Miquella's Haligtree, Lower Level.
Malenia stood silently, her eyes fixed on the Tarnished before her. She glanced at the small purple flower on his shoulder, then at the large golden one on the other side, her expression unreadable.
This is...
"He is my Oathsworn King."
As she spoke, Trina leaned forward, brushing a soft kiss against Lloyd's cheek before lifting her head to meet Malenia's gaze.
"I'm back, Malenia.
My dear sister."
At those words, Malenia's body trembled, and the blade in her hand slowly lowered. But then, as if remembering something, she looked at Trina and asked quietly,
"What about Brother? He's... 'separated' from you now, isn't he?"
Trina wasn't surprised that Malenia saw through it, nor did she try to hide the truth.
"Because of certain circumstances, he and I were separated long ago. After that, I met my King…"
"We can talk about it in detail later, but for now, we need your help."
Her tone grew solemn as she looked directly at Malenia.
"From the information we've gathered, Miquella may be in grave danger."
"We only know roughly where he is, but we can't locate him precisely. That's why we need you."
"What kind of help?" Malenia asked.
"Come with us—leave this place, travel to that hidden land, and help us trace Miquella's whereabouts..."
"I refuse."
Malenia's answer came without hesitation.
"My brother ordered me to stay here and wait for his return. Until he comes back, I won't take a single step away."
"But we're trying to save him! If we don't, he might never return..."
"Even so, I won't leave."
Her tone hardened. The blade in her hand rose, gleaming coldly as she leveled it before her.
"I, Malenia, am Blade of Miquella. I will not be swayed by anyone— not even you, sister."
Trina looked at her, wanting to speak, but Seriel stepped forward, stopping her.
"She's just an empty shell, sister."
Seriel's gaze lingered on Malenia, filled with mixed emotion.
"To her, Miquella's command is everything. Otherwise, she'd have realized long ago that his plan had gone wrong. She wouldn't still be here, waiting alone. She'd have sent someone—or gone herself—to find him.
But now..."
She sighed, turning her eyes back to her.
"Look at yourself. Even if Brother returned, do you think he'd want to come near you?"
Beneath her helmet, Malenia frowned, her voice edged with irritation.
"They're only remnants of will. What could you possibly know…"
"Yes. Exactly like that."
Seriel nodded slightly, his tone steady.
"Haven't you noticed? The way you're acting now—it's just like Leda."
The words froze her in place.
For a long moment, silence hung between them before Malenia finally spoke, her voice low and tense.
"No… I am Malenia, Blade of Miquella. I'm nothing like that lunatic..."
Her voice faltered, growing weaker with each word.
"At least… not as extreme as she was..."
But just as doubt flickered in her eyes, a haze clouded her mind. The confusion passed quickly, replaced by steely resolve.
"Stop trying to tempt me."
"I will not leave this place, and I will not surrender my Great Rune.
If you insist on forcing me…"
Raising her blade, Malenia's eyes hardened, her voice sharp and unwavering.
"Then the Blade of Miquella will cut through your flesh."
Clang—
The blade snapped into position as she readied herself for battle.
Seeing there was no longer room for words, Trina gazed at her sister for a moment before sighing softly. A faint purple light began to flow across her body.
"So be it."
Beside her, Seriel shook her head and placed a hand on Lloyd's head, golden light cascading down as she once more shared her Abundance.
"Then, I'll leave it to you."
Millicent, who had followed them inside, drew her Flowing Water Sword, ready to fulfill her duty.
But just as the tension reached its peak and everyone braced for the clash, Lloyd's gaze shifted away from Malenia. Instead, he turned toward a small patch of empty ground not far away.
There, faint but visible, lay a trace of frost—tiny, inconspicuous, and completely out of place.
"If you're going to hide, at least do it properly."
"In that regard, you're nothing like a certain lunatic I met recently. She could truly merge with reality—erase every trace of herself..."
Whoosh—
Without warning, a scythe appeared out of thin air, slicing toward Lloyd's neck with chilling force, frost spreading in its wake.
