Yo, my friends! I haven't been writing much for the last few weeks, so it's good that I'm ahead a little bit, so I can provide you all with this chapter! 

Because I like my chapters thick and satisfying, y'all get to experience the entire Radahn fight! It wasn't updated as quickly as I wanted it to be, but it's still a Saturday for me, so it's still in my general upload time!

For a question, I've got something a little different. I'll ask it here, just to put the thought in your mind. Feel free to reply throughout the chapter!

For the actual question: What do you think of some of the abilities used in this chapter? Are they cool, are they too much, however you feel!

Now, regardless of all that mumbo-jumbo, I hope you enjoy the chapter!

I have a feeling some of you will end up liking Therolina.

-----

In the main plaza of Redmane Castle, there were several Tarnished strewn about. They spoke with one another respectfully, and they were all united under one goal, if only for a little bit. A royal dirge, sung by the nearby Redmane Soldiers who could keep their sanity, flowed out over the entire castle, creating an impenetrable feeling of comradery and strength.

(Y/n) found a few familiar faces around, including Blaidd and, surprisingly, Patches. Of course, several of the other faces around had never seen (Y/n). He lingered near the walls, feeling some eyes glancing over him. With his enhanced senses, he could easily listen in to the nearby conversations.

Patches was speaking with a kind-looking Finger Maiden named Therolina, lightly gesturing towards (Y/n). "Watch out for that bloke, eh? He's not the type to mess with."

Therolina tilted her head, leaning to look past Patches. (Y/n) kept his eyes on the ground, even as he felt Therolina observing him. "He... doesn't seem all that bad. Surely you aren't mistaken?"

Patches scoffed, "Bah, that's what I thought too, until I caught him red-handed, literally! His blade was covered from tip to handle in the blood of a —"

(Y/n) let out a puffing laugh and promptly began ignoring Patches' conversation. He didn't know much about Therolina, as he'd never met her after the Festival. However, he had a feeling that she'd be quite the skeptic of Patches' commentary.

Turning his attention over to a three-way conversation between Great Horned Tragoth, Lionel the Lionhearted, and Okina, (Y/n) listened in. As it turned out, they weren't speaking about much at all, simply mentioning how excited they were to be fighting against a member of the Shattering, and arguably the strongest Demigod around.

He pushed the conversation away as he was approached by a familiar half-man, half-wolf. Blaidd gave (Y/n) a toothy grin. "Aha, so you showed. My mistress thought you would. I'll introduce you to her later, you two would get on quite well! But for now, let's give everyone a show to remember, fighting a Warrior of the Shattering, eh?"

(Y/n) gave Blaidd a similarly toothy grin, the wolvine man's enthusiasm infecting (Y/n). He could hear underneath him the excited cries of his Shadows, all really to fight against Radahn.

(Y/n) managed to keep his cool, scanning over the plaza with a slight frown. He noted who he saw, scanning one last time, only for the exact same people to be there.

"What is it?" Blaidd asked, following (Y/n)'s gaze confusedly.

(Y/n) frowned. "There's a reliable Warrior Jar who should be here. But he isn't."

Blaidd tilted his head. "'Should be here?' Has an ally of yours disappeared? Well, I arrived at the plaza first, and there's been no sign of a Warrior Jar at all."

(Y/n)'s frown deepened. He wasn't too worried about not finding Iron Fist Alexander in Limgrave or in Gael Tunnel because he knew the Warrior Jar would eventually make it to Redmane Castle, but there was still no sign of him. Furthermore, there wasn't any bizarre signs of destruction that suggested he'd been injured or killed.

'All Shadows, from now on, be extremely wary of signs of Iron Fist Alexander's whereabouts. If there are any sights of him, report it immediately,' (Y/n) ordered his Shadows, even those that were far away, under Millicent, or those that he left with Boc.

Although (Y/n) was curious about Alexander's whereabouts, he had very little he could do at the moment. He gave Blaidd a small nod, "I'll figure it out, eventually. He may've simply gotten lost."

Blaidd opened his mouth, but before he could speak, a loud booming voice echoed across the plaza. Atop the stairs which would lead to Radahn battlegrounds, a man wearing clothes reminiscent of a jester's spoke.

This was Castellan Jerren, a good, honorable man. Unfortunately, he was one of Sellen's enemies, and he would stop at nothing before Sellen passed away. For (Y/n), that meant Jerren was his enemy too. So truly, it was rather unfortunate for Jerren.

Jerren yelled, and it was clear there was a smile on his face, "Champions, welcome! The stars have aligned! The festival is nigh! General Radahn, the mightiest Demigod of the Shattering, awaits you! This is a true celebration of war, the Radahn Festival!"

Jerren's statement caused the talking to completely cease, and all attention fell on him. He lowered his volume, speaking quietly. "But first, allow me to paint a picture."

"General Radahn is cursed ever to wander. Eaten from the inside, by Malenia's Scarlet Rot, his wits are long gone. Now he gathers the corpses of former friends and foes alike, and he gorges on them, like a dog, forever howling at the sky. But now, we must make merry. O' gathering of champions, the revels begin!" Jerren let out a roar, timed perfectly with the distant howl of Radahn before taking his blade and slamming it into the ground, beginning the festivities.

