Behind the gate lay a battlefield scarred and devastated. Swords, spears, and halberds were thrust into the shattered earth, creating a desolate scene, yet the lingering scent of blood and iron lent this desolation a touch of cruelty.
At the edge was a mountain peak cliff with no barrier whatsoever, surrounded by clouds and mist that obscured the view. If one were to lose their footing and fall, there would absolutely be no way to survive.
Speaking of which, a nameless fire rose in Xia Yu's heart. Back when he was fighting Margit the Fell Omen in the game, there were several times he hadn't noticed the cliff while rolling and fell straight to his death.
This kind of environmental hazard, where a single slip-up could easily cost a life, made him deeply feel Miyazaki's malice.
Of course, it was only later, when he encountered even more underhanded backstab traps, that he realized he had underestimated Miyazaki's malice.
Every time he died, he seemed to see the slightly sleazy, smiling face of a fat man.
Damn it, if he could ever return to the real world, he would definitely throw that fat bastard Miyazaki into this world and let him experience its malice for himself.
And of course, there was that white-bearded old man named Martin. This world also had his handiwork in it. He couldn't play favorites; he had to be fair, fair, and still damn fair!
While Xia Yu was advancing, his mind was wandering with these stray thoughts.
Suddenly, the wind picked up.
An abrupt breeze swept across the shattered battlefield, causing the tattered banners to flutter incessantly.
The smell of rust mixed with blood permeated the air. Xia Yu frowned slightly as he caught the scent.
Is this entering a cutscene?
"Tarnished—"
An aged but vigorous voice suddenly echoed from the top of the wall behind the city gate.
A golden stream of light, like that of a site of grace, suddenly appeared there. The light converged into an array, and a deformed figure began to manifest from within the glow.
"Emboldened by the flame of ambition..."
The tall figure fully materialized. The newcomer had a humanoid appearance, draped only in a tattered cloak bound by hemp rope.
Upon closer inspection, his entire being seemed afflicted by a malformed curse; his head was covered in twisted horns, and his arms were thick with beast-like manes.
He gripped the twisted yet stout cane in his hand and slammed it lightly against the ground.
"Someone must extinguish thy flame."
The moment the words fell, the figure that had appeared from the light crouched slightly and then suddenly leaped, his body soaring high into the air.
That leap seemed to go straight into the clouds, stirring the murky mist mid-air. Then, following the pull of gravity, the figure plummeted down, smashing violently into the ground!
Boom—!
Like a clap of muffled thunder, the impact of the fall triggered a shockwave that scattered in all directions, leaving the surroundings in a mess.
The resulting gale, carrying billowing dust and sand, sent nearby weapons flying. Xia Yu frowned and pulled out a Lordsworn's Greatshield to block the gravel propelled by the impact.
With a sudden gust of wind, the swirling dust and sand were blown away, revealing a cratered ground at the center and the figure standing in the middle of it.
Seeing this, Xia Yu really wanted to shout 'Full marks!' The Son of the Earth would surely love this ground-slamming entrance.
The tall figure slowly stood up from the crater, continuing his mutterings.
"Let it be Margit the Fell!"
"Tsk tsk, if King Gwyn heard you say that, he'd definitely throw you into the fire. The thing his old self hates hearing most is 'extinguishing the flame'."
The newcomer didn't react to Xia Yu's teasing at all. He raised the cane in his hand and pointed it at Xia Yu as if it were a blade.
"I, 'Margit the Fell Omen', shall execute it immediately!"
Despite speaking such solemn words, the expression on Margit's weathered face, which was covered in scales and sharp horns, was incredibly calm.
It was as if the announcement he just made was merely an insignificant matter to him.
"Wait, why do we have to fight as soon as we meet?"
Just as Margit was about to attack, Xia Yu suddenly asked. This caused Margit's body to pause.
Though he didn't quite understand why the Tarnished before him would ask such a naive question, he still answered seriously.
"Since you covet the shard of the elden ring, you naturally aspire to the throne of kings beneath the erdtree. For such a sacrilegious act, we are naturally enemies."
"Uh... a Tarnished becoming the Elden Lord is the will of the greater will. Do you intend to defy the greater will that shaped the golden order?"
Xia Yu began to use powerful names to intimidate him. Even the Tarnished knew of the greater will's existence; Morgott, as a child of Marika, couldn't possibly be unaware.
Margit was an alter ego of Morgott; the two could essentially be called one and the same.
Moreover, it was the greater will that had abandoned all the demigods during the Shattering, which is why it awakened the Tarnished and allowed them to pursue the shard of the elden ring to become the new Elden Lord.
Thus, in the face of Xia Yu's words, Margit's grayish-black face showed a rare, dissatisfied look of rage.
"The greater will, ha!"
After letting out a disdainful sneer, Margit suddenly took a step forward. His cane sliced through the air as he swung it down toward Xia Yu with a sudden, violent strike.
Facing this blow, Xia Yu did not get careless. He performed a backflip and, supported by psychokinesis, his body soared high into the air.
Then, he lightly shook the spirit calling bell, and four grayish-white spirits suddenly materialized on the empty ground below.
"Dahei, Erhei, Xiaobai, you guys hold him back. Aurelia, support me with your poison!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the three wolves dispersed to flank him, while Aurelia floated into the air, aiming her tentacles at Margit.
"Hmph! A laughable effort."
Watching the three wolves lunging at him, Margit suddenly manifested three golden daggers in his left hand. With a casual flick, he forced the wolves back, preventing them from getting close.
Facing Aurelia's poison attack, Margit performed a horizontal sweep with his cane, directly shattering the poison that was being sprayed like a high-pressure water gun.
Then, he gave his cane a light flick; not a single drop of poison had managed to touch his body.
On the other side, Xia Yu formed a sword gesture with his left hand and made a casual swipe. Several sword chimes suddenly rang out from the sky, while he himself took the opportunity to burst forward.
Clang—!
A pale blue royal crest suddenly appeared on the purple Meteorite Staff gripped tightly in Xia Yu's right hand. In the next second, an azure magic sword condensed on the staff.
This was one of the Carian royal family's sorceries, capable of forming an azure magic sword, known as Carian Slicer.
It was a new spell taught to him by Sellen after he had found the royal sorcery scroll.
Because he aspired to be a melee mage, Xia Yu was extremely interested in these kinds of spells that allowed for close-quarters combat.
With several flying swords attacking from the air, the Tarnished charging from the front, and the three wolves and jellyfish harassing him from the sides...
Faced with this situation, Margit's expression darkened. He gripped his cane with both hands, let out a loud shout, and slammed it violently into the ground in front of him.
Boom—!
With a loud explosion, shattered rocks splattered in all directions. These rocks not only hindered Xia Yu's advance, but the shockwave also sent the three wolves flying back.
The explosive air current even blew away the poison sprayed by Aurelia. In the next moment, Margit swung his cane through the air, and with several 'clang' sounds, the flying swords were directly knocked down.