Several days later, the duo were still checked in to the same hotel room. With the dim, early morning sun peering in through the curtains, Fireball awoke in his own bed to the smell of food. He looked over at Antoshi's bed.

It was empty. The boy was gone — again. A breakfast plate rested upon the nightstand for the hungry Typhlosion.

Fireball sighed in defeat. He sat up, scratching his side. Left to reflect upon their situation in solitude, he reached for the plate and eagerly partook of the food left for him. Antoshi had been on a gradual return to form over the past few days. His mood had improved immensely, though he continued to keep himself occupied with the singular goal of getting stronger. The boy was still a bit distant, lost in thought from time to time. Antoshi still had not gotten much sleep since the fight.

Fireball could only hope for the best, wishing for nothing more than to be done with this ordeal, and for his friend to be himself again. Once he finished with breakfast, he quickly hopped out of bed and made for the door.

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

Out in the same clearing in the woods as before, Antoshi was in the midst of training. With an intensely focused expression, his limbs blurred while punching and kicking in succession. Training his speed, he ran laps from one tree to the next and back continuously. He was clearing several hundred meters in heartbeats — not unlike what Latoshi had previously shocked them with when they first met.

"You're at it really early today," Fireball spoke, as he approached. Antoshi broke his focus, coming to a halt, smiling to his friend. "You didn't even wait for me to come with you."

“Sorry about that. Training is all can I do lately to keep myself from going stir-crazy. Sleep is pretty much an afterthought for me at this point. I woke up super-early this morning, brought you some food, and headed out here right after.”

Antoshi turned away and balled his fist tight, his body surging with the red energy of his aura. He gave a shout, throwing a punch as hard as he could. His aura flickered intensely, energy exuding off of his fist. The forest's foliage swayed before him, as though a sharp breeze had passed. He was gradually catching up with the abilities that Latoshi had displayed to him. However, he wouldn't be satisfied unless he could far surpass what he knew Latoshi was capable of already — let alone any improvements. After all, Latoshi was undoubtedly training, too. He needed something more, to give him the best chance at soundly defeating his rival.

"Whoa," Fireball remarked. "You sure have learned how to use your energy a lot better."

Antoshi reached down and grabbed the towel he'd brought from the hotel room. “I've been working hard at it,” he replied, wiping the sweat from his face, “considering how many times Latoshi kept pointing out my faults. I'm more comfortable with using my energy offensively now. There's still one little problem, though. I can flail my arms and legs all I want, but … I still don't know how to fight.”

"That … is an issue."

“The only fighting styles I've ever seen were from Pokémon, … as well as getting beat up by Latoshi. I don't think any of that is going to help me very much.”

"What are you going to do?"

Antoshi slung the towel over his shoulder. “The one thing I've ever been good at — learn.”

"Oh, no," Fireball remarked, horrified. "Don't tell me…"

“That's right. It's time to go visit … the library.”

Fireball covered his ears and shut his eyes. "No! Not books! Anything but books!"

Antoshi smiled, patting his friend's side, as they walked off together. “Come on, you. Books never hurt anybody.”

"That's not true. There was that one time when a book on the shelf in your bedroom hit me on the head."

“Oh yeah, you're right! I forgot about that.”

Fireball came to a sudden halt. "Antoshi, wait up a second." Antoshi stopped, turning to his friend, curiously. "I've been meaning to tell you that … well, I'm a bit worried."

Antoshi sighed and looked away. “Yeah, so am I.”

"Not about the fight, really, as much as I'm worried about … you." Antoshi expressed his confusion. "You've been really obsessing over this lately. When this is all over, … and, supposing we both make it out of this alive again, … will we be able to go back to normal?"

“I understand what you're saying, Fireball. I'm sorry, again, for losing myself recently. This … fight with Latoshi is the only thing I've been able to think about. It's only made worse by how I can just barely feel Latoshi's energy every so often. It's so … faint, but it's there. He's far away, but not far enough. It seems almost like he's taunting me.” They both turned their gazes to the ground. “To answer your question, though, I do hope we'll get back to our normal lives. I hope so just as much as you.”

