The two, reunited after a long separation, stared wide-eyed. It was quite astonishing to think they would meet again after parting ways at the Lake of Rot.
To have traversed the entire region of Liurnia of the Lakes and meet at its northernmost point, now advancing together towards the Altus Plateau, was indeed a rare twist of fate. It made one marvel at the unpredictability of destiny, but also at its unexpected pleasantries.
They exchanged a smile, everything understood without a word.
"So this must be Lady Melina. I've heard of you, the new Demigod, the witch who has always accompanied the Tarnished who would be King."
"That I am. And I must thank you, Miss Millicent, for your help with the needle back then. You were crucial in that battle."
"You were the most crucial one for Frieren. I'm just glad you're safe."
The memory of the second War of Aeonia brought a lingering fear to her heart—not because of the Outer God of Rot or the Lord of Blood, but because of the Lord of Cinder. The terror of the Sunlight Spear was seared into everyone's mind.
That was true wrath. The proof was that the provocative Mohg had been slain and his entire dynasty razed to the ground.
Millicent sensed Frieren's unabated warrior's spirit, the heart of a swordswoman whose thirst for battle had not ceased. If Mohg had actually succeeded in killing her maiden back then, she feared everyone would have been annihilated.
Understanding the unspoken meaning, Melina nodded.
The three began to travel together.
Against their combined strength, the monsters were as fragile as clay chickens and pottery dogs, shattering at the slightest touch. They dispatched countless foes along the way, felling them one after another until it became a simple journey. Thus, they gradually began to chat:
"Speaking of which, Millicent, are you also going to the Altus Plateau to temper your swordsmanship?" Frieren asked.
"You seem to have a greater sense of purpose than last time, knowing where you need to go."
"I'm going to the Haligtree to find Malenia, Blade of Miquella."
The decisive answer made her two companions' eyes flicker. That name again. They almost thought it was Miquella's charm. But the two were completely unrelated, so it had to be for another reason.
Millicent then replied, "Deep down, I have an intuition telling me I should go to the Haligtree to seek answers."
Although she didn't understand why, it was better than being under a charm.
She asked in return, "Actually, I'm still very lost. I wanted to ask you, as one who would be King, what did you feel when you first came to The Lands Between? You must have had many different adventures."
"I was also quite lost, and angry, because my original maiden died."
"She was supposed to guide me and help me understand this world, but she was killed by Godrick's assassins. If I hadn't met Melina and Ranni later on, I probably would have become someone who did whatever she pleased, treating everyone I met as a target for practicing magic."
"How terrifying."
Facing a familiar friend, Millicent didn't hold back, retorting bluntly. It was a good thing that didn't happen.
If a powerhouse like the Lord of Cinder chose a chaotic alignment and fought everyone she saw, the entire Lands Between would know no peace. To explore on one's own without guidance? The idea was somewhat inspiring.
These casual words made Melina's heart clench.
She blamed herself for usually being too quiet and not asking more. It turned out Frieren took that initial encounter with life and death very seriously.
In the ingrained mindset of a Tarnished, a reliable partner and guide was probably a necessity. Otherwise, they would just act recklessly based on their own understanding.
Melina tried to imagine Frieren's usual style and grew even more worried...
The maiden's dead? Fine, whatever.
Kill!
So when Torrent had followed her aura in such a rush back then, had he inadvertently saved The Lands Between? Otherwise, given the domineering nature of this Tarnished who would be King, the commotion she would have caused would have been no less than the Shattering.
If something were to happen to me, she would also burn with rage, wouldn't she? Fortunately, Ranni is here now.
The three of them temporarily dropped the topic, as the terrain ahead grew steeper, and a lift appeared. However, the surrounding area was not without traces of monsters, drawn by the sound.
"Let's make this quick."
Before Frieren's words faded, she had already struck, stirring up a gale.
A move from the divine beast, the dancing lion, swept in all directions, kicking up dust. Any monster that couldn't fly was blown off the cliff.
The remaining flying bat-like monsters couldn't withstand the gale either. Their fragile, membranous wings were torn, losing air. The next moment, they too were overturned, tumbling down the cliff's edge. It was certain that a fall from such a height would be fatal.
The targets on the outer edge were cleared in a single pass.
Those remaining on the inner side perished under Melina's golden blade and Millicent's Waterfowl Sword Style.
The battle between the three of them took only a few breaths, breaking through like splitting bamboo. These monsters, who had attempted an ambush, had misjudged their strength, thinking they could use the terrain to push them off. The reality was the opposite; it was they who fell.
