Crack—
A sound like shattering glass rang out.
High above, the broken humanoid figure hanging in the sky in a crucifix-like pose twitched its fingers.
As the cracking multiplied, fine fractures spread across the massive Rune Arc that bound the shattered form aloft.
The web of cracks grew denser and denser until, with a groan of strain, the golden arc could no longer hold. It burst apart in a storm of radiant shards, raining fragments of gold across the heavens.
The figure, once fixed within the arc, plummeted.
Boom—
A golden silhouette struck the ground hard, landing on one knee before slowly rising. As it stood, its brilliant blond hair shifted—flaring red like living fire.
["Golden Order" Radagon]
"The focus here is on the 'Golden Order,' not Radagon himself, huh?"
Lloyd watched the figure approach, its ruined body dragging forward step by step.
From the half-destroyed side of its torso, golden sigils glimmered faintly—a lattice of runic law radiating divine energy.
He couldn't say what the man had endured in his time here, but one thing was certain: this wasn't Radagon acting of his own will.
The body was being driven—animated—by the will of the Golden Order itself.
And the Order had no consciousness. It could not think, nor speak.
Especially now, with the Elden Ring shattered, it had entered a defensive state, instinctively rejecting and repelling anything that dared approach.
That left only one course of action.
Fight.
—
Swish.
In less than an instant, the broken figure that had been standing at a distance flickered out of sight.
By the time Lloyd blinked, it was already in front of him, the stone hammer raised high—
—and brought crashing down.
Boom!
A blinding wave of holy light erupted from the impact point, swallowing everything nearby in a burst of divine radiance.
But it didn't stop there.
Even after Lloyd phased through the Real and dodged, the light pursued him like a shadow. Before he could regain balance, the red-haired form reappeared behind him, reaching out with a hand gleaming with liquid gold.
Just as that hand was about to seize him, another hand clamped around Radagon's neck first—and with a sharp twist, flung him away.
Thud—
The golden form slammed into the ground. Before it could rise, several comet-like projectiles streaked toward him, followed by a surging torrent of condensed sorcery.
Boom!
The comets detonated, and the torrent exploded outward.
Radagon reacted quickly, flickering aside again, but the edge of the blast still struck him. Shards of debris scattered through the air, leaving his already broken body in even worse shape.
Then, the first black fragment began to pulse.
Like a beating heart, it expanded and contracted, exuding a golden, honey-like fluid.
It was the power of elements from another world.
Having been embedded in that body for so long, the fragment's elemental energy had resonated with the healing properties of the Golden Order. Together, they fused into a new form of restoration—one that carried both powers at once.
Golden Element? Elemental Prayer? The name didn't matter.
What mattered was that, under its effect, the shattered body began knitting itself back together before his eyes.
Within moments, every crack closed, every wound sealed. The broken shell not only healed completely but surpassed its prior limits—returning to a state of true perfection.
["Golden Deity" Radagon]
A burst of golden light flared—then, in a flash, the god appeared before Lloyd once more, hammer descending at near-light speed.
Lloyd slipped aside, countering immediately, but Radagon blinked across the battlefield, raising his hand. From his fingertips, over a dozen golden shards fired in rapid succession, raining destruction where Lloyd had stood seconds ago.
And when the barrage ended, Radagon vanished again, reappearing at a safe distance. Golden light shimmered in his palm as he pressed it against his chest—his health bar, once carved nearly in half, refilling instantly to full.
Lloyd raised an eyebrow.
"A marathon-healing speedrunner, huh? That's just unfair."
At that moment, a cool blue light bloomed beside him.
Out of the shadows stepped a tall figure, scepter in hand, her silver-blue robes rippling with arcane glow.
The Queen of the Full Moon lifted her gaze, meeting the red-haired god's across the gray expanse.
"Long time no see, Radagon."
She looked straight at him as she spoke.
The red-haired deity gave no reply.
After all, though he appeared intact, as mentioned before, this was merely a shell. The Law within was the true driver.
Once her greeting fell silent, the Queen raised her scepter, Magical Power gathering at its tip.
Naturally, the red-haired god wasn't about to let her complete her spell. With another flash, he appeared before the Queen of the Full Moon, hammer in hand, ready to strike—
But—
Bang!
