170. The City Star - Mission Begins!
Don't underestimate the ancient dragon's sense of smell; Placidusax's keenness far surpasses your imagination.
The dragon girl standing behind Xiling squinted slightly. An unfamiliar scent clung to Xiling—not the scent of someone she knew. Judging from the intensity of the scent, its source had been in close contact with Xiling for at least several hours.
As the scent became clearer in her perception, Placidusax's brows furrowed slowly. Was this scent from Xiling last night? And it was very likely from when she was looking for the other person?
The dragon girl's eyes sharpened.
"Uh… could you please stop looking at me like that?" Xiling wiped away imaginary cold sweat, feeling as if the gaze behind him was piercing him.
He didn't really know why Placidusaxs had been looking at him strangely since morning. Surely she hadn't discovered anything?
Xiling forced himself to ignore the thorny feeling and focused his attention on the intense competition below.
Two knights, wielding identical swords, moved with lightning speed, enhanced by magic. Their swords, enchanted and burning with flames, tore through the air; the brotherhood that had lingered yesterday was now utterly gone.
In the nearby arena, two mages, clearly old acquaintances, were locked in fierce combat. They knew each other's attack patterns and spellcasting strategies inside and out. At this moment, former comrades had become mortal enemies, their scheming and treachery on full display in the dueling arena.
As for Xiling, his face tense, he watched as a Sun Knight swiftly and decisively defeated his opponent with a shower of white powder and a poisoned dart. He couldn't help but mutter, "The style of the Lands Between these days is truly... free and unrestrained."
Only when the dust settled on the final match did Xiling finally let out a long sigh of relief.
"Finally over..."
However, Placidusax's cool voice broke his relief behind him:
"No. The real match is about to begin."
"Huh?" Xiling turned around in surprise.
In the instant he was filled with doubt, the arena seemed to melt and sink into the ground. Under the bewildered gazes of the audience, two figures slowly rose from the stands.
It was "Starscourge" Radahn and "The Omen King" Morgott.
Two former demigods.
"What are they doing?" Xiling asked, looking at Radagon beside her, puzzled.
"It's... settling their unfinished battle," Radagon explained calmly.
The two had clashed amidst the smoke of the Shattering War, but that battle had always left a void in their hearts. Now, they longed to use this opportunity to truly complete that duel.
"I see…" Xiling nodded at first, then his expression fell.
—Yeah, right! Is this all they have to do? Especially that guy Radahn, one gravity spell and the entire arena would be reduced to dust!
"No need to worry." Placidusaxs' voice behind him remained calm, yet carried a reassuring power.
"If necessary, I will intervene."
In the center of the arena, below.
Radahn and Morgott stood facing each other, their powerful auras clashing silently.
"Finally, I can fight you with all my might." Radahn's voice was deep and full of fighting spirit. He had never forgotten their encounter during the Shattering War. Even with a thousand reasons, the result of being defeated was undeniable, and he wouldn't make any excuses for it.
Morgott nodded silently. He wasn't good with words.
Their gazes focused on the same point:
"Your Majesty! We beg you to witness this battle!" *2
Their voices overlapped, carrying an undeniable determination.
Having said that, Xiling had no reason to refuse. He slowly raised his hand, palm facing the sky, his voice clearly echoing throughout the dueling arena:
"Then, you two, please prepare."
Radahn's double-edged greatsword tightened in his grip, an invisible gravity swirling and surging around his body.
Morgott gripped his cursed sword, a dazzling silver-white light of prayer suddenly erupting from his body, his cursed blood churning and roaring.
Seeing that both sides' auras had reached their peak, Xiling snapped his fingers cleanly and decisively.
"The match begins!"
The instant the words fell!
An unimaginable, terrifying shockwave exploded in the center of the dueling arena, spanning nearly ten kilometers in radius! The violent shockwave, like an invisible tsunami, crashed towards the audience seats, only to be imprisoned within a suddenly illuminating silver-white light shield just before reaching the edge!
