(see the End for the author's notes)
A Journey's end… Yes, that is it. The end of a beautiful journey. The end of the story of a weary soul, unable to rest, unable to yield…
Battered, bleeding and out of breath, both of them had clearly seen better days.
In a place where time and space were as fleeting as passing thouhgt, a battle that could very well go done in history was being fought. And yet, there was none to bear witness to it, nor was there anyone to sing the tale of it to the generations that will come.
One of the two coughed, tasting blood before falling to their knees, a metallic clang resounding in the open space as their weapon was stabbed into the ground, allowing them to use it as support to not fall
"Thou hast reached thy limit…" The other said in between hard breaths, this one looming over the prone figure. The voice sounded masculine, rough, on edge and tired. It belonged to an individual several times bigger than the prone figure before him
The prone figure coughed once again, the taste of blood not leaving their mouth. They took a shaky breath before a giggle escaped their lips "… Indeed… It seems so" They spoke, the voice sounding feminine. Shaky and weak, but undeniably female.
"Cease this, friend… Why dost thou seek this curse wherewith I am burdened? To slay what?" The male stated, a tint of despair in his gruff voice
There was a silence between the two
a long silence, stretching for at least a full minute.
Before the female laughed yet again, cutting through the silence "I… Don't know… Anym-" She was cut off by a violent set of coughs which sent her entire body in a spiral of pain "Argh… Can't we just end this… Maliketh?" She managed to say, her voice weakened with each word
In the back of her mind, in the deepest part of her heart, she knew the result of this fight would be like this. She didn't have it in her to take the life of that death wielding beast.
Maliketh, the Black Blade as people called him in the Lands Between. Half-Brother to the Queen Marika, and the one single beast that everyone in the Lands Between would rather not have as an opponent. He was feared far and wide throughout the world as the only being capable of delivering true death to his enemies, wielding a gigantic black blade, radiating a red and black aura within which the Rune of death was sealed.
But She saw someone else raising his sword to retaliate against her attacks. She saw not Maliketh the terror of the Lands Between, but Gurranq, a dear friend of her she met by chance. A chance encounter that was the result of her stubborness and ignoring the advice of another acquaintance of her. She received a quest from him to gather deathroots so he may feed on them. She took pity on him. The sight of the Heartbroken and depressed Gurranq was something she didn't like, so she visited often, tried to talk to him despite him barely talking back. Even without words, both knew a friendship was born.
And she was now cutting off that friendship, all for the sake of the Blade her friend was wielding.
Fate was truly ironic,no? She wanted to laugh, but the pain throughout her body stopped her and made her gag.
"… Why?" Maliketh's - Gurranq's - voice was almost pleading. She could see through the little shaking here and there that he didn't want to have to do this - Not to her, at least.
"That's your job… isn't it? To protect that… Damn thing" She said with a small smile, while her eyes zoomed in on the gigantic bade he was wielding
"… Why?" He knew he was repeating himself, but he also knew the woman, The Tarnished, the friend before him was purposely avoiding the question. He raised his sword, and pointed it at her "I shall bring thy end, but prithee, answer my question. Why art thou here, seeking this curse?" he asked, trying hard not to falter. He had a duty to fulfill.
The woman stared at the tip of the sword for a moment, then her eyes landed on his "…Out of obligation… I guess" She finally said, before coughing again "Isn't it ironic?… I never wished for the… throne. Nor have I ever wished for the elden ring… there are countless other Tarnished out there with more ambition…" She laughed a bit, allowing her body to sit down, laying her sword next to her. Maliketh didn't move "And yet, by some miracle or some cruel joke… I am performing better than all of them… being the closest to mend that accursed Ring… really, ironic, isn't it?" She laughed again
Maliketh stayed still, he din't move, nor did he interrupt her. He just listened.
"I was content just living my life out there… while waiting for someone to claim the Elden Ring for them…" Her eyes gained a distant look, far past Maliketh, as if she was looking at someone else "… But a haughty little maiden had to bring me out of my everyday life…" She smiled sadly, remembering her memories with Melina from a time long gone "She made an accord, I was to bring her to the foot of the Erdtree while she helped me become Elden Lord… I refused… I was not seeking that position, but I could help reach the Erdtree if that was her desire… And she reluctantly agreed, not that she wasn't trying to convince me all the time to try to become Elden Lord… Thus our journey started…"
By now, the life in her was already slowly leaving her body. Her eyes had already dulled, and she didn't have the strength to move anymore. But she was still talking. So Maliketh waited
"A journey… that eventually brought us to where she wanted to be… Only for that fool to set herself on fire… believing that I shall become a Lord… Until the very end, she believed that I was the Lord she was waiting for, so she burned herself… And the Erdtree with it… The next thing I knew, I was here, in this place, looking for Rune you are wielding so that I can fulfill her wishes…" She ended with a tired laugh "So yes, it's a sense of obligation that brought me here, friend, nothing else…"
"Dost thou not regret not stopping her? Or seeking ways to save her?" Maliketh asked suddenly, which surprised him more than he cared to admit. He didn't know that person, she was a stranger. He never cared for them, why bother starting now?
"Haha… Yes I do… but I could not stop her either. She made a choice… I had no right to go against it… As for saving her… let's just say… it would do more harm than good" The tarnished said before sighing tiredly "I have… a request, Mali- no, Gurranq. Slay me with that blade… I am tired of this deathless cycle. I wish… to rest…." She said with a smile, closing her eyes
Mali- Gurranq, the tarnished's friend stood up, raising his sword high "Very well. Fare thee well, friend" He said with a heavy heart and deep saddness as he brought down his blade on her to deliver the final blow
"Yeah… Fare thee well, friend…" SHe said tiredly before everything turned black for her and she knew no more
Maliketh, The Black Blade - Or Gurranq, the tharnished's friend - Howled to the heavens and grieved for his loss in that eternal place that was outside of time and space. Farum Azula seemed to shake, but nothing happened. Just the howl and deep saddness of the Black Blade resonated through that Crumbling place.
And yet, for one journey's end… Another begins anew… Wake Up, Young Soul! For Your Story has yet to truly end!
Alright, This has been on my mind for a while now. Like it's been nagging me non stop ever since i've re-watched Danmachi.
I tried to satiate this hunger by looking for crossover stories between Danmachi and Elden Ring but it's dry. There are too few stories, and the good ones are abandonned. So i took the matter into my own hand, thought about it for a bit and came up with this.
Now i won't give an update schedule as I have another story i'm working on in parallel with this, and work i have to do irl (ugh), but at the very least an update should come out within two weeks (i'll try to keep that for as long as possible)
Anyways, thanks for reading, lemme know what you think about this in the reviews, bye bye