After bypassing the two Haligtree Soldiers she had just slain, Frieren entered a room.
The decor was austere, containing nothing but a single treasure chest. In the past, she would have meticulously inspected it for traps, suspecting a mimic, but fortunately, such creatures did not exist in the Lands Between.
She stepped forward and opened it with anticipation, revealing an Incantation:
[Incantation: Triple Rings of Light]
[One of the incantations of the Golden Order fundamentalists. Produces and fires three rings of light forward.]
[The rings return to the caster before disappearing.]
[This incantation can be cast repeatedly.]
[A gift from the young Miquella to his father, Radagon.]
Frieren had seen this used by Cleanrot Knights; it was a threatening spell. If the Cleanrot Knights were to use it in unison, its power would likely be even more formidable. It was no wonder it was worthy of Radagon, being a gift for a King.
Naturally, she chose to keep it safe. Even if she didn't use it, knowing its mechanics would help her deal with the Haligtree Army's incantation attacks.
"...Your Majesty, I can sense that Millicent has been here. Her path also leads deeper in."
Trina gazed at the distant road.
"My perception of her has actually weakened. It must be the influence of the Scarlet Rot." The silver-haired girl pointed at the tree trunk and said, "Our old enemy, the Outer God of Rot, must have arrived as well."
It was foreseeable that Millicent's infection had worsened. Being shrouded by a massive amount of Scarlet Rot would naturally make her difficult to detect.
If Frieren increased the intensity of her perception, she would certainly find clues. However, releasing a massive amount of psychic power was no different from exposing herself. Therefore, following Trina's bloodline connection was sufficient; it was actually a blind spot the Outer God of Rot had failed to calculate.
They had to speed up.
Frieren took the lead on the narrow path. The road ahead was entirely along the cliff edge; a fall would mean almost certain death. Thus, she needed to keep a close watch and help everyone spot potential threats.
Fortunately, her gravity magic had advanced further, being both flexible and concealed.
The silver-haired girl continued to jump and scurry about.
After retrieving the chest, she left the position of the Putrid Avatar, picking up Smithing Stones and Talismans along the way.
"It is best to bypass that area," Trina said, pointing to an empty street ahead. "There are many Royal Revenants there. They are extremely berserk. Even if you kill them, you gain nothing. There is no need to cause unnecessary trouble."
"Your warning is very useful. Thanks."
Among the few monsters Frieren disliked were the Royal Revenants, especially since those guys liked to shriek weirdly, which would likely attract a commotion.
She left quietly. Before departing, she detected a trace of strange magical fluctuation, confirming that those guys were indeed restless. Oh well, there was no need to clean up scrap material.
According to the treasure map, there was another chest ahead, and it led to the interior...
A Cleanrot Knight!
A warrior wielding a spear and a sword was looking around, inexplicably nervous but unable to find the reason.
Little did she know, an invisible squad was moving right under her nose.
Frieren tossed a pebble through the air. It bounced off a distant wall with a clatter. Seeing this, the Cleanrot Knight hurriedly left, following the strange noise to investigate carefully.
Simple, yet it worked every time. Now it was time to open the chest; the magical reaction inside was not small.
[Cleanrot Knight Finlay Ashes]
[One of the legendary ashen remains.]
[Use to summon the spirit of Cleanrot Knight Finlay.]
[Finlay was one of the few survivors of the Battle of Aeonia, who in an unimaginable act of heroism carried the slumbering demigod Malenia all the way back to the Haligtree.]
She had encountered an incredible heroic figure. Reading the description, even Frieren felt a surge of admiration. It also filled in a corner of the history following the Battle of Aeonia—it was this knight who had escorted the Valkyrie back.
One could imagine how arduous that journey must have been, enough to burn a hero to ash. Yet she achieved it, allowing the Valkyrie to return to the Haligtree to preside over the situation.
Otherwise, history would have been rewritten.
"Sir Finlay is a loyal and righteous knight. Being under your command would not be a disgrace to her. I entrust her to Your Majesty."
The will within the ashes seemed to become active upon hearing Trina's recommendation.
"Of course. I will have her join the King-Sealing Battlefield."
As one of the legendary ashes, Frieren naturally wouldn't miss out. She immediately gave Finlay a Grave Glovewort as a meeting gift. Then, she left before the Cleanrot Knight returned.
Following Trina's guidance, she successively obtained the Haligtree Soldier Ashes, an Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone, the Haligtree Knight Set, and more...
Collecting what she fancied.
The Saintess naturally knew the Soul Cinder King's style, so while guiding, she also planned a collection route. After all, once the Haligtree was conquered, it would all belong to Frieren sooner or later.
"I feel Millicent's bloodline becoming clearer. She is about to rendezvous with Malenia."
