Ondun had never been more glad for his training under Lady Suzumi of Xin-xia. The adventurer crept past ruined buildings that looked more at place on Arcanis' battlefields than the allegedly peaceful world of Monastria. He knelt down, and found a frightened Gloompup that looked up at him with tearful eyes.

  The Shinobi extended a balled fist, and knelt. "Worry not, little one. I'm here to save lives, not take them." The tiny Mon crept forward, eventually sniffing his gauntlet. It backed away for a moment, confused, before padding up to him. "Gloomcub...?" He pat the creature gently; it reminded him of Strudel when he first met the tiny Mon.

  Aenora carefully walked up, her staff at the ready. Behind them, Ariel was maintaining a shield over Hiro, while Sylphie and her Wispowill, Wispy covered everyone. She carefully examined the tiny, terrified Mon.

  "I see. A Dark Mon. It seems to be resisting the effects in the area quite well, but not perfectly. It's better for it to get out of here."

  The tiny Mon barked and pawed at a fallen building. "Is someone there, little one?"

  "Gloomcub! Gloom..."

  Ondun nodded to Sylphie. He released Joyeuse to join Sparky's vigil, and the two carefully began shifting rubble. After a few minutes, they found an unconscious child. Aenora immediately went to work with healing magicks, while they freed the youngster.

  When the lad was free, the Gloomcub curled up on his chest, both happy at the reunion, but also protective. Zephanie circled above the scene, and periodically unleashed Wind Blades at the Shadowed Mons who came too close. Ondun gestured to Ariel. "These two will make it, I think. Can you get them free?"

  I can...but the small Dark one will be more difficult. After a moment, she knelt down and touched the three, as Sylphie wrapped Hiro in an Eclipse. Then the three disappeared with a pop. A few seconds later she reappeared. They are safe now. We should continue further in. Beware of the afflicted Mons; their minds are strange to me. It is as if something is trying to force its way into them.

  Ondun nodded. "Aenora, I'm counting on you." He pulled out his cellphone. Dr. Wusiji needs as much information as I can get him. Aenora raised an eyebrow at this, but said little else as he re-wove a limited invisibility jutsu about himself.

  Ondun's phone pinged. He quickly unlocked it, only to see a message from Guardian Alice herself.

  Ondun frowned and showed the rest of the team the message. Hiro sighed, while Sylphie was confused. "Damn old woman...I knew this was going to happen," he said sullenly.

  They continued through the ruins. Sylphie's brow was furrowed in confusion. "I'm confused. How did you know that?"

  Hiro rolled his eyes dramatically. "I've ran the Kongming Circuit before, last year. I was able to clear the Yamato Circuit in record time, so I let my team rest up, then came here for a challenge. I made it Guardian Alice on my first try, but Spooky, her first teammate...he's something else." He motioned to his Flamarmot to check a blind corner. "I'm retrying the circuit this year. I had a battle with Alice a few days ago, and I got past Spooky. Still...I want to beat her. It's been a century since a Yamato citizen has also been Champion of Kongming as well. It'll look good for my plans for the future."

  Aenora raised an eyebrow. "Young man, I hope those plans don't involve politics. The ambitions of the competent ever get ground down by the ambitions of the opportunistic and confident. There's a reason you find few scholars in the halls of power."

  He snickered at that. "Yeah, Alice said something like that to me too. Still...I see all this. It's not why I left home, but me and my teams can do stuff to stop all this from happening. I've fought a pair of criminals who tried to steal one of my Mons, a Voltshrew. The Voltshrew rejoined his colony back home, but the morons followed me here."

  Ondun started at that. "Did they perchance rhyme their sentences with each other? A cold-looking woman with blue hair, and a deep-voiced moron with red?"

  Hiro sighed. "Yep. Are they still alive?"

  Ondun nodded. "I told you before, I'm trying to cut down on the violence. Back home, I've fought wars. I just knocked them out, and made sure the Rangers arrested them. I might've been a bit more aggressive after they poisoned Sylphie." he added.

  "Was it the Dreadthorn?" he asked incredulously. Ondun nodded. "I'm also a healer."

  Sylphie gave Ondun a warm look. "And I'm ever thankful you did!" she added sweetly. That alone caused Ondun to do a double take. She giggled for a moment, before remembering where she was. "Seriously though...is this sort of thing what you've done all the time back on your home world?" she asked.

  Ondun checked another corner; Zephanie was still flying high on literal overwatch. "Yes. I've done search and rescue. I've culled wild monsters that were threatening villages. Fighting my fellow Civil Folk though..." he shuddered. "In just a week or so on your world, I've really started to see what that's taken out of me. This..." he gestured to the general ruin, "...this shouldn't be normal. This should be horrifying."

