Time passed, second by second.
"What terrifying stamina…"
More than two hours had gone by, yet the battle between the two Legendary Pokémon in the sky remained intensely fierce. Even Marnie, whose personality tended to be cold and indifferent, couldn't help but be impressed.
The greatest difference between Legendary and ordinary Pokémon lies in their natural racial superiority.
In terms of talent, potential, and physique, Legendary Pokémon overwhelmingly surpass regular ones in nearly every aspect.
Just like the current situation: the Sword Hero, Zacian, and the Ice Rider Calyrex had already been locked in a high-intensity battle for over two hours, yet they still showed no signs of fatigue.
Such stamina was, in Marnie's view, absolutely ridiculous.
This had been a relentless clash where neither side could afford to drop their guard. A single moment of carelessness could lead to the other side seizing the advantage—and once an advantage was gained, it could snowball into a crushing defeat.
And yet, Zacian and Calyrex were still fighting like they were on stimulants—pushing forward at full throttle.
Boom!
Another direct clash. Zacian forcefully endured an incoming Glacial Lance from the Ice Rider Calyrex, using the recoil to glide backward through the air.
Its body rose and fell slightly with its breath. After such a prolonged and intense fight, Zacian was beginning to feel some fatigue, and visible injuries now covered its body.
Of course, the Ice Rider Calyrex was in no better shape.
It had already begun to consider retreat—after all, continuing such a deadlock served no purpose.
More importantly, Zacian was undoubtedly a powerful opponent, and Calyrex wasn't confident it could defeat Zacian in the end.
Besides, it knew a thing or two about Calyrex—who, aside from riding Glastrier, also had the Spectrier as a mount!
That's right. In terms of endurance, Calyrex surpassed most Legendary Pokémon!
You are just one entity, whereas Calyrex—strictly speaking—is three in one!
If Glastrier was injured or tired? Simply switch to Spectrier, and their combined combat strength would immediately recover by half. Even the nature of its attribute-based attacks would change. How would you fight that?
And finally…
Zacian cast a cold glance toward Eternatus, who was still lurking in the distance. That dangerous creature continued watching with sharp, hungry eyes—like a predator biding its time.
Top-tier Legendary Pokémon already possessed intelligence equal to, or even surpassing, that of humans.
Zacian knew it would not be able to deal with Eternatus today.
"Calyrex… I hope you won't regret the decision you made today."
Calyrex is an idiot in Zacian's mind, though its anger was very real.
Glaring coldly at the Ice Rider Calyrex, Zacian's voice was icy. If it weren't for this foolish Calyrex standing in its way, Eternatus would never have escaped today.
After all, this was the wilderness—not a human city. And Eternatus hadn't yet returned to its peak state. This was the perfect opportunity!
But…
"I never regret the things I do. Not in the past, not now, not in the future."
Calyrex met Zacian's cold gaze calmly, its voice composed.
It understood that Zacian had already decided to leave. It was a reluctant choice, but also the only viable one.
"Very well. Until we meet again."
Zacian's anger deepened, but it didn't strike again. It shot Eternatus one last, cold glance before transforming into a streak of blue light and vanishing into the sky.
Calyrex did not attempt to stop it—only watched Zacian's figure fade into the distance.
It had never intended to fight Zacian to the death. After all, they shared the same continent. There was no need to become bitter enemies.
Once Zacian had fully departed, the Ice Rider Calyrex slowly descended in front of Lucas and Marnie.
"Are you satisfied now, human?"
Calyrex looked at the smiling Lucas and spoke calmly. It was this man who had "led" Zacian to the Crown Tundra, sparking the confrontation. A truly cunning human.
But Calyrex didn't dislike Lucas. Once a king, it possessed magnanimity far beyond most Legendary Pokémon.
Moreover, it hadn't feared Zacian to begin with—it had simply acted on a whim.
"Thank you for your assistance, Calyrex. I will remember this favor."
Lucas gave Calyrex a slight bow of gratitude. This was exactly why he had said Calyrex was such a kind-hearted old soul.
Calyrex had understood his intentions from the start: that he hoped to borrow Calyrex's power to keep Zacian at bay. And yet, it had not refused.
"It wasn't just because of you. It was Zacian who crossed the line."
Calyrex shook its head. Although it had planned to help this human once Zacian entered the Crown Tundra, it hadn't initially expected to help this much—to the point of directly clashing with Zacian head-on.
"Zacian has now left the Crown Tundra, and it's also injured. It likely won't make another move anytime soon—unless you provoke it."
Calyrex glanced at the slowly approaching Eternatus, paused for a moment, then turned back to Lucas and spoke.
Its strength was nearly equal to Zacian's. Both were now similarly wounded from their fight—not severely, but certainly not lightly. A few days of rest would suffice for recovery.
In this state, Zacian was unlikely to pursue Eternatus further.
Although Zacian was a natural counter to Eternatus, it was also a very proud Legendary Pokémon. Eternatus, after all, wasn't some weakling to be pushed around.
