Elden Ring, my witch is a talkative beautiful girl

Patch's trust in Ati's ability is second only to Melina's.

(ps: Should Patch be considered a traitor?)

Volume 2: The Flowing Stars: Chapter 58: The Latan Battle Festival Opens!

Dusk sinks in the west and the setting sun is blood-red.

Several fires have been lit on the fortress's beacon towers. When the sun completely sinks behind the horizon, the finale of the battle ceremony will officially begin.

Ah Tui and Melina walked side by side into the battle square: "Is everyone here? We seem to be a little late."

"The protagonist always appears last," Melina said with a casual smile, unconcerned. "This is only fitting for the future King of Elden."

The atmosphere in the battle square was heavy and solemn, and all the challengers were divided into three distinct groups.

On the left side of the square, you can see Teragos, Serolina, and the Black Onion Knight... oh no, I should call him Lionel. His round armor just happened to be the same as the Onion Knight's, I didn't mean to cosplay.

In the center of the square, an old man dressed as a ronin samurai with murderous intent, his eyes tightly closed, sat in a meditative posture, his sword "Mountain of Corpses and Sea of ​​Blood" placed across his knees. His invisible murderous intent made it clear that he just wanted to be alone and quiet, and had no intention of communicating with anyone.

Finally, on the right side of the square, there were the warrior Alexander and the half-werewolf Blaze. When they saw A-Tu and the other two coming, they nodded at the same time as a greeting.

The celebratory wine should be drunk after winning the victory, as it will be most intoxicating at that time.

Everyone held their breath, waiting for the moment when General Latan would appear.

The challengers who come here are all strong men picked from hundreds, and they gather here for the honor of defeating a demigod, to find a strong enemy to fight, or to complete a commission and obtain the Great Rune.

Judging from the distribution of professions and capabilities, the Challenger team is composed of healers, MTs, and powerful DPS, which is enough to form an elite full-strength team.

However, considering that everyone has different goals and most of them have difficult personalities to get along with, no one can predict how much strength they can exert in actual combat, or whether they will fail to cooperate and instead hinder each other.

When the sky was filled with bright stars, burning torches replaced the sunlight and illuminated the entire city. A slightly hunched old figure, followed by the Forge Knight Charles and the Red Lion Knight Oga, slowly came into everyone's sight.

Although the old man was old, his sword-holding hand was still steady and strong. As he stopped in front of the jade throne belonging to the city lord, everyone's eyes were focused on him.

"Let me introduce myself. I'm the acting city lord, Jerlian. I'm the organizer of this battle festival and... a witness to the upcoming battle."

The whole place was silent, and only Jie Lian's strong and powerful voice could be heard echoing over the fortress.

"You...you're the old man with his mouth full of food just now! So you're the city lord, Jie Lian! No wonder you dared to say bad things about him in the street and didn't get...uh."

Well, the chatterbox witch said whatever came to her mind at any time, no matter how serious the occasion was. If A-Tai hadn't covered her mouth, Melina would have deviated from the topic and become the new focus of everyone's attention.

While stopping his partner from showing off his presence, Ah Tui said, "City Lord, don't worry about us. Please continue."

"Ahem." Jie Lian coughed twice, drawing everyone's attention back. "Then before the ceremony officially begins, let me have a chat with you first."

"Originally, this place was a fortress for the defeated army, but now the sky is filled with stars, transformed into a stage for a festival. This is to pay tribute to the most powerful demigod of the Shattered War, the commander of our Red Lion Legion—General Ratan."

"Pay tribute?" A'tai was confused by this description. He had the same doubt when he heard Iggy mention that the mission was to kill Lani's brother. The answers to this series of questions will be revealed soon.

"This grand battle will be the general's final one. The victor will inherit his Great Rune." Jellian gestured for everyone to look toward the sand dunes below the fortress. Amidst the swirling yellow sand, a towering figure, resolute as an iron tower, atop a lean horse, could be vaguely seen. "Ever since that battle, General Latan has been in a state of uncertainty, lingering on the battlefield, unwilling to leave."

"The crimson corruption unleashed by Marennia corroded the general's body from the inside out, driving his mind to madness and his memory frozen at the final moments of the battle. He gathered the corpses of both enemy and friend and devoured them like a wild dog, letting out a mournful howl towards the sky."

Since ancient times, the beauty has sighed for twilight, and the hero is not allowed to see the white head.

Even though General Shattering Star had fought all his life and never been defeated, he ended up in a state where he was neither human nor ghost, wandering like a ghost on the battlefield of the past.

