After summoning the army Radahn needed, Tarnes commanded him: "You've seen the portal in the courtyard. The other side leads to the Lonely Mountain. I'm giving you ten days to make the round trip. Lead your soldiers to Redmane Castle, then return to Stormveil Castle and reach your destination through the portal."
Radahn pondered for a moment, then replied: "Ten days won't be necessary. The Redmane Legion also knows portal technology. Redmane Castle has the stone monument materials needed to build portals... No, to prevent the materials from failing over time, I should bring some from here instead."
Tarnes indicated he would have people prepare the materials Radahn needed but then remembered something and frowned: "But while soldiers can reach quickly through the portal, war machines cannot. Even departing from Redmane Castle now would take several months to reach the Lonely Mountain. Do you have a way to solve this problem, Radahn?"
Radahn replied: "Of course. Since I requested these war machines, naturally I have a solution. Do you remember my gravity magic?"
Tarnes first nodded, then realized: "You plan to use gravity magic to directly lift those things and fly them over?"
Radahn said: "More or less. I'll reach the destination within a month."
Tarnes asked considerately: "Will your magical power be sufficient to support using gravity magic for so long? Do you need me to provide some magic-restoring items?"
After pondering, Radahn finally nodded in acceptance: "To ensure I can immediately join the battle upon reaching the destination, please provide me with some magical power supply items."
While taking some Starlight Shards glittering with starlight from his spatial pack, Tarnes said: "Unfortunately, there are no craftsmen in the territory who can make Flasks of Cerulean Tears yet; otherwise, I would definitely give you one."
Starlight Shards were precious materials used by ancient Eternal Cities for potion-making. Tarnes had heard from Melina that they were debris produced by starlight that flowed past in an instant.
Using them could slowly restore magical power, though very, very slowly. They couldn't serve as emergency recovery items.
But when there were no other means of restoring magical power, having Starlight Shards was better than nothing.
Seeing these familiar Starlight Shards, Radahn showed some surprise on his face. After thanking him, he carefully took them from Tarnes' hands, afraid that too much force might crush these blue-glowing ethereal fragments.
He carefully stored these fragments away. After a few seconds of silence, he still asked: "Your ability to obtain so many Starlight Shards means you've met Ranni, my sister, right? In my memory, she loved these star-related trinkets."
Tarnes became inexplicably nervous and quickly changed the subject to distract Radahn's attention: "Since I became Elden Lord in the Lands Between, how could I not have met Princess of the Moon Ranni? Let's not talk about that. You have something else left with me. It's time to return it to you."
Radahn's attention was indeed drawn to Tarnes' words, or more precisely, to the two giant swords that suddenly appeared in his hands.
Each sword was as tall as a grown man, feeling somewhat strenuous even for someone with Tarnes' strength. The blade bodies were forged entirely from pitch-black meteoric iron, with crack patterns like stellar explosions covering the three-palm-wide blade surface, resembling a lion's mane.
Radahn couldn't hide the smile at the corners of his mouth, his golden pupils looking as if at an old friend.
That indeed was his old friend, the weapon that had fought alongside him throughout his life: the Starscourge Greatsword.
Young Radahn had been famous for the "Starscourge" legend, and the patterns on the blade were actually gravity emblems that Radahn had carved in his youth.
"This is exactly what I desire." General Radahn rarely showed a trace of a smile, his gaze burning as he stared intently at the Starscourge Greatsword in Tarnes' hands, slowly opening his broad and powerful palm.
The Starscourge Greatsword seemed to sense its master's call, the wide blade trembling slightly, the patterns on the hilt seeming to come alive, flickering with faint purple light, like a child who had been away from home for too long finally seeing his father's embrace, too excited to contain himself.
Tarnes understood and gently released his control over the Starscourge Greatsword.
In an instant, the giant sword seemed drawn by an invisible force, floating up and tracing a graceful arc through the air before flying steadily into Radahn's hand.
The moment hilt met palm, they seemed to be naturally one, perfectly matched.
A powerful aura immediately emanated from Radahn, announcing that the Starscourge Greatsword had finally returned to its original master's hands.
