Clang, clang, clang—
Niđhöggr would not miss this opportunity.
He rode his steed in pursuit, and as the Ancestral Spirit knelt on its forelegs, he launched his assault from behind, transforming into the fearsome visage of a flying dragon and spewing the flames of Ekzykes's Decaying Roar.
Fwoosh—
The dragonfire raged, washing over the withered hide beyond the Ancestral Spirit's ethereal skin, quickly igniting and spreading.
The Ancestral Spirit again raised its gaze skyward, letting out a mournful cry.
Radahn, riding on the giant deer's back, noticed Niđhöggr's presence and turned, swinging the massive, heavy Starscourge Greatsword in a powerful blow.
Niđhöggr tugged the reins.
The spectral steed understood, turning its head and fleeing, leaping into the air again, deftly evading Radahn's strike and once more increasing the distance.
He turned his head while riding and saw the Ancestral Spirit suddenly begin to glow. The many corpses lying on the Wailing Dunes also emitted a blue light, condensing into spectral forms.
These spirit bodies quickly dissolved into spirit children, all being absorbed by the Ancestral Spirit.
Immediately after, the Ancestral Spirit, which had been severely wounded and forced to its knees by Niđhöggr's sacred and fire attacks, calmly rose.
In the distance, Niall and Jerren were stunned.
There it was... It was reverting to pure spirit again?
The Ancestral Spirit not only returned to its pure spirit state but became even more ferocious.
The Ancestral Spirit turned, and its entire body transformed into light particles along with Radahn. In an instant, the Ancestral Spirit reappeared right beside Niđhöggr!
Its massive antlers condensed dangerous blue light and thrust towards the nearby Niđhöggr.
The spectral steed reacted very quickly, carrying Niđhöggr and leaping away together. But unfortunately, it was still grazed by the Ancestral Spirit's immense antlers.
In its final moment, the spectral steed neighed and bucked violently, flinging Niđhöggr clear.
Good friend...
Niđhöggr spread the flames of the Hundredfold Scar on his back, watching the spectral steed dissipate. He did not stop, flying towards the Ancestral Spirit like an arrow.
Radahn immediately crossed his two greatswords and struck them together, producing a chime. It was another stellar gravity pull, and a terrifying suction suddenly yanked Niđhöggr in mid-air towards the blades.
At that moment, a dragon's roar sounded from the sky again.
The Glintstone Dragon spread its wings and descended, the Moonlight Greatsword clamped in its jaws striking Radahn on the head.
Radahn had to turn, his Starscourge Greatsword clashing against it, shattering the Glintstone Dragon's moonblade into a shower of dark violet and silver-white sparks.
At the same time, Niall and Jerren were no longer mere spectators.
They charged at the Ancestral Spirit, thrusting with the war banner and striking with longswords, together hitting the Ancestral Spirit's right foreleg.
Even though it wasn't sacred or fire damage, Niall and Jerren's attacks still harmed the Ancestral Spirit.
It merely swung its foreleg, flinging them both away like two projectiles.
Whoosh—
Niđhöggr broke free from the star's gravitational pull, attracting the attention of Niall and Jerren. He calmly spread the flames of the Hundredfold Scar, approached the Ancestral Spirit once more, and unleashed a second blast of Ekzykes's Decaying Roar!
Fwoosh—
The body the Ancestral Spirit had just reformed was again consumed by dragonfire.
Fear appeared in its eyes. With a mournful cry, it actually threw Radahn off and its entire form dissolved into spirit, fleeing.
In an instant, the Ancestral Spirit retreated to the edge of the Wailing Dunes.
Niđhöggr turned his head to glance at Radahn, who had fallen into the red sand, and then at the Glintstone Dragon holding its position in the air. He temporarily let Radahn be, propelled himself with all his might, and suddenly shot towards the Ancestral Spirit.
The remaining spirits on the Wailing Dunes had been absorbed by the Ancestral Spirit; it could no longer restore its life by consuming spirits.
Although it rolled frantically to extinguish the dragonfire on its body, it was still terrified upon seeing the approaching golden light.
Fwoosh—
The Ancestral Spirit spewed a great cloud of blue spirit fire in the direction Niđhöggr was flying from, instantly engulfing him.
However, in the next moment, it saw a blue sphere resisting this spirit fire, like a stone parting a current, rapidly closing in on the Ancestral Spirit.
Niđhöggr, his entire body enveloped and protected by Thops's Barrier, ceased evading and suddenly approached the Ancestral Spirit in its most unexpected posture, launching his attack in the manner the Ancestral Spirit was most accustomed to.
Ekzykes's Decaying Roar, the third blast!
Fwoosh—
The Ancestral Spirit's entire deer head was engulfed in dragonfire.
It shook its head violently in pain, trying once more to escape in the form of light particles.
But Niđhöggr would not give it another chance.
Shing—
A heavy Lion's Slash!
The Dark Moon Greatsword, like a cold crescent moon, cleaved through the Ancestral Spirit's head, scattering countless spirit children flying through the air!
Aii—
The Ancestral Spirit let out one final, mournful cry. It staggered forward a few steps and then crashed to the ground with a resounding thud, truly dissolving into points of light in the sky.
"Level Up! LV146 → LV149"
"Obtained weapon: Winged Horn. Skill: Wraith Calling Roar. Raise the Winged Horn high, summon a baleful aura, temporarily weakening the defenses of nearby enemies."
"Obtained talisman: Ancestral Spirit's Horn. Restores focus upon defeating enemies."
"Obtained Ash of War: Mimic Tear. Does not consume Focus Points upon summoning, but HP. Can mimic the appearance and combat of the summoner, but cannot mimic their mind."
Niđhöggr drank from a flask of Crimson and Cerulean Tears, checking the spoils from killing the Ancestral Spirit.
Acquiring the Winged Horn and the Ancestral Spirit's Horn was unexpected, but it was the Mimic Tear Ashes that truly surprised him.
Wasn't this his big brother, the true Elden Lord?
The Mimic Tear Ashes were supposed to be obtained by opening a treasure chest somewhere in Nokron, the Eternal City. He never expected to get them immediately after killing the Ancestral Spirit.
However, this wasn't the first time Niđhöggr had encountered such a variable—whether good or bad, he accepted it all and tried to handle things one by one. The Mimic Tear Ashes were naturally no exception.
Crack—
The Winged Horn in Niđhöggr's hand shattered, and the skill contained within, Wraith Calling Roar, was integrated into the Dark Moon Greatsword, becoming a part of it.
Then, the Ancestral Spirit's Horn also split apart, its light flying towards the golden imprint of the Law of Regression on Niđhöggr.
The power of this talisman would be stored within the Grace-Given Light of the Roundtable Hold, allowing Niđhöggr to utilize it at any time.
Now, Niđhöggr had time to look at the battlefield between Radahn and the Glintstone Dragon, only to see them still clashing with each other.
However, Radahn was clearly becoming increasingly violent.
He raised the two Starscourge Greatswords and roared at the sky, but this time, his target was not the Glintstone Dragon, but the opposite direction.
The sky suddenly seemed to descend, awash with strange colors.
A sense of foreboding filled Niđhöggr.
Squeal—
And indeed, Niđhöggr heard a strange burning sound from high in the sky. Looking up, he saw a dark violet, massive meteorite falling from the heavens, wreathed in bizarre colors!
It roared down with terrifying speed, precisely targeting the circling Glintstone Dragon, and crashed to the ground.
Boom——
A roaring crimson dust storm immediately erupted over the Wailing Dunes!
The wind and sand blasted outwards, sending Niall and Jerren, who had remained near Radahn, flying!