The ultimate weapon against Crucible Knights

Tarnished, Edgar, Rogier, and Nepheli arrived at the Grand Lift.

Nepheli pointed down. "That Crucible Knight is down there."

"Let's go." Tarnished stepped onto the Grand Lift first.

"That Small Roundshield looks awfully flimsy," Edgar said. "Didn't you already collect a new Brass Shield?"

Rogier and Nepheli both nodded. Tarnished's shield had been so reliable that it had left a lasting impression on them.

The Brass Shield was standard equipment for Godrick's Soldiers. Godrick's storerooms probably held several hundred of them, and Tarnished had indeed claimed a brand-new fourth wife, but...

"The new Brass Shield doesn't have a single scratch. I can't bear to use it," Tarnished sighed. "It's like getting a new phone. You know?"

"Not at all!"

"What kind of chicken is a phone?"

"A chicken from another world, presumably. After all, the Tarnished come from other worlds," Rogier reasoned.

"Roger," Tarnished said.

"What?"

"Say 'cock,' not 'cock and balls.' Keep it classy, one and all."

Rogier: "..."

Edgar: "..."

Nepheli was utterly bewildered. "What are you talking about? Chickens? Balls?"

Everyone looked a little surprised. They hadn't expected Nepheli to be so...

Tarnished grinned wickedly. "You're pretty innocent, sis."

Nepheli blushed, realizing that the talk of cocks and balls probably meant something filthy, and punched Tarnished in the head.

"Ow! Why'd you hit me, sis?"

"Cleaning the trash out of your head. Got a problem with that?"

"Nope. Excellent cleaning. Spotless, even." Tarnished declared himself instantly clearheaded and returned to the subject. "Anyway, don't worry. The Small Roundshield will do."

Seeing how confident Tarnished was, the others could only trust him and step onto the Grand Lift.

The four descended all the way to a cliff.

There wasn't much space here, only scattered ruins. Houses had probably stood here long ago, but now all that remained were weed-choked walls, steeped in endless desolation and loneliness.

The Crucible Knight stood in the shadows at the foot of a wall. Seeing the four arrive, he silently picked up the sword and shield beside him. Without proper maintenance, they had long since become covered in rust, like a hero's downfall given tangible form.

"Fuck, Godrick really was a bastard. This knight once conquered the entire Lands Between with King Godfrey. Look what Godrick reduced him to!" Edgar couldn't help cursing little Godrick.

As an educated man, Rogier's insults were much more refined, without a single obscenity. "A worthy man's loyalty is a flowing river, running only toward a lord who knows how to dig its channels. To treat his forebear's loyal retainer this way, Mr. Godrick truly disgraced his lineage."

Nepheli also shouted at the Crucible Knight. "Hey, stop being so stubborn! Someone like Godrick doesn't deserve your loyalty!"

But whatever the three said, the Crucible Knight remained unmoved. Without a word, he simply took his stance, ready to fight.

"Let me."

Tarnished stepped forward and told the Crucible Knight, "I'm the one who killed Godrick."

That single sentence provoked an immediate attack. The knight extended his arm and thrust his sword straight ahead. Tarnished neither dodged nor retreated. He raised the Small Roundshield in his left hand and struck the blade sideways with a sharp crack, instantly knocking the Crucible Knight off balance and onto his knees.

[Small Roundshield]: A small, round metal shield with a pronounced central boss, suited to deflecting attacks. Time your response to an enemy's attack, receive the blow, then use its momentum to unbalance the enemy and deliver a critical strike. A shield for aggressive offense undertaken at considerable risk.

"Oh!!!" Edgar and the others were astonished. Only now did they realize that Tarnished was just as reliable no matter which shield he held.

The Crucible Knight, meanwhile, was utterly bewildered by his failed attack.

Before he could work out how he had lost his balance, Tarnished patted his shoulder and took two steps back.

The Crucible Knight was accustomed to silence, not stupid. Recognizing that Tarnished had shown mercy, he couldn't help asking in a dry, hoarse voice, "Why... didn't you attack?"

Tarnished countered, "Do we have any reason to attack each other?"

"You killed Lord Godrick."

"Godrick was already dead. I merely killed a monster made by grafting."

The Crucible Knight looked at Tarnished, and Tarnished looked back at him.

"You wish... to win me over?"

"Yes," Tarnished answered frankly.

"I am King Godfrey's knight. I am loyal to King Godfrey alone."

"But King Godfrey was banished from the Lands Between by Goddess Marika," Tarnished said. "How about working for me until he returns? You need food, shelter, and new equipment too."

"Material things... cannot shake my resolve."

"All right, forget material things. Let's talk ideals." Tarnished continued, "King Godfrey conquered the entire Lands Between. I'm sure he wanted to make it a better place too. But now the Elden Ring is shattered, the demigods are at war, and the people of the Lands Between live in misery, their cries of anguish everywhere. I want to restore order and establish a new age where everyone can live happily. That will be incredibly difficult, so every bit of strength matters, yours included. Please help me. The Crucible Knights once brought peace to the realm. Why not do it again?"

