Gravity Magic can reach this level? Or is this the realm of a King of Promise, one who has the cooperation of a god?
The moment the colossal meteorite emerged from the clouds, everyone's heart stopped. They held their breath, watching helplessly as darkness descended, stealing the sky.
All they could see was the magma formed by air friction on the rock's surface, the pressure wave scorching their cheeks.
Some wanted to run, only to find their legs wouldn't obey. Even warhorses collapsed, overwhelmed by the terrifying sight. It was truly the end of the world.
The vast land prostrated and trembled before the meteorite's might. An army of ninety thousand seemed frozen in place; friend and foe alike were left with nothing but shock.
CRACK!
It finally fell. The meteorite struck the very tower where Frieren and the Mother of Fingers had just fought. Its peak instantly shattered, followed by the larger main body, which disintegrated on contact.
It was as efficient as an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves; nothing could stop this judgment.
One could only imagine that if it continued its descent, it would annihilate all the forces in the outer city districts. Even a being as mighty as a Demigod would have to be wary.
"What madness has seized the King of Promise, to cast such a massive spell?" Lothric, Younger Prince, snorted.
"Brother, let's fall back for a moment."
The two of them could teleport away in time, but the fates of the Undead Legion of Farron, the Mimic Tear, and Rellana were uncertain. Yet, they were more concerned about what was happening above. Could it be that they had already met with disaster?
Gazing at the oppressive shadow, their hearts couldn't help but tighten.
CRACKLE!
An arc of electricity flashed through the air. Incredibly, wisps of lightning rose from the ground, gathering into a brilliant gold and soaring into the clouds, rushing relentlessly towards the meteorite.
A golden light flared, like a long blade slicing through a crimson surface, the flowing magma like fresh blood. The giant meteorite was split in two.
But that wasn't enough. The lightning continued to slash again and again, effortlessly carving the mountain-sized rock into pieces until it completely disintegrated under the watchful eyes of all.
The attack came from below, pierced all the way to the top, and finally, the meteorite's base dissolved. The caster stood at its peak.
Frieren, wielding a lightning blade with both hands, transforming light into a weapon, had finally made it in time. The small Ranni doll on her shoulder patted its chest, while beside her stood a still-shaken Melina and a grim-faced Messmer.
That was too close. Fortunately, she had reacted quickly and was the first to sense the omen.
That meteorite-summoning spell must have been prepared for a long time, hidden deep, waiting for a single decisive strike.
If not for Frieren's preternaturally powerful senses to warn them, setting aside the loss of Demigod-level combatants, the elite army below would have been completely wiped out.
The fear lingered.
In her effort to rescue them—those who were holding her back—even Her Majesty, who could foresee the future, had been injured.
Blood trickled down the silver-haired girl's forehead, staining half her face red and dripping past her collar to adorn her silver armor with beads of blood.
"I'm fine. Proceed as planned."
Frieren gave a decisive order, simultaneously pointing towards the location of the Mother of Fingers, who was taking the opportunity to flee.
Though she had concealed herself, she could not escape Frieren's perception. Even if she was saved by the King of Promise, it was merely a stay of execution.
The villainous mastermind must die; their priority was no less than that of the King of Promise.
"Understood."
This was no time for pleasantries and concern. Receiving their orders, Messmer and Melina immediately changed direction to give chase, determined not to let the Mother of Fingers escape.
She had already been weakened by Frieren's fierce assault. If they couldn't succeed now, they would die of shame.
With them on her trail, the gravely injured Mother of Fingers would not survive the day.
Of course, this was all predicated on success in the war between god-kings.
As just demonstrated, the greatest weight always lay with the power at the god-king level. Whichever side gained victory and broke the stalemate would inflict immense losses upon the enemy.
"Are you alright?"
Ranni couldn't help but wipe the blood from Frieren's forehead. She had been hit by meteorite fragments while shielding everyone.
They were imbued with powerful gravity, which was why the Twisting Light Wall's defense had been ineffective.
"I'm fine. In any case, be prepared. I can feel it... the Radahn of now contains not only Gravity Magic, but also Mohg's cursed blood, and even the pure light of Miquella. This will be a difficult battle."
After drinking a flask of wondrous physick, Frieren strode forward.
