"ROOOAR—!"
Eternatus raised its head and let out a deafening roar. Its draconic cry echoed endlessly through the sky, and an ominous, eerie crimson glow surged within its chest and abdomen.
In the very next second, a blinding scarlet beam—bright enough to illuminate the entire heavens—blasted toward the direction where the Ice Rider Calyrex had just fallen.
One of Eternatus's two exclusive moves—Dynamax Cannon!
But at that exact moment, from beneath the still-falling flurry of snow and dust, a dazzling snow-blue beam of light burst forth with unstoppable momentum, clashing head-on with the Dynamax Cannon.
It was the Ice Rider Calyrex's exclusive move—Glacial Lance!
The Dynamax Cannon and Glacial Lance collided violently in midair. Crimson and icy blue—two terrifying beams of energy—intertwined in a clash so intense that it blotted out the entire sky.
Surges of overwhelming energy shockwaves rippled outward as the Dynamax Cannon and Glacial Lance clashed wildly in the sky.
Boom!
At last, the balance of energy gave way, and the unstable forces exploded in a blinding flash.
A ring-shaped shockwave, solidified into physical form, expanded with a thunderous roar. The sky turned crimson and icy blue, while nearby towering snow-capped peaks were reduced to dust under the violent impact.
Even on the ground, both Lucas and Marnie were caught in the turbulent storm and had to close their eyes against the blinding wind—fortunately, Dragonair was shielding them.
Time passed slowly as the storm of energy gradually calmed.
"Neighhh—!"
Glastrier let out an exhilarated cry, its spirit full of fighting spirit. With hooves pounding the air, it galloped straight toward Eternatus.
To the battle-hungry horse, nothing was more exhilarating than a powerful opponent.
"That's right. It has been far too long since I tasted this kind of thrill!"
Even in Calyrex's usual calm and clear telepathy, a trace of excitement could be heard.
It had been so, so long!
Ever since its kingdom withered and it secluded itself in the Crown Tundra, Calyrex could no longer remember how many years had passed since it had last enjoyed such an intense battle.
It was a kind and benevolent king. It did not enjoy war and longed for a world of peace and beauty.
But Calyrex was also a powerful king!
It longed for worthy opponents, and today—after countless years of dull solitude—it was finally reveling in the joy of a true battle once more.
"Dragon Claw!"
Lucas watched as the Ice Rider Calyrex charged fearlessly toward Eternatus and raised an eyebrow slightly.
He hadn't expected the usually composed and rational Calyrex to have this side of itself.
But then again, to tame a wild and battle-frenzied Glastrier as a steed, it made sense that Calyrex had its hidden depths.
"Roooar!"
Eternatus let out a low, menacing growl. Sharp claws glowing green with energy, it slashed down toward Calyrex with a ferocious wind-whipping strike.
"This kind of attack can't stop me!"
"Stop right there!"
As Calyrex and Glastrier rapidly closed the distance to Eternatus, Calyrex's eyes shone with a brilliant and incomparable blue light—
Psychic!
Psychic—one of the most widely-used Psychic-type moves—was also known for its illusory and mind-disrupting effects.
There were two main styles of using it: offensive, and control-based!
Calyrex, a Legendary Pokémon of the Grass and Psychic types—while in its Glastrier form, a Psychic and Ice type—was exceptionally powerful in mental energy.
True, Eternatus was far too massive to be controlled entirely by Psychic; that would be a joke.
But just slowing down one of its claws... that much, Calyrex believed it could manage!
"Blizzard!"
Calyrex's eyes grew even deeper and more mysterious. Under its control, the once fierce and forceful Dragon Claw visibly slowed down!
Taking advantage of the opening, Glastrier accelerated again!
Boom!
Dodging Eternatus's now-slowed Dragon Claw, Calyrex fearlessly rammed headfirst into Eternatus's neck once more.
"Roar!"
Eternatus let out a pained roar as a dangerous red glow of chaotic energy began to build in its chest and abdomen.
"It's about to unleash another attack! Stop it!"
Calyrex's eyes turned sharp and cold.
Borrowing momentum, the Ice Rider leapt backward. Glastrier neighed sharply, and high above Eternatus, massive icicles formed and plummeted downward.
At the same time, its two front hooves glowed with an icy-blue light, firing off a twisted, snaking beam of energy straight at Eternatus—
Ice Beam!
The Ice Beam struck Eternatus's head directly, but given its enormous size, it only managed to freeze a small portion.
The icicles still needed a moment to fall completely.
It was too late to stop Eternatus now!
"Dynamax Cannon!"
Lucas curled his lips into a smirk. These kinds of scratch-level attacks? If it meant getting a solid hit with Dynamax Cannon in exchange, it was definitely worth it.