"Good. I'm going there now."
Atop the giant wood permeated with rot, Millicent stood confronting her four sisters.
Her prosthesis was dripping blood; she was injured after all. The Scarlet Rot seized the opportunity to infiltrate madly, as if trying to hollow out her body. But the enemies opposite her were injured even more heavily—this was the price of challenging a sword master.
However, fighting against many alone was still a bit straining.
Moreover, the Putrid Tree Spirit not far away had already been alerted. If it joined the fray, the situation would become dire.
"Just obediently accept the Scarlet Rot. Millicent, your talent is the best. According to Master Gowry's deduction, you will surely bloom into the most beautiful Flower of Aeonia."
"Impossible. I will not yield to that kind of pollution."
"What a pity."
"I reckon Gowry is already dead, right? You are still loyal to him?"
"We haven't been in contact for a long time; he is mostly likely dead. Someone heard that the Soul Cinder King disliked him, so she targeted Gowry's head. Perhaps a big shot like the Would-be Lord wouldn't care, but the petty people who like to act opportunistically would still make things difficult for Mister Sage."
"Then why do you still work for him?"
"It doesn't affect us carrying out Gowry's plan. The Scarlet Rot must bloom from you. It is also for the wish of the Kindred of Rot."
The four sisters were murderous, adopting a stance that said they would force Millicent even at the cost of their lives.
In fact, they were close to succeeding, because whether or not the Scarlet Rot was released did not entirely depend on her will. Her body was becoming increasingly exhausted, injuries were accumulating, and she could no longer suppress the restless, erosive energy in her wounds.
If not for her strong will, she would have died long ago. But if the body's foundation was insufficient, any healing or suppression would be of no avail.
Millicent felt her body reaching its limit.
However, seeing the Sunlight Straight Sword clenched in her hand, she treated this as her final battle.
Seeing the sword was like seeing the person.
She always remembered Frieren, who had gifted her this sword. Back then, she was just a King of a corner in the south, possessing great momentum but lacking dominance. Now, she was a veritable contender for the strongest, the Would-be Lord known as the Soul Cinder King. She wondered if she had continued to advance on the path of swordsmanship?
Millicent had an intuition that she had come too, but might not make it in time.
"Let the sword marks on your corpses serve as my greeting to her."
Boom!
Suddenly, the wall beside the rotting giant tree exploded open with a loud bang. Light flooded in, revealing a silver-haired girl wearing a crown.
Millicent was stunned at first, then she smiled.
"I wonder, after so much time has passed, what realm has your swordsmanship reached?"
Frieren smiled without speaking. She took out Moonveil and assumed a stance. Everyone felt the exposed sharpness; the sword qi was already at their throats. In the next moment, she turned sideways and leaped into the air. This opening stance—
Waterfowl Dance.
Her graceful figure was accompanied by white, flowing streamlines of sword qi sweeping past, appearing like a dance step treading through the midst of the four sisters.
They froze on the spot, motionless. The opponent had attacked openly and aboveboard, even assuming a stance to give them a chance to react, but they simply couldn't see it clearly at all.
The next moment, their vision was filled with bloody light, and they saw only each other's broken remains.
"Currently, I can only perform two segments of the Waterfowl Dance."
As she answered, Frieren sheathed Moonveil. The field fell silent; the four running dogs of rot had finally been cleared out. However, outside became lively. Sirens blared, and clamor shrouded the entire Haligtree.
The blow that smashed the outer wall was undoubtedly a declaration of invasion. This level of magical reaction couldn't be found in a second person in the entire Lands Between.
Dong~
Accompanying the alarm bells was the clattering sound of weapons, the clash of arms, and the friction of armor.
"It's the Soul Cinder King invading! Highest alert! Protect the base of the Haligtree!"
Urgent commands rose and fell. Officers like Loretta were especially blaming themselves. They had clearly sensed a momentary anomaly just now, but they had failed to discover it. It turned out to be the worst-case scenario.
Even facing the Royal Capital Army would be better than facing Frieren.
She had definitely come to settle new grudges and old scores, to thoroughly wrap up the unfinished war beneath the Spiral Tower. What was more terrifying was that she brought no army, which meant she was prepared to deliver a devastating blow.
How could they not be nervous? This was a battle concerning the survival of the Haligtree.
Compared to the chaotic footsteps outside, the interior of the Haligtree was much quieter. Reunions were always joyful, especially a reunion at a moment of life and death, making for a poignant and unforgettable precious memory.
"Thank you for your assistance, and thank you for your care all this time."
"We clearly haven't seen each other for a long time."
"No, if not for you, I wouldn't have maintained my self until now. But I think I've reached my limit."
