Frieren truly hadn't expected her opponent's firepower to be so exaggerated. She had to admit that, by comparison, her magic no longer held the advantage in destructive power; they were evenly matched, both possessing the terrifying might to effortlessly reshape the terrain.
The heart of Jagged Peak filled with magma, forming a boiling lake in a matter of breaths—this was Bayle's handiwork!
Its magic was a manifestation of nature's raw power, enough to shake the very heavens and earth.
The weakest mountain slopes at the very edge could no longer hold, collapsing in an instant and letting loose a deluge of magma that rushed towards the lowlands like a burst dam, washing over all in its path.
"This is bad."
Frieren looked worriedly in Melina's direction, but the overlapping mountain ranges obscured her vision. Moreover, she didn't dare specifically release her long-range spiritual perception; her focus had to remain on the enemy...
"You're distracted. How careless."
As the low snarl echoed by her ear, a shadow descended from the sky, plummeting with the acceleration of gravity towards the petite, silver-haired figure.
In the nick of time, she blocked with Endure, but still felt herself sent flying backward.
The impact was not just from Bayle's body, but from the flame-lightning of heaven and earth—a force sufficient to grievously wound Dragonlord Placidusax descended, landing squarely upon Frieren. Her armor melted, flesh and bone tore, and her organs were seared dry through her skin.
Kch-kch!
The grating sound came from the rock below, yet the silver-haired girl beneath the dragon's claw still held it back with her staff, firmer than the mountains themselves.
Her wounds were melting and widening, revealing stark white bone before turning charred black as her body's structure disintegrated. This was not a contest of strength, but a mass of searing flame pressed against her, nearly burning her into a vacuum.
The heat distorted her vision; all she could see was Bayle's smile, so close, certain of his victory.
Allocate all attributes to Strength!
In that instant, Frieren simultaneously infused magic to reinforce herself against the claw, yet a new claw formed of magic grew from her opponent's other severed arm, pressing down on her shoulder.
With a thunderous boom, the force shattered the mountain behind her, carving a massive crater.
She was being crushed.
With a flash of thought, Magic Glintblade Trio and Glintblade Phalanx retaliated in unison, slashing into Bayle's body and drawing sprays of blood, for he too had abandoned defense to maintain his overwhelming offensive pressure.
At this point, the Mad Dragon would not retreat. Enduring the grievous wounds, he roared and pressed down with his full weight, and the sound of cracking bones could be heard.
Both sides immediately abandoned complex sorceries and incantations, resorting instead to a raw bombardment of magical quality. At point-blank range, they exchanged blows indiscriminately, causing Jagged Peak to collapse even further.
Igon, in the distance, was not idle either. Dragon-slaying arrows studded Bayle's back, their force equally immense.
The earth-shattering wrestling match proved too much for the land to bear.
The earthquake and landslide quickly spread to the mountainside. Several massive boulders pinned Senessax's tail, causing a momentary lag in its movements.
"Now."
The Mimic Tear unleashed a volley of Night Shard, freezing the Ancient Dragon's feet. The next moment, Melina thrust forward with Destined Death.
The black-and-red magic ignored the defense of its rocky scales, even piercing through its massive body.
The already weakened Senessax froze abruptly, then convulsed as its life force drained away. It stared at the two with unwillingness and growled, "The battle of Jagged Peak will not end. Can you feel it? Lord Bayle has the absolute advantage."
A pair of dragon eyes stared deathly at the two Demigods before dimming. Its entire body became a complete stone statue—a magnificent end for an eternally-living Ancient Dragon.
They exchanged a look and sighed in relief.
It was over. The two had paid the price of being covered in wounds.
Though on the surface they only seemed bloodied, their internal organs were scorched, and arcs of electricity lingered on their bodies, constantly inflicting secondary damage...
However, the two had no time for their own condition. Spreading their senses, they found Frieren's life force continuously weakening. It was bad. As expected, the weakness of her fragile body had been magnified in the deathmatch with Bayle.
Melina said worriedly, "Her body is only at the level of a divine being; it's too fragile. And her opponent happens to be renowned for his physical prowess."
"Mother will be fine. It's us who are in trouble."
The Mimic Tear pointed upward.
A massive amount of rock was tumbling down. It was less a collapse and more an entire mountain range tipping over, a sky-blotting avalanche of stone pressing down on them. A moment of carelessness would mean being crushed to pieces; they couldn't fly with the ease of the two madly clashing above.
