A Golden Opportunity — The Sword of Ruin?!**
"Ice Lord… this is really the entrance to the underground ice world?"
At the heart of Antarctica, atop a vast snow-covered plain, Ethan sat astride Entei, scanning his surroundings with a puzzled look.
The scenery before him was nothing like what he had imagined.
"Yes, Boss," the Ice Lord replied calmly.
"The entrance lies within this frozen plain."
"Another kilometer forward," he added with certainty,
"and we'll reach it."
Though the Ice Lord hadn't returned here in over a century, he was confident.
After all, as an Ice-type Pokémon, his sense of direction in blizzards far surpassed that of ordinary beings.
Ethan didn't question it further and urged Entei onward.
Originally, Ethan had planned to let Metagross rest in its Poké Ball.
But after the ambush by the Morgan father and son, Metagross had grown extremely vigilant.
Afraid another threat might emerge, it had shrunk its body and quietly nestled in Ethan's arms.
Despite already being a god-tier existence, Metagross still found comfort in this closeness.
It had been a long time since it felt something like this.
As they advanced deeper into the snowfield—
Through the blinding storm, Ethan's psychic senses finally detected a small ice mountain ahead.
The Ice Lord's eyes lit up.
"Boss. We're here."
Ethan was just about to consider how to enter when—
A piercing eagle's cry tore through the sky.
The already-violent blizzard instantly intensified.
Even with Entei's heat shielding him from the cold, Ethan's vision was swallowed by snow and wind.
At that moment, Metagross sensed something powerful.
It burst out of Ethan's arms, returning to full size.
"Who's controlling the blizzard?"
"Show yourself!"
A terrifying psychic wave erupted outward.
The raging snowstorm froze midair, suspended by sheer force.
With visibility restored, Ethan looked up—
And his pupils shrank.
Hovering in the sky was a colossal blue bird, over five meters tall, wingspan nearing ten meters.
Elegant tail feathers streamed behind it, and atop its head gleamed a crown of ice and snow.
"…That's—"
"Articuno?!"
Articuno—the legendary Pokémon said to govern wind and snow.
Some legends even claimed that snowfall across Eurasia was born of its passage.
Whether myth or truth, one thing was certain:
This was no ordinary being.
Ethan's vision filled with data.
Articuno — 1.92 (God-tier, Second Rank)
"Human," Articuno spoke coldly, her voice clear and distant.
"This is not a place you may trespass."
"Leave. Now."
Her tone made it obvious—this was a female Articuno.
Under normal circumstances, Metagross might have stayed silent.
But after the recent assassination attempt, its nerves were taut.
To it, Articuno was an immediate threat.
It turned to Ethan at once.
"Boss. She's stronger than me."
"But if I Mega Evolve, I should be able to defeat her!"
Metagross wasn't boasting.
With Mega Evolution, Heaven-and-Earth Primevalization, and even the Radiant Godstone capable of triggering Z-Moves—
Even a God-tier Third Rank opponent wouldn't be impossible.
Still, Ethan gently raised a hand.
"Easy, Metagross."
"We're here to help Ice Lord return home."
"We're not here to fight."
Metagross froze.
Then it glanced awkwardly at the Ice Lord, clearly realizing it had overreacted.
"…Yeah. My bad."
Still, it hesitated.
"Boss… can we really talk this out?"
Ethan didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he turned to the Ice Lord.
"Ice Lord. Do you know this Articuno?"
The Ice Lord thought for a moment, then shook his head.
"Not really."
"When I lived here, the guardian was Regice."
"But… I can try talking to her."
The Ice Lord stepped forward.
Articuno's eyes sharpened with caution.
"I'll warn you one last time," she said.
"Leave this place."
She could sense the Ice Lord's divine aura.
And beyond him—
That silver metal giant was also a god-tier being.
One-on-one, she wasn't afraid.
But two?
Especially when one had clearly been ready to strike earlier.
Avoiding conflict was the wiser choice.
The Ice Lord stopped at a respectful distance.
