Elden Ring, but with Wind Spirit Moon Shadow

Chapter 490 Destined Death
Seeing Bai Shi easily erase his destined death from his wound, Maricus's eyes showed disbelief and shock for the first time.

Throughout the battle, no matter how powerful or composed Bai Shi appeared, he never displayed such emotions.

Because he had seen many powerful figures and knew the power possessed by true kings.

To become king, such power is essential, and the stronger the better.

Only those with great power can lead the entire border region into a more glorious era.

However, no matter how powerful one's strength may be, no living being should be able to resist its destined death.

This is not a matter of strength, but a conceptual incompetence.

As the guardian of 'Destined Death', Maricus knew that this power should be above all life.

Even gods cannot defy the law of death.

The body that carries destiny and bloodline, and the soul that perpetuates will and life, will all perish under the force of predetermined death.

Even a few stolen fragments were enough to kill demigods; Godwin's soul and Lani's body were both killed because of it.

Not to mention the complete Predestined Death in Maricus's hands, which was a power that even true gods could not resist in the past.

However, just now, Bai Shi actually shattered the black and red flames!
It was as if death, which could make even the gods tremble, was nothing more than dust clinging to his body, which could be easily brushed away.

This completely shattered Maricus's understanding, and he even questioned whether his destined death was due to the theft of his power in the past, which made him incomplete.

However, when he gripped the hilt of the black sword, the deathly power emanating from it was exactly the same as he remembered.

After the predetermined death was shattered, Bai Shi's body immediately recovered rapidly due to the powerful life force, and his injuries were healed at an extremely fast pace.

Maricus's swift and agile body froze briefly, his pale mane trembling violently in the remaining firelight of his destined death.

He stopped what he was doing and watched as Bai Shi's wounds healed instantly. A flicker of doubt crossed his beastly eyes.

Why did the death he had been determined to endure his whole life fail to work on Bai Shi?

If even the power of destined death cannot harm him, how can he possibly defeat such an enemy?
However, Maricus quickly dismissed all these chaotic thoughts from his mind.

He doesn't need to think about too many things; if he delves too deeply, those questions will only trap him completely.

Once he begins to think, the ideas that have troubled him in the past will resurface, dulling his sword:
Why did Marika's betrayal never give him an answer? Did he think he couldn't be trusted?

Why does the pain of swallowing the root of evil only lead to deeper chaos?

Maricus simply held the black sword across his chest, grinning to reveal his blood-stained fangs.

All he had to do was hold the sword and keep running forward.

He couldn't understand what it meant to say, "There's no way we can win."

Maricus's shock lasted only a moment; the beast's pupils suddenly contracted, and its pale mane exploded in the black flames of its doomed death.

Maricus charged out again, his speed increasing dramatically, the blade of his black sword carving a glaring black-red scar across the ancient stone slab.

Bai Shi had fully recovered from his injuries and was now calm and composed in the face of the onslaught of Maricus.

Bai Shi put away the 'Dragon Slayer' and instead drew another weapon from the void.

As he drew his sword, even the space itself seemed to crack open by its sharp edge.

The emerald crystals on the Sword of Night and Fire seem to allow one to glimpse the distant, ancient night sky.

Taking out this most powerful weapon signifies that Bai Shi has become serious and is giving Maricus the highest respect.

Maricus lunged forward and crashed down from the air, his entire body landing on the black sword, intending to knock Bai Shi down completely.

On the sword, the black and red flames of destined death erupted once more, the flames spreading continuously towards Bai Shi's body.

Bai Shi wielded the sword of night and fire, from which the blazing sun's flames poured forth, instantly annihilating his destined death.

At the same time, the brilliance stones on the sword shimmered with dazzling light, quietly accumulating magic power behind the flames.

The row of brilliance stones lit up one after another, and the fully empowered crystals directed all their power to the tip of the sword. A comet-like torrent of terrifying magic surged towards Maricus in front of him.

However, Maricus's beastly instincts were too sharp; his fur stood on end at the impending danger, prompting him to subconsciously abandon the fight and leap to the side.

Finally, the enormous comet streaked past his body and flew into the sky, merely shattering the armor on his left shoulder and shearing off some flesh.

Maricus, still savoring the immense magical power he had just experienced, became even more cautious, constantly rushing to avoid the unpredictable flow of the comet.

