The wind howled across the mountaintop, making Chen Shi's robes flap loudly.
Mew and Hoopa Confined hardly dared to breathe, afraid that the great Arceus would fly into a rage and strike Chen Shi dead with a bolt of lightning.
Only the little ingrate Jirachi poked its head out and nodded.
It looked as though it agreed with everything Chen Shi had said.
Arceus gazed intently at Chen Shi, seemingly sensing his resolve.
A barely perceptible trace of approval flashed through its eyes.
Then it turned its head and said evenly, "All right. I'll do it as a favor to you."
"You won't need to intervene, either. If their lives are in danger, I'll send them into the Distortion World."
"...Huh?!"
Chen Shi froze and blinked in confusion. More than half the anger that had just welled up inside him suddenly drained away.
"You... you're agreeing just like that?"
"What else would I do?" Arceus's tone remained calm. "Surely I wouldn't go against you over a few human lives?"
Chen Shi scratched his head and glanced at Arceus. Suddenly realizing something, he said irritably, "So I'm supposed to thank you on their behalf again?"
Arceus certainly wouldn't have agreed to save the surviving humans in the Shelter for such a simple reason.
Most likely, it had never wanted those people dead in the first place.
All that bullshit had just been a way to tease him.
With a cold snort, Chen Shi looked down at the battlefield.
Things were just as he had expected. The Swords of Justice had reached the pinnacle of Second-Class Deities, and they were seasoned veterans of countless battles. Professor Oak was simply no match for them.
Virizion lunged forward, leaving an afterimage behind.
Sword light erupted with a sharp crack, aimed straight at Kangaskhan, who