This shocking fact shocked everyone.

Melina sighed softly, "Being right at the detonation point where the scarlet flower of corruption bloomed, and being in close contact without any defense, it's a miracle that he can still maintain a trace of consciousness."

Most people thought that Latan was only seriously injured in the previous battle, so he let Jeremiah take charge of the legion. But in fact, he was no different from a dead man, and he couldn't even die on the battlefield and be wrapped in his horse's hide.

"This is the final battle ceremony for General Latan." Jellian's cloudy eyes suddenly became as sharp as a flying knife. He glanced at everyone present and plunged his sword into the ground with both hands. "Warriors, there is no need to show mercy or hesitate. Use all your strength and wisdom, and use all your potential to defeat the strongest demigod, and then give Lord Latan the glorious death that belongs to a warrior!"

All the participants exchanged glances, confirming each other's inner thoughts.

Regardless of their purpose or reason for coming here to participate in the celebration, everyone here temporarily has no differences in their positions.

From the moment they stepped onto the battlefield, they were pure warriors, with the sole goal of giving Starshatter General Latan the glorious death he deserved. He had been waiting for this moment for a thousand years.

......

During the final preparations before battle, A-Tai checked the configuration of his elixir bottles and weapons, while Melina recounted the stories of Latan's past. Although the stories were generally concise, listening to them would deepen their understanding, which might even prove to be of unexpected use in battle.

"'Star-Breaking General' Latan, son of 'Red Hair' Radagon and 'Full Moon' Reinara, commander of the Red Lion Legion, the most powerful demigod in the Shattered War, and a brave man invincible.

"During the Star Shattering War, Latarn transformed into the Shield of Ceria, stood up alone, shattered the stars, and sealed the flow of the stars with his own power."

"In the First Defense of Rodel, Latarn led the coalition forces to the gates of the Royal City of Rodel, leaving the Golden Soldiers utterly terrified. If the Bloody Conspiracy had not disintegrated the coalition forces from within, the unconquerable Royal City would have become history."

"In the Ionian War, Marennia and Latarn fought to the bitter end. The scarlet flower of corruption bloomed, sweeping across the Gallid Plains. But the red-haired lion stood firm."

One by one, every great deed that Latarn accomplished was beyond the reach of ordinary mortals, making him worthy of the title of "Star-Breaking General".

"Marenia?" A Tui listened quietly to Melina's narration. When he heard the familiar name, he sighed, "I wonder how Millicent is doing now. Judging by the time, her physical condition should have almost recovered."

With Millicent's strength, if she participated in the battle festival, she would definitely have a good chance of coming first, and in a sense, it would be a continuation of the unfinished battle of that year.

But the man had just recovered from a serious illness and had a broken arm. It would be too inhumane to force Mibao to join the fight. This kind of thing can only be thought about.

"Mimi will be fine. Even if she loses an arm, she's still the heir to the Flowing Water Swordsman." Melina's confidence in Millicent even surpassed her own confidence in herself. "Although the battle back then was nominally a draw with both sides suffering losses, in reality, Marlene was slightly behind. After all, she had even released the Crimson Corruption sealed within her body. Being pushed to that point, you can imagine the pressure she was under."

If she could go back to the past, Melina would definitely try every possible means to prevent that tragedy from happening, but unfortunately there are no ifs in this world.

"Even Marennia, who easily defeated Greg, is slightly inferior. Is this the strongest demigod..." A'tai muttered to himself, the warrior side of him, the warrior's blood gradually boiling. "Speaking of which, where did you get this information? When you talked about Latarn before, I don't think you described it to me in this way?"

A ridiculous person with a tall and strong figure riding a skinny horse.

Ah Tui remembered that when they first met, Melina told him this as a joke.

"Oh, you mean this?" Melina pointed at the booklet in her hand. "The merchants gave it to me as a gift when I bought something at the stall. I heard it's 'Chronicles of General Shattering Stars' published by the Red Lion Legion, so I picked it up and took a look. It also says that in order to brave the dangers of the beast with the skinny horse he's been riding since childhood, Latan specially learned gravity magic to reduce the load on the horse. I didn't expect that the seemingly brutal big man had such a surprising side. If he were conscious, he should be able to chat with you, my partner, right?"

"Amei, why do you think we can get along well?" Looking at Latarn's huge body like an iron tower on the cover of the album, A'tai really couldn't think of anything in common with him. Could it be because they both like riding horses?