"May I ask," he said politely,
"are you the current guardian of the underground ice world?"
Articuno paused, surprised.
"You know of the underground ice world?"
The Ice Lord nodded gently.
"I once lived there."
"About a hundred and fifty years ago, I left for… personal reasons."
"I've come back now."
"I just want to see my home again."
"…Is that allowed?"
Articuno frowned.
"A hundred and fifty years?"
"That was before I was even born."
"I can't confirm what you're saying."
"Do you have proof?"
The Ice Lord fell silent.
After a moment, he spoke again.
"Is Lord Regice still here?"
"If so, tell him this—"
"The most troublesome child of the Mamoswine clan has returned."
"He'll know who I am."
Articuno went quiet.
Because that name—Regice—was not something an outsider should know.
The underground ice world itself had been created by Regigigas.
After a brief pause, she looked at Ethan, then Metagross.
"Wait here."
"I'll be back."
With a powerful flap of her wings, Articuno vanished into the storm.
The blizzard quickly calmed.
"Ice Lord… do you think we'll be allowed in?" Ethan asked.
The Ice Lord shook his head.
"I'm not sure."
"But if Lord Regice is still here…"
"There's a chance."
Ten minutes passed.
Then Articuno returned.
She studied the Ice Lord closely, disbelief flickering in her eyes.
"…It really is you."
"Lord Regice said—you may enter."
She paused.
"But."
Her gaze shifted to Metagross.
"He cannot."
"The underground ice world does not welcome unfamiliar powerful beings."
"We must ensure the safety of those within."
Metagross bristled instantly.
Ethan immediately restrained it with psychic force.
"Easy."
"We're guests, not invaders."
He turned to Metagross.
"Go back to your Poké Ball."
"Ice Lord will be with me. This is his homeland."
"I'll be fine."
Metagross hesitated, clearly displeased, but finally nodded.
Still—
It silently vowed to remember this slight.
One day, it would settle the score.
With a flash of red light, Metagross returned to its ball.
Articuno's expression relaxed slightly.
"Follow me."
Under Articuno's guidance, Ethan rode Entei into the entrance of the underground ice world.
The passage was enormous—even Articuno's massive form passed through with ease.
Unlike before, Articuno no longer acted hostile.
And since she could speak—
Ethan, being Ethan, naturally struck up a conversation.
To his surprise, Articuno didn't seem annoyed.
Perhaps it was curiosity.
Perhaps she simply didn't meet humans like Ethan often.
Along the way, she explained the structure of the underground ice world, the clans living within, and its history.
Then, casually, she mentioned something else.
"Lord Regice keeps a sword."
"It was forged by humans."
"Blue in color. Broken in two."
"That sword slaughtered countless enemies."
"So many souls clung to it that a will was born within."
"It brought disaster wherever it went."
"In the end, Lord Regigigas personally sealed it away."
"The spirit is gone now."
"But the blade remains."
Ethan's heart stirred.
A sword… sealed by Regigigas himself?
He'd never heard of such a thing.
But Regigigas was ancient beyond measure—the creator of the Regis.
If he had intervened…
Then this blade was no ordinary relic.
As Ethan pondered—
A system prompt rang out.
[Ding! Detected: Golden Opportunity — Sword of Ruin]
[Recommendation: Acquire immediately]
Ethan froze.
"Golden Opportunity… Sword of Ruin?"
"So that broken sword…"
"…is a Golden Opportunity?"
His thoughts raced.
The prize of the Champion Tournament was an egg containing Zacian, the Hero of Many Battles.
And Zacian's true power came from a sword—
A sword that allowed it to enter Crowned Sword Form, a state powerful enough to challenge gods.
A broken sword.
A golden opportunity.
The pieces were starting to fit.
Lost in thought, Ethan suddenly felt the temperature plummet.
Even with Entei's heat, a bone-deep chill seeped in.
Before him, the world opened.
Countless mirror-like ice crystals reflected pale blue light, stretching endlessly.
Articuno hovered ahead.
"We've arrived."
"The Underground Ice World."
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