All at once, the Tarnished warriors charged forward, letting out war cries. Blaidd gave (Y/n) his signature toothy grin, "Well then, let's go!" And then, he joined the charge.

(Y/n) tapped his feet once, feeling all his Shadows roar out from underneath him. Specifically, he felt a particular passion from Godrick, as a fellow Demigod. He smirked, a bead of sweat running down the side of his face. "Let's see how the Outer Gods managed to mess with this one."

Without wasting a moment, (Y/n) charged forward with his allies, and they all quickly made their way to Wailing Dunes, where Radahn had fought endlessly since the Shattering. It was a location covered in corpses and fallen weapons, but more importantly, a titanic foe lingered in the far distance.

In Radahn's hands, a greatbow — the Legendary Lion Greatbow — had an arrow the size of a spear pulled back, aiming at (Y/n), even as the other warriors charged forward, with Finger Maiden Therolina buffing her allies.

(Y/n) simply stood and focused, and it didn't take him long to see what he'd been hoping to avoid. In the middle of Radahn's chest, just like Radagon and Godrick had, was his Great Rune, the Great Rune of Fortitude.

(Y/n) let out a sigh as Radahn's mighty arrow flew. His shadow expanded from underneath his feet, and Tank rose in an instant, his shield held firmly. The arrow slammed into the shield, shattering it in a single go, destroying (Y/n)'s loyal Shadow, even after the force was displaced over the shield. The move was so intense that (Y/n) could tell Tank wouldn't be regenerating anytime soon.

Then, another arrow came his way, only to be cut into pieces by (Y/n)'s Black Knife Assassin, who appeared first, before any of her peers. All at once, (Y/n)'s Shadows climbed up from the ground, surprising Therolina, the only one of the warriors who was truly aware of her surroundings.

"W-What is this...!" She gasped, meeting Godrick's golden eyes as confusion shot through her. She looked all around, seeing Rogo, Agheel, and Terra all around her next. She nearly fainted right then and there, but Irina quickly came to her side, providing a familiar face, from one Finger Maiden to a sorta-Finger Maiden.

(Y/n) clicked his tongue, smirking, "Charge."

All at once, (Y/n)'s army moved. His two dragons, Rogo and Agheel, took flight while his other warriors simply ran, scuttled, or moved in anyway they possibly could. It only took them moments to catch up with (Y/n)'s living allies, and it didn't take much longer for them to outright pass Blaidd, who ended up as the leader of the pack.

Blaidd looked around, with a sense of invigorating passion shining in his eyes. "Ahaha! Yes, this is truly a battle!" He didn't hold even a little bit of hesitation in the face of the Shadows, feeling connected to the Shadows without even having ever seen them before.

The other warriors weren't quite as eager. Okina, Tragoth, and Lionel were all nearly stunned by the sudden appearance of the Shadows. The only one who kept his cool was Jerren, who let out a chuffing laugh, saying nothing. Regardless, as warriors, they all pushed forward.

General Radahn turned his head up to the sky, watching the stars stand still beyond the reddened skies of Caelid. Those stars were where the Starscourge received his legendary title from. He took a deep breath, and (Y/n) was hit with a sense of foreboding danger.

"Shit...! Defensive Squad, position 3!" (Y/n) spoke carefully, and his Shadows did just as he ordered.

Agheel and Rogo pulled their wings in quickly, diving to the ground. Terra was quickly buffed by Irina — and after a hesitant second, Therolina joined Irina. The earthy dragon grew three times his normal size, standing over the army like a small mountain. Terra was the size of a Walking Mausoleum, if not quite as tall, standing above the army like a massive shield.

The warriors looked up to Terra's massive body in shock, surprise, and joy.

"By the sheath of my blade, what is this...?" Okina asked, his eyes flickering around to the Shadow Soldiers around. He scanned the scene of the battlefield, muttering to himself, "Is this what my Lord warned me of?"

Suddenly, Okina felt a presence to his left, and he whipped his head around to see a large Crucible Knight staring his down. Okina felt a chill shoot through him. All at once, he knew that his position as a follower of Mohg and a Bloody Finger had been exposed, but he didn't have any idea what to do about it.

Furthermore, to his right there was a familiar face that he couldn't quite recognize immediately. However, when he noticed the Shadowy being's daggers, both were Reduvias, which were weapons only carried by fellow followers of the Lord of Blood.

Indeed, it was Nerijus, and Okina realized that he'd suddenly encountered a bigger threat in (Y/n) than in Radahn.

Tragoth was met with the Mad Pumpkin Head, who banged his fist on his chest pridefully. Tragoth and the Mad Pumpkin Head were immediately on the same page, and Tragoth bowed his head lightly, having met a kindred soul in such an unexpected environment.

Lionel stared in awe, and under his helmet, his eyes widened. With all the time he'd spent with his adoptive daughter, Fia, he was very accustomed to the concept of Those Who Live in Death, beings who grew to a semi-soulless existence after the first death of a demigod. Every Shadow vividly reminded him of Those Who Live in Death, but there was certainly a difference between the two sides, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was.

Jerren glanced between Radahn and (Y/n), immediately understanding what the situation would become. "It's a proper warrior's fight once more! The perfect end to the mighty General Radahn!" He laughed boisterously.

