The unexpected, bee-sting-like attack left Bayle in excruciating pain, but it wasn't enough to throw him into disarray.
After a brief moment of dizziness, he regained his balance and recklessly unleashed a barrage of fireballs, blasting the surrounding thousand-meter radius to smithereens to create a buffer zone and prevent his enemy from pressing the advantage.
As expected, this disrupted Frieren's charge.
She had been moving using the way of the Dragoncat Great-Katana, but facing an attack of such massive scale, she had to temporarily avoid the brunt of it, especially since her wounds were far from healed.
A closer look revealed that the armor, painstakingly crafted by artisans, was covered in slash marks, surrounded by the traces of burns and melting. It was hard to imagine the sensation of molten iron dripping onto skin, yet the wearer didn't even utter a sound—perhaps because of even more terrifying injuries.
Through the armor, her waist, abdomen, and spine were visible, all covered in cuts. No bone could be seen in this area, but there were signs of internal organs, and even black blood was seeping out…
A grievous wound?
For an ordinary person, it would have been a countdown to death, yet Frieren was moving about lively, showing no discomfort.
This made it hard to determine if it even counted as a severe injury.
Her resilience was especially bottomless; even the damage from the Mad Dragon's frenzied bite couldn't shake her, and she didn't so much as blink. This was a warrior—clearly, she was a warrior in the prime of their vigor.
"I underestimated you."
Bayle sneered, admitting his misjudgment. He had focused solely on guarding against magic to create an asymmetrical advantage, only to be struck by a counterattack.
However, he also noticed that his opponent's speed had slowed, and she made no effort to hide the consequences of her injuries.
Frieren admitted that this was the most severe injury she had sustained since her battle serving Mohg alongside the Mother of Truth. A moment ago, even the slightest hesitation would have allowed its sharp teeth to pierce through her body, equivalent to death by a thousand cuts. The bleeding and pain were secondary; the real problem was that severe structural damage to the body would lead to a loss of coordination.
Therefore, she focused her restorative powers mainly on the structural level, such as muscles and bones.
Treating her own body like a precision machine.
Behemoths had the inherent advantage that minor injuries didn't impede their structural coordination. Just as the Mad Dragon was still a massive threat despite being maimed, a smaller being had much more to consider.
Even Sun Healing was a bit slow against wounds left by top-tier dragonflame and dragon lightning; she would likely have to fight while injured for the entire battle.
Rip!
She tore off a piece of her cloak and wrapped it around the wound on her abdomen, not to stanch the bleeding, but to prevent bone fragments and shredded flesh from spilling out. Otherwise, she would need to expend more energy on regeneration, and right now, every second was crucial.
"Now we're both cripples," Bayle even joked.
Having recovered from his bestial, fiery rage, he had become calm. At this point, it was clear that a strategy based on containment was ill-suited for this enemy. The best tactic was to stop overthinking and rely on experience and instinct.
"You're also very tenacious. It's made me realize that soul-damaging attacks aren't always so effective. I'll have to change tactics."
"Insolent brat."
The Mad Dragon took a deep breath, and the very air shifted. Its terrifying lung capacity created a siphoning vortex, its dreadful pressure locking onto its target an instant before.
"Be careful!" Igon warned from a distance. "It's a continuous breath attack—"
Heeding the warning, Frieren's brow furrowed as she immediately went on the defensive, constructing a Gravity Wall, but her opponent's move was just as fast. The flames had already arrived.
Boom!
The moment the flames struck the Gravity Wall, they began to dissolve even the magic itself, dismantling its power at the most fundamental level—domineering and direct. In a single clash, the caster's skin was scorched and shriveled, the moisture forcibly evaporated.
She immediately abandoned her defensive stance and went on the offensive, using the same type of energy wave to cancel it out.
The Dark Moon's magic manifested once more, carrying with it an ultimate chill.
A storm of ice formed around the chalky-white orb. The two elements clashed, neither giving way in a confrontation of sheer power. In an instant, a torrent raged, flooding the flat ground and submerging the fields of flowers.
But not a single drop of the floodwater flowed down from the summit.
Because after flowing for a hundred meters, it all evaporated. The base temperature of the entire Jagged Peak was too high, putting any ice-based attributes at a severe disadvantage.
Therefore, Frieren never intended to use the ice storm to turn the tables, but rather to use the resulting steam.
Vanished?
