Here's another chapter, my friends! It's about a week late, but at least it's out now. I tried to add to the contents of the chapter to make that extra week worth the wait, but I don't know if I achieved my goal as well as I wanted to.
As for a question: What Outer God are you most interested in encountering?
There's the Frenzied Flame, the Greater Will, the Formless Mother, the Full Moon, the Fell God, and the Scarlet Rot. They will all be seen for 100% certainty in the story, albeit in different ways.
Regardless of all that, I hope you enjoy the chapter!
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Melina was accustomed to (Y/n) running ahead and asking her to stay behind, out of any immediate danger. To an extent, her acceptance of her passivity was because she was acclimated to being unable to act physically.
In her past life, her lack of a physical body forced her to only act in a physical sense near the Erdtree. It was a very powerful presence, and her spiritual self could materialize because of it. However, that help was only for a miniscule part of (Y/n)'s journey.
Despite seeing the struggles that (Y/n) endured, she could only watch from a distance, supporting (Y/n) emotionally far more than physically.
However, now, her situation had shifted because of the Outer Gods' interference. She wasn't quite as helpless anymore due to becoming the sole maiden of Destined Death. She hadn't tested out what that offered just yet, but if there was ever a time, she believed now would be the best one.
So, with a speed that she had never experienced before, she sprinted alongside Millicent. The massive form of Rykard fought against (Y/n), Salem, and Radahn, but they didn't focus on that. All around them, there were Shadows fighting against a slew of enemies, guaranteeing their safety.
"Can he truly handle such an opponent?" Millicent asked between breaths, her boots splashing against the ground and sending minute waves in the shallow water. The waves crashed against one another in a flurry of water that was woefully inept compared to the goliaths around it.
Melina nodded, noting where she was silently and beginning to slow down. "Yes, he will defeat that monster. Our job is to help in other ways, where he's currently powerless."
Millicent frowned, confused on what (Y/n) could encounter and be powerless within. After all, he was trading blows with a being straight out of story books. She opened her mouth, but it quickly shut when a woman was darting around frantically within a small pavilion.
Every time she saw a Shadow fighting against a giant crab, or really, anytime she saw a Shadow, she let out a yelp and a barrier of golden light surrounded her. Suddenly, Millicent understood that (Y/n)'s Shadows, who, for the most part, could not speak, were helpless against raw, natural fear.
They could do nothing but make sure the woman was protected, even as she yelped and yammered because of their presences.
The frightened woman's awful posture was quite notable, but Melina knew that the woman wasn't used to being in such a form.
This was Zorayas, also known as Rya. She was the adoptive daughter of Tanith, and she was an ally of (Y/n)'s.
"A-Ah, oh no, what shall I do? I need my necklace, but that large monster has appeared! And now these black creatures are running all about!" The woman vibrated intensely in her spot, unable to decide and move for herself.
Melina gently jumped up onto the pavilion, as if she hadn't just crossed an entire battlefield just moments prior. Millicent trailed behind her, far more exhausted than the spiritual demigod. Melina bowed her head as Rya's panicked attention fell on her. "There isn't much time, so I shall be swift. We must escape from here or else."
Rya stumbled over herself, "Ah, but my necklace —"
Melina bowed her head patiently. "I promise your necklace will be retrieved. But for now, your life is more important." Melina gestured to the massive creature, clearly showing how much damage it was doing.
Rya stared, a little bit in utter shock, a bit in reverence. It was like a deity had come down and was enacting judgement, only to be stopped by one lone man. She didn't know which side she revered more. Melina called out to her once, and Rya was pulled back down to reality.
She nodded frantically. She was scared out of her mind, and she valued her necklace more than her life itself, but she also knew how futile everything would be if her life was snuffed out. She could tell that Melina and Millicent could have quite easily left her to die, but they hadn't.
So, she followed Melina and Millicent as they continued onward, even as she let out small yelps as the Shadows cleared a path around them.
Millicent stared at Melina's small back and tiny shoulder as she moved forward, each step filled with determination. She couldn't help but admire that determination. In a way, it truly reminded her of Malenia.
-----
(Y/n) and Salem slid backwards as her magical shield fell over them. Around them, the ground was scorched down to nothing but dead earth. Radahn landed behind them after Rykard launched him away, and Salem extended her shield over him.
