Illusion!
Suddenly, Serie noticed the silver-haired girl's distant figure blur, allowing the beam of light to pass right through it.
She immediately took a defensive stance, her perception spreading to envelop the battlefield. The two fighting within the murky cloud of wind were invisible to the naked eye, and their mana signatures were obscured, but this posed no problem for a top-tier powerhouse.
A mere moment after extending her senses, she disengaged her flight.
Almost simultaneously, a Soul Crystal Spear flashed past her cheek, its sharp point reflecting in her pupils. At its other end was Frieren, holding it with both hands.
Only by falling in zero gravity did she narrowly escape. But in the next moment, the spear quivered, scattering points of cold light, and several afterimages enveloped her.
Spatial Transfer!
Serie dodged in time. Even after creating a safe distance, her heart pounded. There would have been no time to defend in that situation; taking a hit would be no laughing matter. It would definitely hurt.
"To think a sorcerer could be so skilled in martial arts."
An expert knows another's skill with a single move. Moreover, the spear has always been a difficult weapon to master. The move the silver-haired girl had just casually displayed was at the level of a top-tier warrior.
A level that humans would struggle to reach in a lifetime; it would require a talented and specialized dwarf.
"Living a long life is full of surprises."
She felt no pressure at all, her smile growing even brighter. It wasn't that Serie couldn't fight up close; she just felt there was no need to show off her meager skills before an expert.
Frieren's resolve, decisiveness, and agility were a perfect match for a top-tier warrior. On its own, it would be enough to make her famous, exuding an aura forged in slaughter—a technique that only demons could hone. How did a traditional, reclusive elf manage it?
Whoosh!
Just as Serie was pondering, her opponent voluntarily dispelled the spear and, with a flick of her right hand, unleashed countless Glintstone Swords.
As support for the Soul Crystal Bullets, they were more resistant to interference in the raging winds. Although they lacked tracking and killing power, when used in coordination, they could pose a threat.
"You can't teleport frequently. How many more times can you dodge?"
She, too, was probing her opponent's trump cards. The great Founder of Magic couldn't possibly have only these few tricks.
"I have plenty of similar spells. But you, why don't you use curses? I heard you learned Diagold and Paradise-Guiding."
"You were the one who shared Curse Reversal Magic with me. Why would I use it against you?"
Serie shook her head with a smile.
"You misunderstand. I mean you might as well use the immutable property of Diagold to hold on for a bit. The next attack will be powerful. Don't say I didn't warn you."
Before she finished speaking, the wind roared, and the already terrifying murky gale intensified. Densely packed blades of air within it shredded Frieren's attack, and at the same time, the mana that should have been continuously supplied became chaotic.
The home-field advantage was now in her hands.
The wind speed probably surpassed the speed of sound. The immense energy ripped up the ground. This elemental magic alone was enough to move hundreds of thousands of tons of dust to bury a city, yet now it was merely being used as cover for an attack.
Suddenly, the silver-haired girl's gaze sharpened. Her battlefield intuition, honed through a thousand trials, made her instantly sidestep.
Crack!
The Twisting Light Wall shattered with a crack. This was a defense that had been continuously reinforced since the battle began, yet it was pierced in a single blow.
Before long, it was Frieren who was injured first. The strange thing was that while a piece of her right arm was missing, it didn't bleed. The mana in that area was completely void, as if it had never existed.
"Mana with spatial properties? This is the first I've seen of it."
"It's nothing strange. It's said the magic left behind by the Goddess's blessing can even travel through time. How is it? It won't leave any lasting damage, will it?"
Serie asked with seeming concern, but in reality, she was like a hunter who'd spotted her prey, eagerly anticipating a new move.
She didn't believe her opponent was only at this level. She had clearly been holding back, her style a bit too conservative. She must be accustomed to a defensive counter-attack style, which was too boring.
Let's try forcing her hand.
So, the Founder of Magic unleashed a move with immense killing power, succeeding in one strike. At their level, curse magic was actually ineffective; it was the ultimate, enhanced release of special attributes that was truly terrifying. Mere curses were for bullying novices; a duel between masters was an all-around competition.
Whoosh!
