Radahn's rock-forged blades were not the end.
Stone continued to climb up along his twin greatswords, spreading higher and higher, until soon it covered his entire body.
In the earlier battle, the armor Radahn wore had already been battered and shattered by countless attacks.
Though his Great Rune could restore the wounds of his flesh, it had no power over the breaking of armor or equipment.
If the damage received could be reduced even slightly, the Great Rune would last that much longer.
Lucian knew not how strong the defense of this layer of stone-armor truly was, but he could well imagine it was not something that could be broken through easily.
And then, flames ignited upon Radahn's stone-covered greatswords.
As the leader of the Redmane Army, how could Radahn not wield fire?
It was only that, unlike gravity sorceries that had been carved into his very instincts, fire had never been etched as deeply, and so he had not displayed it until now.
"…This isn't bad."
"It's getting interesting now."
Lucian raised his right hand high, the Dragon Communion Seal glowing red.
Yet instead of flame, what blossomed was a warm golden radiance, tiny golden motes of light flickering across his body.
It was Blessing of the Erdtree.
Radahn had buffed himself—could a Tarnished such as Lucian afford to fall behind?
He pulled out a small flask, scattering its invigorating perfume into the air.
He had even thought to gnaw upon the Exalted Flesh that Alexander had gifted him before, but that did not feel fitting for this duel.
So instead, Lucian drew out a leaf of Aeonian origin, chewing it down and swallowing the bitter sap.
Three buffs stacked upon one another—the effects were immediate. Lucian's blood surged, his spirit soared.
With buffs complete, Lucian charged forward once more.
Radahn's mount, Leonard, thundered into motion as well, running with all its might.
With Radahn and Leonard's movement, the very land roared beneath their feet.
From the ground rose boulders, one after another, lifting them meters higher with quakes and shaking earth.
Soon, Leonard did not even need to gallop—the massive stones themselves carried them forward, like ships sailing across dry land.
It was like a roaring train barreling forth, leaving behind a towering wall of stone in its wake.
Any Tarnished or warrior who failed to dodge in time was smashed apart in an instant by the crushing boulders.
As Radahn closed upon Lucian, that colossal train of stone sprouted sharp spikes of rock at its front.
Radahn swung the Starscourge Greatswords, flames racing down the blades and spreading across the jagged spires of rock.
Even an entire army before him—Radahn could grind them all into pulp without effort.
As the mightiest of gravity sorcerers, he wielded many area-destroying arts beyond imagination.
Around him gathered yet more spheres of stone.
But Lucian did not retreat. Surrounded by storm, he leapt high into the air.
With the storm he swept aside the fire, bracing his Dragon Slayer Swordspear upon a jutting stone spike, lifting himself in midair.
That movement allowed him to evade the crushing boulders, raising him high enough.
And riding the swirling winds, he spun himself like a gyroscope, thunder and black flame surging once more upon the spear.
After several rotations, he unleashed the fiercest Lion's Claw, cleaving down toward Radahn.
The stone spheres that struck against him were shattered instantly.
Radahn raised his right sword to block the descending spear.
With stone cladding his Starscourge Greatswords, its defense had grown immense, serving as a shield against Lucian's strike.
From that stone blade, tongues of flame licked out, reflecting upon Lucian's face, setting his eyes aflame.
No—those crimson eyes were not reflection. They burned red because they were his true nature.
Chunks of stone broke loose from Radahn's blade under the force, but that no longer mattered.
Radahn's left hand commanded a swarm of gravity orbs, hurling them directly toward Lucian.
Now that some of his mind had returned, Radahn's control of gravity orbs was no longer the wild, erratic assault from before.
These spheres now tracked their prey with agility.
At this close distance, with so many, Lucian could not escape—he was dragged toward Radahn.
But this time, Lucian had no intent to dodge.
From the void, a massive dragon's head appeared, seized by Radahn's own pull, and it bit down upon him.
The enormous dragon's jaws engulfed Radahn's upper body, even blood seeping from his rock armor.
Lucian stood atop Radahn's body, sustaining the dragon's grip upon him.
Radahn struggled to burst free with repulsion, but Lucian gave him no chance.
From the dragon's maw glowed a red light—an instant later, it spewed flame at point-blank range.
Dragonmaw, followed by Dragonfire!
Steam burst from the cracks of the stone armor, instantly evaporating under the fiery breath.
Radahn momentarily lost control of the stones beneath him; the massive slabs collapsed.
Even as they fell, Lucian poured mana endlessly, burning Radahn with dragonflame.
His Swordspear was not idle either—piercing Radahn's heart yet again and again, who knew how many times.
Where was the limit of the Great Rune?
No matter how many lives remained, Lucian would keep killing until Radahn's Great Rune collapsed!
Radahn swung both swords, embracing as though to cut Lucian's back in half.
Lucian was forced to evade, but even so, twin gashes tore deep across his waist.
Radahn's armor was shattered to pieces, but Lucian's fared little better.
Half of Radahn's body had been seared to ruin, like a figure of blackened charcoal.
The stones upon him grew brittle, melding with charred flesh, ready to crumble at a touch.
Radahn ripped the stone armor away, summoning fresh rock to coat his blood-drenched body.
Lucian, in turn, downed a crimson and cerulean flask, restoring his strength.
His supply of flasks had dwindled—he would have to be cautious from here.
Lucian did not wish to use Wind Spirit Moon Shadow in this battle.
General Radahn was a warrior worthy of respect, and Lucian was enjoying the fight.
Perhaps it was arrogant and even dumb, but Lucian truly believed he could slay Radahn without calling upon Wind Spirit Moon Shadow.
That would mark a milestone in the Lands Between, proving his unmatched might—enough to stand against any demigod.
Yet even as he thought so, Lucian remained ready to use it at a moment's notice.
