The Ancient Beast responded to the challenge with an even more ferocious roar. A single bellow shattered the staircase, cracked the earth, and uprooted the dense forest.
Its animal instincts were blaring a warning.
The golden and silver figures before it were no pushovers. They were brimming with killing intent, and their terrifying magical reactions were palpable, as if two powers, accumulated since ancient times, were about to clash head-on.
"Flamme, get back. Stay with the others and focus on defense."
Frieren's first move was to gently push the red-haired girl's shoulder, sending her floating away. The latter immediately snapped back to her senses and nodded, keeping as much distance as possible.
At the same time, Serie had already launched the first strike, firing a thunderous shockwave from above.
"Don't even think about getting up."
The terrifying force slammed the Ancient Beast deeper into the ground.
Though it wasn't seriously injured, it was a pathetic sight. The attack revealed the super demon's complete form, which was as large as a fortress. It was practically a moving hill, like a Celestial Dragon, and likely possessed a near-eternal lifespan.
This battlefield was now a contest between three immortal beings, a battle that would not end until one of them bid the world farewell forever.
Whoosh!
The Ancient Beast's massive maw spewed a torrent of dense fog filled with demonic power, an attack with enough energy to vaporize an entire city district on the spot.
However, Frieren was faster. Her gravity magic intercepted the enemy's power first.
Her ever-reliable deflection redirected the attack, but it wasn't a complete success; the Ancient Beast proactively changed the torrent's path mid-flight, avoiding the disastrous outcome of striking itself.
Even so, it still hit the ceiling.
The magnificent structures above began to crumble and collapse. Fortunately, Flamme reacted in time to clear a path, otherwise the consequences would have been unthinkable. Her action protected the other teammates.
However, where the dense fog struck, a large number of demons were born.
They circled around from the other side, even targeting the two Mages of the Mythical Era who were in the heat of battle.
Lightning Blade!
Flamme spun around and destroyed the batch of ambushers with a single slash. Serie and Frieren, focused on the Ancient Beast, didn't even turn their heads. They trusted the prodigy's strength and knew she could handle the responsibility.
"Master, President, I'll take the others and evacuate first. Please keep it suppressed."
One didn't need to guess to know that this sealed temple wouldn't last much longer; it was bound to collapse under such a relentless bombardment. She would witness the great battle later, so for now, she and Lehman would cover their teammates. Most of the people had remained in the main hall and hadn't come down, unaware of the impending collapse. A large-scale collapse would be dangerous even with flight magic.
"Don't order me around, child."
Serie's words were sharp, but she still cooperated with Frieren to bind the Ancient Beast with sealing magic.
"Speaking of which, your sealing magic is terrible, far worse than Flamme's. I never knew there was a type of magic you were so bad at."
"That's because she's gifted. I'm not good at it."
In the time it took for their casual chat, they had already forced the Ancient Beast back a considerable distance, trapping it with heavy sealing barriers. Its counterattacks were rendered ineffective, leaving it to ram about in a rage as the barrier continuously shrank.
Clang!
A violent impact still produced the cracking sound of the barrier shattering, but luckily the shockwave didn't spread too quickly.
They didn't expect to truly restrain the Ancient Beast. Ultimately, their goal was to reduce the collateral damage.
Thus, Serie sent a gale-force wind to blow all the dangerous magical energy back, while Frieren's gravity constantly affected its center of balance. The massive creature stumbled and fell repeatedly.
After her continuous campaigns in the Land of Shadow and learning new gravity magic from the King of Promise and Gaius, the precision of her control had also improved.
Experiencing the sensation of the world spinning, the Ancient Beast was furious, shakily pushing itself up. Since it was easy to lose its bearings, it decided to keep its belly pressed to the ground and try to stand up.
"This is what we were waiting for."
The next moment, Frieren and Serie simultaneously launched an attack magic spell. Unleashed by sorcerers of their caliber, the pure destructive power shot through the air like a meteor, aimed squarely at the exposed belly.
The terrifying force actually pierced the Ancient Beast's outer skin. Its hard shell couldn't slow their attack in the slightest, as fragile as paper.
Then, with tacit understanding, they directed the attack's trajectory upward like a crowbar, and with a single pry, they flipped it onto its back.
