Paragon

Remnants of the Great War [39]

PARAGON

Remnants of the Great War Arc [39]

Chapter 48 : Hero on Strings

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Aaron pitched forward, blood gushing from the hole in his chest. He coughed, and a spat of blood splattered onto the ground in front of them. His form flickered, azure Aura spasming on the outline of his body.

"Sir Aaron!" Ash leaped forward and caught him before he hit the ground.

At the same time, Pikachu leaped into the air and wreathed himself in electricity. Thunder boomed and snapped, and a jagged bolt zapped toward Zagreus. But the rogue Guardian simply raised his hand. A vortex of darkness whirled within his palm, swallowing the Thunderbolt whole, leaving him completely unharmed. Pikachu landed back on the ground and growled, his ears and tail twitching in anger.

"There won't be any of that this time," he said, with a voice like slime. "Admittedly, I underestimated you, Ash. I'll wear this wound forever thanks to that." He tugged at the grisly white scar that cut across his face diagonally, where the Electric Plate had maimed him.

Ash simply glared back at him, holding Sir Aaron's body protectively. Lucario lay behind them, unmoving, but groaning.

"You," AZ rumbled.

Zagreus turned to face him again and bowed. "I apologize for my extended absence, your Grace. Truthfully, I wasn't sure of your intentions, wasting away in that jail for so long. When you finally returned to the world, I figured it'd be wiser not to interfere in your plans until you made a decisive move."

Aaron shifted in Ash's grip as if trying to stand.

"Please don't move, Sir Aaron! You'll make it worse." Ash tightened his grip on the Aura Master as he stared down at the wound on his chest, still bleeding profusely.

Aaron coughed, but he seemed to force his breathing to steady. He leaned up slightly so that he could face the others. "Azett," he wheezed. "Do you know this man?"

Zagreus looked back with a smirk, reveling in his former king's agony.

AZ glanced at Zagreus, then down at Aaron. Then, he started walking toward him.

"Stay back!" Ash yelled. Electricity flashed to life on his hand, and though Zagreus looked amused, AZ didn't react.

He came to a stop far enough away so as not to provoke Ash. His eyes hadn't left Aaron. "How pitiful. Can you even stand?"

Sir Aaron's form flickered again, and he clutched Ash's knee for support as he lifted himself. Ash tried to stop him, but Aaron brushed him off. With some effort, finally, the Guardian King stood again, albeit hunched over. His body also seemed slightly translucent, as if it was beginning to fade.

Ash frowned and Pikachu watched on curiously.

"Of course I can," Aaron said with difficulty.

AZ's eyes narrowed. "Good," he said. Then, he turned back to face Zagreus. "Hold his limbs, I'm going to crush his skull."

Alarm saturated Zagreus' face in a heartbeat as he glanced between the two men.

"Very well," Aaron said.

A second later, both kings blitzed forward, nothing more than blurs of blinding light. The ground ruptured exactly where Zagreus had been standing, soil and rock blooming skyward. The air beside it wavered, then expelled a shower of shadows into existence, Zagreus wafting out from the darkness.