Millicent regretfully stroked the wound on her severed arm, murmuring, "I have already pulled out that needle, so please convey to the source of the malice..."
Suddenly, Frieren grabbed her severed arm. The Scarlet Rot was actually being sucked away.
"You will die!"
"Don't worry about me. What's important is your opinion. Millicent, have you carefully examined your relationship with Malenia? I brought a friend today; you two can have a good discussion."
The silver-haired girl acted as if nothing had happened after sucking out the Scarlet Rot, which finally put Millicent at ease.
Immediately, she saw the cloak of purple petals transform into a beautiful woman.
"Saintess Trina!"
Although it was their first meeting, many memories surfaced in her mind. Especially after meeting those eyes, Millicent became more convinced, and her own existence gradually became clear.
She knelt on the ground with a thud, shocked by the overwhelming truth.
Melina, who was keeping watch at the breach, reminded them:
"An army is approaching. We are already under long-range fire. Make a decision quickly. Should we charge straight for the Valkyrie's room?"
"Lady Maiden, you go take care of our two friends. I will be responsible for intercepting the pursuing troops. I happen to have a score to settle with Loretta."
Ranni returned to her original form and swapped guard positions with her.
Two people covering each other was sufficient. Moreover, with a Demigod Sorcerer present, holding back thousands of troops was a trivial matter.
Impregnable.
At this moment, the complex terrain of the Haligtree became an obstacle for the Haligtree Army themselves. Ranni had already unfolded Glintstone sorcery. Amidst the continuous sounds of bombardment, she struck first, severing numerous branch bridges to buy time.
Frieren placed a hand on the swordswoman's shoulder and said:
"Millicent, you must be prepared to replace Malenia. You are the one who represents the Valkyrie's will."
"Are you going to kill her?"
"My grudge with her hasn't reached that point. But she is paranoid and leaves herself no way out. I will respect Malenia's choice."
The silver-haired girl turned and left with large strides, pointing toward the deepest room.
"Your Majesty, completely end Miquella's fantasy. Let him no longer live in the pain of paranoia."
The Soul Cinder King did not answer, simply taking out dual staves.
Those familiar with her knew that from the start, this would be a serious battle. The enemy was a vessel for an Outer God harboring Scarlet Rot, perhaps even a divine avatar. There was no room for carelessness. Someone important to Frieren was here, so she absolutely would not show mercy.
A certain kill.
The impression Malenia's fighting style left on people was an aura of preferring mutual destruction, but this aura could not scare the Soul Cinder King. In the end, it would be a fight to the death.
She simply tended to push the battle toward a death match, unlike Frieren, who had overcome countless life-and-death adversities.
"You both need treatment. Do not refuse my Incantation. Rest for a while."
Melina cast gentle Holy attribute magic.
She served as excellent support, incidentally replenishing a series of buff states for Ranni, who maintained suppressing fire. The two exchanged a glance, determining not to let anyone disturb Frieren's battle.
Deep within the room.
The silver-haired girl stepped onto the flower-paved ground and arrived before a tree. Sitting on a chair, Malenia was extending her severed arm.
Beside her, Miquella was imbuing the severed arm with a touch of pure, unalloyed power. Even the Scarlet Rot gradually faded, and her facial features returned to their peerless beauty. The power of the twins converged at this moment.
Frieren made no move, witnessing this without revealing a trace of killing intent.
They also continued the treatment as if no one else was present. This was the tacit understanding between the strong; the Soul Cinder King would absolutely not interrupt.
It continued until Miquella's magical reaction dimmed. Having injected all the power of unalloyed gold into Malenia's body, he collapsed to the ground, his breath weak as a gossamer thread.
The wounds from the battle at the Spiral Tower had not yet healed; the burning of the soul by the First Flame was not easy to bear.
Even so, he blessed his sister with all his might.
After helping her drowsy brother into the chair, Malenia picked up her prosthesis and attached it to her severed arm. She stroked her helmet, her gaze sharp, her entire aura condensed and steady. The number one sword master of the Lands Between had returned to her peak, even compensating for the pain of rot.
"Thank you."
The Soul Cinder King could have taken advantage of the situation just now, but she simply watched.
"You're welcome. I will defeat you fair and square."
"Then witness it well. What it means to be the Blade of Miquella—the reason I have never known defeat."
Two staves in Frieren's hands simultaneously sprouted Carian Slicers. Refined to the extreme, the Glintstone edges were menacing. Preparations were complete. After exchanging blows once, she knew very well that ordinary magic was difficult to track against her.
Malenia was too agile, and there was a probability she would release Scarlet Rot. Frieren had to hold back a portion of her defense just in case.
She would look for an opportunity within this sword duel.
___
New Story: Stardew Valley: What Do You Mean They All Became My Servants
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