Starscourge General Radahn.
The Strongest Demigod.
The God of War.
A warrior known by countless titles.
After knocking Malenia, whose Scarlet Rot had blossomed, into unconsciousness, Radahn did not pursue the retreating Cleanrot Knights.
Instead, he ordered his soldiers to build towering walls of burning incense, sealing the spread of the Scarlet Rot and trapping it entirely within the land of Caelid.
Then he exiled himself to the distant desert battlefield.
There he allowed the Scarlet Rot to devour him slowly, from the outside in, until his mind gradually slipped into madness.
He became a beast that fed only on corpses.
Yet even in that state, he waited.
Waited for a new hero to arrive and grant him a warrior's honorable death.
It could be said that if Radahn had never been corrupted by the Scarlet Rot, he would have been the demigod most likely to become the next Elden Lord during the Shattering.
That was, of course, assuming the Erdtree had not been sealed by the thorns blocking its entrance.
But there were no "ifs."
"Sigh… he truly is a genuine hero."
Standing atop the city wall and gazing toward the distant desert, the Tarnished could not help but sigh.
No matter how many times he had witnessed Radahn's story, he always reached the same conclusion.
Radahn was the real deal.
A true warrior.
Of course, even Radahn was not perfect.
Although halting the movement of the stars prevented new meteors from falling and invading forces from beyond the sky, it also sealed the destiny of the Caria Royal Family.
The fate of the Carian lineage moved together with the stars.
Even Ranni, the Princess of the Moon and rightful heir of Caria, was bound by this law.
"Warriors!"
"The night sky is filled with stars—the hour of the festival has arrived!"
"General Radahn, the mightiest demigod of the Shattering, awaits you!"
"Fight with honor! Defeat the mighty foe and claim his Great Rune!"
"The Radahn Festival has begun!"
Upon the raised platform, the strange knight Jerren, lord of Redmane Castle, delivered a fiery speech that stirred the gathered warriors into a frenzy.
The festival they had waited so long for had finally begun.
They could finally challenge the legendary strongest demigod.
Jerren cast one more glance at the brilliant starry sky before raising his sword high.
"Warriors!"
"The festival begins now!"
"Give it your all—cunning and courage alike!"
"Grant General Radahn the warrior's death he deserves!"
"ROAR—!!!"
The warriors in the plaza raised their weapons to the sky and surged toward the great elevator.
Their hearts pounded wildly.
They could even hear the heartbeat of those beside them.
To challenge a demigod—
Such an honor was beyond compare.
Their hands trembled as they gripped their weapons, excitement pushing them to the brink.
Even if they died during the festival, they would have no regrets.
"…Looks like it's time for me to get to work."
The Tarnished, also a participant in the festival, slowly stood up and stretched his muscles.
He replaced his armor with the White Wolf War Armor.
The ancient silver armor reflected faint light.
A pure white cloak, weathered and marked by countless battles, fluttered in the wind.
If he was going to challenge the strongest demigod—
Then proper respect was required.
Watching the challengers rush toward the elevator, a faint smile appeared beneath his helmet.
Under Jerren's puzzled gaze, the Tarnished suddenly turned, stepped onto the wall—
And jumped.
He reached the teleportation portal before any of the challengers.
But instead of entering it, he turned around.
The Black Blade rested upon his shoulder as he calmly waited.
If he wanted to save Radahn this time—
He couldn't allow these people to interfere.
Soon, the first group of challengers arrived via the elevator.
Seeing the Tarnished standing there with his weapon drawn, they paid him little attention and rushed toward the portal behind him.
BOOM!
The Tarnished swung the Black Blade.
Black flames burst from the sword and formed a blazing barrier that blocked the path.
"What's the meaning of this, kid?"
The challengers stopped, glaring at him with hostility.
But the Tarnished did not answer.
He simply waited.
Before long, all the warriors from the plaza had gathered there.
A quick glance suggested nearly fifty people.
Some he recognized.
Many he did not.
Those who knew him only looked confused, waiting for an explanation.
Those who did not know him began shouting angrily.
Some even gripped their weapons as if preparing to "have a friendly discussion."
But after noticing his armor and the Black Blade—
They hesitated.
The Tarnished slowly scanned the crowd.