"Hmph." The Crucible Knight looked Tarnished up and down. "You think you can rebuild the Lands Between?"

"Yes!" Tarnished thrust out his chest without hesitation. "If you want to test me, then bring it on!"

"Very well. Remember those words!"

The Crucible Knight had never been good with words. He was a knight, a warrior, and warriors had their own way of communicating.

He attacked again. Having lost his balance after his rash sword thrust last time, the Crucible Knight was clearly much more cautious now, advancing behind his raised shield.

Edgar and the others frowned. The Crucible Knight's shield was broad and thick, clearly a greatshield, and a spike mounted on it made it suited to both attack and defense.

They feared Tarnished would struggle to withstand this stance. Yet, to everyone's surprise, he used no exquisite technique against the oncoming greatshield. He simply lifted his foot and kicked it hard, instantly unbalancing the Crucible Knight again and sending him thudding back onto his knees.

Edgar: "..."

Rogier: "..."

Nepheli: "Woohoo!"

Rogier smiled wryly. "I know a little martial technique myself, but that kick was truly beyond me. Mr. Edgar, what do you make of it?"

Edgar stroked his chin. "A kick that returned to the fundamentals. Tarnished struck a very particular spot on the shield, presumably following the force of the Crucible Knight's advance and turning it against him."

Rogier saw the light. "In other words, our contestant Tarnished didn't kick the Crucible Knight down-the knight's own strength toppled him? What a gripping match! Let us look forward to more spectacular performances from both contestants."

Hey, why had they started commentating?!

Seeing the confusion in the Crucible Knight's eyes as well, Tarnished revealed the answer.

"It was a kick. I used a kick," he said. "I use shields often myself, so I know a little about their strengths and weaknesses. A heavy greatshield certainly provides dependable protection, but its weight is equally impressive. Most people would struggle to keep their balance just holding one normally. Learning to control a shield's center of gravity and wield it freely in battle is essential for anyone who uses one."

Tarnished glanced at the Crucible Knight. "Your shield has a spike, so you can probably attack with it too, right? That certainly can catch someone off guard, but to do it, you shift the shield's center of gravity toward your left side. Normally, your physical strength lets you maintain your balance, of course. But once an outside force is applied, you're liable to lose that balance, and falling becomes inevitable."

Edgar and the others understood at last.

The Crucible Knight was also astonished. "You spotted that weakness... with a single glance?"

"Well, I'm the man who's going to become a shield. Knowing the strengths, weaknesses, and uses of all kinds of shields is one of my few specialties," Tarnished said proudly.

"Why... become a shield?"

"Because I want to protect everyone."

The Crucible Knight froze for a moment, then rose.

Tarnished asked, "Still want to fight?"

The Crucible Knight answered with a sudden sword thrust.

Another sweep of the Small Roundshield knocked him off balance and onto his knees again.

The Crucible Knight rose and launched a fierce shield bash.

Tarnished kicked the shield again, and down he went.

Rising once more, the Crucible Knight stomped hard enough to shatter the ground, sending a shock wave exploding outward. The attack covered a wide area, making it difficult for most people to block or dodge, but Tarnished did neither. A light hop carried him over the ground attack. When he landed and saw another sword thrust coming, he calmly repeated his trick, flicking the Small Roundshield up with a crack and sending the ancient knight to his knees yet again.

And so it went: when the Crucible Knight used his sword, Tarnished deflected it with the Small Roundshield; when he raised his shield, Tarnished kicked it hard. They clattered through dozens of exchanges, but the Crucible Knight never managed to complete a single attack. All he did was kneel, over and over.

After dropping to his knees yet again, the Crucible Knight did not rise.

He knew that if Tarnished had actually attacked, he would probably have died dozens of times already.

"Kill me." The ancient knight cast aside his sword and shield.

Tarnished sighed softly. "You'd rather die than work for me?"

"I'm sorry. I am loyal only to King Godfrey, to the lineage of the great warrior," the Crucible Knight said, lowering his head. "All I can do is wish you swift success in fulfilling your desire and establishing a new age where everyone can live happily."

The atmosphere grew heavy. After a moment of silence, Tarnished said solemnly, "I understand."

Beneath his helmet, the Crucible Knight smiled faintly and closed his eyes to await death.

But instead of cold steel, something entirely unexpected reached him.

"I'll come back tomorrow, then the day after, and the day after that," Tarnished said. "Until you agree to work for me."

The Crucible Knight looked up in surprise. "Why won't you kill me? Kill me! My king is gone, the dynasty is shattered, and even its last descendant fell into evil. I have long since lost any reason to live!"

"If your old reasons are gone, find new ones. I think delicious food is a pretty good choice," Tarnished said with a smile. "Starting tomorrow, I'll have someone bring meals down here. Don't go attacking them."