A blurry figure could be vaguely seen upon the Gate of a God. The King of Promise, having failed in one strike, decided against continuous attacks, instead regulating his state to meet his foe.
He too understood that this was not an opponent who could be defeated with petty tricks; he would have to be worn down, bit by bit.
"Victory to Her Majesty!"
The expeditionary force, its crisis averted, saw its morale soar. The masses erupted.
The facts were plain to see: the shameless sneak attack, which had been built up for so long, had been utterly thwarted.
The King of Promise had attacked after gathering his strength, whereas the Soul Cinder King had been fighting the entire time, battling her way from the breach in the spiral tower all the way to the top.
If she managed to win, the value of her victory would be even more staggering.
However, most didn't have the luxury of cheering.
Meteorite fragments were still bombarding the area, blasting deep craters into the ground and splitting the battlefield where the Haligtree army clashed with the southern main force.
Although Edgar, Gaius, and Loretta were in the heat of battle, they had not forgotten their duties as commanders.
Seeing the chaos and the potential for a stampede, they tacitly returned to their own troops to regroup.
In large-scale army battles, formation is life.
They led their personal guards to rejoin the main force. During this time, Mulivell, who had taken over command, moved to the side of the reserve troops.
"What's the situation?" Edgar asked.
"Because of the battle between Her Majesty and the King of Promise, the defensive line at the spiral tower has been cleared. We can now dispatch elites to the upper levels."
"Who?"
"For example, those two followers, as well as the selected Black Knights and Carian Sorcerer Knights."
"Maintain vigilance against the Haligtree army. We cannot let them link up with the Horned Folk."
"Understood. You all rest. I'll keep an eye on Loretta."
Mulivell was naturally aware that the other side used Glintstone and Carian magic; he never thought a day like this would come.
Either they would fight to a conclusion, or one side would flee in disgrace.
Meanwhile, the battle at the breach had already moved. The conflict between the five Demigods had shifted deeper into the spiral tower, and the destruction continued.
Taking this opportunity, Ansbach, Thiollier, and a team of elites attacked from within the spiral tower.
They were incapable of flight.
The immense pressure from above most likely meant Frieren had accepted the King of Promise's challenge and was rapidly approaching the Gate of a God. It was unknown if they could make it in time for the great battle between the two pairs of god-kings...
Suddenly, a familiar figure blocked their path.
Rena drew her longsword and said coldly, "It's a pity, but you won't have the chance to see the new god-king ascend. You will die here for offending Lord Miquella."
Beside her were followers such as Moore, Freyja, and Danza.
"I have waited a long time for this day. By the honor of Mohg, the Lord of Blood, we will vanquish you."
After speaking, Ansbach raised his battle-axe. He, Thiollier, and the rest of the knights took their stances, ready to fight to the death today.
At the pinnacle of the spiral tower.
A long flight of stairs seemed to lead to the heavens. The path beneath her feet extended into the mist, and as Frieren stepped onto it, a wisp of flowing cloud seemed to disperse.
If not for the urgent battle, she would have loved to admire the scenery more.
Suddenly, the Ranni doll on her shoulder grabbed her collar and murmured, "It's coming. The god-king we are about to face... that King of Promise is pieced together from brother Radahn's soul. How unsightly must it be?"
"Whatever Miquella has done, after our parting in Caelid, we will never see the true Starscourge General again."
"Such immense pressure... is this the realm of a god-king?"
"My apologies, Frieren. I never truly ascended to godhood. I am something of an empty shell."
Ranni sighed.
Miquella had ultimately succeeded in sublimating a soul into a god. It wasn't just a matter of legitimacy, but a breakthrough, a path to power—a journey of ascension unique to Empyreans.
Therefore, he and his King of Promise were true god-kings. In comparison, their own side's configuration paled.
"It doesn't matter. Once you contain the complete Elden Ring, you will be a god all the same."
"It's not the same..."
Suddenly, Frieren reached out her index finger, tapped the doll's witch hat, and said with a smile, "Ranni, you just need to believe in me. This is our ascension ground. Defeating a so-called god-king makes one a new god-king."
"Sometimes I can be a bit pessimistic, but you are always so fearless. I... I believe in you, Your Majesty. Please, bring us victory."
No matter what, she had made an enormous gamble. She had to win this war.
