Gradually, the entire sky dimmed into shadow.
The Ghost-type Pokémon were creatures favored by the night, and as darkness fell, their power only grew stronger.
Wreaths of ghostly fire floated across the battlefield, drifting like malevolent spirits as they devoured everything in their path, snuffing out every trace of life that dared to stand before them.
At this moment, the battle in the field was still raging. With the coming of night, the knights were being pushed back step by step—until they had fallen all the way to the gates of the fortress.
Though both the knights and their Pokémon were fighting with every ounce of strength, their desperate resistance still could not halt the advance of those Pokémon corrupted by the gray mist.
The front gate of the fortress remained wide open, allowing a steady flow of reinforcements—knights and Pokémon alike to join the fray. Yet the once tightly defended fortress was now noticeably hollowed out, its ranks thinned by relentless combat.
Earl Ruize gripped his sword tightly. His whole body trembled uncontrollably, these were all men he had trained, warriors he had built up over years and now, one after another, they were falling before his eyes.
"Lord Earl! Reinforcements have arrived!" a scout came galloping back, shouting the news breathlessly.
And just as the words left his mouth, the ground began to tremble violently. From one flank of the battlefield, a great formation of Rhyhorn suddenly appeared!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The earth itself shuddered beneath their synchronized charge.
Knights rode atop the Rhyhorn's broad backs, their movements so fluidly matched with their mounts that man and Pokémon seemed to have become one.
Faint, radiant white light glowed from the Rhyhorn's armored hides, linking them together in a single blazing formation—like a sharpened spearhead, they plunged straight into the heart of the battlefield!
In an instant, every Ghost-type Pokémon standing before that "spearhead" was hurled aside with unstoppable force, unable to resist the overwhelming might of the combined charge!
The situation, which had been on the brink of collapse, was suddenly and dramatically reversed. With the arrival of these unexpected knights, the crushing pressure on the defenders lightened all at once!
"Hehehehehe!"
But countless Ghost-types soon gathered again, drawn by the surge of battle.
Corrupted by the gray mist, their minds were all but gone.
Upon seeing new enemies, they lunged forward without hesitation—only to meet the unstoppable wall of Rhyhorn heads and be blasted away like moths rushing into fire!
"Whose reinforcements are these?" one knight gasped, staring wide-eyed at the formation that had stormed onto the field.
"Wait—look at their armor!" someone suddenly exclaimed in shock.
In the dim, flickering light, they could see the armor of those charging knights—every plate and crest gleamed blood-red.
"The Ironblood Knights! It's the Ironblood Knight Order!"
"What?! But weren't they destroyed when Ironblood Fortress fell?!"
A murmur of disbelief swept through the lines. The Ironblood Knights had been thought annihilated, yet now they rode again—and, impossibly, seemed to be fighting on their side!
The newcomers cut straight across the battlefield, their formation slicing through the Ghost-types like a hot blade through snow. After crossing to the far side, they wheeled sharply and drew up their ranks again.
"Knights of the Pokémon Domain—reporting for reinforcements!"
Their leader, Bloodhowl or Darius when as a civilian and once the captain of the Ironblood Knights, bellowed the words with a roar that carried across the entire field.
At the same time, the standard-bearer unfurled a new banner—one emblazoned with the emblem of the Pokémon Domain fluttering proudly in the cold night wind.
"They're the Pokémon Domain Knights?"
From the battlements, the commander squinted from his vantage point at the distant banner. Even in the dark, he recognized that insignia—there was no mistake, it belonged to the Pokémon Domain!
Nearby knights heard Bloodhowl's shout as well, and all wore expressions of surprise. They, too, had recognized the armor and the formation—the Ironblood Knights but it was now clear that these men had joined under the banner of the Pokémon Domain!
"Hahahahaha! To think I, Bloodhowl, would ride onto the battlefield once more!"
He turned toward his knights, his laughter booming. "Tell me—how does it feel to charge again?"
"Feels amazing, Captain! Lead us into another charge!" his knights roared back, eyes alight with the thrill of battle.
"Good! Excellent!" Bloodhowl raised his sword high. "Pokémon Domain's Knight Order—prepare for another charge!"
The knights urged their Rhyhorn mounts forward again. With a thunderous rumble, the formation surged ahead once more, a wall of steel and stone breaking through the tide of specters with unrelenting might.
Whoooosh—
But suddenly, a blast of icy wind rose before them, sweeping across the field.
Within moments, a raging blizzard erupted, howling toward the charging knights like a living storm!
The snow and frost lashed across the ground, layering everything in glistening ice. The sound of freezing echoed sharply as the front line of Rhyhorn was encased in frost.
Yet even with ice creeping up their limbs, the powerful Pokémon shattered it with sheer momentum, slowing but never stopping.
Crack, crack, crack—
Then, without warning, the swirling storm condensed into a towering wall of ice that loomed before the charging knights!
Brilliant pale-blue light shimmered across its surface—it was suffused with dense Ice-type energy, drawing the full power of the blizzard into its crystalline form.
If Aven had been here, he would have immediately recognized it, the move Aurora Veil!
A technique that could only be cast amid snowfall, gathering all the energy of the storm into a single barrier of unmatched defense!
