Phew!
Frieren waved her hand to disperse the encirclement of the Giantsflame, and everything returned to normal.
She then stretched her waist and let out a long sigh of relief. After all, maintaining the flame was like subjecting herself to sweltering summer heat; it was simply too hot. Once the flames vanished, wild winds poured in again—Farum Azula truly never had a moment of peace.
Only now did she have time to look at the messages covering the floor.
As expected, they were full of complaints, ridicule, and anger. Indeed, fighting two against one, the Godskin Apostles applied considerable pressure; team battles were always difficult to handle.
Back then, when Frieren first arrived at the Royal Capital, Anor Londo, she had been ruthlessly taught a lesson by two of the Four Knights of Gwyn.
However, with Ranni and Melina present, fighting a team battle became an advantage instead.
"Let's rest."
The two nodded immediately upon hearing her proposal. After all, not everyone had maxed-out endurance like Frieren, whose mana was bottomless, as if every breath could restore her blue bar.
The silver-haired girl turned to inspect the spoils of war. Having fought Godskin Apostles several times already, what rewards could they possibly offer?
She directly skipped over a Bell Bearing; the other item was an Ash of War:
[Ash of War: Black Flame Tornado]
[Skill that spins the armament overhead and then plunges it into the ground to summon a vortex of black flames.]
[Black flames will continue to spiral so long as the spinning continues.]
[Usable on polearms and twinblades.]
The number of sorceries and incantations that could replicate a similar effect were too numerous to count. Especially since Frieren could manipulate magic precisely, the Black Flame Tornado was nothing remarkable to her. The Black Flame was just so-so.
If one went through all that trouble to defeat the Godskin Duo only to be given this kind of thing, it was indeed hard to keep a straight face. The content of the messages was also as expected:
[Finally won, it was too hard.]
[You can summon Teacher Bernahl for a fair two-on-two battle; no need to suffer for no reason.]
[So the battle with the Godskin Duo projection in the snowfield was just a warm-up.]
[Only dropped this little bit after fighting? Is the Sky City poor? Feels like a waste of effort, not as good as the drops from other Godskin Apostles.]
[Dung mob.]
[Easily taken down using the sleep status cheese strategy, specifically prepared for you.]
The rewards from the Godskin Duo indeed felt ordinary to Frieren, completely lackluster. Perhaps under the erosion of eons, Crumbling Farum Azula didn't have many treasures left; even they appeared destitute.
"They were sent by Maliketh to intercept us," Melina observed beside the corpses. "There is the aura of the Rune of Death. The Black Blade has his eyes on us."
"Currently, the Ancient Dragon race is neutral. With Your Majesty coming so aggressively, he must be anxious to take the initiative."
"Find the Dragonlord first; we'll talk about the Black Blade later."
Once Destined Death was unleashed, it would mean the tree-burning process was thoroughly complete. Even the Golden Order would dim momentarily; it was the prelude to the final battle. Therefore, the issue of the Ancient Dragon race had to be resolved first to ensure their stance.
Otherwise, it would be difficult for the Soul Cinder Army to attack Leyndell with peace of mind. After all, the Golden Dynasty's underlying reserves were right there.
The three exchanged glances and nodded, then strode forward to set off again. Thanks to the numerical advantage in this battle, they had easily taken down the Godskin Duo with almost no consumption, allowing them to continue combat operations.
They passed through the church.
Only by going deeper would one discover that this church, located on the outskirts of the Sky City, was magnificent, yet it had been filled with a massive number of Beastman remains.
Overall, it looked just like a charnel house.
As always, it gave people a feeling of being sacred and solemn, lacking any evil atmosphere.
Scenes of mass corpses were not uncommon in the Mohgwyn Dynasty or the Eternal Dynasty, but they were not as magnificent and domineering as the Ancient Dragon Dynasty. It seemed they had turned this kind of sacrifice into a ritual, a part of their culture. Anyway, those being sacrificed were slaves, so it didn't concern the Ancient Dragons.
A moment later.
Passing through the church, they returned to the scene of fragmentation. Not far away, on both sides of a small path, stood eagles, one after another, aiming with sharp gazes.
They were a group of loyal guardians, yet they had encountered a tough customer. Since entering the Sky City, Frieren hadn't restrained her pressure; her surging power shrouded these hostile beasts.
If they dared to make a move, it would end in an instant.
Frieren swept a glance over them, causing the eagles to shrink their necks and avert their gazes one by one. She then turned to look at the other end.
