Radahn, bearing the full brunt of Lucia's aura, let out a muffled grunt. The vast, profound magic within him surged, instantly holding back the oppressive force rushing at him. His feet did not retreat even half a step.
He frowned as he looked at Lucia's body bathed in faint golden radiance, momentarily taken aback—Golden Vow was among the more complex and profound Erdtree Incantations. While it could greatly enhance the caster's strength and defense, the threshold for mastering it was exceptionally high. Usually, only ascetics who had devoutly believed in the Erdtree for many years and veteran knights could use it.
From what he knew of the Golden Dynasty, even among the elite Golden Knights directly assigned to guard Leyndell and the royal court, only powerhouses at the rank of knight commander could cast such an incantation. As for the Ancient Dragon Knights, who were said to command both Ancient Dragon and Golden incantations, fewer than one in ten could master Golden Vow due to their devotion to the ancient dragon faith.
How long had this guy even been in the royal capital? Could it really be that he was so extraordinarily gifted that, in merely a few months, he had crossed the barriers of faith and faction to master it to this extent?
But with matters having reached this point, there was no room for further thought.
Miquella possessed no divine power, and it had indeed been Radahn himself who claimed he would become the strongest demigod. Lucia had also undeniably displayed abilities of the golden lineage—given Radahn's forthright nature, he naturally had no reason to evade Lucia's challenge.
Thus, he spoke frankly. "In that case, Lucia, represent Leyndell and fight me. If I win, everything will proceed as previously agreed. Otherwise, the three of us siblings will remain