Caught off guard, the defenders of the Spiral Tower suffered heavy losses.
They never expected the enemy to charge straight up to breach the city like this, using an Ancient Dragon purely as a cannon—simply extravagant.
Continuous explosions at the breach widened it further, leaving no time to block or repair it.
Is this the configuration of a Quasi-Lord and a top-tier Ancient Dragon?
The title of Soul Cinder King was so resounding that many forgot a fact: Frieren is the only knight possessing a unique pact with an Ancient Dragon.
The level of Ancient Dragon Knight she represents has never appeared in the history of the Lands Between; even Vyke cannot compare. Coupled with her coordination with Florisaxx, breaching the city was not difficult.
"Charge with me! Full speed ahead!"
Sharp-eyed and quick-handed, Messmer had already led his elite Black Knight personal guard to press the attack.
Setting out at the same time were Rellana and the Carian Sorcerer Knights.
Two top-tier guard units charging alongside their commanders were like a sharp knife slicing through the battle line; in an instant, a hundred knights forcibly chiseled a path right through the battlefield.
"To the breach—"
However, before the defenders could swarm up, the serpent-fire spear had already thrust out. A stream of light pierced through hundreds of meters; Hornsent warriors turned to ash upon even momentary contact. Messmer, having been healed, had no scruples, and his strength had advanced further.
He and Rellana killed their way to the breach, followed immediately by the descent of Twin Moon magic, sweeping the ruins clear to form a path.
The vanguard and main force of the Soul Cinder Army completed their link-up and could attack the inner city area together.
"Go rest for now."
Frieren, riding on her back, stroked Florisaxx's horn. The latter nodded; she was indeed tired, as that strike had drained her mana.
Although she had successively received special Grace and reinforcements from her liege, the Spiral Tower's walls were not so easily breached, and she had succeeded only by exerting her utmost effort. Now thoroughly exhausted, she wouldn't be able to use Ancient Dragon Lightning for a while.
Although an Ancient Dragon is strong based on physique alone, it is best not to intervene in the center of the battlefield.
At the breach in the wall, it was a scene of flashing blades and rivers of blood.
The elite guard led by Messmer and Rellana killed their way inside. Of course, they also faced massive firepower interception; the intensity of that combat force was already at a level where even Demigods had to be cautious.
"You've done well. Leave the rest to us. When you've recovered a bit, you can help us with high-altitude cover."
"As you command."
Since that was the case, Florisaxx didn't act arrogantly; she flapped her wings and flew back to the army formation to begin recovering mana.
While an Ancient Dragon temporarily leaving the front line was certainly a good thing, the defenders on the wall couldn't be happy at all, because the enemy commander was still at the very front.
Isn't she saving her stamina for the Promised King?
Sorcery: Meteorite of Astel!
Frieren unleashed a covering meteor shower as soon as she made her move, aiming at the already heavily breached location to pour down firepower. In mid-air, purple-white spatial vortexes emerged, spitting out gravity-enhanced rock cannonballs one after another, exploding with a continuous rumble.
She stood there arrogantly, leaning on her staff with both hands, motionless, casting spells at the very front line.
The power was simply beyond standard specifications; offense was the best defense. As long as she maintained the offensive, the Hornsent mages would find it hard to aim precisely. So they could only choose to have as many people as possible bombard her blindly.
Streams of magical light flew towards Frieren.
Yet she remained motionless, not even sparing a glance, because she had sufficiently reliable teammates.
Buzz!
The deep blue of Ash of War: Carian Retaliation intercepted all the magic, and at the same time, a Dark Moon in the upper air actively absorbed and deflected the energy trajectories.
Naturally, it was Ranni's handiwork.
The petite blue doll floated on the silver-haired girl's shoulder, easily neutralizing numerous magical attacks. Clearly, the Lunar Princess's magic level had taken another step forward, sufficient to act as a formation-breaking powerhouse on the battlefield.
The two coordinated, one attacking and one defending, tearing the breach wider to allow the great army to pass.
"Now! Main forces, enter Her Majesty's cover zone! Push the line forward and rendezvous with Lord Messmer."
Gaius's loud voice shouted orders to the officers.
