At the heart of the desolate Royal Capital, Leyndell, Morgott withdrew his hand from the Impenetrable Thorns. He seemed to sense something. Stepping out from the shadow of the Erdtree, he gazed toward the stars. He could feel an alien Outer God projecting its power into the Lands Between—a blood-red star had appeared in the firmament.
He was all too familiar with this sensation. Back when he and his brother Mohg were imprisoned in the sewers, Mohg had encountered the deity known as the Formless Mother.
It was then that the rift had opened between Morgott and his brother, despite their shared suffering. Although they had briefly joined forces during the defense of the capital to dismantle the coalition of shardbearers, Mohg never returned to Leyndell afterward. Instead, he chose to build his own Dynasty.
"Mohg... what have you done?"
Morgott watched the Formless Mother's power descend upon the Lands Between on such a massive scale, his heart filled with doubt. To find answers, he turned back toward the sewers; he would consult the phantom Mohg had left behind to guard the seal on the Three Fingers.
Within Stormveil Castle, Irina—who had been feverishly writing amidst a mountain of scrolls—suddenly stopped. A wave of agony surged from the depths of her soul, a tearing sensation as if she were losing a vital part of herself.
She scrambled from her seat, but before she could take more than a few steps, her legs gave way. She stumbled, only to be caught and steadied by a firm hand.
Irina could no longer suppress the pain. She clung to the person holding her, tears streaming down her face.
"Sister Elsa... do you feel it? Gawain... he..."
"I know." Elsa gently patted Irina's back, soothing her. She felt the same sensation in her own heart, but she knew she couldn't let it show. "Have a little faith in him. He's fought through so many trials; he won't fall here."
Elsa looked through the window toward the sky. Over Caelid, a blood-red star shone with terrifying prominence, as if establishing a physical tether to the Lands Between. The sight reminded her of a particular ability belonging to a race from her memories.
"Is this... a Hornsent Divine Invocation?"
"So, it ended in mutual destruction?"
Standing on the high ground, Leda gazed down at the wreckage of the blood pool. She was momentarily speechless, feeling a pang of melancholy. Memories of the past surfaced; the Lands Between remained as cruel as ever. Even a ruler as gentle as Lord Miquella, it seemed, could fall in such a place.
However, this meant Lord Miquella's plan was complete. The path to the Land of Shadow was about to open.
"I shall remember all you have done," Leda whispered. "Rest now. When the age of compassion arrives, the Lands Between shall remember your great deeds."
With that, she drew her sword, intending to personally confirm Mohg's death.
But before she could move, a thin crimson mist began to shroud the Mohgwyn Palace once more. The Accursed Blood, which had settled, began to swirl and converge around Mohg's body.
"What is...?"
Melina ignored the filthy blood staining her cloak. In a frantic rush, she pulled Gawain's broken body from the pool and onto the shore.
Looking at the mangled heap of flesh that barely resembled a human, she felt his weak life force fading rapidly. Even the light of his Great Rune was dimming.
"No... it shouldn't end like this. I was supposed to be the one to sacrifice myself."
Melina cast every healing incantation she knew, but the Accursed Blood saturating Gawain's body neutralized the effects almost entirely. She could only watch as his condition worsened.
She thought she had prepared herself for their eventual parting—the moment when, at the end of their journey, she would become kindling to burn the Erdtree, ensuring the thorns could no longer block his path to the throne.
She had kept that secret close, selfishly believing her final blessing would accompany him as he ascended to the seat of Lord.
But now the roles were reversed. The one who had given everything for the Lands Between was not her, but her most precious companion—the one for whom she would have gladly given her life.
Only now, as it happened before her eyes, did she truly understand the hollow agony of watching a loved one die. Perhaps this was a cruel retribution for her own one-sided plans, but the price was more than she could bear.
Her eyes blurred with tears. Realizing her incantations were useless against the curse, she pulled out the flask of Wondrous Physick she had just finished. She didn't know if it would work, but she had to try.
As she poured the liquid—mixed with the Purifying Crystal Tear—into his mouth, Gawain's faint heartbeat stopped entirely. The Accursed Blood was purged, but it seemed to be too late.
"No... please don't leave me."
Melina lost all composure, clutching his body tightly. A single golden tear fell from her eye. Suddenly, a brilliant golden light converged around the two of them.
The miracle capable of defying death took effect. Gawain coughed and snapped his eyes open. The Great Rune within him flared back to life, mending the fatal wounds. He slowly raised a hand to gently stroke the face of the grief-stricken Melina.
"Are you... crying?"
"No... I'm not." Melina gripped his warming hand. Seeing the life return to his eyes, she burst into a tearful laugh. She didn't know if her outburst had exposed her feelings, but at least the hopeless ending had been averted.
She noticed the strange golden light around them was fading, its mission complete. "What was that light?"
"That was the Tears of Denial," Gawain wheezed. "A miracle that can only be used once per battle. It allows one to escape death's finality. Originally, it was meant to give the dying time to say their farewells. Tears are always for the living; they need them far more than the dead."
Lying in Melina's lap, Gawain coughed violently. That final blast of the ritual had nearly pulverized him. He didn't know what happened to a Tarnished who died here, and he wasn't willing to find out. Fortunately, the "Tears of Denial" had saved him once again.
