"Hmm, when it comes to gods, we do have some understanding," said Aoko generously, since Ranni had promised them a generous reward (including a handmade "Mini Ranni"). In return, she offered some of their insights and even agreed to act as a guide.
"In our world, gods once existed in the past."
"Once existed in the past?" Ranni raised an eyebrow, catching the implied meaning in Aoko's words.
"That's right," Aoko nodded. "The gods in our world differ slightly from those in the Lands Between. They are fragments of the planet's will, connected to the 'Root,' and they wield a portion of what we call 'Authority.' You can think of this 'Authority' as their law or principle."
Ranni had already learned about the concepts of planets and the Root in previous conversations with Aoko and Touko. She had also studied quite a bit of the related astronomical knowledge. While not all of it could be directly applied to the universe of the Lands Between, it undoubtedly sparked many new ideas.
In Ranni's understanding, the so-called "Root" was similar to the "Supreme Will" that had created all the races in the Lands Between. According to the information from the Mother of Fingers, the origin of magic and prayer in the Lands Between likely stemmed from this Supreme Will. As such, it wasn't much different from the five great magics that the Aozaki sisters wielded, which were drawn directly from the Root.
"So, the authority is something granted by the 'world' itself...?" Ranni murmured thoughtfully. "In that case, even if Miquella has become a god, if we can find a way to sever his connection to the Lands Between, we could eliminate his laws?"
"That's what we think," Touko nodded. "Miquella is different from you. He wants to impose his laws upon the entirety of the Lands Between. To do that, he must establish a close connection with the land. The reason he needs Radahn is undoubtedly because Radahn serves as a key anchor point for that connection."
"But... didn't Queen Marika maintain her authority even after banishing King Godfrey?" Ranni posed a new question.
"King Godfrey didn't die, did he?" Aoko shrugged. "Although he lost the blessing, in theory, he was still the king within the god-king system. And the Elden Ring was Marika's amplifier for projecting her law."
"So, to stop Miquella, we'd have to kill his 'king' and prevent him from approaching the Erdtree?"
"That part we're not sure about," Aoko shrugged again, bluntly admitting, "After all, we're not locals and don't know whether Miquella still needs the Elden Ring after becoming a god."
——— Scene Change ———
As Aoko and the Carian royal army prepared to depart for the Shadow Lands and the Tower Town, the crusader led by Messmer had already reached a point very close to Enir-Ilim.
However, their march had not been without obstacles. The first enemies Messmer encountered were the Horned Ones, who had regrouped under Miquella's promise and were hiding throughout the Shadow Lands. Among them were even the three powerful warriors known as Storm, Thunder, and Winter. These individuals had been dispatched from Enir-Ilim by Miquella specifically to hinder Messmer's advance.
But who was Messmer? Aside from the time he spent hiding in the shadows due to the evil serpent within him, Messmer had spent his entire life fulfilling the mission bestowed upon him by his mother Marika: to conquer the Horned Ones. Battling them was second nature to him—
Let alone now, when he possessed three Great Runes.
The three warrior-avatars of the Horned Ones were ruthlessly skewered like meat on a stick by Messmer. Even the divine beast lion, capable of deadly cursed breath and seemingly appearing from nowhere, was slain by Messmer's forces.
Yet, those enemy troops weren't without purpose. They had successfully delayed Messmer's advance and, more importantly, created an opening on the front lines for Needle Knights. Through ambush and surprise attacks, they managed to wound Rellana.
Though Messmer had never responded to Rellana's affections over the years, that didn't mean he was unaware of her feelings. Her years of loyal companionship had earned her a special place in his heart. And now, to see this trusted lieutenant wounded by such cowardly tactics...
The Impaler Messmer was enraged.
His fury manifested as a great flaming serpent, which rampaged through Needle Knights, slaughtering them all. He impaled their bodies on long spears, one by one, as proof of their failure to stop him.
Cradling the wounded Rellana in his arms, Messmer's rage only deepened. He could no longer tolerate Miquella—who spoke endlessly about ushering in an age of compassion and acceptance for the Lands Between.
With his most important lieutenant gravely wounded and unable to recover quickly, Messmer had no choice but to entrust Rellana to a squad member skilled in prayers. Despite his forces being weakened, he continued his march toward Enir-Ilim.
——— Scene Change ———
Meanwhile, although Miquella had lost the vast majority of his forces in the battle with Messmer's squad, he did not grieve. He knew his plan was nearing completion.
After reinfusing the soul of his older brother, Radahn, into the deeply modified body of Mohg—
A new Promised King was born, possessing both the Horned Ones' spirit-sensitive vessel and Radahn's soul, with its powerful gravitational magic.
Returning from the Divine Gate, Miquella gently placed his hand on his brother's shoulder, whispering into his ear the longing he had held for a thousand years, and his dream for the beautiful future of the Lands Between.
A true god had once again descended upon the Lands Between, for the first time since Marika's disappearance.
Miquella and Radahn—God and King—were now the most powerful duo on this land. Yet when Miquella scanned the land with his divine senses, he realized that even this power was not enough to fulfill his dream.
He needed a powerful servant—someone to clear away the enemies in his and his king's path.
The young god turned his gaze toward the mountains to the southeast, where eternal dragonstorms raged. There, a once-rebellious brute who had betrayed the ancient kings might just be the perfect choice.