Similarly, Edgar and Mulivell also reacted. At this moment, a full three units completely synchronized their attack rhythm, rushing with full force towards the Spiral Tower; speed was life.
Rumble!
The force launched in this round exceeded 20,000; their running made the earth tremble.
The violent shaking transmitted to the towering walls of the Spiral Tower, causing the Hornsent to lose their footing, with some even falling directly to their deaths.
"Why don't they attack up the walls?"
A sharp-eyed officer noticed the clue. At this moment, the armies led by Messmer and Rellana were still attacking madly and extending the battle line, with no preparation to scale the walls. Could they be hiding another plan? It shouldn't be.
Without seizing the high ground, the Soul Cinder Army would still face losses.
The strange thing now was that while the Spiral Tower had lost its front gate defense, it hadn't lost its walls; there was still a fight to be had...
Suddenly, it went quiet.
The Hornsent looked at each other in confusion. Something was wrong. Could such a lively battlefield go quiet?
Coming to their senses, everyone realized the noise that had been torturing their eardrums was gone. Frieren had ceased the continuous bombardment of the Sorcery: Meteorite of Astel; she was finally settling down a bit.
The main army was surging past her left and right like a tide.
Expanding the breach and suppressing the defenders trying to block the gate—these two arduous tasks were accomplished almost single-handedly by the Soul Cinder King. She should be resting, right? Otherwise, are you still going to fight the God-King?
But Frieren leaped into the air.
Aspects of the Crucible: Wings carried her petite body straight into the clouds, and the golden light vanished.
The Hornsent on the walls seemed puzzled, and even more nervous. Why was the enemy commander so restless? As if her actions were saying, "You, Miquella and the Promised King, stay in the back and watch; I'm different, I'm going to play the full match." Really?
Is she going to keep fighting without regarding consumption?
"Don't hide anymore. Abandon the walls of the First Tower. Everyone, come down from the high ground. Do not linger in battle." Leda ordered decisively.
She didn't know what was about to happen, but avoiding the brunt of it was never wrong.
Unfortunately, it was too late. Above the Spiral Tower, an Incantation: Scarlet Aeonia flower suddenly bloomed in fury, dazzling and brilliant, its vivid colors seeming to sting the eyes. Terrifying Scarlet Rot was gathering, aiming for the top of the wall.
Damn it!
Many sorcerers and archers who reacted tried to stop it, but they couldn't catch up to Frieren's speed at all.
She let the petals, twenty meters in diameter, fully extend, then abruptly detonated the scarlet magic. Blown by the wind, it easily shrouded the area above the city.
Can't dodge, too late!
The Hornsent watched helplessly as the power of Scarlet Rot fell from above. As expected, the numerous defenders on the wall immediately began to rot and mutate, flowers blooming from their bodies.
They roared, wailed, and fled, yet still fell victim to the attack.
Not one was left.
The corpses couldn't even fall; instead, they stood tall as one new plant after another. The outer wall seemed to turn into a botanical garden.
"Better results than I imagined."
Frieren, taking in the entire battlefield from high above, was very satisfied. She had basically neutralized the Hornsent's defense of the First Tower's wall. She had worried whether the effect would be poor due to the Hornsent's special physiology, but before Scarlet Rot, everyone is equal.
Her round of Aeonia flowers left only scattered remnants on the towering wall, unable to form a threat.
The Hornsent had to withdraw from the outer defense line to the deeper parts of the Spiral Tower, where forests of spires made high-altitude offensives inconvenient.
So be it.
Frieren's goal was achieved; the priority was covering the army's entry.
With the harassment from high-ground firepower gone, the main army successfully entered the breach, linking up with the follow-up troops deployed on the plain. At least the risk of being cut off and dispersed was gone.
With this, the first phase of the strategy formulated by Ranni was accomplished.
Only by sending a large force capable of establishing a foothold into the city could it be called a success; otherwise, subsequent offensives were out of the question.
Fortunately, it succeeded.
Of course, the Soul Cinder Army did not go without paying a price. From the initial massive charge to the first round of slaughter after entering the breach, they faced numerous aggressive Hornsent warriors at every turn, leaving behind over a hundred corpses.
Their souls would return to the Erdtree, ending this journey with honorable combat.