"I heard everything you said," he whispered. "Don't worry. I promise you... I will never leave your side. Can you make the same promise to me?"
Melina hesitated for a fraction of a second, but the memory of that heart-wrenching pain made her decision for her. She interlaced her fingers with his and nodded.
"Mmm. I promise. I will not leave you."
The thickening scent of Accursed Blood in the air interrupted their moment. With Melina's help, Gawain struggled back to his feet, his body rapidly knitting itself back together.
"So Mohg isn't dead yet? Troublesome."
The blood surrounding Mohg's body dissipated, revealing that he, too, had recovered. The power of the Formless Mother had mended his lethal injuries. Her pale arms reached out from the void to rest upon his shoulders, like a mother tenderly embracing her child.
Clutching his sacred spear, Mohg was utterly intoxicated by the Goddess's touch. The Omen horns across his body vibrated, gorging on the divine power.
His physical form swelled and distorted. A pair of blood-red wings sprouted from his back, and the massive Crucible horns upon his head began to grow, shifting into the shape of a crown.
An illusory, alien image of the Goddess shimmered above him—the Formless Mother's true essence. The Great Rune within Mohg had been entirely subverted, becoming a tool to manifest Her laws.
While it couldn't cover the entire Lands Between like the Elden Ring, it was enough to control this small Dynasty. In this domain, Mohg had transcended the level of a Demigod and ascended to a higher plane. This was the unique potential of the Omen.
"What's going on with him?" Gawain asked. "Did he just level up by almost dying?"
Melina recalled the lore of the Hornsent and explained: "If I am not mistaken, Mohg has achieved the highest state sought by the Hornsent race. He has performed a Divine Invocation Ritual, allowing a deity to reside within his flesh."
"Hornsent? Is there such a race in the Lands Between?"
" 'Hornsent' is another name for those born as Omens. Since Queen Marika's ascension, such sights have become rare."
Gawain didn't fully grasp the history of the Hornsent or the mechanics of the ritual, but he understood one thing: Mohg was much stronger than before.
"Melina, it's not safe. Get back. I'll handle him."
"No. I won't let it happen again. You said it yourself—you cannot escape death a second time in this fight." Melina clung to his shoulder, refusing to let go. "I have the flask to purge the curse. As long as I am beside you, I can provide the medicine whenever you need it. His ritual will not work."
Gawain looked at the flask in Melina's hand. He didn't know where she got it, but he definitely needed it to resist that "Nihil" curse. Mohg was empowered now; taking those hits raw was out of the question.
"Fine. We do it this way, then."
Gawain turned and pulled Melina into a firm embrace. She startled, but then felt her soul begin to merge deeply with his. The warmth of the connection left her slightly dazed, her cheeks flushing.
"Our lives and souls are now linked. I'll carry you on my back through this fight."
"Mmm. Very well." Melina wrapped her arms around Gawain's back. Though the method was unfamiliar, she felt an unprecedented sense of security.
Opposite them, Mohg finished his communion with the Mother. Feeling the surge of power, he looked at Gawain with an expression of twisted gratitude.
"Still alive? Although it was not your intent, I must thank you. Had it not been for this experience, I might never have achieved such perfect harmony with the Mother. With this power, no one in the Lands Between can stop the birth of the new Dynasty.
"My foolish brother still refuses to acknowledge his infinite potential. No matter. Your death shall mark the birth of my Dynasty. Then, all shall understand the greatness of the Mother."
Mohg, fully immersed in his new power, didn't rush to attack. The blood around him boiled, and more spatial rifts appeared throughout the Palace, signaling the deepening interference of the Outer God.
"These Outer Gods are ridiculous," Gawain muttered, watching the space around them become unstable. "Mohg just poked a few holes in himself and She cares this much?"
He had struggled against the mere husk of an Outer God before; facing the Formless Mother manifesting nearly her full presence was a different league entirely.
Whatever. I don't need to understand what these monsters are thinking. I just need to kill Mohg.
He took his sacred seal in his left hand and the Sword of Night and Flame in his right. The power of flame within the blade was now mingled with the gold of the Erdtree. Behind him, a massive phantom of the Erdtree illuminated the Dynasty—a manifestation of Melina's power.
"Heh. To allow that pathetic Erdtree to occupy my Dynasty... no matter. I will not waste my anger on a dead man."
With a flick of his spear, Mohg bypassed the long cast time of his ritual. Three crimson rings formed around Gawain almost instantly. With the Mother by his side, the ceremony no longer required time to establish a connection.
To Mohg's shock, a circular aura of golden light enveloped Gawain, shielding him entirely from the curse of the ritual.
Gawain let out a relaxed breath, looking at the blood rings locked onto him. Thank god for the Purifying Crystal Tear. How is anyone supposed to fight an instant-cast, target-lock, high-damage nuke otherwise?
"Focus on the fight," Melina whispered. "I will ensure you have the medicine to block the curse."
"Mmm. Thank you."
Gawain raised his weapon, pointing it at Mohg. A contemptuous smile played on his lips.
"The same trick won't work on me twice. And Mohg? You didn't actually think you were the only one with a God backing him up, did you?"
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Elden Ring: In the Name of Ash (272 chapter - Ongoing)
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