A wisp of soul power rose from Frieren's wound. After neutralizing the residual spatial properties, she regenerated, returning to her original state.
Serie had expected her to heal after having her arm severed. After all, she admitted her inferiority in this aspect; her opponent's recovery methods were unfathomable. But she hadn't expected this strange spirit flame to assimilate mana so easily. No, it was the soul actively influencing the body.
"...I've read the research report you wrote. You use a complete soul to facilitate physical change?"
"Yes, the principle is similar to dispelling a curse." The silver-haired girl rubbed her wrist, limbering up. "It just so happens I have something I want to test as well."
"Bring it on. I welcome it all."
Serie's figure was protected within the tornado, and she readied herself, surrounded by a defensive barrier.
However, she had always preferred offense over defense. With a thought, the murky wind cloud roared furiously, staining the firmament. The sky was like a giant bending down, the earth cried out, and swirling sand and stones rose from between the mountains, even uprooting the forest.
In the blink of an eye, the area adjacent to the Magic City was barren, forming a sandstorm where every grain was like an arrow.
Under extreme acceleration, any object could become a cannonball.
It would be enough to tear apart even a colossal sky beast. Let's see how you handle this.
However, she witnessed a phantom rise around Frieren's body, as if mana had materialized into a sculpture-like layer around her. At the same time, a powerful force of vital energy surged forth, more abundant than any warrior she had ever seen.
Roar!
A dragon's roar echoed through the nine heavens. A single furious shout actually caused the thick, inseparable haze to reveal the light of the sky. It turned out that the space above was empty and clear, bright and vast, the world immense.
Unfortunately, the fleeting glimpse was covered again by Serie. She had a premonition that something big was coming and she had to get serious.
The Mad Dragon's Drakearmor manifests here!
Frieren's incantation was unlike any other of its kind, because on one hand, she had completely absorbed Bayle's heart, and on the other, she was guided by an Ancient Dragon priestess.
A perfect Drakearmor, unprecedented and unrepeatable, was fully revealed.
Even in The Lands Between, she hadn't dared to try it. She saved its first manifestation for the real world, because her true body in reality possesses the most comprehensive and powerful attributes.
"You've really shown me something!"
The massive phantom of a flying dragon, a sight that would make an ordinary person faint, instead made Serie laugh heartily. This was it, this was wonderful. Goosebumps rose on her skin, a chill ran down her spine—this was the reality of being alive, the blood boiling.
She seemed to have rediscovered the tension of life-and-death battles from the Age of Myths, a time when even the dragons were powerful.
"Don't get too happy just yet. There's still plenty more to show you."
As if in response to Frieren's declaration, the phantom dragon head took a deep breath and then exhaled. A scorching wind swept across the horizon, leaving a thousand miles of scorched earth, dry and burning.
In a single breath, it changed the environment, infecting the murky wind cloud and turning it into fiery clouds.
A richness like flowing blood.
A dragon?
The crowd watching from the Association headquarters was dumbfounded. The flying dragon looked like a phantom but was full of menace and wild energy. Upon its appearance, it was actually contending with Serie's wind element, even showing signs of suppressing it.
"Don't you have Dragon Transformation Magic too? Was it taught exclusively by the Vice-President?" Zanne asked curiously.
"I don't think the principle is the same, but it was indeed my master who taught me."
"What powerful flames!"
"If it were physically embodied fire and lightning, it certainly wouldn't be so easily interfered with by the President. Master is using new magic to fight back, so she must be feeling the pressure."
In Flamme's memory, Frieren was always relaxed and effortless. Today, she was uncharacteristically giving it one hundred and twenty percent of her attention. After all, it was a duel of the highest caliber.
The two in the sky were the most famous sorcerers of the current age.
If one had to decide the strongest, it would have to be one of them. But no one could say to what extent they would fight. A sparring match? A battle to the death? No one knew what would happen next.
As the strongest sorcerer besides them, Flamme could see more of the battle's situation:
Seizing control of the battlefield.
It was clear that Serie's tactical strategy of taking the initiative with elemental magic was correct, suppressing what was theoretically the magic with the highest output.
So Frieren's choice was also simple: a direct frontal assault, to see whose output was higher.
