Twin torrents of crimson fire and slow bubbling mud sprayed me from different directions.


    The area became a dark blur as I moved almost instantly toward my next target, the mage with thick blonde braids who had given me so much trouble. I only had an instant to be surprised when his crimson eyes followed me, a shield quickly manifested and moved upward to block my attack.


    The sword crashed against his imposing shield, which was wrapped in a thick layer of sapphire-colored ice.


    A blast of pure energy shook the forest and we were both thrown by the force of our simultaneous strikes. I fell, landed on my feet, and only had an instant to contemplate the flames enveloping his shield before acidic tentacles wrapped around my legs. I cut through them and my energy shattered the spell.


    The cloud of crimson fire reached me and flooded me with a twilight haze of boiling fire that tried to force its way through my nose and mouth. I shot out an aimless nova of golden fire, which nullified the intense red flames.


    The ground stirred beneath my feet when a partially formed ice golem burst through the ground and stretched toward me. I slid one foot back across the destroyed ground while the pointed claws closed on nothing but dust, then struck with the sword once, twice, three times.


    The bursts of golden fire ran through the golem, which crumbled and burned.


    A greenish energy condensed beneath me and I stepped back just as the ground began to ooze thick, poisonous mud. An emerald cyclone forced me to dodge again while I deflected a three-pronged lightning bolt with the dagger and released a burst of golden fire to drive away the clouds of crimson fire.


    There were too many and they left me few openings between their combined spell attacks to go on the offensive. As I spun to stay away from the cyclone, I considered my own capabilities. I needed to maximize my mobility and balance the scales.


    More than a dozen elemental attacks rose as if they wanted to pierce the ceiling and began to explode, fall, cut, and strike fiercely in all directions.


    Strike! Strike! Strike! Strike!


    The ground shook violently and spat dust into the air. The attacks were now accompanied by the sounds of tearing air as they proceeded to indiscriminately attack all surroundings. My body was an afterimage moving at superhuman speed and my white hair spun beside it like multiple hula hoops. Golden streaks of light were left in my wake as I floated when finally, I broke through the bombardment of attacks.


    The mage was the hardest to defeat, this bastard controlled magic with amazing skill. His hands traced complex patterns in the air, and suddenly I found myself surrounded by multiple copies of himself. Illusions, of course. With a gesture of my hand, the golden fire around me transformed into a storm of flames. The mage''s copies vanished one by one upon contact with the golden fire, until only the original remained. His face, previously confident, now showed fear and terror.


    —Impressive— he muttered, before being burned alive and reduced to nothing. One down, three to go.


    I had no time to celebrate, 045 was already upon me.


    His crimson sword moved at dizzying speed. I dodged and blocked, my body moving almost by instinct when my dagger penetrated him as if he were paper. I saw his eyes open in surprise before his body was turned to dust by the golden fire.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    I felt fear and horror at the ease with which I had ended several lives.


    ''Two down'', I panted slightly. The use of the Dragon''s Awakening was draining my energy, faster than I expected.


    Two remained, 025, the knight, and 026, the assassin.


    026 moved first, his speed enhanced by the wind. He was fast, incredibly fast. But I was no longer playing.


    [Wind Prison (A+)]


    The air around him solidified, trapping him mid-movement. I saw the panic in his eyes when he realized he couldn''t move. Without losing a second, his body was pierced by my sword before he could even scream.


    025, the last one standing and the strongest, looked at me with panic. His sword, wrapped in lightning, trembled slightly in his hand.


    —You are... you''re a monster— he muttered, his voice broken by fear.


    —No— I replied, feeling a pang of sadness —I''m just someone protecting their family.


    With a war cry, 026 launched himself at me, his sword leaving a trail of electricity in the air. He was brave, I had to admit it. But he was also desperate, and that made him predictable.


    When my dagger covered in golden fire pierced him, his charred body fell to the ground, motionless.


    Four, I finally counted, feeling how the adrenaline left my body. The pain from my wounds, temporarily forgotten in the heat of battle, returned with a vengeance.


    I dropped to my knees, panting heavily. I had won, against all odds. A sad smile formed on my lips.


    Knowing that I had ended human lives didn''t make me feel good, even if I had to do it to protect my family.


    —I did it, —I muttered, looking toward where Arceus lay unconscious—. We''re safe.


    Cough! Cough!


    I stood up with a hoarse cough. My face was wet. Without realizing it, I wiped my mouth and opened my eyes wide. Fresh blood soaked my hand. My face had been covered in blood without my knowing.


    "Ugh...."


    An intense dizziness hit my head. To be frank... I wasn''t in good shape. I felt a tightness in my chest and my stellar energy was boiling. I also felt parts of my body loosening.


    ?Must be the price for activating the Dragon''s Awakening?, I muttered to myself before slowly catching my breath.


    The silver light surrounding my body went out and my body quickly returned to its original color.


    The Dragon''s Awakening wasn''t a convenient ability that could be used and maintained for as long as one wanted.


    I had activated it only to quickly kill my opponents and even so, it hadn''t been an easy battle.


    I knew I was undoubtedly stronger in raw power than all of them, but I lacked the level of skill and experience they had, which had made it difficult for me to get rid of them quickly.


    These were opponents of at least rank A, and 025 was at least a rank AA Ascendant, a coordinated team of such power had a threat level similar to a rank AAA- Ascendant.


    Suddenly, something fell from the sky and hit the ground.


    My eyes opened in surprise in an instant, upon recognizing that something.


    The man who lay on the ground while hugging an unconscious woman to his chest was none other than Atlas, my father.


    I brought my hands to my mouth as tears threatened to fall from my eyes.


    His face was soaked with blood flowing from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, and even the areas of his neck and chest were stained red. It was as if he had washed his face with blood.


    Mom, who was on his chest, seemed to be a little better.


    Before I could worry about my parents'' condition or how and why they ended up like this, I felt it.


    An overwhelming presence, so powerful that it made the air itself seem to tremble. Terror invaded my mind, paralyzing me on the spot.


    Someone was approaching.


    I turned and saw him...


    It was Enigma, the man was approaching slowly.


    His face was still covered behind a white mask that covered even his head, smooth and featureless, reflecting light in an unsettling way.


    ?No... it can''t be. Did they defeat Mom and Dad?? My face visibly paled and my body started to shake.


    I tried to stand up, but my body wouldn''t respond. Fear, cold and ruthless, had taken over every fiber of my being. I knew, with terrifying certainty, that this was the end.


    ?I''m sorry, Arceus?, tears beginning to fall clouding my vision.


    It seems I won''t be able to protect you after all.


    I didn''t have the slightest confidence in defeating Enigma.


    Suddenly, RUMBLE! An explosion of energy shook the now destroyed battlefield, making the earth itself tremble.


    A white pillar of energy rose toward the sky while a cloud of dust rose and spread through the now destroyed forest.


    When the dust cloud dissipated, the figure of a boy was revealed.


    It was... Arceus.


    He was standing while a terrifying power coursed through his body, a brilliant white aura roaring throughout his body.