Unable to sense his opponent, Bayle's heart tightened. The left eye scorched by the bestial fire still throbbed with a dull pain. Something was wrong. Though it was only a layer of steam, for a master, it was enough to conceal oneself. Could she be creating distance?
His rich combat experience allowed him to make an accurate judgment in the first instance. He acted immediately, slamming his claws on the ground.
The echoes could pinpoint her location while simultaneously stirring up gouts of magma to disrupt her.
However, a meteorite fell from the sky and smashed into his head. As a jolt of pain shot through him, Bayle muttered, "I see. A master wouldn't make such a rookie mistake—"
"Can you still fly?"
The words, half-question and half-expectation, rang out, accompanied by a figure looking down from on high.
Taking advantage of that fleeting moment of concealment, Frieren had positioned herself on a gravity orb, over a hundred meters above the ground. Faint vortexes of light began to glow around her, from which countless rock slings emerged.
Meteorite of Astel was ready.
Sacrificing mobility was enough. Evasion was meaningless before the Mad Dragon. From the very beginning, this battle had only one solution: a head-on clash.
One staff stabilized her footing on the gravity orb, while the other served as a conductor.
For the first time since the battle began, she finally used her highest-spec dual staves. With more magic to guide, her power became even more profound and concentrated, further hastening the manifestation of the meteorites, each one additionally enhanced with gravity.
They filled the valley, a dense swarm casting a sky-blotting shadow over the Mad Dragon on the ground. It could only look up and admire the sight, but a smile curled at the corners of its mouth:
"What a show!"
Yet, it was the Dragon's Flame Lightning that struck first, wild streams of golden-red light scattering as they shot forth, tearing through the sky.
With a light tap of her staff, Frieren sent several meteorites to meet them.
Any breath attack that was hit became entangled by gravity and annihilated, unable to form a lightning chain. This point made Bayle's brow twitch. Did she figure it out?
He had tried to cast a great net in the sky to block the meteorites, but his opponent had seen through it. In a clash of masters, schemes were hard to execute, especially against a perceptive type like Frieren. Now it was her turn to apply suppressive fire.
More meteorites took aim at the Mad Dragon.
Its massive, maimed body couldn't possibly dodge, nor did it intend to. Bayle stood tall and proud, facing the meteorites head-on, shattering them with its horns. Although its wings, back, and neck were repeatedly bombarded, it stood firm, even continuing to spew its breath attack.
Not only that, but it could also summon lightning strikes itself. The two energies thus engaged in a frenzied slaughter against each other in the air.
A meteor shower descended upon the summit of Jagged Peak, its fiery red glow burning away the dense clouds.
The collapse continued. Due to Frieren and Bayle's unrestrained contest, the landmark spectacle of the Land of Shadow was rapidly crumbling. Boulders began to roll down from the heights, like a sandcastle on a beach quickly disintegrating.
The mountain shattered and the earth split. Amidst the rolling thunder, magma flowed, and the entire eastern region teetered on the brink of collapse.
The meteors in the sky were also restless. Their increasing density was a clear symbol of the caster's will: to level the mountain range.
"Are they insane?"
Even the worldly-wise Igon was dumbfounded. The dragon warrior, who had professed to have come with a single-minded purpose to conquer his fear, was forced to retreat.
It wasn't a question of bravery or cowardice; a moment of carelessness could lead to being annihilated by the aftershocks. That would be a senseless and absurd way to die. So he had no choice but to dash to the very edge. This arena had become a death zone, to be avoided as much as possible.
The meteorites, accelerated by gravity, continued to fall, each one carving a crater and kicking up shrapnel.
Every piece of shrapnel, carrying residual gravity, was equivalent to a volley of arrows.
He looked up at Frieren and saw the figure on the gravity orb surveying the world, her expression as calm as still water, completely focused. An ultimate destructive power was channeled through her staff into precise attacks.
Worthy of a Quasi-King.
Even such injuries did not affect her combat in the slightest.
Of course, Igon's nemesis, Bayle, was equally tenacious. Bathed in a shower of meteorites and covered in wounds, it showed no fear, its fighting spirit soaring higher and higher, unleashing waves of thunder and fire that grew more intense with each volley to counter its enemy.
It knew no fear. It had even grievously wounded the Dragonlord, and to this day, it judged its target with a condescending gaze.
Just a newcomer Quasi-King, that's all. Not enough presence to be oppressive.
