The cold wind howled relentlessly across the snowy plains, where the Crowned Sword Zacian and Ice Rider Calyrex stood in mid-air, facing off against each other.
"Shiro, they don't seem quite right."
Feeling the tense atmosphere between the two Legendary Pokémon, Marnie's expression turned peculiar. It seemed the relationship between these two legends wasn't exactly friendly.
And judging by the current situation, Marnie wouldn't be surprised if they started fighting in the next second. The tension was simply too palpable.
"It'd be best if they did fight."
Ryuu Shiro smiled without saying a word. If Calyrex and Zacian clashed, wouldn't that be ideal?
Regardless, the current situation was already something Ryuu Shiro was pleased to see.
…
Meanwhile, in the air.
The cold and aloof Crowned Sword Zacian glared at Ice Rider Calyrex, its eyes flickering with icy light. It was the Crowned Sword!
The hero of the Galar region's sword, it was naturally displeased at being questioned by Calyrex.
"Take a good look, this is Eternatus! Calyrex, don't you understand what this means?"
Zacian replied in a deep voice.
But Zacian still refrained from directly confronting Calyrex. Starting a conflict with Calyrex wasn't what it wanted.
Right now, the most important thing was to deal with the threat of Eternatus!
"So what?"
Calyrex's expression remained unchanged. Though small in stature, Calyrex's presence was overwhelmingly powerful, not the least bit inferior to Zacian.
"This is my battle! You ambushed my opponent—are you provoking me?"
Calyrex's gaze turned grim. It was the King of Legends!
And it was in the midst of a battle, only for its opponent to be ambushed while fully focused on their duel. How could it tolerate such a thing?
Moreover, as a king, Calyrex despised underhanded tactics like ambushes.
"I have no intention of clashing with you, nor do I wish to intrude upon the Crown Tundra. It's only because Eternatus came here that I followed."
Zacian's voice was low. It could tell that Calyrex was truly angry.
If Eternatus hadn't come here, why would Zacian enter the Crown Tundra? This icy, desolate place was nowhere near as comfortable as its Slumbering Weald.
It had anticipated that Calyrex, a former king, would be difficult to deal with. To avoid conflict, it had been cautious, as they had always kept to themselves and rarely interacted.
The relationship between Legendary Pokémon was far from as harmonious as people imagined.
"As a former king, you should understand the threat Eternatus poses to this land."
Zacian spoke gravely. Though Calyrex hadn't appeared three thousand years ago, it surely knew of Eternatus's danger.
"That has nothing to do with me. Right now, Eternatus is my guest. Zacian, I don't wish to trouble you. Leave now, and I won't hold it against you."
Calyrex's meaning was clear—it intended to protect Eternatus!
Originally, it hadn't wanted to interfere in the conflict between Zacian and Eternatus, but now that both had arrived in the Crown Tundra, it couldn't avoid the situation.
That's why it chose to battle Eternatus for a while, hoping to use the fight as a way to make both parties leave afterward.
Because it had initially leaned toward Eternatus, it wouldn't allow Zacian to attack Eternatus after the battle.
As a benevolent king, how could it stand by and watch Zacian strike at Eternatus right after their fight?
What happened after they left was none of Calyrex's concern.
But Calyrex hadn't expected Zacian to directly ambush Eternatus. Such an "unjust" act had undoubtedly angered the King.
"Impossible."
Zacian refused without hesitation.
It had finally found Eternatus. How could it simply let the threat slip away again?
"Eternatus cannot be allowed to remain. Calyrex, I'll apologize to you afterward, but not now."
Zacian's gaze grew colder. The situation had indeed escalated to the worst possible outcome.
Calyrex's "unreasonable behavior" was beginning to test its patience. Did Calyrex really think Zacian was afraid of it?
"I will not let Eternatus escape today!"
What did it mean by "leave now, and I won't hold it against you"?
Even if you were a king, you were a king of the past. Besides, Zacian was the Crowned Sword! Its sibling was the Crowned Shield!
Giving it some face, and now you think you're still the king? Utterly ridiculous!
"Zacian, don't push your luck."
Calyrex's expression turned cold. What was this? Treating Calyrex as if it were nothing?
"Who's pushing their luck? For the sake of this continent, you should know what needs to be done."
Zacian's voice was icy. How could it be the one pushing its luck? It was acting for the future safety of the entire Galar region!
And what about Calyrex? How many years had passed? Your kingdom is long gone, the times have changed, and yet you still flaunt your kingly authority in front of me.
Who are you trying to intimidate?
"Are you teaching me how to rule?"
The pressure emanating from Ice Rider Calyrex grew heavier, the air around them becoming increasingly oppressive.
"I'm merely stating the facts. I didn't expect the legendary King of Bountiful Harvests, Calyrex, to be so emotional."
Zacian didn't back down, its own divine aura spreading as it spoke calmly yet coldly.
Meanwhile, Eternatus, lying on the ground, watched the two Legendary Pokémon ramp up their pressure, ready to fight at any moment. Its draconic eyes were filled with confusion and bewilderment.
What was going on?
Why weren't they fighting me and instead turning on each other?
But the next moment, Eternatus felt a surge of joy. Whatever the situation was—
Fight! Fight! ( lmao )
Lying on the ground, Eternatus internally cheered them on.