This time, however, as Maricus dodged and weaved, countless radiant stone spells tracked his trajectory, even shooting directly at his landing point.

As several radiant stone claws struck, Maricus realized the power of the White Knowledge Magic, which was comparable to that of the Full Moon Queen.

Bai Shi has not yet shown his full strength, which makes him feel immense pressure.

You have to understand that Bai Shi was fighting him purely with his martial arts skills.

But for him, this might be an opportunity.

Although the opponent did not use their full strength, Maricus also did not fully unleash the power of his destined death.

He must find the right opportunity to use that unknown, powerful force to turn the tide of the battle.

This may be the only way for him to protect his destined death.

Maricus roared at the sky full of brilliant stones, then pushed off a stone pillar, his body spinning in the air.

The black swords gripped tightly in both hands swirled in the sky, leaving a crimson trail behind them.

The massive spinning slash shattered the incoming attack, and also brought his body down heavily.

This powerful strike seemed to carry the force to cleave the entire temple, and no one would doubt his ability to do it.

The sword of night and fire in Bai Shi's hand served as a medium for casting spells, and a massive amount of magic power spread out in all directions according to his thoughts.

A deep purple gravity pulled a magical rock wall up from the ground, from which pyroxene crystals instantly grew, and howling storms swirled around the surface of the barrier.

The three forces combined to form the 'Wall of Sighs,' a rare sight on this borderland.

Maricus's black sword, imbued with immense force, was deeply embedded in the solid barrier, yet ultimately could not penetrate it.

The sword tip pierced the barrier, stopping in front of Bai Shi, unable to take another step forward.

Bai Shi raised his hand, and the deep purple gravity once again covered the pierced rock wall, firmly fixing the black sword in place.

At the same time, a bolt of crimson lightning suddenly struck down from the sky, transforming into a spear through Bai Shi's will and piercing into Maricus's back.

The black flames of destined death were torn apart by lightning, and the beast's iron armor shattered piece by piece.

Despite having his attack blocked and being pierced by lightning, Maricus's lips curled into a slight smile.

The power of destined death extended along the sword and erupted violently at the tip of the sword in front of Bai Shi.

Death transformed into the sharpest blade in the world, unleashing Maricus's most powerful attack.

The entire space was completely filled with the dense blades of the Dimensional Slash, the sword energy cutting repeatedly hundreds of times, the flames spreading everywhere.

The solid wall that had been firmly restraining the black sword was completely wiped out from its original location, leaving a deep, arc-shaped pit beneath the feet of the two men.

Maricus landed heavily on the ground, panting heavily.

Did that attack... defeat him? Before Maricus could confirm the result of his ultimate move, a thick, dazzling comet flew out from the still-burning black and red flames.

Comet Azrael!
Even if Maricus realized the danger again this time, he couldn't react in time, even though he had just used all his strength.

His massive body was completely thrown away, and the body that touched the comet's torrent was wiped out in an instant without any chance of resistance. He rolled and landed on the edge of the temple.

Maricus's black sword was deeply embedded in the cracked stone of the temple, barely stabilizing his body. The obsidian luster on the sword was mostly obscured by blood and dust.

He knelt on one knee, his pale mane sticking to his armor with sweat and blood, his chest heaving violently, each breath pulling at his shattered bones.

Although the flames of destined death still clung to the sword's edge, they were as faint as a candle flickering in the wind.

Bai Shi arrived in front of Maricus and sheathed the Sword of Night and Fire.

Although Bai Shi was hit right in the face by the destined-death dimensional slash, he was only left with some insignificant crisscrossing wounds on his body.

Bai Shi looked down at the indomitable beast and, amidst Maricus's incredulous gaze, spoke calmly:
"Maricas, do you want to continue?"

Maricus gripped the black sword tightly, but he no longer had the strength to swing it.

He lay prostrate on the ground, only able to weakly ask Bai Shi a question:
"You're obsessed with seizing your destined death..."

"What is it for that needs to be killed? What is it for that needs to be destroyed?"

Bai Shi stood in front of Maricus and answered Maricus's question clearly:

“I’ve said it before, it’s to make the border area better.”

"The Golden Law eliminated death, which is why we are in this situation today."

