By now, Duanmu Huai had already slain several demigods in this world—and he'd noticed a strange pattern: the so-called Golden Lineage seemed to have a real obsession with fusing themselves with animals.
Godrick tried to graft himself to a dragon. Radahn permanently glued himself to a horse. And now this Rykard—he had turned into a giant serpent with a human head sticking out of it.
Seriously, what the hell was wrong with this family?
"Become one with me, my serpent kin! Together, we shall devour the gods!!"
Duanmu Huai frowned at the sight of the monstrosity before him—a grotesque, human-faced serpent wielding a massive, disgusting sword. Honestly, he hadn't expected that the "Lord Rykard" Tanith spoke of would turn out to be a hissing half-snake, half-man freak.
"So this is what became of Rykard."
A familiar voice spoke beside him. Duanmu Huai turned his head to see Ranni, who had silently appeared next to him. Her gaze was tinged with sorrow as she looked at the serpent.
"Once, Rykard was a hero—a man who dared to defy the Erdtree and the Golden Order. He raised the banner of blasphemy, yet never abandoned his will. But when he devoured the Great Serpent, his soul was consumed and fused with that foul creature. Now, Rykard is no more. What remains is but a beast carrying his memories."
Ranni turned her eyes toward Duanmu Huai.
"End him. As you did with Radahn. Let him die a worthy death."
"…All right."
Duanmu Huai gripped his Thunder Warhammer, lifting his gaze to the massive serpent.
"Rykard—allow me to grant you your Destined Death!"
At his roar, black flames burst from the hammer, engulfing it completely. He raised it high, bringing it down with devastating force. The serpent shrieked, raising its enormous sword to block, and the magma surrounding it surged upward to meet the oncoming black blaze.
"BOOM!!"
Red magma and black flame collided. The impact tore the ground apart. The molten flow scattered, turning into a rain of fire. The black flames condensed into a massive sword of pure deathly flame—and came crashing down on the serpent's body.
"———!!"
The serpent screamed as the fiery blade cleaved into its flesh, sending it crashing to the ground. Duanmu Huai activated his jetpack, launching himself skyward.
"D-don't come any closer! Stay back!!"
The serpent's terrified cry echoed across the molten cavern. Normally, it wouldn't have feared death—but Destined Death was no ordinary power. It annihilated everything, erasing even the concept of existence. Rykard had once joined forces with Ranni to wield that very power, so the serpent—bearing his memories—knew its terror all too well.
If it was slain by that black flame, there would be no coming back.
Panicking, the serpent swung its sword wildly. Geysers of molten rock erupted around it, engulfing Duanmu Huai in a blazing inferno.
"Ha… hahaha!"
The serpent grinned. Whatever that man was, nothing could survive being swallowed by molten lava!
"BOOM!!"
But before the laughter could even finish, the magma exploded outward—and Duanmu Huai burst from within, flames trailing behind him as he swung his hammer straight into the serpent's face.
"What?! Impossible! Why—why are you completely unharmed?!"
The serpent's eyes widened in terror, but it was already too late. The hammer, wreathed in black fire, cut a crimson arc through the air and—
CRASH!!
The blow landed squarely on its face. For a creature of such size, the hammer should've been no more than a toothpick—but the moment it struck, cracks spread across its skull like a shattered mirror. With a scream that shook the chamber, the serpent's head split apart, and its body collapsed heavily to the ground.
"No! Stay away! Don't—!!"
The god-slaying flame poured into its wounds, burning through its flesh and soul alike. The serpent thrashed in agony, feeling the icy-cold fire eating away at its existence. It writhed, desperate to escape—but as it lifted its head, Duanmu Huai dropped from above, hammer raised high, and brought it down again.
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!"
The serpent's shriek echoed through the cavern as black flames roared upward, engulfing it entirely.
When the fire finally died, nothing remained—not even ashes.
"Compared to Radahn, you were pathetic."