  Aenora nodded. "This is why we in the Knowing Circle revere you so. Yes, you bring sharp steel to bear against the foes of free people. What you don't do is lose yourself to the bloodlust. That spirit is why Sid reached out to you back in Eldifia. Give yourself more credit. Also, let us save more lives. There are two in that building there." She pointed to yet another structure. A Shadowed Mon, what looked like a pony whose flanks were lit with a sinister purple flame, pawing at the rubble as if to get at the people trapped within.

  Ondun motioned to Zephanie, Sparky, and Joyeuse. "Take it down, quietly, non-lethal."

  Zephanie nodded, and flew high, while Joyeuse and Sparky carefully levitated through the devastated city. The Wispowill disappeared for a moment before reappearing in front of the shadowed Mon and turning purple. Even as the Mon was mesmerized by the unnatural beauty, Zephanie and Joyeuse simultaneously struck two points on the Mon that saw it drop to the earth like a sack of potatoes. Zephanie retreated back to the skies, while the rest of the team caught up.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  Aenora looked more closely at the pony Mon. Ondun did as well; while he had seen a few of these on his brief time on Monastria, their furs usually tended towards a vaguely reddish-yellow, and they would control the heat the fires from their bodies exuded. This one's fur had turned a pale blue, and the fires were an unnatural purple. Ariel and Aenora recoiled, before she turned to her Mon. "Ariel, get it out of here, now. This looks like what happens when a Daemon is trying to inhabit something!"

  Ariel wasted no time in teleporting the Mon away. After about a minute she returned. Taking it out of here helped. I also purified it in sacred Fire. The creature is still unconscious, but no longer do I sense the possessing influence.

  Ondun, Hiro, and Sylphie were already digging through the rubble. "You've fought Daemons before, right Ondun?" Sylphie asked, clearly for Hiro's benefit. Ondun nodded.

  The adventurer nodded. "This is worse than what I've seen, though. It really is like the Void is trying to superimpose itself on this entire area." He sighed. "Lord Yonghaixi was right. This must be their plan."

  Aenora began using some Earth magicks to help them move stones. "Something doesn't make sense, though. This isn't Darkness, but rather Negative Light. You only fought one Daemon here before, near Xinling. This doesn't add up. Why is possession happening more quickly in Negative Light, than in Cheng, which was afflicted by elemental Darkness?"

  Soon, two huddling humans, a middle-aged man and his wife were staring at the strangers and their various Mons. Ariel wasted no time in soothing their minds, then teleporting them to safety. When she popped back her shoulders sagged. Forgive me, I begin to tire. Teleportation is a powerful art, and it takes much vitality to use it as much as I have.

  Aenora nodded, and lifted her veil to reveal two milky eyes. "I've seen." Sylphie gave an unusually empathetic, sad face to the woman, while Hiro lit up. "Oh. My. Olympus. That is so cool!"

  She gave the lad a flat look. "Try using forbidden teleportation magicks because you and your friends were betrayed by the people in power of a city-state you thought was a firm, if greedy, ally." She paused for effect. "This is why I warn you of the perils of a career in politics. A stupid, greedy man, can and will stab a hero," she gestured to Ondun, "...in the back. Real power is cultivated in oneself, and one's friends."

  Hiro nodded seriously. "I think I see the point...no offense intended, 'Nora."

  Ondun opened his mouth only for Aenora to giggle. "As nicknames go, it's not the worst." Ondun didn't need telepathy to remember a particularly jarring proposal by a half-Garlon warrior. "I consider it a fair exchange for the lesson. Besides, you seem a willing enough pupil. You remind me a little of Ondun."

  The young monster coach gave the woman an incredulous look, but Ondun was ignoring them. "Everyone, take cover. Rangers."

  They nodded and shifted into the rubble, where Aenora cast a field of illusion over everyone.

  "Intel says the target is here. I don't know if he's powerful enough to actually do this, but after that stunt in Cheng where he summoned that weird thing, I honestly don't care enough to question orders. Fan out, let's find him."

  The three rangers, two men, and a woman immediately dispersed as the robed figure scanned the area. He released a Faerrow, who instantly shuddered in the unusual air. Immediately the creature went wide and chirped loudly at Zephanie, who crowed back.

  "There's an unusual Mon here," the man said loudly. He had dark rings under his eyes, and his dark hair was tied into a ponytail. "Bring it down to me. I have questions for it."

