The quiet forest was suddenly swept by waves of intense heat.
Jogo's fingers pressed together in a seal, unleashing a rapid-fire barrage of flames that sprayed from his palms, targeting the darting shadow weaving through the trees.
Every bullet of flame punched through rock as if it were nothing, leaving molten trails that dripped like lava from the holes.
The dense forest was quickly transformed into a sea of fire.
Jogo's eyes never stopped tracking his target, but even so, she slipped behind him with a single, fluid step.
Cursed energy flared around his fist like fire as he twisted to strike, but his punch met only empty air.
His arm was gone—severed before he could even land his blow.
Bang!
A seemingly dainty fist connected with Jogo's face, the terrifying force almost severing his head from his shoulders.
He started to fly backward, but Baobhan Sith wasn't done. She grabbed his ankle mid-flight, swinging him like a massive, spiked club, slamming him straight into the face of an enormous piranha-like beast that had lunged forward with fangs bared.
Purple blood sprayed like an arrow from the impact, and the ground cracked, sending a shockwave that snuffed out the ring of flames surrounding them, leaving only a scorched wasteland in its wake.
Baobhan Sith lifted Jogo by his leg, intending to slam him again, but found herself holding only his severed foot.
"A survival tactic, huh?"
Despite taking a blow like that to the head, he'd still managed to detach himself to escape? Or was it reflex, something he'd done without even realizing?
Two thick vines shot toward her from behind, skewering her figure—but her form dissolved into mist. It was only an afterimage.
Hanami tensed, throwing a punch to her left, only for Baobhan Sith to tilt her head to the side, effortlessly dodging it.
"Keeping up with my speed? No… you're tracking me through the plants around us."
Analyzing as she went, Baobhan Sith's body moved faster than thought. In three quick steps, she closed the gap and drove her elbow into Hanami's chest, immediately following up with her other hand, smashing it against Hanami's forehead.
Eight Extremes Fist—Tiger Ascends the Mountain!
The curse's tough, armor-like skin cracked under the strikes. It looked like a light injury on the surface, but the internal damage from the shockwaves had nearly obliterated it from within.
But curses were fundamentally different from humans, their life force stubbornly enduring—so long as they had enough cursed energy, they could recover from damage like this with ease.
But still…
"They're learning."
Baobhan Sith had trained Jasmine and beaten down Gojo and Geto in the past, but these cursed spirits developed at a rate entirely unlike humans.
In the midst of battle, she could feel their power growing, adapting.
Ignoring Hanami, who was now slumped on the ground, Baobhan Sith turned, tearing apart a massive water serpent that had swooped toward her from above.
A shadow fell over her as Dagon's hulking form loomed, muscles bulging as he aimed a powerful punch at her head. But before the punch could connect, his fist split down the middle, the fracture extending all the way to his shoulder as his arm split neatly to the sides, bypassing her completely.
"Hasn't anyone taught you not to touch a woman's face?"
Dagon's eyes widened in shock as he tried to step back, but a delicate white hand pressed firmly against his face.
Boom!
With a deep, resounding thud, she drove Dagon into the mountainside, cracks spreading outward like a spiderweb.
Baobhan Sith dragged the bloodied curse from the wall, lifting him by his head and slamming him down into the earth.
The ground cratered beneath them, rippling outward as the earth split around her.
She paused, frowning, then yanked Dagon out and slammed him against the mountainside again. The frown relaxed into a satisfied smile.
"Mhm, this side's got a better feel to it."
"Dagon—!"
Jogo, having returned, stared in horror, his rage like a volcano erupting atop his head.
"Tristan! I'm going to kill you!"
The wave of molten rock surged toward her, only for Baobhan Sith to scoff.
"Could you stop spouting nonsense? You're making yourself sound pathetic."
Her sword flashed, slicing through the wave of magma in a heartbeat. The assault shattered, several of the strikes even slicing through to Jogo, blood spraying from fresh wounds.
He dropped to his knees, vomiting up purple blood that sizzled as it hit the smoldering ground. Just as he tried to lift his head, a crimson high heel pressed down on it.
"This is the gap in our levels—the one you should remember."
He couldn't move.
It was as though the air around him had solidified, trapping him like a fly in amber. With Baobhan Sith's foot on his head, even twitching his fingers felt impossible.
"The moment you all decided to team up against me, your defeat was inevitable," Baobhan Sith sneered. "Only the weak need to find meaning in teamwork. The strong impose their will, asserting dominance. There's room for only one on the throne."
She pressed down harder, her strength pushing Jogo's head further into the dirt, fissures snaking out from the impact as the forest shook, trees collapsing under the force.
"The weak should bow down, gaze upon the mighty, tremble before their power—because this is a world where those who refuse to submit to the strong have only one fate: death."
She floated upward, slicing a fallen tree with an invisible blade to fashion a makeshift wooden stake, then aimed and hurled it down at Jogo.
Squelch.
The stake pierced his body instantly.
"AAAHHHHHHH!"
"Hahaha! What a beautiful sound! Such a melody of suffering!"
Landing atop the stake, Baobhan Sith pushed down with her foot, driving it deeper into Jogo's body, as violet blood splattered in every direction.
Jogo's screams grew more anguished and desperate.
Baobhan Sith brushed her fingers across her cheek, her gray eyes half-closed in rapture as her skin flushed with pleasure. She extended her tongue, slowly licking her lips and her pinky finger.
"Come on, come on, scream louder. Make it more pitiful. Make it last."
"Jogo—!"
Stumbling toward him, Hanami's voice was filled with sorrow and worry.
"What's wrong? Won't you come closer?"
Baobhan Sith turned her head toward Hanami, who stiffened, wary but unwilling to attack.
"No? You won't rush in to save your friend? Or…"
Pausing, Baobhan Sith observed the shock that spread across Hanami's face, her smile twisting with a sinister amusement.
"…Could it be you think you've stalled for enough time already?"
---
Translator's Note
Hi, trainers! I'm so excited to finally bring you Team Rocket's Second-in-Command! After translating over 300 chapters of this absolute gem, I can tell you it's everything—action, drama, and just the right amount of chaos. Luo Yuan isn't just a trainer; he's the trainer, slaying battles, running the underworld, and making us all swoon with his brilliance.
This is the last story I'll be posting this month, so let's go out with a bang! Thank you so much for all your love and support—you've made this journey so much fun to share. Now, let's dive in and cheer for our boy as he takes the Pokémon world by storm!
Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!
If you wish to support me or read ahead here's a link! [patreon.com/WiseTL]