Chapter 128: Sharp Blade

Chapter 2: Sharp Blade

The Kolon Plains.

Sparse, pale-yellow shrubs swayed gently in the breeze of the wasteland, carrying a sense of resilience tinged with desolation. Towering, thick-branched trees were scattered across the plains, appearing like giants bathing in the twilight under the dim sunlight, exuding a faint, primordial aura.

"Hoo-hoo—"

A heavy, labored breathing sound echoed across the land, like a massive industrial blower inadvertently exhaling a powerful current of air, kicking up clouds of dark dust from the ground.

A colossal, tan-furred figure lay beneath the shadow of a towering tree. Its sharp, elongated claws were coated in a dried, brownish substance—the remnants of blood—and a thick, pungent scent of carnage emanated from them, a testament to the countless lives it had slaughtered. A distinct, bright yellow circular pattern on its abdomen rose and fell rhythmically with the creature's breathing. Hideous scars from past battles served as badges of honor, displayed prominently across its robust frame.

It was a wild Ursaring, deep in slumber. Its naturally irritable temperament had been exacerbated by the infection of a Nightmare Seed; even the slightest annoyance was magnified into fuel for a raging fire.

A light breeze swept across the vast horizon, rustling the dense canopy above. A leaf the size of a palm drifted down like a dancing butterfly, settling softly upon the Ursaring's hyper-sensitive black nose.

The nose twitched, and the Ursaring was jolted awake from its pleasant dream. Its eyelids lifted, revealing crimson pupils burning with the malevolent taint of the Nightmare Seed.

"ROAR!!!"

A furious, thunderous roar carried a terrifying shockwave that swept across the plains. The wild grasses seemed to sense the immense malice within the sound, bowing their heads in submission under the pressure of the gale.

The Ursaring dug its razor-sharp claws deep into the earth and heaved itself to its feet. It roared again, but the rage ignited by the disturbance remained unvented. Its evil-tinged eyes scanned the wasteland in search of a target, eventually settling on the towering tree beside it.

"Hammer Arm!"

The muscles on its thick arms bulged unnaturally, straining the skin to the point of tearing. A reddish-brown energy surged from its pores, manifesting as a strange, shimmering gauntlet that encased its entire limb.

"BOOM!"

The air was torn asunder, emitting a sharp, pained screech. The overwhelming force, enough to move mountains and drain seas, struck the tree trunk, instantly pulverizing the bark. The reddish-brown energy rippled, and the sound of wood fibers snapping erupted from deep within the trunk.

"Crackle!"

Wood fragments scattered into the air. The shadow of the towering tree cast upon the ground suddenly developed a jagged gap. The massive trunk, requiring several men to encircle, had been cleanly severed by the Ursaring’s horrific blow. The branches and leaves swayed powerlessly before falling, centuries of growth reduced to nothing in an instant. The broken trunk crashed onto the plains, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.

The Ursaring let out a satisfied snort, its inner rage slightly appeased. Just as it began to lower its body, intending to return to its slumber, the crisp sound of footsteps echoed in its ears.

It turned its head, and beneath its fierce, barbaric gaze appeared a slim figure.

Beneath a black, gold-trimmed bowler hat peeked soft, golden curly hair. Ocean-blue eyes, clear and bright like gemstones, scanned the surroundings. A dark red cotton coat fit snugly over a slender frame, the metal buttons at the collar undone to reveal a crisp, white, breathable shirt. A pair of polished black leather shoes tapped against the firm ground with a rhythmic "clack-clack."

Clearly, this was a human.

Hunger!

Greedy drool flooded the Ursaring's mouth, and a scarlet, bloody glint flared deep within its pupils. Already infected by the Nightmare Seed, the Ursaring cared little why a human would be wandering deep within the Kolon Plains. It only wanted to tear the human before it to shreds, drink its blood, crush its bones, and savor the taste of its deepest, most agonizing despair.

Seemingly oblivious to the Ursaring nearby, the well-dressed blonde man walked with a light, relaxed gait, as if strolling through his own backyard. His head was bowed, his azure eyes focused on the unfolded leather map in his hands.

"It should be around here, shouldn't it? Why can't I find it?"

"Ugh... how annoying!"

The blonde man muttered, scratching the back of his head with a look of distress. "Moving house is such a trivial matter, yet they need me to provide a special escort. I don't know what the Guildmaster is thinking."

He continued his leisurely pace, his grumbling echoing in the air.

"Drip..."

Foul-smelling saliva dripped from the Ursaring's maw, leaving dark stains on the parched earth. Finally unable to suppress its greedy bloodlust, the Ursaring took a heavy step toward the blonde man.

"Hum!"

Time seemed to freeze.

In the void, a thin, faint streak of light condensed. At its edges, space distorted as if it were a crumpled rag.

*Crack—*

A crisp sound, like an egg shattering, echoed as spiderweb-like cracks appeared in the void, revealing the profound darkness hidden behind. Like the patterns in an opal, the streak of light hovered silently in the air, radiating a clear, sharp luster.

"Zzz!"

In the blink of an eye, the streak of light seemed to traverse space and time, slicing vertically across the Ursaring. Its energy exhausted, the light dissipated into countless microscopic, invisible stardust, dissolving into the air.

The pause button of time was released, and everything in the world regained its vibrancy. The Ursaring, its eyes fixed entirely on the slender human before it, brought its heavy, raised limb down.

It splashed fine dust into the air, and along with it, an endless spray of blood.

Blood?

"Hiss!"

The Ursaring's body finally reacted. A fissure opened from the top of its head down to its groin. A surge of hot, crimson blood sprayed out, dyeing the ground into a pool of gore. The Ursaring, like a slab of meat on a platter, had been effortlessly sliced in two by a sharp blade.

A heavy, viscous thud echoed as the creature hit the ground. Beside the severed tree, a pile of butchered flesh lay silently, just as still and peaceful as it had been during its slumber.

"Clack... clack..."

The crisp sound of leather shoes continued to ring out on the ground. The blonde man, still clutching his map, walked on with a light step.

Only now, beside him, walked a humanoid Pokémon with a metallic sheen. Like the sharpest blade in existence, space distorted around its silver-white arms. An aura of unyielding arrogance surged, yet it remained restrained beside the blonde man, docile as a house cat.