"A dangerous gamble. I have always felt that your behavior is reckless, and now, it seems, my concerns have been vindicated."
Radagon looked helplessly at the heavily wounded Messmer, his voice carrying a note of weary resignation.
"It is of no great consequence. A mere scratch. We possess the blessing of the Erdtree; there is no need for such excessive caution," Messmer replied. Despite the blood still seeping from his wounds, his tone remained flat and indifferent as he turned his gaze toward the surrounding Carians.
"In truth, your plan was rather crude. Had it been more refined, I might truly have perished here today. But alas, there are no 'ifs' in war."
"Had we not moved with such speed, we might not have found the opportunity to wound you at all. This was the best approach available—luring you with bait. Crude, perhaps, but effective. We only dared attempt such a scheme because the commander was you; had it been Lord Radagon standing there instead, we likely would have formulated a different plan entirely."
Robus was the first to speak. He tightened his grip on his Carian Knight's Shield, his body coiled and ready to intercept any strike Radagon might throw.
Messmer was momentarily stunned, then nodded in grim agreement.
"True enough... but the reality remains: your machinations have failed. Surrender now, or none of you shall leave this place alive."
"It is you who are heavily wounded, Lord Messmer. Given the disparity in numbers, I hardly consider this a failure. In fact..."
Robus trailed off, shifting his focus toward Radagon. It was clear he was already calculating how to deal with the newcomer.
Radagon let out a faint, enigmatic smile and raised his right hand high.
The alert Kayi and Robus immediately raised their shields, lunging in front of Rellana to provide cover.
As for Mohg... from the moment Radagon appeared, he had been huddling in a corner, desperate to avoid drawing the man's attention. He had no intention of revealing his identity yet, and being noticed by Radagon was the last thing he wanted.
However, in the next instant, a blinding golden light flickered in Radagon's palm. What appeared was not a destructive incantation, but a miniature Erdtree that began to wind and grow in mid-air.
A warm, golden radiance bathed the surrounding earth. To everyone's horror, Messmer's wounds began to knit back together at a visible pace.
Whoosh—!
Realizing something was wrong, Rellana lunged forward, intending to sever the connection between Radagon and the sapling.
Faced with her assault, Radagon merely gave her a cool, level stare. His silhouette dissolved into specks of golden starlight, vanishing from his position only to reappear in another corner of the clearing with Messmer in tow.
He then produced a Flask of Crimson Tears and pressed it to Messmer's lips.
Messmer wiped the traces of the red nectar from his mouth and flexed his limbs. His wounds had mostly closed; while internal injuries remained, they no longer hindered his immediate combat capacity.
Rellana's expression darkened. She swung her sword behind her, sending a streak of blue magical energy flying out to cleave the golden sapling in two. Deprived of its source of power, the miniature Erdtree dissolved into golden dust.
Seeing that Messmer was fit to fight, Radagon transformed back into a streak of golden light. He vanished and reappeared instantly at Rellana's flank.
The moment he emerged, golden light detonated. The sheer force of the shockwave forced Rellana to cross her twin blades in a desperate block.
Then came a massive golden greatsword, descending with overwhelming physical power. The terrifying force caused the ground beneath Rellana's feet to shatter instantly. Simultaneously, pulses of Sacred power hammered into her, threatening to drive her into the dirt.
Seeing her in trouble, Robus struck first. He gripped his longsword and unleashed a Carian Piercer, thrusting straight for Radagon's head.
Messmer's legs coiled and snapped outward. With a violent flare of fire and a thunderous boom, he launched himself like a cannonball toward Robus to intercept him.
At that moment, the previously silent Lonely Gaol Knight hoisted his massive sword and moved to meet Messmer's charge head-on.
An arc of silver vacuum-blade sliced through the air, aimed directly at Messmer. If he didn't dodge, he would collide with the strike. Realizing this, Messmer adjusted his stance mid-air, clashing his spear against Mossa's attack with a gout of flame.
Mossa was sent tumbling backward, unable to fully withstand the weight of Messmer's strike, but he had successfully bought time for Robus's assault.
Radagon was forced to divert his attention to handle Robus. He decisively abandoned his pressure on Rellana, pushing off to create distance between them.
Before Robus could follow up, Radagon reached toward the sky with his right hand. Streaks of gold manifested from the void, converging in his palm to form a spear made of pure, solid light.
Sacred Spear!
A streak of golden meteor crossed the meager distance between them in a heartbeat, slamming into the Carian Knight's Shield that Robus had hurriedly raised. An explosion of circular golden light swallowed him whole.
Robus was blasted out of the light instantly, his armor emitting wisps of white vapor. He tumbled across the ground several times before slamming into an ancient tree, barely managing to halt his momentum.
Rellana whirled toward Radagon, her voice a sharp cry of fury.
"Radagon!!!"
Radagon spared her a glance before twisting his body. With a sonic boom that kicked up a ring of white vapor, he closed the distance instantly. His golden greatsword swung down with a roar.
CLANG!
Sparks sprayed violently as the weapons collided. Rellana's feet continued to sink into the soil; it was clear she was being overpowered in this direct clash of strength.
Suddenly, a fresh burst of golden light erupted from Radagon's blade. The sudden increase in force sent Rellana flying backward.