Frieren nodded calmly, then quickened her pace. She crossed an unknown number of steps and finally arrived before a pair of massive, heavy doors.
In her vision, countless messages spoke of the terror that lay behind them.
Without even reading the content, she knew it was a scene of carnage. The opponent on the other side was surely a monster among monsters.
She took a deep breath and pressed her hands against the doors.
CREAK!
The doors slowly opened, revealing a golden space. Beneath her feet, white sand buried countless bones, which crumbled at a touch.
It was a complete sacrificial site, where a general's success was built on ten thousand withered bones.
"My blade, and hero of the festival..."
A solemn chant echoed in the air, growing clearer as Frieren advanced.
"The traces of your valiant struggle shall be sung for eternity. Now, the promise is fulfilled. A mighty soul shall return, to become my king."
Frieren stopped and looked up.
At the end of the white earth of the sacrificial ground stood the legendary Gate of a God, also built from flesh and blood.
Atop the central steps stood a tall, familiar yet strange figure, arms crossed over his chest, his golden armor reflecting the light.
Radahn seemed to nod slightly, then extended his arms, lifting a greatsword in each hand.
This simple motion unleashed a terrifying pressure. The air solidified, the wind stopped, leaving only a magical power that gripped the heart and lungs. This was Radahn in his prime—no, in his further enhanced, King of Promise form.
"Brother, we will grant you release."
Ranni's four hands clasped together as she gathered power with all her speed. She would not act until Miquella appeared, but would instead prepare.
"So this is Radahn from his younger, Red Lion days? Not bad."
Frieren took out two staves.
There was no need to hold back. Only the amplification and flexibility of dual-wielding staves could maximally match her power. At this very moment, the Soul Cinder King was also in her complete form.
WHOOSH!
Suddenly, Radahn leaped. His large frame spun with surprising agility, cloaked in purple and white gravity, accelerating to incredible speeds like a spiraling siege ram. In the blink of an eye, he slammed into Frieren.
What an absurd attack! A flying, spinning charge with absolutely no wind-up!
Even a battle-hardened veteran like her stumbled back, her hands bracing desperately against the attack just to keep her balance.
Her arms were slightly numb. The force was terrifying, oppressive from the very start.
Carian Retaliation.
Seizing a gap in the struggle, Frieren struck without hesitation. The rebound of blue magic made Radahn's body tremble.
But the next second, his two greatswords swept in a crisscross motion, forming a scissor-like attack sufficient to sever any defense at the waist.
However, that momentary delay was enough for her to leap back and create distance.
Having steadied herself, the silver-haired girl still felt a lingering fear. What ridiculous poise. A full-power parry had only barely staggered him.
A single exchange fraught with peril.
Among all the enemies she had encountered thus far, only the King of Promise gave her a sense of overwhelming disparity in stats. Her own stats, at the lowest end of the Demigod tier, were no longer sufficient.
Her Astrologer build had reached its limit.
It wasn't that she hadn't considered leveling up before the battle, but the amount of Runes required at this stage was immense and difficult to accumulate.
She could only compensate with skill, dancing on a razor's edge.
Frieren's emerald eyes grew sharper, her aura turned inward, her magic highly compressed, and her senses honed to the extreme.
Since she couldn't win a direct clash, she would see if her long experience was enough to fight an asymmetrical battle.
When she was just a novice, hadn't every battle been a search for opportunity amidst overwhelming odds?
Radahn attacked again. With a forward stomp, a thud sent out a shockwave. It was easily dodged, as expected.
But the true killing move was the greatsword sweep that followed.
However, Frieren lightly stepped on the back of the blade.
Carian Slicer.
Dual-wielding two blades of glintstone, she slashed across his body. Blood splattered. It was the King of Promise who was wounded first.
After landing the hit, she didn't linger, quickly circling to his back to dodge.
As expected, Radahn's continuous sword swings and stomps were astonishingly fast, powerful, and ferocious, grazing past vital points like her heart and throat by a hair's breadth.
The final move of the combo was an even more violent stomp. With a tremendous crash, the ground buckled, raising a small hill that flew past Frieren's side in an instant.
The armor on her shoulder shattered, the impact leaving a scratch on her sorcerer's robe and a bruise on her skin.
A shockwave injury!
