62. [Part 1] About to Begin! The Final Ancient Dragon War
A city fell from the sky, shocking everyone who witnessed it. But before their astonishment could last, another shocking event occurred.
Today, an uninvited guest arrived outside the walls of the Leyndell Royal Capital.
Or perhaps it was a returning visitor.
Led by Radagon, everyone gazed solemnly at the figure with the imposing presence of a mountain.
The wind seemed to stagnate where his footsteps landed, and the light dimmed slightly around him in fear. He was covered in worn, ancient armor, every scratch telling a story of unimaginable battles.
And most terrifying of all, the lion crouched on his broad back!
"ROAR!!!"
A roar pierced the heavens.
This roar, wrapped in a physical pressure, bore down upon the crowd.
Step by step, the warrior carrying the lion advanced toward the majestic royal capital. His footsteps were heavy and steady, each tread striking the heart of everyone, leaving a dull, thunderous echo. His overwhelming momentum showed no sign of abating, stirring an uncontrollable dread deep within the souls of the weak and a surge of fighting spirit and solemnity within the blood of the strong.
Radagon, standing at the forefront of the crowd, fixed his gaze firmly on the advancing figure:
"Godfrey..." Radagon's whisper was a confirmation, a declaration, and a heavy echo of history.
That's right! Before the dust of Crumbling Farum Azula's fall from the sky had settled, the first Elden King, the exiled legend—Godfrey—was about to return to the Leyndell Royal Capital where he once ruled!
But he was stopped on the way.
His return was so forceful, so unquestionable, his overwhelming momentum undisguised, as if announcing his return to the entire Lands Between.
Faced with the wary gazes of the crowd, Godfrey finally stopped. His weathered face lifted slightly, his gaze passing over the towering city walls, reaching the innermost reaches of the capital.
There was once the Golden Erdtree, radiating golden light and bestowing blessings upon all, which should have stood.
But now, what met his gaze was the Silver Erdtree, which had replaced the Golden Erdtree as the new symbol and core rule for this land.
He was still late.
But...
Looking at the Silver Erdtree, a symbol of order, at the demigods and the Son of Omen standing before him, recalling the scenery he had witnessed along the way...
People were being guided now.
He saw that those lost, struggling souls, yearning for survival, guided by a new, resolute will, seemed to have found a path different from that of the Golden Age.
That was something the once-glorious Golden Age had failed to achieve, or perhaps, something they had never truly contemplated.
"Things would turn out this way. Even you wouldn't expect it, Marika..." This silent sigh echoed deep in Godfrey's chest. Morgott gazed at the majestic figure, his eyes filled with complexity.
That was his father! The first Elden King! The king, who was ruthlessly stripped of his blessings and banished from the Lands Between under the name of the Tarnished!
Morgott's body subtly tensed. It had been so long since he had seen that face.
The legend of his exile had long since been lost in the dust of a shattering war.
He had once believed that farewell would be eternal, his father's figure forever lost in the mists of exile.
But fate played tricks on him.
He could never have imagined that the exiled king would return in such a shocking and powerful manner.
Most likely, he could not have imagined that after countless years, father and son would reunite on opposite sides.
Standing outside the royal capital, opposing Godfrey, were Radagon, Morgott, Malenia, and Radahn. Radagon noticed the change in Morgott's eyes and knew their identities.
"Morgott... you didn't have to come."
Morgott shook his head.
Having already accepted the gift of silver, how could he accept retreating when faced with a powerful enemy? Even if... the enemy was his father?
And at this moment—
Godfrey's gaze swept over the four people before him. Without a word, he slowly unsheathed the massive battle axe from his shoulder.
The aura surrounding him was like a dormant volcano erupting instantly, and the ground beneath his feet silently cracked and sank.
Serosh, the Beast Regent, crouching on his back, seemed to be in tune with him. He suddenly raised his ferocious head and let out a cloud-shattering roar towards the heavens!
"Roar!"
Without hesitation, Godfrey's arm muscles twisted like a dragon, and he pointed the axe, which seemed capable of splitting the earth, forward with a fierce thrust!
"Where is your king?"
Radagon took a step forward, and a silver light rippled beneath his feet. The greatsword in his hand instantly hummed, and a silver glow of order flowed through the blade.
That was the light emanating from the Silver Prayer.
"The king is not here, Tarnished Godfrey. What is your purpose?"
Godfrey let out a deep laugh, a laugh tempered by countless battles, a laugh filled with the vicissitudes and understanding of life.
"Heh... don't all Tarnisheds who set foot here have a single purpose?"
Godfrey's gaze pierced through space, as if gazing directly at the silver tree behind Radagon.
"Following guidance, we fulfill our mission!"
The moment his words fell...
Boom!!!
Where Godfrey had stood, the ground struck as if by an invisible hammer, instantly exploding into a deep crater! Gravel and dust soared into the sky! And that towering figure had already torn through the air! The massive battle axe, swathed in terrifying momentum, rends the wind, shatters the sound barrier, and with sheer, utterly violent force, it descended upon Radagon's head!
