Countless shimmering silver tears, glistening under the reflected light, emerged silently from the depths of the foul swamp. As if summoned by a mysterious power, they suddenly surged toward their target, transforming into a thousand silver serpents that coiled around the pus-filled, centipede-like body of the giant Kindred of Rot.
Asimi's slender fingers danced gracefully in the air, each subtle movement precisely controlling these silver creations. Frost condensed into sharp spikes on the surface of the tears, lightning crackled between them, and the attributes of storm and fire blended perfectly.
Under her manipulation, these forces—which should have neutralized each other—displayed astonishing coordination, achieving maximum results with minimal expenditure.
Crack—
Following a series of precise strikes, several of the giant Kindred of Rot's critical support joints were simultaneously destroyed. The massive body, standing dozens of meters tall, lost its balance. Its rotting hide slammed into the swamp, splashing putrid mud everywhere.
Countless parasites fled in panic from its festering skin, yet the silver tears continued to slither over its body, doing everything possible to delay it from rising again. Sickly purple-black bubbles rose to the surface of the swamp as the creature's hundreds of appendages paddled helplessly in the mire, unable to break free from the exquisite confinement.
Asimi stood atop a platform of glintstone crystals, calmly observing the behemoth's struggles.
"This should hold it for a while, but the damage dealt is ultimately too little. You have other means, don't you?"
Elsa stared at the stranger in a daze. If not for the long hair, she might have hallucinated another figure from her memory. She knew that anyone capable of controlling such a vast number of Silver Tears had to be connected to the Nox people beneath her feet. Even meeting for the first time, she knew this was an ally.
She looked up at the distant sky. The expected figures had still not appeared. Considering the current state of Dragonbarrow, she hadn't held much hope to begin with.
"We didn't originally expect to face something like this. Hmph, if not for that flower, the Kindred of Rot would have been driven to the designated annihilation zone by now. Still, thank you for your help. Can you tell me who sent you?"
As she spoke, the long-range magic from Sellia resumed operation. Spells originally intended for wide-area saturation strikes were currently the best solution for an enemy of such immense size. The only problem was that the creature's health was linked to the entire Swamp of Aeonia. Using ordinary means to kill it would cost more than the two cities could currently afford. Only by dealing massive damage in a short burst could they hope to crush it in one go.
"My name is Asimi. I won't offer a detailed explanation. You only need to know that I am here to support this battlefield on his behalf. That is enough."
Asimi looked at the mountain-sized Kindred of Rot. She knew this was not a natural occurrence; the unsealing of the Goddess of Rot had stimulated the Scarlet Rot throughout the Lands Between.
"Gawain sent you? Where is he now? I can feel a trace of unease in my soul."
"He is currently fighting the remains of an Outer God from the ancient era, so he cannot pull away for the time being."
Elsa touched her heart. She finally knew where her faint sense of dread originated. The soul-link allowed her to feel Gawain's current condition to an extent.
An unusual sensation came from her palm. Resisting the intense anxiety, she shifted her gaze downward. The pure orb of light in her hand had, at some point, begun to be stained with the color of Scarlet Rot.
"Do not lie to me. Is he truly just 'unable to pull away'?"
Looking at the momentarily panicked Elsa, Asimi let out a soft sigh.
"That is not one of those 'Demigods' in the Lands Between who are gods in name only. Slaying a god requires much more than you imagine. If he truly wishes to reach the future he envisions, this is an unavoidable step. There is nothing I can do about it now but choose to believe. However, until the outcome is decided, you had best not use the power in your hand."
Elsa bit her lip until it bled. She withdrew the orb into her palm, along with the unease in her heart. She knew all she could do now was trust the other battlefield.
"Fine. Then I ask you to stay with us and pin that Kindred of Rot down. I believe he won't lose to a thing like that."
On the platform before the doors of the Academy's Grand Library, the air was thick with the stench of blood. Sellen's sorcerer robes snapped in the foul wind as she awaited the enemy about to appear. Her right hand gripped a staff set with deep blue glintstones, constructing a complex magical array. Beneath her feet, the ground was entirely covered by a Terra Magica sigil.
"Lord of Blood... still the same, I see. Even facing a lone sorceress, you refuse to show yourself?"
Her voice echoed in the small space. Foul cursed blood began to seep from the surrounding walls, defiling this sanctuary of knowledge. The shadows in the depths writhed, gradually coalescing into a tall, humanoid figure with a face obscured by Omen horns, wearing a magnificent robe.
Mohg, Lord of Blood, stepped out of the darkness. He ignored the provocation, merely eyeing his prey with a dangerous gaze. The smile on his lips suggested he had already foreseen the battle's end.
"Sellen. To think the disgraced sorceress locked in a cellar could now command the Full Moon Queen's Grand Library. Have you stepped forward because you know your end?"
"No. It is because your filthy blood is not fit to defile this sacred library."
Sellen quickly traced a magical sigil in the air. The crystal atop her glintstone staff erupted in a piercing blue light, firing three sharp beams in a fan shape toward Mohg.
Mohg simply raised a hand. At the moment of contact, his body turned into liquid blood. The beams passed through him, leaving three smoking holes in the rock wall behind. The blood reconsolidated into Mohg's form as he let out a low chuckle.
"Do you see? After receiving the Mother's boon, your magic is useless against me."
Sellen's expression turned grim. As expected, ordinary glintstone sorcery was ineffective against the Lord of Blood. She wondered how her apprentice had managed to repel his attacks so smoothly. She quickly shifted strategy. The Terra Magica beneath her flashed violently, the ground shook, and sharp glintstone crystals erupted from beneath Mohg's feet, impaling him.
