Chapter 813: By Us
Looking at Kazuya on the ground.
A fleeting look of twisted satisfaction flashed through Giratina's blood-red eyes.
It switched back to Its Altered Forme and stomped Its two massive front feet down towards Kazuya.
There were no energy fluctuations.
It was as if this stomp.
Was merely brought down for the sole purpose of humiliating this Darkrai.
Bang!
A heavy sound echoed.
Giratina looked at the coffin that suddenly appeared under Its feet. A few deep bloodshot lines bulged in Its red eyes. It applied Its full strength to Its front feet, seemingly intending to crush this coffin.
Cofagrigus propped himself up on the ground with his four hands, bearing the brunt of Giratina's stomp with his back.
He looked down at Kazuya, who, despite having lost consciousness, still had his brows tightly furrowed, and spoke with resolute words: "Although I don't know what grudge exists between you two that makes you insist on humiliating this guy."
[I will definitely save this world, no matter how much time passes, no matter how many times I fail.]
"However, this guy is not a man who can be trampled by a piece of trash like you."
[There are still many people waiting for me, and someone is waiting for you too.]
"From here on out, I'll be your opponent. Until I'm completely dead, don't even think about coming to find trouble with this guy again!"
Cofagrigus's four arms shoved upwards with tremendous force.
Giratina's massive body was forcibly pushed away.
Dragonite's figure appeared just in time. She withdrew Kazuya into his Heal Ball, flapped her wings, and distanced herself from this battlefield.
Cofagrigus's four hands grabbed onto Giratina's body.
A massive amount of Ghost-type energy was poured in, seemingly forging some sinister pact with the Renegade Pokémon.
Destiny Bond.
When the user faints from an opponent's attack, the opponent faints as well.
Thanks to his progress over these years.
Cofagrigus's Destiny Bond was successfully cast, for better or worse.
From here on out.
He would cling to Giratina like a maggot in a bone.
Only by dealing with him.
Could Giratina set Its sights on Kazuya.
But if It dealt with him.
Then Giratina would also fall into a fainted state.
"Wrooaaar~"
Giratina didn't care about any of that.
It wouldn't have cared even originally, and after being corrupted, It cared even less.
A Pain Split was thrown out.
Giratina's injuries recovered slightly, while small wounds began to appear on Cofagrigus's body.
Cofagrigus ignored Him and cast a glance at Dragonite in the distance.
He had already given Dragonite instructions just now.
Telling her to use the Heal Balls to recall Mewtwo and Skitty, and then take Scizor and Lucario and quickly flee.
As for this side...
Cofagrigus would take Kazuya's place and bear the burden of what he had originally intended to do.
The situation on the battlefield changes in the blink of an eye.
Upon learning that Kazuya had lost consciousness, Scizor and Lucario instantly matured.
At this moment.
They were no longer "disciples" and "juniors."
But the powerful warriors who saved countless humans and Pokémon on the battlefield seventy years ago.
"Senior Dragonite, you take the three of them and leave first. In three days, we will rendezvous at Prism Tower."
Lucario swung his arm and threw an Aura Sphere.
The black and red ribbons behind his head fluttered in the wind, making him look awe-inspiring.
"What about you two?"
Dragonite asked anxiously.
The conditions of her companions were all exceptionally poor right now.
She was somewhat at a loss for what to do.
"We will draw this guy away."
Scizor stood his ground like a pillar, quietly gazing at Zygarde in the sky ahead.
Zygarde's speed was very fast.
Kazuya and Mewtwo had already lost consciousness.
So the only ones here who had a chance of escaping from It were him and Lucario.
"...Alright! You two must be careful!"
Dragonite hesitated for a moment, then nodded solemnly.
She turned to look at Cofagrigus, exchanged a distant gaze with him, and then, holding the three Poké Balls in her arms, headed towards the river in the distance.
Underwater was also considered home turf for the Dragonite species.
Entering the water would help her escape faster.
"...I'll leave Master to you."
Scizor watched Dragonite leave, muttered under his breath, and then turned to look at Lucario. "You go too."
"I'll help you."
Lucario shook his head.
"I don't need a little brat like you to help me. When I was training by Master's side, you weren't even born yet."
Scizor raised his chin and said somewhat displeasedly.
Previously, there were three grand seniors in the team.
He couldn't say much.
Now, he could still put on the airs of a senior.
"Only with the two of us together is there a chance of surviving. If you stay alone, you will certainly die."
Lucario shook his head again, his attitude firm. He looked towards Cofagrigus in the distance, a trace of sorrow flashing in his trembling pupils. "I truly do not want to lose any companion."
In the distance, Zygarde's chest cracked open.
A cyan-blue energy beam shot towards their location.
Core Enforcer.
The two dodged to the sides simultaneously.
Evidently.
Zygarde didn't plan on letting them bicker and argue leisurely.
"Hmph, be careful, don't die, or Master will be sad."
Scizor snorted coldly.
After drawing Zygarde's attention, he turned and headed towards Lumiose City.
"You're becoming more and more like Lord Kazuya."
Lucario pursed his lips slightly, using Extreme Speed to keep up right beside Scizor.
