4,230A/N: EDIT: Not a lot of feedback here...that hurts...site glitches ate driving me maaaad... I had a much longer chapter written, typed out all at once, only to lose it when the site went down. T_T
I'm a mess today. Knees are weak, arms are heavy, eyes are bloodshot, mind's a mess.
Sorry, there's a bit of a rant incoming.
Today might finally be the day that I tell my bloody boss to F*K RIGHT OFF once and for all; second job aside, I've been at this particular one for ages now, but this year, to say nothing of the last two weeks alone has been complete and utter shite with some of the most insane bollocks I've seen in my entire career and I've about had my fill of it.
*takes a deep breath* There we go, rant concluded. My inner Englishman usually doesn't come out like that. I'll let you know how things turns out.
Just wanted to say, I appreciate you all! More feedback means faster updates! It's especially important, in these, trying times. Every word counts and i appreciate you all! All these reviews really keep me inspired! Looking forward to hearing from you~!
As ever, I own no references, quotes, themes or memes. They're tributes to legends far greater than little 'ol me. I'm just a humble author trying to make his way in this world, one word at a time.
Time and feedback will determine if this remains a story. Simple as that. In other words...its up to YOU, the reader. Do let me know~!
Song for this chapter, at least for me, was Five Finger Death Punch, Mama Said Knock You Out.
"Alright, Messmer, I have two friends who would just love to meet you.
They're called left and right.
SAY HELLO~!"
~A legend.
I'm Gonna Knock You Out
Rellana had witnessed true horror before.
Younger than Rennala though she might be, her career was no less storied for it; she had seen things; terrible, horrible things, sights that would chill the very blood of a lesser warrior. She knew the truth of this world and all that dwelt within it; every secret that had been locked away in the Realm of Shadows. She knew why this realm had to exist, and what it was protecting.
Quite simply put, she'd been through a lot of shit.
She had once seen the terror of a vengeful goddess lay waste to the foul Hornsent; watched in mute horror as Queen Marika the Eternal waded into the thick of things, annihilating their armies with wide sweeping swings of her hammer. She'd stood atop heaps of corpses and watched two titans collide; unable to do anything but watch as their clash shook the very world. She'd seen the beautiful patron of the Golden Order beat the life out of the Hornsent's so-called god, leave it within an inch of its life, snatch the treads of divinity from it broken corpse, and offer them to the Gate of Divinity.
She'd seen Marika ascend and later, stood here, unable to do anything but balk as Messmer's mother ripped out her son's own eye and put a seal of grace in its place.
It was then that the Twin Moon Knight knew she could never return to the Lands Between.
For in her hear she knew she was tainted, if not by deeds, then association.
Such was why she had chose to remain, rather than return to Raya Lucaria to live out the rest of her days with Rennala. Guilt and grief had compelled her to remain, to live here in safety and security, rather than confront that...THING again. The Erdtree, the Greater Will, the Elden Ring, she wanted no part of it.
A fresh explosion of fire snapped her back to reality, accompanied by a howl of pain.
Rellana winced despite herself. There had a been a certain nobility in the deeds done during the Hornsent crusade at least. Dignity, despite the bloodiness of it all, purpose, despite the darkness. Everyone had done truly terrible things, yes, but for a purpose. For a better world. In the name of Order.
There was no such Order in this dark place.
No kindness of gold to be found.
Only fire. Fire...and blood.
Naruto and Messmer collided in a maelstrom of light and violence with no thought but murder. They fought viciously, trading blows like gods of old back during the darkest days of the crusade. Wounds were torn asunder, only to heal instantly, arms were shorn free and grew back in an instant. And the blood, oh gods, the blood. She could see it on the floor, smell it in the air, practically taste it on her tongue...!
Still they fought on.
Fire and shadow. Light and Darkness.
Everything descended into a mad, frenzied fight.
She'd always known Messmer -for all his lack of attention towards her- was a son of Marika and vicious fighter to boot, but now he proved it; a thousand thrust of his spear filled the room with fire, seemingly igniting the very air itself.
Yet for all that, not a single one landed. Those thousand thrusts were met with a dozen dodges, and as impossible as that might sound, not a single strike struck him. Naruto swept low, then high bringing his blades -the swords of Radahn!- to bear in a flash of gravity. They bit deep into Messmer's collarbone nearly cleaving him in two.
And yet despite that, the First of the Demigods only smiled.
It was not a nice smile. Not by any means.
"And now the real battle begins."
Her former love raised a hand and every candles in the room guttered out at once, plunging them into darkness.
Rellana inhaled sharply and shivered where she lay on her knees, despite herself. She had a great fear of the dark, she always had, ever since she was but a little girl. She'd fought in the dark once before; long ago, when she was but a girl, when she wasn't half the warrior she was now. But there was naught she could do. Wounded as she was, she could only watch over Melina's fallen form. She would make sure she slept soundly at least, safe from all harm.