The battlefield for both was no longer confined to the ground beneath their feet, but had expanded, using suffering as a canvas upon which they painted freely, letting their immense power sketch the scene. They were that power incarnate, ascending to the pinnacle through absolute will. And even between pinnacles, there are hierarchies. Today, life and death would be decided.
RUMBLE!
The incessant explosions sent a rain of shattered rock down, giving even Igon a baptism. Just as he was moving downward, he heard a commotion from the mountainside as well.
The signature lightning of an Ancient Dragon bloomed in all directions.
It was Senessax, attacking with full firepower, weaving and roaring through the mountains, its flight path leaving a trail of lightning strikes and thunderous shockwaves. It appeared flamboyant, but in reality, it was covered in wounds. A great number of its scales had been stripped away, and fresh blood rained down from mid-air.
Its life force was weak. It was flying partly for the convenience of its area-of-effect attacks, and partly to evade—Destined Death!
Suddenly, a black and red slash flew from behind, precisely striking its left wing.
In an instant, its life force was siphoned away, like a balloon that had been punctured and couldn't hold its shape. With a mournful cry, Senessax plummeted, crashing down and flattening a small hill with a tremendous boom.
This was bad. It had already been hit by the blade aura of Destined Death for the second time. It feared one more strike would be fatal. Its limbs couldn't help but tremble. Why? Had it finally met something it feared?
"Big lizard, let's see you run now."
The Mimic Tear leaped from the sky, descending with the Blade of Night, and landed a direct hit on a spot where the scales were missing. She had peeled them off earlier with Shard Spiral, and now it served as a perfect target.
The blade plunged deep into its muscle, causing the mighty Ancient Dragon's movements to freeze for a moment.
Seizing this opportunity, Melina, who had been hiding behind a large boulder, instantly dashed forward to close the distance, the fatal blow she had been preparing now ready.
"I've been waiting, too..."
Senessax opened its great maw. It had been secretly charging an attack, waiting for this very moment to unleash it instantly.
Suddenly, a meteorite flew into the corner of its eye, slamming into its head with a thud and causing its breath attack to go wide. The beam of fire carved a new path from the mountainside all the way to the foot of the mountain.
All three of them noticed the meteor shower at the peak of Jagged Peak.
Gravity magic was now the hallmark of the Lord of Cinder. She alone had conquered the otherworldly calamity Astel, possessing a mastery that surpassed both the Stars of Darkness and the Starscourge General. Once unleashed, she was a mobile natural disaster. At this rate of bombardment, leveling the mountain was only a matter of time.
Not only was there Frieren's bombardment, but Bayle's flame lightning was also mixed in. The aftershocks of their clash had long since extended beyond the mountain peak.
Screech!
Taking advantage of the duo's momentary distraction, Senessax hastily rolled away to create distance, leaving a trail of shattered scales and fresh blood, its movements clumsy and stumbling. The rock-like scales, a symbol of the Ancient Dragons' nobility, were now hacked into a pitted, chaotic mess.
This was mostly thanks to the Mimic Tear's relentless, continuous attacks.
It was truly unlucky to have met her. Who in the world would treat an Ancient Dragon with the patience of a chef preparing a carp, chipping away at its armor bit by bit to achieve cumulative damage?
Melina, on the other hand, focused on quality. Her true damage, unique in all The Lands Between, was the most terrifying.
Fortunately, it was an incomplete Destined Death... No, complete or not didn't affect its power. It was likely due to the one-eyed seal that the witch couldn't unleash its true strength, but it was already troublesome enough.
This is dire!
Senessax began to think of retreating, wavering in its resolve.
Was it really going to fight to the death here? The risk was immense; it could easily end up as collateral damage for Bayle. That's right—it now felt pessimistic about the entire situation.
It wasn't just Frieren; her entire team was full of threats.
But if it fled here, wouldn't that be abandoning its long-held conviction? Its will would be shrouded in shadow.
It would be reduced to an ordinary Ancient Dragon.
The reason it had left the sky city to join Bayle was because it had grown tired of the monotony of eternal ages, unwilling to face a slow, chronic death.
After a moment of lightning-fast contemplation, Senessax took a deep breath. Its body, which had been poised to take flight, reoriented itself towards the two. Lightning once again wreathed its form from head to toe, its dragon eyes glowing with a brilliant color, resolute and filled with determination.
"That's more like it." The Mimic Tear smiled sweetly. "Have you made up your mind?"