Blaidd grinned toothily, spinning his large sword with incredible nonchalance. "What a sight! I wish you could see it yourself, Lady Ranni!"

Radahn let out a mighty howl, and meteors began to rain down from above, smashing into the ground across the Wailing Dunes.

This was not a move that General Radahn was once capable of. This was only possible for Radahn, the God of Gravity.

Only the quick and agile Shadows like the Black Knife Assassin and the Bloodhound Knight Darriwil continued forward towards the howling general, able to avoid the meteors while still approaching. They still had several yards to pass before they'd be close enough to injure him.

Terra easily took many of the falling meteors, and with Irina and Therolina's prayers assisting him, he'd remain strong for several more minutes. Underneath Terra, the Ranged Squad continued to prepare.

Next to (Y/n), Godrick pounded his staff into the sand, and massive Grafted arms made of inky energy began to bind Radahn to the ground, yanking his bow from his hand and tossing it away. But for the mighty threat, simply letting out a roar and a wave of gravity magic was enough to destroy Godrick's creations, leaving him free to swipe his swords towards Darriwil and the Black Knife Assassin, destroying them outright.

Godrick took a moment to regain his energy, his mighty arms being so easily destroyed by Radahn. At the same time, the rate of the falling meteors began to slow. Terra shrunk to his original size, and many of the meteors fell around him, into the midst of his army.

And then each of the meteors exploded in a flurry of power, revealing a dozen monsters (Y/n) had never seen before.

They were armored from head-to-toe in purple crystalline armor, and mandible-like protrusions jutting from each side of their jaws. They were all the exact same height, stature, and wielded the exact same weapons, a spear, and a shield. It was a bit eerie, as if they'd all been created in the exact same cosmic factory at the exact same time.

There were roughly six thousand of the Cosmic Soldiers, meaning that against the Shadow Army, it'd be a two-to-one ratio. In sync, they all reeled their spear back, launching them towards (Y/n) and his army. Like Radahn's arrows, the spears were certainly enhanced by gravity magic, allowing them to fly faster and stronger than they should have.

The spears demolished a good portion of (Y/n)'s army, as they were all bunched up after hiding under Terra. And, with a united pull, all the spears returned to the hands of the Cosmic Soldiers, destroying any of the poor Shadows that stood in their paths.

(Y/n) silently split his forces up, almost feeling reassured that Radahn summoned an army to the event. After seeing Tank and Darriwil, Rank-5 Shadows, and even his Black Knife Assassin, a Rank-6 Shadow, being destroyed so easily, he was confident that sending his army to try and rush Radahn would end up exhausting his energy.

With a select few Shadows by his side, (Y/n) sent most of his Shadows to fight against the Cosmic Soldiers. He let them figure the situation out themselves, figuring that they could piece their matchups and combinations together to create a victorious situation.

Blaidd, Tragoth, Okina, and Lionel were all more focused on the many, many foes strewn about, and even though (Y/n)'s army was impressive, they were still outmatched in a numerical sense, so the warriors all focused on making sure (Y/n)'s spat against Radahn wouldn't be interrupted. After all, it wasn't very hard for them to figure out that (Y/n) was the strongest of them, since he commanded such an intimidatingly powerful army.

Irina and Therolina assisted the warriors with distant boosts, and Edgar protected them both diligently.

With everything handled, (Y/n) strolled forward, brandishing Legacy. The scythe hung to (Y/n)'s right, as his cloak fluttered in the wind.

He met Radahn's eyes, and surprisingly, he saw more than the mindless beast that Radahn became after Melania's Scarlet Rot was unleashed. On the demigod's chest, the Great Rune of Fortitude shined even stronger than before.

To (Y/n)'s surprise, Radahn simply stood still as (Y/n) approached with his few Shadows, his two Starscourge Greatswords held high.

Godrick, Rogo, Terra, and Agheel were around (Y/n), with the magic units of the Ranged Squad all preparing in the distance, still yet to launch any proper attacks.

(Y/n) pointed towards Radahn, "Burn him to ash."

His loyal dragons opened their mighty maws and unleashed their powerful flames. Green, red, and rotten fire all combined to a wave of immense heat, all which crashed into Radahn, scorching the sand into molten glass.

Several seconds passed before slammed his swords into the ground, a wave of gravity easily dispelling the wall of heat. Radahn's skin was seared, but before (Y/n)'s eyes, he could see the wounds being healed.

'So, the Great Rune of Fortitude increases his defenses and gives him regenerative abilities. Okay then, plan two it is, as risky as it'll be,' (Y/n) charged forward as Godrick pounded his staff into the ground, new, massive shadowy limbs beginning to bind Radahn down. This time, they were strong enough to actually hold the demigod, even if it was only for a matter of seconds.

At once, the gathered energy of the mages was funneled into Salem. She was far from the strongest of all the mages, but her technique was what (Y/n) believed he needed more than raw strength. Salem's influence fell over (Y/n)'s three dragons and his Alabaster Lord, who was right beside her, and they suddenly began to unravel into unidentifiable shadows.

They converged on her position, and the shadows completely covered her as a warning blinked in (Y/n)'s mind.

[Through Shadow Fusion, the Shadow Dragons, Terra, Agheel, and Rogo, alongside a Shadow Alabaster Lord, have fused with Shadow Maiden, Salem to create the Shadow Titan, Gaia.]

