"Quick! Stop him!"
Accompanied by roar after roar, the Golden Order launched a fresh wave of charges toward Mohg's position.
Thanks to Mohg drawing the vast majority of the heat, the pressure on both the Carian forces and his own Blood Warriors was greatly diminished. The Golden Order was forced to divert a massive amount of heroic-tier and rank-and-file combatants just to deal with Mohg—a demigod-level threat—and Lansseax, who was currently performing very close to that level.
Had they allowed these two powerhouses to rampage unchecked across the battlefield, there would have been no difference between continuing the fight and surrendering outright. Their only choice was to throw lives at the problem, using sheer numbers to bridge the gap in top-tier combat power.
Though Radagon and Messmer were loath to see this happen, they were powerless to intervene. Their own elite generals were being held in place by the Carian high command, unable to break away to assist.
It was clear: this first major engagement with Caria had ended in a defeat for the Golden Order due to the intervention of the Mohgwyn Dynasty.
Their priority now was to salvage their tarnished reputation, minimize further losses, and expand whatever minor gains they could find. The Mohgwyn Dynasty, as the primary culprit behind their failure, was their natural target. If they could at least kill the transformed ancient dragon and the Blood Lord here, they could save face. They needed to show the Lands Between exactly what happened to those who dared provoke the Golden Realm.
But if they failed... the commanders would face severe questioning from the Royal Capital. They would be forced to beg for reinforcements, a move that could jeopardize their future objectives in this campaign.
Lansseax watched the swarm of incoming projectiles and gestured with her hand. Countless streaks of scarlet Blood-Lightning fell from the heavens, forming a natural barrier that intercepted the missiles and weaker incantations.
Anyone attempting to bypass the lightning to reach Mohg had to endure a baptism of blood-lightning first, only to face a powerhouse like Lansseax head-on.
Lansseax didn't dare hold back her strength in this situation. She unleashed a torrent of wide-range, high-potency Blood-Lightning incantations as if opening a floodgate. The relentless barrage pinned down the attackers, making it nearly impossible for them to even raise their heads. This was her in human form; had she been in her ancient dragon form, many of these men would likely have already perished under the strikes.
However, a few stubborn souls, fueled by chugging Crimson Crystal Tears, managed to force their way through the storm to engage Lansseax in close quarters. The cost, however, was significant damage to their weapons and armor.
Clang!
Facing a three-man encirclement, Lansseax used her scale-covered arms to block two incoming greatswords before spinning for a tail-swipe that sent a warrior wielding a one-handed greataxe flying. Even in human form, an ancient dragon's greatest weapon remained its own body.
Gripping the two remaining weapons, Lansseax wreathed her hands in blood-lightning and tightened her claws.
Snap!
Two sharp cracks echoed as the weapons, already brittle from the lightning's heat, shattered into pieces. One warrior stared in sheer shock, while the other immediately released his broken blade and lunged forward. His empty left hand suddenly manifested a Sacred Seal!
"Golden Bloom!"
Boom!
The point-blank holy explosion sent Lansseax tumbling back. She skidded across the dirt before stabilizing herself and looking up.
The warrior was already upon her. He kicked off the ground, soaring into the air before bringing a leg down like a war-axe in a vertical strike.
Bang!
The force of the blow made Lansseax's body sink, a look of surprise crossing her face. The Golden Order warrior continued his combo without a hint of emotion. With a twist of his hips, his other leg whipped out, trailing a wake of white air.
This strike sent Lansseax even further away from Mohg.
Before Lansseax could speak or unleash a large-scale incantation, the man pressed his advantage again. His fists flew like a hurricane, a relentless barrage that interrupted her every attempt to manifest a spell.
He seemed to have completely read her combat intentions. While these physical strikes couldn't deal massive damage due to the power disparity, they were precisely timed to hit her vitals, forcing her to abandon her incantations to avoid being harmed by her own backfiring power. It was a display of martial skill pushed to its absolute limit.
Seeing Lansseax occupied by their comrade, the other two warriors ignored her and charged straight for Mohg.
Mohg's brow furrowed. He glanced at Lansseax; the person attacking her seemed to be a master of ancient martial arts. These warriors grew strong through the tempering of their own bodies; in a sense, they were at their most dangerous when they fought without conventional weapons.
Realizing Lansseax couldn't be relied upon for the moment, Mohg gave up on trying to force the final stage of the ritual through immediately, fearing a backlash if he were interrupted.
"Then I'll just spend a few seconds dealing with you..."
Mohg pulled the Mohgwyn's Sacred Spear from the blood-soaked void and whispered as he looked at the two approaching men.
The warrior who had lost his weapon simply scooped up a discarded sword from the ground and charged.
"Hah!!!"
With a roar of fury, the warrior with the greataxe swung his weapon with the force of a tensed longbow.
"War Cry! Golden Strike!"
Simultaneously, the swordsman used a dash to close the gap.
"Sacred Blade!"
Against two heroic-tier combatants, Mohg would usually have to be on high alert. But in his current state...
Mohg merely glanced at them and swept his trident in a wide arc.
"Bloodflame Slash!"
A crescent moon of scarlet fire tore through the air, passing directly through the swordsman. The man's body stiffened for a moment before slowly splitting in two. Having already been weakened by the battle and Lansseax's barrier, facing a demigod-level strike was more than he could endure.
"Vito!!!"
Hearing the grief-stricken roar from above and the whistling of the air, Mohg raised his trident to block a desperate strike from the greataxe wielder. Golden light exploded at point-blank range, but Mohg could clearly see the mask of hatred on the warrior's face.
"...Our different allegiances have fated this tragedy. I do not regret my choice, and this is a sacrifice that was inevitable."