For a moment, (Y/n) panted, annoyed. He clicked his tongue. "So, he's got magic, lava, poison, and rancor... and Gluttony, so he gets stronger the more he eats. Damn, is it this annoying to fight me?"
As if to highlight (Y/n)'s words, a yellow light built up within one of the mouths and shot out, covering the magical barrier with yellow flames. He grimaced, "And frenzy, fun."
Despite his reactions, (Y/n) hadn't lost much ground in his bout against the titanic dragon. The massive variety of attacks Rykard boasted was offset by the variety of the Shadow Army.
Because of Salem's Dragon Empress status, she was not to be trifled with, especially when fighting against a dragon, which Rykard was. His magic was mostly canceled out against her, and his lava could do very little with her fire immunity.
His poison and rancor were the only things that needed to be watched out for, but the poison was halted by Radahn's gravity magic. The rancor was the only skill that was dangerous no matter what because it was souls that were being used.
Against (Y/n)'s Shadows, souls were arguably the strongest threats around. But, so far, Radahn and Salem avoided anything more than a few times getting destroyed, which meant (Y/n)'s mana was still in fantastic condition. Besides, while his Shadows were weakened against the rancor, it bounced off of him near harmlessly.
But despite Rykard being unable to hurt them much, the nine-headed dragon also wasn't in a position where he was injured much. Even while using Legacy, Rykard's regeneration was quite noteworthy, which annoyed (Y/n) like hell.
"I'd think negating regeneration was in the whole 'Successor of Destined Death' bit of all these powers. I guess not though," he huffed, silently jabbing at the Darkness who offered him his abilities. He was undeniably thankful, but he couldn't stop his annoyance.
As Rykard took a step back as if he was resizing (Y/n), the Shadow Sovereign took the opportunity to relook over the situation. His attacks were doing a miniscule amount of damage, he couldn't fuse together his Shadows because they were busy helping around the Lake, and as time passed Rykard would only get harder to kill.
"We need to kill him in one shot, or else he's just gonna keep regenerating," (Y/n) tsked, glancing towards Salem and Radahn without taking his attention away from Rykard's slithery form. "Have any ideas?"
Salem nodded firmly. "When Magara arrives, we'll have the weapon solely meant to take him down, my Liege. Until that moment comes to pass, if we can hold Rykard off to a standstill, it'll be to our success."
(Y/n) gave Radahn a look, and the Starscourge huffed. He was annoyed that his attacks weren't working very well either, no matter what he tried. Despite his frustration, he was still more than ready to leap into the fray to fight for what he believed in.
To him, it didn't even matter whether he was fighting against his brother or not. In fact, he believed a life under the Shadow Sovereign would've been more beneficial for his brother.
Salem bobbed her head towards Rykard. "This whole time, he's only used five of his nine heads. I guess we'll get to see what the other four were doing this time."
(Y/n) honed his attention back on Rykard, and the Great Rune of the Unborn was suddenly shining blindingly.
The five heads looked up into the sky as magical energy raced through them, veins of power becoming incandescent underneath their scales. In sync, they slammed their heads into the ground, and a detailed magic circle appeared. For a second, (Y/n) wondered what it reminded him off, and then a wave of exhaustion suddenly hit him.
Rykard's head let out a growl. "Come to me, oath-sworn spirits! Let's devour the very gods, together!"
All around the magic circle, creatures began to form from the surrounding flurrying energy. The forms ranged from just humanoid to straight-up animals. It was tens of thousands, and the number was steadily, and disturbingly, rising.
It reminded (Y/n) of Rennala, and what ended up killing him an upwards of thirty times.
But even within that massive bunch of spirits, there were a few that were notable even within the crowd.
Some of those noteworthy spirits were the Glintstone Dragon Smarag, the Red Wolf of Radagon, Lady Tanith and her Crucible Knight, and even the Queen of Caria herself, Rennala.
The sight of Rennala gave pause to (Y/n), Radahn, and Salem.
The woman was important to them all, just in different ways. For (Y/n), she was simultaneously an enemy on his path, but also a pitiable shell of a strong Queen. For Radahn, she was his mother who he once valued endlessly. For Salem, Rennala was once a friend, and a mentor-figure.
