"Roar!!"
Sensing the familiar aura, Eternatus let out a low, furious growl. But if one listened closely, they could hear a trace of wariness in that roar.
Yes—wariness!
Because this was one of the two beings that had nearly killed it three thousand years ago!
"They've arrived!"
Lucas's eyes narrowed. Finally, they're here!
That dazzling blue light could only mean one thing—the hero of Galar's legends, the Hero of the Sword… Zacian!
As if to confirm Lucas's thoughts, the blue light gradually dimmed. A cold, proud, wolf-like Pokémon slowly descended from the sky, lifting its head to glare icily at Eternatus.
Zacian.
"…What is that?"
Oleana froze for a moment as she looked at the unfamiliar Pokémon. She had been secretly preparing plans regarding Eternatus, and of course, she was deeply familiar with the legend of the Darkest Day from three thousand years ago.
She immediately recognized this cold and imposing Pokémon.
A wave of relief surged in her heart—Zacian's appearance was like a stabilizing agent amid the chaos.
Because Zacian had clearly come for Eternatus.
"One of the two heroes who once saved Galar… Zacian," Lucas murmured with a faint smile. His crimson eyes sparkled as he examined the legendary hero closely.
Strictly speaking, Zacian and Zamazenta shared many similarities with the Black and White dragons of Unova. Both were revered heroes passed down through generations in their respective regions.
However, while the Black and White dragons represented opposing ideals—truth and dreams—Zacian and Zamazenta were close siblings, united in purpose.
One thing they all had in common: the Black and White dragons chose human partners to fulfill their destiny of confronting ideals and truth.
Likewise, Zacian and Zamazenta would choose worthy heroes and bestow upon them the rusted sword and shield—allowing them to save Galar.
"Only Zacian came, huh? Pretty confident of them."
Lucas looked around but didn't see any sign of Zamazenta. With a light chuckle, he muttered, "Looks like only Zacian made it in time."
"You knew Zacian and Zamazenta would show up?" Oleana frowned deeply. From Lucas's tone, it seemed he wasn't the least bit surprised by Zacian's appearance.
"Is that strange?" Lucas curled his lips into a mocking smile.
"When evil appears, the heroes of justice are sure to take the stage. What's so surprising about that?"
"Ever since the Darkest Day three thousand years ago, Eternatus has been a thorn in the side of Zacian and Zamazenta. Its reappearance would inevitably draw their attention."
"Stopping and eliminating Eternatus has always been their job."
Lucas's voice was calm. Right now, Eternatus still couldn't return to its original form. Against that, just Zacian alone might indeed be enough…
"Oleana!"
A voice rang out—Raihan was running toward them. Lucas glanced over and saw him jogging in their direction.
Right now, with Eternatus and Zacian locked in a tense standoff, neither paid any attention to a mere "ant" like him.
Lucas quickly lost interest in Raihan and instead turned his attention back to the increasingly volatile confrontation between the two legends.
Everything was proceeding according to plan!
Lucas's crimson eyes gleamed. Acquiring Eternatus was no simple feat—but it didn't matter. Events were still unfolding exactly as he had anticipated.
At that moment, Zacian's eyes locked onto Eternatus. Its cold aura grew even more piercing.
"You menace."
Zacian clamped its jaws around the rusted sword hidden in its fur. A flash of light engulfed its body as it instantly entered its Crowned Sword form.
A radiant and ornate sword gleamed in its mouth. The markings on its body became more intricate, and wing-like decorations spread from its shoulders behind its head.
Zacian, Hero of the Sword!
"ROOOAARRR!"
The white-spotted dragon eyes of Eternatus glimmered with fury. It let out a resounding roar that echoed through the heavens and earth. The crimson, sinister light surrounding its body grew even more intense.
The destined battle between the legendary hero and Eternatus was about to begin!
--------------------------------------------------
At this moment, Hammerlocke City was still undergoing rapid evacuation. Everyone knew the city was no longer safe.
Despite it being daytime, the sky was eerily dark. A massive black vortex loomed above, and red light pulsed ominously within it.
Each strange phenomenon stirred deeper fear within the hearts of the people.
No one expected the crisis to strike so suddenly.
Meanwhile, at the Hammerlocke Stadium—
The pressure in the air was growing heavier by the second. Zacian, Hero of the Sword, lowered its body slightly. Its explosive form could strike at any moment.
Compared to Eternatus's colossal twenty-meter frame, Zacian's mere three-meter height made it look almost tiny.
But the razor-sharp intensity it radiated was not inferior in the slightest.
"Roar—!"
