Corviknight beat its massive wings, staying suspended in the air. Manectric's Thunderbolt slammed into its metallic frame, but the black lightning seemed to slide off like water on glass.
Suddenly, eight razor-sharp feathers detached from Corviknight's wings, each encased in a shimmering layer of Delta Stream. Under Feng Che's mental command, the feathers streaked toward the Galvantula's Electroweb.
With several flashes of cyan light, the sticky web was sliced into a thousand useless threads. The feathers didn't stop there; they struck Galvantula squarely in its six eyes. The spider Pokémon shrieked, clutching its face as it rolled on the ground in agony. Moments later, it convulsed once and went still.
"Curse you! My Galvantula was killed that easily?!" Ran's pupils shrank. He looked at Corviknight with newfound trepidation. He had assassinated many Gym-level trainers before, which was why he had arrogantly ignored the intelligence reports provided by the Jingten Cult. He hadn't expected this "brat" to possess power far exceeding the Gym tier.
"Luxray, use Wild Charge!"
Luxray transformed into a streak of black lightning, its body wreathed in crackling dark arcs as it lunged. Corviknight didn't flinch. It flared its wings, coating them in a brilliant metallic sheen for a Steel Wing counter-assault.
The collision was brutal. Luxray was sent flying, smashing into an exposed rock formation with enough force to shatter the stone. It slumped to the ground, unconscious.
Corviknight flapped its wings, its piercing gaze locking onto Ran. The old man felt a crushing pressure emanating from the bird—a majesty that felt almost divine.
"What is this... why does a mere Corviknight give off the pressure of a god?" Ran's palms were slick with sweat. His hand, gripped tight around his cane, trembled uncontrollably.
"Haaa..." Ran took a deep, ragged breath. He channeled every ounce of his remaining Demonic Qi into the glass orb atop his cane. The orb erupted with a violent black light, which he forcibly injected into his last Pokémon: Manectric.
Manectric let out a howl of pure agony. A massive cocoon of black electricity swirled around it, and a dark Mega Symbol flickered to life. From the dark energy emerged Mega Manectric, its yellow mane now a jagged lightning bolt covering its entire back, with horn-like tufts erupting from its head.
It moved like a blur of black lightning, slamming into Corviknight repeatedly. Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Hahaha! Even if this Manectric dies after this Mega Evolution, it's worth it if you die with it!" Ran laughed maniacally. "I'll break your bird, then I'll break you. Perfect!"
From a distance, the two other cultists watched.
"Maki (真姬), aren't you going to help?" the blonde youth, Kimbo (金博), asked.
"Why don't you go, Kimbo?" Maki replied coldly.
Kimbo appeared in front of her in a blur. "That old man always uses his seniority to act superior. I've been annoyed with him for a long time. Why would I help?" His eyes swirled with dark mist. "But you, Maki... why won't you accept the Demonic Qi inheritance? You have the Power of Cines (超克之力). If you accepted the infusion, you'd be stronger than all of us. Unless... you aren't truly loyal to the cause?"
"Boring," Kimbo laughed when Maki didn't react. He vanished.
I'm not that stupid, Maki thought, watching Ran. Accepting that 'inheritance' is just handing your soul to the Sky Demon. That thing is just a monster wearing a god's skin. If it weren't for finding my missing sister, I'd never stay here. If I take that power, I won't even be 'me' anymore.
Back in the clearing, Feng Che watched Mega Manectric's frantic assault with a calm smile.
"Corviknight, end this. Use Hurricane."
The Mega Manectric's attacks were being completely dissipated by the Delta Stream barrier surrounding Corviknight. Its black lightning couldn't penetrate the protective winds. Corviknight beat its wings, sending localized blades of air crashing down.
"Mega Manectric, use Million Volt!" Ran screamed.
A massive pillar of black lightning engulfed Corviknight. The air blades were vaporized. The bird was swallowed by a storm of violent energy.
"Hahaha! Your Corviknight is finished!"
At that moment, the Mega Manectric let out a pained whimper and crumbled into ash mid-air. The forced evolution had consumed its life force entirely.
"Rest in peace," Ran sighed. "Now, brat, it's your turn to die."
"You seem very sure of yourself," Feng Che said softly. "But you're wrong about two things. First, my Corviknight hasn't lost—your 'Million Volt' only hit an Afterimage. Second, who told you I only had one Pokémon?"
A shadow loomed over Ran. Corviknight plummeted from the sky, pinning the old man to the dirt with its talons. His cane rolled away.
Feng Che walked over and picked up the cane. With a sharp peck from Corviknight's beak, the wood shattered, revealing a glass-sized Mega Stone.
"So Demonic Qi can substitute for a Key Stone. Interesting," Feng Che mused. "You're my prisoner now. Anything to say before I use my psychic powers to peel your memories apart?"
Suddenly, Ran's body began to convulse. His eyes turned stark white, and veins bulged around his sockets. Black flames erupted from his skin.
"So it was you... the brat who ruined my plans," the voice coming from Ran was entirely different—deeper, colder.
"High Priest Shaka, I presume?" Feng Che mocked. "Are you the same idiot who got burned to death by Ho-Oh's purifying flames a thousand years ago? I didn't realize you could possess your subordinates. I bet the others don't know you treat them like disposable suits."
"Hmph. Foolish mortal. To serve as my vessel is his greatest honor," Shaka's voice hissed. "I am the chosen voice of the Sky God. The Sky Demon will break its seal and burn this filthy world to ash. It's a pity... this man's soul only provides enough fuel for a brief visit. I hope the next time we meet, you're still this arrogant."
Shaka laughed, and Ran's body disintegrated into a pile of gray ash, scattering in the wind.
Maki, watching from the shadows, bit her lip as she looked at the remains. Sacrificing your soul for power is a trap, she realized, her heart heavy.