Although the expeditionary force, consisting of veterans of a hundred battles, was important and losing even one was painful, the number of casualties was ultimately controlled and not too exaggerated.
Frieren voluntarily landed at the very front line.
Messmer had just pulled his spear from the body of a Hornsent Hero, and on the other side, Rellana flicked the blood from her longsword. This was a brief moment of respite.
The enemy, needing to redeploy their defense line, would not attack for a while.
They also needed to rendezvous with the follow-up troops.
Seeing Frieren, Messmer immediately reported, "Your Majesty, the enemy will need about 20 minutes to redeploy. During this time, we can get more troops into the city. Next comes the most difficult part. We must organize a vanguard to ascend the Spiral Tower."
According to tactical planning, seizing the high points of the main Spiral Tower wasn't required, but attacking upwards was necessary to ensure the battle was controlled within the tower area.
In other words, to avoid the Hornsent once again attacking the Soul Cinder Army from high above on the outer walls.
"Wait."
Suddenly, the silver-haired girl waved her hand in warning. "Let the follow-up troops arrive a bit later. Demigods are coming. Don't let them get caught up in such a narrow place."
Messmer's gaze sharpened, and he agreed immediately.
Because Melina was in the upcoming troops serving as a main attacker. His own little sister couldn't be allowed to get hurt easily; it was best to clear a safe zone first, which would also allow more of the main force to enter.
Before her voice had faded, the pressure of the Twin Princes of Lothric arrived.
Much stronger than when they first met. In the Age of Fire's fading, even the Lords of Cinder had weakened. But in the Lands Between, which still harbored latent life potential, there was no lack of mana, and they had likely rested for a period.
The Elder Prince, who had originally been crawling on the ground, stood up, returning to his peak period of demon hunting, or perhaps even further.
The Younger Prince also lost his atmosphere of frailty and illness; instead, surrounded by magic, he possessed an air of divinity.
A bit familiar...
"Frieren, do you know Master Aldia?"
His gaze was still full of dislike, but his words held a touch of solemnity, even admiration. Thinking carefully now, many clues connected; spanning ten thousand years, it was truly a marvelous connection.
It wasn't a coincidence; the Linking of the Fire probably always gathered a group of guys with inexplicable, ill-fated connections.
"I only found out later that you were the apprentice of that jumpy research maniac. It's a pity I couldn't chat with you about him, but Aldia is definitely still researching somewhere."
The silver-haired girl revealed a slight smile.
Recalling the Scholar of the First Sin from the past who liked to scare people by the bonfire, it did feel quite amusing. Back then, she wished she could beat Aldia up, but as the annoyance faded, she had to admit he was an interesting friend.
"You didn't crusade against the Undead Legion of Farron again. Is it because of Artorias the Abysswalker?"
"I like him, but his influence isn't that great. Mainly, I get along well with the Abyss Watchers."
"A pity."
"By the way, what do you think happens if a Lord of Cinder dies here?"
"Return to the world of the First Flame." As Aldia's personal disciple, the top-tier mage answered immediately: "But I will absolutely not go to a world on the brink of destruction. Continuous decay is the greatest torture."
"No, I will find a way to the next age. However, as the price for being my enemy, you have to go back and learn a lesson."
Frieren's aura was sharp, her fighting spirit soaring.
Back then, her final choice wasn't any predetermined path, but to merge with the First Flame and pause the world at the moment before destruction to find a new way. Achieving this step was also due to the blessing of the Moon God's power, thanks to completing the exploration of Yharnam in the interim.
So Frieren firmly believed that by continuing her journey, she would eventually find a way. Everyone at Firelink Shrine was still waiting, believing the Ashen One who traveled far would bring back good news.
The Elden Ring is a must-have; no one can stop her.
"Die."
The Twin Princes of Lothric also ignited the flames of vengeance, standing in full battle array.
They were no longer the crippled bodies of before; they would show the Soul Cinder King their true power.
The two sides weren't just talking nonsense earlier; they were naturally stalling for time to deploy. Now, they were ready to compete.
The Younger Prince struck first, firing streams of light from high above. Layer upon layer, spreading boundlessly, the dense firepower bombardment aimed solely at Frieren.
Bang!
The ripples of Ash of War: Thops's Barrier blocked it firmly.