Magical Power exploded—but not as a torrent of energy. Instead, the Queen of the Full Moon gripped her staff with both hands and, like a batter at the plate, swung.
Radagon's expression froze in disbelief as the staff connected with his face, sending him hurtling across the battlefield.
[Glintstone Sorcery: Carian Grand Swing]
And that wasn't all.
As Radagon crashed into the ground, Lloyd noticed a faint blue glow beneath the Queen's robes—magical constructs pulsing with power, the source of that tremendous strike.
It was a "Magical Exoskeleton," created through the miniaturization of a Magic Engine combined with Puppet Technology.
It granted a sorcerer strength rivaling a warrior's—a secret weapon the Queen of the Full Moon had prepared just for Radagon.
"I know you're well-versed in sorcery, and incantations won't work on you," she said coolly. "So, I built this."
The once-gentle queen stood tall, her posture no longer that of a scholar but a seasoned fighter.
Even her scepter had changed—its tip now forming a blade of pure Magical Power, transforming it into a mighty magic axe.
Still, even with this new strength, the Queen of the Full Moon alone could not defeat Radagon.
He understood sorcery deeply—she had taught it to him, after all—and now, having regained his prime and ascended as a Golden Deity, his mobility and power were unmatched. With his endless Great Heal, he was formidable in both brief clashes and drawn-out battles.
The Queen, exoskeleton or not, couldn't overpower a god. Her close combat, while greatly improved, still lacked finesse.
But the Queen of the Full Moon wasn't fighting alone.
After being knocked down, the Golden Deity once again began to chant his familiar Great Heal.
At that exact moment, a silver-white staff thrust toward him.
He barely paid it any mind—after all, even if wounded, his incantation would immediately heal the damage.
But—
The instant the staff pierced his body, golden light flashed—yet no healing followed.
[Marionette's Staff]
[On Hit]
[Temporarily halts life-restoration effects]
The Golden Deity froze, stunned that his healing had failed.
And in that heartbeat of hesitation, a meteorite larger than himself screamed through the air and slammed into him with explosive force.
Boom—
It was a spell the Queen of the Full Moon had stolen from Radahn—one Radagon had never been good at countering.
A literal rock-throwing spell.
...
From then on, with Lloyd and the Queen working in perfect sync, the Golden Deity fell and rose again, again and again.
Because she knew him so well—his patterns, his incantations, his teleportation—every move was familiar to her. The Queen exploited it mercilessly, using gravity sorcery to bypass his resistances and the exoskeleton to cover her close-range weakness.
After prolonged combat, she even deciphered the principles behind his teleportation and unleashed a wide-range field that blocked all blink movement. Throughout the battle, she continued supplying Lloyd with relentless long-range support fire.
Lloyd, meanwhile, engaged him head-on, drawing his attention and occasionally striking with the Marionette's Staff to suppress his regeneration.
With both his healing and teleportation sealed, and his opponents anything but ordinary, even the Golden Deity couldn't keep up.
Despite regaining his full power, he was beaten back again and again until his form cracked and his life force dropped to half.
Then—the second black fragment ignited.
Flames burst forth.
But they weren't golden holy fire, nor frenzied yellow, nor cursed Bloodflame. They were orange—ordinary, unassuming orange—yet carrying a faint radiance like sunlight.
At the same time, countless golden sparks rose from the surroundings, burning one by one before surging into the orange blaze.
Sensing the change, Lloyd felt a vibration through his inventory.
[Crucible Fragment is trembling]
He drew it out. The fragment floated from his palm, then drifted into the orange fire, merging with it.
...
As the flames blazed higher, the Golden Deity stood once more.
But this time, he was different. His aura burned hotter, his body wreathed in fire. His once-red hair had turned to a shimmering blend of red and gold, his chest broadening with divine vigor.
Above his head, his name changed again.
[Primordial Gold]
The battle began anew.
Unlike the former "Azure Gold," this incarnation radiated a heavier, more ancient power.
Beyond the usual Golden Order incantations, it now wielded the full might of the Crucible's Aspects—its very flesh shifting freely, mimicking the traits of countless creatures while amplifying its strength to monstrous levels.
