Hmph!
The teal-blue magic, having absorbed Frieren's numerous spells, swelled into a greatsword and fell from above.
Its momentum was immense and intimidating, yet in Frieren's eyes, the blade was unstable, even trembling slightly. After all, absorbing three spells to force a counterattack is difficult.
"You were overconfident, but you had no other choice."
Faster than words was a Lightning Spear!
The moment the golden lightning flashed, Rellana cursed inwardly, "I've been outplayed!" So her opponent had intentionally revealed the Carian Retaliation to create an opening.
Indeed, her body began to go numb and burn. A direct hit.
The greatsword had no time to fall. Instead, Frieren raised her Moonveil and charged a weapon skill.
Boom!
The tower cracked, a trench carved into the sturdy fortress.
One could imagine how terrifying the enhanced and charged weapon skill was.
However, there shouldn't have been an aftershock; it should have all landed on the enemy. Following the sound, she saw Rellana unexpectedly holding the greatsword generated by Carian Retaliation with both hands, using it as a shield to forcefully block the follow-up attack, as immovable as a mountain.
As she dispelled the magic, her body shuddered, releasing faint arcs of electricity.
Unscathed, her poise unbroken.
Her reaction time in the heat of the moment, her battlefield judgment, her combat experience, and her physique were all among the best Frieren had ever faced.
The exchange of offense and defense was both thrilling and exhilarating. This was how it should be.
The series of moves had failed, but she wasn't discouraged in the slightest. It was good to witness a top-tier demigod in peak condition ahead of time.
In terms of threat, the one who had dealt her the most damage was undoubtedly Mohg in his form serving an Outer God.
But it wasn't a satisfying fight.
He was crazed and erratic, flying into a rage at the slightest provocation as if the sensitive heart of an Omen had been stirred.
He was not a worthy adversary with whom one could enjoy combat.
In contrast, Rellana advanced and retreated with ease, her reactions swift.
She possessed honor, conviction, and a noble character.
If combat was a form of communication, then she displayed a martial virtue worthy of the Carian Royal Family.
In The Lands Between, spirit indeed is a form of strength.
"Your spellcasting technique is strong, but it is not enough to defeat me."
"Do not underestimate the protection of the Land of Shadow. Even after years of isolation, it has, after all, bestowed a Tear unique to the Shadow."
As she spoke, the Twin Moon Knight pointed to her wound, which had already healed.
Even for a demigod, that was fast.
And without using any means of healing.
"...Does this mean everyone here has received the blessing of the Shadow Tree? Wouldn't that make them like the army of the Royal Capital, where everyone is blessed by the Erdtree?"
"Correct."
"You didn't know? It is said that the Shadow and the Gold are fundamentally the same type of great tree."
Frieren nodded thoughtfully.
Could they be two sides of the same coin?
It seemed she would have to study the Shadow Tree carefully and not be too hasty to burn it.
Besides, she could use this to stall the progress of Miquella's followers.
She couldn't let them reunite with Miquella too easily.
But that was a matter for later. The immediate priority was to defeat Rellana, or nothing could move forward.
Her spirits renewed, the Twin Moon Knight's somewhat ragged breathing gradually steadied.
The tenacity of a warrior, displayed to its fullest.
Her twin blades ignited once more, this time with an onslaught of ice and fire.
Frieren, who had intended to regain the initiative, wore a serious expression as she immediately noticed the energy swelling within the blades—
BOOM!
The dual-element explosion crushed everything in its path.
Even defensive sorceries couldn't risk a direct confrontation.
She had no choice but to use Miriam's Vanishing to teleport away.
However, the power of the attack had far from abated, its area of effect rivaling that of battlefield legion-class magic.
Red and blue filled her vision.
In that instant, Frieren only had time to reinforce the effect of her Twisting Light Wall.
Of her most personal, constantly active defensive spells, only one remained.
However, a snarling roar echoed in her ears.
In the end, she had no choice but to raise her weapon and activate Endure, enveloped by the white light and the attack.
The explosion sent rubble flying from the side of the tower.
The garrison below, who were closer, hastily took cover.
Getting hit by that would not be pleasant.
The commotion showed no signs of stopping for a while and was only intensifying. This was bad.
"Don't just stand there, evacuate! Get away from there!"
"Her Majesty's battle with Rellana is not something we can interfere with. Let's keep our distance."