"Awooo!"
With a mournful cry, the Ancient Beast dripped with blood, injured for the first time since the battle began. But the demonic power did not cease. Instead, it swirled around the beast, generating even greater energy. Its life force showed no signs of diminishing.
As expected, conventional methods would have a hard time eliminating it.
Just as Serie was about to suggest a new method, Frieren raised a hand to stop her. "I also have a similar negative magic that can assimilate and destroy it, but it needs to be suppressed until it's critically wounded. Shall we proceed with that?"
"Is it dangerous for you?"
"There is a risk, but I will do my best to control it. And you'll be here."
"Fine, we'll do as you say. I can sense that Flamme and the others are almost clear. We can expand the battlefield now."
"Don't worry, I'll start preparing now."
The power of the Moon God was clearly the most suitable for dealing with the Ancient Beast—invasion and assimilation. Frieren had no choice; she had been burned by the First Flame before and couldn't use it again so soon. It was too dangerous. It was better to use the power of the Ancient Gods to consume the beast.
For this vessel of a body, balance was paramount, regardless of good or evil.
Although Serie likely had a method as well, it could be used as a backup plan. Besides, there was no time for hesitation. The Ancient Beast, having reabsorbed the demonic power, was strengthening and would soon stand tall once more.
Boom!
As it rose to its full height, it actually broke through the ceiling, and the sealed temple began to collapse.
The Ancient Beast then climbed up the collapsing stone pillars and cliffs. Despite being the size of a mountain itself, it leaped up and down with agility.
The scene was both magnificent and bizarre. Who would have thought a body comparable to a Celestial Dragon could be so nimble? You'd think it was a cat making a mess.
After exchanging a glance, the two quickly gave chase.
At the same time, they continued their magical offense and defense along the way.
Before they could cross the distance from the underground to the surface, the brilliance of multiple magic bombardments had already burst through the fortress.
Outside the Royal Capital.
The group that had just barely managed to evacuate watched as the main city collapsed.
The super-architectural complex that symbolized Berletania's capital was falling, sinking bit by bit—one meter, two meters, five meters, even more than ten. A massive pit was expanding at a visibly rapid rate.
The earth could no longer support this marvel; it could only march toward destruction amidst mournful cries.
Flamme warned:
"Prepare defensive magic—"
Before her voice faded, a massive claw gripped the edge of the pit. With a deafening rumble, a colossal creature gradually raised its head and roared, spitting a torrent from its mouth. It was the colorless mist, which shot into the sky and scattered like raindrops of demons, blanketing the entire area.
It was summoning.
Simultaneously, signs of a demonic invasion appeared on the outer perimeter of the Royal Capital. The Imperial sorcerers, led by Barke, witnessed the dark, overwhelming figures of the monsters.
The Ancient Beast had launched an indiscriminate attack.
Countless demons descended from the sky, roaring, screeching, and baring their fangs and claws at every living thing.
Vmmm!
The next moment, a vast, semi-circular barrier enclosed the entire battlefield. And that wasn't all. The surface of this magical barrier was imbued with some kind of purifying power, turning every demon that touched it to ash.
The menacing descent of the demons was caught, and a huge number were instantly annihilated.
Such sealing magic could only be the work of the founder of magic herself!
Serie would not let the enemy run rampant. She suppressed them with thunderous force, firmly containing the vast majority of the demons. The remaining scraps were no longer a threat.
She gave Frieren beside her a knowing look.
The silver-haired girl took advantage of the seal's suppression and ignited Chaos Fire in her hand, which spread along the barrier in a scorching wave. Where the searing wind passed, only residue remained. The demon army was gone as if it had never existed.
The two Mages of the Mythical Era, working in tandem, were shockingly efficient killers. One after another, they resolved the crisis.
This level of battlefield dominance was the terrifying deterrent of a top-tier sorcerer, and it was on full display with Serie and Frieren.
Even the Ancient Beast was stunned. What was going on? All that effort to summon, and this was the result?
Then, the next moment, it was once again met with a bombardment of attack magic.
Inside the main city, Flamme and her group breathed a sigh of relief. They had almost been surrounded by demons, a situation that would have surely ended in their complete annihilation.