Caught off guard by the sudden change in style and unfamiliar with the Crucible's hundred forms, the Queen of the Full Moon was struck hard. Seeing the Primordial Gold's massive tail sweep toward her, she instinctively raised her scepter to block—
Crack.
The impact sent her flying. Her staff snapped clean in two.
Though she carried a spare, she sensed that this opponent restrained her too effectively. Exchanging a quick glance with Lloyd, she dissolved into blue motes of light and vanished from the battlefield.
At that moment, heavy footsteps echoed through the arena.
Thud.
The Lion King entered the field.
The instant he appeared, he raised his Greataxe and charged. With a fully charged swing, he cleaved straight into the Primordial Gold, forcing even its massive frame to stagger several steps back.
But only a few steps.
Realizing brute strength alone wasn't enough, the Primordial Gold unleashed its true power.
Golden flames erupted around it. Its lower half warped into the iron hooves of a centaur, while Miranda flowers bloomed along its back, their petals unfurling into thick, writhing tentacles. The arm gripping its stone hammer bulged with unnatural muscle, and in its other hand appeared a radiant sigil—
The Sun Talisman.
Golden light flared once more.
But this time, it wasn't for healing or transformation. Through layered incantations, it was fortifying itself.
Sacred Oath. Golden Vow. Iron Flesh. Aspects of the Crucible. Buff after buff stacking upon its body.
Watching this display, the two opponents exchanged a glance and decided not to interrupt. Instead, they began preparing their own buffs—ready to meet power with power.
Lloyd drew his talisman and sacred seal, mirroring the foe's incantations.
As for Godfrey…
He turned his gaze toward the lion spirit resting on his shoulder.
Serosh: "..."
Serosh: "Aminos!"
And so, the poor Beast Regent—barely revived not long ago—became a sacrifice once again.
...
Then came the clash.
No dodging. No defense.
Lloyd endured each hammer strike head-on, while Godfrey answered with raw, bone-crushing blows. The Primordial Crucible mirrored their approach—no spells, no tricks, only pure, brutal combat.
It was a contest of strength, nothing more.
And though it didn't last long, it ended decisively—with the fall of the Primordial Gold.
The golden flames died. The sunlight dimmed.
The Primordial form stumbled back, health reduced to a quarter.
Yet this time, the black shards remained still.
Instead, a gentle golden light began to glow—unlike Radagon's flawless radiance or the harsh gold of the Crucible. This was soft, blessed, filled with healing warmth.
The red hair faded away. The bestial traits of the Crucible vanished. A golden-haired woman knelt on the ground, her form cracked, her soul dim. She needed no strike to end her—left alone, she would fade on her own within moments.
But—
"Go."
Lloyd looked at Godfrey and nodded.
"She's your wife. Fulfill your duty. It may help her recover."
The Highland warrior approached, as he had done countless times before through the ages.
He reached out and drew her into his arms.
A soft light flared.
The golden-haired goddess slowly opened her eyes. Seeing the man before her, she froze for a heartbeat—then slammed a hammer square into his face.
"What in Marika's name took you so long?"
After venting her fury, Marika finally noticed someone else nearby. Under Lloyd's calm gaze, her demeanor shifted in an instant—like two souls trading places.
Her expression cooled, her bearing grew serene and regal. The divine authority unique to a goddess radiated from her gaze, tinged with the warmth of a mother.
But she didn't ask who Lloyd was.
She didn't need to. The burning battle aura rising from Godfrey told her everything.
Then, with another flash of gold, a layer of radiant armor enveloped the blood-soaked barbarian.
A golden-haired spirit appeared behind him.
He lifted his discarded Greataxe, golden grace swirling around him, and his title emerged.
[Godfrey, King of Marika]
Yet the battle did not begin immediately—
For one more player had yet to appear.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
With steady, deliberate steps, the brown-haired Missionary Maiden emerged from the shadows.
She came to stand behind Lloyd, glancing first at the goddess beside him—who looked back with a mix of surprise, amusement, and faint mockery.
After a long silence, the girl inhaled deeply, then reached out, one arm wrapping around Lloyd's neck as the other drew a greatsword with twin spiral blades.
Black-red flames ignited along its edge.
Its name appeared.
[Lloyd, King of Melina]
And as the fire roared higher—the battle of kings began.