Duanmu Huai stepped out from the fading embers, glancing at the Great Rune etched onto his hand. He shook his head helplessly. Rykard was hardly a challenge—his mind had long since been devoured by the serpent, leaving behind only a wild beast.
Well, at least he wasn't as weak as Godrick. That guy still held the bottom spot.
Still…
Duanmu Huai looked up toward the ceiling.
Returning to the Volcanic Manor to face Tanith… might be a little awkward now, huh?
But he never got the chance. When he finally returned, the manor was deserted—only Odelle and Lorena remained.
For reference, he'd run into Lorena during one of his assignments in the snowy plains—after all, there weren't many missionary priestesses who'd do stretching exercises in subzero blizzards.
"Master, you've returned."
"Yeah. I already figured as much, but… where is everyone else?"
"They've all left."
Odelle shook her head and handed him a letter.
"This is from Miss Raya. She asked me to give it to you."
"Oh?"
Duanmu Huai unfolded it and began to read. Fortunately, it wasn't a suicide note. Raya wrote that she wished to travel—to find her own meaning in life.
Good, he thought. That's probably the best thing for her. The world's vast—better to walk it than to mope.
"Well then, we should get going too."
He pocketed the letter and turned to Odelle.
There was still a much bigger problem waiting for him.
Not long after, Duanmu Huai, Odelle, Lorena, and Brother Shrimp returned to Ranni's Tower.
There, they found Milfi and Bambi waiting, both pale and anxious.
"What's going on?"
"I—I don't know…"
Milfi shook her head helplessly.
"Miss Ranni is upstairs examining Lady Mistelina…"
A heavy silence filled the air until Olgis descended the stairs, nodding toward Duanmu Huai.
"Master, Miss Ranni wishes to see you."
"All right."
He followed Olgis up to the top floor—and froze when he saw the scene before him.
Ranni sat calmly in her chair, while beside her lay Mistelina—her body burned black, unconscious, barely breathing.
"What happened?"
He didn't bother with courtesy. Ranni's expression was grave.
"She has been cursed by the Three Fingers."
"A curse?"
"Yes. They've chosen her as their vessel, sealing the Frenzied Flame within her body."
"The Three Fingers… that's the thing that wants to melt the Lands Between back into one, right? So it's still alive? Whatever. What's going to happen to Mistelina?"
"She will die," Ranni said flatly, her tone devoid of sympathy.
"The moment the Frenzied Flame entered her, her fate was sealed. It's like a candle once lit—it will keep burning until all fuel is gone. And when every restraint holding the Frenzied Flame is consumed, it will burst forth from her and devour the world."
"So… she's basically a walking bomb that'll destroy everything."
Duanmu Huai's expression darkened.
"Is there any way to fix it?"
"Long ago, the Valkyrie Malenia forged a golden needle to counter foreign corruption. In theory, it could suppress the Frenzied Flame if used properly. But the needle was lost long ago—I have no idea where it lies now."
"Any other way?"
"There is… one."
Ranni hesitated for a long time before answering.
"What is it?"
"Destined Death."
She raised a finger and pointed at him.
"The power you wield—the end of all things. Theoretically, it can also erase the Frenzied Flame. But if you cannot control it perfectly, it will consume her as well."
"Hm… I think I get it."
Duanmu Huai frowned. He'd read stories before about people who could kill not only living beings but even concepts—diseases, curses, or magic itself.
If Destined Death worked the same way, he could use it to purge the flame without harming Mistelina.
"All right. So how do I do it?"
He made up his mind quickly. Even if he failed and accidentally killed her, it wasn't the end of the world. This realm was just a world fragment anyway. Once it was under his control, he could simply turn Mistelina into a Soul Card and resurrect her later.
Not a big deal.
"It's simple."
For some reason, Ranni's lips curved into a sly smile.
"You just have to… inject it into her."
"…Inject it?"
"However you like," she said smoothly. "From the top, from the bottom—whichever way you prefer."
"…Huh?!"
(End of Chapter)