damage while Lusamine focused on strategy.
With Lusamine's presence gone, Sabrina blinked, regaining her own will for a brief moment.
She tried to speak—but before she could, Haru's burning spear struck, piercing through her psychic shield.
Pain exploded through her senses, followed by the realization that she'd been silenced.
Her voice came out only as muffled, incoherent "mmf mmf" sounds.
Even if she wanted to talk to Haru, he couldn't understand a word.
And just as she started to process that, her body was hijacked—again.
You're using me as a meat shield now?!
I think I know who you are, and when this is over, you'd better watch your back!
Rage and humiliation burned in Sabrina's chest—if she could, she'd have slugged Lusamine right then and there.
Still, even though Lusamine managed to dodge a fatal hit, the blow wasn't without consequences.
Her defense had softened the impact, but not completely—she'd taken a hit, just not a crippling one.
And now, it was her turn to counterattack.
Fishious Rend was strong, yes—but it wasn't her trump card.
That move had just been the setup.
Because biting techniques weren't limited to Fishious Rend alone. Once the target was caught, the next logical step was to trap.
That's right—the next move was Jaw Lock, a move known by only five Pokémon.
Don't let that limited pool fool you—Jaw Lock packed an 80 base power and a terrifying side effect:
The opponent could no longer flee.
They were bound—trapped like under Shadow Tag.
And since Haru had used Abyssal Thrust at close range, there was no way to dodge it.
Once caught in that inescapable hold, Lusamine prepared her finishing move—Giga Drain.
With every strike, she'd drain his strength and grow stronger herself—turning the battle into a downward spiral.
By the end of it, Haru would be left utterly spent, while she'd stand renewed and triumphant.
Maybe Sabrina would even thank her for it later.
Ha! See now? This is my equation for victory!
Haru, fall before me. Before Lillie regains control, I'll strip you of every last drop of strength.
Triumphant, Lusamine brimmed with excitement, her mind consumed by visions of Haru's downfall—and the continuation of her "grand evil plan."
But… would this battle-hardened veteran really fall to her overwhelming combo?
Or would he rally and launch a counterstrike of his own?
The answer, as it turned out, went far beyond Lusamine's imagination.
She expected panic—she expected Azuyu to struggle in vain, the harder he fought, the faster he'd sink.
But instead... he smiled.
"You're amusing, Sabrina. Truly entertaining."
"I'd suspected it for a while—but now, I can clearly see Lusamine's shadow in you."
"A year ago, I might have fallen into your trap."
"But now… don't you realize? In binding me, you've bound yourself as well."
He clasped his weapon, locking eyes with her as his voice rose.
"Now—take this. My strongest strike."
The wielder of the Dragon Piercer, the gun-lance king Haru, gripped his weapon tightly and leaned forward toward his obstinate foe.
They had barely exchanged a handful of blows, but already the heat from his weapon was turning crimson—
—and that crimson burn meant only one thing:
Haru's true power was about to be unleashed.
But this time, it would no longer be the so-called Dragon-Slaying Lance—it would become a sword. The Sword of the Sword King!
And if the sheath refused to release that sword, then Haru would simply force it out!
"The game's over! Saber—draw your sword!"
"What?!"
Controlling Sabrina's body, Lusamine was utterly shocked by what she saw.
She never imagined Haru could still unsheathe his weapon at this stage of the battle.
By her calculations, his first-phase HP bar should've been completely drained by now—so where was the 'bonus' that came after it emptied?!
But reality was right in front of her eyes.
No, more than that—it slapped her in the face with the remnants of that move's energy, leaving a bright red mark of humiliation.
The Sword of the Sword King burst free from its confinement, breaking through Lusamine's control and immediately counterattacking.
This time, Haru unleashed a move worthy of a first-rank deity—Full-Throttle Charge.
And this was no mere counter to a Fishious Rend.
His true target now was none other than the Shellder!
Victory meant retribution; defeat meant vengeance. Haru lived by that creed.
So this Full-Throttle Charge was not something ordinary people—or even ordinary gods—could withstand.
Not Sabrina. Not even Lusamine herself.
"Lillie—it's your turn."
Realizing that all her moves had somehow been replaced by Muddy Water, Origin Pulse, Aqua Jet, Water Spout, Surf—an entire lineup of Water-type attacks—Lusamine knew she was finished.
Panicking, she tried to shove the responsibility onto Lillie.
She'd retreat for now, let Lillie take the hit, and when Lillie inevitably fell, she'd swoop back in to reclaim control.
Only… she expected Lillie to panic, to shrink back from the terrifying sight before her.
But instead, Lillie replied cheerfully—almost too cheerfully.
"I tweaked your empathy device a bit. It can be used for gaming now. And lucky me—I needed a joystick."
As she spoke, Lillie booted up a fighting game, her eyes alight with excitement.
At that moment, she… actually looked thrilled.
"...?"
Lusamine froze, completely thrown off.
What do you mean, used for gaming? What do you mean a joystick?
Why did she suddenly feel like she couldn't keep up with Lillie's train of thought anymore?
But whatever the case, Lillie had already taken over—becoming the new sheath to Haru's Ten Holy Blades.
Yet unlike Lusamine, she didn't strip away Sabrina's sensory control.
It seemed she intended to share control with her—to resist Haru's attack together.
Then, gripping Haru's makeshift "joystick," Lillie began moving—literally playing a fighting game mid-battle.
And strange as that joystick might be, she actually handled her "character" with surprising skill, stringing together combos and winning round after round.
To execute different skills, the "old-school gamer" Lillie had to make all sorts of bizarre physical motions.
For instance, when controlling a drunkard-type character, she had to mimic the same posture—bending over as though drinking.
Whether or not she actually drank was unclear—but the gourd's mouth definitely made contact.
As for defense, attacks, and aura techniques—the inputs were even more complicated, demanding speed, precision, and sometimes near-acrobatic poses.
To unleash a triple-energy move, Lillie had to contort herself like a gymnast's bow—balancing on one foot, raising the other high, both arms extended straight down.
The joystick served as the "arrow" not aimed at a distant target, but right at the "bullseye" of her own bow.
And yet, she pulled it off flawlessly.
Even if she occasionally borrowed Sabrina's psychic powers mid-motion, both Haru—and the "spectator" Sabrina—were left completely stunned.
Especially Sabrina. She was beyond comprehension at this point.
She just... couldn't understand. At all.
Fortunately, the "battle" didn't last long. When Lillie and Lusamine finally lifted their consciousness projections, Sabrina regained full control of her body.
By then, she was utterly exhausted. Yet since she hadn't been the one "satisfied," she was left unsated and fuming, muttering curses at whoever had been hijacking her body—before collapsing into sleep from sheer fatigue.
Even as she drifted off, she was still mumbling things like "lance," "holy blade," "controller"...
"..."
Something about all this felt... off.
Why did it seem like he was the one who'd ended up on the receiving end?
Staring at the unconscious Sabrina at his feet, Haru scratched his chin in confusion.
"...Guess I'll check on Lugia's side next."
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