Carian Royal Palace.
One after another, shadows emerged from the darkness, each one an assassin of the Two Fingers, their menacing presence spread like tar. They knew there was no need to hide, and simply encircled them openly.
Although it must be acknowledged that the Liurnia of the Lakes was stabilizing, it was far from the time to abandon the plan, for the enemies of the Two Fingers were pushing forward with their own scheme.
Ranni, from her attic, immediately sensed these unwelcome guests, whose intentions were hostile.
The Glintstone Dragon spewed breath from above; several shadowy figures were hit, their bodies instantly disintegrating. This breath attack was exceptionally potent, filled with rage.
To disturb Her Highness's rest, how unforgivable.
Iji and Seluvis, guarding the entrance, were also on high alert, realizing that today's assault was different: an endless stream of "They're a bit like my puppets."
"Careful, some of them use special magic."
Iji suddenly swung his blade, slaying one of the stragglers that escaped the dragon's breath. With his colossal troll body easily blocking the entrance, and Seluvis's magic cover, they barely held off one wave.
But as he suspected, shadowy Beasts dressed as mages appeared in the distance immediately after.
Finger's Guard!
Suddenly, several massive Fingers erupted from the ground, cupping the attackers in protection, forming an ironclad defense that actually intercepted the attacks; even the dragon's breath was blocked.
The Glintstone Dragon in the sky let out an unwilling roar, unleashing a furious assault on another group of unprotected killers.
Yet, they continued to advance, fearless in the face of death.
Since the aerial bombardment proved ineffective, they decided to engage in ground combat. The two men and one dragon positioned themselves before Ranni's Rise, firmly blocking the first few killers who surged forward. Their movements were nimble, shadowing their foes, making them incredibly troublesome.
Both sides engaged in a fierce brawl, neither giving an inch, leaving the entire Carian Royal Palace's outskirts cratered.
The cover provided by the colossal glintstone crystal formations was no more, scattered and crumbling into dust; the hidden defenses were laid bare!
Within the Carian Royal Palace, hidden spells actively retaliated. Streams of light ascended from below, like arrows descending vertically, crashing hard into the ranks of the killers, scattering them in disarray.
"Such power!" Iji turned his head, "It must be Lady Ranni's doing."
From the steps of Ranni's Rise behind them, a blue doll-like maiden descended, her spectral face filled with solemnity. Though her magic seemed to surge, in reality, having been in a long slumber, she couldn't temporarily display her full power.
"They truly picked a good time."
"It looks like we'll have to hold out for a while. This place is a bit far from the Academy of Raya Lucaria, reinforcements will take some time to arrive, so let's make every second count."
She glanced around; her three subordinates nodded solemnly. Though she said so, in reality, Seluvis always held back, and remained here in the form of a counterfeit puppet, which was no secret to Ranni. He harbored many clever schemes; she would have to deal with him later.
As for the remaining Iji and the Glintstone Dragon, one lacked strength, the other strategy, which was a bit unfortunate.
Ranni, collecting her thoughts, looked at the killers before her; these shadowy Beasts were growing increasingly frenzied, possessing an instinctive savagery towards their targets.
Lunar Wax!
A massive, chalk-white orb of light fell to the ground, radiating chilling energy. Any mages it touched found their magic obstructed and delayed, and the sturdy Cherishing Fingersfrom before was dismantled, the power of anti-magic rendering them utterly unprepared.
With Ranni's addition, the pressure eased once more.
Thanks to the reinforced attunement of her state by soul magic, she was able to unleash greater power.
Outwardly, she only unleashed simple glintstone magic, but her Demigod-level control made each orb devastatingly powerful, a single explosion capable of overturning several killers, preventing the enemy from advancing and posing a threat.
At the same time, with the magical cover from the Carian Royal Palace, they finally stabilized the situation.
Suddenly, the shadowy Beasts collectively growled a single name, that deeply wicked aura causing everyone on the field to pause, and all sounds ceased.
"Abandoning your body and betraying the fate of a demigod, and even attempting to seek out forbidden artifacts from the Eternal City. Do you truly believe your transgressions end here? No, the Two Fingers will utterly annihilate you all. This is an absolute decree, and it will surely be fulfilled."
Before the words had faded, all the mage-killers cast spells in unison, weaving together an ultra-large-scale barrage like a meteor shower.
Nodular Finger Claws!
Magic converged into numerous long Fingers, as if enshrouding the sky; once they swept through, they disrupted magical pathways, advancing irresistibly, their form never before seen.
The Carian Royal Palace's guardian magic, which had been so imposing, was shattered, turning into scattered stellar dust. Yet the Finger magic continued to lash out, leaving an unsettling contamination in its wake, as if an aura from beyond the stars disrupted magic itself.