[Shadow Titan, Gaia, can currently be maintained for 3 minutes and 28 seconds.]

Where Salem once was, a large being, easily the size of Radahn stood. She was a curvaceous woman, made entirely of shadows, with her hair flowing through the colors of the dragons' flames. And most importantly, she was ready for combat.

This, Shadow Fusion, was a strategy (Y/n) only thought up in the time he spent meditating. It allowed him to craft a mightier threat than the pieces of his simple sum of his overall Shadows, and against a proper threat like Radahn, he figured that he'd need it.

Radahn, atop his meek steed, let out a warrior's howl, charging forward and breaking out of the shadowy constructs' binding. (Y/n) leapt, twirling his scythe to hit Radahn head-on. The Starcourge's Greatswords met (Y/n)'s scythe easily, and a shockwave shot out in all directions.

Sand flew up in waves, and Godrick was nearly flung backwards like a ragdoll. By his side, Gaia knelt, and a soft barrier of gravity held him down, preventing the pressure from flinging him about. Godrick stared at Gaia with wide, sparkly eyes, and she gave him a soft smile.

Amid (Y/n) and Radahn's blow, the Shadow Sovereign couldn't believe that he managed to not get completely launched backwards. The power of Radahn's swing was completely neutralized by (Y/n)'s scythe, Legacy. And (Y/n)'s newly created armor managed to displace enough of the energy that he could bear the weight of Radahn's blow.

"Gaia!" (Y/n) yelled over the booming sounds of his weapon grinding against Radahns'.

A literal second later, Gaia crossed the space between Godrick and Radahn. There was a swell of energy behind her right elbow as she used gravity magic, then there was a burst of the built-up energy, and her fist flew into Radahn's stomach, causing the demigod to slide back a few feet.

To (Y/n)'s surprise, the blow didn't make him pull back his swords, and with a heave, he sent (Y/n) flying several yards away. As he flew, (Y/n) clicked his tongue, "Okay, so I'm not immune to being treated like a ragdoll, good to know."

Godrick quickly created a large hand to catch (Y/n), but (Y/n) instead flew between the large fingers and grabbed the middle finger. Catching (Y/n)'s goal to fly back into the fray, Godrick took the hand and flung (Y/n) back towards Radahn, into the fray.

In the distance, Radahn and Gaia traded several blows, sand shooting up all around the place. Radahn took the series of blows with shocking efficiency, a certain effect of his Great Rune's enhanced power. Gaia, on the other hand, didn't have to worry much about Radahn's blows.

With incredible power, she challenged his gravity magic with hers, holding him off to a stalemate anytime he got close to hitting her. That was until Radahn pushed Leonard into the ground, his magic building, before he leapt high into the sky.

(Y/n) flew until he landed softly on Gaia's shoulder, looking all around the sky. "Damn it, here comes the meteor."

And just as he spoke, high in the sky was a burning ball of fire, coming down at a frighteningly fast speed.

It was Radahn's Meteor Crash, a powerful skill that killed (Y/n) many, many, many times. Knowing better than to stack his defenses up against Radahn's attack, (Y/n) leapt high into the sky. Gaia, however, stood her ground, acting as bait.

(Y/n) was firmly surprised when Radahn's attack didn't follow Gaia, with the starscourge's eyes locked firmly on him. Radahn came hurtling towards (Y/n), but just second before he hit (Y/n), he was yanked back down unnaturally by Gaia's gravity magic.

Just inches away from (Y/n)'s head, Radahn raced past, terrifying heat radiating off him. From most other people, the heat alone would've killed them, but (Y/n) was made out of tougher material than most, and (Y/n)'s new armor protected him from most of the heat anyway, and even without it, his body could handle such heats.

Landing back on Gaia's shoulder, (Y/n)'s jaw dropped open when he saw Radahn reorient himself midair, coming back down to the ground even faster than before.

"Oh, shi—" Even before (Y/n) could finish speaking, Radahn came crashing down. Gaia tried to hastily create a proper mana shield, but despite being strong enough to protect (Y/n) from most threats, it was completely shattered in the face of Radahn's attack.

Being buried several feet into the ground, (Y/n) felt the sand get turned into disgustingly hot molten lava. He felt like he was being buried alive in the lava, but he didn't die despite certainly obtaining injuries from the blow.

As Radahn pulled back to reunite with his loyal steed, Gaia reformed after being totally destroyed by the insane attack. She quickly pulled (Y/n) from the molten lava, using her incredible skills to rid him of any leftover lava that stuck to his armor before she held him gently.

Coughing up a disgusting amount of lava, (Y/n) kept his eyes firmly on Radahn. Even compared to before, his Great Rune was shining more than ever. (Y/n)'s eyes widened, "Oh. It's getting stronger the more this goes on for, isn't it?"

As if to prove (Y/n) right, after he'd reunited with Leonard, Radahn swiped his sword forward, a tidal wave of gravity slamming into (Y/n) and Gaia, sending them tumbling backwards. Gaia kept (Y/n) protected with her body, so he was mostly undamaged.

Asking Gaia to let him go, (Y/n) looked around the area, to see his soldiers having a difficult time against the Cosmic Soldiers. With his Shadows being outnumbered and many of them being too weak to take out Cosmic Soldiers in a one-on-one, (Y/n) felt like there was only one thing to do. He smiled, "Arise."