The moment he gripped the Starscourge Greatsword, Radahn noticed something strange, as the feel was completely different from his memory.
He swung it lightly, the blade cutting through air with fierce, unmatched sword wind whistling past.
However, Radahn made a light "eh" sound at this moment, eyebrows slightly raised, full of surprise.
His gaze turned to Tarnes, a flash of hesitation in his eyes, then he slowly reversed his grip on the Starscourge Greatsword and handed it back to Tarnes.
"Tarnes, I must thank you for your meticulous care of this sword." Radahn's voice was deep and powerful: "I can feel that it's now sharper than when in my hands, and magical power flows through it more smoothly. Though I am its former master, I can also sense that it seems quite fond of you as well. You must have spent considerable effort and money to forge it to this level... are you truly certain you want to return it to me?"
For special weapons like the Starscourge Greatsword, Tarnes had naturally consumed smithing stones and runes to enhance it to the maximum.
Tarnes waved his hand dismissively: "I have plenty of weapons I'm used to. This sword with me is just a decoration with an empty reputation. Its true stage should be in your hands, where it can shine with its original brilliance."
As soon as he finished speaking, Tarnes suddenly looked Radahn up and down.
A thoughtful glint flashed in his eyes, then, as if remembering something, he slapped his forehead: "Mm... I feel like you're missing something. Ah, right! Your beloved horse. I actually forgot to summon it. Since I haven't summoned Jerren and Freyja either, I'll call them all together shortly."
Radahn had never been one for affected modesty. Seeing Tarnes had no attachment to the Starscourge Greatsword, he stopped refusing, withdrew his hand, and securely hung the sword at his waist, the hilt lightly tapping his belt with a crisp metallic collision sound.
After hearing Tarnes' words, Radahn solemnly expressed his gratitude again: "Then, many thanks."
Tarnes' gaze swept over the burning gazes on the training ground. The Redmane Knights and Royal Army soldiers were staring intently at him and Radahn, their eyes full of expectation and respect.
He chuckled and joked: "Alright, I'll leave this place to your Redmane Legion. Look at your warriors. Their eyes are full of things they want to say to you. As an outsider, I won't interfere. I'll have Nepheli Loux arrange for someone to deliver what you requested. Now I need to return to the Lonely Mountain to communicate with our Dwarf allies about our plans."
Amid Radahn's farewells, Tarnes turned and left, returning to the Erdtree courtyard.
Before summoning Jerren and Freyja, Tarnes hadn't forgotten his earlier promise to Radahn. He decided to first attempt summoning the deceased Redmane Knight Ogha.
But could it really succeed?
After all, Ogha differed from other Lands Between beings. He had already confirmed death and now existed only as a wisp of soul.
Tarnes lacked confidence in this, as summoning and reviving the souls of the dead was somewhat fantastical to begin with.
But even so, he had to try.
If he could truly summon special spirit ashes like Ogha, his pack contained many other powerful spirit ashes awaiting summoning.
Tarnes retrieved an item from his spatial pack, a gray bell the size of his palm, covered with dense inscriptions. These mysterious inscriptions gave Tarnes the ability to command spirit ashes in battle.
Spirit ash summoning had great limitations, only possible when a Spirit-Calling Bell existed nearby to awaken them from soul slumber.
Middle-earth had no such mysterious constructs as rebirth monuments, whose principles Tarnes didn't understand, so the Spirit-Calling Bell in Tarnes' hands had never had a use, and naturally he had gradually forgotten it in memory's corner.
At this moment, his fingers gently caressed the inscriptions on the Spirit-Calling Bell's metal surface, those uneven patterns passing under his fingertips.
Tarnes remembered Melina saying something about him being the Elden Lord's bell-bearing servant or something like that.
Though Tarnes used the Spirit-Calling Bell whenever he found he could summon spirit ashes, he didn't think he was as pathetic as Melina described, since he defeated most enemies himself.
Tarnes withdrew from his memories, gently restraining the smile that had unconsciously bloomed at his lips while recalling a certain maiden.