"I want to give those distorted lives a truly equal and precious death, to set the stagnant cycle of reincarnation in motion again, and to liberate souls that cannot be reincarnated."

Maricus gasped for breath, exhaling a mist of blood.

Upon hearing Bai Shi's words, his damaged left claw, which had been injured in the battle, scratched deep claw marks on the stone slab.

Maricus suddenly raised his head, letting out a painful roar from between his fangs:

"How can I believe such empty words?"

"No matter who it is, they always start by saying sweet words and presenting themselves as upright and honorable!"

"Those words... will only bring a more bitter betrayal in the end, not even as good as blatant ambition!"

The embers on the black sword surged again with his rage, unleashing an unprecedentedly immense power.

"Since you crave this power so much... then take my life along with it!"

"I! Maricus! The Black Sword of Marica! Will guard my destined death until the very end!"

Maricus unleashed the full power of his destined death, intending to make a final stand with his life.

The power of death, like a flood bursting its banks, instantly engulfed the entire Temple of the Beasts.

Countless distorted faces of the dead emerged from the flames, emitting silent wails, forming a vortex of black flames that completely enveloped Bai Shi and Maricus.

Maricus's body was being torn apart from the inside out by the spirits of the dead, the power of death causing him unbearable pain.

But this feeling did not stir any thoughts in him; he felt only utter peace.

Even if Marika doesn't want to tell him anything, even if Marika...

No, it doesn't matter what happened at this moment.

He swore to follow Marika to the death, and never betrayed her in the slightest until his own final moments.

For Maricus, this devoted service brought him happiness.

Maricus still remembered how warm Marika's hand was when she stroked his fur and how loving her eyes were when he was given to her as a shadow beast.

It feels as if the painful yesterday is so far away, while the long-forgotten happy times are right before our eyes.

Having ended his painful and confused later life in this way, fighting to the very last moment, he should no longer be burdened by sin...

However, just as Maricus was thinking this, he heard a soft laugh coming from the black and red flames in front of him.

As a beam of light parted the shroud of destined death, Bai Shi reappeared in Maricus's sight.

Suddenly, a dazzling golden light surged from his body, and the rising sun pierced through the flames of death.

The light grew ever stronger, eventually suppressing the power of destined death completely and forcing it all back into the black sword.

The doomed death on Maricus's body was also dispelled, revealing his already wounded flesh.

He looked at Bai Shi, unable to calm down for a long time, his mouth agape but unable to say anything.

Bai Shi slowly walked towards Maricus, calmly met his gaze, and slowly spoke:
"In a world shrouded in darkness, people need someone to guide them with light."

"If you don't believe it, come and see for yourself."

"Witness whether I will use my destined death to destroy, or to put the world back on track."

"I'm not good at sweet talk. If we're going to face an unpredictable future, let's forge our own path together."

Listening to Bai Shi's words, Maricus suddenly realized that he was different from others.

Bai Shi seems to be truly wholeheartedly devoted to this border region.

Maricus was in a daze, as if the person in front of him was such a noble king, which made him feel somewhat unreal.

Can light really be born in a dark and bloody world?

The very existence of this man is a revolution against the Golden Law, against the laws of all intersections...

...It seems that in the beginning, Marika was also gentle and tolerant.

But exactly when did things start to change?
Does it begin when one passes through the Gate of God and becomes a deity?

Or what if you succeeded in your revenge, but lost the Shadow Tree and left the Golden Tree incomplete?

Maricus looked at Bai Shi, gradually loosened his grip on the sword hilt, and let the black sword hit the ground with a crisp sound.

Faced with such an existence, what reason does he have to continue fighting?
Maricus bowed to Bai Shi, having lost all will to fight.

The fatal aura slowly seeped from the black sword, returning it to its original form.

The predetermined death ultimately transformed into a black and red, ethereal force that hovered in the air, which Bai Shi grasped in his hand.

Celine Sands landed back in the ruined temple from the air, looking at Bai Shi's radiant figure with eyes full of admiration.

People praise Bai Shi and the Sun King not only because of the power they possess.

Rather, it is because, being both a king and a god, he also possesses what every 'human' possesses.

For example—the power of courage, justice, and love.

It is because of his existence that people believe that love and justice still exist on the border.

(End of this chapter)