Chapter 47

Ranni pressed her spectral lips together.

"This… is not how I envisioned my brother's liberation."

Melina nodded numbly.

Of course, they had expected Konstantin to win. Perhaps not this decisively, but win nonetheless. After all, he already possessed three Great Runes, had defeated one of the strongest demigods, claimed his runes and, naturally, his Great Rune, making himself even stronger. In the end, he had farmed a lot.

But the way in which the Tarnished had won…

The fearsome Lord of Blasphemy had been reduced to a snake-cutlet. There was no beauty in this battle, no elegant rolls, no perfectly timed dodges. Only the brutal beating of a heretic.

For the first time, they had seen Konstantin angry.

The Soulslike community had a reputation for being toxic—rightfully so. But what did they know of waifu fans? Those creatures that existed in every fandom where even the faintest trace of the word "woman" could be found.

And angry waifu fans—especially angry waifu Soulslike players—were terrifying by their very existence alone.

"He really liked the gift…"

Melina's barely audible whisper made Ranni shoot her a displeased glance.

No matter how you looked at it, that "gift" had just turned someone she once cared about into mincemeat.

Unfortunately, she was in no position to complain about the untimely ends of close relatives. If her goals conflicted with her feelings, she would discard those feelings and bury them deep within her doll-like heart.

Regrettably, the opposite rarely happened.

But when it did…

"Konstantin should hurry up and—"

The spectral demigoddess narrowed her eyes thoughtfully for a moment.

"…continue my quest…"

Melina blinked in surprise, glancing at Ranni, only to see her vanish in a burst of starlight.

"Witch," Melina noted instinctively, tightening her grip on the jar in her hands.

She needed to get it to her Tarnished as soon as possible—before she accidentally did something to it. Like crack it. Or drop it. Or shatter it into dust. Or—

Melina hastily faded into incorporeality, heading toward him.

He had just finished praising the sun. Oddly enough, he did not forget the obligatory ritual of victory over a powerful enemy.

Konstantin stood before the battered corpse of the snake, lost in thought. His anger still smoldered within him, but it was beginning to fade.

He needed a few moments of silence to digest the runes and distribute them throughout his body. He didn't have the time to reach a Site of Grace—he had once again been hit with an absurd influx of runes, not to mention another Great Rune.

It felt as if, if he didn't feed most of them to his Inner Sun soon, he might just explode.

A strange feeling.

As he felt the four keys to sweaty gamer supremacy now pulsing inside him, Konstantin involuntarily glanced down at his loincloth.

A random scrap of fabric, yet it had proven more durable than the sturdiest armor. And he knew it wasn't the cloth itself—that was completely ordinary. It was more like his own power was protecting it.

The power of censorship.

Good thing he never bothered with those kinds of mods.

Kosta shook his head, pushing away unnecessary thoughts. As always, he decided to shelve them for later.

Quests wouldn't wait.

"Your vessel, Konstantin," said the false Finger Maiden, handing him the jar with her usual detachment.

The Tarnished nodded just as impassively, accepting this most sacred of gifts and storing it away in a place only he understood.

The most important things were already in his possession. Everything else was secondary.

"Your clothes are ruined again…" Melina muttered. "I'll get you some ne—"

New clothing appeared on Konstantin's body. Slightly different, but still resembling his old travel attire—light and practical.

"I kinda just threw it toge—"

Kosta suddenly fell silent as he saw the way her eyes lit up.

Meli-Meli wasn't particularly expressive, but right now, she looked so happy, she might as well have been on the verge of breaking into dance.

'…But all I did was just dress myself…'

Absolutely delighted, the waifu had been about to say something when she suddenly turned and noticed Sellen and Rya approaching. Adjusting her hood, she disappeared into the immaterial realm.

There would be time to discuss things later. Perhaps… she could finally take advantage of the next healing session.

Or the next two.

Or the next three…

…Or perhaps… not just three…

For a moment, Kosta could've sworn he saw the incorporeal false Finger Maiden stumble.

…Probably just his imagination.

"Your spirit is quite unusual, Konstantin," Sellen mused as she approached, rubbing her chin while surveying the scattered remains of the snake. "My student-teacher, wouldn't you be interested in studying this creature later?"

