Storm Stomp!
No one could have predicted Frieren's next move. She leaped into the air and viciously kicked Senessax in the jaw, momentarily halting its torrent of lightning.
She then transitioned into a soaring glide, slamming an ice storm down upon its head.
Even with the protection of magic reinforcement, the dragon was left dizzy and dazed, its poise shaken.
Its body swayed as it staggered out onto the small stone path by the collapsed cliff edge.
The silver-haired girl didn't forget to plant a foot on the dragon's horn to launch herself high into the air, dipping a shoulder to pass by, as light and graceful as a swallow. She moved through the battlefield with effortless ease.
"I'll go on ahead."
Before her words faded, her small figure vanished into a pile of rubble.
Even her footprints were erased by the scorching wind and arcing electricity, leaving only a carefree echo. Her target was Bayle the Mad Dragon; this was merely an interlude.
She had absolute faith in the strength of Melina and the Mimic Tear, even against a first-rate Ancient Dragon.
The two left behind exchanged a look and breathed a sigh of relief.
They had finally covered Frieren's departure.
Of course, this also meant they now had to face the wrath of a top-tier powerhouse directly.
One could only imagine how frenzied Senessax would be after getting hammered by Frieren. They had to be mentally prepared.
Unexpectedly, the white Ancient Dragon was calm. It merely glanced in the direction its opponent had disappeared before turning back.
"Impressive. She is a formidable foe on the same level as Lord Bayle. I am still a ways off from reaching the status of a king... so I shall use you as my stepping stones."
Though infuriated, controlling its emotions was necessary.
Ancient Dragons could easily lose their soaring will to the erosion of time, but that didn't mean they were driven by anger.
They had to exercise careful control, to understand themselves.
That was true mastery.
The battlefield fell silent. Both sides were re-evaluating each other, having gained a rough understanding of the situation after a few exchanges.
Brute force wouldn't work; they had to build an advantage step-by-step and convert it into victory, to surely kill their target.
Melina knew very well that having lost their main attacker, she had to win through unconventional means.
Was her current power sufficient?
Should she unleash a larger-scale Destined Death? But her mission told her to hold back, to keep her trump card hidden, especially outside the Tarnished's range of perception...
But did she still need to abide by that? They had already promised to find a way to avoid burning her...
"Hesitation in your heart... how unsightly." Amidst a cold sneer, Senessax finally unleashed its Dragonbolt Breath.
The ever-vigilant Mimic Tear reacted fastest. Unable to block it, it could only counter, striking back with the most direct possible Comet Azur!
BOOM!
The heavy thud signified the clash of two immense powers.
The ground at the point of impact was compressed, shattered, and even torn open into a concave pit. A massive sphere materialized in the void, containing a condensed but unreleased shockwave.
The moment the energy showed signs of an imbalanced explosion, new magic was injected.
The silver-white girl struggled to hold on. From the very first move, she understood the vast gap in magic power between her and the Ancient Dragon.
Comet Azur was the right choice, but it depended on the user. Without having reached Frieren's level, it was still a strain.
The Ring of Light must cover—
Melina's timely support reversed the decline, helping the Mimic Tear withstand the Dragonbolt. But the situation was not optimistic.
On the contrary, Senessax still had power to spare, continuously increasing its magic output rate, growing stronger as the battle raged on.
A fierce wind battered their faces, their bones creaked, and the ground they stood on was covered in fine cracks.
The constant drain of energy brought fatigue and pain, and they simultaneously had to deal with the stray lightning searing their skin.
"You still don't understand the power of an Ancient Dragon."
In the end, another surge of magic became the weight that tipped the scales. The shockwave sent the two flying, buried under a torrent of rubble.
In contrast, the scattered Comet Azur and Golden Ring of Light could only leave scuff marks on the Ancient Dragon's scales.
Senessax did not let down its guard, for the aura of life remained, and their fighting spirit was undiminished.
Dragonbolt Blessing!
The timely elemental Golden Protection shielded the two from further harm. Otherwise, taking a direct Dragonbolt hit would have been fatal.
A faint blue light shone from within the dust, every mote a glintstone shard.
Shard Spiral, mixed in with the gravel, instantly covered its body. Although it was prepared, its massive body wasn't fast enough.
The sharp glintstone shards continuously drilled into the gaps between its scales, bound to wound its flesh sooner or later.