An Ancient Dragon was lying on a broken cliff opposite them, gasping heavily to recover.
She walked up curiously.
"Soul Cinder King, it's lively wherever you go. Just now, a man wearing the Beast Champion Armor passed through. He must have teleported following the Forbidden Flame, right?"
"I know him. It should be Mr. Bernahl. His target is also the Black Blade's Destined Death."
She hadn't expected to get news of the Skill Teacher here.
He really knew how to hide.
Being able to teleport directly along with the flame meant he had been following the squad the entire time without exposing a trace of his aura. Although Frieren was focused on combat rather than reconnaissance on this trip, it was enough to show that Bernahl's skills were surpassing.
There was a high probability he had figured out her perception range; the simplest method would be to maintain tracking from the periphery.
"I see. I've heard of that guy's title; he is a Would-be Lord."
"You're hurt quite badly. Do you need healing?"
"No need. I concede wholeheartedly. I'll be fine after a rest... As for you, are you going to fight over Destined Death with Bernahl in the Ancient Dragons' territory? One or two of you, do none of you put us in your eyes?"
Even though wounded, the white Ancient Dragon was still imposing, as if ready to fight to the death at any moment.
He was in a fit of anger.
"You aren't qualified to fight me yet; it has to be Placidusax," the silver-haired girl replied with an aura as heavy as a thousand jun.
The Ancient Dragon, feeling a chill in his heart, huffed coldly and turned his head away.
"Also, I saw a Warrior Jar pass through from the distance. You should know him too. Go quickly; Soul Cinder King, resolve all of this as soon as possible."
Frieren hadn't expected Alexander to have followed them here as well; his perseverance was commendable.
After expressing her thanks, she left the Ancient Dragon.
The subsequent journey was very smooth under Melina's guidance; they didn't even encounter many enemies. It was likely that Bernahl and Alexander had cleared them out once; their strength was no problem for dealing with Beastman soldiers.
Moreover, the long-range magical sniping work was basically handed over to Ranni. According to her, it was to let the King conserve strength.
After all, for the two vicious battles against the Dragonlord and the Black Blade, Frieren would be the absolute main force.
No one but her was up to the task.
Although Melina and Ranni were strong Demigods, they felt somewhat insufficiently dominant in the Sky City, filled with worry. In contrast, the silver-haired girl collected items while strolling, remaining relaxed throughout.
On the route along the Dragon Temple rooftop, she picked up a golden-yellow talisman that seemed to flicker with electric current.
[Boltdrake Talisman +2]
[Talisman bearing the icon of three yellow Ancient Dragons.]
[Vastly boosts lightning damage negation.]
[The Ancient Dragons, who ruled in the prehistoric era before the Erdtree, would protect their lord as a wall of living rock.]
[And so, the shape of the dragon has become a symbol of all manner of protection.]
A familiar description accompanied by a familiar effect, but the stats were superior, and it was even more effective against Ancient Dragons.
It could probably be used to deal with the Dragonlord.
Ranni looked at the talisman in the silver-haired girl's palm and urged:
"Your Majesty, if you fight the Dragonlord, you must increase your lightning resistance as much as possible. It is no exaggeration to say that Placidusax possesses the strongest lightning in the entire Lands Between. Your Sunlight Spear leans more towards the power of space-time, while his lightning is a symbol of destruction, representing the punishment of a King."
"I think so too."
Under normal circumstances, Frieren wouldn't need to specifically construct a targeted strategy, but the first Elden Lord of the Lands Between was different.
The strength of the founder of the Ancient Dragon Dynasty could not be underestimated; he remained one of the world's ceilings.
So she didn't mind preparing a tactical plan.
Upholding the philosophy of "maybe I'll find rewards that can deal with Ancient Dragons in the Sky City," she opened the treasure map fully, not letting go of any corner or scrap to search. She indeed obtained a batch of Smithing Stones.
Furthermore, the many beast graves of Farum Azula were also rich in Grave Gloveworts.
An unexpected joy.
Although the Eternal Dynasty's jurisdiction served as the main production area for Grave Gloveworts, keeping the Spirit Ash Army strong, the quality was relatively inferior to the Sky City's.
Worthy of a super-large funerary area; there was no lack of white Gloveworts on the skeletons of the Beastmen.
The culture of Farum Azula was likely death itself.
"The Ancient Dragons, with eternal life, created a rich funerary culture instead." Frieren smiled faintly. "Perhaps many Ancient Dragons treat this place as the tomb of a dynasty."
