What Radahn did not say was that he had sensed Ranni's presence within that half of the Great Rune of Death.
Evidently, this Great Rune of Death did not belong to the Gloam-Eyed Queen, but had instead been created by Ranni herself.
The truth behind Ranni's disappearance was already self-evident: she was the true mastermind who orchestrated the Night of the Black Knives and murdered Godwyn the Golden.
However, Radahn had no intention of exposing Ranni.
First, Ranni was his younger sister.
Second, by forcibly using Destined Death, a power completely opposed to the Erdtree, even if Ranni had survived, her condition was likely already terrible.
Therefore, from this point onward, Ranni could no longer threaten his rule. In fact, Radahn was rather grateful for everything she had done.
If Ranni had not killed Godwyn the Golden, he would never have had the opportunity to become a king and would have remained merely the Starscourge General for the rest of his life.
As for why he was not afraid of the Gloam-Eyed Queen's Destined Death and even embedded it directly into his weapon, the reason was simple: he had defeated the master of the Law of Death in a one-on-one duel.
He had conquered death itself, so naturally he was qualified to wield it.
"First, we will return to Caria Manor for rest and replenishment. Once I have fully mastered Haki, it will be time for the second battle for the Royal Capital!" Radahn loudly declared, raising his fist toward the gradually gathering allied army and heroes.
"WOOOOOOOO~~~~"
The allied forces immediately waved their weapons in response, erupting into deafening cheers like roaring mountains and tsunamis.
"This Radahn truly possesses the bearing of an ancient great general!" one Xiao Family member exclaimed in admiration.
"Pfft, everything else is fine, but what's with that scrawny horse he rides? It's like an adult riding a baby stroller!" another person could not help but laugh.
"Isn't that exactly proof of his gentleness? That horse has accompanied the Starscourge General since childhood. To let that little horse continue fighting alongside him, he specifically became a master of gravity magic in order to lighten his own weight!" someone immediately explained.
"Ah? That cool? What a real man!"
Everyone immediately expressed admiration.
The Xiao Family members transformed into human form and followed behind the army, showing no signs of frustration despite belonging to the defeated side.
After all, it was only a defeat. The one who lost was their old man, not them.
This group of unfilial descendants had practically completed a righteous family severance the instant Xiao was defeated, directly "expelling" their own ancestor from the Xiao Family ranks.
Moreover, it was merely a single setback. For them, it was simply another hardship encountered on the path toward conquering this world.
If they could not win, they would run. If they could not run, they would surrender. If surrender did not work, then they would sell hooks. After all, the Xiao Clan had originally risen through exactly such methods.
The Xiao Clan's bloodline power was exceptionally strong and could continuously evolve by absorbing the abilities of other superior bloodlines.
Thus, the Xiao Clan's bloodline held extraordinary appeal for powerful beings from any world, and few would casually kill Xiao Clan members.
Temporary defeat was not frightening. One simply needed to know shame and become brave afterward.
As long as they continued diligently improving their strength, sooner or later they would defeat their enemies.
The Xiao Family members never became discouraged because of a single failure. They only learned from their mistakes and continued moving forward.
However, perhaps due to their excessive pursuit of bloodline power, the younger generation of the Xiao Clan had also developed a strong attraction toward the bloodlines of other powerful beings.
This caused certain Xiao Family members to become intensely interested in Radahn.
Such a charismatic and powerful demigod, such a superior lifeform, was simply a divine blessing for the Xiao Clan, who worshipped bloodline power.
They longed to combine with powerful beings, give birth to even stronger descendants, and absorb the bloodline powers of those individuals.
Some Xiao Family members even grew restless toward Rykard and the Golden Heroes, and even Malenia the Valkyrie, despite being completely corrupted, became one of their conquest targets.
However, after Malenia emotionlessly chopped down several people, no Xiao Family members dared harass her again.
The Xiao Family bloodline had absorbed excellent genes from multiple worlds, and every member possessed extraordinary beauty along with an innate elegant and ethereal temperament.
Combined with the power of the Golden Dragon Clan, they were practically ideal spouses and partners. Under the mutual attraction of bloodlines, they quickly infiltrated the upper ranks of the allied army.
As for the middle- and lower-ranking soldiers, to the Xiao Clan members who revered bloodline supremacy, they were essentially nonexistent and were completely ignored.
If someone was beautiful, they could optimize the family bloodline. If someone was ordinary in appearance, average in strength, and lacked any special talents, then they basically had no chance of attracting attention.
As for wealth, to the Xiao Clan, who controlled dozens of worlds, money was the most useless thing imaginable.
…
…
Meanwhile, Xiao, as the current master of Raya Lucaria Academy, enthusiastically entertained Radahn's allied forces.
He had prepared a lavish banquet for his guests, complete with fine wines, delicious delicacies, and precious ingredients sourced from various worlds.
These exquisite dishes, carefully prepared by chefs of many races, were served one after another, filling the air with irresistible aromas.
The generals present stared at the abundant feast upon the tables and could not help swallowing.
Although immortality had dulled their emotions, it did not mean they had completely lost them.
They were willing to dedicate their lives to their beliefs, but that did not mean they lacked personal desires.
The food was merely the appetizer. Afterward, the Xiao Clan brought out even more astonishing things.
Convenient tools, beautiful clothing, incredible entertainment facilities, and all kinds of top-tier luxurious pleasures allowed everyone within the allied forces to truly experience what refined living really meant.
Even the demigods present could not help but secretly marvel at the Xiao Clan's exquisitely sophisticated lifestyle and their strict standards in every aspect of life.
Compared to such luxurious enjoyment, even the nobles of the former Golden Dynasty looked like they had merely been struggling to survive.
And all of this was a "hook" carefully prepared by the Xiao Clan after investing considerable effort into the arrangement.
First, they allowed these natives to experience the beauty and convenience of Xiao Clan products. Then they would make them fall in love with those things until they could no longer live without them.
After that, the Xiao Clan would officially push their products into the global market and initiate a currency war opportunity.
However, Radahn's allied forces were completely unaware of the "hooks" secretly hidden within all of this by the Xiao Clan.
Instead, they were utterly satisfied with such an extravagant and luxurious banquet. Many heroes whose hearts had long since frozen, leaving them only with the desire to return to the Erdtree, suddenly felt their spirits reinvigorated.
They had never imagined that ordinary life could actually be lived with such sophistication. They discovered there were still many things in the world they had never experienced, and suddenly they no longer wished to return to the Erdtree so quickly.
At the same time, a deep sense of pride arose within them for following Starscourge General Radahn.
If they had not followed Radahn, how could they possibly have received such a no-expense-spared reception from the Xiao Clan?
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