She hadn't seen his journey to Nokron.

Seeing the curiosity shining in his waifu-sorceress's eyes, Kosta could only shrug.

"When I get the chance."

"When you fulfill your destiny and claim Elden's power," Sellen corrected, raising a finger with a sly smile. "Just don't forget about me afterward."

Now, Konstantin held four Great Runes. Even with two, he could have marched to the Capital. With three, even more so.

But four Great Runes in the hands of one Tarnished, someone who could wield them to their full potential…

Sellen doubted the Lands Between would ever witness anything like it again.

And he accomplished it in such a short amount of time, no less.

It was impossible. Absurd. Ridiculous. Laughable. Terrifying. Unnatural.

There were endless words to describe it, and still, they wouldn't be enough.

Upon hearing Sellen's remark, Kosta's expression hardened.

"If I ever forget about you, I'd rather turn myself into a disco ball."

The sorceress let out a loud laugh but quickly collected herself. After a brief moment of contemplation, she narrowed her eyes in thought as she has come to a descision.

It was hard to say—even for the Greater Will itself—what exactly she had just decided.

"The Lord… The Lord is… I… Wh-what should I do…?"

Rya was far less composed. And who could blame her? She had just learned far too much, all at once. And most of it was not good. The girl was teetering on the edge of something far worse than death.

Perhaps the best comparison would be someone who had spent their entire life playing Happy Farm and Truck Driver Simulator, only for their dearest friend to recommend playing Dark Souls II after a long workday.

Or something like that.

"Praise the Sun."

The steady, confident voice made Rya stare at him in confusion.

She had been wondering since the beginning—why was he so kind to her?

Especially considering the fact that he must have known the truth from the start—about her origins, about the horrors of her manor, about how she had unknowingly lured him into certain death.

He should, at best, hate her. And yet, he was being kind.

Why?

"Praise… the Sun?"

Kosta nodded.

"No matter how difficult things get, the Sun will always light your path."

Rya's pupils shrank.

"But… what if there are clouds?"

"Parry them with your shield," Konstantin replied, dead serious.

"And… what about the night?"

The first answer hadn't clarified much. If anything, it had only made her more curious.

"Even the Presence of the Moon didn't save it(1)," he said, just as unfazed.

"Then…"

Kosta sighed.

"First and foremost, the Sun is within us. Now—repeat after me…"

He raised his hands, fixing Rya with a firm gaze. Reflexively, she hesitated—then mimicked his movements.

"Again!"

"B-but…"

"PRAISE THE SUN!"

"PRAISE THE SUN!!!"

"Again!"

Sellen folded her arms thoughtfully.

Strange as it was, Konstantin's approach was working.

Repeating after him, Rya truly felt something begin to warm her from within.

Most likely, it was nothing more than a simple hope, one that had taken root in the girl's heart just like it had in so many others before her.

Through his actions, his casual-hardcore power, and his unwavering will, this man had already accomplished the impossible. And he continued to do so, right before everyone's eyes.

Whatever he said or did—all of it held a weight too great to resist. Not that anyone really wanted to resist it.

"You…"

Sellen turned her head and saw Lady Tanith, her half-naked Crucible Knight, and Patches skulking somewhere in the background. Of course he was the first to run and report everything to her.

It was difficult to put into words what exactly the mistress of Volcano Manor was feeling at that moment. The last thing she had expected to see upon arriving in her husband's lair was his flattened, utterly pulverized corpse, his mangled face frozen in an expression of shock, confusion, and pain. But mostly confusion.

Destruction was everywhere. The cavern itself looked like it could collapse at any moment. The air was thick with the scent of blood, but this time, Tanith knew it was not the blood of countless victims.

It was her husband's.

Tanith's gaze shifted to Konstantin and Rya, who were gloriously praising the Sun.

"So it's true," she finally spoke, drawing attention to herself. "You actually defeated the lord."

Konstantin glanced at her and simply shrugged.

Lady Tanith's eyes flicked to Zorayas, who was deeply engrossed in the ritual, waving her serpent tail enthusiastically, her mask discarded—seemingly useless now.

Who would have thought everything could fall apart so suddenly? Years of schemes, intrigue—all of it crumbling before the sheer might of a single man in nothing but a loincloth. Such was the law of this world, one that could only be challenged by power of equal measure. A paradox.

