34. Morgott and Mohg
Above the Leyndell Royal Capital, the dazzling radiance of the Erdtree was obscured by a silvery-white dome. The once majestic and sacred Elden Throne had now expanded dozens of times, transforming into a massive platform suspended in the sky, nearly covering the entirety of the royal capital's sky.
Before the tree's entrance, a throne crafted from pure silver stood quietly. Xiling leaned upon it, clutching the Holy Sword.
He watched the livestream in the chat group, observing Kevin's battle with Radahn and the two men's bet. Only after seeing Kevin triumph and collapse to the ground, gasping for breath, did Xiling lower the Holy Sword, and a smile broke out on his face.
"He won this fight! Kevin is such a jerk!"
Xiling had let Kevin through because he'd seen his strength. He was formidable. The Blessing of Day and Night had made him a monster. Radahn was at his weakest right now, so Xiling dared to let Kevin through. Even if he couldn't defeat him, he could use the chat group to escape.
Xiling knew Kevin wasn't a decisive killer, and sure enough, Kevin had been letting him go. An even more surprising thing was that Radahn had accepted the Blessing of Silver. The Silver Rule repelled all foreign elements, whether it was the chaos of Mad Fire, the faith of the Erdtree, or the erosion of the Scarlet Rot—under the Silver Order, they would all be purified. And Radahn, who was once one of the most powerful demigods, now, wielding the Silver Great Rune, not only suppressed the Scarlet Rot but even regained his peak combat prowess.
Seeing this, Xiling originally wanted to rush to Kevin's side immediately. However, just as he was about to act, he paused.
Because he saw a smile on Kevin's face... It wasn't arrogance, nor a contemptuous smile, but a smile filled with pure and burning desire to fight. Kevin's eyes gleamed, as if silently declaring, "I can still fight! I can still become stronger!"
Xiling paused to do what he was about to do. Trusting his companions was what a hero does. Xiling watched the entire live broadcast intently, and only after Kevin's victory did his tense shoulders relax slightly. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly as he gave Kevin a thumbs-up—
"Well done, Kevin!"
Only when he saw Houraiji Kyuushou approach Kevin did Xiling turn off the live broadcast.
The changes in the Erdtree had already attracted inquiries from various factions, but this was exactly what Xiling wanted. He had already prepared the battlefield for those incoming guests.
Kevin had secured his position, while the Tarnished had yet to find the Mohgwyn Palace.
...
With a single slash, Morgott leveled the haystack in front of them. The two continued forward. Suddenly, as they walked, Morgott spoke: "You are the tarnished."
The Tarnished nodded.
"...Why have you set foot on this land? What is your obsession and mission?"
The Tarnished looked at Morgott in confusion, as if he couldn't understand why he was asking that question. But the Tarnished replied, "I don't have any obsession or mission. As for why I came to the Lands Between, I don't know."
Morgott frowned slightly. "You... don't know."
Morgott knew why the tarnished appeared at the Lands Between. They were a group of long-dead souls, but guided by some kind of guidance, they resurrected and set foot on the Lands Between again, carrying out their mission. However, the tarnished standing before him now claimed he had no mission and didn't even know why he was there...
After a long moment...Morgott spoke with a sigh, "You're very different, and so are your companions."
"Really?" The Tarnished laughed, jokingly. His words would be fine for anyone else, but they seemed a little strange when applied to him. He was just an ordinary magician. What could be so different?
Morgott observed the smile on the Tarnished's face without saying anything. The two walked in silence, encountering numerous monsters that attacked them, but Morgott easily dispatched them.
After an unknown amount of time, Morgott caught a pungent scent of blood, a thick, intense scent that reminded him of wartime, when countless blood flowed across the earth. But that was only during wartime; why was there such a strong odor of blood in this underground world?
"Looks like we've arrived."
Morgott's voice was low and cold. He quickened his pace, heading straight for the cliff's edge.