Though victory with his own strength would bring pride, Lucian valued his life.
And he no longer lived for himself alone—Melina was waiting for him.
His final goal was to defeat every foe, to become Elden Lord.
So when the time came, he would not hesitate to call upon Wind Spirit Moon Shadow.
Previously, two uses had remained, but after defeating Loretta's phantom, one was restored.
Three uses—more than enough.
This time, Radahn did not rush in for melee combat.
A massive body did not mean poor agility; his speed was not low. Only, Lucian's was higher still.
But Radahn was, at his core, a master of gravity.
Purple-black spheres of gravity filled the air, blotting the sky, swarming toward Lucian.
Yet these were but feints, to stall his foe.
The true killing move was in his hand—a stone sphere gathering, swelling ever larger in the far sky.
That rock swelled until it cast a shadow even over Radahn himself, and it continued to grow.
Soon it was vast enough to strike terror into all who beheld it.
The warriors nearby, sensing disaster, scattered and fled.
Even with his mastery, Radahn needed one full hand to maintain such a mass—its power was beyond imagination.
Lucian dodged gravity spheres to the left and right, frowning.
He had to stop Radahn now.
But the spheres were too many, and their precision far greater than before.
Every few seconds, one would strike his body.
The damage was low, but their minor binding effects added up, making the next impact more likely.
So Lucian was trapped in place, forced to watch as Radahn finished summoning the massive sphere.
No, this was no mere stone—it was a meteor.
When the enormous meteor was complete, it began its slow descent toward Lucian.
As it approached, its speed grew, air burning into flames across its surface.
Lucian could not gauge when it would land.
And the meteor was enormous—thirty, forty meters wide.
It might not match a true star-fallen meteor from beyond the skies, but it was unlike any prior technique.
If struck directly, not even a corpse would remain.
Even without a direct hit, the impact would devastate kilometers around.
The surrounding warriors could run, but Lucian, bound in place, had no time.
If he could not evade, then he must split it apart.
At Radahn's current speed, he would not conjure another in time.
Lucian raised the Dragon Slayer Swordspear high. A column of storm erupted upward, grains of sand whirling at supersonic speed.
Lightning and black flame fared poorly against lifeless stone.
But recalling the craft of high-pressure water cutting with abrasive material, Lucian used the sands of the battlefield with his storm.
If so, even this meteor might be sundered.
The Swordspear's storm-column struck against the meteor.
Storm driven to its limits slowed its fall, while sand scoured it apart.
Sparks burst in torrents as grit carved into stone.
"There's a chance!"
Before it split, the meteor was already nearly upon him.
A deep gash split across its surface—one final push of the Swordspear would cleave it whole.
But it was not Lucian who finished it—the meteor shattered from behind, fragments scattering outward.
From amidst the rubble, Radahn's figure burst forth, thrusting a spiraling spear of gravity straight toward Lucian.
Moments ago Lucian had seared him with Dragonfire at point-blank—now Radahn returned the courtesy.
Lucian was startled—at this range, evasion was impossible.
He had guessed Radahn might seize this time to reposition and strike, but not that he would destroy his own meteor.
If he had instead attacked from the side, Lucian would have been forced to contend with both meteor and strike.
Perhaps this was Radahn's warrior's pride—his insistence on defeating an opponent head-on.
Tactics and strategy, yes. But never a sneak attack.
And because the meteor had shattered, Lucian no longer needed to hold against it—he turned his Dragon Slayer Swordspear upon Radahn.
The spear was not built for defense—it could not withstand such force.
So Lucian chose attack in answer, unleashing the sandstorm column directly at Radahn.
Sparks rained as the storm tore against Radahn's stone armor, soon drawing blood.
But Radahn did not falter—he pressed onward, spiral of gravity breaking through the winds, Starscourge Greatswords clashing with the Swordspear.
The Swordspear held only briefly—soon its tip was ground away under the force.
Worse, the Swordspear was locked in Radahn's gravity, unable to withdraw.
Lucian grit his teeth, forcing the storm to erupt at maximum output against the opposite rotation of Radahn's spin, sapping his speed.
Seizing the instant, Lucian pulled the Swordspear free, his Dragon Communion Seal flashing as he struck Radahn's side with a Dragonclaw.
At last—barely, Radahn was knocked back, giving Lucian a breath.
"Damn it… Radahn's blades must be at +9. While mine, this Swordspear is only +18. Still too much of a gap."
The Swordspear's tip had been worn away by a third, it could not be used again.
No time to mourn the companion that had fought beside him so long. Lucian hurled the Swordspear one last time, letting it pierce Radahn again, its final blaze of glory.
Then he pulled from his storage disk another weapon—the Ruins Greatsword.
So, in the end, he would use this blade.
The sword was enormous—even for a colossal weapon, it was outsized.
Yet in Lucian's enlarged form, it was but a one-handed sword.
The Sword of Night and Flame was too small—a +7 was not enough. The Ruins Greatsword would serve better.
Lucian slammed it into the ground—the skill Wave of Destruction burst forth.
A fan-shaped quake spread outward, violet gravity erupting from the ground.
Radahn tore the Dragon Slayer Swordspear from his belly and cast it aside.
With a sweep of his arm, countless gravity spheres gathered again.
But as they crossed the spreading quake, something strange happened—the spheres collapsed in on themselves, vanishing.
And as the quake reached Radahn's feet, stones fell away from his blade and armor, breaking off in chunks.
Lucian looked closely, they were not shattered, but naturally shed.
Gravity against gravity—did the game not have such a rule?
Or was it simply the unique nature of the Ruins Greatsword's Wave of Destruction?
Whatever the cause, this weapon was proving more useful than he expected.
And Lucian could feel; it would not be long before Radahn's Great Rune failed altogether.