The initial phase of probing and maneuvering was over. Now, they would demonstrate why sorcerers possessed battlefield dominance. However, it was also unsettling. The conventional magic battle earlier was already like a natural disaster. What would happen next?
"Everyone, don't spread out too much. As long as you don't stray too far from me, I can protect you with a barrier at any time." Her words brought a sigh of relief to her many colleagues; she was indeed reliable.
"Thank you in advance, Lady Flamme."
"Indeed. I have a feeling we'll be busy with the cleanup after this is over."
"I thought it was the end of the world."
"Let the arrogant Imperial Envoy see what real power looks like."
Some people took the opportunity to taunt Barke and his party. In truth, they too were looking a bit disheveled in the fierce wind, forced to shield their eyes with their hands to witness the spectacle. Some of the ordinary people among them had even fainted on the spot.
A considerable number of them were civil officials. How could they have ever seen such a scene? Not to mention, they were already weakened by the effects of the mana tide.
The energy of the Mages of the Mythical Era was bottomless.
"Even the entire corps of Shadow Warriors wouldn't last a single round against such an onslaught. It's truly exaggerated."
Carol could no longer even entertain the thought of comparison. At most, she could estimate how long they would last if the enemy came knocking. What was more terrifying was that, so far, neither side had been seen going all-out; they were still holding back.
What was a natural disaster to others was, for these sorcerers, merely a warm-up.
Barke sighed, "The greatest source of the Association's independence is the power of its two presidents. If not for the elves' casual nature, the Demon King wouldn't have survived if they had ever joined forces."
"This battle is both a show of mutual appreciation and a demonstration for us to see."
Hearing this, his subordinates nodded in deep agreement.
Flexing their muscles was to make negotiations easier. If you don't listen, don't watch, and stubbornly insist on your own way, things will become unpleasant. Therefore, after this battle, the Empire could only choose a policy of appeasement to win them over. Otherwise, the Empire's opponents would unite with the Association first.
Boom!
A heavy blow rang out above the clouds. It was a giant dragon beast slamming viciously into Serie's barrier, shattering it in an instant and sending the blonde figure flying.
She stopped her momentum after flying only a hundred meters in zero gravity, regaining her balance, her resilience as strong as ever.
Frieren didn't pursue, as teleporting was easy at this distance.
Serie was seen touching her forehead with a smile, a healing light closing the wound, but the bloodstain on it did not disappear. It smelled good; it had been too long since she had tasted the scent of her own blood.
"I almost fainted there."
"You're kidding. It's not that easy. If I'm not mistaken, this type of magic with an unknown principle can also be identified and reversed with Curse Reversal?"
"Of course. The more powerful a conceptual magic is, the more subjective it becomes. The key is in its application."
The difficult part about the magical rules of the real world is that there is no shortage of high-priority, strong-judgment moves. Regardless of their power level, once they take effect, they are troublesome, which is why Frieren's style is more conservative.
Even with good soul-splitting techniques, she couldn't expect one trick to solve everything.
If an opponent pulled out some special abnormal status skill, she would ultimately have to rely on the protection of the First Flame to nullify it.
"Let me state this beforehand: I will not use curses and the like to spar with you."
"Mind Reading?"
"I can't do it to you. Your mental protection is like an eggshell. It seems fragile, but there are no cracks. Inside, there might be steel... or a monster. You don't need to worry, so I won't use curses either. Fighting with that kind of thing is extremely boring, like children arguing by throwing insults back and forth."
"Indeed. Although I know curses, I hate them too."
Whether it was Diagold or Paradise-Guiding, both possessed super-powered, strong-judgment effects. Conversely, they could easily leave one helpless, offering no room for skillful application in their eyes.
Masters should compete in technique. Using curses would seem cheap, because everyone has ways to deal with them.
Wouldn't it just become me reflecting your reflection?
Ultimately, they both had a series of solutions to deal with insta-kill mechanics, so using curses that emphasized such mechanics was not worth it.
They trusted each other more and were also holding onto curses they were confident could be lethal, making it even more unnecessary. It wasn't a death match, and besides, it would become a comparison of 'which magic's performance is better' rather than 'whose magical skill is superior,' which did not align with their philosophies. There was only one option left:
A direct assault!