"I understand. I'll leave the Galar region tomorrow."
Lucas understood Calyrex's implication. In fact, he had already planned to leave Galar.
That so-called "provocation" Calyrex mentioned referred to Eternatus recklessly absorbing massive amounts of energy.
If Eternatus tried to gorge on energy while Zacian was still injured, then even in its current condition, Zacian would no doubt emerge from the Slumbering Weald—with Zamazenta by its side.
But Lucas had no intention of letting Eternatus immediately return to its peak state—he couldn't afford it!
Among his current team, only Eternatus could go head-to-head with the hero siblings.
Dragonair was indeed powerful—already at the level of a top-tier Champion—but compared to the Sword and Shield hero, it still fell far short.
Leaving Galar and carefully considering how to safely restore Eternatus to peak condition was the only sensible plan.
"You're a capable human. I hope you'll use Eternatus's power wisely, and not for reckless destruction."
Calyrex studied Lucas for a moment before speaking again in its usual calm tone.
This was both praise and a warning.
Eternatus was too unique. Calyrex worried that, in his eagerness to restore Eternatus, Lucas might stray down the wrong path.
The human heart was far too complicated—even Calyrex, once a ruler, couldn't fully see through it.
"I understand."
Lucas's red eyes flickered slightly. In Calyrex's eyes, Eternatus was a Legendary with a criminal record.
And now it had chosen to follow a human.
If Lucas ever decided to recklessly abuse Eternatus's power, then unless other Legendaries intervened, who in the world could stop him?
Calyrex's concern wasn't without reason. It was inherently a gentle and kind ruler among Legendaries. But as a Legendary, it couldn't interfere with human affairs at will.
Unless… a true catastrophe occurred—or humans themselves provoked the Legendary beings.
"Today has brought new color to my otherwise solitary life. Human… if fate allows, we'll meet again."
Calyrex gave a light smile, gently tugged its Reins of Unity, and Glastrier let out a low neigh before turning around and carrying Calyrex into the snowy depths of the tundra.
Though it had clashed with Zacian, compared to the monotonous years it had endured, today had indeed been exciting.
The snow fell silently. The ancient trees lining the snowy path were already coated in silvery frost, framing Calyrex's Ice Rider as a figure of lonely nobility.
"Calyrex…"
Marnie's delicate face remained composed, but in her heart, she couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
From its noble wisdom at first sight, to its domineering presence when confronting Zacian—even though their encounter had been brief, this Legendary King riding a white horse had left an impression too deep to ever forget.
She would probably remember this monarch of the snowy world for the rest of her life.
As he watched Calyrex's fading silhouette, Lucas's crimson eyes sparkled continuously, lost in thought.
"Calyrex."
Suddenly, Lucas called out to the figure of Calyrex and its white steed.
Glastrier paused mid-step. Calyrex turned its head, puzzled, to look at him.
Lucas licked his lips. In the end, he couldn't let it go. His ambition whispered to him that meeting a Legendary was reason enough to try—to fight for a chance!
Who knew when—or if—they'd meet again?
"Compared to the cold and silence of the Crown Tundra, today's world is far more dazzling than your former kingdom ever was."
"I'd like to invite you to join me in witnessing the beauty of this world. I wonder… do I have that honor?"
Lucas spoke earnestly. Yes—he was extending an invitation to Calyrex.
No matter what, if he didn't at least try, Lucas knew he would regret it.
He was a proud man. He didn't want to leave any regrets behind.
And upon hearing this, the already quiet snow path seemed to grow even quieter—as if even the falling snowflakes had slowed down.
Glastrier turned its head in surprise, looking at the human. This human had actually invited its master?
Marnie was equally astonished. Then, with hopeful eyes, she looked at Calyrex. If Calyrex accepted Lucas's invitation, then he would no longer need to fear Zacian's pursuit.
And a man holding two top-tier Legendaries… would truly stand at the pinnacle of the world!
But… would Calyrex agree?
Seconds passed, but Calyrex remained silent, simply staring at Lucas.
Finally, after a long moment, Calyrex spoke.
"You really are an interesting human."
Its telepathic voice carried a faint smile. He had invited it to become his partner?
Hehehe…
What a novel feeling this was.
Calyrex gently tugged the Reins of Unity again. Glastrier understood and turned back around, heading deeper into the snowy path.
It had refused.
Seeing the silhouette of the Ice Rider Calyrex slowly disappear into the distance, Marnie felt a twinge of regret. Although she'd known it was unlikely… still, what if?
And just then—
"If fate truly brings us together… I will walk this world with you."
Calyrex's warm telepathic voice echoed softly through the snowy trail, slowly fading.
"If fate allows…"
Lucas smiled as he heard those words. Though he'd been rejected this time, Calyrex's words made it clear—this wasn't the end.
"I look forward to our next meeting, Calyrex."
(End of Chapter)