"You're the one who should be thinking of your last words, or you won't have time."
Before the words faded, both sides roared and clashed once more. Night magic and the elements of thunder and fire flew wildly, all heedless of their injuries, leaving only the will to attack.
However, she was mainly relying on the support of The Lands Between's foremost Incantation-wielder.
Melina maintained the healing of a Minor Erdtree from the rear, occasionally providing lightning protection, a protective vow, and other abilities. In reality, the contribution of Destined Death was secondary; its greatest significance was allowing the vanguard to fight without any reservations.
BOOM, CRASH!
The battle on the mountainside echoed the one at the summit, causing the entire Jagged Peak to teeter. Boulders rolled down from the top, meeting the fierce battle of the three halfway down the mountain, shattering and flowing down with the magma, triggering a landslide.
As a result, the base of the mountain rapidly expanded, volcanic ash filled the air, and the earth was scorched by extreme heat, turning it black and gray.
Yet, neither side showed any sign of fatigue, their ferocity only growing with the battle.
In the sky, Bayle's wings appeared in a fleeting glimpse, a manifestation of solidified magic.
The fine meteorites, under Frieren's control, began to actively combine and compress. From now on, she was emphasizing quality. She had no need for status-effect magic; that was for fighting armies. Against the strongest of wyverns, one should use absolute power to crush them.
The landslide cascaded down with a rumbling roar.
A portion of it even reached the Great Altar of Dragon Communion, and the dust coated the giant dragon corpse with a layer of yellow earth. At the same time, a large amount of black ash drifted down from the clouds.
Florisaxx caught a flake, her face filled with worry as she gazed at the summit.
"Is my current strength enough to provide support..."
As she muttered to herself, her body shed its Ancient Dragon-Man features, transforming into a red-haired woman. Thanks to Frieren's soul magic, changing back into an Ancient Dragon was no longer a difficult task.
The question was whether she should intervene.
To be honest, Florisaxx dearly wanted to unleash the power of an Ancient Dragon for the first time in ages, as a celebration of her renewed vitality, her heart filled with excitement.
The instinct of life yearned for the sky, and for that power of thunder and fire.
Reason told her no. She needed to re-acclimate to the power of an Ancient Dragon after several millennia. Rushing into battle would likely result in grievous wounds and a pathetic display. That would be too reckless. And there was a more important reason:
The King would not like it.
Knowing Frieren's personality, she would probably detest anyone who casually interfered in her battles. Allowing Igon to join was already her limit.
Besides, that dragon warrior wasn't having a major impact on the battle. In her perception, he was already on his last breath...
"It's safer to just observe."
After some thought, Florisaxx decided to adapt to the situation. Even if she didn't participate in the fight, she could cover a retreat. There would be plenty of excitement later. Because one thing was certain: Jagged Peak would collapse.
What terrifying aftershocks would such a colossal structure produce upon its collapse?
She couldn't guess, nor did she dare to speculate lightly now. She could only watch and wait. Regardless, this moment was a decisive day in the history of the Ancient Dragon clan.
RUMBLE!
The earth-shattering tremor spread along the magma flows, no longer confined to Jagged Peak. The creatures in the adjacent Valleybottom Forest trembled, fleeing from the black mountain peak with all their might.
The goats, crows, and other beasts in the eastern part of the Land of Shadow were all uneasy, tucking their tails and departing.
They sensed disaster.
The once-unshakeable behemoth had entered the final countdown of its life, crumbling under the absolute power of the Mad Dragon and the Quasi-King. Their power was comparable to the might of nature itself and would sooner or later reshape the Jagged Peak region. Perhaps the eastern side of the Land of Shadow would welcome a brand-new landscape.
Even the distant Aged Fort felt the gale on its face. The guards on the cliffs felt the ground shake, and rocks constantly rolled down.
"No way... We're quite a distance from Jagged Peak..."
"No need to be surprised. Anything can happen in a king's war. We'll have some repairs to do after this."
"If the intelligence is correct, it's Senessax and Bayle on one side, and Frieren, Melina, and the Mimic Tear on the other. This battle is at least at the Demigod level."
"Jagged Peak is probably a goner."
"The Frenzied Flame in the Valleybottom Forest is a thing of the past, let alone the mountain. That Lord of Cinder's campaigns are always accompanied by vast changes."
Although they had never witnessed Frieren's battles in The Lands Between, they could guess the commotion was immense. She had only been in the Land of Shadow for a short time and had already turned everything upside down. One could only imagine how lively it was outside.