Once everyone had arrived, he finally spoke.
"My apologies, everyone."
"But I've reserved this festival for myself."
"So please turn around and go back."
"What did you say?!"
"Move aside, brat!"
"Why do you get to monopolize it?!"
"Get out of the way! Who do you think you are?!"
The crowd immediately erupted again.
Yet strangely—
No one attacked first.
Most of the warriors gathered here were Tarnished from across the Lands Between.
Years of battle and the instincts of seasoned warriors told them one thing:
That Black Blade was dangerous.
Some veterans even recognized the armor.
It was the armor of one of the founding Tarnished of Roundtable Hold—
Vargram the Raging Wolf.
"How noisy…"
The Tarnished rubbed the side of his helmet in irritation.
"Wasn't I clear enough?"
His eyes sharpened behind the visor.
He raised the Black Blade high—
Then slammed it into the ground.
BOOM!
Sand and black flame exploded outward, forcing the crowd to step back.
"This place…"
"…is closed."
His voice was calm.
Quiet.
Yet none of the challengers dared respond.
In that brief moment, they felt as though they were surrounded by countless corpses.
They could almost smell blood in the air.
The Tarnished before them seemed less like a warrior—
And more like a solitary king of slaughter.
Just how many people had this man killed to possess such terrifying killing intent?
No one dared step forward.
However—
Among the crowd, Iron Fist Alexander the warrior jar grew excited.
This strength…
This was the power he sought.
One day, he would challenge this Tarnished.
Still, a few warriors looked at him with disdain.
Radahn was the strongest demigod.
Did this man seriously intend to fight him alone?
If the Tarnished wished to throw away his life—
Then so be it.
"Good."
Seeing the crowd fall silent, the Tarnished nodded in satisfaction.
If anyone still insisted on dying after this—
That would not be his fault.
He raised the Spirit Calling Bell.
Ring.
Ring.
The clear sound echoed repeatedly as several figures appeared.
"Master."
The spirit ashes knelt, awaiting orders.
"Lhutel, Kristoff, Oleg, Latenna, and Aurelia."
"You will guard this place."
"No one is allowed to use the portal."
"Yes!"
The named spirits immediately acknowledged the command.
Only Aurelia's tone was slightly different.
"Y-Yes, Master… I will try my best!"
Her voice was soft and youthful as her jellyfish tendrils floated gently.
It was no wonder Roderika had entrusted her to him.
Their personalities were remarkably similar.
Still—
Despite her gentle appearance, Aurelia was now quite powerful.
Her poisonous attacks could not harm demigods, but against dragons or these challengers—
They were more than enough.
Seeing so many formidable spirit warriors appear, the challengers retreated another step.
These spirits were clearly dangerous.
The Tarnished then looked at the remaining three.
"Ogha, Sellen, and Asimi."
"You're coming with me."
"Yes!"
Among them, Ogha looked the most excited.
He would finally see General Radahn again.
No matter what Radahn had become, he wanted to say farewell properly.
At that moment, however, Tima suddenly appeared.
The little creature climbed onto the Tarnished's shoulder and gently touched his cheek.
"Aaaa…"
"Oh? You want to come too?"
After spending so much time together, the Tarnished had begun to understand a little of Tima's strange speech.
"Aaaa!"
Tima nodded enthusiastically.
"…Fine."
"But I might not be able to protect you during the fight."
"Aaa!"
Tima seemed satisfied and jumped straight into Sellen's arms before waving at him reassuringly.
"…Honestly…"
The Tarnished shook his head helplessly.
But the preparations were complete.
It was time to face Radahn.
Before that, however—
There was one more thing to do.
He opened the long-neglected chat group again.
He had been so busy lately that he almost forgot about it.
Since today would be the greatest battle—
It was the perfect time for another livestream.
However, when he opened the chat group, he saw an unexpected message.
Director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor:
"My dear friends, I bring joyous news! Today is my birthday. I woke up this morning inspired by poetry, so I composed a verse to share with you all."
Director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor:
"A girl of Hu is born beneath wide skies,
Clouds unfold and shape the world anew.
Fire butterflies flutter like plum petals,
Night fades and dreams leave lingering fragrance."
Director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor:
"Wind rises, clouds drift, life and death entwine.