Fireball gave his friend a slight smile. They continued on back to their hotel room.

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

After Antoshi took a shower and changed clothes, the two headed out for the library, which was only a couple of blocks away. Once they were inside, Fireball curiously followed Antoshi around, while the boy curiously browsed the aisles. He picked up several books on martial arts, as well as on self-defense. He found an empty table nearby to place them on, before going back to find some more.

With a few, small stacks of books piled up on the table, Antoshi sat down to start reading through them. Fireball, meanwhile, continued to meander around the library. The Typhlosion was trying to find anything to entertain him in the painfully quiet, uneventful building. There was not much besides nonspeaking people scattered randomly through the aisles, some with their Pokémon, and librarians to help others find what they were looking for. That, and books — lots and lots of books.

Given that Fireball himself could not read, he was out of options. He headed back to Antoshi, sitting across from him. Antoshi looked up, briefly, greeting his friend with a smile.

"Why didn't you use a computer to look up the stuff you wanted?" Fireball asked, keeping his voice hushed.

Antoshi pointed a thumb behind him, casually. “That's why.”

Fireball looked over and saw every one of the dozen or so computer terminals occupied, as well as a line of people waiting for them to free up.

"… Oh," the Typhlosion remarked, feeling silly.

Antoshi laughed, softly. “I learn better with a book anyway. The Internet is too distracting.”

"That's true. Don't forget to follow the 'Safe Browsing Rules' that your parents taught you."

Antoshi smirked and rolled his eyes, while Fireball snickered. “Trust me, they're drilled into my brain at this point.”

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

The minutes of studying rolled on into hours. Antoshi was fully engrossed in his reading, setting each book aside as he finished gathering information that was relevant to him. At various points, he would look at two different books simultaneously to compare information. He was enlightened to the basics, like fighting stances, and the proper way to throw a punch, before gradually stepping up the learning curve. He read how to keep from wasting movement, how to block and parry, pressure points to aim for, and how to read bodily movements to predict opponent's attacks.

Fireball gradually slumped over in his seat more and more until he was resting his head and forelimbs on the table. He curiously watched his friend mimic some of the fighting poses in the books.

"I'm so bored," Fireball eventually spoke up.

Antoshi heaved a sigh, and smiled reassuringly at his friend. “I know, Fireball.” He glanced up at the clock on the wall. “Let's take a break for now. We can go walk around the park nearby for a while.”

"Sounds good to me!"

Fireball eagerly got up and headed for the exit. Antoshi deposited all but one of the books into a nearby collection bin. He took the one he was reading with him, checked it out with the librarian, and joined his friend outside. The midday sun hung out with the puffy clouds littered high in the sky. The duo stretched their arms up, taking a deep breath of the outside air, before they set off for the nearest crosswalk.

“It is a really nice day out,” Antoshi remarked. “Good idea getting us outside, Fireball.”

"You said it. Hey, maybe there'll be an ice cream vendor at the park."

Antoshi chuckled. “I know you'll keep your eyes peeled.”

They crossed the street safely and headed down a nearby pathway that led into the aforementioned park. It was a much quieter park than the one they saw outside the Goldenrod train station. Nevertheless, there was plenty of activity around them. Joggers along the path, people sitting together on the grass, and a young man playing fetch with his Growlithe. As the duo walked side by side, Antoshi's nose was firmly buried in his book.

Fireball inhaled and let out a content sigh. "I remember you used to call nice days like this a 'good omen' back in Kanto."

“Yeah, now it's more like 'the calm before the storm',” Antoshi joked, with a laugh.

Fireball expressed his disappointment at the remark. Despite making light of the situation, his friend still didn't come off to him as being back to his old self. Antoshi was too busy reading his book to notice's Fireball's reaction.