"Why?" Melina smiled without hesitation, "Because you and him, you are both very gentle people in your bones." She took A'tai's right hand, and all the runes accumulated along the way turned into power and flowed into the body of the faded one. An unprecedented sense of fullness spread throughout A'tai's body. The witch offered a unique blessing prayer, "My partner, fight with all your might, and defeat the undefeated legend of the strongest demigod with your own hands!"

(PS: If the Faded Ones were asked to rate the most difficult battle in the Elden Ring, many would probably choose Marenia, while others would say the Radaganga Marathon. Newcomers might remember the Malevolent Demon more vividly. But if one were to choose the most thrilling battle, it would undoubtedly be the first battle against the undefeated mythical Starbreaker Ratan, alongside the other challengers under the boundless night sky!)

Volume 2: The Flowing Stars: Chapter 59: The Strongest Name

Everything was ready, and with the "clicking" sound of the chain mechanism turning, the large elevator loaded with challengers landed on the Weeping Dunes.

Passengers descended the elevator one by one and entered a defensive trench dug during the war.

The ditch was less than one meter deep, just above A'tai's legs.

Standing in the trench and looking out, the stars illuminate the quiet sand dunes. The remains of soldiers from both sides and broken weapons can be seen everywhere on this former battlefield, silently telling how brutal the Ionian War was.

The violent sandstorms that used to cover the sky are exceptionally quiet tonight, just like everyone’s mood at the moment, looking forward to and waiting for the start of the world-shaking battle.

On the city wall, Patch also arrived to watch the battle. The bald man, along with a few of his followers, walked with the ruthless gait of a hooligan, sneaking into the front row of the stands. After glancing at the dark horse he'd bet on, his gaze shifted to the mobile walking fortress, Teragos the Great Horn.

"With so many people here, it's hard to take down that tough guy," Patch muttered. "I'd better pray he dies at the festival, so I don't have to bother taking action."

Opening shops and casinos was Patch's open business, but secretly he took on another order. The other party's requirement was to kill Telages, a well-known figure among the Faded Ones, at any time and place.

However, since entering the Red Lion Fortress, Patch hadn't found an opportunity to strike. Not only were the soldiers within the city exceptionally skilled, with dedicated patrols day and night, but even the ridiculously strong and heavy armor of Terages made assassination difficult.

Patch didn't want to end up losing more than he gained. If he couldn't find a way to kill someone, he would just find another way.

"Who are you trying to kill secretly?" Patch's whispered words happened to fall into the ears of a sensitive witch. "Okay, you profiteer really want to manipulate things secretly and do something shady. I'm going to report you to the organizers."

"Report my ass! I'd like to see who dares to meddle... Damn, why are you here?" Patch originally intended to have a good talk with the person who dared to threaten him, but ended up seeing Melina's kind smile.

This crazy girl's "brakes" are now a million miles away from her. Anyone who dares to provoke her at this time will be asking for trouble.

"Why can't I be here?" Melina retorted bluntly, "You own this public place?"

The witch did stay in a safe place as Atui instructed, because she didn't join the battlefield at all!

The spectator seats on the city wall were nearly a kilometer away from the ground below. Only sharpshooters like Oga could see the actual situation below with their "eagle eyes". Ordinary soldiers had to use telescopes to understand the situation on the battlefield.

Patch was going crazy. "Aren't you a contestant in the festival? Shouldn't you be going down to the dunes with A-Tu to wait for the start signal?"

"Is there a rule that challengers must enter at the beginning?" Melina asked.

"That... isn't the case." Patch realized that she was also trying to find a loophole in the rules.

The Red Lions only have strict requirements for the participants' abilities, but once qualified, participating in the battle festival is entirely up to the challenger. You can't just tie someone up and throw them down after they pass the test, right? If they change their mind at the last minute, can't they just go home?

"That's right." Melina snapped her fingers, her expression becoming increasingly sinister. "Now... let's discuss whether or not to report your secret manipulation. I believe you're willing to pay a price to prove that what I said just now was just a joke, right?"

Three minutes later, a sharp arrow whizzed through the air and flew towards the fortress.

"The festival has begun!"

The Red Lion Knight Ogayan drew his bow to full strength, and a purple gravity arrow exploded in the night sky, signaling the start of the festival.

"The battle festival has begun!!"

At a command from the Crucible Knight Charles, the beacons lit on the city walls instantly connected into one, and the red light stretched for ten miles, echoing with the stars in the sky.

"The Ratan Battle Festival has begun!!!"

