22. The Hero Xiling Arrives to Save This World
"I'm glad I didn't keep you waiting for long." Leaving the others where they were, Xiling ascended the final staircase and stood alone against Morgott.
Compared to Morgott's height, Xiling could almost be described as a child. The two faced each other, Xiling looking up at Morgott, while Morgott looked down at Xiling.
Their gazes met, and the wind gently rustled the leaves.
After a long moment...
"An unknown stranger, coming from the other side of the Lands Between, could it be just to pay homage to the throne?"
"You think it's possible, coming all this way just for that? Of course, it's for the Elden Ring." Xiling pointed at Morgott, specifically at the path behind Morgott, leading to the interior of the Erdtree.
"Are you here for the Fire of Ambition?" Morgott's voice was neutral, but his eyes grew sharper. He stared directly into Xiling's eyes, as if trying to read his heart.
"Even though I say this, you may not believe it, but..." Xiling's eyes showed no fear as he stepped forward, closing the distance between him and Morgott. Pointing at himself, Xiling said, "I have come here to end this chaotic era."
"... Ridiculous! How could you possibly do that?"
"Then I will refute you without hesitation. Why do you think I can't?"
Xiling pointed at Morgott and demanded, "Morgott, you claim to be the last king, guarding the Erdtree behind you. But what's the point? The ring has long been shattered. Instead of guarding something useless, it's better to trust me!"
"... Trust you."
Xiling placed his hand on his chest. "Yes, trust me."
Morgott turned silently, gazing at the Erdtree behind him. Since the Shattering War, he had assumed the form of the Omen King, guarding Leyndell. Even though he had never been recognized, he remained willing to serve as its guardian. Morgott closed his eyes, lost in his own memories. No one knew what the last king was recalling. But when he opened his eyes again and turned back, a fierce aura erupted from him.
"Draw your sword! Outsider!"
The crutch-like object in his hand instantly exploded, revealing its true form. Morgott swung the sword with a terrifying blast of air that blinded anyone. He pointed the weapon at Xiling. "Anyone can boast, but show me your strength! Is what you say true or false?"
Xiling drew his holy sword and pointed it at Morgott. "This is only natural!"
The battle began the next second.
The holy sword and the cursed sword collided, and the next second, Xiling was sent flying, floating in the air.
"His power is terrifying!" The thought flashed through Xiling's mind. But now was not the time to dwell on that, because Morgott had arrived at him. At the moment Xiling was sent flying, Morgott leaped from the ground, landing above him. His cursed sword slashed down hard. Xiling blocked with his holy sword, but without any support in the air, Xiling plummeted towards the city.
"Hey! Is it really okay if we don't help the hero?" Houraiji Kyuushou anxiously asked for everyone's opinion, watching Xiling, who had been sent flying and crashed into the city.
Although Xiling had initially told them he would fight him one-on-one until he conceded, being sent flying in this single round was enough to make one sweat.
Kevin, Lemuen, and the Tarnished had already opened the chat groups interface. Facing Houraiji Kyuushou's anxiety, Kevin pointed at the chat group interface and said, "Take a look at this first."
Houraiji Kyuushou quickly opened the chat group's interface and clicked on Xiling's avatar, noting that his attributes were changing. Besides the unknown magical power, Strength, Speed, and Endurance, the three attributes that were originally assigned between C and B were now rapidly changing, jumping from C to A, and repeating this cycle endlessly.
"What's going on?" Houraiji Kyuushou was confused at first, but soon she remembered. She looked at Xiling's two abilities, and now "Hero Will" and "Hero in Despair" were gleaming with pure white light.
The Omen King, Morgott, a demigod who had fought countless battles and shed the blood of countless heroes, but today, he had met his match.
Countless houses collapsed within the Leyndell Royal Capital, and the cause of this was the two figures, one large and one small.
Xiling's expression was extremely serious; the holy sword in his hand almost faded into an afterimage as it repeatedly clashed with Morgott's cursed sword.
Every time the weapons clashed, the impact caused surrounding buildings to collapse and the ground to shatter. Xiling's attack practically abandoned defense. His holy sword slashed at Morgott at the most treacherous angle, and once again, Morgott met Xiling's attack. This time, Morgott manifested a lightsaber in his other hand. He thrust at Xiling fiercely, but the next second, Xiling Starry Cloak automatically blocked the sudden attack.
The lightsaber's impact on the cloak caused no ripple on it. Just as Morgott attempted to retreat, Xiling launched a kick. Unable to react, Morgott was sent flying through countless walls.
Cough, cough, cough
Morgott, falling to the ground, coughed up blood. He looked at the figure wielding the holy sword, approaching him at the end of his field of vision.
Struggling to his feet, feeling the pain in his abdomen, Morgott wiped the blood from his mouth expressionlessly. Initially, he had been able to suppress his opponent, but as time passed, not only his strength and speed, but even his skills were rapidly improving. For some reason, a thought suddenly occurred to Morgott. "Perhaps this person can actually do it..."
"...What am I thinking?" Morgott shook his head.
The Erdtree rejected everything; they...had long been abandoned.
"Do you want to continue the fight?" Xiling asked calmly, stopping not far from Morgott.
"...Heh, are you concerned about your enemy?" Morgott swung his weapon and assumed his fighting stance again.
"No, you seem to have misunderstood something." Xiling followed suit, also adopting his fighting stance.
"You and I are not enemies. Morgott, I need you."
Morgott frowned, puzzled. "What do you mean?"
"The Junction cannot be saved by one person alone. I know this very well, so I need you." With that, Xiling arrived in front of Morgott and swung his sword.
With a clang, Morgott raised his weapon to block the attack.
Looking into Xiling's eyes, Morgott knew this guy was serious. He... wasn't joking. The two men retreated to the side with a single blow.
Puff.
Blood spurted from Morgott's mouth, but this time he didn't wipe it away. He spoke earnestly to Xiling.
"I must tell you something. The Ring has shattered. The Erdtree has rejected everything... We have been abandoned." Morgott's expression was agonized as he spoke these words, but this was the truth he knew, the truth about the Erdtree.
"I know, and that's why I'm here."
Morgott raised his head and looked at Xiling.
"Please let me introduce myself again." Xiling thrust the holy sword into the ground, and a smile broke out on Xiling's face again.
"My name is Xiling, and I'm a hero. I am also..." Xiling held out an object. When Morgott saw what Xiling held in his hand, he almost forgot to breathe. It was the Rule. Though strange, it was the Rule. "You! How could you possess such a rule? And it's a rule I've never seen before!"
Xiling chuckled and looked at the silver object swirling in his hand. He then fully unfolded it before Morgott. As Morgott stared in astonishment, Xiling softly continued, "Following the guidance of the Supreme Will, the hero Xiling has come to save this world."