“Did you know,” Antoshi went on, “in some old civilizations, women were the ones that developed and mastered different forms of martial arts? That's so cool. I've never even seen a girl fight before. … Though, I haven't seen much combat between people at all.”

"You seem pretty excited about this whole 'fighting' thing."

“Yeah, well, it's almost certain at this point that I'll have to fight Latoshi again soon. It scares the heck out of me, but … I don't really have a choice. I might as well get as excited about it as I can.”

"Antoshi?" Fireball said, grabbing his friend's attention. "I just wanted to say it's nice to see you … mostly back to normal. You seem a lot more confident now. You're not so, … well, angry as you were a few days ago."

“I'm as normal as I can be, given the circumstances,” he replied with a grin. “I'm just … doing my best to keep my feelings in check.”

“Hey, you!” the nearby voice of a youngster called out. “Book Kid and Typhlosion!” The duo turned toward the boy. “Want to battle?”

They both looked to each other with the same expression of elation. “You up for it?” Antoshi asked.

"When am I not?"

Antoshi slipped a Furret-shaped bookmark into his book and closed it. Fireball eagerly took his position a few meters in front of his friend, standing between him and the youngster.

“Cool beans, dude! I've lived in Johto my whole life and that's only the second Typhlosion I've ever seen!”

“Well, I think you'll find that Fireball here is the best Typhlosion you'll ever see, too.” Fireball's eyes lit up, turning to his friend with an enthused grin in response to his friend's confidence. They gave each other a thumbs up.

“Awesome! I love a challenge!” The boy pulled a Poké Ball from his belt. “The name's Gabriel. What's yours?”

“I'm Antoshi, from Saffron City.”

“Antoshi, huh? Weird name!”

Fireball and Antoshi grinned to each other. “Good to know some things never change,” Antoshi remarked.

Gabriel tossed out his first Pokémon from the confines of its ball: a Gurdurr. The stocky, muscular Pokémon gave a cry, raising a large steel girder over its head for a moment before holding it at its side.

“So, are you ready to battle or what?” Gabriel asked. Folding his arms across his chest, he flashed Antoshi a cocky smirk. Antoshi's eyes widened in shock, his heart rate raising substantially. The way Gabriel smirked caused him to recollect images of Latoshi's arrogant expression. “Hey there! Antoshi-dude!” Gabriel said, snapping Antoshi out of his daze. “I said, 'are you ready'?”

“Oh, … we're definitely ready!” Both he and Fireball nodded in unison.

“All right! Gurdurr, give 'em a Rock Slide!”

Gurdurr spiked its girder into the ground, raised its arms up, and gave a long shout. Amorphous orbs of energy appeared high over Fireball. The orbs solidified into rocky boulders.

“Fireball, keep moving!” Antoshi said.

Fireball quickly sprinted around on all fours. "Finally getting a good stretch in after all that sitting!" he remarked.

The heavy boulders slammed down to the ground in a seemingly random pattern. Antoshi studied said pattern, carefully. Each one missed Fireball by a short distance, but were gradually closing in.

“Fireball — stop!”

The Typhlosion immediately did so, coming to a halt mere inches from one final boulder that rattled the ground in front of him.

‘That wasn't bad!’ Gabriel thought, with a look of surprise. ‘They know what they're doing.’

“Fireball, use Flamethrower!”

Fireball hopped on top of that last, massive boulder. He inhaled deeply, before opening his maw to send a powerful stream of fire at the Gurdurr.

“Gurdurr — defend!”

Gurdurr held on to the back of its metal girder, which was still firmly planted in the ground, using it as a shield from the flames.

“Full breath, Fireball!” Antoshi said.