They could vaguely sense the battle reaching a fever pitch.
Soon, it would likely not be confined to the tower.
They feared they couldn't get away fast enough.
Just how strong was a top-tier demigod fighting at full power?
In truth, none of them had ever witnessed it, because during the crusade against the Horned Folk, there were few enemies worthy of an all-out effort.
Even the Divine Beast Dancing Lion was beaten back, retreating into the Tower Settlement.
The Spiral Tower was sealed, and the powerfully-aurad Horned warrior within it also went into hiding.
A pity.
If possible, they truly wished they could have dealt with the Horned Folk's top combatant as well.
Perhaps then they would have seen Rellana and Messmer fight with all their might, and they wouldn't be in such disarray today.
"Do you think Frieren will be heavily wounded by such a fierce attack?"
"To reach this level of magic output means neither can finish the other off. It's too early to talk about victory or defeat. Just wait and see."
"I think this is just a prelude..."
The dust cleared from the breach in the tower, revealing a silver-haired girl wreathed in flames and icicles.
More than half of her armor had disintegrated amidst the extreme elemental shifts.
Her body bore numerous burns and frostbite marks, making her look about as disheveled as Rellana.
Similarly, her life force showed no change.
She casually brushed her clothes to pat out the flames, shattering the ice on her body as she walked, still calm and composed.
However, her slightly diminished magic reaction revealed the fact that the damage had been effective.
At least her magic was no longer so condensed as to seem tangible magic.
It was a good time to press the attack.
But Rellana, who had unleashed the move, was panting, recovering her magic.
The effect was too poor.
An attack she had hoped would break through her opponent's defenses had failed.
If she could have disarmed Frieren, she would have pushed her exhausted body to deliver an execution blow for peace of mind.
However, the quasi-monarch's resilience was bottomless.
Despite her petite and cute appearance, her physique was actually superior to Rellana's own.
She could only weaken her bit by bit.
Rellana prepared for a battle of attrition, but her heart pounded.
In the current situation, it would likely be very difficult to suppress her opponent...
During the age when the Erdtree flourished, she had joined the great wars.
Traveling north and south, she had seen countless powerful warriors.
At that time, there was no shortage of mighty divine beings and demigods not of the Golden Lineage, yet none were this strong.
In the age when ancient powers thrived, a time teeming with experts, she still ranked among the very top.
Shouldn't people have grown weaker in an age where Grace has faded?
No.
It was the Soul of Cinder who was growing stronger against the tide, climbing unchained by the era.
Just as now, her magic surged once more, causing her long silver hair to dance.
Purple-white magic swirled around her, forming one Rock Sling after another to guard her.
"Let's end this contest of Carian sorcery here. You are indeed skilled, but Gravity Magic suits me better."
And unlike soul sorcery, which focuses more on killing power, it is more suitable for the current situation.
As if to prove the caster's words, her aura under the influence of Gravity Magic grew even stronger, becoming a seamless whole.
The intense magical pressure made the tower tremble.
It could collapse at any moment.
However, Rellana commented with unconcerned earnestness:
"I heard that the sorcery town of Sellia specializes in this type of magic, and here in the Land of Shadow, Radahn's fellow apprentices, the Boar-Knights, are also adept with gravity."
"But I am certain none of them are your equal."
"Why is yours mixed with so much power from the stars? Could it be from Astel?"
"I was inspired by it, yes."
"A pity it is merely a beast's instinct, unable to advance this knowledge to a higher level."
"But you can. Let me see it."
Despite her words, Rellana attacked first.
Two long streaks of light shot out as her twin swords wove an elemental strike, the two attacks converging into a single, focused blast aimed at her target.
Deflected!
The determined attack trajectory actually curved around the silver-haired girl.
Something was wrong.
Could she apply gravity even to magic?
The precision required for such a feat was immeasurable, especially with different elemental attributes.
A single, straightforward exchange put her under immense pressure, and she subconsciously dodged to the side.
A blade of gravity slashed past her.
The purple-white magic, resonating with the Moonveil, made the attack incredibly fierce, easily slicing through the tower wall behind her.
Its momentum unabated, it even exploded into a cloud of fire in the air, the dazzling light startling the warhorses into neighing.
Even Melina, in the distance, felt the ground shake beneath her feet.
They would have to prepare to move the battlefield; this place absolutely could not withstand such abuse.