Making a swift decision, the two quickly retreated down the mountain, closely followed by the landslide and magma.
More annoyingly, some of it was mixed with Gravity Magic, disturbing the trajectories of the other falling boulders, making them unpredictable. The distance was constantly shrinking; sooner or later, they would be grievously wounded.
It felt as if the thundering roar was about to crush them from behind—
"This way!"
Suddenly, a shout came from the sky. A shadow covered them, and at the same time, a giant stone claw extended and opened.
There was no hostility from the other party. With no time to think, Melina and the Mimic Tear immediately leaped onto the palm. In the next moment, the Ancient Dragon's wings beat, soaring straight up, leaving the landslide far behind in a single breath.
From this high-altitude perspective, they could see Jagged Peak shrinking at a visible rate.
It was only a matter of time before it was leveled.
Looking up, they saw the belly scales of an Ancient Dragon. Its powerful tail churned the air currents, its wings bathed in clouds, and the vast earth stretched out beneath them. An unprecedented sense of exhilaration embraced their bodies.
"Priestess Florisaxx? You've recovered so quickly. Thank you for the support."
"This is great! I'm actually hitching a ride on an Ancient Dragon."
"It is I who should thank you. Not only did I receive Her Majesty Frieren's magical instruction, but it was thanks to her battle that my passion was rekindled, allowing me to reshape my Ancient Dragon form."
Melina gazed at Jagged Peak and murmured, "I hope she returns safely."
A dragon's roar echoed through the sky. Unlike the ferocity of the ancient dragons' lightning, this energy was magnificent and pure, with a completely different temperament.
Listen!
The three flying above the clouds were all drawn in. Their gazes subconsciously turned upward, where a spacetime rift descended from a place even taller than the Erdtree, golden light falling from the nine heavens. The power of spacetime was then frozen, compressed, and forged into a long spear.
The converging end stretched toward Jagged Peak, as if grasped by a hand, ready to be wielded.
The diverging end formed a tree-like network in the void, taller than the Shadow Tree, broader than the Shadow Seal, and even emitted a sound of tearing space.
The center of the Lands Between shone with brilliant lightning.
"What is that? Such powerful lightning!"
Florisaxx was dumbfounded. Even with the size of an Ancient Dragon priestess, flying next to it, she was like a sparrow circling a tree. Its scale was terrifyingly immense, a world-class structure, and its energy level was so high that any thought of resistance was extinguished.
She looked down to see that even the aftershock of the lightning had blasted Bayle back. The Mad Dragon could no longer maintain his suppression, tumbling away wretchedly and crashing through a small hill.
The end of the lightning was held firmly in Frieren's hand, docile and compliant, as if joyfully returning to its master's embrace.
The silver-haired girl had abandoned her staff. Bathed in blood, she used both empty hands to hold the Sunlight Spear.
"Get further back!"
Melina shouted a reminder. At this moment, even the Mimic Tear, who had never feared anything, felt a chill run down its spine.
Florisaxx didn't ask questions, obediently flying away from the vicinity of Jagged Peak.
Only the witch who had witnessed the Sunlight Spear several times understood that the ability the Tarnished was about to unleash was no small matter. It wouldn't be the explosive burst of the past, but a continuous attack that would last until the target was vaporized.
The silver-haired girl below looked up at the sound.
Watching the Ancient Dragon depart, Frieren took a deep breath, then looked at the grievously wounded dragon warrior and instructed, "Sir Igon, I'm afraid I won't be able to look out for you in a moment."
"Don't mind me at all. Unleash your power and finish it."
As the two spoke, Bayle struggled to his feet from the rubble, shaking his head to dislodge the dust and debris.
Thanks to his superior physique, he had retained the most vitality. He gave the impression he could fight another round. Logically, he should have the absolute advantage, yet no one would underestimate the spacetime lightning that connected heaven and earth.
It was terrifying.
That was a supreme power projected across worlds and linked through ages, like the first rhythm of heaven and earth at the dawn of creation. How majestic!
Bayle threw his head back and channeled his magic, once again entering his twin-winged stance of flame and lightning.
He was determined to settle this, here on the ruins of Jagged Peak, right here, right now. No one could stop him. With his fighting spirit ignited, how could he speak of retreat? Only the test of life and death in a single moment could interpret life.