[You have gained 1795 Cosmic Knights.]

[Due to Anchor Rune, Cosmic Knights: Rank 4 have evolved into Rank 5.]

As the tides of battle shifted, (Y/n) figured that his strategy needed to change. He settled on the ground, allowing his energy to flow through his robes. "Gaia's got a minute left. Fine then. Last and riskiest plan it is."

Suddenly, all the Shadows on the field, save for Irina, Edgar, Godrick, and Gaia, disappeared. The quaking of the battlefield suddenly vanished, leaving many confused Cosmic Soldiers behind. The warriors of the Radahn Festival were suddenly in the middle of hordes of Cosmic Soldiers, who would surely regain their bearings in a matter of seconds.

(Y/n)'s cloak began to waver, shifting and morphing as his armor became entirely useless. His robes morphed into black, feathery wings as he bent down, focusing in an imperceptibly short moment.

This was (Y/n)'s final trick, a dangerous skill that could easily lead to his demise. With the momentary cost of many of his Shadows, (Y/n) could shift the form of his Umbral Robes towards speed rather than defense. However, when he'd last attempted to use 1000 of his Shadows for the transformation, the boost lasted for a single second, and after it, the used Shadows couldn't regenerate for over an hour.

So, with 5000 Shadows, (Y/n) had five seconds.

He didn't waste one.

With an unbelievable burst of power, (Y/n) appeared by Radahn's side, the space between a and b crossed in an instant. With all that speed behind him, Legacy gripped Radahn's calf as (Y/n) sped past him, out of any immediate danger.

Gaia was on Radahn's other side, a beam of impossibly dense energy curling out from her palm and crashing into his other leg and into Leonard. The weak horse was immediately killed by the blow, and despite Radahn's mighty presence and incredible power, he couldn't bare against the power of Gaia's attack, and his leg was swept out underneath him.

With Leonard dead, and only one injured leg on the ground, Radahn's massive figure began to lean to one side. The next instant, (Y/n) was back, and Godrick had a half-formed arm that stood up tall in front of Radahn's leaning figure.

(Y/n) ran up the arm and leapt off it, twirling his scythe and hooking it around Radahn's head. For an impossibly long second, (Y/n) once again saw more than what Radahn was.

Instead of a mindless beast, he saw a man who was satisfied. He was a warrior, a prince, and a beloved general. Once debatably the strongest of the demigods, he was now just a fraction of his former self. Still, he felt pride in being able to lose against a powerful foe.

(Y/n) pulled his dagger so it was taut against Radahn's throat, speaking easily as his time for his speed boost ran itself thin. "Your battle does not end here." And then, with all the speed and power he could manage, with Gaia pulling him with gravity magic, (Y/n)'s scythe ran cleanly through Radahn's neck, ending the demigod's life.

(Y/n) wished to take a breath with the biggest threat handled, but with Gaia unravelling into her parts, and with so many Cosmic Soldiers about, he couldn't quite relax. Furthermore, Edgar was being torn to shreds as he tried to keep Irina and Therolina protected, which didn't say much at all about how Blaidd or any of the other warriors were doing, assuming they were alive at all.

Godrick created several massive arms all around, swiping away the Cosmic Soldiers in an attempt to give (Y/n) any sort of time. Salem, Rogo, Agheel, Terra, and the Shadow Alabaster Lord all leapt into the fray, unleashing any havoc they could, although to admittedly varying degrees of efficiency. Salem, after having so much power as Gaia, was trying to catch up to her fellow Shadows, being destroyed several times in the process.

(Y/n) tried to push out the intense battlefield, focusing only on Radahn's corpse. The demigod's spirit was absolutely massive compared to anything (Y/n) had seen, especially when compared to Godrick's spirit.

(Y/n) was hesitant to reach out to the demigod, but he realized he really didn't have any other options. Many Shadows were gone, (Y/n) was more exhausted than he'd been in a long time, and there was a very intimidating war going on all around him.

"Arise, Radahn!" (Y/n) yelled, only for the energy to immediately explode outwards defiantly. It nearly took (Y/n) off his feet, but he managed to not go flying backwards. He huffed, taking a deep breath. "Arise, Starscourge Radahn!"

Once more, the energy flared up defiantly, and (Y/n) felt a chill shoot through him. He had no idea what he'd do if Radahn didn't rise from his grave. Sweat nervously ran down the side of his face. Then, a moment of sudden inspiration slammed into him.

Looking away from the obvious spirit, (Y/n) noticed Leonard's spirit. It wasn't anywhere near as powerful as Radahn's, but it was shockingly strong in its own way. After all, Leonard never once gave up on being Radahn's steed.

(Y/n) reached out to that spirit instead, "Arise!"

All at once, there was an explosion of shadowy energy, which was far, far larger than anything (Y/n) expected. When all the shadows gathered to form a being, (Y/n) was surprised to see two very large Shadows.

On the left was clearly Starscourge Radahn, a royal champion of the Shattering. He was utterly massive just like he'd been in his life, certainly big enough to tussle with a dragon like it was a large dog rather than an incredibly powerful monster.

His helmet shut, which revealed a skeletal lion on it. His signature red locks turned into a scarlet red, shining quite strongly when compared to the inky blackness that made up his intricate armor and his spiritual body.