Thud—
The scythe cut through the air in a gleaming arc of icy blue. Frost exploded outward, filling the chamber with a swirling storm of snow and mist.
As Lloyd sidestepped the strike, a figure slowly emerged from the freezing haze.
She wore a tattered nun's robe, scythe in hand, her bare feet stepping soundlessly across the snow. Lifting her head, she met Lloyd's eyes with a cold, emotionless gaze.
"It's good to see you again, Ashen One."
"This time, I won't fail."
Friede, also known as Elfriede, was once the eldest of Londor's Three Sisters. For reasons unknown, she entered the Painted World where Gael and the Lady of the Painting once dwelled.
As an Ashen One, her original purpose in entering that world was to set fire to it—to burn the rotting, decaying realm into a blank canvas, so that the Painter of Worlds could create a new masterpiece upon its ashes.
However, once inside, something changed. Perhaps it was her own past, or perhaps it was the beings that lived within that world. She abandoned her mission. Not only did she refuse to burn the painting, but she also removed her ring of frost protection, accepting the cold of that realm and becoming its guardian.
Her wish was simple—to keep the world from perishing, to offer a refuge to those cast away, to the ones hiding in the shadow of the flame.
Even if it meant living in cold and decay, as long as life persisted—as long as this place remained—as long as there existed a home where the lost, including herself, could belong, that was enough. She desired nothing more.
Yet even that humble wish was crushed in the end.
"Unlike us, you still have somewhere to return to. That's a happiness we can never have. Please… cherish it."
"Even if this world is nearing its end, Aredhel is still our home. Don't interfere with our fate…"
"We just want to live. Is even that too much to ask…?"
Before her eyes, the Ashen One ignited the flames, burning the world she had guarded—and all those she had protected—into pale, lifeless ash.
She tried to stop it—first through kindness, then through words, and finally through battle. But all of it was in vain.
When everything she cherished had turned to ash, the Ashen One bowed their head and reached out a hand toward her.
When she next opened her eyes, she was in a strange, unfamiliar place. She didn't know where she was, nor why she still lived.
Everything from her past had burned away with that fire. Even when she arrived in this new world, she felt nothing—merely a fragment, silently lingering in the crevices of the Haligtree.
Until she felt that familiar presence—the scent of the Ashen One—and the fire of hatred rekindled within her heart.
Fueled by that obsession, she took form once again. All for a single purpose—to cut down her enemy with the blade of her scythe.
Malenia was briefly taken aback by the sudden appearance of the nun, but her surprise quickly faded. She accepted the newcomer's presence almost immediately. Realizing the hostility between the nun and the Tarnished before her, she silently stepped to the nun's side, showing her intent to fight together.
Though she had never fought Lloyd before, her Great Rune allowed her to sense that this strange Tarnished carried more than one Great Rune within him. He was also her sister's Oathsworn King. While her sister was not one for direct combat, her support was troublesome enough. Even if she had seemed fierce before, her warnings had been grave.
Even through the haze clouding her soul, Malenia could sense she stood little chance against the pair before her.
On the other side, Friede's scythe gleamed. She too remembered being slain by Lloyd, and knew she was no match for him alone. After a brief moment of recognition, she chose to join forces with the red-haired woman.
Once both sides had made their decision and prepared for battle, the fight finally began.
The boss's name and health bar appeared.
[Trina's Oathsworn King — Lloyd]
Seeing that, even Lloyd himself froze for a second.
Wait… what? How did he become the boss?
"Because both of them see themselves as weaker than you, and deep down, they believe they're the ones being challenged."
"Plus, they both possess a certain degree of Law-modification ability. Combined with that mindset and perception, they've placed themselves in the weaker position."
A certain golden-haired individual chimed in with an explanation, then asked,
"Want me to change it back for you?"
"No need."
Being the first time he'd taken on the role of a boss, Lloyd actually found it somewhat interesting.