Serie gestured with her hand, gathering sand into a tower, which then formed into a Battle Golem. The giant mimetic doll brought its hands together in a circle and smashed down on the dragon's head.
Even with Frieren's physical strength, she was sent flying back some distance. Such ferocious power.
A simple and plain golem creation formula underwent a qualitative change in the hands of the Founder of Magic. The golem she created casually was enough to topple a city wall. At the same time, another part of it floated around her, serving as armor.
Then let's test your hardness.
At this thought, the mad dragon's phantom opened its cavernous maw, and with a roar, it actually made the murky wind cloud stop spinning for a moment.
"Good." The laughing Serie likewise had her golem aim a storm spear. For a moment, all the mana in the field was compressed and gathered, the energy that had been building up until now about to be released.
In any normal battle, they would not clash so directly.
But both Frieren and Serie had this intention. They wanted to test their limits, and even more, they wanted to test the extent of their own capacity.
Come.
The moment their gazes met, they both acted. In an instant, the mana of heaven and earth was consumed to a vacuum, transforming into a raging wind and a flame-lightning that galloped forth.
The Dragonbone Incantation's Bayle's Flame-Lightning collided with the golem's Storm Spear. People first saw a ball of light flash, tearing through the clouds and thunder, making their ears ring and heads buzz. At the same time, countless objects shattered, and the mountain range directly below the point of impact was razed to the ground.
A spherical space was annihilating all things!
No one had expected that the collision of two supremely powerful streams of mana would cause a great collapse.
The center presented a collapsing impact. With their defenses, Frieren and Serie were fearless, continuing to pour in mana to draw the battle into a prolonged struggle of strength.
However, the periphery of the great ball of light suffered. The super-high-speed rotating mana tide was itself a saw blade. Its diameter expanded beyond five kilometers, and the mountains it touched were gouged with massive craters out of thin air.
The actual range of the shockwave was likely tens of times that of the visible sphere of light, because the Magic City experienced a great earthquake.
Rummmble!
The earth's crust shook so violently it was as if they were on a small boat in a storm. As far as the eye could see, rivers flowed backward and evaporated, and the snow on the ancient high mountains instantly melted into a flood.
The flood evaporated mid-air before it could even rush to lower ground.
Flame-lightning and raging wind intertwined into a scorching, burning gale. The perceived temperature exceeded 50 degrees; not even the hottest summer was so severe. The forests suddenly erupted in mountain fires, spreading as far as the eye could see, a sea of red.
Finally, the sphere of light completely lost its power and vanished amidst the repeated clashes between the two.
People finally breathed a sigh of relief, but before their hearts could settle, they saw Flamme raise a sealing barrier, actively enveloping the headquarters area.
"Be careful, Master can attack again—"
Though the aftershock of the last move had not yet dissipated, the mad dragon in the high sky once again roared out a breath attack. In a flash, Serie teleported to dodge it, and the flame naturally carved a fissure across the primeval forest.
It wasn't over. A torrent of lightning then filled the fissure, and the air filled with a burnt smell.
All matter became an excellent medium. The effect of the lightning strikes was amplified by the changing winds and clouds, making it impossible for any high ground to escape.
"What an undeserved disaster."
The Association headquarters, being the tallest building, was of course no exception. Several bolts of lightning descended. The first strike hit Flamme's barrier without leaving a mark, the second created ripples.
The red-haired girl did her utmost but could not withstand the continuous barrage of more lightning strikes.
The people inside the barrier watched as a white light exploded. They had never imagined that even the aftershocks of the Mages of the Mythical Era could be so terrifying. If the defense was torn apart, their lives wouldn't be enough. The threat of death spread through their bodies, making them tremble uncontrollably.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a white and a golden figure appeared simultaneously in front of the barrier. With a gesture, they each caught the lightning extending from the sky.
They looked at each other, slightly startled, then broke into a smile. They were perfectly in sync, both arriving in time. The other also knew how to dispel lightning, the only difference being the attribute: one was an Ancient Dragon's Bolt, the other was Ruination Lightning. Then let's see which is superior.
Two lightning spears thrust out together, and explosions rang out in all directions.
