"What gives a Lord of Frenzied Flame of your caliber the right to the same Frenzied Flame as my master?"
The reason for the Mimic Tear's fury surprised Melina. It didn't matter if the one who created it chose not to embrace the Frenzied Flame.
But if she did join the Frenzied Flame's camp, she should be the strongest. What was this weakling Midra? And so boastful, too.
Melina gripped the sliver of Destined Death, her burnt hand trembling. She had wanted to rush forward to mitigate the damage but found she couldn't hold her blade.
Why?
She hadn't been hurt at all. She had been protected too well, emerging from such a battle completely unscathed.
At this thought, Melina hesitated, recalling Frieren's interrogation when they faced Nanaya's corpse: "Are you truly prepared to kill a Lord of Frenzied Flame?" Perhaps now was the time for an answer.
Yes, her heart replied.
But the blade of her calling trembled, and her legs felt weak, filled only with a deep regret…
Regret for what?
She wasn't quite sure. She only felt there were so many words left to say, so many matters to discuss together, so many places to see with their own eyes.
Then there was the journey to the foot of the Erdtree.
Now, all she could do was stare blankly at Frieren, who was shrouded in the Frenzied Flame. What should she do?
When had she become so indecisive? She had always been one to travel the world alone, never hesitating.
Had this long-term reliance fostered a sense of belonging in her?
Melina took a deep breath and looked directly at the most powerful Lord of Frenzied Flame in the history of the Lands Between, her voice trembling slightly:
"I will grant you Destined Death."
The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so quick to judge. Shouldn't I at least try to wake you?
"—No, I will save you."
Frieren tilted her head and rubbed her eyes, her expression bewildered, as if seeking a balance between madness and stability.
Wait, could it be that the contingency plan she always mentioned was actually working?
The Three Fingers, lost in immense joy, failed to notice. It laughed heartily,
"Success! This generation's quasi-king now belongs to the Frenzied Flame… No, she is the destined Elden Lord, but she will choose chaos and return the world to the state of the Primordial Crucible."
"Impossible."
"You, of all people, should understand this best, witch. Even without my manipulation, she would have turned to the Frenzied Flame. It is a necessary condition for becoming king. You should blame the thorns of refusal."
"Queen Marika must have had her reasons for sealing the Erdtree."
"That is not important. What matters is that a sacrifice must be made to finally enter the Erdtree, and the choice must be made between two who have walked the path of life and death together. How beautiful. I love this. A heaven-sent opportunity!"
At that moment, Melina clearly saw Frieren channel a faint, almost imperceptible trace of normal magic.
But now she had withdrawn her magic, standing obediently beside Midra, an inconspicuous background figure.
Are you lucid?
Did my words reach your ears? Along with this resolve.
The Frenzied Flame Outer God continued its laughter.
"A child of gold who also wields a sliver of Destined Death—a time will come when you will be of greater use. Join the Frenzied Flame. You and the one you love will remain together. We will be God, King, and consort."
Hearing this, Melina paused for a moment, the confusion and conflict in her eyes clearing slightly.
"Love? I see. I am certain now. I regret this mission, I fear the choice to come, I want to witness the end with Frieren—"
Shnk!
Before she could finish, a blade pierced the Outer God's phantom in mid-air. It was a Ringed Knight Straight Sword, held in Frieren's hand.
It was shocked, frozen for a moment, at a complete loss.
"Don't be so surprised. I was prepared to endure the Frenzied Flame long ago." Tentacles extended from the silver-haired girl's shadow, absorbing the Frenzied Flame. "I just needed to envelop myself in a stronger, more stable corruption first."
The will of the Old Gods had finally proven useful for once. They could serve as an outer shield to bear the brunt of the Frenzied Flame's blaze.
With this mental protection, the energy Frieren received was filtered. She had finally stabilized the corruption.
Just as she had predicted, she could now truly use Frenzied Flame Incantations without fear of erosion.
Furthermore, the First Flame had taken the initiative to absorb and tame it, opening up an entire system to her.
"Now it's your turn for a taste."
The power of the First Flame flowed through the Ringed Knight sword, incinerating all things, striking directly at the soul, no matter where the will's true body resided.
As expected, the phantom of the Three Fingers immediately let out a blood-curdling scream. The mighty Outer God thrashed about in the air like a pathetic wretch.
Its projection flickered constantly, its bones rattling with ghostly wails and wolfish howls. Yet, with all its might, it could not sever the connection to the First Flame's burn.
The sword itself could not harm it, but the flame upon it could. Once ignited, it could not be stopped, even showing it a vision of a ruined and dark world…
"Hah!"
Gritting its teeth through the pain, the Outer God released an unprecedented surge of Frenzied Flame in an indiscriminate, massive explosion.
