The holy-aspected flame, unlike other aggressive flames, was filled with the intent of purification, purity, and illuminating all directions, bathing the room in light as if it were day.
And when the daylight faded, not a single scorpion remained.
They gently dissolved under Melina's golden blade, the entire process fluid and effortless. This incantation came from the system of the Golden Order and was quite famous.
With Leda's and Freyja's knowledge, they had of course heard of it, but its power was simply astonishing.
In her hands, it exhibited characteristics of a massive area of effect, far more than a simple wave of sword energy.
They hadn't expected the reserved Melina to be so efficient at clearing them out.
Click!
The one-eyed girl sheathed her short dagger and gave a slight nod to signal she was done. She remained silent except when with those close to her.
The rest of the journey was uneventful. Scattered monsters were no match for the team, and the path was littered with their broken bodies, unable to hinder their advance in the slightest.
The group had subtly formed a combat team. Frieren was responsible for scouting and the vanguard, collecting items along the way.
Freyja and Leda covered the flanks, while Melina occasionally helped with healing or large-scale clearing.
To this point, the only one who hadn't made a move was the silver-haired girl at the very front of the team. But her contribution was actually the greatest.
From the start, she had been actively releasing a suppressive aura, causing ordinary monsters and living corpses to keep their distance, not daring to hide in nooks and crannies, which spared the team many battles.
A moment later.
Around the newly lit Site of Grace named "Belurat, Tower Settlement."
The group, taking a brief rest, discussed their next move:
Leda revealed, "According to our preliminary intel, the residential district is just ahead. It's teeming with Horned Folk, and it will lead further inside."
"Alright, I'll clear it out."
Frieren was more than happy to uproot this place, clearing the way for a new settlement. Sooner or later, her army would need to garrison the Land of Shadow, and the large complex of Belurat, Tower Settlement, was a perfect location.
Its strategic position, reminiscent of the Saum Plains, was one she had to control.
Even while adventuring alone, she had to consider acting as a spearhead for her entire faction. The cleaner she made it, the better.
Ultimately, the group decided to temporarily split into two parties after leaving this Site of Grace. Their missions differed.
Frieren only needed to focus on fighting, while Leda needed to gather the Horned Folk's books, murals, carvings, and other intelligence. It was practically archaeology.
She had no interest in asking for more details, merely noting a conclusion in her mind: Miquella was repeatedly verifying the reliability of something.
That's why they had to target the long-sealed Tower Town. They knew it was a tough nut to crack—how could a super-fortress that had preserved its inhabitants even during the Holy War not be strong? Yet, his followers still had to risk it. The objective must be vital.
Leda took the initiative to explain, "Belurat is actually one half of the Horned Folk civilization's largest complex. The other side is even more magnificent.
During the war, they sealed it off for protection. We need to find the secret passage connecting the two halves."
"There's definitely a seal," Frieren asserted.
"Right. So we need to at least see what the seal looks like to make a judgment.
"Let's go."
As the silver-haired girl took the lead out of the Grace room, the other three followed. They would have to split up to search once they reached the narrow and complex residential area...
Suddenly, they saw Frieren's back stiffen as she halted in her tracks. Even though she blocked their view, they felt a terrifying pressure wash over them.
They could vaguely make out a figure in a yellow battle robe holding a great cleaver, with gleaming silver armor, a bestial face, and sharp horns. It was a Horned Warrior!
The two sides stared at each other, caught face to face. A terrible way to meet.
This terrain was too dangerous. The three in the back gritted their teeth, watching helplessly as the enemy began to charge its sword with energy.
Gulp!
So brave! They actually witnessed Frieren raise her Flask of Wondrous Physick and chug it right in front of the enemy. Even though it would leave her wide open with a long animation, she downed it in a flash with a flick of her hand, leaving not a drop.
Almost simultaneously, the Lord of Cinder, her head still tilted back, didn't even have time to look at the enemy before swinging her Dark Moon Greatsword horizontally.
Clang! A crisp sound rang out.
The parry was successful. She followed up with a wave of moonlight, but unfortunately, the Horned Warrior, its poise unshaken, quickly backstepped out of the way in a moment of surprise.
The first exchange of the encounter was over.
Frieren swaggered over to where the enemy had just been standing. With space cleared, her companions hurried to catch up, feeling safer in the more open area.
Just now, they had been at the bottom of a narrow staircase, looked down upon and in grave danger. A single blast of sword energy from the enemy could have cut them all down.
"Were you testing the Deflecting Hardtear just now?" Melina asked curiously.
"That's right. It's quite useful. His attacks are heavy. Without the physick, I'd need higher stats to block them."
Her casual answer belied the immense risk. To dare use a flask right under the enemy's nose—what kind of technique allowed her to drink so quickly?