"This must be Finger magic," Ranni murmured.
As a Demigod skilled in this domain, she was widely knowledgeable, and stood upon the shoulders of the Academy's Giant, yet knew little of this. Clearly, it was an incredibly ancient form of magic, deeply buried in the annals of history, now unleashed by the Two Fingers' assassins as a surprise attack.
Even the defenses of Ranni's Rise were shaking.
Furthermore, Ranni's state prevented her from sustained combat, and her home ground advantage wasn't pronounced enough.
They exchanged glances, intending to retreat and defend, otherwise, if the shadowy Beasts continued their relentless assault, casualties would inevitably occur sooner or later; they had to keep their distance.
Rumble, rumble!
The killers, sensing their enemies' weakness, became even more brazen, unleashing unrestrained barrages of explosive magic; the sky echoed with traces of Finger magic, circulating ceaselessly, even the glintstone magic surrounding Carian Royal Palace trembled from it.
"You simply don't understand the might of the Finger!"
"Your petty tricks end here. The Eternal City is not for you to defile. All who seek it shall die."
The more they used Finger magic, the more frenzied they became, now completely disregarding Ranni and her party's counter-attacks.
Flash!
Suddenly, the Site of Grace at the center of the battlefield lit up; the first thing to arrive was an ultra-wide-range detection, locking onto all enemies, and then, in a radiant light, Frieren's figure materialized.
"Quite the lively scene, Ranni, these Two Fingers! And your magic is not bad."
"Damn that foreign Ashen One!"
"You're not so bad yourself; that strange aura from beyond the stars can't be hidden any longer. You're just a schemer, aren't you?"
Compared to her calm words, her magic erupted with dozens of times the fury. With a mere lift of her hand, she unleashed a torrent of soul essence that activated omnidirectionally, a Soul Torrent imbued with the power of the First Flame, washing over its targets, any slight touch burning them to true ash, the kind that cannot be revived.
Faced with Frieren's sudden assault, they were completely unprepared, and even if they had been, it would have been useless, because when she unleashed her attack, she held nothing back, ensuring victory.
The Soul Torrent, like an eraser, obliterated countless killers.
Only soul magic was her most lethal and proficient, and it signified a high degree of seriousness from her. Delay brings trouble.
Indeed, they proved to be quite fragile.
Ranni was a crucial ally, not to be lost; besides, the Two Fingers' assassins were so relentless, they allowed no opportunity for a drawn-out battle. Therefore, Frieren held nothing back, unleashing Soul Torrent from the very start, though slightly smaller than Comet Azur, but unleashing a perfectly synchronized eruption of power that matched her own nature.
Whoosh!
They formed an omnidirectional barrage in the air, covering every target without blind spots.
"Damn it, quick, use Finger's Guard!"
From the rumbling ground, a massive hand rose to protect the attackers, and at the same time, Ranni warned: "Be careful, that thing is very..." Before she could finish, the silver-haired maiden coldly intensified her power, and the azure torrent still pierced through its targets with irresistible force, the seemingly sturdy Cherishing Fingersunable to withstand it even for a moment, utterly disintegrating.
As the magic vanished, a faint cry seemed to echo.
Incredible. Could the Two Fingers truly be controlling them from behind the scenes? But it no longer mattered; the situation was becoming clearer.
At this moment, Frieren's firepower alone was comparable to a single legion, her magic reserves seemed bottomless, and using only one type of magic, she was unstoppable, the swaggering shadowy Beasts shattering upon contact.
They were not mere punching bags to be endlessly pummeled, and immediately orchestrated a counter-attack.
Flash!
A Finger Claw struck her left hand, but almost simultaneously, her Brass Shield precisely parried it, even shimmering with a force field of light, ensuring its steadfastness.
Facing unfamiliar magic required a cautious approach.
Thus, Frieren, after a long time, took out her Brass Shield, which had been reinforced to a considerably high level, to guard against unforeseen circumstances. Magic already seen in The Lands Between was easily parried or countered; but these special types were best dealt with defensively, ideally by slowly wearing the enemy down.
But in the killers' eyes, the Soul of Cinder was clearly attacking with full force, wave after wave, ceaselessly. The Soul Torrent lighting up the sky was blinding, its power unabated even now as it raged, and it grew faster and denser, as if responding to its master's caution.
Their counter-attacks were broken, leaving them helpless.
All the Finger mages present unleashed their magic in a combined effort to block her.
From the ground, spectral Finger-like tendrils rose, shaped like bony claws, both protecting the casters and forming a massive palm, which violently slammed down on Frieren's position, enough to flatten a mountaintop.
However, in that instant, a hundred-meter long blade of light materialized in her hand, her Carian Greatsword similarly swung upwards with full force.