"I am deeply grateful to you," Tanith said evenly. "Our lord was weak. You have shown us the truth. Even if he had been stronger, he still would have lost."

"Grinding alone doesn't compensate for skill," Konstantin muttered, then added, "He had more strength than Radahn(2). But no mastery. And he never would have."

Tanith, carefully listening to the man who had killed her husband, gave him a respectful bow.

"There is wisdom in your words, Tarnished. A brave soul who walks the most treacherous path shines the brightest of all. I admire you."

And she truly did. He had come with thunder and would leave with fire. An unstoppable force before which even the mightiest fell. The lady of the manor cast a sideways glance at her unwavering Crucible Knight.

Still… something about this powerful Tarnished unsettled her. Namely, his inclination toward nudity. And the fact that he was spreading this inclination to others with surprising success.

Then again, compared to her husband, his eccentricities were… harmless.

These men…

Tanith sighed. Unfortunately, she was merely a dancer. Disciplined, composed, loyal to her man (or whatever he had become)—but still, just a dancer.

"Defeat is not the end," she said after a brief pause. "Our lord is immortal. One day, he will return, stronger than ever. Until then, I will continue to follow the path and fulfill my duty. I will be leaving Volcano Manor soon. I advise you to do the same."

"I have one last thing to do before I go," Konstantin replied with a smile.

For some reason, he had the feeling that, despite the impending collapse of the cavern, the woman had no intention of leaving. No matter how normal she seemed on the surface, in today's Lands Between, there were no truly normal beings left. Everyone had long since lost their minds to some degree.

Lady Tanith shuddered in horror as she saw Konstantin's body ignite with crimson flames. Dark, destructive—not radiating warmth, but something else entirely.

After all, the Sun did not merely bring light and comfort.

It could burn just as easily.

The Tarnished crouched, pressing his hands against the ground, and then—

Hell itself erupted.

A storm of fire, so fierce it consumed the entire cavern in an instant, devouring Rykard's remains as if it were alive.

Tanith barely had time to process what was happening before nothing remained of her husband. Not even ash. He would never be reborn in his body again. Not even the absence of death itself could save him now. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed to her knees.

"No need to feast on grilled snake steak," Konstantin remarked, then turned his gaze to the woman's knight. "You're going to have to take care of her. And not just her."

The Tarnished glanced at Rya, who was still standing there, arms raised mid-praise, her serpent tail curling nervously. The Hellish Fire that had suddenly swallowed her left quite the impression.

No. Definitely too many impressions for Zorayas in one day.

The Crucible Knight, unfazed by the flames, did not so much as flinch. He gave a firm nod, then dropped to one knee, bowing his head.

Of course, remaining as composed as ever.

"I don't need that," Kosta said sternly. "Just keep grinding, and one day show me what you're capable of. But take care of your mistress and the waifu. Even if they resist."

His gaze shifted to Rya, who flinched.

Whether he liked it or not, some waifus had a habit of self-destruction. In Soulslikes, that was practically normal. But that didn't mean Konstantin was just going to accept it. He doubted she'd willingly stay with him or go to Stormveil Castle, so he had to make sure someone could look after her. At least until she recovered.

Perhaps his illusion could check in on her from time to time.

Blindly following the will of a waifu would not lead him to his own proper ending. Konstantin understood that.

"Yes, my lord," the knight replied just as sternly, rising to his feet. "Praise the Sun!"

Covered in draconic scales, the warrior raised his arms. In his eyes, the light of faith had fully awakened.

Still wearing only his loincloth, he silently strode toward Tanith, grabbed her, and hoisted her over his shoulder. She did not resist, continuing to stare at the spot where her husband's remains had once been.

Rya, seeing the knight moving toward her, thought about doing something, but he was too fast. In the blink of an eye, she let out a startled cry as he threw her over his other shoulder.

"L-let me go…!"

"…"

The Crucible Knight ignored her.

"They still have much to discuss," Konstantin said. "Be careful—your mistress may have a potion of oblivion(3) with her. Don't let either of them take it. And don't kill Patches, even if he's skulking around somewhere nearby. Understood? Then you may go."