If that had been a direct hit, she likely would have suffered massive internal bleeding.
The King of Promise's killing blows were integrated into his every normal movement, making them impossible to guard against. This, in turn, demonstrated his supreme martial skill.
If Frieren wanted to rely on skill to overcome the disadvantage, she couldn't assume her opponent's skill was necessarily inferior.
She had to reassess her opponent.
Radahn gave chase again, but was met with a dense formation of glintstone blades—a triple Glintblade Phalanx. They struck his body, accumulating kinetic damage until he could hardly see ahead—
Suddenly, a Soul Stream shot out from the magical torrent.
Unfortunately, Radahn used a gravity pull for a long-range displacement, narrowly dodging the surprise attack.
He immediately followed with Collapsing Stars. A terrifying gravity vortex swept the sacrificial ground, and Frieren's small figure was instantly pulled in.
A double greatsword overhead chop!
A blow powerful enough to tear down a fortress gate came down on her, but the feeling of impact was off. The silver-haired girl had nimbly slipped through the middle of the attack, plunging two soul-crystal swords deep into Radahn's chest.
In the end, the martial skill of the battle-hardened Soul Cinder King was a cut above.
Even after taking such a blow, the King of Promise didn't lose his balance, but the burning sensation from his soul made him roar in spite of himself.
His body, however, was still counterattacking, but the lack of coordination allowed Frieren to dodge with ease.
"Is there a conflict between the soul and the body?"
He was, after all, a stitched-together monster of mismatched stats. Any other person would have died countless times during that fierce assault.
But he had the misfortune of facing Frieren.
He had met the Soul Cinder King.
After being hit by soul magic just once, the body's movements became sluggish. The coordination between Mohg's body and Radahn's soul was broken, even resulting in discordant actions.
"Hurry! I can feel a power re-knitting my brother's soul and body!"
Ranni quickly spoke up, reminding her and hinting at what the King should use.
Ranni's Dark Moon!
A precise, magic-breaking spell followed up the attack. Frieren, who hadn't had a chance to target the enemy's resistances, finally succeeded. Frost coated Radahn's armor, and just as he tried to move, he was trapped for an instant.
Instinct told the King of Promise to defend. Even with his soul out of sync, he immediately used a gravity deflection, sufficient to block energy attacks.
Frieren, having anticipated this, naturally chose a different spell:
Thorns of Rejection.
Sharp rings of glintstone contracted tightly around the target, attacking and piercing from all directions, causing blood to flow like a torrent.
This move was a full-power strike stacked with numerous buffs. It forcibly broke through the gravity shield and armor.
The accumulated damage forced Radahn to his knees, finally losing his balance.
Frieren immediately drew her Dark Moon Greatsword, swung it with all her might into his chest, then kicked the towering body over.
As expected, Radahn stumbled, his life force weakening slightly.
He stood up but didn't move rashly. Instead, it was the silver-haired girl who used Miriam's Vanishing to teleport away.
On one hand, she was guarding against a mad dog-like combo after he regained his poise; on the other, the continuous attacks had also tested her stamina.
Magic only looked easy on the surface.
Battling a formidable foe on the level of the King of Promise left no room for conserving stamina. The recent string of attacks had also put considerable pressure on Frieren; she needed to recover her energy.
This was the first time she had run low on stamina since arriving in the Lands Between.
Gravity's Aegis!
Suddenly, Radahn's twin greatswords were wreathed in purple-white magic like arcs of lightning, a sign of extremely high refinement. It couldn't be met head-on.
Before Frieren could carefully sense it, her opponent closed the distance with a single dash. The safe range for a sorcerer was meaningless before him.
He lifted the two colossal weapons with force—a strange way of striking, yet incredibly powerful.
In her urgency, she could only dive and roll away.
The moment the blades grazed past her abdomen, Frieren was already getting up, soul magic gathering in her hands. The soul damage she'd accumulated before wasn't enough; she needed another round.
VWOOM!
Suddenly, Radahn used the momentum of lifting his swords to launch himself into the air. Several massive rock spheres appeared around him.
His twin swords were like staves; with a single wave, he unleashed a rain of rock.
Frieren reacted, immediately starting a circling sprint, interspersed with jumps for agile positioning. She could feel the rock spheres rumbling as they crashed down one by one behind her.