Being huge could be a disadvantage—but also an advantage. If the Dynamax Cannon connected, then Eternatus would seize the upper hand.
"Roar—!"
Eternatus roared again, and a terrifying scarlet beam blasted straight toward Calyrex!
But at that very moment, a streak of blue light shot across the sky, arriving behind Eternatus in the blink of an eye. A dazzling blue blade slashed violently across its back.
Lucas's brow furrowed slightly—but then curled up into a mocking smile.
What perfect timing.
Just perfect!
At the same time, Calyrex's expression darkened in an instant as it, too, noticed the blue figure.
Boom!
A massive explosion rocked the air—but it wasn't from Eternatus's Dynamax Cannon!
Instead, a surging golden tidal wave of energy erupted, engulfing more than half of Eternatus's massive body.
Under Calyrex's darkening gaze, Eternatus let out a howl of pain. Its enormous frame lost balance and crashed heavily to the snowy ground.
Yes—that slash had come from the Hero of Many Battles: Zacian.
Its devastating Behemoth Blade had landed a direct hit from behind!
Because of Zacian's sudden ambush, Eternatus's Dynamax Cannon completely missed Calyrex. No one even knew where the beam ended up going.
"You menace…"
As the golden energy slowly faded, Zacian stared coldly at the collapsed Eternatus, its eyes like frozen abysses.
It had finally caught up to the beast—only to discover that, despite being hunted, Eternatus had still managed to provoke Calyrex as well?
A dense blue light gathered once more, and the shining sword in Zacian's mouth transformed into a giant, radiant blue blade.
Without the slightest hesitation, Zacian was about to unleash another Behemoth Blade on Eternatus!
However...
"Blizzard!"
A dazzling, ice-blue beam of energy tore through the sky like lightning, striking Zacian from the side.
Caught completely off guard, Zacian sensed something was wrong and turned swiftly to defend itself—but it was still too late.
Boom!
With a loud explosion, Zacian was blasted back several meters by the energy's shockwave.
"Calyrex, what do you mean by this?"
Now even colder than before, Zacian steadied itself and locked eyes with Calyrex. Its psychic voice—magnetic yet sharp—rang out with a distinctly feminine chill.
Yes, the one who had just attacked it was none other than the Ice Rider Calyrex!
"I should be asking you that question."
Glastrier trotted forward, stepping between Zacian and Eternatus. Calyrex fearlessly met Zacian's gaze, its voice regal and crisp—yet now thick with indignation and displeasure.
"You barged into my domain without permission and ambushed my opponent. Zacian, I think we need to talk."
"What exactly do you mean by this?"
Its psychic voice grew low and frosty.
Clearly—Calyrex was angry.
Cold wind howled across the snowy plain.
High in the sky, Zacian and the Ice Rider Calyrex faced each other, suspended in midair. Tension crackled between them.
"Lucas... Something's off between those two," Marnie muttered, sensing the strange hostility between the two Legendaries. Their relationship didn't seem very friendly.
And judging by the atmosphere, she wouldn't be surprised if they started fighting any second now. The tension was simply unbearable.
"That would be perfect."
Lucas smiled silently. If Calyrex and Zacian ended up fighting... wouldn't that be ideal?
Regardless, the current situation was already one that Lucas was more than happy to see.
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Up in the sky—
Zacian, proud and cold by nature, stared into Calyrex's eyes, frost swirling in its gaze.
It was the Hero of the Sword!
The heroic guardian of the Galar region!
To be questioned like this by Calyrex—it was naturally not pleased.
"Look carefully. That's Eternatus! Calyrex, do you not understand what that means?"
Zacian's voice rumbled with suppressed irritation.
Yet it still refrained from turning the argument into outright hostility. Getting into a direct conflict with Calyrex wasn't what it wanted.
Right now, the priority was eliminating that parasite: Eternatus!
"So, what if it is?"
Calyrex's expression didn't change at all. Though its body was small, its presence was vast and overwhelming, not the least bit inferior to Zacian's.
"This is my battle! You ambushed my opponent—are you trying to provoke me?"
Its eyes turned grim.
Calyrex was a legendary king!
It had been engaged in battle, and its opponent had been wholly focused on it—only to be sneak-attacked while it was distracted. How disgraceful was that?
Besides, as a king, Calyrex utterly despised underhanded ambushes from behind.
"I have no intention of fighting you, nor did I mean to trespass into the Crown Tundra. It's only because Eternatus came here that I tracked it this far," Zacian replied in a low voice.
It could tell—Calyrex was truly furious.
If Eternatus hadn't entered this land, how could it possibly be here? This cold, icy wasteland was nowhere near as comfortable as its beloved Slumbering Weald...
(End of Chapter)