  The Faerrow charged at Zephanie, who deflected the attack easily with a Wind Wall. The man narrowed his eyes, before closing them, and falling into a stance, with his hands held close to the ground. The unusual gloom about him lifted a bit as he drew forth a lance of the odd not-light, which he threw at Zephanie, immediately shattering the shield."

  "It's vulnerable!" he cried, before the stones about his feet shifted, knocking him prone. The Rangers immediately pulled out handguns, and released their battle Mons. One was a massive green anteater that had oddly spiraling tufts of hair. Another was a pale white snake that had a huge crest on its forehead. The last one was an Aquehound a little bigger than Strudel, but with more battle-scars. This one immediately began sniffing the air, only to give a confused whine. The Rangers looked at each other, as the robed man narrowed his eyes.

  "They're here, then." He got up, switched to another pose, instinctually dodged a gust of wind that would have knocked him prone yet again, then slammed his hand into the ground, again temporarily abating the not-glow of the ruined city about him.

  This time, his attack did what he wanted. The Faerrow and Zephanie were having a high-altitude dogfight, where blades of wind and light sliced through the tainted air. More importantly, a cluster of humans and Mons who had all hidden together were revealed. Among them though...

  "Sylphie...my daughter. What are you doing here? Why do you wear City Leader Ying's armor?"

  She got up. "Daddy. I'm in town and that's the first thing you ask?" He nodded dumbly. "Why are you with that man? Don't you know he's wanted? Don't you know he did this to our fair town? All the death, the destruction...the shadowed Mons...these are all his fault! He's the only one powerful enough to do this!"

  The catlike woman gave the young, familiar Yamato boy a look that screamed, see what I'm talking about? for some reason. Sylphie sighed and hung her head.

  "Daddy, I know what's really going on here. We've heard from Guardian Alice. This is all a setup. Ondun hasn't done anything but get stuck in our world, and now he's trying to fix this! Hell, he's saved three people and a few Mons at this point. I've been traveling with him since Route 41. I know for a fact he's not involved in this. Don't believe me? Call up City Leader Lowell. He's literally looked inside both our heads!"

  He gave his daughter a sad look. "I see you're deceived. He's clearly a good actor. Sylphie, I don't want to lose you too. Come here!"

  She shook her head. "No, I'm not. He protected me, put up with my bullying. You just blew me off for years after Mommy died. Why do you think I left? Actually...better question. When did I leave, dad?"

  He frowned. "It doesn't matter. You're here now. You are my daughter, and so are above suspicion, but the others?"

  The cat-like woman stepped forward. "Forgive me, sir. If you're who I suspect you are, then you're the City Leader of Liangjian, yes? The Cultivation Master, Lee Lee, who wields Light Mons."

  "I am. What of it?"

  She smiled. "You have a challenger." Ondun walked forward, now clad in his Dragon Knight armor. He pulled the Lohengrim off his back. "City Leader Lee Lee. Father of Sylphie. I challenge you for the right to travel with your daughter, and to remain at her side."

  Sylphie went bright red, but Lee Lee grinned. "Hmm. A warrior's spirit. I can respect that. However...I decline." He gestured to the Rangers and their Mons, but after a moment nothing happened. He looked around to see the Mons writing in pain as their coloration changed, and the Rangers backing away, holding their guns at their former companions.

  "Shite," growled Aenora. "They're turning. Ariel, we have work to do to save these fools from their own hubris. Ondun. I leave Sylphie's father in your hands." She ran off with Hiro, but Sylphie stayed at the adventurer's side. "Father. I challenge you too. I have a grudge with you, and I wish to prove my might. Now that I've got your attention, I think it's time I prove to you that I'm worthy of it!"

  She released Maggie. Ondun whistled into the air. "Zephanie, you can finish that Faearrow off now. Playtime's over." With a savage crunch that echoed through the ruined city, the Mon slammed herself into Lee Lee's Faearrow, who fell from their air, before being caught in the beam of the capture capsule her human ally carried her about in. Zephanie began twisting and releasing powerful green light, before spreading wider wings and crying "Galekite!" with a much longer beak.

  Lee Lee grinned. "A battle evolution. You're special. Fine, since the Rangers are having some trouble, I suppose I absolutely have to play with you two children. Unfortunately for you, you haven't known war as I have. This will be a short battle, even with you two fighting at your friends' side." He pulled out two capsules and released a pale bear and a white-scaled dragon.

  "Challenger makes the first move. I, Lee Lee, City Leader of Liangjian, accept your challenge. I will now ensure you regret making it."