"In your dreams—"
Senessax furiously launched a Dragonbolt, but it was cut down in mid-air by Melina's golden blade, exploding into scattered fireworks.
A non-continuous attack was not that great a threat to a demigod-level powerhouse.
Moreover, the next moment, the Mimic Tear activated Night's Mist to cover their retreat, and the follow-up attack hit empty air.
To be safe, they could only choose to fight on the move.
As agility-based fighters, the matchup was terrible, and they especially had to be wary of the Ancient Dragon's sudden bursts of red lightning.
"How did you two fight Lansseax at the Leyndell Ramparts?"
"Unfortunately, neither of us dealt any fatal blows. It was mainly Frieren's Sunlight Spear that successfully broke through her scale armor. According to her, the plan was to continue pouring on the damage, which we can't do. We need a different tactic."
"I'll wear it down."
The Mother had her ways, and she had her own. By maintaining the current rhythm, they could achieve victory, even if it took some time.
Indeed, the Mimic Tear's Night Sorcery had merged with the glintstone shards, continuously infusing a magic-breaking erosion between the scales.
After all, the Eternal City specialized in dealing with sorcerers; they had no shortage of methods to counter sturdy defenses.
As expected, a crisp crack sounded by Senessax's ear. A scale on its neck had actually fallen off.
It sullenly lowered its head to witness a streak of crimson flowing from the wound.
"So Ancient Dragons bleed, too."
The Mimic Tear teleported with Melina to a cliff above, smiling down at it.
Even though both had suffered injuries to varying degrees, under the effects of Golden Heal, it was nothing serious.
They prepared for a protracted battle. At worst, they'd fight for days and nights; for a demigod, it was no problem.
Senessax sneered, unconcerned, lashing out with lightning strikes against the glintstone shards and golden blades.
Relying on the immense vitality of the Ancient Dragon race, it could easily drag this out. In the end, victory would still be its.
Both sides realized they had reached a stalemate.
One had strong vitality, the other strong recovery. Neither could be dealt with quickly.
But then, a commotion came from above...
An unimaginable amount of magic was brewing at the summit of Jagged Peak. Even before Frieren and Bayle met, their oppressive auras had already clashed in a preliminary test of strength.
The fallout was sure to affect them soon, and added variables would make things difficult to judge. It was best to end this quickly.
Hiss!
A heart-stopping power of death emanated from Melina's blade.
After just a single glance, Senessax's expression turned grave, its whole body tensing. It didn't dare to be careless in the slightest.
If that hit squarely, it would be disastrous.
"You've finally decided to use it?" the Mimic Tear asked, slightly teasingly. "Not saving it for the Mother?"
"It's not a one-time use, and there's nothing left to hide."
Melina tightened her grip on Destined Death, then glanced at the northern sky.
Another reason for her hesitation was that it would attract the attention of the Black Blade, but so what? Would a companion walking with a King fear that?
First, she would slay an Ancient Dragon for her.
The view from the heights of Jagged Peak was even more expansive, taking in most of the Land of Shadow.
Even the Shadow of the Erdtree didn't seem so far away.
Treading over the gravel, Frieren suddenly stopped and looked back.
"Destined Death?"
The familiar energy reaction made even her turn to look. After all, it was a product of the rules of the Lands Between, a supreme treasure of the world.
Even the sliver entrusted to Melina was extremely dangerous, enough to deal with Senessax.
With the Mimic Tear to increase their margin for error, she didn't need to worry about the two of them working together.
Frieren withdrew her gaze and continued forward. The terrain gradually opened up, and a blood-red flower even appeared at her feet.
From a distance, it looked like a splatter of blood.
Each one emanated the aura of a Dragonkin Soldier.
Countless challenges must have taken place here. Powerful warriors, summoned by Senessax, must have reached the summit one after another, fearlessly charging forward with only one goal: the crippled dragon surrounded by flowers.
At this moment, it slowly raised its head.
It seemed to awaken lazily from a deep slumber, but in reality, its aura was condensed to the extreme, its magic concentrated to a single point, in a state of perfect readiness.
It had been waiting for a long time.
Frieren read the will to fight in its eyes.
Indeed, unlike the coordinated beauty of Ancient Dragons, who claimed to be works of art, the monster before her was filled with the unique grotesqueness of a wyvern.
