THUD!
Why is the world spinning? Am I fighting so wretchedly? How can I possibly defeat the invaders?
The full impact of the Aspects of the Crucible incantation left Midra stunned. He felt his body flying weightlessly before slamming hard into the dirt, enveloped by the searing heat and smell of flames. His entire body ached, and looking down, he saw a hole had been torn through his abdomen.
This body is not fragile.
Though gaunt and skeletal on the surface, the Frenzied Flame flowing beneath his skin had forged a uniquely reinforced body. Its poise was low, but it would not be easily injured.
He propped himself up with his arms and struggled to his feet, feeling nothing as he passed a hand through the hole.
That's right, he had long since become some strange creature. Only the Frenzied Flame and soul-based energies could cause him pain; attacks of other properties were likely insufficient... Something was wrong.
The wound was gradually expanding, sapping his strength.
"I guessed the power of the Crucible from the ancient incantations would be effective. After all, you advocate for all things to return to the primordial Crucible..."
Frieren approached gracefully, both of her staves glowing with light.
"What a pity. If I wanted to witness ancient power, I'd be better off finding a Crucible Knight. You are not suited for battle, Midra. Don't hold back. Use more of the Frenzied Flame. Let It do the fighting."
"Mother, your taunts right now are just like those of the villains in the bards' tales."
"He possesses not a shred of a warrior's fighting spirit. It must be a disappointment to you both." Melina saw a look of regret on her two companions.
That regret stung Midra as well.
"It's not just you! I will burn the Hornsent's spiral towers, make them pay the price, and turn this entire place into a sea of fire!"
"While we agree on the matter of the Hornsent, you will still die here."
Before her words faded, Frieren's left staff conjured a Sorcery: Carian Greatsword, its edge sharp and brimming with killing intent. She was getting serious now, resolved to deliver a killing blow, one that would not rest until the target's very soul was annihilated.
The soul-slaying sorcery that had shaken The Lands Between was armed and ready.
Even Midra, who knew nothing of it, felt a terror welling up from the depths of his heart. So, the madness of the Frenzied Flame could feel fear? It wasn't that it was fearless, but that it had never encountered something truly terrifying.
In his eyes, that aura came from a decaying, apocalyptic world, a place even more horrifying than the Frenzied Flame. A soul, forged and tempered a thousand times over, had emerged from it—the monarch standing before him.
How could he possibly compare?
As Frieren unleashed her full magical power, Melina and the Mimic Tear moved to block off any escape routes.
Their coordination was perfect; every single movement was a signal. Now was the time for an all-out assault, to end this here and now.
The three of them closed in, forming a tightening circle.
Midra was not the type to surrender. Since he was going to be wounded regardless, he might as well go all out.
There was no room for wishful thinking against so many demigod-level opponents; a moment's hesitation would likely mean a quicker death.
The reason they had advanced the battle so methodically, even slowly, was due to their caution, as they had yet to ascertain what enhancements the Outer God had left behind.
But the results were underwhelming. Thus, the battle would now enter its fever pitch.
WHOOSH!
The Greatsword of Eternal Punishment stabbed into the ground, unleashing sharp spikes. Unlike before, they were now tainted with the power of the Frenzied Flame.
But Frieren ignored them completely, her body buffed with Endure and Ash of War: Endure, tanking the damage. At the same time, her Sorcery: Carian Greatsword suddenly elongated, having somehow fused with the properties of Carian Piercer.
He barely dodged the attack, avoiding the soul-damaging blow, only to realize her other staff was glowing purple.
Gravity Magic seized his body and flung him aside, completely out of his control.
She never expected the Sorcery: Carian Greatsword to hit from the start. It was a feint, a threat meant to lure him in.
The true intent was to make the Gravity Magic effective, setting him up for the Mimic Tear's charged Gavel of Haima on the other side.
"Batter up."
As the words sounded, a fierce wind rose by his ear, and the massive, condensed glintstone hammer slammed into his chest, caving in a large section. Blood, bone, and flesh were all twisted together.
The terrifying force spread through his entire body, but he still had time to unleash the Frenzied Flame at point-blank range—
But as luck would have it, the Blade of Calling struck his left hand just as the Frenzied Flame ignited, interrupting the dangerous technique.
Melina immediately backstepped, creating distance once more.
She watched coldly as the Gavel of Haima sent Midra flying, only for Frieren on the other side to follow up with a Comet.
After the Comet came a Night Comet.
Both master and servant were profoundly skilled sorcerers. The battlefield resembled a game of baseball, with magic flying back and forth. Caught in the middle was Midra, wretchedly dodging left and right but unable to escape their pincer attack.
No particularly special spells had appeared yet. They were simply relying on fundamentals to wear him down, bit by bit. It might not be swift, but it was steady, more than enough to ensure the enemy's death.