"I'll cover your escape from the main city."
The red-haired girl made a decisive call, and the others also assumed their stances. They couldn't afford to be a burden.
In this race against time, a moment's carelessness could delay the breakout. Everyone had to give their all.
"It's a good thing you came, Flamme."
Lehman smiled.
"But we'll keep up. Don't let covering us hold you back."
"Then let's move out."
The demons were not completely wiped out. The ones that had died were just the summoned batch; there were still remnants on the outskirts.
On the other side, the battle was reaching a fever pitch as the Ancient Beast attacked with near-frenzied intensity. It had intended to use its summons as a turning point for a desperate counterattack, but its opponents had an answer for every move.
Neither Serie nor Frieren gave it an opening. This was a two-on-one battle of control, where the goal was not to kill, but to draw out the opponent's techniques. One could imagine how frustrated the Ancient Beast was, as every move it made was swiftly countered, leaving no gaps.
The furious source of demons continuously emitted corrosive mist, but it was ineffective and posed no threat. Frieren had seen all kinds of complex curses and corrosions over the years and calmly dealt with it.
"Since you intend to destroy it, you take the lead, Frieren."
Despite her words, her own attacks were no less fierce. Each strike could pierce the beast's sturdy shell, a defense at least on par with a fortress.
It was just that in Serie's eyes, this was far from being serious.
"Understood."
Soul crystals and Chaos Fire rose around Frieren, two attributes emphasizing destructive power, poised and ready.
Even in a two-on-one, they didn't relax. After all, it took their full effort just to control the rhythm of the battle. The fact was, the scope of destruction had long since extended beyond the kingdom.
For now, the two chose to accumulate damage with normal attacks to probe the enemy.
The Ancient Beast naturally wouldn't take it lying down, responding with fierce breaths and unleashing one killing move after another.
Both sides entered the most dangerous phase of a direct exchange of blows.
The shockwave from each strike was like an earthquake. Houses collapsed, spires were severed, and the Royal Capital was rapidly reduced to ruins.
It took centuries to build them, and now they couldn't withstand even the aftershock of a single spell. It wasn't that the construction was too fragile. This was the world's most powerful forces venting their strength.
Gradually, even Serie and Frieren stopped actively restraining themselves, allowing the explosions to spread.
And so, the deep mountain basin where Berletania was located began to sink.
In the successive battles, its terrain collapsed further. Compared to the lakes and rivers in the mountains, it was at a lower elevation, so moments later, people heard the roaring of a great flood. The melted snow from the high mountains broke through its dams, converging on the central basin all at once.
The flood swept away rocks, canyons, and small hills in its path. Countless rivers flowed into the very center.
The water was already past Flamme's ankles.
The group moved quickly, and then saw the fortress in the direction of the Empire collapse with a roar. The current had taken it.
Fortunately, the sorcerers could all fly, otherwise they would have suffered heavy losses. But no matter what, the outcome was sealed.
After this battle, Berletania would become a lost kingdom submerged in water.
Everyone was past caring about that, simply dodging demons while avoiding the flood. They were flying through a city filled with monsters, and they also had to face high-rise buildings toppled by the water. And of course, there was the terrifying aftershock from the clash of the three top-tier powerhouses...
A moment later.
After escaping the main city, the group saw Barke meeting them in the distance:
"This way, we'll head to higher ground."
Having successfully rendezvoused, the two parties climbed without stopping.
Some people didn't have enough magic power to fly, so they were carried, tied together with ropes, or lifted with levitation spells. In short, they did everything they could to rescue them, racing against the raging torrent. A slight misstep and they would be swept away.
They had only just gotten some distance when they heard a thunderous roar from behind.
A surging magical power swept over them from behind, like a sandstorm passing through, making it impossible to open their eyes.
When everyone finally managed to steady themselves, they found that the sea of clouds was torn open, forming a large hollow that reached beyond the heavens.
At the very top, Frieren held her hands up, and a ball of light rose from them. Then, thousands upon thousands of points of light gathered toward her, brilliant and magnificent.
Miquella's Light!