Flowers bloom, stone rests, and all becomes clear."
Director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor:
"Today I invite everyone to my world. Let's gather at Wanmin Restaurant and enjoy a grand feast together!"
The message instantly attracted everyone's attention.
Fujiwara Chika:
"Hu Tao's poetry is as good as ever! Wait… today is Hu Tao's birthday?"
Fujiwara Chika:
"Happy birthday!"
Forever Seventeen:
"Oh my, little Hu Tao has grown another year older. Happy birthday."
NorthNorthNorth:
"Happy birthday.jpg"
Aizen:
"Congratulations, Miss Hu Tao. Happy birthday."
Otto Apocalypse:
"So today is Miss Hu Tao's birthday? How wonderful. Happy birthday."
Tony Stark:
"Wait, are we having a birthday party? Uncle Tony will prepare a proper gift."
The Oldest King:
"Oh? The little girl Hu Tao's birthday? Then this king shall bestow a gift."
At the same time, Gilgamesh sent Hu Tao a red packet in the group.
Although the girl often teased him, she brought him plenty of amusement.
Director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor:
"Hehe, thank you everyone! So… will you come?"
Fujiwara Chika:
"I'm free! It's summer vacation right now. But where is Mr. Tarnished? He hasn't appeared for a while."
Tarnished Who Wants to Save His Wife:
"I'm here. I was about to say something when I saw Hu Tao's message, so I kept watching quietly."
Forever Seventeen:
"Oh my, Mr. Tarnished secretly spying on others? How surprising."
Even through the screen, the teasing tone of Yukari Yakumo was obvious.
Tarnished Who Wants to Save His Wife:
"You old hag Yukari, just wait. One day I'll catch you and throw you into a boiling pot."
Forever Seventeen:
"Oh? Such confidence. I'll be waiting for that day."
Fujiwara Chika:
"Mr. Tarnished and Sister Yukari are still getting along so well…"
Director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor:
"Hehe, it's lively as always."
NorthNorthNorth:
"Boring. I want to see blood everywhere.jpg"
Forever Seventeen:
"Oh my, Chika. If your eyes aren't working well, I could replace them for you."
Tarnished Who Wants to Save His Wife:
"I still have some of Vyke's eyes here. Want them?"
Fujiwara Chika:
"Eh… I think I'll pass. But what were you going to say, Mr. Tarnished?"
"Honestly…"
The Tarnished clicked his tongue.
Thanks to Yukari, he had almost forgotten his main point.
Tarnished Who Wants to Save His Wife:
"Ahem. First, happy birthday, Miss Hu Tao."
Director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor:
"Hehe, thank you! So will you attend my birthday feast?"
Tarnished Who Wants to Save His Wife:
"I'll stop by later. But first I have something to handle."
Tarnished Who Wants to Save His Wife:
"Since Tony and Gilgamesh have already sent gifts, I'll contribute something as well."
Tarnished Who Wants to Save His Wife:
"A livestream of my battle against the strongest demigod—Radahn."
[Group Notification: Livestream Started]
Fujiwara Chika:
"Yay! Mr. Tarnished is streaming again!"
Director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor:
"Oh? The strongest battle? I'm looking forward to it!"
The Oldest King:
"Oh ho! Tarnished, you truly know how to entertain this king."
The Oldest King:
"To dare call someone the strongest… very well, I shall watch closely."
Others in the group were equally excited.
After all, a battle titled the strongest was not something one could easily ignore.
Tony Stark was especially interested.
He wanted to study the fight as reference material for designing an anti-Tarnished armor.
Meanwhile, the Tarnished closed the chat window.
He sheathed the Black Blade and drew the Veteran's Standard.
With a powerful wave—
"Gather beneath my banner!"
Red light enveloped both him and his spirit warriors.
"Incantations — Golden Vow, Law of Causality, Assassin's Approach, Bestial Vitality, Blessing of the Erdtree…"
Buff after buff layered upon him.
He then took out cooked prawn meat and pickled turtle neck, washing them down with a Wondrous Physick mixture designed to reduce incoming damage.
To him, these preparations were simply safety measures.
But to the challengers watching nearby—
They were utterly stunned.
This level of preparation…
…was outrageous.
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