And she was a master of timing. The enemy, already charging its attack, couldn't interrupt her and could only clash with Frieren's parry.
Both sides displayed superb judgment and reflexes in the sudden encounter, but the stronger one came out on top.
"Everyone, be careful. That's a Horned Warrior, a heroic warrior of the Horned Folk civilization. It even possesses a degree of divinity from spirit-channeling, its body is tough and its strength is immense. It's best to go around it."
Leda warned in a loud voice.
However, Frieren and Freyja both let out a war cry and charged forward with their swords, their fighting spirit fierce.
"Never mind, just pretend I didn't say anything."
There was no need to say more about the Lord of Cinder. Though famous for her scholarly achievements, her style was widely acknowledged as the most kingly: to fight every foe she met, and to win.
Freyja, a hero of the Redmane Army, also craved a challenge, and with an idol right beside her, she certainly wouldn't shy away.
The two of them charged the Horned Warrior, who was momentarily stunned, not expecting the invaders to be so audacious. A storm swept forth as it unleashed a sweeping wave of sword energy that guarded its body.
Thud!
Amidst the dull thud, Frieren easily parried, deflecting even the magic. The energy couldn't bypass the effect of the Deflecting Hardtear.
Seizing the opening, Freyja swung her sword, inflicting a wound on the Horned Warrior's face. Its once menacing, twisted horn snapped and fell away, revealing a large patch of rough, distorted skin.
The two, having executed a beautiful combination attack, exchanged a look of mutual appreciation. Well done.
"Damned invaders."
The roar seemed to echo from the depths of its soul. Wisps of lightning flickered around the Horned Warrior as successive waves of soul reinforcement coursed through its body, amplifying its aura.
"Is this the spirit-channeling ritual Leda mentioned?" Frieren raised an eyebrow.
In principle, it was similar to summoning, much like how she could manifest a giant spirit warrior. But this technique was more in tune with the rules of this world. As expected of a race skilled in researching gods and souls.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the signs of a red phantom invasion appeared nearby—a being named Queelign, the Fire Knight, wielding a sharp greatspear.
Seeing this, Leda and Melina quickly moved to block the new enemy's path, but a cry also came from the sky.
The wings of three Shadow Crows cast a shadow, their mocking caws echoing between the eaves.
The entire Tower Town was awakening. They'd stirred up a hornet's nest.
They hadn't expected to cause such a commotion.
The team immediately abandoned the idea of splitting up. They moved closer together, covering each other's backs to face the enemy together.
This was complex urban warfare.
Death Mist!
The first to strike were the Shadow Crows circling in the sky. They shed black feathers while spewing a mist that continuously drained stamina, nearly reaching Freyja and Frieren on the front line.
However, they were soon injured by Leda's long-range piercing sword-qi and forced to retreat.
Meanwhile, Melina engaged Queelign, the Fire Knight. Her dagger clashed with his greatspear, sending sparks flying with frequent, crisp sounds.
Both were lightly armored, agile and sharp, locked in a fierce and evenly matched struggle.
In the distance, more Horned Folk were gathering. Their stooped figures looked listless, yet they stubbornly picked up stones to throw, their every move displaying absolute hatred.
They were determined to strike at the enemy no matter what, accompanied by vicious curses.
Spirit-channeling power!
The Horned Warrior suddenly brought down its twinblades, striking Frieren and Freyja with a heavy impact. The two were forced back, carving grooves in the ground with their feet.
The latter lost her footing and nearly fell, but thankfully the silver-haired girl gave her a push on the back, preventing an opening.
"We can't meet him head-on. His strength is dangerous."
In a pure contest of strength at this moment, the Horned Warrior would rank among the very top in The Lands Between. Although Frieren could instantly respec her stats into strength, the battle was too complex now. A one-dimensional warrior build was not a good choice.
She would win with a mage's build.
"Your Majesty will take the lead on offense! I'll feint and pin him down. We have to take him out first, or we won't be able to free up our forces."
With a loud shout, Freyja charged forward. Though she'd spoken of pinning him down, she showed no sign of retreating as she fought the Horned Warrior, meeting strength with strength.
Sweeping sword-qi sent rubble flying, collapsing the roofs of nearby buildings. The champion of the Redmane Army truly lived up to her name, managing to hold him off.
Soul Blessing!
Minor Erdtree!
Frieren and Melina, each fighting different enemies, acted in perfect sync, casting buffing magic. One enhanced, one healed, and light illuminated every corner of the battlefield.
They had long since honed their skills in casting wide-area buffs on several large-scale battlefields; it was second nature to them.
Leda, freshly empowered by the new magic, finished off all the Shadow Crows. Their agile flight in the sky was no defense against her masterful rapier. With a flick of her sword to shake off the blood, the black-feathered corpses rained down.