Everyone's gaze was fixed on the arena! In the center of the dueling arena, it was as if two primordial beasts were locked in a frenzied struggle! The entire earth groaned and trembled, the solid ground shattering and crumbling like fragile glass!
Suddenly! A colossal figure tore through the swirling dust, shooting into the sky like a cannonball—it was Radahn! Yet, at that moment, crimson blood gushed from a gruesome wound on his shoulder!
In mid-air, Radahn's massive hand lashed out at the billowing dust below!
In that instant, several deadly silver sword beams pierced the smoke, shooting towards Radahn like lightning! Radahn didn't dodge or evade, allowing the cursed swords to pierce his body! And in that instant of blade penetration, Morgott's figure, like a phantom, burst forth from the dust!
"Got you!" A fierce glint flashed in Radahn's eyes, and his downward-pointing hand clenched tightly!
Space groaned under the immense pressure! The billowing dust seemed to be brutally seized and compressed by an invisible giant hand, collapsing frantically towards a pitch-black sphere that suddenly appeared before Morgott! A terrifying suction force arose, and Morgott, suspended in mid-air with nowhere to hold on, was dragged like a kite with a broken string towards the all-consuming dark core!
"Huh?" Seeing this bizarre scene, Xiling blinked in surprise, "This... is this still gravity magic?"
As Morgott was about to be swallowed by the darkness, the light of prayer around him suddenly exploded!
A silver-white giant sword, nearly a hundred meters long, appeared! Morgott's arms bulged with muscles as he tightly embraced this heaven-piercing, radiant blade!
"Break!!!" The giant sword tore through the sky, slashing fiercely at the pitch-black gravitational singularity!
Like the sound of tearing silk, the pitch-black sphere was cleaved in two by this single strike! However, an immense pressure, several times stronger than before, crashed down like an invisible mountain!
Morgott was as if gripped by an invisible hand, slamming into the ground from mid-air, instantly creating a massive crater! Dust billowed into the sky once more!
In mid-air, Radahn ignored the cursed sword embedded in his body, raising his double-edged greatsword high above his head. He transformed into a burning gravity meteor, tracing a destructive arc around the arena, his speed instantly exceeding all limits! The air was compressed, creating blinding sonic booms aimed directly at Morgott at the bottom of the crater!
"Great Wilderness—Starfall!!!"
At the bottom of the crater, Morgott roared, forcefully dispelling the terrifying pressure. He grabbed at the void, and a silver-white hammer suddenly appeared in his palm! His feet sank deep into the ground, all his strength channeled into his arms, and he swung the heavy hammer in a trajectory, fiercely meeting the apocalyptic meteor falling from the sky!
"Damn it!" Xiling's pupils constricted, and he jerked to his feet. The impending clash between these two would likely obliterate not only the already dust-covered dueling arena, but also the magnificent Leyndell Royal Capital behind them!
The first wave of impact had already turned the dozens of mages maintaining the barrier pale, their faces pale, and their bodies teetering on the verge of collapse. This attack, however, was far more powerful!
Just as Xiling was about to move, a cool yet strong hand gently pressed down on his shoulder, steadily pressing him back into his seat.
"Leave it to me." Placidusaxs stepped past Xiling, her long, silvery hair brushing against his cheek. She moved with composure, walking on air.
An invisible wind, as if responding to the call of an ancient king, suddenly gathered! Silently, the energy flowed into the silvery-white barrier, instantly solidifying it into an ancient, unyielding fortress!
And in that instant, the Radahn meteorite and the heavy hammer swung by Morgott collided with a deafening roar before countless eyes!
An indescribable explosion of light and explosion erupted within the barrier!
Within the barrier, a pure storm of energy violently devoured everything! Only the ripples of destruction, like an unending raging torrent, relentlessly battered and tore at the all-encompassing silvery-white shield!
As the light faded, a figure stood tall on the battlefield—Morgott.
The Elden Championship—officially over!
[Ding!]
[The City Star—mission begins!]