Each one likely left a deep crater; the risk of blocking was too great.
After unleashing this volley, Radahn paused for an instant, then powerfully kicked off with both legs.
Lion's Claw!
The attack arrived in the blink of an eye. She couldn't meet it head-on, but she also couldn't let herself be led by the nose through a combo. So, she took a risk.
Flowing Water Sword Style: Waterfowl Dance.
She countered Radahn's fierce assault with a sword style that used softness to overcome hardness.
The silver-haired girl's figure slipped through the gaps, the white arcs of light she created circling the towering body, cutting open wounds like blossoming flowers of blood.
"I may be a sorcerer, but if we're competing in swordsmanship, I won't let you get too arrogant."
The King of Promise turned to look at the girl who had passed him unscathed, and a smile seemed to appear on his face. Exhilarating. His soul leaped. This was a true duel at the summit.
Again.
The next moment, he charged again, closing for melee.
Frieren, meanwhile, sometimes created distance, sometimes engaged in a power struggle, always employing an unpredictable fighting style.
As a result, it was Radahn who ended up accumulating relatively more damage.
Although he consciously defended against soul magic attacks, this in itself meant sacrificing his alertness to ordinary magic. His opponent seized the opportunity and plastered him with several Crystal Darts, which would have been difficult to land just moments before.
"My brother's soul energy is being pulled and mended by the Gate of a God. You could try to sever it," Ranni reminded her by her ear.
"I'll look for an opportunity."
"Don't let it affect your judgment. Leave guarding against Miquella to me."
Besides maintaining the Law of Stars' exclusivity against other laws to grant Frieren protection from bewitchment, there was very little she could do.
Ranni now understood clearly that she could not interfere in her King's battle.
She had seen many powerful beings, but none could compare to the battle between the King of Promise and the Soul Cinder King. They represented the pinnacle of the Lands Between.
A view from the summit, a spectacle only for the strongest.
Both were battle mages, fighting a super-enhanced version of the Battle of Caelid. Their sorcery, swordsmanship, reactions, physique, and skills were all beyond measure.
Could the Starscourge General, returned to his peak and strengthened, not live up to his title as the strongest Demigod?
In contrast, Frieren didn't fall behind in the slightest. She gradually found her rhythm and was faintly turning the tide in her favor.
Both were prodigies of heaven-sent talent.
It wasn't just about talent, but also the bearing forged through a hundred battles on the field. The contest was not just of the present moment, but of the accumulation of their entire lives, all brought to bear.
The more Ranni watched, the more nervous she became. It was utterly thrilling, but her conviction only grew stronger.
Her King would be invincible.
Suddenly, Frieren used Thops's Barrier to deflect a spell. The surrounding glintstone blades all struck Radahn, causing him to stumble. He ultimately steadied himself, but it wasn't over.
This time, it was her turn to dual-wield the Dark Moon Greatsword, landing two solid hits of a valiant Lion's Claw.
BAM!
The towering King of Promise fell to one knee. Seizing the chance, Rancorcall enveloped him.
Ranni felt the soul connection to the Gate of a God being severed.
As expected, this further extended Radahn's stagger. Frieren, finding her opportunity, switched back to her twin staves.
Two Comet Azurs pierced through him completely, causing Radahn's form to falter as streams of light streaked across the sky.
BOOM!
No one could have imagined the intensity of Azur's comet. They watched as the sea of clouds parted, as if pointing to the very top of the Erdtree.
The spell, which looked like a beam, actually possessed terrifying impact power, and its dissipated energy was endless.
The entire ground of the Gate of a God sank by a meter. Countless bones turned to dust, and even the King of Promise was sent flying back.
But the magic stopped abruptly.
Frieren, her expression solemn, retracted her magic and regulated her breathing. Because what was bound to happen had finally happened.
An even vaster soul power extended from the Gate of a God, enveloping Radahn, along with a holy and supreme divine power. Yet it caused his body to glow with the light of cursed blood.
Malice and purity coexisted as an even stronger aura began to brew.
But neither her nor Ranni's gaze was on the King of Promise.
At that moment, the Gate of a God shone brightly.
On the distant shore, the silhouette of a figure gradually became clear, solidifying, until finally, a white-robed figure stepped through the Gate of a God and returned to reality.
Miquella.
____
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