Next, the tip of her Golden Needle was aimed at the Horned Folk.
"Naturally blasphemous beings. A perfect time to eliminate you."
Although the two sides had some disagreements regarding the system of a Divine King, their stance on defeating the Horned Folk remained unchanged. They worked together seamlessly.
Freyja, who had been injured just a moment before, felt the light of the Erdtree healing her wounds. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Melina had gradually overpowered the red phantom of the Fire Knight.
Victory was only a matter of time; she could already spare the attention to cast healing.
On the other side, an astonishing amount of magic was brewing, as Frieren's staff condensed a beam of light.
VMMMM!
Soul Stream curved on its own, bypassing Freyja. Its attack path shocked the Horned Warrior, who had been intentionally using the former's body for cover.
It could attack in a bent line?
A blue radiance covered his body, washing away all traces of the spirit-channeling. The subsequent weakening left the Horned Warrior panting, half-kneeling on the ground as the sharp horns on its face continuously shattered and fell.
He was terrified; this was a soul attack, incredibly effective against the Horned Folk. It had to be avoided.
He dragged his wounded body into a roll to dodge Freyja's pursuit, the edge of her blade just barely grazing its body. Thankfully, its armor blocked some of the force.
"He's pretty tough."
Frieren rarely saw an enemy still moving after a single Soul Stream, even if she had reduced its power for better maneuverability. As expected, the Horned Warrior's poise was quite high.
He would probably die on his feet. Oh well, a mage's style doesn't care about poise anyway. Continue.
Rancorcall!
The silver-haired girl waved her staff, summoning a dense swarm of skulls. They overlapped and intertwined, forming a dark cloud that covered the sky, dripping with killing intent.
They rushed the Horned Warrior all at once, and the targeted foe immediately raised its twinblades to block.
"Because of their racial traits, they can even block soul attacks to some extent..."
"No, it's the remnants of the spirit-channeling ritual that are neutralizing the Rancorcall."
While making this judgment, Frieren also confirmed that the soul damage mechanic still had high priority. The enemy was at the end of its rope, gradually failing to keep up with Freyja's pursuit.
The longsword struck its chest. The force of this blow was terrifying.
In her enhanced state, she not only broke through its armor but also drew a spray of blood.
The Horned Warrior gritted its teeth and stood its ground, counterattacking with its twinblades, only to be interrupted by a fully charged Comet. The Glintstone exploded in its face, obscuring its vision while fine, scattered particles dug into its wounds.
The magic within them dealt further damage, and its stamina gave out, forcing it to retreat.
The surrounding Horned Folk actively covered him, throwing themselves at Freyja to prevent her from giving chase.
Loretta's Greatbow!
At the critical moment, Frieren fired an arrow that hit the Horned Warrior's back leg, causing it to stumble and barely remain standing, supported by its longsword.
Just as she was about to press the attack, she heard a rumbling roar.
The Horned Folk up high had actually pushed down a massive boulder, over five meters in diameter. It gained gravitational acceleration on the steep slope, crushing buildings as it crashed down.
And it wasn't just one; more followed in quick succession.
The first target was Freyja, who was closest to the Horned Warrior, forcing her to fall back. The other target was the location where the Minor Erdtree was blooming.
To the Horned Folk, this was an unbearable desecration, like being slapped in the face, and it had to be smashed to bits.
"Melina."
While giving the warning, Frieren mercilessly flung out a wave of gravity. The hundred-meter radius fan in its path was reduced to rubble and ruins.
Under the absolute gravity, not a single building remained intact; all of them collapsed. The mere boulders were naturally turned to ash.
Unsatisfied with a single cast, she switched to another spell, Rock Sling, and aimed at the Horned Folk who had launched the attack, giving them a taste of their own medicine.
A full six meteors slammed into the upper levels of the building with the force of a thunderclap.
The Horned Folk who had been Leda's opponents vanished in an instant, leaving her with nothing to do.
"I'm alright."
The figure of the cloaked girl in her traveler's attire gradually emerged from the smoke. Beside her, a dying Queelign lay on the ground, his body smoldering with holy burns.
"...None of you will escape the flames of Messmer."
As soon as he finished speaking, the knight vanished into thin air, unaware of Melina's relationship with the commander of the Holy War army.
Frieren breathed a sigh of relief. As long as her companions were safe, that was all that mattered. Since all the Horned Folk were now active, linking the various battlefronts, there was no reason to hold back.
She might as well pack them all up and take them out together.
Her sharp gaze fell upon the stooped Horned Warrior, who could only watch as a rain of rocks rose up from the ground.
The ruins of the Tower Town were pieced together into a meteorite. The very materials that built the city would now destroy it.
____
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