Fireball shut his eyes tight, pouring out as much fire as he could give. The girder glowed red-hot. Before Gabriel's eyes, the metal started to bend and melt. Gurdurr shouted in shock, dancing around in a panic, the intensely hot flames lapping at its feet and sides. Once Fireball's attack finished, he inhaled deeply before sighing in relief, exhaling a large puff of smoke. Gurdurr hopped away from the smoldering streaks of fire on the ground. It swiftly patted out the flames on its body.

Gabriel had a look of concern as he inspected the melted steel. ‘That was pretty scary,’ he thought. ‘Just how good are these two?’

Fireball hopped down from the rock and returned to his position in front of his Trainer.

“Gurdurr, return!” Gabriel said. He held up its Poké Ball, which retrieved it into its confines, along with its melted steel girder. “All right, Antoshi-dude! Your Typhlosion is really strong, so I'll just send out my best Pokémon! It'll be a clash of the titans!” Gabriel switched out for an Ultra Ball on his belt, which he enlarged and tossed out. “Go, Houndoom!”

Antoshi was shocked by the presence of the emerging black-furred demonic dog. His mind immediately recalled the horrors brought about by Lucent, the undead Houndoom aspect that aided Latoshi in their fight. Fireball, too, was not terribly happy to see another Houndoom so soon. He turned to Antoshi, greeted by a blank look in the boy's eyes.

“So, what do you think of my Houndoom?” Gabriel said proudly, his hands firmly on his hips.

Antoshi was on another plane of reality, unable to respond as he stared at the opposing Pokémon. Unlike earlier, Antoshi was not able to snap out of his daze this time.

“Aha,” Gabriel said, “you're giving that 'calm and stoic' reaction, huh? Well, we're not gonna be intimidated by you! All right, Houndoom, use Rocket Fuel!” His Houndoom whimpered and rolled its eyes. The boy laughed. “You hate it when I call it that, huh? Okay, okay. Flame Charge, Houndoom!”

Houndoom gave a snort of fire from its nostrils, its body quickly becoming enveloped in flame. It darted swiftly toward Fireball while Gabriel looked on with pride.

‘Flame Charge isn't Houndoom's best attack,’ Gabriel thought, ‘but, at least it'll give me a good idea of how strong that Typhlosion really is.’

Fireball stood in place, confused, waiting for Antoshi to make the next call. Antoshi, however, was frozen in place at the sight of the Houndoom rushing toward them. His heart raced, trembling fearfully. He recalled Lucent lurching toward Fireball, and how he intervened to shield his best friend with his own body. The smell and the sight of blood running down from his gaping wound were still fresh in his mind.

‘Fireball,’ he recalled his words, after his friend had been knocked unconscious by Latoshi. ‘Come on, Fireball. … Please, wake up!’

Fireball was about to be struck by Houndoom's Flame Charge. The Typhlosion turned around in concern, and gasped at the sight of his friend suddenly enveloped in his red aura.

‘How perfect it is to have both of you together like this,’ Latoshi had said, ready to strike the two with blasts of energy. ‘It'll be like shooting fish in a barrel!’

“No!” Antoshi shouted, aiming his open palms at the Houndoom. In his stupor, he fired a potent blast of spirit energy at the ground between Fireball and Gabriel's Houndoom. The resulting explosion knocked the two Pokémon backwards several meters.

The blast was heard and felt by nearly everyone in the park. Passersby and their Pokémon screamed in terror, some of them running away.

"Antoshi!" Fireball exclaimed, over the sound of falling dirt and debris, finally pulling his friend back to reality. "Why did you do that?!"

“What was that?!” Gabriel shouted. His Houndoom got to its feet and returned to the boy's side.

Antoshi was terrified by what he'd just wrought. People all around him were gawking and staring at the sight. A large crater, the size of an automobile, sat between the two Trainers, and beneath a cloud of dust. Antoshi had no idea what to say to Gabriel, or to any of the bystanders.

“Fireball, let's go,” he said, shuffling away from the scene, quickly. Fireball got up and followed, lagging behind him. The duo were too nervous to look at anyone.

“What happened?” a voice in the crowd asked.

