Then 026 was in front of me, his fist heading towards my face at superhuman speed. I managed to dodge it barely, feeling how the wind from his blow grazed my cheek. ''He''s too fast!'' My mind screamed while trying to follow his movements. But 026 was like a shadow, appearing and disappearing at will.


    Burst-


    A sharp pain exploded in my side when one of his hits connected. I felt how my ribs cracked under the impact force. I grunted in frustration, launching a cutting wind blast in all directions. But 026 simply dodged it as if it was nothing.


    I straightened up, ignoring the pain in my back, and prepared for what would come next.


    From the corner of my eye, I could see how 045 was getting up, grabbed his shoulder and looked at his hand, which was soaked in blood. Then, he turned his head and looked at me. An inexplicable seriousness drew on his face.


    With a roar, 045 launched himself at me, his sword enhanced with supernatural fire.


    I reacted by instinct, creating a water barrier in front of me. 045''s sword clashed against it, creating a vapor cloud that filled the air.


    Taking advantage of the confusion, I launched a cutting wind blast towards 045. I heard him grunt in pain when the attack connected, but I couldn''t relax.


    The air filled with electrical tension. Before I could react, I felt a blow to the back of my head. The world spun and I found myself looking at the starry sky, my body embedded in the ground.


    I got up staggering, feeling every hit and cut I had received.


    The sharp pain made me gasp, but I couldn''t allow myself to show weakness. Not when Arceus lay unconscious and vulnerable. I felt hot blood sliding down my skin, but did they think this was enough to stop me? A fearless smile formed on my lips.


    I felt the air charge with electricity when survival instinct, honed by years of training with mom, alerted me of imminent danger. The sky, previously calm, had transformed into a canvas of threatening electric clouds.


    A lightning bolt descended in a perfect vertical line, heading straight towards me. Without thinking twice, I raised my dagger in a fluid motion, blocking the enemy sword covered in lightning that threatened to split me in two. The blue branches of electricity spread across the ground, creating a terrifying and hypnotic spectacle.


    [Continued for length...]


    The new enemy was above me, swinging his sword with both hands. In a blink, he disappeared from my sight and positioned himself at my side, trying to cut my ribs. I didn''t have time to fully process the movement. My body reacted by pure instinct, backing away and blocking with my dagger the attack that came from left to right.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Large blue sparks jumped every time our weapons clashed. I felt adrenaline running through my veins, my broken breathing, my tense muscles.


    I raised my dagger above my head just in time to block a blow that threatened to split my skull. The impact was so intense it numbed my hands. I closed my left eye from the force of the blow, feeling every fiber of my being fight against the pain.


    Suddenly, a precise kick impacted my stomach. The air escaped from my lungs while my body was shot towards the trees. I rolled on the ground, my long silver hair falling over my face like a protective veil.


    When I looked up, my heart skipped a beat. Two new enemies had arrived. Four against one.


    I felt deceived, betrayed. The enemies had hidden strategically during the ambush. Enigma had let them escape, knowing that getting out of their hands was practically impossible. From the beginning, they had us surrounded.


    —Damn it! —I muttered between teeth.


    My body shuddered. Enigma wasn''t just any enemy. He was truly formidable, calculating, capable of orchestrating situations that seemed impossible to survive.


    —You must be my welcome committee, —I said dryly, observing each figure. The level of power I felt from each of them made my blood freeze, they were clearly out of my league.


    The first was a tall man with broad shoulders. Loose strands of dark brown hair fell over his face. He wore a red chainmail under black half-plate armor that shone resplendently. This was the man who had fallen from the sky making quite a flashy entrance.


    His contemptuous gaze met mine. —We''re here to capture you, not to participate in foolish jokes.


    —Come on, 025, we almost never have fun —said one of the others, while placing thick blonde braids around his head and looking at me with hungry eyes—. We should have some fun with her before finally capturing her.


    Like 025, this second man also had blood-red eyes.


    Trapped in this desperate situation, I analyzed my possibilities quickly and quite precisely. The battle had reached the point of no salvation, let alone turning it in my favor. Moreover, time wasn''t on my side, I had severe wounds that threatened to consume me at any moment. They couldn''t see any escape route, so, I guess it''s time to show them what I''m made of.


    —Enough —ordered 025, and the deep well of his baritone voice buried the other voices—. We won''t waste more breath with you.


    Soon, the strands of my long silver hair began to float one by one, and...


    Flash!


    Blinding rays of light burst under my feet. An unimaginable amount of latent power awakened from its lethargy and the entire dome-shaped interior began to reverberate in resonance. The manifested energy was so great that the faces of all the hooded figures noticeably hardened.


    The bright, shifting light quickly changed to a rather attractive-looking armor made of pure light that enveloped the upper and lower part of my torso. A wing-shaped tiara settled on my forehead. Finally, a bright light shone from the top of my head, dyeing my hair in beautiful bright white tones.


    Without wasting more time, they tried with all their might to stop what I was doing. Multiple attacks from all directions rained towards me.


    The forest burst into chaos.


    Incredible fireballs, multiple wind blades, along with dozens of ice spears crossed the sky and cut the wind at dizzying speed. However, it was already too late.


    [Innate Ability: The Dragon''s Awakening (S)]