She had long guessed the battle would reach this stage.
After all, many of the sorceries Frieren possessed were difficult to control in terms of power, and often had polluting or corrosive properties, not suitable for use in a sparring match.
Especially when facing the army of the Carian Royal Family, with whom she had ties, she had to be careful to hold back.
This was difficult...
Therefore, Gravity Magic, which could be precisely controlled yet possessed great power, became the first choice.
Of course, its destructive power was not lacking, which is why Melina had the foresight to move a good distance away...
Immediately after, an explosion sliced the tower in half.
The debris condensed and merged with the Rock Slings, continuing to fly about.
After circling in the air, they took aim at Rellana.
The latter moved nimbly through the exploding ruins, simultaneously swinging her swords to cut down the projectiles.
A full six meteorites were dealt with one by one, reduced to rubble that could no longer re-form.
At the same time, a shooting star flew from the top of the tower.
Frieren flew briefly, propelled by gravity.
From her high vantage point, a single glance was all it took before she raised her hand and unleashed Rock Sling.
Whoosh!
As they cut through the air, they immediately generated heat from friction, becoming wreathed in flames.
Their trails lit up the gloomy Castle Ensis; even the distant watchtowers could witness this spectacular sight.
"It's coming! Everyone, get back!"
Melina called out to the nearby garrison, who immediately turned tail and ran.
The onslaught was like a great army besieging a city, using catapults to lay down a covering fire.
To achieve such an effect single-handedly was nothing short of a miracle.
The flickering fire in the sky was the monarch's oppressive might, raining down directly on Rellana's position.
A full moon rose, the milky-white sphere attracting magic as it collided with the barrage with astonishing mass.
Rumble!
The frequent explosions still wounded her, but thankfully, she wasn't hit directly—that would have been disastrous.
Taking advantage of the chaotic, expanding shockwaves, she successfully withdrew from the area covered by gravity.
She had keenly noticed the key:
Before the large-scale bombardment of Rock Slings, there would always be a gravity marker.
And Frieren, her magic depleted, could only temporarily retract her sorceries.
The silver-haired girl stood atop the tower, surveying her surroundings.
Even knowing that the other party had accepted their allegiance and was not an enemy, her gaze sweeping over the garrison still made their scalps tingle.
Like a dragon looking down from the city walls, domineeringly inspecting its spoils.
No, it was even more than that.
Perhaps only the legendary Ancient Dragons could compare to this level of battlefield dominance.
"Moon Sorcery?"
Frieren was savoring the power from a moment ago, which could also deflect the trajectory of magic.
Although Ranni had taught her some of the details of Moon Sorcery, her understanding was not deep, and she lacked the affinity of the Carian royal bloodline.
Since Rellana had used this move, it meant she was about to go all-out.
Frieren had to be on her guard...
From the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of the icy right-hand sword flying toward her, its chilling aura and the power of its slash undiminished despite the height.
Parry.
No, at the critical moment, her intuition screamed a warning.
She immediately switched to Nebula to interfere, but the spell's effect was greatly diminished, still letting the attack through.
Immediately after, Rellana closed in.
With a clang, the two were back to close-quarters combat.
After this ordeal, the elegant and dignified Twin Moon Knight's armor was tattered, her body covered in wounds, and she exuded an air of weariness.
But Frieren's shoulder also sported a new gash; the protection of her Twisting Light Wall had been broken.
So that was it.
She hadn't completely dodged.
That sudden Moon Sorcery was actually actively spreading an interference that weakened magic resistance.
It was inevitable that she would be affected, and the personal protective magic around her gradually withered, making her easier to wound and allowing Rellana to judge that she could regain the advantage by returning to close combat.
A good plan.
She had found an opportunity to turn the tables while at a disadvantage.
"You recognized my magic-breaking properties earlier, yet you didn't know this?"
"Watch closely."
Before the words had faded, Frieren transformed into a dark moon.
The completely unexpected attack caught Rellana off guard.
She was ultimately afflicted with frost and the magic-breaking properties, but reacted immediately.
She hastily unleashed another round of Moon Sorcery to counter, and two massive, chalk-white spheres exploded in mid-air.
Even though they were both impromptu, uncharged spells, their power was considerable.
It wasn't a simple shockwave, but a spreading ice storm.
"Is it snowing?"
Melina cupped the snowflakes in her hands.