Wind pressure roared, the earth quaked and mountains swayed, clouds parted as if dividing two shores, and beneath the sky's light, the bony claws disintegrated. Along with them, several Finger mages were also pulverized.
Such a massive display of might made Ranni instinctively adjust her Witch-like pointed hat, her face showing shock.
"Truly clean and decisive."
Despite facing a special type of magic for the first time, she broke through skill with raw power; this combat wisdom in handling various situations was truly the source of her immense strength.
No amount of evasion could withstand Frieren's devastating Great Carian outburst. As expected, the killers fell in disarray, either turning to ash on the spot or barely clinging to life, and as for any successors, they simply ceased to exist.
Melina warned, "I sense the aura of the Two Fingers fading; they likely won't send any more reinforcements."
"Then all that's left is to clear them out, isn't it?"
The silver-haired maiden raised her staff high, and Ancient Death Rancor, possessing tracking ability and soul-damaging power, billowed forth in all directions, their spectral forms scouring every corner.
After several modifications and refinements, this necromancy became even more intelligent, meticulously seeking out every living breath, perfect for delivering the final blow. Some attempted to resist, managing to break through one, only to be immediately struck by another; the force of impact crushing their bodies.
Even fully armored, they couldn't withstand the overwhelming lethality of the rapidly eliminating spirits.
Whirling, whirling.
After a continuous barrage of firepower, that killer breathed its last, and all other accomplices, without exception, were enveloped by the vengeful spirits. These things excelled in sheer numbers, and with their weak impact, they could exert suppression.
Facing top-tier opponents, she could easily adapt to the combat rhythm, so Frieren would use different spells, but for others, ordinary enemies barely mastered a few spells in their lifetime, so clearing them with simple, unadorned moves was best.
The battlefield had entered its cleanup phase.
At this moment, the silver-haired maiden simultaneously wielded her staff to unleash Ancient Death Rancor, while using the sharp edge of her Brass Shield to individually finish off any targets still clinging to life.
This fluid, effortless fighting style left the occupants of Ranni's Rise idle. They had anticipated Frieren might personally provide support as a precaution, but they hadn't expected such astonishing efficiency; it was unimaginable.
The Finger assassins were completely unable to pose any threat to her; instead, they were routed completely, their entire force annihilated.
It was over.
There was no twist to the tale; this battle was barely worth mentioning; the silver-haired maiden's performance was simply like encountering a trivial disturbance during a stroll.
Her aura of dominance wasn't directed at her allies, but anyone could feel the immense power subtly hidden within her casual demeanor.
"All the omens are dealt with, Ranni. Can you patch up the barrier?"
"Un, just a moment."
The doll maiden brought her two pairs of hands together, casting a spell, and resonating magic echoed out, nourishing the barrier and restoring it completely. The damaged parts were now as good as new, and at least for a while, it wouldn't be breached. Moreover, it wasn't easy for the Two Fingers to orchestrate an attack; their pawns were not infinite, so they would likely stay quiet for a bit, which was good for paving the way for underground exploration, a blessing in disguise.
After scanning the area to confirm no stragglers remained, Frieren walked towards Ranni's Rise.
The Glintstone Dragon flapped its wings and flew off, bolting as usual at the sight of her, no doubt because the aura of the Dragon Slayer's on her was too intense, as if seeing the countless vengeful spirits of its kin.
Seluvis also quietly departed; knowing that the playful Soul of Cinder disliked him, he wouldn't press his luck, especially after such a major battle.
With two allies gone, only Iji remained.
The colossal Troll waved his hand and said: "Your Majesty, you've been well since we last met. You seem even more spirited after awakening."
A keen eye would notice Frieren had grown slightly taller, and the mixed energy she exuded felt increasingly stable. No wonder she chose to slumber; it was to digest all the power she had accumulated thus far. An ally growing stronger was, of course, good news.
"How are things?"
"There wasn't much news during your slumber. The Carian Royal Palace is well, and as for the recent attack, you saw it. I fear the Two Fingers were provoked."
"Indeed," the silver-haired maiden replied, "it's clear I'll conquer the Eternal City sooner or later." The silver-haired maiden changed the subject: "I received news that the Mohgwyn Dynasty is also underground. Do you think it's reachable?"
"I presume the Lord of Blood has created a barrier, I'm not sure of the specifics..."
"It's definitely possible; no magic is truly absolute."
The one who replied was Ranni, who had just finished repairing the defensive spells; she looked directly at her guest, instantly seeing the question on her mind.
"You must be here seeking clues about the Eternal City, aren't you?"
Frieren nodded.
"All the royal archives are in the attic. You can access them anytime. Blaidd has already set off, heading to the Stars' Peril."
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