“Was it from a Pokémon battle?”

“I think it was some kind of old, unexploded land mine,” another person remarked.

"Antoshi!" Fireball said, as he caught up to his friend. "Are you okay?"

“I thought I was,” the boy replied, solemnly, “but I realize now that I'm definitely not.”

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

Antoshi and Fireball headed straight back to their hotel room. They opted to stay put, uneasy about going out for the rest of the day. Antoshi kept his book from the library, continuing to read and study it in silence while he laid on his bed. Fireball passed the time by resting, looking out the window, and eventually turning on the television. Antoshi sighed, closing the book for the time being. He opted to watch TV with Fireball during the evening news broadcast.

“And, in other news tonight, an explosion rocks Sunset Park in eastern Goldenrod,” the news reporter said. The duo's eyes widened. “Witnesses say an unknown explosive ordnance detonated in an area where two young Trainers were having a Pokémon battle. The Trainers and their Pokémon were unharmed, but the blast made a sizable crater. Police have cordoned the area off. They could not give any further details on the situation and are still investigating.”

“Great,” Antoshi remarked, burying his face in the mattress. “That's all I need now — for the police to come and ask me questions about what happened. What do I even tell them?”

"What's wrong with telling them the truth?" Fireball replied.

Antoshi looked up, gawking at his friend in disbelief. “You want me to tell them that I did that?”

"Of course! Do you really think they're going to believe you when you tell them 'a giant ball of energy came out of my hands and destroyed the ground'?"

Antoshi pondered for a moment. “That … might be crazy enough to work,” Antoshi said, grinning. “The story is way too insane. They'll think I'm nuts and leave me alone. Even though, … right now, I definitely am going nuts.” The boy sighed as he rolled over onto his back, staring at the ceiling. “I have no idea when Latoshi's going to make a move. It was just dumb luck that I bumped into him after sensing his energy the first time we met. I can't pinpoint exactly where he is, not unless he outputs a lot of energy. Right now, he's keeping his energy restrained. I can't do anything until he's ready to seek me out again.” Antoshi scoffed. “I'm sure he'll make that point loud and clear whenever he does show….”

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

That night, Latoshi was in the midst of his meditative training once again. His thoughts, however, were distracted.

‘Who is 'Declan'?’ he thought, furrowing his brow. ‘Is it someone I knew? Someone … I was close to? Was it … me?’ He growled softly in frustration. ‘If I could just remember. … If I could remember that woman's voice. She was calling out. 'Declan.' … 'Declan.' …’

“Declan!”

Latoshi gasped at the sound of the woman's voice again. He immediately sprang to his feet, looking around. There was no one around. He exhaled slowly, closing his eyes and clenching his fists.

‘Concentrate,’ Latoshi thought. ‘Try to remember. Remember … Declan …’

“Declan!” the woman exclaimed. This time, however, he didn't open his eyes. He kept them closed, putting all of his effort into trying to scratch and claw his way through to his subconscious. Latoshi recalled a gradually clearing image of a woman with long, wavy blonde hair. He gasped again, trembling in excitement. It was a breakthrough unlike anything he'd had before. His heart fluttered at the very idea of recollecting his memories, and finally being able to tie himself to his forgotten past.

The woman was angry. She was angry at him. He walked up to her, trying to get past her, as she stood at the front door of a house. She blocked the doorway, and he responded by angrily pushing her aside.

“Declan, that's enough!” she said.

“Stop it now!” a man next to her shouted, trying to grab his arm. He immediately yanked his arm away and stormed up a flight of stairs.

“Get lost!” Latoshi shouted back. “I won't listen to you! You're not even my real parents!”

“Declan!” they both called to him.

His vision abruptly turned to darkness. Latoshi fell to his knees, panting and trembling. Tears welled in his eyes as he slowly opened them.