Frieren, having anticipated this, withdrew her sword and moved away.
The next moment, she teleported between Melina and the Mimic Tear, grabbing their shoulders. Leaping lightly onto a gravity orb, they flew out through the hole in the ceiling.
From there, they could clearly watch the manor begin to collapse, melt, and even vaporize.
The resilient structure that had stood for years finally crumbled. The force continued its rampage, and amidst its furious roar, a black-and-yellow fireball shot straight into the sky.
In the adjacent Fortress of Reprimand, many people screamed as flames erupted from their eyes.
Excited dragon roars echoed from Jagged Peak. After all, Bayle hadn't seen such a spectacle in a long time. He clucked his tongue in amazement.
"Who caused such a commotion? Will they come to challenge me?"
High atop the Moon Tower in the City of Ciss, a wistful Rellana, gazing from on high, prayed in her heart.
BOOM!
After a violent tremor, the Valleybottom Forest gradually fell silent.
The moment it quieted, Melina spoke with urgency,
"I'm sorry, Frieren. I've hidden many crucial things from you, even though you've helped me so much… but I will be honest with you."
"I've said it before. Tell me when you feel the time is right. We'll have a proper talk later."
The silver-haired girl flashed a smile, instantly dispelling the gloom in Melina's heart. As reliable and optimistic as ever.
"Master, that thing is almost gone…."
Following the direction the Mimic Tear pointed, she saw the projection of the Three Fingers gradually turning ethereal. This signified that the Outer God's possession was weakening.
After such a grievous blow, it could no longer be sustained. But it would not go down without a fight.
The Outer God's remaining power flowed into Midra's body, causing the Lord of Frenzied Flame's aura to surge.
Compared to the wild Frieren who had tamed the flame, someone who brandished their frenetic magic so wantonly was a much more suitable vessel. This was the true Lord of Frenzied Flame acknowledged by the Three Fingers.
"A defective product."
"Couldn't afford the good one, so you had to patch up a piece of junk, huh?"
The Mimic Tear's mockery sent the Outer God into a rage, its projection twisting in fury. How dare they!
Nothing had gone smoothly since it started dealing with this Lord of Cinder. Today, it would teach them a harsh lesson.
"I have given all my remaining power of possession to Midra. Now, you will bear witness to a complete Lord of Frenzied Flame."
The next moment, the Three Fingers Outer God vanished completely.
In its place, amidst the ruins, stood a yellow-robed old man whose head burned with the surging intensity of the radiant sun.
"Phase two?"
The battle-hardened Frieren immediately assessed Midra's condition. From now on, they would face a new phase of the Lord of Frenzied Flame.
Not just that, but an Outer God-enhanced version not even mentioned in the player messages. She could not afford to be careless.
Thinking the danger had passed just because the Three Fingers was gone was exactly the kind of basic mistake one could easily make.
Every enemy deserved to be annihilated with her full strength.
She dispelled her gravity magic, allowing the three of them to land back on the ground, ready for battle.
There was no need for excess words between them; a single glance was enough. Though each was drained to some extent, they felt more invigorated than before.
Their blood boiled and their fighting spirit soared, ready to answer a new level of unspoken understanding.
The small party felt as if it had been reborn. Having confessed, Melina felt only relief.
Frieren, having overcome the Frenzied Flame, could finally fight without reservation.
As for the Mimic Tear, it was happy as long as the atmosphere between the two of them was good.
"I no longer have to…"
Midra opened his arms, his severed hand regrowing from flame, and roared at the heavens, "...hold back!"
The Frenzied Flame energy he had suppressed for so long erupted completely. Previously, a significant portion of his attacks had actually been driven by the Outer God's will; the vessel had not wanted to fight, nor was it willing to accept the madness.
Now, all restraints were gone.
His home was destroyed, everything was gone, even Nanaya's body had been turned to ash.
What was left in this world to cherish?
Now, only one thought remained in his heart: to turn the entire Lands Between into a sea of fire, to return all to the Primordial Crucible, where countless lives would finally reunite and reshape everything.
Midra then leaped high into the air, a trail of fiery meteor light streaking behind him as he crashed down.
The Greatsword of Eternal Punishment was aimed at its target, its sharp barbs spread open, ready to claim a life and utterly torment any foe.
But he wasn't fast enough. The trio took a step back just as the thorns bloomed from the ground where they had stood, striking nothing but air.
Tap!
Frieren had retreated the shortest distance. With a light hop, she landed on one foot atop a thorn.
Light erupted from the two staves in her hands: Soul Stream.
Two streams of crisscrossing energy charged forward at point-blank range.
The Frenzied Flame hastily protected Midra's body as he rapidly retreated, simultaneously erupting heat forward in an attempt to counteract the spell.
Yet, the moment they made contact, he was stunned. Why was the force so vastly different from before?