But Naruto...where was he?
The world had gone silent and cold, save for the hissing of snakes.
Surely they hadn't devoured him...? No! Nay! Never! She refused to accept such...!
Steel struck steel and in the sparks that flew forth, she glimpsed him at last; just before a massive serpent swallowed him whole.
An outraged noised echoed within its maw and the beast burst like an overripe grape, sending him rocketing backwards to freedom. Messmer met him halfway, striking at a bad angle. Bad for Naruto, not him. His hands grew back in an instant. Not so his weapons. Radahn's swords went sailing across the room as he found himself disarmed and kicked away.
Rellana balked; knowing he'd never reach her nephew's weapons in time. Messmer would never allow it.
Naruto might lose, or so she thought, and that thought made her brain bleat with bestial panic.
There was only thing she could yet do to assisst him, wickedly wounded though she was.
And yet the thought made her face burn. She'd already lent him her one blade.
Giving him another would surely be truly indecent, Rennala would say, but...
Flushing, she threw her remaining blade at him with a shout.
"Husband...!"
If he felt at all embarrassed by her shouting that wordaloud, Naruto did precious little to show it. Instead he whirled in an instant and caught her weapon with a grateful glance. Fire flashed in the gloom as drew the other blade she'd given him from his back. Paired together, he gripped his new sword in his right hand and the blade she'd lent him in his left, crossing both before himself in a stance rather reminiscent of her own.
Moonlight and fire joined together as one, bathing the darkened room in azure crimson, lighting up the very world.
She'd never seen a lovelier sight in all her life.
Rellana glimpsed Messmer lurking in the shadows, his cover stripped away by the light, face pinched in concern. Surprise gleamed in his lone golden eye, followed by wary respect.
"Impressive." rising from his slouched crouch, he spat the word as though it were a curse. "Most impressive. But you are not an Elden Lord yet."
Her beloved beamed, blue eyes sparking gold as the great runes etched into his body blazed. "That doesn't mean I'm gonna lose here, snake for brains!"
A spear -or was it a lance?- came crashing down into his guard a moment later.
Naruto parried it, and Messmer, in his haste, sought to close the gap.
Errors were made!
Blocking should've rattled his bones, but the blond barreled into him, blades blazing.
Messmer was strong. Rellana accepted that. Quite possibly stronger than anyone she'd ever faced.
Naruto was stronger still.
With her blades in hand he drove the Abyssal Serpent back with a flurry of blows; all but cleaving his defenses apart. When another such serpent sought to slam him away from its master, he pivoted upon one heel and brought a blazing blade directly into its path. Momentum did the rest. He dragged the sword across its skin, using the beast's own force against it, cutting it clean in half.
Messmer's spear stabbed through its dedicated husk, only for Naruto to stomp down, entrapping it between the flagstones.
Incredibly, he decided to stow her swords and lean forward, leering at her former flame.
What was he up to now...?
"Alright, Messmer, I have two friends who would just love to meet you." Blue eyes bled red as he began cracking his knuckles; all the while his body gradually gleamed gold, a fire etched with eerie black markings. "They're called left and right. SAY HELLO~!"
The first punch caught the "blind" man straight in the jaw, sending him reeling. A second found his torso, folding him in half with a low wheese. The third caught him right between the eyes, dazing him and causing Naruto to draw back a bit with a grimace. Punching someone right in the face hurt, after all. The moment's reprieve allowed Messmer to lash out with a burst of flame, for all the good it did.
Naruto twisted aside, seized him by the wrist, and tore it clean off.
Messmer didn't even have time to balk; two palms slammed into either side of his head, rupturing his eardrums. He reeled and Naruto took the opportunity to tackle him, bearing him down to the ground. One punch followed. Three punches now. Five. Seven. Nine.
From there the outcome of the fight was never in question.
In short order Messmer's face be Me a bloody mess, his body limp, consciousness no doubt a haze of pain. He'd long since given up.
And still Naruto kept whaling on him without so much as a sound.
Something in Rellana's heart stirred.
It felt like pity.
"Wait!"
Naruto paused, just shy of beating Marika's son to death.
"Spare his life." Rellana stumbled to her feet, wincing as her wound protested. "There's no need to kill him. He is as much a victim in this as we are."
"He hurt Melina...
"And you made him pay for it." she took ahold of his wrist with trembling hands. "Please. You've done enough."
Naruto immediately tried to tug free. "No. He deserves death-
"Then so do I!"
Naruto winced. "Hey, now, you didnt it do anything wrong-
"But I did, in his name. Don't you see?" She gripped him harder. "We're the same. I did terrible things. And you redeemed ne...
