"Dynamax Cannon!"
Lucas's gaze sharpened. Even he had not expected Kyurem to still have such a trick up its sleeve.
Of course—it made sense. Black Kyurem was not some foolish dragon. Even though the strength of the Genesects was pitifully small in its eyes, insects were still insects—annoying pests that could dodge and evade, and therefore were irritating to look at.
Without a moment's hesitation, seizing this fleeting opportunity, Lucas immediately commanded Eternatus to launch an attack against Black Kyurem.
Since Ghetsis's three Genesects had already been dealt with, their icy foe's next target would naturally be them!
The spotted, glowing pupils of Eternatus shimmered, a crimson radiance flaring from the core of its chest and abdomen. That light rapidly condensed before erupting outward—a colossal Dynamax Cannon roaring forth toward Black Kyurem.
"ROAARRR!!"
Noticing the incoming strike, Black Kyurem twisted around, bellowing furiously. Yet it had only just finished unleashing its previous move; its massive body had no time to fully recover and reposition.
All it could do was cross its mighty arms before itself as the blazing beam arrived.
BOOM!
The Dynamax Cannon landed with perfect precision. The resulting detonation thundered through the snowy wilderness, violent shockwaves blasting outward and kicking up icy gales.
"Dr. Colress, go and recover those three Genesects," Lucas ordered calmly, his eyes never once leaving the hazy silhouette of Black Kyurem within the cloud of smoke and frost.
Those machines had already been defeated by the legendary ice dragon—if they weren't retrieved now, would he just leave them behind for Ghetsis to reclaim? Hardly.
Oh, but strictly speaking, Ghetsis no longer had the power to take them away anyway.
If not for the fact that Zekrom was fundamentally different from the Genesects, Lucas even entertained the thought of confiscating the black dragon as well.
"Leave it to me," Colress answered after a brief hesitation, then gave a firm nod.
From what he observed, it seemed unlikely that Black Kyurem could bring down Eternatus in the short term. There was no need to worry about Lucas's safety—particularly since Reshiram, the white dragon, had yet to even join the battle.
"ROOOAR!!"
A guttural, violent cry echoed through the skies as the great gray-and-black dragon burst forth once again. Its feral eyes gleamed with a savage excitement.
It loathed both the black and white dragons, but at the same time, the hot-blooded, combative temperament of Kyurem meant it craved battle just as fiercely.
Yet in the entire Unova region, there simply had not been a worthy challenger strong enough to stand against it. It had grown so bored that it spent its days sulking in the Giant Chasm, chilling itself endlessly in eternal frost.
But now—at last—it had found one. Eternatus. The strongest opponent it had ever encountered thus far. And what's more… this foe was a dragon!
The air cracked as another deafening roar shook the heavens. Torrents of rain began to pour down, and the turbines at Kyurem's tail blazed with violent arcs of freezing light and crackling lightning.
Purple-tinged ice and lightning burst outward, mingling together in a terrifying surge.
Freeze Shock!
"Eternatus, use Dynam—hmm?"
Lucas's pupils narrowed. He remembered all too vividly the overwhelming might of Black Kyurem's Freeze Shock back in the Glacial Valley; he would not dare underestimate it.
But just as he prepared to counter, something unexpected caught his attention. His gaze flicked past Eternatus, toward a streak of azure light rapidly approaching from behind.
"That light… wait… Zacian? Why is Zacian here?!"
Lucas's expression shifted in shock. That blue glow—there was no mistaking it, no way he could ever forget.
What cruel joke was this? Why would the Hero of the Sword from the Galar region suddenly appear here, in Unova?
This made no sense at all. Could it be that it had pursued Eternatus all this way across continents? Was this some twisted, thousand-mile chase for vengeance? For justice? Or was it, absurdly enough… a pursuit that resembled a jealous spouse tracking down its partner?
Either way, things had just become far more complicated.
Lucas frowned deeply. If it were only Black Kyurem to deal with, then though troublesome, the situation was still manageable.
But with Zacian suddenly arriving, the delicate balance of the battlefield was completely shattered.
Because Lucas knew all too well—Zacian's sole purpose for being here was to strike down Eternatus.
"Eternatus—evade immediately!"
His thoughts raced like lightning as he gave the order through their bond.
Directly clashing was impossible. Absolutely impossible. To foolishly withstand both Black Kyurem's devastating Freeze Shock and Zacian's sudden ambush would be nothing short of suicide.
Black Kyurem, meanwhile, noticed the uninvited intruder as well. Yet its icy gaze did not waver. It cared not for this new arrival—for in its heart, there was room for only one target: Eternatus.
The shimmering purple-blue aura of Freeze Shock enveloped its entire body like an electrified glacial barrier, before the dragon surged forward in a full-bodied charge.
Eternatus twisted its colossal body sharply, diving downward to evade.
Its speed was not lacking—but its sheer size inevitably slowed its movements. And at this exact moment…
Both Zacian and Black Kyurem surged toward it simultaneously. Sensing Eternatus's attempt to dodge, the two predators accelerated even faster, perfectly synchronizing their killing intent.
Eternatus keenly felt their combined pressure closing in from front and rear. Gritting its teeth, it pushed its limits further, straining every fiber of its being.
'Why is it always me?' the dragon seemed to cry inwardly. 'Why is it always my body that takes the punishment?'
Freeze Shock!
Behemoth Blade!
The two ultimate techniques—Kyurem's frozen thunder and Zacian's divine golden slash—were unleashed almost at once, their paths colliding… right upon Eternatus's tail!
BOOOOM!!
The detonation ripped the heavens apart.