It forced him into a pathetic roll to dodge, watching helplessly as the blue magic streaked past his head.
Wherever it passed, the forest turned to dust, the earth boiled and melted, and the mountains along its path parted to form a channel. The crescent-shaped scar left by the attack was a testament to its terrifying power. A direct hit would have been the end.
It was like an eraser wiping away a charcoal-black scroll. How much magic power did that require?
"Those who can reshape the world at will are the true representatives of power. Your Frenzied Flame can't even accomplish that on its own, yet you dare try to beguile my master."
The Greatsword of Eternal Punishment was pinned to the ground.
At some unknown point, the Mimic Tear had appeared, standing firmly on the tip of the slender blade, preventing him from pulling it free for a crucial moment.
"Such a feeble king. Utterly laughable."
The next moment, scattered Night Shards and a golden blade struck from front and back, exploding against Midra's body.
Though protected by the Frenzied Flame, he was still sent stumbling back several steps, forced to use the smoke and shockwave to escape the encirclement.
He was especially wary of Destined Death. One more hit to his torso and it would surely be fatal.
Most importantly, the party's main attacker was back.
Frieren, no longer concerned about the madness of the Frenzied Flame, was now at her most threatening. Facing Midra, who had begun to adopt a long-range kiting strategy, she had plenty of methods—
Frenzied Burst!
Without warning, a beam of Frenzied Flame shot from the silver-haired girl's right eye and struck Midra. He cried out, clutching his head and howling in agony, ironically wounded by the very pain of madness he wielded.
"It seems my Frenzied Flame is superior to yours."
"Frieren, you just had to test out a new move, didn't you? Even if it's incredibly dangerous."
The sight of her flaming eye made Melina almost laugh in exasperation.
"It must have been hard for you, holding back for so long after getting Frenzied Burst. The moment you overcame the madness, you started thinking of new ways to play with it. And the result is stronger than the Lord of Frenzied Flame himself."
So, strength had little to do with the elemental affinity of the magic; the user was the key. An incantation from a quasi-king was simply a cut above.
Frieren had actually thought of this as well.
She could resist the Frenzied Flame because she had used the power of the Old Gods for mental protection, ensuring she wouldn't be infected.
But the most crucial factor was a person's will. One who has never despaired will not ignite the Frenzied Flame.
Thus, for her, it would forever remain merely a special incantation.
Her cautious first attempt was a success. Logically, an incantation of the same type shouldn't have caused harm.
Yet the Lord of Frenzied Flame was struck down in an unsightly manner, proving that the caster was the primary factor.
However, for Melina's sake, she was satisfied with a single test and immediately switched to another type of magic…
"Don't get cocky."
The Frenzied Flame on the enraged Midra's head swelled several times larger.
He was a Lord of Frenzied Flame, after all. How could he be humiliated time and again? Unforgivable.
These intruders had shattered the peace of Valleybottom Forest, destroyed his manor, and turned every proof of his memories to ash. They were mortal enemies.
The Frenzied Flame from his head rose into the sky, the darkness at its center growing deeper, the temperature soaring. Not even sweat could form; all moisture was evaporating within their bodies.
If not for their Demigod constitutions, they would have already withered.
He knew these three were not the type to give up easily, so he might as well annihilate them all at once.
The Frenzied Flame erupted from his head as tendrils of fiery serpents, arcing through the air in a parabolic barrage, indiscriminately covering all targets within range.
With a hissing sound, they first climbed high before raining down. Wherever they struck the ground, they melted a large patch into strange, highly infectious flames.
"So hot!"
The Mimic Tear was forced to retreat, signaling to the others that it was best to avoid the Frenzied Flame empowered by this magic.
Melina also chose to evade.
But they both simultaneously used ranged attacks to kite him. Against a corrupted amalgam who had thrown in his lot with an evil Outer God, there was no need to fight with honor.
The attacks of the Demigods of light and shadow were already on par with this round of Frenzied Flame coverage.
The two unyielding sides fought fiercely in the forest surrounding the manor grounds. Trees splintered, light fell from the sky.
The withered, Frenzied Flame trees that blotted out the sun were gradually fading away. This was the darkness before rebirth.
"Wait, was someone missing just now!"
Midra caught a glimpse of gold accompanied by a humming sound from the corner of his eye. Following the noise, he saw a massive horn pointing upwards.
Behind it was the silver-haired girl, poised to strike.
Aspects of the Crucible: Horns.
In the blink of an eye, the ancient incantation crossed a hundred meters, unleashed upon land similarly steeped in ancient power.
It slammed viciously into Midra's fragile body. The Crucible horn pierced his abdomen, carrying with it a terrifying force that flung him into the air.
It was unstoppable. He felt the crushing weight of absolute power.
______
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