Finally, the light transformed into a pillar of gold that descended from the sky, illuminating the earth. It was like the light of heaven, like the sun rising in the east every day. This power struck the Ancient Beast with full force, sending it crashing to the ground, its hard shell instantly vaporized.
Absolute power could be nothing else. No defense could stand before her. At this moment, wielding the light of the heavens, Frieren seemed to possess a touch of divinity.
The stream of light gathered above her head into a pale golden crown. Her solemn face was like that of a judge; the verdict had already passed—
BOOM!
At the last moment, the pillar of light exploded into a mushroom cloud of the same color.
Everyone was blind to what happened, left only with the shock of the earth being flung into the sky.
Was this the power of a god?
At this moment, Frieren proved with the most practical form of violence that above curses, there truly exists magic on the level of a "Goddess's Divine Protection." It wasn't some academic theory, but a real-life miracle that people could only call divine.
Her use of Miquella's Light was different from Miquella's own. It was fused with the purest soul power, its might even greater than the original.
Her strongest magical attribute descended in the form of light.
"What a powerful magic. It's been a long time since I've seen something so impressive."
Serie smiled and pointed downward:
"It's almost finished."
With just that one blow, a gaping, bloody hole was bored straight through the Ancient Beast's massive body.
The Ancient Beast's body was comparable to a small mountain range, yet it was tougher than a mountain, and its magic resistance was immeasurable.
At first, everyone thought it would be difficult for anything to cause substantial damage, but Frieren answered with her actions: anything is possible. Despite numerous disadvantages, she still dealt a fatal blow to the source of the demons.
One power to break all techniques. No matter how many defenses the Ancient Beast stacked, they couldn't compare to Frieren's light.
Even with its enormous size, it could not survive a wound that was practically a mountain-boring tunnel. It could only cry out in sorrow and retreat, subconsciously avoiding her edge.
While Frieren was catching her breath, Serie was already in pursuit. She pointed from a distance, and an inexplicable feeling of dread spread—an unseen curse was secretly accumulating—
Bang!
Suddenly, the Ancient Beast's wound bloomed and split apart, like a volcano erupting as blood splattered across the sky.
Not only that, the real damage was its life force rapidly withering away. The surrounding grass and trees vanished completely, and several mountains became barren. A gust of wind stirred up a sandstorm that blotted out the sun.
At last, the source of the demons collapsed, unable to continue.
It cried out for demonic power to replenish itself, but how could Serie's seal allow that? She easily blocked the colorless mist.
She hadn't done so earlier because the Ancient Beast was at full strength, but now there was no need for such caution.
On the other side, Frieren had already gathered a sliver of the Ancient Gods' magic power, ready. The difficulty in dealing with this kind of beast had always been in eradicating it completely. Otherwise, it was easy to be dragged into its rhythm for a battle of attrition, and the consequences would indeed be hard to predict.
Fortunately, both were sorcerers known for their firepower. They weren't afraid of such a clumsy target. By coordinating, they could easily suppress it until it couldn't breathe.
"ROAR!"
At the nadir of its life force, the ancient demon still struggled, suddenly lunging into the air in a final, desperate attack.
Its target was Frieren, because she carried a similar negative magic power.
The silver-haired girl stood her ground, watching coldly.
A spatial vortex suddenly tore open in mid-air, and a massive meteor slammed onto the Ancient Beast's head, pinning it back to the ground. The beast, still unruly, continued to thrash about, preparing to attack, not caring that it was tearing its own flesh and losing magic power in the struggle.
Another meteor!
It struck the exact same spot as the first. The terrifying gravity forced the Ancient Beast to its stomach, gasping for breath but unable to absorb any demonic power, all of which was intercepted by Serie.
To be cautious, Frieren summoned another meteor. Now, a full three of them held the Ancient Beast firmly in place. Under the tremendous attack, it finally fell silent, on the verge of death.
It wasn't just the Ancient Beast; even the distant spectators were dumbfounded. You can stack super-large meteors?
Gravity magic could be used to this extent?
People could easily imagine the high-level applications of this magic, but they were unwilling to believe it. Yet, it happened right before their eyes, breaking the boundaries of imagination. The so-called Mages of the Mythical Era were true masters of miracles—no, of divinity.