But the one acting was a mass of silver slime that appeared beside the silver-haired girl, immediately transforming into human form.
The Mimic Tear held a staff, pointed it from afar, and said clearly: "I've heard of you, Mother's defeated opponent. Since you lost once, you are not worthy to challenge her again. I will be your opponent."
"Someone like you actually has a child? I will kill her, Frieren."
The silver-haired girl's lips twitched. It felt like a misunderstanding, but also not. After all, blood and soul were inherited from her, and legally, she was even a crown prince...
Sorcery: Crystal Burst!
Without waiting for others to react, the Mimic Tear, always with a fiery temper, had already released the spell.
The seasoned Younger Prince naturally intercepted them one by one.
At the same time, the Elder Prince raised his greatsword high with both hands and leaped down from above. Using this momentum, filled with oppressive force, his unstoppable posture intended to utterly crush the Mimic Tear who dared to challenge them.
However, in the next moment, the sword edge remained motionless, held back by two paired swords; it was Rellana supporting and filling the position.
Bang!
Immediately after, the Undead Legion of Farron leaped into the breach. At this moment, he was alone, in the fused Captain form, representing an all-out effort. An old friend among the Lords of Cinder had made a move; how could he turn a blind eye?
The war of the Demigods had begun.
Taking advantage of the opening created by the Farron Captain's intrusion, the sharp Rellana seized the moment to thrust at the Elder Prince.
A flash of white light.
In the blink of an eye, he vanished and then stood together with his younger brother. The two looked down on the group from the ruins of the stairs, surrounded by a large number of Hornsent warriors and Great Fingercreepers; heavy troops had arrived.
"Is this the teleportation you spoke of? Indeed, a bit troublesome."
Rellana shook her wrist that had swung at empty air; she would have to be more careful next.
Beside her, the Captain and the Mimic Tear stepped forward. According to the original plan, the three of them would deal with the Twin Princes; this was the safer bet.
They had both frontline warriors and backline mages.
Possessing a powerful mobility advantage, the Twin Princes of Lothric could easily harass all parts of the battlefield. They had to be restricted here as much as possible; otherwise, unexpected complications would cause more trouble.
Soul Crystal Projectiles.
Under his elder brother's protection, the Younger Prince scattered magic to cover all directions, and a dense barrage rained down.
However, the opponent was no mediocrity. The Mimic Tear absorbed the magic with Sorcery: Eternal Darkness, and for a time, it was hard to distinguish the superior.
The Elder Prince, attacking once again, swung his flaming greatsword. While heavy and powerful, he was agile in speed, sometimes slashing in a wide range, sometimes teleporting. His particularly tricky swordsmanship forced the Captain and Rellana to be on guard.
Teleportation? Could that guy also split his focus to cast spells?
"Actually showing off in front of me." Realizing this, the Mimic Tear clicked its tongue.
It had to admit this guy's fundamentals were chasing right after Mother's; no wonder he became a formidable enemy she acknowledged. But since the task had been assigned, it couldn't be negligent—time to go all out.
Rumble!
The battlefield was shattered in the chaotic melee of a full five top-tier powerhouses.
Any shockwave could easily tear through bricks and tiles, widen the breach, collapse stone pillars, and bring down ceilings; the high tower could not stop the spread of destruction.
The surroundings were thrown into chaos.
Both the Soul Cinder Army and the Hornsent Army had to keep away; even elites would be heavily injured by a mere graze.
Only a very few could remain without dodging, such as Messmer and Frieren, who had been watching from the start. They witnessed this great battle getting livelier by the minute without changing their expressions.
Neither advanced; instead, they stood by the breach in a covering formation.
With such reliable support, the main army continued to be transported in without interrupting the tactical rhythm. However, every soldier entering the city showed shock on their face, unable to imagine such a grand scene—
Magical power of various colors surged, shaking all directions.
The collision of two flaming greatswords came from the Elder Prince and the Farron Captain; every blow was heavy and powerful, cleaving the earth.
Their swordsmanship was wide open and extremely fierce, a collision of pure strength.
Only the former had superior mobility. Occasionally, a flash of his figure would cause the Captain's attack to miss, and in return, a sweep would knock him back. The teleportation was so skilled it gave no warning, impossible to defend against effectively.
