Elden Ring: Atai vows to have a perfect ending

Finally, Edgar was knocked to the ground.

But I still didn't dare to let my guard down. I carried the hound's fangs on my shoulders, ready to use the first stage of the hound's sword technique at any time to prevent the opponent from suddenly attacking and to distance myself from him while walking over.

——After all, his Rune Light had not yet flown out, which meant that Edgar was still alive.

"Cough, cough, cough!" Suddenly, Edgar started coughing violently.

I also stopped immediately and watched him struggling to get up, but just supporting himself on his knees on the ground was enough to make Edgar gasp for breath.

"It's over, Edgar." I couldn't help but speak out to stop him. "If..."

——Originally, I wanted to say; if you can listen to me carefully now, I can save your life again.

However, in the battle just now, it was because of such softness and carelessness that Creek fell down again and again, and even Melina had to stand up and got injured.

——The Edgar who once fought alongside me may no longer be here. What I see before me is just a monster consumed by the fire of revenge.

So, that sentence was subconsciously stuck in my throat.

“······You, are you still there? Zero.” Edgar was so weak that even his voice seemed to be blown away by the wind.

"Yeah." I just responded lightly.

After a long silence, Edgar asked again: "You...you really don't intend to kill me? If I have the chance, I...I will definitely come again to kill you."

"... Well." I thought for a long time, and finally, I made up my mind to say, "I'm sorry, Edgar, I did deceive you. But I definitely did not kidnap Irena, nor did I say anything to defame Irena in front of you, because... because, as early as the night before I went to the Weeping Peninsula, that is, came to Morn City and met you, Irena had already been murdered on the other side of the Sacrifice Bridge."

"..."

Seeing Edgar remain silent, I continued, "At the time, her body had many bleeding wounds, but someone deliberately destroyed her remains in order to make it look like a hybrid had committed the crime... When I found out, it had been about a day, and it was me... I went too late, so I couldn't find a way to save Irena."

“·······Why·····are you saying this only now?”

"I..." I lowered my eyes with some guilt, "Just as you said, I am indeed a hypocrite. At that time, I just thought that as long as I could save you first... No, I even thought about killing you in Moren City, so that I could save trouble in the future. But, I couldn't do it... I thought, if I couldn't save Irena, I should at least save you, as a way to redeem my conscience and fulfill Irena's wish."

"I, Irena's wish?" After hearing this, Edgar's reaction became somewhat stronger.

I summoned Irena's silk handkerchief from my blessing backpack - the letter written in blood: "I found a letter on her body, which should be written to you."

“······Could you please read it for me? I can’t see anything clearly anymore.” Edgar’s words were full of helplessness.

Only then did I realize that his raised eyes were swollen and even ulcerated, and his eye sockets were still slightly red, but it seemed as if they could not contain the hot beads and were about to fall out.

——Is this the end of epileptics? No wonder they always cover their eyes, wishing they could peel them out.

I spread out the letter, but the bloody words inside were crooked and difficult to read.

"Lord Zero, Lord Edgar, could you allow me to do it for you?" Melina seemed to see my embarrassment and extended her hand to me.

And Edgar did not object, but just waited quietly.

"...Father." Melina spoke slowly and read Irena's last letter. "Please live. Daughter, Irena."

The words were extremely brief. After all, Irena herself was a blind girl.

When she was caught in chaos during the hybrid riot and had to wander around, she was always thinking about her stubborn father, thinking that even if he gave up his duties as the Lord of Morn, she hoped that Edgar could survive as a father.

——This is a child’s little selfishness, and it is also Irena’s greatest wish.

Edgar was unable to speak for a long time, his shoulders were visibly shaking, but even if his eyes wanted to shed tears, they would be evaporated in an instant.

“Alive...alive, Irena?” Edgar smiled bitterly. “If I hadn’t been so stubborn and insisted on fulfilling my duty, I could have taken my brothers away from Morn City earlier, and there wouldn’t have been so many casualties... My daughter, my good daughter, wouldn’t have suffered such a fate... But it’s too late now, it’s too late now.”

"No, it's not too late." I said, "Edgar, you can still survive and work with me to find the real murderer who killed your daughter!"

“...No, Brother Zero.” Edgar rejected me again. “I can probably guess who the real murderer is...That guy is definitely not you.”

"That guy?"

"He has the same face as you, and even the same voice." Edgar finally explained the cause of the misunderstanding. "... In Stonewell, I suspected that Irena couldn't stand the tyranny of King Greg, and might stay near the back cliff... But one day, that guy suddenly appeared, holding a blood-stained cuff in his hand, and kept telling me words that defamed Irena. He even said shamelessly that Irena had the potential to become a finger witch, and he wanted to give her to the royal family of Kalia as a bargaining chip for his service..."

As Edgar was speaking, I suddenly remembered that Patch had also asked me if he had a brother who looked similar to him.

——······Is there more than one crazy person in this land?

Moreover, judging from Edgar's tone, this fellow, like me, also knows the development of the plot of the Ring of Magic, which is why he deliberately points the finger at the royal family of Kalia and at Lani.

Edgar suddenly turned over weakly and lay on the ground, snorting and laughing: "After losing my eyes and falling into darkness, I can see more clearly than before... That guy, there was a strange fire burning in his eyes, but I was still bewitched by him and even became his tool to harm people."

"So, cheer up, Edgar! Don't you want to avenge Irena and kill the person who really hurt her?" I took out the Holy Grail bottle. Now that the misunderstandings have been resolved, as long as Edgar is willing, he can recover by drinking the dew drops.

But Edgar shook his head: "...Brother Ling, I have been entangled in the fire of epilepsy, and my fate has completely come to an end, just like Ryan...If it weren't for the end of my fate, the fire would continue to burn, engulfing everything it sees, or even engulfing itself, so you must be careful."

“…I will.”

“I’m ashamed to say this…” Edgar gave a bitter smile, “Can you do me one last favor and help me kill that crazy bastard?… I’ve fought him before, and not only was I defeated, I was also infected with this madness. I’m completely… powerless.”

"I will, I promise." I responded immediately without any hesitation.

Edgar was slightly stunned, then he laughed again: "Thank you very much... I'm sorry."

As he closed his eyes, the golden rune light gathered from Edgar's body into the palm of my hand.

I let out a long sigh, raised my head, and looked at the giant golden tree that was towering into the sky nearby. The dazzling light looked like a huge black hand that was about to grab people.

——Is fate really unchangeable?

——Is everything I have done in vain?

Endless darkness enveloped people, making them feel chest tightness, shortness of breath, and suffocation.

"Master Zero, what's wrong?" Melina asked with concern.

I turned my head and looked at her. I opened my mouth several times, but nothing came out. I could only sigh tiredly, "No, nothing."