Familiarity with the terrain meant nothing in the face of ultra-wide-range perception.
Hmph!
The stubbornly resisting monsters were annihilated one by one. Among them, some serpent-like monsters approached the lift and actually lunged with their fangs—yet they were still no match for the speed of Frieren's Glintstone projectile.
"By rights, their intelligence shouldn't allow for such judgment. They must have received orders from the Great Serpent." Melina observed the area above carefully and murmured, "There are traces of curse-luring magic. Rykard must have been planning to infiltrate for a long time, especially after you rose to power."
"Sooner or later, I'll take care of him."
Since both family members had made their stance clear, she had nothing to worry about. She would deal with him when the time was right.
After clearing this section of the path, the way ahead was unobstructed. They could finally ride the lift in peace. The clouds and mist of the cliff dispersed beneath their feet as they ascended to the peak's height.
Frieren looked back and could vaguely see the sight of Stormveil Castle.
An interesting thing about The Lands Between was that, although its area was no less than a real-world continent, one could see very far without being obstructed by the horizon. Could it be because it has no curvature?
"...Just from watching your spellcasting motions just now, I can tell your swordsmanship has also improved, hasn't it?"
"I suppose so."
"In the days we were apart, I've been training my martial arts constantly, and I've finally adapted to this Solar Knight Sword. Thank you for your gift. However, I seem to have reached my limit. If I can't use a sword with my right hand, this is probably as far as I can go."
Millicent regretfully touched her empty sleeve.
"As I mentioned before, your injury is strange. It's not a disability, but more like a physical deficiency that corresponds to your soul's form. I can't heal it... but you should be able to use a prosthesis."
"Frieren's suggestion is a good one. It's said the Blade of Miquella's preferred hand is a prosthesis, with her blade attached to it."
"The technique to forge something like that must be very difficult."
As they chatted idly, the lift finally reached the very top. A scorching heat washed over them, and the temperature suddenly soared, causing sweat to bead on their foreheads.
ROAR!
A low roar echoed through the air. Lava bubbled and hissed from the cracks in the ground. Seeing this, the three of them immediately fell silent and quickly got off the lift, lest a surprise attack send them plummeting into the bottomless abyss.
"It's Magma Wyrm Makar."
Melina was the first to speak up, as only she remembered the name of the monster that had been entrenched here for years.
Before she could give a further introduction, a fireball came flying towards them.
ROAR!
The moment before the explosion, the three of them leaped away to dodge. They saw flames and thick smoke blossom behind them, the heat scorching their skin and tossing their long hair. The lift's iron chains swayed precariously, and even the clouds in the mountain pass were blown away.
"It's much more ferocious than the intelligence reports suggested. Its desire to attack is very strong. It's the aura of the Great Serpent."
"And the Lord of the Profound..."
As Frieren was adding to the thought, she casually parried another fireball, narrowly avoiding being engulfed. Otherwise, the three of them would have been covered in soot and suffered a wave of burns.
So Volcano Manor has been trying to dump its trash into the lakes all along.
Just by sensing it, she knew that Rykard and Aldrich had both participated in modifying the Magma Wyrm, turning it into a fearsome gatekeeper. In a place like this, where one man could hold off ten thousand, it was enough to stop the advance of a large army. No matter how many men were thrown at it, it wouldn't be enough.
If that last attack had been aimed at a group of soldiers, wouldn't they have all fallen off the cliff?
Loretta's Greatbow!
Frieren tentatively fired a stream of light with Loretta's Greatbow, which cut an arc through the air and also illuminated the dark depths. It revealed a wide space supported by stalactites and stalagmites, the target a winged, horned Magma Wyrm.
Her arrow was incredibly fast, hitting its mark in an instant, but it scraped against the scales with a clang. The violent sparks forced it back.
The force was sufficient, but it lacked armor penetration.
This was within expectations, as Frieren hadn't charged or enhanced the shot, treating it as a probe.
Her style had always been to react conservatively at first. Understanding this, Millicent and Melina spread out, flanking the large monster to block its path and prevent any attempt to escape.
As the distance shortened, the opponent finally revealed its full form:
It was clearly a wyrm, yet it had distinct wings, making it look even more dissonant and ugly. Its bone-white teeth gnashed at them, filling the air with the stench of blood.
It had devoured many monsters and people without exception, dominating the highest point of the precipice for years.
Upon closer inspection, there were even permanent sword scars.
"Those were left by the Undead Legion of Farron. They fought before, I received the report." Frieren's gaze sharpened as she murmured, "But it was modified and its life was saved? Reusing trash doesn't change the fact that it's still trash."