"Ridiculous! Do you think a knight's loyalty can be changed by a single meal?" the Crucible Knight shouted indignantly.

But Tarnished ignored him and returned to his companions.

Edgar gave him a thumbs-up, while Rogier called it "splendid." Nepheli was the most excited, declaring at the top of her voice, "I knew you were good with shields, but I never imagined you were this good! Turns out you don't just know your own shields inside out-you know everyone else's too. With skills like that, you've earned my wholehearted respect, as Nepheli Loux!"

Tarnished chuckled and readily accepted the praise, but the Crucible Knight beside them shuddered.

"Loux?! Your surname is Loux?" he asked loudly.

"Yes, my surname is Loux. Why?" Nepheli looked bewildered.

That stupidity... no, that innocence. No wonder she seemed so familiar.

Having reached a conclusion, the Crucible Knight rose and told Tarnished, "There is another Crucible Knight in Stormveil whom Lord Godrick imprisoned in the Forlorn Hound Evergaol. If you release him, I will serve you!"

Taken completely by surprise, Tarnished glanced at the Crucible Knight, then at the clueless Nepheli, and instantly understood everything.

"All right. A knight's word?"

"Cannot be taken back!"

Stormhill, the Forlorn Hound Evergaol.

This place had originally been meant to hold dangerous criminals, yet Godrick had used it to imprison a knight utterly loyal to him. Little Godrick certainly had a knack for cutting off his own arm. His overthrow by Tarnished and a ragtag army was thoroughly deserved.

Just as when he had faced the Bloodhound Knight, Tarnished entered the evergaol and summoned its prisoner. Another Crucible Knight slowly appeared.

This time, Tarnished brought the Manor Towershield instead of the Small Roundshield. After all, fooling around was temporary, but life went on forever. A Shield Poking hero ought to look the part. The most important thing was never to forget your original purpose.

Taking out the Demi-Human Queen's Staff, Tarnished cast Scholar's Shield on the Manor Towershield, grabbed the Great Epee, and charged in.

No matter how the Crucible Knight swung his sword, Tarnished simply raised his shield and thrust. Faced with such a skillful, technically demanding maneuver, the Crucible Knight soon fell in defeat and remained on his knees.

Tarnished offered to recruit him again, but unsurprisingly met another refusal. Last time, Tarnished had had no choice but to kill his opponent. This time, however, he mentioned Nepheli's name.

Sure enough, this Crucible Knight shuddered just as the first had and agreed to join them.

Nepheli herself was stunned. "Huh? Is my name really that useful?"

Tarnished shrugged. "The name isn't important. The surname is."

"My surname? Loux? Is it special somehow?"

"Didn't you know? Godfrey, the first Elden Lord, had the surname Loux."

Nepheli: (°口°๑)

The two Crucible Knights joined Stormveil Castle, but their allegiance was to Nepheli rather than Tarnished. That left her feeling uncomfortable, and it all seemed terribly unreal.

"I'm just a wild child nobody wanted. I'm a Tarnished too, but I stopped seeing grace ages ago. How did I suddenly end up connected to someone as great as the First Elden Lord?" Nepheli looked utterly puzzled.

"Godfrey's original name was Hoarah Loux. Only after becoming Elden Lord did he take the name Godfrey, to set aside his former savagery. Out of respect, his warrior clan then forbade its members from using the king's surname. King Godfrey's children with Goddess Marika didn't inherit the surname Loux either. The eldest prince, for instance, was named Godwyn. Your surname being Loux can only mean that your ancestor had an extremely close connection to King Godfrey-possibly a sibling, or even one of his descendants, from before he became king."

Tarnished gave a rough explanation, and the two Crucible Knights nodded repeatedly. This was precisely why they had chosen to pledge themselves to Nepheli.

"Is that really true?" Nepheli still found it hard to believe. "King Godfrey performed countless heroic deeds, and stories about him are told all over the Lands Between. But I've never heard any of what you just said."

"Tarnished is correct," Kenneth Haight spoke up. "If you want proof, House Haight has preserved detailed records. I can tell you with absolute certainty that you are a direct blood relative of the First Elden Lord—not of Godfrey, but a descendant of Hoarah Loux."

Nepheli was dumbfounded. She had never imagined that someone as uncouth as herself could possess such noble blood.

The two Crucible Knights, however, were overjoyed. With Kenneth Haight's corroboration, they were now certain that they truly had found the precious bloodline of their former lord.

"Then, Miss Nepheli Loux." Kenneth Haight bowed deeply and said respectfully, "To rebuild the Lands Between and create a new age where everyone can survive, would you become the new ruler of Stormveil?"

"Kennedy Haight!!!"

While Nepheli was still reeling from this unexpected proposal, Edgar exploded first.

"I thought only an uncouth warrior like me would betray his former lord. I never imagined that an upright-looking scholar like you would turn traitor without a moment's hesitation too!"