With a roar that pierced the skies, Eternatus finally lost patience. A dark-purple energy orb formed in front of its mouth.
Shadow Ball!
As a Dragon/Poison-type Pokémon, Eternatus's strongest attacks were naturally Dragon- and Poison-type moves. But…
Zacian, as a Steel/Fairy-type, was completely immune to both!
This was a lesson Eternatus had already painfully learned three thousand years ago. Of course, it knew better than to waste effort using Dragon or Poison attacks on the Hero of the Sword.
The Shadow Ball streaked toward Zacian like a bolt of lightning—but Zacian vanished from its original spot in an instant.
Boom!!
The Shadow Ball struck the ground with an earth-shattering explosion.
A streak of blue light darted through the sky, speeding toward Eternatus at incredible velocity. In its wake was a radiant blur, like a comet of blue fire.
"So fast!"
Oleana stared at the blue streak, but she couldn't pinpoint Zacian's exact location.
It was just too fast!
Eternatus's dragon eyes scanned quickly, gathering red flames in its mouth. Then—
It unleashed a barrage of giant fire pillars in all directions!
Flamethrower!
But even the scorching fire couldn't catch up to Zacian. Its small size, in this case, worked to its advantage.
Zacian's icy gaze sharpened as the blade in its mouth gleamed with metallic luster.
Metal Claw!
Zacian closed the distance in a flash. The gleaming steel blade slashed across Eternatus's body in rapid succession.
In the blink of an eye—it struck three times!
"ROARRR!!"
Feeling the pain, Eternatus howled in rage. Its enormous, jagged claws shone black as they lashed toward Zacian.
Payback—a Dark-type move!
Zacian reacted quickly, lifting its sword to block.
The mighty claw slammed into Zacian's blade. The terrifying impact sent Zacian flying backward.
Briefly repelling Zacian, Eternatus raised its head and let out another sky-shaking roar. Mysterious energy particles gathered in its mouth.
"You pest…"
Zacian steadied itself mid-air. A cold glint flashed in its eyes as a faint blue aura radiated from its entire body. The sword in its mouth transformed into a massive greatsword, overflowing with intense pressure.
Then—with powerful strides—it charged through the air straight at Eternatus.
"Behemoth Blade!"
Lucas's eyes sharpened. "So that's Zacian's signature move!"
"Roar!!"
Eternatus unleashed the built-up energy in its mouth directly at the onrushing Zacian.
Meteor Beam!
One of the most powerful Rock-type moves!
A massive earthen-colored beam burst forth, slamming directly into Zacian mid-charge.
Boom!!
Meteor Beam vs. Behemoth Blade!
The resulting energy shockwave erupted like a hurricane, sweeping in all directions.
The Meteor Beam was massive, completely engulfing Zacian in its light.
But—amid that brilliant glow—a piercing blue flash remained unyielding!
Time slowed.
Energy ripples pulsed out again and again.
Then—Zacian poured in more power. Under the stunned gazes of Oleana and Raihan, the Hero of the Sword tore open a giant rift in the Meteor Beam!
Its limbs surged forward, transforming into a blazing blue streak. In an instant, it burst through the beam and arrived right in front of Eternatus.
"Roar!!"
Eternatus howled madly and swung its massive dragon claws at Zacian.
But Zacian was faster—its greatsword swung down with brutal force.
Behemoth Blade!!
A stunning arc of blue light slashed across Eternatus's body.
BOOM!!
An earth-shaking explosion rang out. A torrent of golden energy erupted like a tidal wave, violently smashing into Eternatus's skeletal frame.
Under the crushing force of that golden wave, Eternatus howled in agony. Its colossal body finally lost balance and plummeted toward the ground.
Boom!!
The impact rocked the entire earth, and the structures beneath Eternatus collapsed into rubble.
"…As expected. In its base form, Eternatus is no match for the Hero of the Sword."
Watching Zacian suppress Eternatus, Lucas frowned slightly—but he wasn't surprised.
Zacian and Zamazenta's strength was immense. Among all the top-tier legendary Pokémon, they ranked near the very top.
Especially in their Crowned forms—Sword and Shield—their power was greatly enhanced.
Moreover, Eternatus was far from its peak. Its typing was completely countered as well. It was only natural it would lose to Zacian.
If this were Eternamax Eternatus, even if Zacian had a type advantage, it still wouldn't be a fair fight. Zacian couldn't win by brute force alone.
But there was no "if."
Besides, if Eternatus really did transform into Eternamax, Zamazenta would absolutely awaken and rush out of the Slumbering Weald.
And when that happened—the situation would become even more dangerous.
(End of Chapter)