Melina's role was to provide support and control; Destined Death was the greatest threat.
Whenever she had an opportunity, she would promptly interrupt his counterattacks.
Trapped in a web of firepower, Midra's heart burned with anxiety. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before he died an ugly death...
He couldn't worry about that anymore. Rather than be killed, he would burn himself to ash right here and now, leaving nothing for his enemies.
It's all or nothing!
The moment he made his decision, the Frenzied Flame responded to his violent will, completely unleashing its destructive power.
He spread his arms, and the Frenzied Flame erupted from beneath his feet, not only expanding in range but also surging skyward to form another pillar of fire.
It shattered the clouds and proceeded to create a downpour of Frenzied Flame rocks, blanketing the entire valley floor.
Since he could burn this place once, he could do it again, and his enemies along with it.
Unlike last time, Frieren chose to meet force with force.
Almost simultaneously, a massive meteor rose into the sky. With a diameter of over 30 meters, it acted as an anchor, its gravity actively attracting the stray magic in the air, forming a veritable vortex.
Even from the edge of the valley, it was visible, and one could even feel its heat.
"Not bad."
Wild laughter echoed from the top of Jagged Peak. It had been a long time since Bayle had felt such joy; his weary heart began to race anew.
Excellent. To have his fighting spirit stirred meant his mettle was still intact, unlike the Ancient Dragons whose fiery passion had been eroded by time.
He looked forward to a battle to the death with the victor of this clash.
On the highlands, the watchtowers of Castle Ensis and Shadow Keep scrambled to observe, clearly seeing two "suns" rising from the valley floor.
One was the Frenzied Flame, a dark eye emitting yellow energy; the other was a meteor wreathed in purple-white magic.
The latter absorbed and dispersed all the corrupted magic emanating from the former, neutralizing it piece by piece. The very thing that sought to create destruction instead became a plaything to be casually toyed with.
"That's Her Majesty's technique!"
Having experienced it firsthand, Rellana could recognize Frieren's handiwork at a glance. Nowhere else in The Lands Between could one find such a high-level application of Gravity Magic.
The outcome was no longer in question.
After neutralizing a wave of Frenzied Flame, the rock actively split and reassembled into a stone sword.
So a weapon skill could be used in this way?
Her imagination and magical control were both beyond belief. The sword then plummeted from above, splitting the forest where the manor stood in two.
Within his field of vision, there was only rock.
Midra looked up at the sky, momentarily stunned, almost thinking a mountain was falling. It wasn't far off—a meteor transformed into a rock sword, crashing down with immense force.
Not a slice, but a slam.
He unleashed the Frenzied Flame with all his might. Yellow-black energy steamed off the sword's body, only to be effortlessly neutralized by the Gravity Magic swirling around it.
The attack he had painstakingly amassed was redirected and deflected. That move again!
Agitated, Midra's movements slowed for an instant, giving Frieren the opening she needed.
She injected a burst of magic, the final straw that broke the camel's back.
Unstoppable!
The Lord of Frenzied Flame could only watch as the rock sword blotted out the sky and descended, any counterattack rendered useless.
Absolute weight, poise damage, and destructive power made any attempt at interception laughable.
In that moment, he could only witness the colossal rock sword slam down, extinguishing him as easily and casually as snuffing out a candle flame.
The earth split open, a ten-kilometer-long chasm gouged into its surface.
What was terrifying was not its length, but its depth. Looking down, one could not see the bottom, as if the power itself was asking, "How deep is the earth?"
The flying sand and stones forced the Mimic Tear and Melina to shield their eyes.
They felt the ground rumble and tremble beneath their feet as piles of rubble churned like waves. The solid earth had become fragile under the spell's might.
What trace of the Frenzied Flame was left? Nothing but a few embers.
As the dust settled, the world was quiet and clear.
The two watched as Frieren strode toward the deep pit. With a kick, she sent a giant boulder flying, revealing the Greatsword of Eternal Punishment stuck within.
The silver-haired girl retrieved it like a priceless treasure. It felt a bit warm to the touch.
It resembled a tree branch more than a sword, but of course, the resentment, sorrow, pain, and madness swirling around it signified its extraordinary origin.
Midra, his lower body buried under the rock, let out a hoarse wail. He had reverted to his withered form, his head once again taking on a human face.
He reached out a hand towards them, only to hear a sharp crack.
The Mimic Tear beside him lopped off his right hand with a single slash, then thrust its dark blade into the old man's mouth. With a gentle twist, his tongue and teeth were reduced to a bloody pulp.
"Don't touch it with your filthy claws. It belongs to Mother now."
On the other side, Melina condensed a sliver of Destined Death. At this range, any attempt to feign death could be ended with a single strike.
Midra, who had just managed to straighten up, collapsed back down with a thud. As the Mimic Tear gave a look of "that's more like it," he parted his lips, his breaths more out than in.