Hearing this, the Magma Wyrm charged in a furious rage. Its four legs clawed at the ground in a frantic dash, like a small mountain crashing down.
It was unstoppable; even the gate of a small fortress would be destroyed.
ROAR!
The next moment, it bit down hard—on the Dark Moon Greatsword. The silver-haired girl held the sword with both hands, matching it in a contest of strength, the force so great it actually pushed the beast back a step.
How could it give up so easily?
The Magma Wyrm roared and pushed off with its hind legs, pressing its entire massive body forward.
However, it was no match for Frieren's absurd strength. In that instant, she reallocated her stats and launched a counterattack. A rising blow from the greatsword struck the monster's chin, sending it flipping backward in an arc to land heavily on its back.
The fall was significant, as it exposed its vulnerable belly.
Melina and Millicent, waiting for an opportunity, would not let the opening pass. Slashes from the left and right cut deep where there were no scales, drawing blood. The wounds split open like ditches, even spewing forth a stream of magma.
"ROAR!" A hint of a scream entered its roar, but it still managed to roll over in time to cover its weak spot and escape the encirclement.
"The feel is wrong. My blade cut in, but there was almost no physical reaction."
"Its insides are also fire now."
Melina, with her stronger perception, saw the truth. The target had been thoroughly remade from the inside out; it was fundamentally a different creature. Normal attacks would be effective, but compared to its physical toughness, they were still insufficient.
They could use their agility to slowly kill the Magma Wyrm, but the terrain wouldn't allow it.
Creak!
At some point, the ground began to crack with fine lines. Stones continuously broke off from the very edge, their long echoes resounding from the abyssal cliff.
This foothold couldn't withstand the destruction.
And yet, the Magma Wyrm was so frenzied it might just drag everyone down with it.
Their team had Frieren, the number one sorcerer in The Lands Between; they had plenty of ways to clear the field. The problem was, if the top of the cliff collapsed too severely, wouldn't that be a loss? Their goal was to open a path, not to fight to the death with a mindless monster.
Just in this short time, a wooden walkway had already collapsed, most likely hitting the stairs below.
This was sheer demolition.
"Force it back into the depths of the mine and we'll have our decisive battle in the arena."
Wasting no time, Frieren immediately summoned a massive Rock Sling. The colossal object, possessing both mass and hardness, struck with a boom, sending the target flying backward.
However, the Magma Wyrm refused to be outdone, seemingly sensing its enemy's tactic. Since you're worried about widespread destruction, I'll cause destruction. Nobody gets what they want, let's just be reckless.
A breath of magma came rushing towards them—
With lightning-fast reflexes, Frieren immediately changed the Rock Sling's trajectory to slam it into the monster's chin. The magma shot upwards like a fountain, just barely sparing Millicent and Melina from a direct hit, but the cavern was not so lucky.
The scorching red liquid flowed in all directions, pouring and seeping through the rock ceiling, causing continuous collapses.
Wherever it passed, there was no solid ground left.
Gurgle gurgle!
The ground was bubbling as if boiling. The three exchanged a look and could only retreat from the onslaught, allowing the Magma Wyrm to roar and spew flames. The superheated material, somewhere between solid and liquid, scorched the earth, actually widening the top level of the cliff mine by a few feet as rubble constantly fell from above.
It was as if it wanted to dig all the way to the Altus Plateau. The open space here was partly its doing, no wonder it had become the big fellow's lair.
But things below were not so fortunate. The magma finally spilled over the top level.
Flames flowed down from above, along scaffolding and walkways, leaving nothing but charcoal in their wake. It even turned the mountain pass's mist a brilliant red, with fiery embers falling and the sound of burning echoing from the valley floor.
The stationed army issued an evacuation warning.
They guessed it was the Magma Wyrm's doing, but they hadn't expected the commotion to be this huge. It was getting serious.
"...In that kind of environment, can Her Majesty manage?"
"No need to worry about a squad made of two Demigods. Stay far away. I reckon since the Magma Wyrm is going all out, Her Majesty won't be holding back either."
"Maintain distance, no one is to approach. Prepare for falling rock impacts."
VWOOSH!
Before the words were even finished, a torrent of flame even greater than before shot out, drawing a crimson line across the sky and splitting the mist in two. This blood-like color was Frieren's Chaos Flame, which absorbed the wyrm's fire entirely, completely overpowering it.
As expected, the Lord of Cinder was getting serious. Since the enemy no longer cared about destruction, she too would cast aside her reservations.
Now everyone would know there was a major disturbance at the precipice.
_____
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