Golden waves of searing energy erupted from Zacian's strike, dyeing half the darkened sky in radiant light. On the other side, purple-blue arcs of frozen electricity and breath exploded outward in a dazzling cascade.
Eternatus's tail was caught squarely between the two cataclysmic forces. Its spotted eyes contorted in agony as it used the violent energy burst to hurl itself away, its massive body slamming into the snowy earth below with an earth-shaking crash.
Slowly, it lifted its gaze back to the heavens, the pain throbbing through its body. For some strange reason… this scene felt oddly familiar, as though it had lived this moment before.
Above, Black Kyurem and Zacian started clashing fiercely, neither yielding.
Ring after ring of oppressive energy blasted outward, the sheer turbulence even scattering the black storm clouds above. The sheer pressure weighed down upon the land like a mountain, forcing all beneath it to bow their heads.
"Zacian… why is it here?"
From the distance, Marnie's eyes widened in shock as she recognized the unmistakable golden energy radiating from the Hero of the Sword.
She simply could not comprehend why Zacian had suddenly appeared in Unova, nor why it seemed so hostile toward Eternatus.
"That Pokémon—it's actually fighting Black Kyurem head-on… so terrifying! Do you know it?"
Unlike Marnie, Green was more stunned than horrified, whistling in awe at the sight of Zacian clashing equally with the rampaging ice dragon. Hearing her question, he tilted his head in puzzlement.
"That is Zacian—the Hero of the Sword from the Galar legends. But…" Marnie's brows furrowed as hesitation flickered across her face. "Its attitude toward Eternatus is far from friendly."
This was not a good development. Not at all.
"Then that makes it our enemy too?" Green blinked, realization dawning. Good grief—Kyurem hadn't even been dealt with yet, and now another top-tier legendary had appeared as an adversary.
Up in the skies, the terrifying clash finally reached its breaking point.
BOOOM!!!
Freeze Shock and Behemoth Blade collided, the detonation hurling both legendaries apart.
Zacian twisted gracefully midair, sliding backward on invisible footing as it dispersed the impact. Its piercing, icy gaze locked upon Black Kyurem once more.
Though it looked even, Zacian knew the truth: its Behemoth Blade had been suppressed by Freeze Shock.
The ice dragon was stronger.
It only prayed that this would not become another obstacle, another hindrance like Calyrex had been before.
Black Kyurem too glared dangerously at Zacian, wondering if this swordsman had come merely to interfere.
The air froze into an oppressive silence.
"Mr. Lucas," Colress said gravely, having returned to Lucas's side. "The situation is truly becoming precarious…"
Even the usually composed scientist admitted unease. How many Pokémon in the world could stand toe-to-toe with Black Kyurem like this?
And with no clear sign of whether this new arrival was an enemy or ally, the battlefield grew ever more unpredictable.
"Don't panic… have you finished retrieving the Genesects?" Lucas murmured, licking his dry lips, his eyes never once leaving the sky.
"Yes. It wasn't difficult—Ghetsis didn't dare interfere," Colress confirmed. With the shiny Genesect under his command, what could Ghetsis possibly do now, stripped of his army?
"Good. Then prepare to retreat," Lucas instructed firmly.
At this point, Colress's presence would not significantly change the outcome. The clash of legendaries overhead was aimed squarely at Lucas's own Pokémon.
"…I understand," Colress replied, his brows still knit tightly. Though unwilling, he knew the truth—his strength was of little use here.
He handed over a Pokéball. "This is for Genesect. Mr. Lucas—I'll be waiting for your victorious return."
Lucas blinked in mild surprise, then smiled faintly as he accepted it. Shiny Genesect might not match a top-tier legend, but at this moment, every ounce of usable strength mattered.
"Go. Meet up with Marnie and Green. Leave the rest to me."
Colress gave a stiff nod and began withdrawing cautiously, his gaze lingering on the two titans in the sky.
"How exhilarating… If Zekrom and Zacian truly clash, that would be ideal," Lucas murmured, his eyes glinting.
Black Kyurem—arrogant and domineering.
Zacian—cold and prideful.
With tempers like theirs, conflict was inevitable.
Hopefully… they'd tear each other apart.
"ROOOAR!!"
Right on cue, Black Kyurem bellowed once more, unable to restrain itself. To it, Zacian was nothing but a meddlesome nuisance.
Blizzards of icy wind erupted, a howling snowstorm crashing down upon the Hero of the Sword.
Blizzard!
Zacian's eyes flashed, its jaws tightening around the blade it bore. Azure light flared along its edge, slicing straight into the raging snowstorm.
Sacred Sword!
The holy strike cleaved the blizzard apart with ease.
"Ice dragon—I do not intend to fight you. My target is only Eternatus."
The cold telepathic voice of Zacian rang out.
Again—it was the same. Just as with Calyrex before, once again, some powerful enemy was stepping into its path, obstructing its pursuit of Eternatus.
"No intent? That last attack was hardly unintentional."
Black Kyurem's snarling gaze bore into Zacian. That strike—the Behemoth Blade—it had not been an accident.
"That attack was aimed at Eternatus."
"But it struck me!" Black Kyurem snapped back without hesitation. Its domineering nature cared little for excuses.
In its mind, that golden blade had interfered, had wounded it. That was enough.
Zacian's expression darkened. The proud Hero of the Sword was not one to tolerate such baseless fury.
"Hmph. I'll settle accounts with you later."
For now, Black Kyurem snorted coldly and shifted its focus back. It recognized the truth—what had happened was but a misunderstanding. More importantly, the matters of Reshiram and Eternatus had to be resolved first.
(End of Chapter)