Rennala also seemed to recognize the three, but with a raging army of spirits behind her, it was clear what side she'd take. She opened her mouth and spoke, her words carrying a large distance with impossible clarity.
"I'm sorry we must fight like this, Radahn, Salem. Even you, (Y/n). However, I'm confident in the ending of this fight, no matter what happens. So, fight with everything you've got!" She spoke, her voice reminiscent of the warrior she once used to be.
As if she was the true leader of Rykard's spiritual army, they began to roar out, charging forward as (Y/n) readied himself. Salem and Radahn did the same, but none of them moved as the onrushing enemies got closer and closer.
They were fifty meters away, but (Y/n) hadn't moved. He tapped his foot against the ground quickly.
"Come on...." He mumbled, his focus elsewhere.
Rennala herself leapt above her spiritual allies, magic forming at the tip of her spectral staff and flying towards Salem's shield. It crashed into the shield, and just a second later, a magical beam from Rykard came crashing into it next. The shield was powerful, but Rennala was experienced, and a crack spread tumultuously through the transparent barrier.
Just 25 meters away, but the trio stayed still. (Y/n) gripped his scythe tightly, Salem shook as she barely maintained her barrier, and Radahn shuffled silently in place.
"Closer...."
20 meters, then 15, then 10.
(Y/n) felt a blur of movement, and at the very edge of his senses, he heard Melina's voice clearly.
"It's done, (Y/n)! They're all safe. Bring some hell!"
At Melina's unusual choice of words, (Y/n) grinned and his shadow expanded, encompassing all the lake in inky darkness.
"Arise and Come forth!"
Passionate, incredible hell broke loose.
From Salem's storage, (Y/n) revived over 3000 Shadows she gained around Caelid.
All at once, (Y/n)'s over-12,000 Shadow Army came down on Rykard's Spiritual Army like an avalanche against a landslide. The two magical armies clashed in a cacophony of beautiful, terrifying war, but neither side was scared to be destroyed or killed.
As a result, a beautifully skilled back and forth was created.
Mages fought mages, as magic carved paths in the earth.
(Y/n)'s Crucible Knight met Tanith's Crucible Knight, and there was a flicker of acknowledgement between them before they began swiping towards one another's very existences. After all, there were only 16 Crucible Knights ever, so the brotherhood that they formed was undeniable, no matter the circumstances.
The Leonine Misbegotten howled animalistically and swept his blade in circles, only to be met with another Misbegotten, only one that was three times his size. Before the Titanic Misbegotten could crush the Leonine Misbegotten there was a flash of movement, like an assassin's flickering presence. The Titanic Misbegotten's head slid off its body, only to regenerate, beginning to regenerate after a few minutes.
An unnaturally toothy grin grew on the misbegotten's face as he roared, the inclusion of his ally invigorating him unbelievably.
Salem's shield fell as the Shadow Army raged, and behind her, Magara landed gently, kneeling to her Liege.
Despite having her regeneration on her side, she still looked ragged. To experience a point-blank explosion from a being like Rykard and come out alive-ish, (Y/n) was just glad that Magara was still all put together.
She knelt and offered (Y/n) the Serpent-Hunter. When he touched it, he felt a ridiculous amount of energy building within it, all being directed at Rykard. Something about it was oddly invigorating.
He grabbed the mighty weapon and passed Legacy off to Salem. She held the weapon delicately, feeling veins of power pulse through her from just holding the Scythe of Destined Death. Although, (Y/n) would doubt to call it that, since there wasn't much Destined Death he could use.
(Y/n)'s eyes shot to the massive form of Rykard, which was beginning to shimmer and levitate.
(Y/n) stared aghast, as Rykard's gargantuan form began to be covered in the image of a moon. He glanced at Rennala, who seemed to share a reaction of slight disbelief.
"Such a massive moon? Really?" (Y/n) sighed, staring at the massive energy ball above the opposing army. The orb was gathering more energy by the second, and it was clear to everyone in the army what a threat it was.
Godrick and Grey began charging towards it, only to be interrupted by Smarag crashing into them and throwing them aside.