Its flesh grew haphazardly, sinews and bones exposed, covered in scars. At a glance, it was just a lump of meat.
But its unfathomable magic did not lie. It was more terrifying than the strangeness of the Lord of Magma; it was a never-satisfied lust for battle.
When the silver-haired girl stepped into this place, Bayle had a feeling:
The final battle.
The grudges and feuds with the Ancient Dragon race were likely coming to an end. Either the sky city would no longer have a warrior strong enough to kill it, or it would be buried here.
How it looked forward to what would happen.
It carefully scrutinized the visitor. A golden crown on her head, long, pointed ears, silver hair, and narrow eyes like gemstones.
She wore light silver armor, and her red cape danced in the wind. Her every move exuded a sense of pressure.
Merely closing the distance felt like mountains collapsing, like an avalanche, a silent thunderclap.
"To have the leisure to admire the scenery... you're quite relaxed, Quasi-King."
"I'm just taking the time to have one last look, because I'm going to destroy you, Bayle, along with Jagged Peak. This place is already a wasteland, so it's better to tear it down and start over."
"Is it really wise to think so far ahead before you've even won?"
The Mad Dragon gave a faint smile and straightened its body. Though only one of its hind legs was barely intact, it still supported its massive frame.
What stood up was its will, its rising soul energy blazing brilliantly in Frieren's eyes. Thousands of years of imprisonment had never broken it.
It was as if all the lonely waiting existed only for this moment. For the Mad Dragon, this was the best possible outcome.
It waited for her to attack, but the silver-haired girl instead took out a spoon.
"You don't mind if I summon, do you?"
"A mere nobody. Do as you please. It's rather nice to have an audience. Let them properly appreciate our martial prowess."
Out of respect, Frieren sought her enemy's opinion.
Although she usually preferred to fight alone, she didn't mind making an exception to fulfill a friend's wish.
The next moment, Igon's figure fully materialized.
At this sight, the Mad Dragon's pupils constricted, then it chuckled. "Well now, I know you. You are indeed a tenacious warrior. But merely tenacious. What can you possibly bring to this battlefield?"
"This time, I will make you understand. Lady Frieren and I, Igon, are the embodiment of your fear."
The dragon warrior nocked an arrow to his greatbow, ready.
Though his aura was faint and faltering, his will was firm, his gaze unwavering, aimed only at his target.
This would be his final battle, no matter what.
In this, did he not resonate with Bayle?
An arrow shot forth, the Mad Dragon lunged, and the two began their battle at full speed—
Frieren was faster.
A massive Dark Moon spear slammed into Bayle's head first, and the arrow that followed immediately after actually pierced its flesh and bone.
The wound was negligible, but why had its proud physique suddenly become so fragile? Its magic was in disarray.
The Dark Moon sorcery learned from Ranni possessed superior magic-breaking properties. Combined with the bone-chilling frost effect, it slowed the dragon by a beat.
Of course, the next moment, Bayle shook off the frost.
But the primary magic-breaking attribute was difficult to remove; it wouldn't work in the short term.
But it was not discouraged, because Frieren's opening gambit also revealed her tactical thinking: to settle this with magic.
In that case, it would counter by fighting in close quarters.
Having made up its mind, the Mad Dragon lunged forward. Its simple, unadorned charge carried thunder and flame, causing the entirety of Jagged Peak to resonate.
Shink!
The sensation of impact was incredibly heavy. Frieren had raised her Dark Moon Greatsword to block its claws, and the two were actually locked in a brief struggle of strength.
A fierce wind kicked up between them, forcing Igon to retreat, while the two top-tier powerhouses briefly separated only to resume their fierce assault.
A bloody maw opened, a spherical light glowing deep within its throat.
"Just shut up."
It was met by the silver-haired girl's Gavel of Haima. Though cast from a staff, its power was no less than any legendary weapon.
Ultra-high quality magic could also serve as a weapon.
But Bayle's body didn't even pause for a moment. With a flick of its head, it re-aimed and spat a fireball.
Frieren sidestepped, the explosion sending her long hair flying.
Both sides simultaneously chose to engage in close combat. Waves of light from the Dark Moon Greatsword erupted alongside magic; flames and Dragonbolt spat forth.
The intersecting energy explosions triggered a tornado, ripping the hundred flowers up by their roots and dyeing the air crimson.