Accompanied by Jerry's resounding roar, the soldiers of the Red Lion Legion moved in unison, raising their weapons in their right hands and striking their shields in their left hands. The rhythm of the clashing of metal and swords resounded over the fortress.

Shouts and drum beats rang out, and the high morale of killing and fighting permeated the entire army, just like the eve of the Red Lion Legion's expedition.

"Latan!"

"Latan!!"

"Latan!!!"

The entire legion's shouts of adoration merged into one, calling out the coach's name.

The undefeated army, the ambitious aspirations, and the familiar military song will awaken the last of General Shatterstar's consciousness and draw him to the walls of the Red Lion Fortress.

"Da da da......"

In the misty dust, General Shatterstar came riding on his skinny horse and stopped at the highest point of the Weeping Dunes, like a king looking down at the challengers below.

Melina leaned half her body out of the city wall and swung the LaLa ball vigorously. "Come on, partner! I'm putting all our remaining runes on you. You must get the final blow! Otherwise, we'll go bankrupt!"

It was impossible for her to go bankrupt. She had just reached a verbal agreement with the bitter-faced Patch a few minutes ago, making the bald guy bleed heavily on the pretext of not reporting him.

A-Tu, who was preparing for battle below, had just summoned his spirit horse when he heard this and immediately gasped: "Hiss... This girl couldn't learn anything else, but she had to gamble heavily on Pachi's odds. She must be under a lot of pressure!"

Ah Tui, who was confused, became extremely alert before the battle even started due to his partner's unique way of encouragement.

Alexander, the warrior pot, was nearby. Hearing the faded one's complaint, he leaned over and asked, "Huh? Are you calling my name?"

"No, I didn't call you..." The corners of Ah Tu's mouth twitched.

Hu Ge continued to identify himself with the situation and encouraged him, "Don't worry, there are so many elite Faded Ones gathered here. It's no problem to defeat the seriously injured Latarn. You can relax a bit."

"That's right." Blaze drew his greatsword, and the others also grasped their weapons, ready to attack directly. "There are so many of us. If we launch an attack from all directions, he won't be able to withstand it alone."

Wounded by his clash with Marennia and ravaged by the Crimson Corruption for millennia, even if Latarn still lived, his mind and body were no longer at their peak. Assembling their elite forces, facing him at the end of his strength, almost all the warriors present believed their side had a 30% chance of victory before the battle even began.

As for those who didn't plan to follow F2A, besides Serolina in the support position, only A-Tai, who had fought demigod-level enemies twice, had kept a clear head. "Although we have an absolute advantage in numbers, we are all fighting on our own. Launching a frontal charge without any strategy is rather foolhardy."

Torrett shook his head up and down, agreeing with Ati's opinion.

As an elite warhorse, it didn't want to be sent back to the spirit world by an unknown ranged attack just as it had a rare opportunity to perform meritorious service. It would be perfect if it could turn back home immediately and give up the battle with Latarn.

"I suggest we discuss..."

Before he could finish his words, everyone rushed out of the trench.

"I'll take the first step."

"For the honor of a warrior!"

"Fiya, Dad will definitely win!"

All those gathered here were strong men who had great confidence in their own strength. They simply could not listen to what A Tui said. They all felt that this wave had a huge advantage. As long as they could use the dragon to their face, they would definitely win with one attack.

Five figures sprinted at full speed, killing the tall red figure on the sand dune. Only the auxiliary witch and A'er were left there to watch the situation.

Latan's white eyes coldly watched the challengers' fearless charge. With his left hand, he took off the Star-Breaking Bow from his back, and with his right hand, he pulled up a several-meter-long throwing spear from the sand. He bent the bow and put an arrow on it. The bowstring of the Star-Breaking Bow was stretched to the limit with unparalleled power.

The people who were charging at high speed also saw this scene.

"He looked like he was ready to shoot us with his bow and arrow."

"It's just a single arrow, aimed at at most one of us. Why should we be afraid?"

"My armor is not afraid of arrows."

They exchanged a few words and decided to continue charging forward while making defensive and evasive preparations. Victory would come if they could outrun the effective range of the arrows.

The next second, the bowstring was drawn and the arrow was shot, a purple rainbow broke through the air, and the arrow condensed with the essence of gravity magic by Latan was centered on the landing point. The terrifying gravity explosion spread out in a circle, destroying everything within a radius of 100 meters.

The earth-shattering arrow kicked off the war between demigods. The terrifying power made people shudder. The heroes who launched the charge fled in all directions and their army was completely defeated.