But a second later, the "body" pierced by the crystals turned to blood and flowed away, reforming nearby. This time, Mohg didn't even bother maintaining a human shape, transforming directly into a wave of blood that lunged for her face.
Sellen struck the butt of her staff against the ground, and a semi-transparent blue crystal wall rose before her. The wave of blood slammed into the barrier. Under the effect of the high-temperature bloodflame, a corrosive hissing sound erupted. Fine cracks began to appear on the barrier's surface as the cursed blood eroded the glintstone structure.
Mohg's voice came from all directions, mocking her feeble resistance. "How long do you think this pathetic defense will protect you?"
Sellen suddenly felt a sharp pain. She looked down to see the veins in her arm bulging grotesquely. Beneath her skin, it felt as though countless tiny insects were squirming. A moment later, blood erupted from the site.
"Now!"
Unfazed by her injury, the magical array she had pre-constructed in this confined space automatically fired Comets from all directions. They struck the shadow hidden within the blood wave, forcing a ragged figure to retreat hastily.
Clutching her bleeding arm, Sellen looked at the equally bloodied and infuriated Mohg. A thrill of excitement appeared on her face.
"Cough... Just as I thought. You cannot simultaneously merge with blood and manipulate it. I've finally found your opening."
"So what? With such a serious injury, you won't leave this place alive today. But do not worry; I will soon send your beloved apprentice to join you."
Sellen wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and stood tall. Blue glintstone crystals began to grow from within her blood-soaked robes.
"You didn't think you were the only one capable of making 'minor adjustments' to your body, did you, Lord of Blood? Or have you forgotten that my mentor was Master Lusat?"
It was Mohg's turn to be annoyed. He suddenly realized he could no longer feel the blood within Sellen's body, as if her entire form had begun to crystallize. This was becoming troublesome.
Though Sellen maintained a confident facade, she was tense. This state caused irreversible damage to the body; both of her mentors had transformed into "Children of the Stars" during such a transition. She had no desire to follow her masters' path just yet. She had to end the battle before it was too late.
"An interesting trick." Mohg tilted his head, detecting her unease through his keen observation. "But how long can you maintain that form? I can create phantoms at will. You, however, will not have the chance to learn from your mistakes."
Mohg gave her no more time to think. He threw his arms wide. The cursed blood covering the platform turned into countless droplets that floated into the air, forming a mist of blood.
"Let's see how long that glintstone body of yours lasts, you mad sorceress of the Primeval Current!"
Dozens of blood spears coalesced within the mist, firing at Sellen from every direction simultaneously. She spun her staff rapidly, forming a spherical glintstone barrier around herself, but the impact of the spears made the shield shudder violently. A crack appeared, and a blood spear pierced the barrier, grazing her cheek. It left a searing wound from which glintstone fragments fell.
Sellen knew she couldn't hesitate. She slammed her staff into the ground, gripping it with both hands. A deep black hole—Eternal Darkness—drifted out from the staff, instantly absorbing the remaining blood spears.
"You even learned the most hidden magic of the Sellians? It seems eliminating you is a necessary choice."
Seeing this, Mohg held nothing back. He swung his spear, lunging toward Sellen. Perhaps because the black hole above misdirected his aim, Sellen managed to dodge the strike intended for her head with a roll. However, the blow tore away a large chunk of her robes and stomach, revealing the crystallized body beneath. The glintstones maintaining her form were reaching their limit.
"Rest assured. After you die, I will preserve the knowledge in the Grand Library. It will be a vital asset for my glorious dynasty."
Mohg stood before the Grand Library doors as the surrounding blood reconverged, igniting into bloodflame. He looked at Sellen, who had effectively lost the ability to move. Giving her no chance to resist, he prepared to end her life with the next strike.
"Mohg... you truly look pathetic right now."
A familiar voice came from behind. Even in his charmed, frenzied state, Mohg was startled into alertness. Before he could turn around, a dagger burning with black flame was plunged into his neck.
"Why are you here!?"
He finally saw her clearly—the figure who, alongside Messmer, had once followed his own mother, Marika. But wasn't she supposed to have died in a great fire long ago?
Those open Gloam-Eyes awakened some of the most terrifying memories in Mohg's mind. One look was enough to confirm: this was another woman he could not afford to provoke.
Melina looked coldly at Mohg's wretched state and withdrew the black-flame dagger from his neck. In an instant, she granted him a fate similar to Godwyn's. The only difference was that her current power wasn't true Destined Death, but for a mere phantom, it was more than enough.
Standing nearby, Sellen breathed a sigh of relief. Her entire body began to break down due to the severe trauma. She had finally created the perfect opening for Melina's assassination. The battle was decided.
Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to stand, using the last of her strength to channel a torrent of Comet Azur. It instantly engulfed Mohg's body.
"Master Sellen, how do you feel?" Seeing the threat resolved, Melina quickly sheathed her dagger and rushed forward to support her.
"My current body is beyond saving. Can I ask a favor of you?"
"Do you want me to restart the magical seal? But I..."
"No, that cannot be restarted in the short term. I can only trust my apprentice to handle the Outer God's remains on his own. Please, take care of this. Give it to him when he returns."
Sellen coughed violently and, forcing herself through the agonizing pain, reached into her shattered body and pulled out her Primal Glintstone.
"Please keep this safe. I entrust my life to you for a time."
Having entrusted her final task, Sellen's body collapsed into a pile of glintstone shards. However, the Primal Glintstone housing her soul was held firmly in Melina's hand.
Melina looked at the blood-streaked Primal Glintstone with a complicated expression, momentarily unsure of what to do. Her own form flickered between the real and the spectral, as if caught between a spirit and a physical being. Her rebirth ritual seemed to have yielded a result quite different from what was expected.
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Elden Ring: In the Name of Ash (255 chapter - Ongoing)
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