Under Frieren's exquisite footwork and swordplay, she easily parried the first round of spear thrusts, causing the accompanying narrow beams of light to miss one by one.
Instead, she turned and slashed at him from close range.
Facing this strategy of a single blade closing in against a long spear, Messmer forcibly halted his charging momentum and switched to a sweep, using broad, open attacks to counter the agility of the Weapon Skill: Waterfowl Dance style. He had naturally heard of this school and had his own ways of dealing with it.
Clang, clink!
Sparks flew during the close-quarters engagement; their figures crossed paths, neither yielding an inch, sending flesh and blood flying.
At this moment, the ceaseless edge of the Flowing Water Swordplay and the domineering slaughter of Messmer's spear poured out relentlessly. Both focused solely on offense, ignoring defense, and in an instant, both were covered in cuts and bruises.
Their armor offered no protection whatsoever against each other's attacks.
Yet the exchange continued. On one hand, Messmer would not easily let a mage who had entered the appropriate range escape; on the other, Frieren would not forego the opportunity to pour in damage with ultra-high-speed offense. Thus, by unspoken agreement, they fought with full force.
"This is too dangerous."
In the distance, Melina watched with a heavy heart; they clearly had no intention of holding back.
She was ready to activate the Minor Erdtree at any moment, hoping to at least recover some of everyone's injuries.
However, the aura of the two combatants, which allowed no interference, made Melina dare not intervene rashly, so she could only watch with deep worry.
"Give it up, Maiden. Haven't you noticed that Mother has never used a Healing Incantation? Clearly, she intends to compete using her current HP, and that Messmer is doing the same."
Two dignified, top-tier Demigods without any means of recovery? Impossible. It was simply a tacit understanding.
They intended to decide the victor this way.
"—Whoever is first critically wounded to the point of needing treatment loses. After all, they won't truly fight a battle to the death in front of you."
The Mimic Tear broke the silence, revealing the philosophy of the two on the field, as she was more concerned with the battle itself than with who was injured.
Since that was the case, Melina had no choice but to let it be.
Boom!
Suddenly, Frieren's Dark Moon Greatsword switched to a Bloodfiend's Arm. The massive weapon caught Messmer off guard; struck by it, and compounding his accumulated injuries, he instantly lost his balance and staggered back a few steps.
However, his snakes did not stumble; seizing the opportunity, they spat out a stream of fierce flame.
The silver-haired girl, surrounded by white light, forcibly tanked the hit using the Ash of War: Endure, then immediately switched back to the Dark Moon Greatsword to unleash a Moonlight Wave.
A sweep of the spear destroyed it.
Messmer gradually understood the opponent's line of thought: she intended to create an opportunity where he lost balance to inflict critical damage. How could he let her succeed so easily? He wouldn't be the Commander of the Crusade otherwise.
At this moment, he actively pursued, stabbing his weapon into the ground, which surprisingly caused spear-snakes to sprout and track her.
Frieren immediately used Miriam's Vanishing to dodge, leaving behind a mass of dark, oppressive Sorcery: Ancient Death Rancor clones in her original position.
"Useless."
After sweeping away the magic with one move, he suddenly discovered a stream of blue light.
Sorcery: Comet Azur—
Finally having the chance to release it, Frieren poured in a massive amount of mana, blasting it all at once. Messmer was no ordinary individual either; he immediately spun his spear with both hands, creating a shield wreathed in flame.
Red and blue energies exploded loudly in the dark chamber, the surging magic like floodwaters bursting a dam.
Both sides gritted their teeth and continued to increase the force, moving from a burst attack to a sustained one. Having had enough of mobile combat with repeated dodging, they would test each other's strength right here.
The snake fire was actively devouring the magic, even digesting it!
Only after sustaining the attack for a while did Frieren realize this characteristic. Truly troublesome; no wonder it was the Power of Blasphemy. But she didn't care and continued to increase the stakes.
Whoosh, whoosh!
The Sorcery: Comet Azur emerging from the tip of her staff seemed to materialize into substance, hissing as it rubbed against the air and collided with the spear.
Gradually, Messmer actually began to run out of stamina, astonished in his heart.
Why was the opponent's mana bottomless? Even a move as extravagant as Sorcery: Comet Azur was released at will, showing no signs of stopping even now, while he could barely hold on...
No, she was also dual-casting!
A Sorcery: Carian Phalanx appeared beside Frieren, its sharp edges fully revealed and aimed at him.
At the critical moment, the red python beside Messmer coiled its body to actively intercept the Glintstone swords. Its hard scales deflected some, sparks flying from the friction on its body, blocking the dozens of Glintstone swords at the cost of being covered in cuts and bruises.
However, the offense of the strongest mage in the Lands Between did not end there.
Magic Triple Glintblade.
It turned out the previous move was to pave the way for this. A full several sharp Glintstone longswords sped forward together, striking Messmer's body in unison, causing his legs to instantly go soft.
The Sorcery: Comet Azur suddenly increased in power, transforming into a torrent in the air under Frieren's full effort!