She looked back to Messmer's prone form, staring sadly at the man she'd once loved above all else. "From the moment he wae born, he became a weapon. And then Marika tore out his eye, leaving him here to rot. Her boy, her first boy. Is it any wonder that he would seek vengeance against her? Does he not deserve the same chance at redemption?"
Naruto made an irritated noise, but didn't deal the final blow. Thsr was progress in and of itself. "He abandoned you."
"I was never his to abandon." Rellana shook her head. "I see that bow. He knows not what he does, and if he does, thst makes him little more than a wounded animal, lashing out at all around him, trying to make the world feel his pain. Wouldn't you do the same?"
His face closed down as he squinted at her. "I wouldn't."
"I know." She'd know that. "But not all of us have your patience, husband." She flushed even saying it, and hearing it made his face turn a lovely shade of red. "I'm sorry." tearing her gaze form his, she looked away and hiccuped softly. "I've overstepped. Have I upset you?"
He blew out a sigh and looked away, still red. "No...you're right. We'll deal with him when he wakes up...but if he fights back, I'm putting him down."
"Nothing would please me more."
With a grunt, he let Messmer fall back to the floor.
Rellana preened, quietly charmed by his show of mercy.
Strong, dangerous, yet merciful. Well, that wrapped things up rather nearly, didn't it? It cemented her mental image of him.
With that, her mind was made up; she pounced upon him and latched onto his arm. "Darling~!"
"Gah!" Naruto grunted in surprise as she embraced him, caught unawares. "Alright, alright! I get it! For cryin' out loud, why do I always attract the tall ones...
Rellana paid his words no heed and held tight, humming happily as she did.
She'd finally found her prince charming after all.
Never would she let him go.
A/N: Aaaand scene.
The many myriad misunderstandings are marvelous~! We'll cut it here for today~!
Well? Did you like this story? Yes? No? Maybe? Would you like weekly updates? By all means, speak up! Make yourselves heard! Your voice matters~!
Silence hurts worse than any flame. Looking forward to reading your feedback when I get home from work~ If this chapter gets a ton of feedback-hopefully!-then I'll do my best to ensure another early update again.
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...Review, Wouldst Thou Kindly?
And have some previews. Some are quite a ways off, but still...
Mind you, most of these previews are the same.
Wouldn't do to spoil what's coming up.
Vote for what you want to see!
And as ever:
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
SPOILERS LAY AHEAD!
YE BE WARNED!
Melina tapped her foot.
Naruto scratched the back of his head.
Her tapping intensified tenfold, much to his chagrin.
Time to find the others.
I hereby swear! To every living being, and every living soul! Now comes the age of our Eden! A thousand year voyage guided by compassion! Beginning here, love encompasses all! No living thing will be denied, no deed censured in the name of Order! I am ready! To embrace the whole of it! Let us go together!
"Whoa, now!" He waved up at the fire giant. "Friendly! Friend! No stomping, please!"
The behemoth squinted down at him in utter confusion. Progress.
Naruto beamed up at it. "Wanna be friends?"
It stabbed a hand into its stomach.
"Whoa, hey?! What're you doing?!"
Flame flared forth and took on a strange shape...almost humanoid in nature...
I am Rakshasa! Face me if you dare!
Ow! Dang, she hits hard...
The Roundtable Hold lay in tatters. He flung open the doors. A man's dead body lay on the floor, broken and twisted with black briars.
Of Fia, he saw nothing; she was gone, and his unborn children with her.
All that remained was a note nailed to the wall.
...what is that thing?"
Hewg offered him the Weapon.
"Its what she asked for. The power to kill a god."
"YOU'RE MARRIED?!"
"CURSE YOU BAAAAAYYYYLE!
"Yeah, what he said! You tell 'em, Igon!"
Florisaax tilted her head. "What am I watching, exactly?"
Sir Ansbach heaved a sigh. "She's a feisty lass, that one...
Reminded him of the old days.
"I'm so sorry!"
"GIVE HER BACK!"
He grabbed the needle.
"Please don't go...please...I can't do this without you...
"I AM HOARAH LOUX!"
"I AM NARUTO UZUMAKI!"
Two titans collided with a snarl. And the Erdtree trembled.
Naruto's head snapped back against a rousing right hook barreled into his face, leaving him spitting blood.
Godfrey did the same, eyes squinted shut as he reeled in pain. They reared back and struck as one with a mighty roar.
Their fists collided in a shockwave, sending them reeling back with ruined arms.
Never one to be outdone, Naruto stepped in and headbutted the larger man fiercely.
Godfrey -no, Hoarah Loux, now- granted him a feral grin in return.
"That's much better! I can actually FEEL that!"
EDIT: Hey, you made it! Hope you enjoyed this!
Looking forward to chatting with you all when I get back from work~!
May you have a good day filled with luck and peace,
~Nz.
R ~!