A moment's hesitation would be met with a fierce combo, so they could only move faster and faster.
Incredibly, behind Bayle, wing-like manifestations of magic were faintly visible, propelling its massive body in swift twists and turns, full of suppressive force when combined with its strength.
It didn't forget to pursue Igon.
A fireball landed on the dragon warrior and began to burn him, yet he shot his arrows without fear of pain, one after another sticking between its scales.
Even so, it didn't affect Bayle's ferocious speed, which seemed to overwhelm her magical retaliation.
At close range, there was no time to charge spells, nor could she leverage their range advantage. This was its plan.
"Where's your magic? Not enough time?"
As it mocked, its claws swept past the silver-haired girl's shoulder, slicing a bloody gash where there was no armor protection.
Not only that, but the lingering lightning would penetrate to the bone and conduct throughout her body, completely paralyzing her in the next moment—
Golden Vow!
While actively protecting herself, she stamped her foot, conducting the electricity into the ground, actually dispelling the secondary damage.
Bayle's smile grew wider. That's more like it. This was what a proper fight was about, countering move for move.
But its smile was short-lived. After a dash, Frieren leaped into the air, condensing a move it had never seen before.
Using the enhanced power of the Dark Moon Greatsword, she unleashed a specialized weapon skill.
For some reason, its entire body trembled. Was it anticipation, or dread?
Dragonwound Slash!
The slender blade of energy struck the dragon's head directly.
In that moment, Bayle's head reeled, and it swayed on its feet. There was a splash of crimson before its eyes, and a searing pain.
It had actually broken through its scales?
Its defense was indeed inferior to that of a true Ancient Dragon, but it wasn't something that could be easily breached.
Moreover, a series of damage reduction, poise resistance, and regeneration abilities were nourishing its body.
How could it be wounded by a single simple move? Yet it happened. It had to be careful.
Frieren's attack wasn't over. Dragonwound Slash fell once more.
BOOM!
It struck Bayle's arm. As it blocked, lightning erupted from its body, these currents interfering along with its magic, using absolute power to counter the attack.
"Your little tricks end here."
Unexpectedly, the silver-haired girl immediately canceled the opening animation of Dragonwound Slash. Two staves appeared, and only in that instant did it realize the distance was now perfect.
Everything was just right.
Two streams of Comet Azur shot out like parallel lines, striking the Mad Dragon's massive body.
The moment they made contact, it felt a sharp pain in its chest. Its flesh, blood, and bones were torn apart, and energy was leaking uncontrollably—
Then it would release it willingly.
Enduring the pain, Bayle opened its great maw and unleashed a torrent of breath to contest it, a clash of titans.
Blue and red magic stained the sky. Neither would give way, determined to decide a victor.
Under the casters' will, the burst attacks shifted to continuous damage.
However, the battle arena was not so sturdy. Amidst the howling wind and rolling thunder, the open ground at the summit of Jagged Peak was collapsing layer by layer.
First, it crumbled down one level, then another, falling below their feet.
Finally, the starkly opposed magic could no longer maintain its balance, and each stream shot off to the side.
A path was cut through the clouds, and the veil of dust and earth was torn away.
The land, which had not seen sunlight for years, was sprinkled with brilliance, shrouding the two powerhouses in a golden gauze.
"I won't give you a chance to cast."
Bayle was very satisfied with its suppression so far. The wound on Frieren's shoulder had widened, a patch of scorched black, still crackling with arcs of electricity, temporarily difficult to heal.
Its firepower, greater than that of a typical Ancient Dragon, was its greatest asset. She was just a mere sorcerer.
The silver-haired girl gestured with her Dark Moon Greatsword in response:
"Have you forgotten what it feels like to be hit by this? Even if you're wary of magic, I have plenty of tactics. If you only focus on one thing, you'll always be caught off guard."
"Then what would you do?"
"Attack."
The unhesitating answer made the Mad Dragon laugh out loud. It then raised its head proudly, a dragonflame brewing in its mouth.
Unlike its previous ordinary breath, this was Bayle's unique power.
The talent of the strongest wyvern was on full display, capable of easily melting rock and even magical constructs.
Frieren would not sit idly by. She immediately used Miriam's Vanishing.
She chose to temporarily avoid the brunt of the attack.
Her style was defensive counter-attacking anyway; there was no need to take risks before the enemy had revealed most of their moves.