At the same time, Serie snapped her fingers. Chains of sealing magic wrapped around the Ancient Beast, immobilizing it.
"Actually, Berletania's method wasn't a bad idea. It was safe. It wouldn't be hard for me to extend the seal for another thousand years."
"If we destroy it, it should take ten thousand years to revive, but the risk is greater now. What do you choose? This is the last time I'm asking."
"I will destroy the Ancient Beast," Frieren said, her tone firm.
"Understood."
Serie immediately tightened the seal further, causing the Ancient Beast's life force to wane even more. This was the limit without killing it.
Although she had a few kill-shot plans she wanted to test, since her senior had given her word, she would let her junior have the spotlight.
The silver-haired girl plummeted downward, disappearing into the ever-rising lake waters. She came before the Ancient Beast, whose mangled face was roaring, showing fear of its impending death.
Frieren drew her Saw Cleaver.
The simple weapon was coated with blood flowing from the flesh of an Ancient God, which then resonated with the power of Yharnam. An extreme negative magic power reverberated, making even the Ancient Beast tremble and try to retreat.
However, restrained by Serie's seal, it couldn't move at all.
Crack!
As the saw teeth cut into its flesh, tentacles actually extended from the Saw Cleaver. Though they were small, they were like a spatial vortex, swallowing the Ancient Beast's form, no matter how desperately it struggled.
Frieren's method was simple: feed the Ancient Beast to the starving Ancient Gods of Yharnam. It was the same principle as tossing troublesome things into the First Flame to be incinerated. Since she had just used her Lord of Cinder form, it wasn't convenient to use it again. Handing it over to the Ancient Gods was more or less the same.
A painful wail echoed through the heavens.
Even the experienced Serie watched from above with fascination, a look of keen interest on her face.
The people in the distance who didn't know what was happening felt a chill in their hearts. What power could make the very source of demons feel fear? It could only be something even more terrifying. She truly had hidden depths. Just how monstrous was the foundation passed down from the Age of Gods?
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the tentacles sucked violently, devouring a large portion of the Ancient Beast. It wasn't being eaten in a physical sense, but rather its aspect as an energy being was being dissolved. The sight moved even Frieren. But her actions didn't slow in the slightest as she continued to devour the beast.
An instant later, the behemoth completely vanished. Even she was left sitting underwater, panting and blowing bubbles, using underwater breathing magic while readjusting her own magic power.
As the Great Rune within her body flashed faintly, the chaotic energy was finally calmed. If her body hadn't been strengthened again after the campaign in the Land of Shadow, Frieren wouldn't have dared to take such a risk. Fortunately, everything went smoothly. It was all handled. So she looked up and gave Serie a look, who immediately understood.
Glug!
The golden-haired elf also dived into the water. By now, the water from the surrounding highlands had flooded most of the Royal Capital, and the water pressure was gradually rising.
She pointed in a direction and shot forward like a fish, and Frieren followed.
After passing through the complex ruins, they found a massive, thick door comparable to a city wall, protected by layers of magic.
Serie first used a barrier to hold back the water, creating a pocket of space.
Then she gently tapped on the door.
As they passed through the water curtain, they officially entered the dazzling treasury. The wealth of the magical nation of Berletania was gathered here, especially the technology related to demon research.
She stretched and said, "All this trouble just for these. It wasn't easy. I have a way to store the magical items, but the rest will be hard to move."
"Let them sleep at the bottom of the lake. Consider it a thousand-year savings deposit," Frieren concluded.
"That's true. No one can take them besides us."
As soon as she finished speaking, Serie waved her hand, and the magic books vanished one by one. At the same time, she laid down layer after layer of barriers, working with great speed.
Frieren was also recording, using her spiritual power to scan for any potential dangers.
With perfect coordination, they conducted their treasure hunt.
____
🔥 We hit 140 members! 🥳 As promised, here are the bonus chapters 📚✨ 🔥
New Story: Stardew Valley: What Do You Mean They All Became My Servants
✅ New releases are dropping, plus get exclusive content & updates.
✅ Help us unlock community rewards:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone
🚀 180 MEMBERS = +5 extra chapters of ALL STORIES!
👻 P - Walnutchan