In response, Frieren thrust the Sunlight Spear with both hands, gathering the tree-like lightning, completely condensing it into a single lance.
"This is the first time I've tried using this much power."
She was mobilizing more than just her Rune energy as a Tarnished; it was also bolstered by the power of the First Flame, breaking all shackles and exceeding the output capacity of her current Astrologer character build.
The Mad Dragon was worthy of her full strength.
The moment their eyes met, both understood the other's resolve. This would be decided in a single move.
Wounded to this extent, neither could sustain a prolonged battle. They had to clash as soon as possible. In that case, there was nothing left to hold back. They would drive the final confrontation with their last dregs of will—
Roar!
Bone spikes extended from Bayle's severed arm, wreathed in lightning, charged to their absolute limit.
Its survival instinct warned him of the danger, but what did it matter? Thousands of years of silence seemed to exist only for this one battle. To vent with abandon—the Soul Cinder King was a formidable enemy that required risking one's life to defeat.
With a mind free of distractions, the Mad Dragon instead retracted its aura. Its broken legs were like a taut bow, its massive body about to become a cannonball.
Frieren brought the Sunlight Spear horizontal, and the thunder in the sky vanished with it. Unlike the explosive burst damage of the Sunlight Spear of Gwyn, the first Lord of Cinder, this one would focus on a single point to annihilate the enemy.
All was silent. Not a sound from the plants or birds.
The flying sand and stones that had shrouded the battlefield came to a halt, leaving only a deathly stillness.
Igon, watching from the side, forgot to breathe for a moment, his heart even stopping. He foresaw an earth-shattering conclusion.
The moment he subconsciously took another breath, both sides moved—
Flame-Lightning!
Sunlight Spear!
The red and yellow energies collided in an instant, splitting the sky in two, a clear demarcation line between them. Ashes fell from the heavens as Jagged Peak caved in, leveled completely. The shockwave spreading from the center created a crater, unimaginable for being caused by just the central explosion.
The unvented shockwave continued to spill outward. After the mountains became a plain, the plain itself split into a rift valley stretching for dozens of kilometers, its depths spewing boiling vapor.
The casters did not relent, continuing their output.
A portion of the flying dragon Bayle's magic was assimilated by the Sunlight Spear, further expanding its area.
It seemed Frieren was actively absorbing and enduring Bayle's terrifying force, which in turn caused the tip of the spear to once again radiate tree-like lightning, rising from the ground straight into the nine heavens, rivaling the Erdtree in its magnificence.
How could such a worldly spectacle not attract attention? Yet all who watched felt their eyes burn, a superheated, scorching wind raging.
The entire Land of Shadow witnessed what looked like a giant hand grasping the spear, aiming forward in a downward slash.
"Farewell, Bayle."
The silver-haired girl holding the spear aloft spoke the parting words with indifference.
Resplendent golden light flooded Bayle's vision. He couldn't see a single spark of his own flames. A mere gust of wind blew past, and then all existence returned to zero. The earth shattered and even vaporized. The magic he had unleashed with all his might was tyrannically crushed, and the body he was so proud of could not stop it in the slightest.
The long-unfelt pain stunned him. He recalled the ultimate move from his challenge against the Dragonlord back then, Placidusax's Ruin... What outrageous kings they were.
BOOM!
After the ringing in his ears, his body lost all feeling. In a fleeting glimpse, mountains toppled and rivers changed course. Even the Shadow Tree was shaking. The flowers on the Azure Coast would probably bow, and the seal on the Divine Tower would tremble, but it had nothing to do with him anymore.
Frieren abruptly cut off her magic. The gradual dissipation of the Sunlight Spear finally gave her a chance to breathe.
The consumption was greater than she had imagined.
This body had almost been drained dry. After all, the First Flame only enhanced the Sunlight Spear; ultimately, it had to be supported by the account of this world.
If not for the three Great Runes she possessed, she might have turned into a dried corpse.
Taking cover as the shockwave swept out from her as the epicenter, the silver-haired girl quickly took out her Sacred Flask and drank deeply.
The wondrous physick, with its combined effects of restoring health and magic, nourished her body, and she finally felt a bit of relief. Her limbs no longer felt so heavy. She had to admit, this was the most grievous injury she had sustained in the Lands Between, a truly perilous encounter.
