What was going on here? Why couldn't their Pokémon move?
The next moment, all six of their Pokémon collapsed to the ground one after another, their faces ashen with lifelessness.
"M-my… my Raichu is dead…"
"Mine too…"
The six men rushed to their Pokémon's sides to check their injuries. Yet what they saw was not wounds, not scars, not even a single trace of battle.
But every single one of their Pokémon was dead—dead without any warning, without any sign.
"You… you're so vicious! Aren't you afraid of being punished under the Pokémon Protection Act?"
Snapping out of their grief, one of the six pointed at Draco and roared with rage.
The Pokémon Protection Act had very clear rules: as long as it was a battle between trainers, no side was allowed to kill the other's Pokémon.
Yet Draco had struck once and wiped out all six of their Pokémon on the spot.
"Pokémon Protection Act? That's nothing but a rule made for the weak. To me, it's nothing more than a pile of worthless scraps."
Draco cast a cold glance at the man, speaking as though his Pokémon hadn't just slaughtered six trained partners, but rather crushed six ants underfoot.
"You… you just wait, I'll report you! I swear I'll report you!"
The man's hand trembled as he pointed at Draco, anger flooding his chest. At the same time, his heart ached bitterly—after all, that Raichu had been his strongest Pokémon.
Sure, if they had obtained those Berries, they could have sold them for a few million Pokécoins.
But compared to the resources he had poured into raising that Raichu, the value of those Berries wasn't even close.
And now, just over a petty dispute about fruit, his Pokémon had been slaughtered without mercy.
"Report me? By all means—go ahead. I'll be right here waiting. Oh, and when you do report me, make sure to report Nathan as well. Because his Pokémon? I've already decided to kill them too!"
Draco sneered, his words dripping with disdain.
The six, realizing how twisted he was, turned immediately to leave, wanting to run back and report him.
But the moment they turned, Draco gave his Pokémon a subtle nod.
A wave of scorching wind swept through, and in this desert-like mystic realm filled with whirling yellow sand, not only were there now six Pokémon corpses—there were also six human corpses lying cold on the ground.
"Nathan… I'll make you understand. I am the true protagonist of this world! You're nothing more than a stepping stone on my path to godhood!"
After declaring this, Draco casually plucked the Berries from the tree, pocketed them, and continued deeper into the mystic realm in search of Nathan.
Not long after Draco left, another group of trainers exploring the area stumbled across the site.
"Damn it, what the hell—almost made me eat a mouthful of sand!"
One of them suddenly tripped over something buried beneath the swirling dust, nearly falling flat on his face.
Luckily, his companions caught him just in time.
"Hahaha, wow, you really are unlucky. In all this sandstorm you actually managed to trip!"
One of his teammates laughed loudly at him.
The man who nearly fell looked annoyed at being mocked. He turned back toward the spot where he had tripped and gave a strong kick.
"Who the hell leaves shoes lying around out here?"
But after his foot struck, his expression darkened.
Because it wasn't a shoe at all. It was a leg.
"This is…"
The man's eyes widened, pointing at the leg jutting out from the sand, his face unsettled.
"What are you waiting for? Dig it out! We need to see if they're still alive!"
…
Ten minutes later, the group stood frozen in shock, staring at the six corpses they had dug out of the sand. Their faces were a mix of fear and disbelief.
The mystic realm had only just opened. It had been mere hours since trainers entered—yet here they had found six dead bodies already.
Even stranger: every corpse showed no signs of wounds. It was as though their lives had simply been snuffed out in an instant.
"Something's not right… there's no way it's just human bodies. Search the area again—there must be Pokémon nearby too!"
They fanned out and began scouring the sand. In just a few minutes, six Pokémon corpses were uncovered as well.
"What now? Should we drag them back out to the guards?"
"That's the only thing we can do…"
Meanwhile, Draco, who had just murdered six trainers and their Pokémon, felt no burden on his conscience at all.
He was destined to be the main character of this world. To him, the lives of six people were nothing but dust.