The greatsword in Radagon's hand had transformed into a silver streak, fiercely slashing upwards to meet the axe that seemed capable of shattering mountains!
Clang—!!!!!!!!!!!! The resounding clang of metal clashing surpassed thunder! A terrifying, visible shockwave exploded from the point where their weapons intersected!
At the moment the two blades collided, Radagon's arms suddenly sank!
The power emanating from the blades was simply not something that could be neutralized by skill or prayer. It was pure, primal, all-shattering physical force!
That was the true divine power of the First King, Hoarah Loux!
With a single strike, rocks and mountains shattered!
The ground beneath their feet was reduced to dust!
The terrifying vibrations echoed continuously!
Radagon's towering form was forcibly suppressed by this unmatched brute force!
However, Godfrey, who had successfully subdued Radagon, did not pursue him. He swiftly dodged sideways!
Swish! A flash of sword light, as swift as water, passed almost past his afterimage!
Malenia struck!
Her fluttering, like a water bird, was silent, yet brimming with a deadly, cold light that robbed all life!
The flowing blade gave the enemy no breathing space. Swift! Brutally! Sharp! The strike missed, but the sword's momentum remained unwavering, swirling towards Godfrey like a thorn in his flesh!
Godfrey calmly retreated two steps under Malenia's torrential onslaught.
The moment Godfrey's second step landed, the earth once again trembled. Without warning, it collapsed and shattered! Turned to dust!
Crack! Boom!
Suddenly, her feet were suspended in the air! This left Malenia with a fatal flaw!
The movement was so fast that there was no sound at all! A huge iron fist, wrapped in beast fur and metal wristbands, as huge as a palm leaf fan, suddenly teleported and firmly impacted Malenia's forehead!
Bang! !!! A dull, yet terrifying sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed!
Malenia was shot backward like a cannonball at a speed impossible to perceive with the naked eye! The air in her path was compressed and exploded. A piercing sonic boom!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The impenetrable walls of the distant Leyndell Royal Capital, pierced through like rotten wood in the path of Malenia's flight!
Bricks and stones shattered, smoke and dust filled the air! Malenia's figure disappeared in the dust that filled the gap in the wall.
Godfrey, who had sent Malenia flying, didn't stop at all; he had more than one enemy!
The sharp wind had already torn through the air, piercing his back! Morgott struck!
The cursed sword slashed at Godfrey's back with precise and ruthless precision!
However!
"Roar—!" A furious roar erupted from Godfrey's shoulder! The lion, Serosh, on Godfrey's back, clamped its fanged maw down on Morgott, slashing with all its might!
The terrifying bite force prevented Morgott from instantly dislodging it!
The instant the weapon was restrained, Godfrey's mountainous form swung! A face, weathered and scarred by countless battles, yet still radiating supreme majesty, suddenly filled Morgott's vision!
The two men were within arm's reach, and Godfrey stared silently and deeply at Morgott.
There was no roar, no shouting, not even a hint of murderous intent. Only a pure gaze, as if he could see through this son, a son of his own blood, who stood on the opposite side.
But this gaze lasted only a fraction of a second!
"Swish, swish, swish—!" A clear, cold magical hum suddenly rang out, shattering the brief silence! Behind them, the Full Moon Staff held high by Queen of the Full Moon Rennala erupted with brilliant starlight!
Countless azure swords materialized from thin air, instantly locking onto Godfrey's massive form!
They transformed into a deadly blue meteor shower, hurtling towards them at the speed of a rip through space!
At the same time, Radagon fiercely hurled a holy spear formed from pure silver light!
"Swish!" "
The Holy Lance, trailing a dazzling silver trail, arrived first, forming a pincer attack from the front and back alongside the rain of radiant swords!
Facing the combined attack of the couple...
Caught in the middle, Godfrey's lips slowly and distinctly curved into a smile!
That wasn't contempt, but a sense of understanding and... a seething excitement that comes from finally seeing the other side after so many hardships!
Just as the Holy Lance's sharp edge was about to touch his back and the rain of radiant swords was about to pierce his body!
Deep in Godfrey's eyes, which had been burning with pure fighting spirit, a faint yet pure golden light suddenly ignited! The light was inconspicuous against the silver glow, but it expanded and burned within his eyes at an incredible speed!
At that moment—
"Roar—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
A roar far more majestic and soul-shattering than Serosh's suddenly erupted from deep within Godfrey's chest! This roar was no longer the roar of a beast, but the wrath of a king!
Morgott, closest to the roar, bore the brunt of it!
It was as if he were struck head-on by an invisible battering ram! The lion's jaws binding the cursed sword released at the perfect moment, sending Monggot's massive frame flying like a kite with its string cut!
A terrifying, visible golden wave erupted from Godfrey like a tangible golden tsunami, sweeping in all directions!