Her weakness—a lack of physical strength that was inconvenient to improve—was laid bare, and it wasn't unfair that Bayle had suppressed her with this asymmetrical advantage. But the opportunity to remedy this weakness was right before her:
Sacrifice.
With Frieren's precise control, she could completely allow the dragon's power to strengthen her own body.
Her gaze fell upon the chasm on the ground. Following the path of lightning that had crystallized from the super-high heat, she saw the Mad Dragon at the end, reduced to a chest and head, barely clinging to life. Even his remaining body was still burning, and the light in his eyes was gradually dimming.
"You might actually be able to defeat Placidusax... To think a new king has appeared in the world while I was trapped here."
"The sky city? I'll go there sooner or later."
"The entrance to the spacetime rift where that fellow hides is probably on a floating, carved slab in a foreign land."
Bayle smiled, greatly anticipating the battle of king versus king. His only regret was that he wouldn't be able to see it. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of sorrow. But so be it. The rise and fall of hegemony in the Lands Between didn't depend on him alone.
"My heart is yours. Use it as you will."
As his words faded, the Mad Dragon's body completely disintegrated, turning into motes of Rune light that vanished, carried by the wind towards the sky. The unbeatable, strongest flying dragon had fallen, and an ancient feud passed down from a distant age had finally come to an end.
Frieren took a few breaths to recover. She had actually been prepared for another round of fighting, but thankfully, it was settled.
She used Gravity Magic to pull Igon out of the ruins. The latter was on the verge of death but his expression was elated. "You won," he said. "As expected of a quasi-king."
"—We won."
"Right. I don't have to be afraid anymore. I've conquered my fear, hahaha."
Igon laughed loudly, but his life force was unstoppably fading away. Finally, he knelt down weakly and sighed.
It was his limit.
He had come to the final battlefield running on willpower alone, intending it to be his grave. The long years of fear and the draconic transformation had tortured his body; he was completely spent, a state that magic could not reverse.
Most importantly, he himself saw this as the end. In that case, all Frieren could do was bear witness.
"Do you have any last words? For anyone?"
"Let me return to the Erdtree soon. I have no lingering attachments. The only thing I have to say to you is probably this: Become the Elden Lord. You'll be better than all your predecessors."
As soon as he finished speaking, Igon fell amongst a bed of flowers, his life extinguished, his soul returning to a distant place.
Frieren knelt on one knee, clasped her hands in a priest's gesture, and sent forth a sliver of soul protection. She didn't know if he could return to the Erdtree smoothly from under the Shadow Seal, but regardless, she had fulfilled her duty, seeing off a comrade-in-arms she had met by chance.
The dust settled.
She picked up the greatbow left behind by the dragon warrior. Its appearance was plain, but it was wreathed in the faint roar of a dragon; it must have seen countless battles.
After she put the weapon away, Bayle's massive body finally dissipated completely, leaving behind a bright red heart as large as a carriage. Then, as the magic faded, it gradually shrank and condensed, eventually becoming the size of a human heart.
Walking closer, she found it was as translucent as a ruby.
[Heart of Bayle]
A cursory glance was enough for Frieren to know it contained two incantations. Of course, she would take them all. Having witnessed them, they wouldn't be difficult to learn.
Its greater significance lay in being the key to unlocking the system of Dragon Communion, and it could also strengthen her body.
Even though she had suppressed the hidden dangers within her body before, she still had to be cautious. Now, with the massive amount of Runes granted by Bayle's death, she had enough to strengthen herself significantly. This was her source of confidence.
The sound of whistling wind came from above.
Turning around, she saw it was indeed Florisaxx. The dragon descended with utmost reverence; even in her ancient dragon form, her deference to a monarch was palpable. The two figures she set down on her palm quickly ran over to greet them:
"Mother, you defeated that Mad Dragon! Not even the Dragonlord could kill that thing. The sky city will have to submit, won't they?"
"You're too heavily injured. Don't consume any more of your magic. Leave the healing to me."
Melina immediately cast Minor Erdtree, radiating light.
A healing incantation driven by level-one-hundred Faith was no small matter. In terms of physical restoration alone, it was no inferior to Sun Healing. Under this nourishment, the pain that had been wracking Frieren's limbs finally subsided.
Time to rest.
The burned skin molted and recovered, becoming supple and flawless once more. Puncture wounds, slashes, and the like all healed together. If she had continued fighting with her previous level of consumption, she might even have died from exhaustion. Thankfully, now that she was out of combat and recovering, it was much safer.