With a Pokémon of such overwhelming strength by his side, even if someone tried to capture him, they wouldn't succeed.
With its power, he could walk sideways across the entire world without fear.
The corpses of the six trainers and their Pokémon were soon hauled out of the mystic realm.
When the guards stationed at the entrance saw the bodies, their hearts sank.
Every year, people died in mystic realms—it was nothing unusual.
But for six people and six Pokémon to be found dead within just a few hours of the realm opening? That had never happened before.
And what was even more disturbing: not one of them bore any wounds.
The Pokémon responsible had to be terrifyingly powerful.
At minimum, it had to be of legendary rank—and it had killed with a bloodthirsty intent.
By protocol, if such a Pokémon was discovered inside a mystic realm, the first course of action was to shut the realm down immediately.
But the problem was, this realm had drawn far too many people.
A brand new mystic realm was essentially a land of gold—every step held treasures. How could there possibly be few people inside?
"Report this to the higher-ups. We'll wait for their decision."
The guards filed their report, and soon enough, orders came down: from this moment forward, no one else was allowed to enter the realm.
At the same time, a team would be dispatched to enter the realm and extract everyone still inside.
The military's elite Pokémon Squad, who were in the middle of training, quickly received their orders.
Their mission: enter the mystic realm and bring everyone out alive.
Difficulty rating: SSS-level!
This was, without question, the most dangerous mission the Pokémon Squad had ever been assigned.
Missions of this level inevitably meant the involvement of legendary Pokémon—likely more than one.
"Brothers!" Crane, their captain, addressed the hundred men assembled before him. "You've all seen it. This mission has been classified as SSS-level. You all know what that means. If anyone wants to withdraw, I can excuse you here and now."
He had watched every single member join the squad. He had overseen their training day in and day out. They were all his brothers.
And yet, this mission was perilous beyond belief.
Even though the squad's strength was impressive, compared to the weight of this mission, it was still lacking.
If only Instructor Nathan hadn't left so soon. If they had just a few more days, and Nathan could go with them, then even if the mission's difficulty increased by another level, they wouldn't be afraid.
But among the hundred men, not one stood up. Not one opened his mouth.
Yes, the mission was difficult. Yes, their strength might not be enough.
But they were the strongest team the nation had.
If they didn't go, who else possibly could?
"In that case," Crane sighed, "let me tell you the specifics of our task."
"We're heading into a newly-appeared mystic realm."
"Since its opening, six trainers and six Pokémon have already died inside."
"Among the fallen Pokémon, there are even champion-level ones."
"And none of the bodies—human or Pokémon—showed any wounds. The one responsible may be a legendary Pokémon or a legendary-level. Possibly more than one."
"Our mission is to extract everyone from the mystic realm in the shortest time possible."
Every word he spoke only made the mission sound heavier.
A newly-opened mystic realm meant they had almost no information about the inside.
The champion-level deaths, the unwounded corpses, the likelihood of a legendary Pokémon—every point only drove home how dangerous this would be.
"Now then, if any of you still wish to stay behind, step out. I won't hold it against you."
Crane's gaze swept across the hundred soldiers. But still—no one moved.
He knew then that nothing he said would change their resolve. They would never abandon the mission.
"Very well. Everyone, move out with me!"
The order was given. One by one, they boarded the helicopters, heading straight toward the mystic realm.
Onboard, every soldier wore the same expression—an acceptance of death.
This mission would almost certainly claim many of their lives.
But their deaths would be meaningful.
The helicopters roared through the sky, and in just over two hours, they reached the mystic realm's entrance.
By now, the entrance had been cordoned off with barricades. Crowds of onlookers and reporters with cameras had gathered, snapping pictures endlessly.
The Pokémon Squad disembarked, standing in neat formation outside the entrance.
"Tell me the situation inside," Crane said to the officer in charge of the scene.
The officer gave a brief report, explaining the situation and their task.
It was just as Crane had already told his men.
"I understand," Crane said gravely. "We will do everything in our power to complete the mission."
(End of Chapter)