After checking his status, he discovered he wasn't merely wearing the title of a boss but had gained an entirely new boss template. All his Sorceries, Ashes of War, and other abilities had transformed—and even his physique appeared noticeably larger.
This is rather interesting...
Just as Lloyd was testing his new template, the two opponents finished their discussion and attacked from both sides.
The moment their weapons were about to strike, a burst of radiant golden light flared. Lloyd instantly teleported behind Malenia and, wielding the now-enlarged White Dragon Claymore, delivered a single blow that sent her flying.
Thud—
As Malenia hit the ground, Friede's attack followed. Amid a swirl of frost, her icy scythe slashed repeatedly across Lloyd's body. Though the damage was low, it inflicted frostbite, taking a significant chunk from his health bar.
Then, Seriel raised his hand. A wave of Abundance's grace surged forth, instantly restoring all the health Lloyd had just lost. At the same time, a purple hypnosis projectile burst from the violet flower's hand, exploding against the unprepared Friede. It dealt massive damage, sent her flying, and left her dazed in a hypnotic state—her blue stamina bar nearly drained.
Next, Malenia rose once more, lifted her hand, and leapt into the air, unleashing her signature combat technique: Waterfowl Dance.
It was her most famous move, her ultimate attack—a flurry of relentless sword strikes capable of dealing massive damage, all while working with her Great Rune to restore her health upon every hit.
Then...
Boom!
Before the Waterfowl Dance could even begin, Malenia was smashed away by Lloyd's staff.
[Spell: Caria's Great Spin!]
"I'm the boss now, and you still think you can out-tough me?"
After knocking her aside, Friede on the other end realized a head-on fight would be futile. She leapt backward, her form fading into invisibility—a magical technique used to conceal her presence.
However...
[Ash of War: Wrath of the White Ancient Dragon]
Lloyd plunged the White Dragon Claymore into the ground. A crystalline storm erupted across the battlefield, blowing Friede out from her hidden position. Malenia, sensing danger, managed to dodge with a quick leap.
But her relief was short-lived. In the next instant, Lloyd's figure flickered beside her again. Swinging his staff like a bat, he smashed her straight into Sister Friede, who had just started to rise.
Thud—
Sister Friede was slammed back into the ground.
Having executed this sequence, Lloyd didn't immediately pursue.
From his position, a single Comet Azur could have easily finished them both off—but that wasn't what he wanted. He wasn't interested in killing them; rather, this new form of combat fascinated him. He wanted to enjoy it a little longer.
"You're doing it all wrong. Who charges straight at the boss? Even if you're not a tank, at least dodge a bit first—watch the patterns…"
"Relax, I'm not one of those annoying bosses who read your commands. Use whatever healing you have—I won't interrupt you, as long as you don't overdo it."
"I'm not underestimating you, but…"
He swung the White Dragon Sword again, sending both of them flying, then shook his head.
"In your current state, it's hard to call you 'strong.'"
After a long stretch of battle, both Malenia and Friede looked battered and exhausted, their conditions dire.
In contrast, Lloyd—though he had taken several hits—remained steady. Under Seriel's blessings, her health bar had dropped by less than one-sixth and was still slowly recovering.
Even so, neither Malenia nor Friede gave up. After getting back on their feet, they both exhaled lightly, seeming oddly calm.
"Thank you for the lesson."
Malenia removed her helmet, and butterflies began to swirl around her. The black shards embedded in her severed arm pulsed like a beating heart. The dual corruption began to spread.
Meanwhile, Friede drew her second scythe, its blade igniting with black and white flames.
Those flames were not the Black Flame of the Lands Between—but a miracle from the Dark Souls.
"Now, we get serious."
With those words, the two launched another assault on Lloyd.
This time, having learned from Lloyd's earlier guidance and adapted to his attack patterns, they easily dodged his staff swings. After sidestepping the White Dragon Sword's slash, they raised their weapons.
The curse of dual corruption.
A fusion of frost and black flame.
Both descending at once.
Boom—
Corruption, bleeding, burning, freezing.