Mohg spoke with a flat gaze, his left hand lunging out wreathed in bloodflame.
Puchi—!
The sound of flesh being pierced followed as Mohg's arm drove straight through the man's chest.
"Cough...!"
The warrior coughed up a spray of blood, his eyes wide, staring fixedly at Mohg. Mohg thrust his trident into the ground beside him and reached out to gently close the man's eyes.
"A respectable warrior."
With that, Mohg shook his head and raised the Sacred Spear once more.
"UNUS!"
The moment the spear pierced the air, time itself seemed to stand still.
In the next heartbeat, the Bloodboon Ritual was fully activated. The blood within almost everyone marked by the glowing rings began to surge uncontrollably.
The common Leyndell soldiers and various minor units simply exploded in sprays of gore, their life force snuffed out instantly to serve as the primary sacrifice for the ritual. Soon after, even the elite soldiers and knights began to buckle. They collapsed to their knees in agony as blood seeped from every pore.
Only the heroic-tier powerhouses managed to suppress the internal rebellion of their blood through sheer physical might, but their condition was far from good. Their blood churned beneath their skin like slithering serpents.
Mohg thrust the Sacred Spear again.
"NIHIL!"
"AAARRRGGGHHH!!!!"
At that moment, no one caught within the ritual's radius could suppress it any longer. The blood of dozens of powerful warriors erupted outward in a violent spray.
A moment later, Mohg flicked the blood from his spear and took a deep breath. He gestured with his left hand, and the blood of the fallen heroes slowly coalesced into his palm, merging with their spiritual essence to form a single, dark-red crystal.
This would be the capital he needed to ascend to a higher tier once he reverted to his original power.
Of course, he had no intention of wasting the blood of the thousands surrounding him, either. Mohg slammed the Sacred Spear into the center of the battlefield. The blood that had turned the ground into a small lake surged toward the weapon, forming a massive, glowing crest of the Mohgwyn Dynasty.
Whoosh—
Mohg spread his wings, and the black-red aura swept out once more, stirring a violent gale across the now-silent battlefield.
"Blood for the Blood God! Skulls for the Skull Throne!"
"Blood for the Blood God! Skulls for the Skull Throne!!!"
As a colossal, spectral image of Mohg manifested over the field, the Blood Warriors fighting the Golden Order in the distance erupted in ecstatic cheers. They were instantly empowered by the Bloodboon of the Mother of Truth, their strength surging.
Under the pincer attack of the empowered Blood Warriors and the Carian army, the Golden Order troops began to crumble.
In the immediate vicinity of Mohg, the survivors didn't even dare to step forward. They stared at him with eyes full of terror, hatred, and fury, but none dared to make a move.
Mohg slowly turned his gaze toward the nearby cluster of Golden Order troops. A Leyndell soldier met his eyes and, overcome by sheer dread, stumbled backward several steps.
This single retreat triggered a chain reaction. Almost all the soldiers in the front rank began to back away.
Suddenly, a flash of gold passed, and the retreating soldier's head flew from his shoulders.
The Tree Sentinel commander stepped forward, having personally executed the deserter.
"No one retreats! Anyone who steps back... dies!!"
The commander's condition was pitiable. His once-golden armor was now entirely stained crimson, and his warhorse was nowhere to be seen. Mohg could see the arm gripping the Golden Halberd trembling violently; the man was clearly at death's door.
Mohg didn't know how the man had survived the ritual, but he no longer intended to strike him down. His own temporary power was almost exhausted. If he continued the pursuit, the outcome might become unpredictable.
Fortunately, the harvest was already sufficient.
The name of the Mohgwyn Dynasty had been seared into the world's memory, and he had established a terrifying precedent. As for how many people had recognized him as "Gwyn"... that was hard to say. At worst, he'd just stop using that identity and switch to another.
More importantly, the massive sacrifice had empowered his surviving followers and furthered his own path, especially with that Blood Crystal in hand.
It was enough. It was time to leave before his power ebbed and the tables turned.
Lansseax looked down at the battlefield and clicked her tongue. "You really are quite heartless when you get going."
Mohg rolled his eyes. "You have far more blood on your hands than I do."
"Hehe, true. So, what's the plan? Keep fighting?"
"No. We're leaving. My power is running dry."
"What a shame. Otherwise, we could have turned back and finished off those two leaders."
"...If you hadn't screwed up, one of them would already be my prisoner."
"Lalala~" Lansseax turned her head away, looking at the sky as if she hadn't heard a word.
"Stop playing around. It's time to go."
"Right."
Mohg raised his hand again. The Golden Order forces immediately braced themselves, having lost all desire to attack. They raised their shields in a defensive wall, layering holy incantations and golden barriers.
Mohg couldn't help but smirk; they were clearly terrified. In truth, if he were any other entity, he might have been overwhelmed by an army of this size. But with Mohg's specific power, he was an army's worst nightmare, as he could simply absorb the blood of the fallen to sustain himself.
The next second, the blood mist expanded. Upon Mohg's command, the Blood Warriors disengaged from their foes and gathered together, disappearing into the mist.
Just as Mohg was about to vanish, a figure appeared not far away.
"Gwyn!"
"...Rellana."
"Hmm?" Lansseax looked between the two of them. She nodded with a look of mock seriousness and then dived into the pool of blood.
Mohg came to a halt and looked back at Rellana. As his power began to fade, his form gradually shifted back into the red-haired, human-looking youth known as Gwyn.
----Support me here: https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
If you'd like to read ahead, you can subscribe for early access. I also have several other novels in my collection that you might enjoy!
Also, if there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patreon, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on updating it.
Join the journey and become part of the story!