The Tarnished followed closely behind. When he stopped at the edge and gazed into the distance—
His pupils suddenly constricted.
Blood.
Endless blood.
The crimson liquid spread across the earth like a river, sticky and rancid, as if the entire land were soaked in the organs of some living creature. In the pool of blood, swollen, mutated crows and rotting wild dogs thrashed frantically, their bodies festered and oozed pus, yet they still greedily tore at the rotting flesh floating in the gore.
The air was filled with a sickening, sweet, fishy odor, and every breath felt like the drenching of death.
"Is this... the Mohgwyn Palace?" The Tarnished's Adam's apple rolled, his face pale.
"This is truly... a bit disgusting."
He couldn't find a more euphemistic word, so he simply followed the word that appeared in his heart.
Morgott didn't respond, simply taking a deep breath—his gaze fixed on the dilapidated building in the distance, he whispered:
"Mohg... my brother, I'm coming."
The next second, he leaped, plummeting from the edge of the cliff!
"BOOM!!!!"
His body slammed into the pool of blood like a meteorite, stirring up a crimson wave that instantly engulfed the surrounding monsters. Alarmed, the blood crows and corrupted hounds let out piercing screams, their swollen eyeballs locked onto Morgott, and they pounced recklessly!
Morgott didn't even bat his eyes.
The cursed sword swept across, a swollen arc of slashes spreading like a storm, instantly shredding all the attacking monsters into shreds of flesh, sending a torrential downpour of blood pouring down.
He stood in the center of the pool of blood, gazing at the palace in the distance.
Then—
"Come out and see me, Mohg!!!"
The roar exploded like thunder, the sound waves transforming into a tangible shockwave, forcing the blood pool into a wall of waves several meters high! The surrounding dead trees shook violently in the sonic boom, the rock walls crumbled, and rubble tumbled down.
At the edge of the cliff, the Tarnished clutched his ears tightly, his face contorted.
"This guy didn't even tell me beforehand..."
The Tarnished gritted his teeth, rubbing his buzzing eardrums.
"I feel like my ears are going to fail me."
The Tarnished shook his head, the ringing in his ears still lingering. He cast his gaze downward, muttering to himself, "If you do this... will that guy really come?"
Before he finished his words, the pool of blood in front of him suddenly surged.
The thick blood swelled like a boiling pot, then slowly swelled, transforming into a human figure.
Unlike Morgott's simple attire, the other man was garishly dressed, sporting several horns and clutching a massive spear. It was Mohg.
Mohg stared at Morgott for a long moment before speaking, "...It's been a long time, brother. I didn't expect you to come to see me."
"Perhaps I should have come sooner."
Morgott looked at Mohg, his expression now a mixture of emotions. It had been a long time since he had seen his brother, not since the war.
Hearing Morgott's words, Mohg shook his head.
"You shouldn't have come. Continue to defend your royal capital, brother... don't get in my way."
Morgott: "Miquella's allure—has it drawn you so deeply?"
He expected Mohg to retort, even to berate him. However—
Mohg just simply nodded gently and admitted it frankly:
"Yes."
Then he pulled something from his bosom—a large silver-white rune, its pure light standing out against the blood mist.
"If it weren't for this... transformed Great Rune..." Mohg stared at the rune in his hand, gently caressing it. "Perhaps I would still be captivated by Miquella's enchantment."
"But now... Miquella's enchantment is no longer a concern for me."
Mohg withdrew the Great Rune and looked at Morgott. "So... return, brother."
Morgott raised his cursed sword. "Even if the enchantment is broken, do you still believe that if Miquella becomes your partner, your dynasty will begin?"
At that moment, the aura between the two shifted.
"...Don't stand in my way, brother."
The Silver Rule can purify negative influences, but it cannot affect a person's faith. Even after removing Miquella's enchantment, Mohg still maintained his unwavering faith in the Mother of Truth.
Faced with Mohg's change, Morgott adopted a fighting stance. "You are heading towards the abyss. As your brother, I... must stop you."