Malenia's swordsmanship was graceful and beautiful—techniques passed down from the fairy swordsmen, created by imitating the flow of water.
But her swordsmanship was also deadly and terrifying, for it was a peerless skill that had once slain and sealed off outer gods. Beneath the mesmerizing dance of her blade was hidden the silent edge of death.
As soon as Malenia was resurrected, she immediately charged at the more numerous side of the two enemy factions present and engaged in fierce combat with Messmer.
In terms of pure martial skill, Malenia was undoubtedly the strongest among the original demigods of the Lands Between. Her pride and obsession drove her to hone her swordsmanship to an unfathomable level.
But Messmer's skills had also been honed to great heights through countless battles. Aside from someone like Radahn, who relied on gravity magic and brute strength, few demigods could last more than a few moves against Messmer.
Their clash quickly escalated into a high-speed duel, their weapons colliding countless times in an instant. To those with untrained eyes, their movements were nearly invisible.
While Miquella had pulled his sister back from the deep slumber of death to aid him in battle, he was simultaneously riding Radahn straight toward the Elden Beast. Under Radahn's immense might, the Elden Beast visibly suffered significant damage.
However, those on Aoko's side couldn't just stand by and watch Miquella sneak attack like that. So the alliances shifted once more: casters including Ranna and Rennala, the mother-daughter duo, and the Aozaki sisters immediately redirected their attacks toward Radahn to prevent him from further harming the Elden Beast. Rellana went to assist Messmer in dealing with the overwhelming force of Malenia.
The battle reached yet another stalemate. Malenia's return threw all three sides—including the Elden Beast—into a strange state of equilibrium.
Having faithfully followed the Greater Will's commands for countless millennia, the Elden Beast was now deeply displeased with the rebellion of these mortals.
Or rather, it was enraged—especially at that skinny figure clinging to the big red-haired brute. It could tell at a glance that this was someone who had become a god by unauthorized means. How could it tolerate this?
Normally, the process of becoming a god in the Lands Between required selection by the Fingers under the Mother of Fingers. From among powerful individuals who wielded their laws, one would be chosen to receive the Elden Ring and thus become divine.
But this Miquella—although there were traces of having once been selected by the Two Fingers—had his fingers slain for unknown reasons. He had not become a god through their guidance. As far as the Elden Beast was concerned, he was a fake god.
While launching a fierce attack at Miquella and Radahn, the Elden Beast contemplated—its duty was to test new gods and new monarchs, yes, but also to maintain the Elden Ring's rule over the Lands Between. With so many Fingers dead, responsibility must lie with the Mother of Fingers. He needed to ask his old colleague what was going on.
After some ineffable divine communication, the Elden Beast realized the Mother of Fingers wasn't responding. Judging by the feedback signal, she seemed to be… um?
With a mighty blow, the Elden Beast knocked back Radahn and those trying to protect him. Twisting its long neck, the glowing orb that served as its head locked onto Aoko, who was unleashing waves of magical assaults from a distance—with a certain staff in hand.
…Wasn't that the cosmic fragment from the tail-end of the Mother of Fingers?
Realizing instantly that his old colleague had likely been torn apart by these rebels, the Elden Beast raised the threat level of these foes to the highest in history. Gathering its strength, it leaped into the air.
Like a fish swimming through water, the Elden Beast glided through the sky. Massive, golden, multi-layered rings appeared in everyone's field of vision—this was the projection of the Elden Ring!
Having previously witnessed large-scale attacks, Aoko immediately recognized this as a dangerous move. She teleported next to her sister, Touko, pulled her and their less-defensive allies together and raised the Scarlet Staff high.
An endless stream of magic from the Fifth Magic surged into the microcosm at the staff's tip, making it shine brilliantly, as though infinite nebulae were pouring forth.
Then came blinding light and scorching heat. The Elden Ring's projection triggered a holy explosion of tremendous power. Among everyone present, only Messmer and the Tarnished—who held three and two Great Runes respectively—and the few under Aoko's protection emerged unscathed.
With her overwhelming output and the amplifying power of the Scarlet Staff, Aoko had released a prolonged, wide-area Thops Field spell that completely deflected the holy explosion away from her group.
Moreover, this spell appeared quite different from the original Thops Field. Instead of the green glintstone field, hers resembled the spread of a cosmic nebula—an advanced defensive spell far beyond the original.
It was a perfected, powerful magic that could fully resist the Elden Beast's divine attacks imbued with the Greater Will—though only usable with the Scarlet Staff.
After the light faded, many present were injured to varying degrees. Several of Messmer's elite Black Knights were killed by the shockwave. Even Rennala—who could also use Thops Field—was wounded again due to reacting too late.
But for some unknown reason, Miquella remained completely unharmed. Instead, Radahn beneath him soared into the sky, and with a gravity-magic-infused slash, struck the recovering Elden Beast from midair, slamming it down into the water's surface.
This surprise attack inflicted obvious damage. Aoko could see cracks resembling shattered glass forming across the Elden Beast's massive body.