The Frenzied Flame around him gradually dissipated, just like his fragile life.
It was over.
A complete and utter defeat, with no suspense. Against this lineup, there was no possibility of survival from the very beginning.
"It was a sympathetic story..."
"But you shouldn't have caused so much trouble with the Frenzied Flame and worried Melina. I nearly got into trouble myself. So, we are mortal enemies."
Frieren examined the Greatsword of Eternal Punishment and asked, "This is an instrument of torture left by the Hornsent, correct? Can it seal the Scarlet Rot?"
"It seems you have someone you wish to save. A pity, but I doubt it can be done."
"Never mind. Midra, I promise you that the Hornsent and the Frenzied Flame Outer God will join you soon, so rest in peace. And if you don't rest, I'll just kill you again."
She gave Melina a look.
Destined Death pierced through the withered corpse's chest. His life force faded rapidly, and his soul crumbled along with it, dissipating completely.
And so, the weak and short-lived Lord of Frenzied Flame departed forever, leaving behind only a world-shaking disaster.
Compared to Midra, who was clearly oblivious to everything, the spoils were what Frieren cared about more.
One was the [Remembrance of the Frenzied Flame King] and a key line of description on it:
[In the eternal torment brought by the golden barbs]
[Nanaya's words were Midra's pillar—]
[Please, you must endure]
[Those words, they were the curse]
To endure hellish torment for so long for the one he loved was a testament to his tenacious will, a strength on another level.
A pity he could never reach the level of a true king, serving only as a pawn for the Frenzied Flame Outer God.
Whether it was a conspiracy or not no longer mattered. The manor was destroyed, and it could be considered a release for the star-crossed lovers.
Frieren looked at her companions. Only the Mimic Tear heaved a long sigh and lay down on the spot to rest.
To fight with abandon when it was time to fight, and to rest casually when it was time to rest—this was her creed.
Moreover, as the one who had served as the frontline attacker for most of the battle, her contribution was immense.
Not far away, Melina was searching through the ruins for books, likely pondering new clues.
Everyone was busy with their own tasks, which coincidentally gave her time to study her gains.
For example, after teleporting to a Great Grace, she could learn a new incantation from the Remembrance:
[Midra's Frenzied Flame]
[An incantation in praise of Midra, "Lord of Frenzied Flame." Summons a head resembling the Lord of Frenzied Flame, which then spreads Frenzied Flame.]
[Can be cast while walking. Continuous casting will maintain the head's manifestation.]
[The Lord of Frenzied Flame can melt away all pain, despair, and curses, all sin and suffering.]
[However, Midra was no exception to those who came before.]
[As a king, his power was far too weak.]
Just as the description mentioned, even without trying it herself, Frieren was certain this incantation's power was unremarkable. She had already seen its general mechanics; there was nothing special about it.
However, judging from the content here, there had indeed been more than one Lord of Frenzied Flame in the past. How cheapening.
One had to blame the Frenzied Flame Outer God for not being picky.
If it had been willing to carefully manage its forces, the entire political landscape of The Lands Between would have changed.
Of course, it was better off without it. After clashing with the Frenzied Flame Outer God, she was certain that even among Outer Gods, it wasn't one of the stronger ones.
Its main strength lay in temptation; without despair, pain, and a king himself as fuel, it didn't even deserve a seat at the table.
Moreover, after the fall of the Golden Dynasty, less than one in ten of its followers remained. Currently, only Shabriri was still active, but he was a minor figure who remained in hiding.
The Mother of Truth had inflicted more damage on Frieren than the Frenzied Flame Outer God had. A pity she couldn't hunt it down and destroy it completely.
It should still be in the Royal Capital. It would be dealt with sooner or later.
Leyndell, having endured the siege of the allied kings of old, was indeed a suitable breeding ground for despair, especially in the filthy sewer area beneath its prosperous facade.
One good thing about it was that the incantations and weapons it provided were quite good, especially the one she had just acquired.
[Greatsword of Eternal Punishment]
[The golden greatsword that pierced Midra, Lord of the Manor.]
[An item used by the Hornsent for their longest punishments.]
[Its barbs, meant to pierce a beast from within, are now coiled and retracted.]
As expected of a fresh novelty cooked up by the Hornsent, fused with their insights on executions. Frieren was no stranger to this kind of morbid taste.
Although it was an instrument of torture, it was exquisitely forged and felt good in her hand.
Swinging it seemed to produce a faint whimpering sound.
She swung it a few times; it was light and sharp.
She didn't know if it was because it had been tempered by the Frenzied Flame, but its resonance with magic was quite strong.
Despite its strange shape, it was sturdy enough to withstand her power.
Frieren nodded. At least its basic qualities made it usable.
All that was left was its weapon skill.
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