On the right was... presumably Leonard, but he looked incredibly different. Firstly, Leonard was about half the size of Radahn, easily tripling the size that he was in life. Unlike any of the other Shadows, Leonard was almost entirely white, with white fur, feathered white wings, and a trail of purple energy.

[Demigod Starscourge]
[Radahn]
[Rank: 8]

[Due to the Anchor Rune, Haizum Horse, Leonard: Rank 5 has evolved into Rank 6.]

[Haizum Horse]
[Leonard]
[Rank: 6]

(Y/n) pursed his lips, noting that the Anchor Rune didn't allow Radahn to rank up, despite that being the sole function of the Great Rune. However, he figured that the Shardbearers not benefiting from the other demigods' Great Runes made sense, because they already were holding one. It was either that, or Shadows at Rank 8 couldn't be evolved by the Anchor Rune.

Either way, (Y/n) gained two immensely strong Shadows by appealing to Leonard instead of Radahn. After all, Radahn's love for his horse was a driving force in many of his choices, including why he learned gravity magic. It made just as much sense for Radahn to follow (Y/n) after Leonard chose to.

Radahn stared at Leonard with awe in his body. (Y/n) couldn't see his eyes but felt the absolute love permeating through his Shadows. Leonard huffed happily and spread his wings, but (Y/n) had to interrupt their happy meeting.

"I need my allies protected. Can you two handle it?" (Y/n) asked, and the two giant Shadows looked down at him respectfully before Radahn let out a mighty roar and Leonard let out a majestic neigh.

Then, at once, they rocketed off, Radahn picking up his weapons and hopping into Leonard's back. Leonard was more than strong enough now to maintain Radahn's weight, even if he was still a fair bit smaller than his rider.

They unleashed absolute carnage across the battlefield, absolutely huge waves of gravity magic devastating the area and destroying the environment. Since it was simply a barren wasteland, they destroyed everything that came in their way, drawing a ton of attention from the opposing army of Cosmic Soldiers.

(Y/n) let out a sigh and fell to his butt, relaxing as he felt a wave of relief rush over the warriors who took part in the Festival. They were all mostly safe, and while Godrick, Radahn, Leonard, Rogo, Terra, Agheel, the Alabaster Lord, and Salem were drawing the Cosmic Solders' attention, he gave some attention to the Great Rune of Fortitude, which he could feel the effects starting to take place.

[You have received the Great Rune of Fortitude. Magic Shadows will gain an attack boost, Physical Shadows will gain a defense boost, and Fused Shadows will persist for twice as long.]

(Y/n) felt a wave of power wash over his Shadows, no matter how distant they were.

Before the Great Rune of Fortitude, Salem's magical blows slightly rustled the Cosmic Soldiers. But now, as the Great Rune's power ran through her, Salem was elevated to a new level. Her magic sharpened and began piercing through her enemies, destroying waves of the Cosmic Soldiers with shocking ease.

The Alabaster Lord was in a similar situation, his magic being enhanced enough to let him call down meteors and waves of gravity to bring enemies into the swing of his curved greatsword, allowing him to slice and dice his opponents.

Rogo, Terra, and Agheel were all classified as Magical and Physical Shadows, so they benefited from both of the Great Rune's buffs. Their flames scorched the earth as their draconic scales protected them from the Cosmic Soldiers' spears.

Godrick also benefited from both effects, due to his massive arms being constructed of magic while being uniquely physical in nature. As such, he created twice as many massive Grafted arms, and they unleashed havoc, strong enough to not be destroyed by the Cosmic Soldiers' attempts to destroy them.

Then Radahn and Leonard were creatures of absolute destruction. If Leonard's massive hooves weren't simply crushing the Cosmic Soldiers into paste, the gravity magic that pulsed out with every step would rearrange their forces and strip them of chunks of their armor.

And Radahn was no less aggressive. With massive swings of his Starscourge Greatswords, he annihilated dozens of his enemies, and his swings brought enemies closer to him at a massive scale, allowing Leonard's hooves to crush them into Cosmic Pancakes.

Even Edgar and Irina could feel the changes, with the former being strong enough to kill hordes of Cosmic Soldiers when he couldn't even defeat a few moments prior. And the latter's prayers brought even more strength to her allies, only making the fight that much smoother.

As the fight was beginning to end, (Y/n) began to relax. He could feel his peers approaching, all confused by the turn of events. As they laid eyes on Radahn's corpse, they began to piece together what the situation was.

Okina stared with wide eyes hidden by his helmet. However, his fear and anticipation couldn't be hidden from (Y/n)'s senses, no matter what he tried. The Demonic Swordsman knew instinctively that it would only be a matter of time before (Y/n)'s power would meet Mohg's, and Okina had no doubts that Mohg would fall before the insane power. He immediately knew that he had to report back to Mohg, to warn him of the incoming threat.

Tragoth gaped at the sight, and he suddenly realized that his strength, which had assisted many people in his life, wasn't enough to overcome the massive wall that was (Y/n)'s strength. He could only hope that (Y/n) would remain an ally, rather than an enemy.