They didn't melt upon contact with her skin's warmth, instead transmitting a thread of cold that even made her magic feel slightly disordered.
If the spreading flakes were like this, what about the power of the direct clash between the two?
She looked toward the center of the battlefield with concern.
Also anxious, of course, were the soldiers of Castle Ensis.
Being below the level of demigods, they were more sensitive to temperature changes.
They never expected it to suddenly start snowing, and there was no mistaking the move Frieren had used—
"That's Dark Moon Sorcery! Has she learned even the secret arts of the Carian Royal Family?"
"The real deal. The specialized formula is obvious. Princess Ranni must have taught her."
"Will two Moon Sorceries cause snow to accumulate in this castle?"
In fact, the rooftops were already covered in a layer of silver, and with the snowflakes continuously falling from the sky, there were signs of accumulation.
Everything was wet and slippery.
Bang, bang!
Loud crashes echoed out again as Frieren and Rellana, seemingly unaffected, continued their high-speed exchange.
The difference was that the former was using the destructive range of Gravity Magic to build an advantage, while the latter had to constantly give chase to prevent the distance from widening, because they were both afflicted with a status effect.
The magic-breaking power caused the energy within their bodies to flow sluggishly.
They had to end this quickly.
Frieren, in particular, felt the many jumbled powers within her being stirred up.
"Very good," Rellana praised sincerely. "But your moon is not as good as your gravity."
"Since it has come to this, let me show you."
"...what the Twin Moons truly are."
Before she finished speaking, Rellana's magic reaction suddenly soared.
Though unstable, its sheer volume was terrifying.
Since she was already suffering from the magic-breaking effect, she might as well gamble.
So she unhesitatingly wagered all her magic.
The powerful premonition made Frieren feel as if she were facing a great enemy.
She reinforced her defenses, using gravity to actively pull in rubble to form a wall for cover.
Not even the toughest body could withstand this power, especially when her own condition was unstable.
Therefore, she gave up the chance to interrupt, because if a warrior dared to do this, there was an eighty percent chance they had some form of hyper armor magic.
She chose the relatively safe option of defending; her disordered magic wouldn't permit taking too many risks...
Whoosh!
The next moment, Rellana transformed into two co-rotating moons.
The pale blue spheres swirled with an unfathomably deep chill.
All things turned frigid, and a fierce wind reversed its course.
She created a blizzard right above Castle Ensis.
Some of the rubble was frozen brittle and turned to snow by the wind.
She poured all her magic into it to form her strongest attack.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on it, a chill running through their hearts.
Goosebumps rose on their skin, and their eyes, noses, and mouths seemed to be coated with the waxy feel of ice and snow.
Then, every cell in their bodies trembled with a warning:
Catastrophe is coming.
The first moon fell, unleashing a storm of frost that instantly shattered the rock fortress fortified by Gravity Magic.
Frieren's brow furrowed.
The combination of magic-breaking properties and frost was indeed difficult to handle.
Some of the overflowing magic struck her body and seeped inside through her wounds; her blood almost stopped flowing.
The only option now was an all-out defense.
Endure, Iron Flesh, and Twisting Light Wall were all cast simultaneously.
And Flame, Grant Me Strength—
However, the medium for its activation was Chaos Flame, calling upon the power of the King's Soul to protect her body.
In the blizzard, only her power shone as brightly as a torch.
She stood firm, forcefully enduring the first attack.
The second!
The ensuing frost shockwave dimmed the light of the series of buffs on Frieren, making them increasingly difficult to maintain.
Her Twisting Light Wall shattered, and the flame grant was no longer blazing...
Gritting her teeth, she managed to switch to the Dark Moon Greatsword to block.
The wide blade of the same element finally relieved a bit of the pressure.
However, the silver-haired girl was already covered in a layer of frost, like a statue.
The cold air seeped mercilessly through her wounds.
Clearly, Rellana intended to use this to neutralize her opponent's combat capability and secure the win.
And she had indeed seized a good opportunity, forcing Frieren into a direct, head-on confrontation.
Simply taking a beating was not Frieren's style.
Despite her body feeling the biting cold, she openly began charging a Great Chaos Fireball.
Within the blizzard, a wisp of crimson flame grew brighter and grander, aiming for the opening right after your attack, just as the two moon sorceries ended.
Wait!
Rellana had not yet landed.
Instead, her twin swords were raised high for a downward smash, gathering an even more violent magical fluctuation.