Twin Moons!
Just as the Elder Prince wanted to pursue, he was intercepted by Rellana's Moon Magic and had to turn back to deflect it with his sword.
Having just dodged the moon, he found the Mimic Tear's Sorcery: Night Comet right behind him.
At the critical moment, teleportation activated again.
He appeared in front of the Captain, who had just steadied himself, and sliced open a wound on his chest with a heavy sword strike. On the other side, the Younger Prince shrouded Rellana and the Mimic Tear with flexible streams of light; only brilliant colors remained in their field of vision, beautiful yet lethal.
"You're too weak." The indignant white maiden also used Miriam's Vanishing to close the distance, her swift sword already slashing in front of him.
With a click, the Younger Prince dodged in time, but blood still splashed from his wrist.
Both sides had drawn blood.
To a Demigod's body, it was a mere scratch, yet it was enough to symbolize the battle heating up. A life-and-death struggle was not far off, and when that time came, the destructive power would only multiply and expand.
It seemed like a three-against-two battle, but in reality, it couldn't be simply measured by numbers, because everyone possessed high-speed mobility. The battlefield wasn't limited to one spot, and they would frequently affect each other.
This battle was full of variables; a moment of inattention would lead to heavy injury.
However, their will to fight was courageous and thorough; it had been a long time since they experienced such a feeling of dancing on the blade's edge.
For instance, Rellana and the Twin Princes, who hadn't fought in the Land of Shadow for a long time, were finally liberated, venting their power without scruples, solely to kill the enemy. Meanwhile, the Mimic Tear and the Undead Legion of Farron fought often but rarely in high-end matches; today was a rare peak duel.
Fight to the heart's content!
Unanimous inner voices drove superior power, increasing layer by layer, with shockwaves spreading like ripples to sweep in all directions.
The forward position of the First Tower was forcibly dismantled.
The scene of multiple Demigods raging together was like a hurricane passing through; nothing could stop it. Flashing blades, fire and frost, flowing light and iridescent colors—various energies poured out endlessly, each more exaggerated than the last.
Although the combatants all bore some injuries, it didn't affect their performance.
Their state was their strongest reliance; how could mere pain shake the will of a Demigod? Now, they were all performing at a level far exceeding their own usual strength, making it appear extraordinary.
"We should get moving too."
Suddenly, Frieren spoke up to remind him, pointing at the high tower: "The power of the Mother of Fingers has appeared."
She had been keeping an eye on every movement above and finally waited for the active aura of the Mother of Fingers. She also understood that she had to act, otherwise the Spiral Tower couldn't be held.
The aggressive Soul Cinder Army was here to eradicate the Finger faction.
"As you command."
Messmer naturally understood the stakes; the Mother of Fingers, about whom they had no intelligence, was critical and must be fought with full force.
"You also need to watch out for Sorcerer Ymir," Ranni reminded. "Having researched for many years, he has the ability to influence the Fingers to a certain extent; he is a key point to eradicate first. Additionally, it's best to confirm that the Mother of Fingers cannot teleport away."
"Leave it to me. You can wait a bit for Melina; I'll go up and probe first."
Having said that, Frieren's actions were not low-profile at all. Waving her hand, she summoned a massive meteorite to bomb its way up, clearing the path along the stairs.
Taking the lead, she carved out a bloody path.
The Hornsent along the way died without even a chance to scream.
They had to keep their distance. It was obvious the Soul Cinder King was instigating another attack, once again personally going to the front line of the battlefield. Just how much energy did she have? How much mana reserve? It was too exaggerated.
The defenders couldn't understand it at all and could only watch helplessly as continuous bombardments swept through all directions.
"Retreat!"
"The Second Tower is under attack! We can't hold it!"
Although the Hornsent Army had redeployed several times, they still couldn't react in time; after all, the loss at the wall alone had hurt them deeply. All that remained was to defend the city and fight a war of attrition to wear down the enemy, but Frieren obviously wouldn't allow it.
Her objection took the form of personally taking action to wipe them out; if this continued, any number of defense lines would be penetrated.
Suddenly, a horn sounded.
A massive number of Misbegotten and Flying Dragons came from the sky, dense as dark clouds; that was the banner of Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree.
____
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