Lionel couldn't believe his eyes, but he had no choice but to accept the truth that was staring back at him. And, after seeing such a powerful existence, the difference between (Y/n)'s Shadows and Those Who Live in Death became clear. The Shadows were being made entirely of spiritual energy, while Those Who Live in Death were creates who lacked spirits and only lived with their bodies. Effectively, they were two sides of the same coin. He kept it in mind to speak to Fia about his findings as soon as humanly possible.

Castellan Jerren was one of the least surprised of the warriors, a wide smile across his face. Rather than staring at the corpse of Radahn, he was busy looking at the spirit of Radahn and Leonard wreaking havoc and laughing boisterously. For a loyal follower of the Starscourge, such a sight was incredible, especially after Melania's Scarlet Rot dared to take so much of Radahn's sanity.

To be able to fight for his goals, no matter how long he'd be around for was a truly riveting sight.

Blaidd came to (Y/n)'s side, looking up into the sky. "Look. The stars have continued their journeys."

(Y/n) listened to the man, and far above them, in the skies high above the Lands Between, shooting stars raced across the night sky, creating an absolutely astonishing sight. (Y/n) smiled softly before one specifically large star crashed into Limgrave in a cacophony of noise and light, blinding the warriors for a second, even from such a massive distance.

With the battle against Radahn and the Cosmic Soldiers beginning to perish, the warriors of the Festival felt no need to stick around. With their own goals, they went their own ways.

(Y/n) knew what Okina was up to, so he had his Alabaster Lord follow him. As soon as he got the chance, he'd kill Okina, just to make sure Mohg didn't have any more information than (Y/n) specifically wanted him to have.

He was positive that Mohg would know about his presence because he'd killed Nerijus, but he wanted to limit the information the Lord of Blood would receive. It was somewhat brutal for him to deem Okina worth killing before the swordsman had strictly attacked him yet, but (Y/n) figured that being proactive, a bit immoral, and safe was better than being reactive, moral, and in danger.

'Huh. Maybe I should think more carefully about what I'm gonna do about Gideon a bit more then, if I'm trying to be a bit fair here. By my own logic, it would be better to take out Gideon before he becomes a threat. Hm, worth thinking about,' (Y/n) noted as he watched Okina walk away.

Tragoth was more determined than ever to take this situation as a lesson of his weakness, planning to leave Caelid in pursuit of training. He had no idea where his journey would take him, but soon enough he'd find Farum Crumbling Azula, and begin training amongst the dragons.

Lionel knew exactly where he was going, to reunite with Fia. While (Y/n) had absolutely no idea where she was, Lionel knew exactly where she was. (Y/n) debated whether or not he should have a Shadow follow Lionel to make sure he knew Fia's location, but he decided against it, trusting that he'd run into her eventually.

Blaidd gave (Y/n) a toothy grin before he bobbed his head towards Limgrave.

"Mistress Ranni wanted me to tell you that she will be waiting for you. You should think about following her, then we can be veritable brothers in arms, haha!" With that, Blaidd left, his large sword held over his shoulder.

(Y/n) let out a sigh of relief before he sensed another person approaching him, he opened an eye to see Therolina and Irina. Irina gave (Y/n) a respectful bow, and Therolina awkwardly followed after her. (Y/n) blinked at the sight.

Therolina coughed lightly into her gloved hand, looking at Irina, as if she was asking for help. Irina gave her a soft smile, reassuring her. (Y/n) had no idea what was happening, until he paid attention to Therolina's body language, then he came to an intriguing conclusion.

Therolina bowed her head, her hands gripping onto her dress tightly. "Please, sir! I would like to join you and Irina on your journey forward!"

(Y/n) blinked. He thought that Therolina wanted to know more about Irina, but to want a position in the Shadow Army was not something he expected at all. He hummed, "Well, that's.... I suppose that would be fine. You'll be stripped of your ability to speak, possibly forever. Is that okay?"

Therolina nodded easily. "Yes. I've been wandering aimlessly for years now, unable to find my Tarnished warrior. But this... this feels like it was what I was created for."

(Y/n) bowed his head, acknowledging her desires. Then, he looked around, a sudden epiphany dawning on him. "Where's Patches?"

Therolina smiled awkwardly, looking to her side as sweat ran down her face. "He... left before the fight even began, warning me about you."

(Y/n) laughed, "Yeah, that sounds like Patches." With a huff, (Y/n) rose from his spot and approached Therolina, patting himself down to rid himself of any annoying sand. He could see Therolina's spirit start to rise from her body, but it was still hesitant. "Are you scared?"

Therolina shut her mouth and shook her head forcefully. (Y/n) gently smiled at her, putting his hand on her head. "Don't worry. There's nothing to fear, I promise."

And with a breath, Therolina's body began to crumble, and her spirit rose from it. She looked the exact same as before, like a beautiful Finger Maiden who was still quite full of youth and energy.

[Due to Anchor Rune, Shadow Maiden, Therolina: Rank 5 has evolved into Rank 6.]

He could see the Anchor Rune and the Great Rune of Fortitude shining on her body before they faded away, leaving her powerful and happy. She gave (Y/n) a bow at her waist before turning and assaulting Irina with a hug. After a second of hugging, Irina and Therolina turned their restorative abilities to (Y/n), pushing away his exhaustion and quickly beginning to fill him with energy.