The latter glanced at the dog, the corners of his mouth curving up, and didn't say anything more.
One red and one blue.
The two young and dashing figures lost their past antagonism, and instead became incredibly harmonious at this moment.
They trusted each other.
The battlefield instantly emptied out.
Leaving only the entangled Giratina and Cofagrigus.
Another brutal collision.
Cofagrigus was hit by Giratina's Thunder and fell weakly towards the ground.
By this point.
Cofagrigus's entire body was wrapped in shadow energy, and his breathing was faint; it was clear he didn't have much life left.
"Wrooaaar——!!"
Giratina's angry roar echoed between heaven and earth.
Because Cofagrigus's desperate entanglement caused It to lose the opportunity to take Kazuya's life, It had completely gone berserk.
Just as Giratina prepared to finish off Cofagrigus with a Shadow Claw.
A massive dark purple vortex suddenly appeared on the ground beneath Cofagrigus.
A large purple hand reached out from the vortex.
This hand grabbed both Cofagrigus and Giratina, dragging them both into the vortex simultaneously.
And what was even more bizarre.
After struggling for two seconds, Giratina quieted down.
Seemingly deciding to beat them at their own game and enter the Spirit World.
"Yui..."
Looking at this giant hand, Cofagrigus murmured weakly.
A trace of relief flashed in his eyes, but also a hint of sorrow.
Perhaps.
The Spirit World's initial choice was right.
Only Yui, as a pure evil spirit, could make the most rational judgments on major matters.
For example, cruelly abandoning him now and continuing to hide to maintain the operation of the entire world.
But.
If that was the kind of person Yui was.
She wouldn't be worth Cofagrigus sacrificing everything for.
In the Spirit World.
A woman with black hair and red eyes lowered her hand. She sat cross-legged on a throne formed of shadows, looking down upon all living things.
Lowering her gaze, looking at Cofagrigus at her feet who was breathing out more than he breathed in, her perpetually unchanging face finally showed a hint of emotion.
She reached out and stroked Cofagrigus, who was covered in wounds, with a somewhat heartbroken expression, and asked softly: "Can you still hold on?"
"...You shouldn't have shown yourself. They found you."
Cofagrigus didn't answer. He spat out a mouthful of black blood and turned his head to look at the fog in the distance.
When the corruption of shadow energy had already melted into the blood.
Words were useless.
In the fog.
Countless black figures surged forward like ocean water.
Those were corrupted Ghost-type Pokémon, many of which had once been residents of the Spirit World.
At the front of this army of magical beasts radiating ominousness and deathly stillness.
Two figures slowly stepped out of the fog.
The "God of Space," Palkia.
And.
Shadow, whose aura was as unfathomable as the abyss.
Seeing the newcomers, Giratina silently retreated, standing behind and to the side of Shadow with Palkia. Its cold gaze locked onto Yui and Cofagrigus in front of the throne.
"I never care about the world or what happens to this world. I only know I cannot watch you die."
Yui stood up from her throne, shielding Cofagrigus behind her, and faced the aggressive enemies alone.
Opposite them.
"Useless trash, couldn't even kill him with all that."
Shadow mercilessly cursed Giratina beside him.
Two more bloodshot lines appeared in the latter's eyes, and Its body trembled, seemingly intending to resist following its instincts.
But in the end, it quieted down, turning into an obedient puppet.
"And you, I thought you would be a good little turtle hiding in your shell, making some great contribution to saving the world. I didn't expect you to proactively expose yourself for a piece of trash about to be corrupted. So naive it's laughable."
Shadow's gaze fell on the woman not far away. The shadow beneath his hood seemed to outline a mocking curve.
Yui silently swept her gaze over the enemies before her, then looked down at her own pale hands.
[In the future, you can use this power to protect everyone you want to protect.]
Two hundred years ago.
Kazuya's words echoed in her ears.
At that time, Yui was young and didn't really feel it.
Even in the long two hundred years that followed, she had never truly understood it.
Until this very moment.
"Cofagrigus, I will protect you..."
Yui clenched her fists, raised her gaze, and let it fall upon Shadow. She spoke coldly, "A plucked goose leaves feathers, a fleeing beast leaves its hide. My Spirit World is not a place you can come and go as you please. Since you are here, you cannot leave today without leaving something behind."
In her blood-red eyes, the frost faded, leaving only cold killing intent.
Kazuya and Cofagrigus had never taught her to uphold any great righteousness.
What she had learned was.
To do everything in her power to protect the people beside her.
As for making a contribution to saving the world...
She would do it in another way.
"Just you?"
Shadow shook his cloak, as if hearing the funniest joke in the world.
"By us."
Cofagrigus's voice rang out.
He struggled to his feet and stood quietly beside Yui.
"...Heh."
Shadow let out an unpleasant laugh, then raised his hand and waved it.
"Woom—!"
"Ang——!"
Giratina and Palkia simultaneously let out earth-shattering roars and shrieks, leading the boundless dark army surging forward.
One person, one coffin.
Facing a tide of millions of beasts.
The ending was clear and preordained.
But this wasn't enough to make them retreat.
The final decisive battle of the Spirit World, thus pulled back its bloody curtain.
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