Sizzle! —! The radiant Carian sword magic that shot across the sky completely dissipated the moment it came into contact with the golden wave!
Boom—!!!
The holy spear imbued with the Silver Order slammed into the golden wave with a resounding, earth-shattering roar!
But after a brief pause, it shattered into countless tiny fragments of silver light, completely engulfed by the golden wave!
At that moment, Radagon's eyes erupted with unprecedented shock!
For this power—he was all too familiar!
It was the power that was completely engulfed by the Silver Rule—the power of the Golden Rule!
"This... how is this possible!"
Radagon's voice was filled with disbelief!
The Golden Rule had long been replaced by the Silver Rule, so why could he sense its power again from Godfrey?
The battlefield thickened with smoke and dust, and the golden aura slowly dissipated. Godfrey's tall figure reappeared, and he walked towards the massive battle axe that had sunk into the ground.
Stretching out his large hand, he firmly grasped the rough axe handle.
When Godfrey turned again and looked directly at Radagon, Radagon clearly saw the unique radiance of the Golden Rule gleaming in those eyes!
As if responding to Radagon's unconcealed horror, Godfrey's voice was like a bell, carrying a declaration and heaviness that clearly etched itself in everyone's ears.
"You should feel it too, right?"
Godfrey gripped the battle axe tightly, and the golden glow seemed to spread along his arm and onto the cold axe blade.
"The blessing of the Golden Rule has returned to me! "
The battle axe pointed at Radagon.
"Regarding the Lands Between now shrouded by the Silver Order..."
Godfrey's voice suddenly rose: "I am the enemy you must face!"
"Because—I am a remnant of the Golden Order!"
Those eyes, blazing with golden light, emanated an unparalleled will:
"It is the Golden Rule... final glory!"
"Surpass me—"
"Only then can you usher in—a brand new era!" "
The echo of Godfrey's declaration regarding the remnants of the Golden Rule echoed through the ruins.
Faced with this final act of the Golden Rule, Radagon and Rennala fell silent. Not far away, Morgott struggled to his feet, his grip on the cursed sword slackening.
They were all once the people of Gold.
Faced with this final, purest incarnation of the Golden Rule, any rebuttal was pale and powerless.
Silence became the only answer, a decisive declaration of war.
Radagon raised his greatsword, a gleam of silver gleaming.
Morgott suppressed his distracting thoughts; his cursed sword was stained with dark crimson.
No words, only battle! The two gathered their strength, and Rennala's staff's magic power reunited.
But at this moment—
"Roar, roar, roar—!!!" "
A terrifying dragon roar exploded without warning in the sky above Leyndell!
Everyone froze in their tracks!
Except for Godfrey!
His battle instincts transcended the ordinary! His muscles flexed like dragon tendons, and his axe slashed back fiercely!
Bang!
The world fell silent!
A thunder spear, shrouded in the aura of destruction, descended like divine judgment! It struck Godfrey with pinpoint accuracy!
"Clang! !!!!"
The thunder spear and the reverse-slashing axe collided forcefully!
At the point of impact, a terrifying, all-consuming thunder erupted!
The shockwave spread like a tsunami! The city walls crumbled like sand castles, and the earth was torn open into an abyss!
Radagon's pupils constricted! He grabbed Rennala with one hand!
"Go! "
A burst of silvery brilliance erupted, and he, using the backlash of the destructive storm, flung himself backwards, carrying Rennala with him!
Morgott did the same.
The center of the thunder!
The next moment—
"Swish—!!!"
It was split open by Godfrey's axe—abruptly!
Smoke, dust, and rubble cascaded down.
Godfrey raised his head, gazing at the majestic figure in the sky—
—Dragonlord Placidusax! (Full Version)
Four dragon heads gazed down at Godfrey...
—That was the final glimmer of gold.
—The very axe that had originally ushered in the Golden Age.
The beginning and end of an era intersected at this moment.
"Is it really okay to leave it to you?"
Xiling's uncertain voice echoed from behind the majestic dragon's body.
"Silver King"
A dull voice echoed in Xiling's ears.
"Are you doubting my ability to win?"
"No, but being injured wouldn't be good, would it?"
Xiling scratched his cheek. He looked down at Godfrey, the final Golden Ruler.
The last person they would cross.
"In battle," the Dragon King replied majestically and calmly. "Blood and scars are its destined emblem."
"...You're right," Xiling said softly, then patted Placidusax on the back.
"Then, this battlefield is in your hands, Placidusax."
With these words, Xiling disappeared from the dragon's back. At this moment...
"This battle"
Thunder spread across his body
"This will be the first victory I secure for you!"
Above the heavens—
The Dragon King's aura suddenly surged, his might pressing down upon the earth like a physical substance. His ancient and terrifying power began to awaken:
"Witness!"
"My power!"
—
—
A/N [Author Note]:
Golden Rule. First King. Godfrey—{Golden Rule Enhanced Version} Given by Marika
Ancient Dragon Law. First King. Placidusax—{Silver Rule Version}