BOOM!
The Rhyhorn cavelry slammed into the ice wall with tremendous force, each impact resounding like thunder.
For a brief moment, the entire formation shuddered—their momentum halted.
Crack, crack—
A web of fractures spread across the massive ice wall, spidering outward in all directions.
Then, with a deafening roar, the wall shattered completely, exploding into countless shards that shot backward like deadly arrows!
The shards tore through the air, striking the hovering Ghost-types that had drawn too near—one after another, they fell screaming from the sky.
At the center of the storm, the Froslass who had summoned the barrier was caught in the blast of her own broken spell, sent hurtling backward by the explosion of force!
Yet the knights, too, were forced to slow. With their charge broken and their formation's light dimming, their once-seamless momentum faltered.
"Charge! Charge! Keep charging!" Bloodhowl roared, voice hoarse with fury.
Whoooosh—
But then, before them, flames burst suddenly to life—unnatural ghostly fire. From the center of the burning air emerged a Chandelure, its crystal-blue flames flickering eerily.
In its hands, a dense orb of shadow began to form into a Shadow Ball. With a shrill cry, it hurled the attack straight into the heart of the formation!
BOOM!
The explosion sent a Rhyhorn and its rider flying, armor shattering on impact.
"Keep charging!" Bloodhowl shut his eyes briefly, his expression hardening with grim resolve.
They had long set aside their teaching rods and taken up the sword again—they had come here ready to die.
"The sins of the past—we will repay them with our blood!"
With unyielding eyes, the knights spurred their mounts again, launching yet another charge toward the Froslass ahead.
But the Ice-type had already recovered. Seeing the charging knights, she dove into the earth, vanishing in an instant.
The knights thundered past, their targets gone. Without the Froslass to engage, they instead hurled themselves into the corrupted Ghost-types swarming nearby!
"It really is the Ironblood Knight Order!"
Earl Ruize's eyes gleamed with realization. Then he turned toward his aide and barked, "Sound the horn! Northeast Territory Knights—prepare to charge!"
Bwooohhhhhh!
The clarion call of the war horn echoed across the fortress.
From within the walls, the final reserve of knights—those still standing guard—rushed forth in full armor.
This was the last of the fortress's strength, and at that horn's call, they were committing everything to one final, desperate assault!
"Hm? The Pokémon Domain Knights?"
On a nearby low hill, a dark-robed sorcerer sneered. "Tch. That fool Hill—he couldn't even hold off a single knightly force from the Pokémon Domain."
He gave a cold laugh. "No matter. They'll all be wiped out here together anyway."
At his words, the shadows behind him began to writhe. Two figures emerged—one drifting to his left, the other to his right.
One was a Dusknoir, its single eye burning ominously within its chest. The other looked much like a Haunter, but darker, rounder, and more sinister—Gengar.
Its deep violet body was short and round, with clawed hands, stubby legs, and a sharp tail. Its wide grin stretched unnaturally across its face, and its red eyes gleamed like blood in the dark.
As the two Ghost Pokémon appeared, a wave of oppressive power spread outward both of them were unmistakably at the King level.
"Gengar," the sorcerer said coldly, "end this."
A wide grin split Gengar's face. With a flicker, its body vanished completely.
When it reappeared, it was already amidst the distant battlefield, flitting through the shadows like a phantom, harvesting lives in its wake.
Gengar's speed was terrifying—it could slip freely through shadows, and this battlefield, shrouded in night, was its perfect hunting ground.
Before the knights even glimpsed its form, men were already collapsing one after another. Their shadows twisted unnaturally beneath them—becoming the very weapons that struck them down.
"Something's here! Everyone, be on guard!" someone shouted in alarm.
But it was far too late. The shadow moved faster than sight or sound. Before most knights even realized what was happening, their vision went black forever.
Bloodhowl and his knights had already charged three times. Their Rhyhorn were panting heavily now, armor dented, sides heaving.
Then—something flashed past Bloodhowl's eyes. He turned instinctively, just in time to see a beam of inky darkness sear the air beside him, so close it made his ears ring.
Narrowing his eyes, he finally caught a glimpse of the shadowed figure. "That's… Gengar?"
In preparation for Ghost-type enemies, the Pokémon Domain had compiled all of Aven's research notes into a Ghost-type Field Manual.
"A King-level Pokémon! Another King-level Pokémon! Everyone, stay sharp!"
A wave of unease rippled through the knights once again. With this new, terrifying presence joining the battle, the tide turned yet again.
Three King-level Pokémons now moved upon the field—along with countless corrupted Ghost type Pokémon.
And under their combined shadow, even the bravest hearts began to feel the weight of despair settling in once more.
"Three King-level Pokémon…"
"The frontline fortress has already done everything it could."
On the city wall, a knight's bowstring snapped in his hand. His palms were covered in blood.
"Hold on a little longer," another knight beside him said hoarsely, drawing back his bowstring with all the strength left in his weary arms. "Reinforcements will come, they have to…"
But with a sharp snap!, his bowstring broke as well.
His arms went limp. The knight lowered his weapon and gazed up at the darkened sky. "Is there no one left… no one who can save the frontline fortress? No one who can save Aspiration City?"
(End of Chapter)