With a thunderous boom, it easily pierced through the flame defense!
And with undiminished momentum, it chiseled through the wall of the dark chamber, flying over the skies of the Shadow Keep, the blue stream incredibly eye-catching.
The soldiers of the Crusade patrolling the outer city looked up one after another, witnessing this shocking scene. Real or fake? What magic could maintain such concentrated energy after being released over such a long distance?
It was like a paintbrush sketching across the dome of the sky, shrouding the area together with the thunder amidst the dark clouds.
"Direction of the Specimen Storehouse!"
"No, it's even further in. It's the place where Lord Messmer cultivates silence; there's a battle there..."
"How did the Soul Cinder King suddenly run in there? What are you doing?"
"Return to support immediately! We must stop Frieren. We cannot let her act so recklessly in the Shadow Keep; this is the headquarters of the Crusade."
"Everyone, assemble at the Specimen Storehouse."
The soldiers marched mightily toward the site of the great battle, daring not to slack off in the slightest; after all, this was a war between Demigods.
As long as Frieren and Messmer hadn't shaken hands and made peace, they had to carry out their orders, maintaining alert or even blockading the opponent. Military orders were absolute; they had to ensure the safety of the Shadow Keep.
While the outer city was in lax chaos, the followers began to move one after another.
Leda, who had already been lurking in the parish, was able to leave quickly, heading for the Ancient Ruins of Rauh.
"I thank you one last time, Your Majesty."
She glanced back at the dark castle before striding away in farewell. In fact, Miquella had also judged that this small amount of military force could not withstand Frieren's offensive. When the time came, the Crusade would either be subsumed under a new banner or annihilated.
Regardless of which, the Soul Cinder King would occupy the Land of Shadow and start a war with them as the dominant power; they had to deploy as soon as possible.
On the other side, Freyja and Ansbach also left in succession. This was the final window of opportunity. If they didn't leave now, once the Shadow Keep completed its unification, they wouldn't be able to leave. Naturally, they had to race against time.
They silently thanked Frieren for causing such a huge commotion once again.
Crack, snap!
Above the sky, the lightning grew brighter and brighter, as if echoing the majesty of a King, faintly possessing a momentum comparable to the Jagged Peak of old.
Following the Sorcery: Comet Azur came the force of a thunderbolt.
Even looking only at the exterior, one knew that the Soul Cinder King was constantly launching fierce attacks to suppress Messmer. Therefore, the Crusade gathered in large numbers to support; otherwise, the consequences of this deathmatch would be unpredictable.
However, they encountered an interception at the Specimen Storehouse.
"This road is closed."
Standing on a specimen, looking down from above, the Mimic Tear's cold tone echoed through the Storehouse. A chilling pressure shrouded the Crusade, causing even the battle-hardened army to stop their steps cautiously.
The intelligence had already mentioned it: the opponent was a Spirit Ash created by the Soul Cinder King, a Lord of Night from the Eternal City, not to be underestimated.
To Frieren, this one could even be called as intimate as a half-body.
"Form ranks, prepare to charge."
The Crusade assembled in an orderly fashion; clearly, they would not desist. This display could not scare them. As top-tier elites who had been fighting since ancient times, they had plenty of experience fighting Demigods. How could they retreat?
Seeing this, the Mimic Tear smiled with satisfaction, her staff extending to spread Sorcery: Night Maiden's Mist.
She would enjoy this blocking action alone, because no matter what, Melina was unwilling to leave; she would only be at ease seeing the battle between Messmer and Frieren with her own eyes.
So the task of blocking the Crusade was handed to the Mimic Tear.
Sorcery: Night Maiden's Mist!
A cloud of dark purple, crystalline icy mist suddenly shrouded the Storehouse. To stop so many people while holding back, she had to rely not only on the terrain but also on the advantage of stealth. The deterrence of a Demigod assassin was enough to curb the Crusade's offensive.
Sure enough, they were forced to advance back-to-back, guarding against each other.
However, the Sorcery: Night Comet popping up from time to time still threw them into disarray, scattering the formation easily, accompanied by the sound of bodies constantly falling.
"Be careful, don't charge blindly."
They could clearly hear the loud noises coming from the dark chamber but couldn't support; they could only grit their teeth and fight the Mimic Tear.
Why was a Spirit Ash creation so strong?
Did the destroyed Eternal Dynasty leave behind such a supreme treasure? And falling into the hands of the Soul Cinder King, it was improved and strengthened further; its magical ability was more terrifying than any mortal mage they had ever seen.
Bang, bang!
Muffled sounds constantly rising from the mist blocked the Crusade's path, forcing a seesaw battle on various floors.
The Mimic Tear was also happy to stall. Anyway, her mission wasn't to defeat a certain number of people, but to block the Crusade outside the door. It wouldn't take too long; with Mother's power, it should be entering the white-hot stage soon.
Inside the dark chamber.
Messmer, covered in electric arcs, retreated with unsteady footing.
Fortunately, he reacted in time, throwing out a snake fire to force Frieren back; otherwise, if she had pursued with another round of attacks, it would have caused even greater damage.