Radahn let out a mighty roar and leapt out from behind (Y/n) and Salem. Leonard neighed loudly and sprang out, sweeping Radahn up. The Haizum Horse and the Demigod reconnected, and power echoed about in waves.
[Unique Synergy Inseparable Gravitas (5) has been activated.]
The pair soared to otherworldly limits, with the Unique Synergy amplifying their abilities even further. Separately, they were powerful, but together they hit the level of a Rank 9.
They shot through the area with maximum efficiency, echoes of their power causing tremors through the battlefield. Rennala's arm shot up at incredible speeds, a large shield that was thicker than Salem's protecting the massive moon.
Radahn and Leonard slammed into the shield, and while a crack spread through it, it did not break. Rennala kept one hand up, focusing on the shield, but the other hand focused on the battlefield, throwing powerful spells around. When paired with her Red Wolf, she was quite the menacing sorceress to encounter.
(Y/n) held his newest weapon with a grin, breathing slowly. "Salem, strut your stuff."
Salem laughed as a smile widened on her face. "You should watch your words, Master. Mistress Melina and Sellen may become jealous of me."
Then, Salem let down her shield and gripped Legacy tightly, a gargantuan image of a black, inky dragon appearing behind her. At the same time, (Y/n) tapped his foot against the ground, and all his Shadows — save for Irina and Therolina, who were behind them with their hands in a prayer — suddenly retreated, leaving their spiritual opponents thoroughly confused.
[Irina and Therolina are using the Skill: Blessing of Shadows.]
[Salem is using the Skill: Dragon Empress's Fury.]
All at once, the massive dragon began spewing massive flames moving from left to right of the battlefield. No matter who was in its path, they were beaten down senselessly by the magical attack. The power of a Rank 9 was unrivaled, and when bolstered by Irina and Therolina, Salem only became stronger.
Rennala teleported herself and Rykard upwards, barely leaving the range of Salem's attack. However, the battlefield was decimated by her attack. The spirits slowly began to regenerate like (Y/n)'s Shadows would, albeit at a much slower rate.
(Y/n) let out a breath as his energy to finish settling into the Serpent-Hunter.
[Synergy Weapons of Destined Death (2) has been activated.]
With Salem holding Legacy and (Y/n) connecting to the Serpent-Hunter, they had two incredible weapons at their disposal, and they planned to use them. And interestingly, (Y/n) felt a new, familiar energy permeating through the weapons.
(Y/n) held the blade of the Serpent-Hunter low, bowing his head lightly to Rennala. At the same time, the massive moon shot off, beginning to race towards (Y/n) and his dear allies. If it landed, there was no chance that his Shadows would be able to regenerate.
"You are quite amazing, Rennala, but I didn't come this far to fail. So, I believe we've found the end of this battle. Goodbye," And with a breath, (Y/n) let the Serpent-Hunter fly upwards, Destined Death extending a mile far and cutting straight through the giant moon, Rykard, and Rennala.
-----
In the far distance, two yellow-eyed individuals — a man and a woman — observed the Lake, where the war between the Shadow Army and the Spiritual Army raged out. Despite this battle of incredible scale, the two didn't seem particularly worried.
They were observing from the top of Caria Manor.
"Well, that's quite the sight, isn't it, Hyetta?" The man, covered in red clothing from head to toe, asked. Yellow flames danced in his eyes.
The woman, Hyetta, nodded. She was his maiden, and because of his status, she showed him the utmost respect. "Of course, Master Kale. He is a Sovereign, blessed with the power of Destined Death. However, next to your power, he pales in comparison. Your desires far surpass his own."
Kale cackled wildly, unlike his normal self. "Yes, yes. We will return this world to One! That pathetic Shadow is only the lingering embers of a forgotten past! He was quite pathetic to hand his essence over to a mere mortal. But we must make sure to be smart. He is no threat, but if we allow the other Outer Gods to cement their presences, the situation will become... annoying. Well, I'm sure the Lunar Princess will be happy to see us."
Hyetta smiled innocently, as if her master's sole plans weren't to kill the Lunar Princess. "Indeed. I'd say it would be rather nice to introduce ourselves."
Kale cackled and leapt down, followed by Hyetta.
Behind them, the flames of Frenzied Flames burned down everything in their path.