‘Why?’ he thought. ‘Why did … I do that? Why do I feel so much sorrow? Why can't I … remember everything?’ He hunched over, pounding his fists into the dirt as he wept. ‘Damn it.’ He inhaled, shakily, tears falling to the ground. ‘Why can't I remember?’

'Because I will not let you,' Lazarus replied, startling him. 'Oh, so sorry. Did I interrupt your thoughts?'

“Lazarus?” he wondered aloud, falling back into a sitting position. “You … can hear my thoughts?”

'Of course. I have been able to hear and see your thoughts since the very beginning.'

Dread suddenly swept over the boy. “What— … what did you mean you won't let me remember?”

Lazarus chuckled in amusement. 'Ah, I knew this would happen eventually. I knew the truth would have to come out someday.' Latoshi had a puzzled look on his face. 'You truly believed you had amnesia. All those months locked in that prison. You believed me, just like I knew you would, because of what a stupid little child you are. So easy to manipulate and do my bidding.' Latoshi slowly got to his feet, trembling in rage. 'The truth is, … you never had 'amnesia'. I have been blocking your memories and holding them hostage.'

The wind was knocked from his lungs. “My … memories,” he remarked in disbelief. “Give them back, Lazarus. You have to give them back! You're in my body, and relying on me to get stronger! I'm not going to do anything you say until you give me what I want!”

Lazarus cackled loudly, leaving Latoshi confused once more. 'How stupid are you?! You think that you are the one in control? How do you think I was able to see your vision training earlier? I have become just as much a part of you as you are, Latoshi. So, you will never get what you want — I get what I want all the time!'

Latoshi was frightened and bewildered.

'You have never had a moment to yourself this whole time! I know everything that you think and say, so you cannot hide anything from me! You thought you could scheme and plan against me, go against what I tell you, like some rebellious little delinquent? I know that you have been trying to muster up your memories, and bits and pieces of them have slipped through the cracks of the barrier I built around them. But that is not a problem — I can just reset your memories again!'

“No!” Latoshi shouted, grabbing his head.

'Yes, Latoshi! And while I am at it, I shall block out all those fond little memories you made with Antoshi and his stupid pet! You will do my bidding as long as I want you to, and there is nothing that you can do about it because I can continue to lock your memories away again and again! I am the only one you will listen to for the rest of your life! Every time you think you think you have the upper hand with your disobedience toward me, I always have that as my ace in the hole!'

“Please, no, Lazarus! Please, don't take away my memories!”

'Oh, it is too late for pleading now, Latoshi. I cannot let you know of my true plans for you! I did not want to have to resort to this because of how loyal you were, but you have left me no choice! Now, get stronger for me, my puppet! Dance for me as I pull on your strings!!'

Lazarus' cackling echoed through Latoshi's head as he stared at the sky, blankly. All of the positive memories he made, the positive emotions he felt, and the memories of his past life he rediscovered were ripped away from him once again — just as Lazarus had done to him before he awoke in the military base.

When all was said and done, Latoshi stumbled and fell onto his behind. In the quiet of the night, he continued to stare, vacantly, at the ground for a short time.

'Now then,' Lazarus spoke again, calm and collected. 'I think you have had enough time to train, Latoshi. Your power has grown exponentially since you began your tutelage under me. Those men slain by you in the alley some time ago were just an appetizer. I think the table is set for you to enjoy the main course.' A twisted smile of elation slowly crept across Latoshi's lips. He rose back to his feet with aplomb, gazing at the city in the distance. 'The time has come for you to begin purging the evil from this world. Cleanse it in your image, Latoshi. Lay the groundwork for what will become your utopia.'

Latoshi chuckled, stretching out his neck. “Sounds good to me. I feel like I've got a ton of pent-up frustration for some reason, and it needs to be taken out on someone.”

The boy ascended high into the air. He took off, soaring around the city, looking for any individuals whom he deemed unworthy to live.