The ground where she had stood a moment before melted into a large pit.
The bottom of the pit sizzled with heat. The solid rock was actually boiling, bubbling, and bursting with a crackle in the air, leaving a puddle of black substance in the pervasive high temperature.
So that's it.
It's very similar to the substance of Jagged Peak's main structure. The mountain has been transformed by it over the years...
As the silver-haired girl's figure flickered and reappeared, Bayle lunged with all its might. It knew she was waiting, but that didn't matter.
Its claws, wreathed in maximum lightning and fire, pressed down.
A wave of moonlight also bloomed, clashing with it. But it wasn't a direct frontal assault; with a hiss, it actually deflected the claws.
How could that be? In all its life of battle, Bayle had never imagined it would be parried.
What followed was a point-blank Soul Stream!
The blue magic ignored its armor, striking directly at the depths of its soul, a heart-piercing pain.
Its so-called scales, muscles, and magic protection were all rendered useless. The one-of-a-kind soul-damaging attack in all the Lands Between had struck Bayle's unprotected soul.
"Aargh!"
The scream represented its agony, but it didn't slow Bayle's movements in the slightest. It still persisted in launching its Dragonclaw, but an arrow from the other side lodged in its wrist.
A panting Igon provided a supporting shot. Seizing the opportunity, Frieren threw out a Glintstone Arc as a follow-up.
Because the distance was too dangerous, she first withdrew the continuous attack of Soul Stream.
Dragonclaw was interrupted, but it didn't matter.
The experienced Bayle immediately changed its move, its bloody maw lunging low and fast, instantly biting down on the silver-haired girl who couldn't dodge in time.
Its fangs and high-temperature flames closed in together, enough to bite a chunk out of a city wall.
Iron Flesh, Endure, Flame, Grant Me Strength, Twisting Light Wall, and various other buffs covered her even faster.
CRUNCH!
The sensation in its mouth was like shattering its own teeth. It wasn't like biting into flesh and blood, but a highly-upgraded legendary weapon, completely unmoving.
But how could it admit defeat? It would bite down even if its teeth broke.
This ruthless spirit that feared no pain was Bayle's signature.
The scythe-like fangs gradually broke through the Twisting Light Wall. Even with a series of protective measures, they finally bit into Frieren's skin.
The silver-haired girl was caught in a mountain of blades and a sea of fire. The moment a wound appeared, it was seared dry, and not even blood could flow.
"You're dead."
Did she have any other tricks up her sleeve now?
Suddenly, she clasped her head with both hands and let out a bloodcurdling shriek, her eyes erupting with flames.
Shabriri's Howl—
At point-blank range, even the strongest wyvern was hit with the full force of madness, the Frenzied Flame tamed by a Quasi-King unleashed without reservation.
Immediately after, Frieren cupped her hands, and a black-and-yellow sun appeared in the void, rapidly emitting wisps of searing flame.
Midra's—no, the strongest Lord of Frenzied Flame's Frenzied Flame!
Caught completely off guard, Bayle was hit squarely. These flames actually had a soul damage attribute, made even more terrifying by the caster's modifications.
It instinctively retreated and then froze. Why? Hadn't I tamed that fear?
"Dammit."
But there was no time for anger, because Frieren spread her arms and released wave after wave of Frenzied Flame, which, with an unstoppable momentum, instantly covered the land.
Even the distant Igon had to give it a wide berth.
He hadn't expected the Lord of Cinder to be so fond of using new moves. You're not afraid of the side effects at all, just doing it for the novelty, aren't you?
As it turned out, it was highly effective. Even a being like Bayle had to scramble and roll to dodge, clearly bypassing its rock-solid defenses.
The madness status effect plus the fire attribute made it more susceptible to resonance, turning it into a targeted attack.
Pressing her advantage, Frieren's eyes glared, her gaze exuding pressure—
Frenzied Burst!
The ultra-high speed and piercing power precisely struck the Mad Dragon's left eye. Now it was the one suffering the pain of madness, with Frenzied Flame energy even seeping from its eye socket, scorching its soul.
If Melina were present, she would find that this Frenzied Burst was even stronger than the experimental one used at Midra's Manor.
It had completely unleashed the caster's battle-crazed side, and she herself was slightly affected, but it was a good influence, making it even more powerful.
The witch isn't here, so I can go a little mad.
_____
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