The next instant, though, their attack recovery left them open. Lloyd's Crystal Storm exploded outward, sending them flying.
Yet, with the four status effects combined, a single coordinated strike had drained nearly a third of Lloyd's health bar—and the corruption continued to eat away at it.
As he noticed his rapidly dropping health, Lloyd's expression changed slightly.
Seeing this, Sister Friede wiped the blood from her mouth, lifted her gaze toward him, and spoke.
"Now, do you regret your earlier arrogance?"
With those words, she lunged forward again. At the same moment, Malenia, taking advantage of her distraction, unleashed Waterfowl Dance at Lloyd from the flank.
Drawing on the experience from Lloyd's earlier Sea Release and the devastating damage of their newly liberated power, after a long and grueling exchange, the two finally managed to drain the last sliver of Lloyd's health—though both were left half-crippled in the process.
Thud—
The White Dragon Sword struck the ground.
Lloyd's body swayed unsteadily, and without the sword to support him, he looked as though he might collapse at any moment.
Just as Malenia and Friede approached to deliver the finishing blow, Lloyd raised his head.
A faint smile curved across his lips.
"Phew. So you finally pushed me into Phase Two."
As he spoke, Lloyd once more drew the White Dragon Sword. In response to some unseen force, Bloodflame erupted from the air, forming a pair of crimson wings behind him.
The powers of Abundance and Hypnosis intensified—the golden and purple silhouettes behind him grew more defined, blooming into two intertwined flowers, one gold, one violet.
Then, the crimson buds burst open. From within, the red-haired girl who had been sealed away since the battle began stepped forth, her grip tightening around her blade before she moved—
Waterfowl Dance!
Boom—
The storm of blades returned, but this time, it wasn't Malenia wielding it against Lloyd.
It was turned on them instead.
Knowing Malenia also mastered that technique and might anticipate it, Millicent chose Friede as her target instead. Using the environment shaped by Lloyd's Law, she successfully suppressed her.
As Malenia saw Friede faltering and prepared to move to her aid...
A flash of gold flared before her. Lloyd appeared directly in her path—and then...
He caught her in his arms.
Malenia tried to struggle free, but trapped by his grappling technique, she couldn't escape. Helplessly, she watched as Lloyd lifted her up, and her sister opened her eyes, reaching out toward her.
"My dear sister... come, fall into slumber with me..."
With those words, no physical pain followed—but the hypnotic power poured straight into Malenia's body, clouding her mind.
No... I can't...
Clinging to the last shreds of her will, Malenia resisted the invading power as best she could.
But as Lloyd set her down, and she tried to rally for a counterattack, he reached out again—catching her before she could move.
This time, as the energy surged through her once more, shattering her already fragile resistance, the light faded from Malenia's eyes. She went limp in Lloyd's grasp, now nothing more than a living doll for him to command.
"Sister..."
"Mm, I'm here."
Trina reached out, gently brushing her sister's cheek as she spoke softly.
"Don't be afraid. Just sleep peacefully. Leave everything else to Lord Lloyd..."
With that, Trina closed Malenia's eyes and turned to Lloyd.
"My King, I leave this child to you."
[Item Acquired: 'Malenia']
"Understood."
After nodding, Lloyd vanished in a flash, reappearing behind Friede, who was still clashing with Millicent. He wrapped his arms around her from behind.
But this time, it wasn't Trina's hypnosis at work. Lloyd lowered his head himself, channeling something into her.
At first, Friede resisted violently against his intrusion. Yet soon, as her sense of self returned—and old memories stirred—her struggle slowly ceased.
A faint, familiar sigil began to form on her lower abdomen.
After a while, with her memories restored, Friede looked at the man before her in silence. Then, letting her scythe fall, she reached around his neck and bit him deeply.
Time passed in stillness.
When the bite ended and their lips parted, Friede gazed at the familiar figure before her and whispered softly—
"It's been a long time, Lord Lloyd."
"Or perhaps I should call you..."
"Master?"