Was the previous attack merely a setup?
How powerful would this be?
It would probably be enough to cover the entire rooftop area of Castle Ensis, and even beyond.
Frieren had no time to think, obeying her alarm-blaring intuition and striking back.
The Great Chaos Fireball collided with the third moon!
Ice and fire bloomed wantonly, blue and red dividing the two sides, painting the sky and sweeping away the white blizzard, replacing it with a magnificent scene like a spilled palette.
They both, by chance, poured all their magic into this one clash.
Sssshhh!
A heavy, muffled sound drowned out all previous magical explosions, representing the friction of the most extreme powers.
Fire and ice, which should have melted each other, took on a tangible form due to the super-concentration of magic.
They repelled and annihilated each other, including the casters in the area of effect without distinction.
As one could imagine, Frieren and Rellana were both sent flying back by their own magic.
As she flew backward, the silver-haired girl used a gravity orb to pull herself, dissipating the force in mid-air and mitigating the impact in time.
But her bones still groaned.
The injury was not light, almost as bad as the time she bled profusely against Mohg.
On the other side, the Twin Moon Knight rolled down an ice slide to break her fall, finally neutralizing the risk of a secondary impact.
She had just gotten to her feet.
They stared at each other from a distance but couldn't assume any stance.
Their hands were numb.
Both had underestimated the power of the explosion.
They had tried to push the magic toward the opponent's side, but the result was that neither could escape the aftershock.
Even so, their divine bodies were quite resilient.
In just a few breaths, they were already accumulating new magic, their oppressive auras returning.
Having used up a round of magic didn't mean they couldn't recover.
On the contrary, they recovered very quickly.
As long as their bodies didn't suffer a fatal-level blow, it was difficult to affect their recovery speed.
For enemies below the divine level, their stats were indeed hellishly strong.
Similarly, only a high-power move could break through.
Carian Greatsword!
It was Rellana who attacked first. A blue arc swung toward Frieren, who could only dodge and weave to evade.
Worthy of the masterly Twin Moon Knight.
Even a simple Carian Greatsword in her hands was full of threat, its speed considerable, its blade flowing and expanding.
It spanned about twenty meters, clearly visible from any corner of the castle.
She had to pay close attention.
If it suddenly turned into Greatblade Phalanx, it would be troublesome.
She had to be wary of that kind of attack.
"Such agile footwork. It seems to have traces of the Bloodhound's technique..."
The missed follow-up was infuriating.
Fortunately, Rellana currently had the upper hand.
With just these few consecutive suppressive attacks, she had managed to add a few more wounds to Frieren.
But most importantly, she was denying her time to use healing or her Flask of Wondrous Physick.
Once the opponent replenished her resources, the battle would be dragged into an endless stalemate, and she happened to be skilled at high-speed suppressive combat.
"My attacks require more base magic, is that why I've fallen behind?"
But Astrologer arts could provide a slight diversion.
Frieren moved about, launching harassing attacks to accumulate magic again.
Although her reserves were sufficient, an Astrologer's body could only hold so much at once.
She needed to catch her breath.
As a result, after a clash of ultimate moves, the two fell back to basic attacks.
Bang, bang!
An endless series of clashes erupted around the ruins of the tower.
In the contest between top-tier demigods, a mere castle crumbled.
This tower, which she had always used to reminisce about her homeland, was collapsing, filled with her resolve.
If she could leave the Land of Shadow because of this, then there would be no need to reminisce.
Of course, that was on the premise that Rellana was certain her opponent was reliable.
What needed to be done was not important, whether it was dealing with an evil god, killing the Two Fingers, or burning a tree.
Are you a person worth entrusting one's life to?
No need for words; let the blades answer.
At this moment, she saw Frieren, who had also recovered her magic and summoned a Carian Greatsword, break into a smile.
This was how it should be.
Both poured energy into their magic greatswords.
The clashing blades, seeming to connect heaven and earth, scraped against each other, sending out sparks and shockwaves that swept away all the accumulated snow.
The silver-white faded, followed by a terrifying earthquake.
It spread out in all directions from the tower ruins.
Finally, unable to bear the load, the foundation of the rear half of the city's tallest building collapsed.
Boulders rolled down from on high, joining the chorus of thundering roars that trampled the earth.
The entire Castle Ensis was on the verge of collapse.
______
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