"Just like Clayman, she has entered a semi-awakened state."
Bai Luo still sat in the courtyard, while Ice Empress and Egui Peng, abandoning their playful actions, nervously watched Frey's transformation.
"Yes."
Violet: "Due to intense emotional fluctuations, the power of Transcendence used Frey's six hundred years of accumulation as fuel, beginning to impact the realm of an Awakened Demon Lord~."
"Will she succeed?"
"It will definitely fail."
Violet gave a definitive answer: "Although Frey is not as brutal as Clayman, who accumulated a large number of vengeful spirits through mass slaughter."
"But the number of souls she has absorbed is too far from a complete awakening."
Therefore, Frey's transformation.
It was more like her body instinctively squeezing out its potential after sensing danger, then making a desperate final stand.
[Frey]
magic essence: 890,000 EP (Semi-Awakened)
Indeed, when Frey reappeared before everyone, pure white flames burned around her body.
The seemingly terrifying pressure was actually not a good sign.
Being unable to even control her own power was clearly proof of a failed awakening.
"Hoo~~ hoo~~~"
Frey gasped for breath, uncaring of her failed attempt to ascend to True Demon Lord.
It was only her first try, after all.
Though it had consumed years of her accumulated soul, a waste of six hundred years.
But if her soul was gone, she could always gather more.
If she had fallen here, that would have been an eternal damnation.
"So close!"
"Just a little more, and I would have died by your hand."
Frey stared at Snow Empress and the returning Artoria.
She truly hadn't expected to be beaten to such a state, so utterly dishevelled.
Recalling Snow Empress's palm strike just now, Frey still felt boundless fear.
If not for being a Transcendent, she would have been instantly killed by this woman!
A dignified member of the Ten Great Demon Lord Seeds, to be instantly killed by an unknown Demon Lord Seed with a single blow.
If word of this got out, how could she possibly retain her face and her title as a Demon Lord Seed?
Of course, if Frey had known that Snow Empress had no killing intent, only wishing to seal her.
And that defeating her would only require four palm strikes at most.
That would have been the greatest blow to Frey.
"Can you still fight?"
Artoria stood in front of Snow Empress, whose magic essence was severely depleted, having even used a powerful move like God's Ring.
"A bit of a miscalculation."
Snow Empress hadn't anticipated Frey entering a semi-awakened state.
Otherwise, she definitely wouldn't have used all the powerful moves within God's Ring at once.
Of course, one God's Ring remained as a magic essence reserve.
With double magic essence as a base, Snow Empress still had the strength to fight.
Moreover, the Inherent Barrier of Great Nature was not to be underestimated.
Staying here, Snow Empress could rapidly recover magic essence.
"Whew~~"
Hearing Snow Empress's words, the first to breathe a sigh of relief was Frey.
There was no helping it; Snow Empress's attack was too terrifying.
Even having semi-awakened, Frey recalled Snow Empress's Eternal Return, and she still had no confidence in facing that move head-on.
"You can't be the main attacker, but you're still fine for support."
If her magic essence was full, and all ten rings were present.
Snow Empress truly couldn't seal Frey.
But merely killing her would only increase from four palm strikes to eight.
The instant kill would still be an instant kill.
"This time, I was a burden to you."
"Don't say that!"
Artoria: "No one could have predicted such a thing would happen!"
"In any case, leave the rest to me."
Once again, Artoria advanced with her sword: "Let me be your opponent, Frey!"
And as she made her move, several phantom-like maidens appeared around her.
With one sword strike, the swords of several figures also slashed out.
"This move again!"
Frey wasn't fighting one person, but several Sabers, and even those heroic spirits with faces similar to Artoria.
Facing such an offensive, even with Frey's overwhelming magic essence, she still couldn't reverse the decline.
Those holy spirits, each with strength comparable to the original, and one enhanced Treasure after another being unleashed.
They truly battered Frey.
She gained no significant advantage despite entering the realm of a half-step True Demon Lord.
"Damn it!"
Frey's martial arts were inferior to Artoria's.
Even in combat experience, the latter was superior.
After just a few clashes, Frey gave up on close combat with her, choosing to create distance and bombard from afar.
However, Snow Empress wouldn't give her such an opportunity.
·····
Various seals from Great Nature made Frey feel as if she was stuck in a quagmire, unable to extricate herself.
"Hahahaha~~"
A blonde maiden in a blood-red dress leaped high from behind Artoria, her face filled with an incredibly wild smile.
"Is it finally my turn?"
"Witness my talent, hear the applause of ten thousand thunders!"
"Embrace the glory of the ruler, bloom like a flower, open! The Golden Theater of the Heart's Delight!!"
Inherent Barrier layered over Inherent Barrier.
Although the power of the Golden Theater was far less powerful than Great Nature, which was a Unique Skill.
The suppression of double rules still disrupted Frey's rhythm, causing her to be cornered by several Sabers, struggling to cope.
"Get lost!!!"
.. ..... ....
Frey roared, exploding with magic essence, forcefully tearing apart the Golden Theater.
However, before she could even breathe a sigh of relief, more earth, water, wind, and fire, under Snow Empress's control, submerged her.
Frey had gotten stronger, but not that strong!
Her magic essence had increased, but it hadn't reached the breakthrough of a million-star particle level.
Therefore, Frey's magic essence was still on par with Artoria's.
Furthermore, she hadn't awakened an ultimate skill.
Currently, Frey was at most about 2.5 times stronger than she was before her semi-awakening.
"She can fight!"
Confirming this, Artoria's offensive grew even fiercer.
"Annoying things!"
After another struggle, Frey cut down the wildly growing trees that entangled her like tentacles.
She evaded Artoria's attack, using her speed advantage to create distance.
"I admit, you are very strong!"
"But our business isn't finished!"
The Sky Queen looked down from above at the entire Inherent Barrier, she raised her hands, and a large amount of magic essence sketched out one mysterious magic circle after another in the sky.
"She's going to destroy my Inherent Barrier!"
"No, Frey is trying to escape!!"
Snow Empress immediately saw through Frey's plan.
She couldn't defeat Artoria, so she decided on a strategic retreat.
Despite being a monarch, she was playing a one-on-one knight's game with Bai Luo here.
Frey, realizing the rashness and unwiseness of her decision, decided to retreat first, then use her military advantage to attack Bai Luo's forces.