With his energy returned, (Y/n) decided to have some fun himself, disappearing from his spot and cutting through the remaining Cosmic Soldiers in waves. Then, about five minutes later, the last of the Cosmic Soldiers fell, leaving (Y/n) and his Shadows in the silent battlefield.

Well, it was as silent as it could be, with Radahn, Leonard, Agheel, Rogo, and Terra all roaring out their individual war cries. Their happiness for their victory was very deserved, but Salem, Godrick, and (Y/n) were all much more mellow in comparison, simply enjoying the area easily.

(Y/n) held his hand up high, smiling. "Arise!"

[You have gained 4,231 Cosmic Knights.]

[Due to the Anchor Rune, Cosmic Knight: Rank 4 has evolved into Rank 5.]

The battlefield was covered in the purple and black spirits of the many, many Cosmic Knights created a beautiful sight for (Y/n). All at once, the warriors howled out, filling the area with the cries of thousands of Shadows ready to fight.

(Y/n) grinned, "Not a bad haul. Not a bad haul at all."

"Indeed." Melina agreed, flickering into existence next to (Y/n).

He let out a small yelp, jumping, "By Marika's.... You can't just appear like that. You're gonna give me a heart attack."

Melina shrugged, "If you even can be afflicted by such things." She stared into the distance, noting that Radahn was now a Shadow in (Y/n)'s army. "So, you succeeded."

(Y/n) nodded. "Yeah. Does it freak you out? Since I'm basically taking your sibling under my power?"

Melina shook her head easily. Even for her, who didn't have (Y/n)'s incredible senses, could tell that Radahn was having an incredible time riding Leonard and getting another chance at live, even within death. "No, it's a gift, not a curse. For that, I can only thank you."

(Y/n) let out a small sigh of relief. "That's good. How are you doing?"

Melina smiled softly, laying her head on (Y/n)'s shoulder. "Just fine, now. May I steal you away from your conquest?"

(Y/n) laughed lightly, issuing a silent order for his Shadows. He took off his Umbral Robes, allowing them to flow freely and setting them on the ground like a blanket. He sat down and patted the spot next to him. "You can steal me away from this anytime."

Melina sat down next to (Y/n) softly. "Thank you."

And so, the two simply sat, satisfied.

-----

Total Shadows: 9242

202 Shadow Exiles – Rank 2

1096 Shadow Infantry – Rank 2

331 Shadow Redmane Knights – Rank 2

43 Shadow Dogs – Rank 2

9 Shadow Warhawks – Rank 2

7 Shadow Giant Bats – Rank 2

8 Shadow Starcallers – Rank 2

5 Shadow Slimes – Rank 2

7 Shadow Skeletons – Rank 2

4 Shadow Jars – Rank 2

39 Shadow Crabs – Rank 2

72 Shadow Demi-Human – Rank 2

16 Shadow Miranda Sprouts – Rank 2

Shadow Jellyfish, Aurelia – Rank 2

62 Shadow Giant Rats – Rank 3

33 Shadow Lazuli Sorcerers – Rank 3

23 Shadow Glintstone Mages – Rank 3

3 Shadow Land Octopi – Rank 3

5 Shadow Giant Crabs – Rank 3

19 Marionette Soldiers – Rank 3

Shadow Stormhawk, Deenh – Rank 3

Shadow Maiden, Salem – Rank 3

9 Shadow Monstrous Dogs – Rank 4

Shadow Nox Swordstress – Rank 4

Shadow Nox Priest – Rank 4

Shadow Tarnished-Eater, Anastasia – Rank 4

Shadow Bloody Finger, Nerijus – Rank 4

Shadow Giant Miranda Sprout – Rank 4

4 Shadow Runebears – Rank 4

Shadow Stonedigger Troll – Rank 4

Shadow Omen – Rank 4

Shadow Lion Guardian – Rank 4

Shadow Guardian Golem – Rank 4

Shadow Mad Pumpkin Head – Rank 4

Shadow Night's Cavalry – Rank 4

Shadow Priestess, Irina – Rank 4

5 Shadow Graven Mages – Rank 4

1174 Grafted Beasts – Rank 4

Shadow Battlemage, Hugues – Rank 4

6026 Shadow Cosmic Knights – Rank 5

Shadow Commander, O'Neil – Rank 5

Shadow Warden, Edgar – Rank 5

Shadow Tree Sentinel, Tank – Rank 5

Shadow Alabaster Lord – Rank 5

Shadow Crucible Knight – Rank 5

Shadow Deathbird – Rank 5

Shadow Ulcerated Tree Spirit – Rank 5

Shadow Bloodhound Knight, Darriwil – Rank 5

2 Shadow Grafted Knights – Rank 5

Shadow Fallingstar Beast – Rank 5

Shadow Magma Wyrm – Rank 5

Shadow Putrid Avatar – Rank 5

2 Shadow Cleanrot Knights – Rank 5

Shadow Maiden, Therolina – Rank 6

Shadow Leonine Misbegotten – Rank 6

Shadow Black Knight Assassin – Rank 6

Shadow Dragon, Agheel – Rank 6

Shadow Dragon, Terra – Rank 6

Shadow Dragon, Rogo – Rank 6

Shadow Haizum Horse, Leonard – Rank 6

Shadow Demigod, Godrick – Rank 7

Shadow Demigod, Radahn – Rank 8