The Redmane Castle was built on an isolated island, located in the southeastern corner of Caelid, connected to the mainland of the Caelid Peninsula by a large bridge.
The battlefield where Radahn and Malenia once led their armies into a fierce conflict was situated on the vast eastern plains of Caelid. Originally, this land, occupying one-third of Caelid's territory, was a lush and fertile region, rich in resources and breathtakingly beautiful. However, it was ultimately devastated by the aftermath of the battle between the two demigods and Malenia's final act—the blooming of the Scarlet Aeonia. What remained was nothing but a crimson desert, haunted by the corrupted remnants wandering its barren expanse.
Aoko did not know Malenia's true reason for engaging Radahn in such a mutually destructive battle in Caelid. However, the claim that she did it solely to search for her brother, Miquella, was undoubtedly untenable. Radahn's past reputation and deeds did not justify Malenia launching an all-out assault against him.
Thus, there had to be a deeper reason behind this inexplicable war in Caelid—one that compelled Malenia to sacrifice her pride, honor, and even life in exchange for the fall of Radahn, the Starscourge.
Based on the available information, Aoko deduced that Miquella likely had a motive similar to Malenia's—that his fate was somehow sealed by the Starscourge. Therefore, regardless of whether Radahn was a hero or even his brother, Miquella had to find a way to eliminate him. And among his followers, the strongest general was Malenia.
However, Malenia's efforts were neither a complete failure nor an outright success. She now slumbered deep within the Haligtree, while Radahn had been reduced to a mindless, half-dead husk, feasting on corpses as he aimlessly roamed the battlefield.
Aoko originally had no interest in getting involved in the murky waters of demigod hunting, but since she wished to continue her studies and research in Caria, she could not ignore a call for aid from her allies. Reluctantly, she and Touko made their way to Caelid.
Floating in mid-air, they followed the veteran general Gauss and his forces. Nearby, Patches and the Tarnished rode their respective mounts. Somewhat unexpectedly, the towering Blaidd also approached and nodded toward Aoko—clearly, Ranni had given him new orders.
Aoko returned Blaidd's gesture amicably, not minding sharing some buff spells with the mighty warrior in the upcoming battle.
"The wretched state is truly unbearable to witness..."
Standing on the battlefield, General Gaius sighed as he gazed toward the distant hills, where the dazed and disoriented Radahn loomed.
"A hero like him should never have met such an end. Today, I shall grant him a warrior's farewell. The Starscourge Radahn deserves a glorious death!"
Gaius raised his voice, addressing the army:
"Soldiers! Before us stands the strongest of the demigods, the Golden Order's champion—General Radahn! This is not a meaningless slaughter, but a grand festival of battle, a ceremony to lay a hero to rest!"
"I do not demand that you stake your lives in this fight. You are free to leave at any time," Gaius continued. "But if you choose to join me, then I expect a journey that does not end until death!"
His words ignited the spirits of the gathered warriors—they roared in response. The Albinauric' mounted archers and a contingent of the Holy Crusade warriors raised their weapons in support of Gaius. Alexander, the Warrior Jar, and Great Horned Tragoth, both already battle-hardened and passionate warriors, also cried out in agreement, rallying the battlefield into a fevered frenzy.
Though Aoko and Touko were not easily swayed by speeches, they keenly noticed Radahn had turned his attention toward them. Without hesitation, they began casting buff spells upon their allies.
Touko's Rune Magic was never about raw destruction but rather its flexibility in creating a variety of effects. She conjured runes to enhance agility (likely a green buff) and runes to bolster defenses.
Aoko, on the other hand, generously tore open several high-tier Arcane scrolls she had saved up. A series of AoE buff spells enveloped their allies—Mass Bear's Endurance, Mass Bull's Strength, and Mass Cat's Grace.
Of course, these spells only affected those within a 30-foot radius, meaning the warriors outside their immediate vicinity would receive no aid.
Seeing Aoko and Touko's actions, the Finger Maiden sorceresses followed suit, unleashing Golden Order incantations to bless the warriors fighting alongside them.
But it was too late.
From miles away, atop a distant hill, Radahn drew his bow.
A single arrow—no, a javelin imbued with gravity magic—was loosed, crashing down like a meteor.
A thunderous explosion obliterated a massive portion of the warriors near the Finger Maidens, leaving nothing but shattered bodies and a blood-soaked crater.
The power of the strongest demigod was on full display.
Gaius immediately ordered all cavalry to charge, drawing Radahn's attention by unleashing purple lightning-infused gravity magic from both himself and his war-boar mount.
Leading the charge, Gaius surged forward like an unstoppable tank, rushing straight toward Radahn.
Radahn retaliated by firing several gravity-empowered arrows at Gaius, but the veteran general deftly parried each shot with his lance. His mastery of gravity magic, akin to Radahn's own, allowed him to negate and deflect the deadly projectiles.
This display rekindled the warriors' courage. Those who had hesitated after witnessing Radahn's devastating attack now steeled themselves and joined the charge up the hill toward the demigod.
Perhaps Radahn still retained some sense of reason.
Seeing his former brother-in-arms charging at him, he let out a furious roar.
Drawing his twin greatswords, Radahn spurred his tiny, emaciated horse forward—though in truth, it was Radahn's gravity magic carrying the beast.
The two titans clashed at speeds far beyond any other warriors on the battlefield.
In an instant, they collided.
Both Radahn and Gaius were massive compared to ordinary humans, though Gaius was somewhat smaller in stature than Radahn. However, his armored war-boar compensated for this size difference.
Their colossal weapons, brimming with gravity magic, clashed in a rapid exchange of brutal strikes. The surrounding terrain was annihilated—solid rock was weaponized, hurled at each other, only to be crushed into dust by their gravity mastery.
Two former comrades—once brothers in arms—were now locked in a battle to the death.
The destructive power of gravity magic was unleashed at full force. What was once a hill was reduced to a crater.
Even the bravest warriors of the festival hesitated to approach, for those who dared to draw near were instantly obliterated by the sheer shockwaves of their duel.
The brutal reality of the battlefield had never been clearer.
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