As expected, the violent energies canceled each other out and exploded. Fortunately, the casters intentionally guided the aftershocks to dissipate, but it was unavoidable that everyone's hair stood on end. Even through the barrier, they felt a tingling numbness.
The impromptu move yielded no results, so they each departed, and in a flash, returned to the high sky.
This time, Serie and Frieren distanced themselves even further. Even so, in everyone's eyes, they hadn't moved at all, because the shockwaves were just as terrifying.
"Master is being too reckless!"
Flamme and Zanne, speaking in unison, looked at each other and couldn't help but smile bitterly. Their elders were both the troublesome type. Yet they were so strong as to break all common sense. While they felt like scolding them, most people were trembling in fear.
In their eyes, it was a miracle itself. No matter what you thought, the great power was right there, leaving only awe.
The sorcerers at least maintained their sanity. Most of the commoners in the city were bowing their heads and shouting:
"Praise the President! No, praise the great God of Magic!"
No one felt there was anything wrong with the nearly destructive aftershocks. The answer was simple: whether they were angry or not was meaningless.
If a person set a house on fire, they would be a universally condemned arsonist, a heinous criminal.
Conversely.
If someone used dragon breath comparable to a volcanic eruption, summoned an oceanic murky wind to destroy giant forests, and grasped the flashing lightning from the sky in their palm... then she was a force of nature itself. The destruction and creation she wielded were merely part of the natural cycle of all things.
At this moment, Frieren and Serie gave such an impression. Even their two most familiar apprentices felt a sense of unfamiliarity; they had never seen their masters display such exaggerated power before.
And they probably hadn't even used their full strength.
The nearby Imperial Envoy delegation and others couldn't help but wipe away cold sweat.
In that instant, the two Mages of the Mythical Era had deflected the lightning, as if playfully letting it graze past them before severing its force, ultimately carving a crescent moon-shaped scar into a mountaintop.
If it had been an attack, they would have been turned to ash in an instant.
And a magical battle of this level continued to flash frequently in the high sky at the edge of the horizon. The rumbling earthquakes made it hard to stand firm.
Looking out, the mountain ranges had transformed into torches, their flames turning into sparks that merged with the long wind.
A roar that pierced straight to the depths of the soul echoed in all directions. The hurricane ultimately failed to consume the mad dragon. Instead, that projection grew larger and larger, reborn in fire.
A pair of flame wings that blotted out the sun and sky opened. Any airflow that passed through them turned into a scorching wind that burned mana.
"How many more surprises can you give me!"
Serie licked the tip of her tongue as she looked at the burnt skin on her calf. It itched. It had been a long time since she had been injured to this extent. But...
She watched with great anticipation as the mad dragon flew to the heavens, its phantom solidifying to the point of almost merging with the caster.
So the magical energy released was, as expected, terrifying—
Along its flight path, it actually dragged a fiery red streamline, shooting out lightning balls as it circled, while a meteor shower of fire rained down from the sky. It was more ferocious than any previous round of attacks, with numerous funnels aiming under a soul-lock.
Frieren had long wanted to try this feeling, letting the full power of the Drakearmor's energy be unleashed.
"This is my first time using it, so I won't control the force."
"As you like."
The blonde elf opened her arms, and a dark spatial vortex appeared. She actively met the stream of light, deflecting it. It wasn't the magic-breaking or absorption of moon-type magic, but rather assimilating it all into a single fireball.
Wait, could this also be an application of Curse Reversal Magic? Since she couldn't perceive it, she couldn't analyze it for now, so she simply assimilated it all, packed it in, and gradually digested it.
Although Serie sustained a few more burns, she managed to catch it all. The fact that she didn't meet it head-on also meant this move was too powerful. Without sufficient preparation and without using curses, the available options were indeed few. Of course, it was enough to catch up to her junior.
It had to be admitted that the Founder of Magic's style was very tricky. If she were considered a boss, Frieren would also have to be fully prepared.
What a monster of stats and mechanics.
Native, non-curse magic is easily analyzed and broken, unable to pose a threat.
The magic she herself used was all from other worlds, which is why she could fight until now. An ordinary powerhouse would either have to spam curses while guarding against reflections, or use basic magic to kite and maneuver.
However, the Mad Dragon's flame-lightning was not over yet.
_____
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