"Ring!"
Then he slowly raised his hand and gently shook the bell.
The bell's sound echoed through the Erdtree's courtyard, transmitting a summoning signal to Ogha's soul.
However, fate didn't seem to favor Tarnes' attempt. Observing intently, he only saw Ogha's soul still slumbering within the Spirit-Calling Bell, showing no signs of awakening.
Meanwhile, the Erdtree showed no reaction to the bell sound, only quietly emanating gentle, sacred golden radiance.
"Indeed, without a rebirth monument, these souls cannot be awakened..."
Tarnes murmured quietly, his tone full of helplessness and regret.
He sighed lightly, shook his head, and prepared to immerse his consciousness in the Elden Ring within the Erdtree.
However, the corner of Tarnes' eye suddenly caught a strange glimmer, instantly drawing his attention.
"The Shadow Tree?"
Tarnes' surprise and astonishment spilled out. The Erdtree remained unresponsive, quietly emanating golden radiance as if unaware of everything around it.
But the Shadow Tree coexisting with it had been gently flickering with black-gold light ever since Tarnes shook the bell.
Had Tarnes' peripheral vision not caught it, he might have missed this phenomenon entirely.
Right, the Shadow Tree was responsible for guiding souls back to the tree. It should be the one reacting to souls in the Spirit-Calling Bell.
Tarnes had an epiphany and immediately aimed the Spirit-Calling Bell at the Shadow Tree, ringing the bell again.
"Ring!"
The crisp bell sound echoed in the air.
This time, the Shadow Tree's trunk became even more pitch-black, as if dyed by night, with black-gold grace slowly flowing down from its branches like flowing streams.
Simultaneously, Ogha's soul awakened from slumber, silently floating out of the silver-gray Spirit-Calling Bell, his tall and imposing form appearing before Tarnes.
Black-gold Shadow Grace immediately enveloped Ogha's soul, making Tarnes' heart tighten.
Wait, it's not going to return this soul to the tree, is it?
Just as he was about to quickly cancel Ogha's summoning, he found that Shadow Grace had completely flowed into Ogha's soul, the silver-gray spirit gradually becoming the same black-gold color.
Tarnes suddenly discovered that the connection between Ogha's soul and the Spirit-Calling Bell had been severed.
It's over!
Tarnes wailed inwardly but soon noticed that after dyeing Ogha's soul the same color, Shadow Grace made no further moves.
The Shadow Tree's branches and leaves swayed gently, seeming to comfort Tarnes' anxiety while appearing to communicate silently with the Erdtree.
After a moment, the Erdtree, seemingly with some reluctance, finally responded.
It sent down a bright golden grace, bathing Ogha's soul within it. That golden grace flowed gently over Ogha's soul like warm radiance, gradually replacing the black-gold color with golden.
Finally, when this soul gently landed before Tarnes, it was no longer an ethereal spirit but a person with flesh, his body gleaming with the luster of the living in the golden grace's radiance.
However, somewhat embarrassingly, Ogha currently wore no armor or clothing.
Though he had been fully armed as a spirit, after being given flesh anew, clothing hadn't been granted along with it.
Tarnes' eyes widened. He never expected that spirit ashes could actually be revived, and even more unexpectedly, the Shadow Tree had played the crucial role.
Before Ogha opened his eyes, Tarnes hurriedly took a complete set of Redmane Knight armor from his spatial pack, including undergarments, and without hesitation threw it onto the golden grass at Ogha's feet.
"For Lord Radahn! Charge with me against those damned Cleanrot Knights! Stop Finlay at all costs! Cannot let her bring Malenia back to the Haligtree! Revenge for the General!"
Ogha seemed awakened by the sound of armor hitting the ground. The first thing this warrior did upon opening his eyes was shout General Radahn's name, carrying his pre-death roar as he swung his fist at Tarnes.
Of course Tarnes didn't indulge him. He easily caught Ogha's fist and threw him back beside the armor.
"Put on your armor, Ogha," Tarnes said irritably. "I'm not your enemy, and Radahn is waiting for you to rejoin."