Radagon lunged to finish her. But just as his sword was about to descend upon her, an overwhelming sense of lethal danger gripped his entire being.
Without a moment's hesitation, he slammed his weapon into the ground, using the resulting impact to launch himself away.
The moment he retreated, a torrent of azure-blue energy hammered down from the sky. The horrific, surging magic devoured the earth in an instant, leaving a massive, terrifying crater where he had stood.
The magic stream then pivoted, tracking Radagon's movements with relentless precision. It tore through layers of soil and snapped ancient trees like toothpicks as it pursued him.
Radagon looked uncharacteristically harried as he dodged the magic torrent. The chase only ended when Messmer—having knocked back Kayi and the recovered Robus—arrived at his side. Together, they manifested a combined barrier of gold and red light. The defense held, slowly eroding the azure stream until it finally dissipated.
Radagon looked toward a patch of empty ground nearby, his senses tingling.
Specks of blue starlight flickered into existence, converging into a tall, regal silhouette.
It was the Queen of the Full Moon herself: Rennala!
"For the two of you to enter my domain without so much as a greeting... is that not a breach of etiquette?"
Messmer's brow furrowed. He stepped forward to speak, but Radagon raised a hand to stop him.
"Your Majesty, I imagine this meeting has been unpleasant for both our sides. Why not meet again in three days? At that time, I would be honored to discuss the relationship between the Gold and the Moon with you."
Radagon spoke with a face of total sincerity, his gaze locked on Rennala.
Rennala studied Radagon's features and stature for a long moment before slowly nodding.
"I will consider it. You shall have my answer tomorrow. Until then, lead your troops away from Carian territory."
"...Of course. Come, Messmer."
Radagon nodded and turned to lead the way. Messmer remained grim-faced, but after surveying the field, he followed suit.
"There are still some of your subordinates in the forest. You would be wise to tell them to leave quickly; I cannot guarantee their safety otherwise."
Radagon's silhouette paused for a fraction of a second at Rennala's words. He gave a slight nod before vanishing.
Once the two red-haired figures were gone from their senses, Rennala turned to Rellana, who was resting on one knee.
"That move was far too risky. It was impulsive."
"If that man Radagon hadn't interfered, the mission would have succeeded," Rellana said with a trace of regret.
"No. There is no 'if.' His appearance was inevitable. Does it not strike you as strange? The supreme commander and strongest warrior of the expedition was content to sit at the Grand Lift while his army advanced. Why?" Rennala shook her head.
"Is that not normal? He is the commander; it is reasonable to have a powerhouse guarding the rear..." Rellana frowned.
"In any other army, perhaps. But the Golden Order... they do not lack powerhouses. In this lake district, the Cuckoos could never dream of threatening their rear. And our elites—those capable of such a threat—were being watched. By sitting in the rear, he wasn't just being useless; he was slowing the advance."
"So he did it on purpose?"
"Likely. Perhaps to bond with Messmer, or perhaps, as we saw today, to wait for an opportunity to catch us in a trap. He has the ability to appear instantly at a specific location, after all."
Rennala's words made Rellana's head throb. "That ability must have restrictions, just like yours, Sister."
"I believe so. Most likely, he left a mark on Messmer's person."
"You've chosen him?" Rellana suddenly shifted the topic to Radagon, catching Rennala off guard. After a moment of silence, the Queen slowly nodded.
"Will there be no issues?"
"It is fine. He is strong, but he is no match for me yet—at least, not in a duel." Rennala shook her head. "I understand."
"And what of you? What do you think of Messmer?"
"Not much. I don't like him. He feels like a snake; it makes me uncomfortable."
"Is that so? Then it seems you're still partial to that little fellow with the connection to the Outer God?"
"..."
Seeing that Rellana wasn't going to answer, Rennala offered her a soft smile.
"Very well. I will not interfere with your choices. As I have told you before, you are free to choose your own path."
"...Sister, thank you."
"Well, you are my sister, aren't you?" Rennala let out a soft chuckle. She scanned the surroundings. "Wait... where is that little fellow?"
Rellana blinked and began to look around as well. The "little fellow" they were referring to was, of course, Mohg.
And where was he? He was currently buried under the soil kicked up by Radagon's spear of light. He had been debating whether to jump in and help Rellana, but then Rennala had intervened. He decided it was safer to stay underground. Better to remain a mole than to risk being scrutinized by Radagon, his... "cheap father"? Or "cheap mother"?
Either way, you get the idea.
Seeing that the sisters were looking for him, Mohg finally burrowed his way out of the dirt.
"Your Majesties."
Rellana couldn't help but let out a snort of amusement at the sight of Mohg covered in topsoil.
"Well then. You aren't hurt, I assume?"
"No, Highness. I was merely caught in the aftershocks of the battle. No lasting harm done." Mohg nodded and stood up.
The rest of the group slowly converged on their position.
"Robus, how are you faring?" Rellana asked the Knight Chief, who was removing his armor and rubbing his chest.
"I thank you for your concern, Highness. It is nothing serious. I managed to use Carian Retaliation to dampen the impact before I was struck. Only minor injuries."
"Good." Rellana nodded, relieved to see that everyone had escaped with only light wounds. "Let us return to the Manor. We have much to discuss regarding our next moves."
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Elden Ring: As the Consort, I Reject Miquella (Full)
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