Messmer's body was scorched by flames, his face once again taking on a terrifying appearance. Tiny snakes squirmed within his hollow eye sockets, and the once handsome and cold visage was now covered in scars.
However, the power of the three Great Runes within his body continuously repaired the damage caused by breaking the seal. This constant cycle of injury and regeneration would be unbearably painful for anyone, but aside from the moment he gouged out his eye, Messmer hadn't uttered a single scream.
"Usurpers—" Mesmer rasped, "Be devoured. The Abyss Serpent of Darkness awaits you. That is the fate of traitors—"
His form dissolved into a cloud of black mist. From within that mist leaped a giant serpent, far larger than the one that had devoured Rykard. This massive serpent held a ball of highly compressed flames in its mouth and charged directly toward the Elden Beast.
It was unclear whether Messmer had gone completely blind after removing his eyeball, or if his mind had become foggy after unleashing the Abyss Serpent, but his first target was the Elden Beast—not Miquella and his group, who were the true cause of the current chaos.
On second thought, it made some sense. Though it was Radahn who had severed Marika's head, it was the Elden Beast that had forged her into a divine weapon. In terms of hatred, the Beast was the more prominent target.
"Quick!" Aoko shouted, then immediately took to the air. "Let's help out—stall Radahn and the others!"
Meanwhile, Messmer's compressed fireball struck the downed Elden Beast with a fierce explosion, sending it flying. The serpent followed close behind, coiling around the Elden Beast like a python strangling its prey.
But the Elden Beast wasn't going to go down that easily. It struggled to break free from Messmer's grip and forcefully took to the air again. Golden light radiated from its body, clashing with Messmer's serpent flames, producing a crackling sizzle like oil on fire.
The battle between the two giant beasts was earth-shattering and exhilarating. Even Touko, watching from the side, got excited.
With the Messmer battle at a stalemate, the melee duty of dealing with Radahn and Malenia fell to the Tarnished and Rellana.
The Tarnished immediately engaged Radahn. Though Radahn was now far stronger than the version once seen in Caelid, he was also injured—making a difference. The Tarnished skillfully countered Radahn's powerful attacks, weaving in magical sword techniques like Caria Piercer to retaliate. His mastery of sword and shield was exceptional, showing that he had not only absorbed rune power but had also significantly improved his combat skills through past battles.
If Aoko had to guess, she suspected the Tarnished had been a seasoned warrior even before his amnesia—now just reclaiming his former self through battle and strength. Otherwise, she couldn't imagine how he'd survived and grown so rapidly in a land filled with monsters and demons.
On the other hand, Rellana, wielding twin swords and specializing in skill-based combat and spell combos, was outmatched by the super-powered Malenia. After a few rounds, Rellana had already taken several hits. If not for the support of Ranni and Rennala's magic, she might've been diced into minced meat by Malenia.
After surveying the battlefield, Aoko set her sights on Miquella. She had no interest in the Elden Ring's binding power and had only joined the fight to help her friends. Miquella's moral blackmail-style ideals didn't appeal to her in the slightest. Thus, eliminating the one who caused the problem seemed like the best solution.
She quickly formed hand seals and cast "Isaac's Greater Missile Storm," unleashing a barrage of force missiles aimed directly at Miquella, who was riding on Radahn's back.
Miquella had never encountered such auto-lock magic before. When he realized he couldn't dodge the spells, he burst forth with intense golden light, even pushing the attacking Tarnished away.
However, force missiles weren't particularly powerful. But Miquella was not one of those gods. If he had known the nature of the spell, he could have easily blocked it. Unfortunately, his energy was holy—not divine power.
Most of the missiles were deflected by his burst of holy energy, but two managed to slip past and strike him directly.
Normally, two-force missiles wouldn't do much to Miquella. But his weakness as a godlike being was that he couldn't grow—trapped in a small, childlike body. Even after achieving godhood, he still appeared fragile. The impact knocked him off Radahn's back.
Aoko's villainous side fully emerged. "Perfect timing!" she yelled, unleashing her long-prepared magical beam cannon—a powerful entropy-based magic blast—straight at the pitiful-looking little beauty lying on the ground. There was no sign of mercy in her attack.
Just as she was about to land the fatal blow, Malenia, moving faster than a blur, threw herself over Miquella, shielding him with her own body. She let out a heartbreaking scream as Aoko's beam burned and blasted her.
But the more tragic her opponent's screams, the more excited Aoko became. Her vision flooded with the light of her beam, and upon hearing the scream, she pushed her power output to the max, continuing the assault until the screaming stopped.
When the light faded, Aoko was stunned to see that her ultimate move hadn't hit Miquella but instead had scorched Malenia's entire back black and charred. Yet she still clung tightly to Miquella, shielding him with her own body.
In that moment of shock, the Tarnished, who had previously been fighting Radahn, suddenly appeared. With his Carian Knight's Sword, he pierced Malenia's back—driving the blade through her and into Miquella, pinning them both to the surface of the water.