On the other hand, it was also thanks to Frieren's exceptional base constitution, and the fact that she was often treated by and attuned to Melina's Minor Erdtree.
Soon, the shocking injuries were completely healed, and she was as good as new.
However, her armor and mage robe couldn't escape needing some mending, which was also entrusted to Melina.
It wasn't that she and the Mimic Tear wouldn't help, but they were deemed too clumsy. It was better for them to remain on guard, as the earthquakes and collapses on Jagged Peak had not yet stopped.
The aftershocks continued to propagate through the earth's crust.
The collapse of such a colossal wonder was enough to affect the entire Land of Shadow. The once rugged and uneven wasteland became wider. Some of the perennial fierce winds and thunderstorms also vanished, leaving clear skies and warm, radiant sunlight.
Everyone looked at each other and smiled, relieved.
The commission from the sky city, Farum Azula, was indeed difficult. The first task was to face the strongest flying dragon of myth and legend, a kingly entity. It took a world-shaking battle to finally win.
"Florisaxx, thank you for helping them just now. Otherwise, I would have had to divide my attention to protect them and would likely have been more severely injured."
"It was my duty. I am now Your Majesty's contracted Ancient Dragon."
"Huh?"
"This is part of the agreement. Moreover, I will assist you in performing Dragon Communion and learning Ancient Dragon incantations. If necessary, I can pass down the power of the Ancient Dragons to your subordinates..."
The silver-haired girl nodded quickly, very satisfied. Especially since the dragon also offered to share her official duties; as a priestess, her knowledge, experience, and negotiation skills were all top-class. The wisdom passed down from ancient times was extremely reliable, and would be priceless even in the Lands Between.
The allegiance of a powerful Ancient Dragon was of great significance, not to mention the friendship of the sky city it represented.
"Does Farum Azula know?"
"Your Majesty, although the Shadow Seal is strong, it is not difficult to ascertain the life-or-death status of a great sinner. The Ancient Dragons responsible for surveillance would have sensed it."
"Besides, your attack momentarily tore through the barrier, which was enough to transmit the message."
Speaking of the power of the Sunlight Spear, even Florisaxx was terrified. Its ability to completely ignore defense was somewhat similar to Destined Death. It could condense the power of spacetime, and possessed the massive-scale penetrating power of lightning—a comprehensively powerful ultimate move befitting a king.
Its destructive power was enough to erase an entire surface civilization.
Frieren proved that the seal on the Land of Shadow was not so inviolable; at the very least, it could be shaken, and it could definitely be broken.
It wouldn't be long now.
Intuition told Florisaxx that this monarch was one who would bring change. The stagnant world would change because of her—no, it had already begun to change, and would ultimately stabilize under her order.
A moment later, the three-person team had finished resting.
Melina and the Mimic Tear, who were familiar with Frieren, knew that she could recover a great deal just by catching her breath after a battle. After treatment, she was already at 80% of her full condition. More importantly, her will was soaring; she was ready for another fight.
With the support of an elder Ancient Dragon, the team was now more than capable of proceeding unhindered.
Florisaxx extended her tail towards them and said sincerely, "Please, come onto my back. I will hasten our journey to the Great Altar of Dragon Communion."
"Is that appropriate?"
"Of course, Your Majesty. And are the other two not your consort and heir apparent? They are also qualified to ride. Our contract is not on the level of an Ancient Dragon Knight; rather, I pledge allegiance only to you, Lady Frieren, and your family, just as I believe in the future revival of the Lands Between."
At these words, Melina and the Mimic Tear nodded, quite pleased, while Frieren, as always, was indifferent.
The three walked up the Ancient Dragon's tail onto its broad back.
Then, Florisaxx pointed to her head, indicating for the silver-haired girl to sit there. As she carefully gripped the pair of dragon horns, the wind rose again, and the clouds began to flow.
"Let's go. We're returning to the altar."
A high-pitched roar announced the rebirth of an Ancient Dragon. Its majestic figure soared across the southeastern part of the Land of Shadow.
Letting the Lands Between know that the Ancient Dragons had chosen the Tarnished Lord of Cinder. The Mad Dragon Bayle was Placidusax's calamity, yet he was crushed to dust by Frieren. The age she had begun would continue to roll inexorably forward.
______
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