The knight hesitated for a brief moment. That last part clearly confused him.

"This is our shared burden," Konstantin sighed. "It has to be this way."

The knight, after a moment's internal struggle, gave a solemn nod.

They all carried a shared burden.

At first glance, Konstantin hadn't been too fond of him. But now, he had to admit—the guy wasn't the worst person he'd dealt with.

And his attitude was that of a true Soulslike player: he kept grinding, he had embraced the Sun. And the way they first met…

Well, many noobs naively believe that getting a good build will solve all their problems.

"I'll definitely visit you later," he said, turning his gaze to Zorayas, who was still struggling to break free. "I'm sorry it has to be this way."

Rya gave him her saddest look, but in the end, she simply went limp on the knight's shoulder, accepting her fate.

At the very least, she now had the Serpent's Amnion…

"I understand…"

Kosta grinned in satisfaction.

"Things just keep getting curiouser and curiouser," Sellen mused, watching the powerful figure walk away. "You've grown taller, my student. How do you feel?"

She approached him, clearly intrigued. Now, she actually had to look up to meet Konstantin's gaze.

The man focused on his sensations.

"I don't feel any particular changes."

"What a weirdo," Sellen clicked her tongue. "Aren't you afraid of getting too big?.."

He wasn't. There was simply no time for that right now. Such… "side quests" could be dealt with later, after the main objectives.

"I see," the woman nodded, catching something in his gaze. "Well then, shall we leave before it's too late?"

Sellen looked up.

They could hear a faint cracking and grinding sound spreading through the cavern. The ground trembled beneath their feet, dust rose, and stalagmites began breaking off one by one.

"Now."

Right after he spoke, a terrified scream rang out. Sellen quickly understood what was happening—his summoned spirit, a perfect copy of the man, was dragging a struggling Patches by the leg.

"F-friend, your spirit's lost its mind! Do something before I get mad at—what the hell?!"

The Mimic Tear wordlessly passed Patches' leg to Konstantin. He grabbed the bandit by the ankle and began dragging him toward the Site of Grace. Rykard couldn't have picked a better place for his lair. It was perfect.

Without hesitation, the man caught the flow of Grace, and with Patches still in tow, lifted him up.

"Tanith might need help," Konstantin suddenly said, surprisingly amicably, stunning both Patches and Sellen. "You wouldn't want to leave her behind like this, would you?.."

The bald bandit stared at the Tarnished in horror, gasping for breath.

"I have no idea what you're—"

"Follow them. Occasionally, send reports to Stormveil Castle in Limgrave. I'll make sure no one bothers you. If I'm satisfied with your work, I'll help you set up a business. You did want to become an honest merchant, didn't you?.. At this rate, Tanith might even take notice of you. A successful merchant would have much better chances."

Of course, Kosta didn't believe that himself. He was simply trying to find a compromise. Maybe his patience with the bandit was excessive, but as he had told the knight…

This was their shared burden, and without it, dark fantasy would lose some of its… well, dark shades.

Patches groaned mentally (or maybe not just mentally), realizing that this terrifying psycho was reading him like an open book.

"Bloody hell, buddy, when did you get so good at sweet-talking people… Fine, I agree, damn it, you crazy bastard!"

"Great."

Kosta caught the flow of Grace, and after a brief pause to steady his senses, hurled Patches into it. With a startled scream, the bandit vanished, sent far beyond the manor.

The tremors in the ground became even more pronounced.

Konstantin knelt at the Site of Grace, extending a hand to Sellen. Now that he had—imperfectly, but still—wrapped up another important quest, he needed to move forward.

Specifically, he had promised to help a certain waifu. Fortunately, their journey wouldn't take long.

Sellen approached him and took his outstretched hand. Just as another stalagmite broke loose and plummeted toward them, the Grace's flow whisked them far away from the boss's domain.

Before the Tarnished could say a word, Sellen suddenly tackled him, pinning him beneath her.

"I got a little bruised," she whispered into his ear. "Will you help me heal?.. I'm not foolish enough to try stealing you from that jealous girlie, but if it's just a little, the tiniest bit…"

She had long been curious to see how this power would affect a real body. And though she understood that her actions were still somewhat… reckless, she wasn't going to go too far.