They would have to seriously consider this monarch's attitude towards the crusade army...
The Summit.
The highest point of Jagged Peak was more open than before, as the continuous rockfalls had created more clearings. Crimson petals flew into the air, only to be ground into dust by magic.
The first to collapse to the ground, panting, was Bayle.
Its massive body was covered in shattered meteorite fragments. Their sharp edges pierced through bone and muscle, carving vicious wounds in its flesh that drained its life force. No living creature could withstand such an assault, especially with the energy of gravity magic infused within them.
Its body felt heavier than ever before. It looked down to see the earth stained with its own blood. It felt so tired, so sleepy.
Bayle suddenly realized how unfamiliar fatigue was. It had been too long. To be pushed to this extent by a powerful foe was truly pathetic. And what of its opponent? She clearly had much more strength to spare.
The silver-haired girl was descending.
The gravity orb couldn't be maintained forever, and besides, the lightning had already disrupted the flow of magic in the sky. Maintaining flight would be very dangerous.
Frieren looked directly into the Mad Dragon's eyes and asked, "You still have strength left, don't you?"
"Yes, but I estimated you would be the first to fall from exhaustion. You're clearly not even healed yet..."
What was most deceiving was her stamina.
A near-fatal injury had caused no delay in the silver-haired girl. Those wounds were left by the highest-tier dragon lightning and dragonflame, yet they were continuously healing and improving, already seventy to eighty percent recovered.
"Your physical strength and endurance rival even those of Dragonlord Placidusax."
It pointed to a dragon head hanging from its body and said nostalgically, "His Majesty was very strong, but he lacked a certain fighting spirit. Most of the time, he was as silent as a statue. So boring."
"But you... you've excited me, Lord of Cinder."
"The same to you, Bayle. You have a spirit that many Shardbearers lack, the spirit of the prosperous and belligerent age of The Lands Between. Your heart and Dragon Heart must also be very strong."
"So that's what you're after! Hahahaha, feel free to try."
To think that one day it would become the target for a Dragon Heart. Judging by her aura, this one had never performed the ritual before, so she was a novice?
To begin the entire Dragon Heart system, she planned to use the mighty Mad Dragon as an offering?
How arrogant!
Amidst the excitement, Bayle also felt a sense of trepidation. That killing intent was real. If it let its guard down, it would surely be devoured completely. It had to go all out.
He originally wanted to save some strength for a future return to the sky city. Now, it seemed unnecessary. The final battle was now!
The Mad Dragon took a deep breath, its aura turning inward. A heart pounded like a war drum, its beats echoing in all directions. Sweat seeped from its skin and evaporated into steam. Its entire body was like a steel furnace, sizzling as it refined the most terrifying magic.
Suddenly, it roared to the heavens: "Hooo-rah—"
A wave of heat and magma erupted from beneath its feet, instantly melting Frieren's defenses. The still-unhealed burns were covered by a new layer of char, and even the regeneration of her internal organs slowed to a halt.
The intensity was wrong. This was a higher level of flame, using life's origin as its kindling.
A battle to the death!
On Bayle's tattered back, "wings grew." A closer look revealed they were formed of magic, but their presence was like a rebirth. Thousands of years of imprisonment had never broken its will. To this day, it could still spread its wings and fly.
Its wings were accompanied by a terrifying, scorching wind that burned everything.
Frieren had to temporarily avoid the brunt of it, otherwise letting the magic seep in would mean taking unnecessary damage. Moreover, she had a gut feeling that her current power might not be enough. As Florisaxx had judged, her opponent was a king-level powerhouse, incomparable to her other foes...
As she pondered, the Mad Dragon leaped into the air and vanished into the sky. It was flying—truly flying.
"Welcome disaster."
A grim voice echoed from the sky. As Bayle flew, it rained down lightning and flames. Some spiraled directly downwards, while others formed orbs of light for a delayed release. Each bolt was powerful enough to destroy a mountaintop.
An unimaginably dense barrage of firepower was unleashed. It was less a covering fire and more a complete deluge.
There were no gaps between the attacks; they came one after another, and in a flash, Frieren's position was transformed into a massive crater.
The center of Jagged Peak caved in, forming a terrain like a volcanic lake. The difference was that its core was not water, but boiling magma.
The Mad Dragon had brought the apocalypse of myth into reality.
_____
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