After suffering repeated attacks from Sorcery: Comet Azur and Incantation: Lightning Spear, his condition was getting worse and worse.
The opponent's strength exceeded expectations.
Messmer had originally planned to accumulate damage on this Tarnished as much as possible before lifting his seal, and then unleash his power in a burst to severely wound her completely.
However, since the close-combat phase ended just now, Frieren hadn't been injured. Magic warfare was her absolute advantage, and instead, he found himself constantly encountering danger. Worthy of being recognized as the strongest mage of the current age in the Lands Between.
Yet, he hadn't gained much advantage in the previous melee either.
Both sides had their wins and losses. Based on the martial arts attainment Frieren displayed, she wasn't someone who could be easily taken down. A versatile fighter with no shortcomings and no blind spots. The dignified Commander of the Crusade couldn't gain an advantage in his area of expertise, and now it was the turn of the other's area of expertise.
Sorcery: Star Shower!
Messmer waved his spear to shatter the chaotic Glintstone magic; doing this was actually more exhausting.
It wasn't that he couldn't dodge, but the amplitude of the dodging movement was too large, making it easy for an expert to seize the opening and attack.
For the sake of caution, he had to block directly, which meant entering a war of attrition. But as everyone knew, Frieren's mana was unfathomable; so far, she showed no signs of even panting.
She was gradually controlling the rhythm of the battle.
Messmer waited in full array, already considering lifting the seal, but the opponent immediately seized his momentary hesitation.
Divine Beast Frost Stomp!
Multi-elemental burst magic was perfectly suited for Frieren, who had mastered different attributes. Under the effects of lightning hail, frost, and storm, Messmer had to retreat. However, this was exactly the effect she wanted—Incantation: Discus of Light!
The plain but rapid magic mixed into the wind and hit the target with a thud. Even with his tenacity, he was shaken, and the injuries accumulated so far were fermenting.
Immediately following, she dodged the spear sweep with Ash of War: Bloodhound's Step, closing in with a linked Ash of War: Sacred Blade!
Slash!
The dazzling sword energy sliced across Messmer's chest. The cold sensation was a sign of massive bleeding. A feeling of weakness washed over him, finally causing his tall figure to half-kneel on the ground.
Dark Moon Greatsword followed up with a critical hit, its edge entering his chest.
Under Frieren's power, even with the physique of a top-tier Demigod, he flopped to the ground with a thud. However, she didn't pursue, but quickly backstepped to open the distance. Sure enough, the red python spat out flames to temporarily pin down its master's opponent.
Watching this scene, Melina murmured with a clenched heart: "Nothing will happen, right?"
"Don't worry, he's very tough. The sensation I felt just now didn't seem like I hit a vital point; there's definitely a phase transition."
"Then you be careful too."
Frieren responded with a reassuring smile, calm and breezy.
The most conflicted person on the field was Melina. Seeing either side get beaten felt bad, so the best method was to force one side to liberate their power as soon as possible, then fiercely attack to suppress them until they were exhausted.
The time had come. At this moment, Messmer's mana surged majestically, lingering around his tall body, and even his injuries healed rapidly.
"...This must never happen. How can a Tarnished become King?"
He turned his head to look at the statue of Marika behind him and murmured: "Mother, please forgive me."
Then Messmer used his long, slender fingers to dig into the socket of his golden eye. With a forceful gouge, he actually removed his right eyeball and crushed it like porcelain, making a crisp sound. Raising his head again, his eye socket was hollow and dark, his face full of burns, red hair flying, coexisting with fire.
"Frieren, accept your punishment. The abyssal serpent of the loveless awaits you."
"Finally here."
From the beginning, she had sensed the energy deeply hidden within Messmer's body. Before, he was the Impaler; now, he had become the Base Serpent. His ferocity was incomparable to before; he was a very threatening and formidable enemy.
The next moment, Messmer transformed into a giant scarlet python. His speed was extraordinarily fast, raising his head high and crashing down in a diving posture.
Even Frieren, who had been fully focused, didn't have time to dodge...
Boom!
The python's bloody maw was firmly blocked by the petite silver-haired girl using the Dark Moon Greatsword. Deep pits were pressed into the ground beneath her feet, yet she remained motionless.
Fangs like razors shimmered at her throat; a moment of carelessness would mean decapitation.
It wasn't over yet. Immediately after, the giant python sprayed out ultra-high temperature flames, crimson as blood, from the depths of its throat. In an instant, it evaporated Frieren's Twisting Light Wall, forcing her to withstand it with her flesh and blood, which was immediately ignited.
Full Moon Sorcery!
The White Moon Wheel blasted the giant python back, simultaneously cooling down the caster. The battlefield was immediately filled with water vapor.
"This tactic of exchanging cold and heat is self-destruction."
Messmer watched coldly as Frieren's armor became brittle under the drastic temperature changes, assuming her physical state would only get worse...
...Really?
clearly, she hadn't undergone any healing and was covered in burns still flickering with flames, but her life force was undiminished.
___
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