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

Latoshi scoured dozens of miles of city streets from way up high. Frustration began setting in, as all turned out to be far quieter and peaceful that night than he'd like. There were no guilty souls for him to pass his judgment upon.

'If they refuse to come out,' Lazarus said, 'you must seek them out.'

“They're hiding like cockroaches,” Latoshi remarked with a bitter expression. “Where would I find these parasites? People who commit crimes, and have hearts of ice? …”

His eyes lit up when he spotted a large compound near the western edge of the city. He flew toward it, its bright spotlights pointing to the sky, drawing him in like a moth. The long facility was surrounded by multiple rows of steel gates topped with barbed wire. His chest swelled as he noticed the sign at the front: 'Goldenrod Penitentiary, Maximum Security'.

'Very resourceful, Latoshi. However, you must remain cautious. These facilities tend to employ advanced technology in their security, not unlike the one you were imprisoned in.'

“What should I do?”

'Move quickly and quietly, if you plan to enter. It is very likely they have heat, motion, or sound detection — even outside. Whatever plan you decide on, make sure it is something their normal, human eyes cannot detect.'

“Then, I should use my Ki,” he remarked. “Those disgusting creeps in the military base couldn't see it when I used it then.”

'Of course. Only those with spirit awareness are able to detect it. So, what do you plan to do?'

Latoshi thought for a moment before chuckling in amusement. His dark aura emanated and briefly flared around his body. He held both hands out toward the prison walls.

“Knock, knock,” Latoshi muttered, grinning, before firing a large blast of energy. The attack caused an explosion that ripped through the solid concrete, shaking the entire compound, demolishing a massive section of the wall. Distant screaming from inside the building followed immediately after. Alarms rang out through the prison.

“Security breach!” a voice said over the loudspeakers. “Southeast corridor security breach!”

“Now, then,” he muttered to himself, “how many of you scum want to party?”

The boy waited patiently as the cloud of dust started to settle. He hummed curiously when he saw a prisoner emerge soon after. Wearing a yellow jumpsuit, the man climbed over the rubble, and ran for the first barbed wire gate. The field he passed through was particularly long, and his yellow clothes made it easy for the guards in the towers to spot him. Amid the chaos, however, there were no guards aware of his escape.

Dozens more prisoners began to follow, forming a few large groups that raced down the field. Latoshi laughed, beginning his descent toward the ground.

“I knew it,” he remarked with a smirk. “Just like cockroaches, they scatter. Don't worry, I'll give you all an early release from your sentences…”

The first man panted heavily, scrambling closer to the first gate. Latoshi suddenly landed in front of him, causing him to come to a startled halt.

“Who—who the hell are you?!” he shouted.

Latoshi gave his response in the form of an amused grin. He disappeared in an instant, leaving the man bewildered until the boy made a dash past him. Latoshi just barely nicked the man's neck with his hand, which burned with a thin layer of his dark energy. Though minor, the strike was more than enough to slice his throat like the edge of a razor-sharp blade. The man's eyes shot open wide with horror, clasping the open wound with both hands. He fell to the ground, choking and gagging, while Latoshi quickly went after his next victim.

He rushed toward a very brawny man who was nearing the first wall. Latoshi appeared behind him, grabbed him by his jumpsuit, and threw him with such force into the metallic wall that he was killed by the impact immediately. His body made a large dent in the wall before he slumped to the ground. Latoshi turned around and fired wild blasts of energy at the groups of fleeing prisoners. The ones that were unfortunate to be struck had their bodies, or parts of them, instantly burned to ashes on contact.

The guards in the towers finally noticed the prison break. They were too perplexed by the sight of the prisoners quickly dying off before their eyes to react. Latoshi moved through the rest of the people in the field, slaying and felling every single one with conviction. Endless screams rang out from his victims. His lips were ever curled into a pleased smirk, blood spattering all over his body and clothes.

Yet, despite how effective and thorough he was, his eyes carried a deep emptiness. It was an emptiness that only became more pronounced as his rampage continued on.