PinkSnake - Elden Ring First Flame - 481

Chapter 481: Victory? Defeat?

All of Leyndell seemed frozen in time, sinking into dead silence.

Dusk was near, and dim night was gradually covering the city. Yet in that instant, an unmatched radiance erupted from the top of Leyndell.

That light surpassed even the brilliance of the Erdtree, as if it had illuminated the entire world.

Nolan was the fire, and Hoarah Loux was the kindling. They were like a bonfire in the night, while Leyndell had become a vast brazier, releasing endless light in every direction and illuminating every corner.

It was a tragic and beautiful sight. The old Lord’s blood stained the throne red, while the new Lord bloomed with dazzling flame.

Even the once towering and solemn Erdtree now seemed shaken by that tremendous power, as if it might be set alight at any moment.

“This flame...”

In the ruins, Malenia slowly raised her head. Her gaze, usually sharp as a blade, lost focus for an instant.

Of course she knew this was Nolan’s flame. It was a power she knew well.

But she had never seen such a magnificent fire, or such vast power.

Malenia could not see the details of the battle between Lords with her own eyes, but the fact that Nolan had released such power was enough to prove how strong Godfrey was.

Malenia looked up at the sky and saw the air above Leyndell twisting violently, as if the entire city had become a giant furnace.

Destructive heat spread rapidly. The moisture in the air was vaporized into scalding steam in the blink of an eye, then condensed into thick fog, blurring vision until nothing could be seen clearly.

“That is Master’s power!” Asimi exclaimed beside her, shaking her head to fling the dust from her body.

Today’s battle truly had been difficult. Morgott’s strength far surpassed the other Demigods. Aside from Nolan, he was the strongest opponent she had ever faced.

“With such a terrifying strike, this battle is probably about to end... Master won’t be hurt, will he?”

Asimi looked toward the center of the battlefield with worry, silently praying that Nolan was safe.

“He’ll be fine!” Malenia gritted her teeth and said firmly.

She raised a hand and wiped the sweat from her forehead. Although that strike just now had left her somewhat disheveled, she knew very clearly that she was much stronger than she had been during the last siege.

Morgott was indeed powerful beyond what a Demigod should be, but at this moment, their side was the one with the advantage.

She and Asimi had only been forced back temporarily. Finlay was still exchanging blows with Morgott.

Three against one. Some might think that was an unfair way to win, but Malenia did not care about such things.

She was not a Lord, and she had no need to care about so-called royal honor or the methods used to seize a throne.

For her, the only ones who mattered were Miquella, Trina, and Nolan.

Last time, Morgott had cut down the Valkyrie and trampled the Starscourge General beneath his foot, making himself look far too glorious.

Today, Malenia would remove a great enemy for Nolan and take revenge for herself while she was at it.

“That’s right. It’s impossible. His Majesty Nolan is the strongest,” Asimi said with complete confidence, then raised her sword and charged toward Morgott.

As a creation of the Eternal City, she actually understood Placidusax better than Godfrey. In ancient times, no one could fail to revere the power of the Dragonlord.

Even such a terrifying Ancient Dragon King had ultimately been defeated by Nolan.

So even though the enemy this time was Godfrey, Asimi still had full confidence in Nolan.

Watching Asimi move around with such energy, Malenia could not help feeling envious. She had no idea where these artificial lives got their energy. They had fought for so long without looking tired at all.

Malenia also charged out with her blade. While they struggled to encircle and kill Morgott, the situation at the northern wall was much better.

From the beginning, the Impaler Army led by Messmer had held a firm advantage. Messmer and Rellana worked together flawlessly as husband and wife, and Vyke, the young Tarnished, was just as terrifying.

The married pair, one casting fire and the other throwing moons, had turned the northern district of Leyndell into a slaughterhouse.

As the Chief Fire Knight, Vyke was proficient in the full range of Lord of Cinder Incantations. In his dragon form, he cast lightning from the sky and breathed fire.

Whether Golden Knights or Tree Sentinels, all could only retreat step by step beneath their assault.

The battle continued until dusk, and the situation had already become a one-sided rout.

It was then that a dazzling burst of fire suddenly erupted, and that intense light drew countless eyes from both armies.

This sudden change threw both sides of the fierce battle into chaos.

Heavy fog filled the air, completely blocking sight. People could only hear waves of roaring from within the mist, and see the lingering crimson glow.

“Malenia still hasn’t arrived?” Messmer asked in confusion after reaching the encirclement point.

“Morgott isn’t on our side. They probably ran into him.”

Trina, tightly guarded at the center by a group of knights and soldiers, answered after hearing Messmer’s question.

The little Goddess was giving buffs to the Golden Needle Knights beside her, and the white light pollution had not stopped for even a moment.

The knights bloomed with divine radiance, a pure glow that could directly erase anyone who touched it.

That brilliant light was painful to look at. In truth, no one wanted to look, yet their gazes were helplessly drawn toward it.

Miquella beside her was even more maddening to look at. It was not to the point that soldiers would betray their side after a single glance, but they simply wanted to look.

“Should we send troops to support Malenia?” Messmer asked expressionlessly, though there was some concern in his voice.

Miquella nodded and said in agreement,

“Now that you’ve arrived, the pressure on us is lower. We can send more forces to support them. Send five more Dragonkin Soldiers and a thousand-man unit.”

“We will continue breaking through the formation and pierce the blockade as soon as possible to reinforce Nolan. If he still has not killed Godfrey, then he must be waiting for us.”

Like that rotten little sister of his, he did not care about the glory of a Lord. As long as Nolan could ascend the throne, who cared whether it was a fair duel?

Siluria and Ordovis still stood before them with the Crucible Knights, and their faces showed a battle will that had never wavered.

Those who had returned alive from Mt. Gelmir were all Crucible Knights ranked near the top, but only the last four remained in this battle. That alone was enough to show how fierce the fighting had been.

Yet they had never retreated. The Crucible Knights were the War Lord’s sharpest spear and strongest shield. What spear or shield in this world would know fear?

Miquella felt something strange. He followed Trina’s gaze and saw a brilliant shadow appear in the sky, and that shadow was growing larger and larger.

Messmer raised his head. The Crucible Knights raised their heads. Tens of thousands of people all raised their heads at once and saw the huge creature approaching through the boundless sky.

It was Astel.

For the Golden Army, this should have been a series of inspiring good news.

But on closer look, it was a nightmare.

Nolan stood on Astel’s head, gripping the greatsword with both hands and driving it into the creature’s skull. The giant beast fell from the sky and smashed a huge crater into the ground.

Godfrey was nowhere to be seen, and Rennala stood at the edge of the sky.

One had to know that the battle between the Lord of Cinder and the War Lord had been so immense it could only be called earthshaking.

Whether ordinary soldiers or powerful Demigods, everyone had been watching that battle between Lords.

If Godfrey were still alive, Nolan would not have had the strength to kill Astel. So now, they all knew the result of the war.

“We won! We won! Long live His Majesty Nolan!”

“His Majesty Godfrey... lost?”