ANASTASIA PENDRAGON.

Suddenly, "mom's" body changed and resplendent flames rose from her body, quickly forming a silhouette wearing black armor.

I couldn't believe it, I watched in horror as a hand pierced through my younger brother's body.

—Arceus! —I screamed desperately, it was a cry of pain and anguish.

Arceus was on the ground, his small body convulsing while blood stained his clothes.

'No, no, no. This can't be happening.' I thought, while trying to deny reality as my trembling hands formed a wind spell, launching it with all the strength I could gather towards the attacker.

The man dodged the attack easily, but I didn't care.

Arceus had his eyes wide open and an expression of surprise on his face, I stumbled towards his small body that was only three steps away from me.

I checked him, but all I could do was accept this irreversible truth.

My knees bent and fell to the ground, my crimson eyes were filled with pain while hot tears ran down my cheeks, washing away the blood and dust.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

I didn't have time to feel what I was witnessing. I looked up when I heard the wind whistling in my ears while barely dodging the fist of the man who had seriously injured Arceus.

His speed was terrifying, almost supernatural. 'How can he move so fast?' I felt my heart beating hard against my chest. I had no time to think more, as a sound like tearing paper came from my right.

Burst-

A sharp pain exploded in my right cheek and suddenly I found myself looking at the ground. 'Damn it! He's too fast!' My mind screamed while I struggled to stay conscious. I could barely register the whistle above my head before instinctively rolling.

Burst-!

026's fist crashed into the ground where my head had been a second ago, shattering the earth. 'That was close!' I thought, feeling how fear started to grow inside me.

But I couldn't let panic take over. Not now.

My body rose while trembling at the same time as I took distance from the man.

The man smiled coldly while looking at me —Allow me to introduce myself. I'm 026, and I've come to take you with us.

026... those are numbers, not a person's name. What kind of monsters are these?

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

—Never!

That's when I saw it. Another figure emerged from the shadows, surrounding me.

This is bad, very bad.

—026, don't play with the girl —answered a deep male voice—. We have orders.

026 crossed his arms and pouted —Look who's talking, at least here I'm not the one who enjoys torturing, isn't that right, 045?

045 stretched his arm dramatically —Yeah, yeah, whatever you say.

Everything happened so fast I could barely process what was happening. I saw how 026 moved with supernatural speed, his body leaving barely a residual image on my retina when his foot impacted directly in the center of my chest.

The blow was devastating, but I wasn't the one who received it, my water clone dissolved in an instant, turned into a simple puddle that soaked the forest floor.

Now's my chance!, I thought while stealthily materializing behind him.

I positioned my legs with precision, feeling the familiar dagger I had always carried, this was a weapon I had only used in practice training with my mother, Adelaide.

With a fluid movement, I swung the dagger in a perfectly straight line, cutting 026's body in half.

My heart was beating hard, waiting to see the result of my attack, but something was wrong. Very wrong. There was no blood, no real resistance in my cut, just a cloud of wind that clouded my vision and made me doubt everything I thought I knew about my opponent.

What? A wind clone? But... When?! My mind desperately tried to comprehend what had just happened.

Terror invaded me when I heard his voice behind me, a voice that made every hair on my neck stand on end. It was as if death itself was whispering in my ear.

—I'm not so easy to kill —he said, and I could feel the smile in his voice, that horrible satisfaction of having his prey exactly where he wanted it.

My body reacted before my mind when I heard the whistle of air being cut by a deadly weapon. The sound was unmistakable, and sent chills down my spine. I threw myself to the ground with all the speed I could gather, feeling how his sword blade passed so close it cut some strands of my hair.

Just as I was trying to get up from my crouching position, I saw from the corner of my eye a flying kick approaching my body with terrifying speed. My mind screamed for me to move, but my body didn't respond fast enough.

The impact was brutal, as if a speeding carriage had run me over without mercy. I felt how my body lost contact with the ground, turned into little more than a rag doll at the mercy of the forces that sent me flying through the air. Pain exploded in every part of my being as I went through the forest, crashing against several trees before my forced journey finally came to an end.

—Cough... cough... —my body convulsed with a violent cough, and the metallic taste of blood flooded my mouth. 'He's strong... really strong!', I thought while trying to catch my breath.

I was terrified.

It was natural. It was the first time I had faced enemies of this level.

Even if I had seen my mother's fighting level up close, I had never seen anything like this.

I leaned against a tree trunk, holding my side that throbbed with pain. Despite the situation, a part of me couldn't help but feel a strange admiration. 'I haven't given my all yet, but this guy... is something else', I reflected while feeling the adrenaline running through my veins, keeping pain and fear at bay.

But before I could catch my breath, I felt a presence behind me. 'Oh no!' Panic took over me when I realized I had completely forgotten there was more than one adversary.

A sharp pain pierced my back, and I felt how the cold metal of a sword sank into my flesh. Blood gushed from the wound, staining the ground beneath my feet. 'Damn it! I was careless!' I felt how pain clouded my senses.

I lowered my gaze to the blood dripping from my wound, then raised my eyes to look at 045, who was standing a few meters away. Anger began to boil inside me. Without saying a word, I extended my hand, releasing a wave of power that made the air around me vibrate. A clicking sound resonated in the clearing.

I saw how 045's eyes widened, and he stepped back instinctively.

[Wind Blade (D-)]

Before 045 could react, I launched my wind attack. A sharp pain pierced his right shoulder, and I saw how his body fell to the ground.