At least not until the jealous girlie made a decision and stopped resisting.

After all, she wasn't that crazy. Maybe just a little. Or perhaps a little more than a little. But still—not too much.

Sellen kissed the stunned Tarnished, though she didn't stay calm for long herself. The energy surged into her body, reaching straight for her primeval glintstone.

It didn't take long for her to understand why the jealous girlie had such a strong reaction.

Returning from another mission, Knight Bernahl hadn't expected the manor to be nearly deserted. The only thing keeping it from feeling completely empty was the distant laughter of the inquisitor, echoing from the second floor. But at this point, his presence was no different from the ghosts lingering in the halls—hardly worth talking to. Faintly, he could see them at times, even exchange a few words.

Who would have thought that a specter would be his only real source of information?

"The Tarnished soul… has felled the lord… ooooh…"

Bernahl scratched his helmet in confusion. Then, realizing what he was doing, he pulled it off and scratched his actual head.

"Rykard fell at the hands of Konstantin, the Tarnished…"

That explained a lot. And, at the very least, it was surprising—this Tarnished had only arrived a few days ago. If someone had told Bernahl earlier that anyone could just walk into Volcano Manor and kill their enigmatic lord, he would have never believed it.

"Well…" Bernahl sighed. "The strong kill the weak. That's the rule…"

He truly did believe in that rule. Their half-dead world had long since lost any traces of civilization, revealing the raw reality of things.

If the Tarnished had been able to kill Rykard, then he had the right to do so. It was that simple.

Leaving the specter (and the laughing inquisitor) behind, the knight stepped outside. Apparently, the day wasn't done throwing surprises at him, because right in front of him—

Stood a sorcerer.

An old man in a cracked mask, somewhat reminiscent of the lady of the manor's mask. He was bloodied and clearly exhausted. It was obvious he had been pursued and was not the one doing the chasing.

"Sellen. Where is she?!"

Seluvis knew she had been here. But now, her trail had blurred once again. She was close, very close!

Bernahl scratched at his helmet again, then cursed under his breath.

"You mean the sorceress? She already left with Kon—"

"Damn it!"

Seluvis didn't wait to hear the rest. He vanished.

It wasn't long before an entire group of knights arrived, led by a dark and imposing figure—Gideon. No Tarnished could mistake him for anyone else.

Luckily, he was too preoccupied to investigate what another Tarnished was doing in Volcano Manor.

Bernahl quickly realized what was expected of him.

"A strange sorcerer was just here, Sir Gideon."

"I see. Then we're on the right path."

Before long, they too disappeared, leaving the aging knight alone once again. He lifted his gaze to the moon. Perhaps he should stay at the manor for the night and leave… somewhere come morning.

He had long since gotten used to the inquisitor. If he thought about it, the guy wasn't actually that bad.

Just insane.

Then again, was anyone here normal?..

Bernahl sighed.

"I've noticed you. Show yourself."

It was shaping up to be a strange day.

'Another broken mask?' the elderly knight found himself wondering, resisting the urge to scratch at his helmet.

Before him, appearing seemingly out of nowhere (which, to be fair, was not exactly uncommon in the Lands Between), stood a slender man dressed entirely in white.

On the exposed part of the man's face, Bernahl spotted a strange mark resembling a trident.

The stranger smiled.

"You have sharp eyes, little lamb. Varre(4). That is my name."

'Little lamb?' Bernahl raised a brow beneath his helmet.

Yes, truly a strange day…

(1) Presence of the Moon is the secret final boss of Bloodborne. It is considered a conceptual being, though it ultimately could not withstand the even more conceptual forces of bored hunters.

(2) Defeating Radahn in a first playthrough rewards the player with 70,000 runes, compared to Rykard's 130,000. The Blasphemous Lord also has significantly more health: Radahn's HP pool is 9,572 versus the combined total of Rykard and the God-Devouring Serpent, which reaches 89,613.

(3) During Rya's questline, Tanith will give the player a Tonic of Forgetfulness, which can be given to the girl, causing her to forget everything.

(4) More of a reminder than a footnote. Varre is the first NPC the player encounters upon arriving in the Lands Between. As previously mentioned, in this fanfic's storyline, their meeting went… a little differently ಠ_ಠ.