"Your Majesty is likely correct. This city is maintained by time-space coagulation. It is destroyed yet undestroyed; sooner or later, it will fall."
"For example, this time."
Her shocking statement made both Ranni and Melina slightly stunned.
"I can feel it. It is mainly maintained by the Dragonlord's power. Once he starts a war with me, regardless of victory or defeat, the time-space freezing will be affected. He is already mentally prepared for the further destruction of the Sky City."
Frieren stroked a broken stone pillar beside her, showing regret on her face, but her gaze remained firm.
The two looked at each other, not expecting that their first visit to the legendary Crumbling Farum Azula would be the last. This moment was the final lingering rhyme of history.
The person about to become the main culprit didn't care. Instead, she opened a chest with the keen nose of an adventurer:
[Dragon Tower Shield]
[Tower shield shaped like a dragon, the symbol of protection.]
[Heavier than most greatshields, and offers excellent guarding ability.]
[Unique Skill: Shield Bash]
[Brace behind shield before using bodyweight to ram forward while maintaining guard. Weaker enemies will be shoved backward or staggered.]
Unpretentious defensive power. Unfortunately, after weighing it a few times, Frieren felt it wasn't as good as the Fingerprint Stone Shield.
Moreover, raising a shield had little effect against Ancient Dragons, who liked to fly around in the sky. It was hard to say there were any targeted weapons. Forget it; in the end, she had to rely on herself. At most, she would use talismans to add a bit of buff.
Who?
Suddenly, a familiar aura appeared at the edge of her perception range. Looking carefully, it was impressively the Warrior Jar, Alexander.
He seemed to have sensed something as well, standing on an arched ruin and looking around.
Frieren followed her old friend's aura and arrived. Only at this distance could she see clearly that the battle-hardened Warrior Jar was covered in scars. Even with previous repairs, he ultimately couldn't keep it up, not to mention the new injuries added in the Sky City.
At this moment, Alexander was gazing at the tornado.
"Sure enough, you've come too. But you'd better rest a bit. I have data on the Jarwrights of the Land of Shadow; as long as we return to the surface, I can arrange treatment for you."
He definitely knew, but his attitude didn't seem like he cared about his injuries.
"The city floating in the air is gradually collapsing; this place is truly mysterious. By the way, you left in a hurry just now, I didn't even have time to say it: It was magnificent. That giant, as majestic as a god—presumably, apart from us, no one could defeat him."
"Correct."
"No, actually I was just a bystander to your battle. It's been several times, Frieren. So I am convinced that you are the strongest. With such a great figure before me, how could I not invite her to become the trial that tempers me?"
Alexander assumed a stance, his two fists ready.
"A warrior's life has two endpoints: one is life, the other is the journey. I have reached the furthest place in the Lands Between; let me welcome my trial right here."
Hearing this, a Glintstone edge grew from Frieren's staff, responding with action.
"Come."
"I am the Warrior Jar, 'Iron Fist' Alexander! Warriors within me, lend me your strength! Let us become heroes together!"
Amidst a loud roar, the iron fist collided with the Glintstone.
A single friction caused the larger Warrior Jar to stagger back, but Frieren didn't pursue. She waited for him to regroup and face the trial he spoke of in his most perfect state.
Rather than a battle, it was more like the silver-haired girl actively acting as a training dummy, allowing attacks—blocking—deflecting.
Throughout the process, she only fought with defensive counters. What she displayed to Alexander was not dominance, but martial arts.
It wasn't a difference in Kingly stats, but a world of difference in performance techniques.
The outcome was set.
Although Melina and Ranni, watching the battle, weren't complete warriors, they knew the gap in strength between the two sides too well. In terms of martial arts, Frieren's grappling didn't lose to Godfrey, and her swordsmanship didn't lose to the Valkyrie. No matter how the Warrior Jar tried his hardest, he could not win.
In fact, he was very strong, having reached the Hero level. Unfortunately, he was far behind the long-renowned Soul Cinder King.
Frieren was only one Dragonlord battle away from the true "Elden Lord Certification."
This moment couldn't even count as a warm-up.
After several rounds of clashing, it was Alexander who was panting heavily, his movements gradually becoming sluggish. Those injuries were dragging down his endurance.
Bang!
At the critical moment, Frieren delivered an impartial horizontal sword slap. The hard Glintstone, combined with blunt force, sent him flying a considerable distance. He crashed to the ground with a thud, unable to even crawl up.
The dust-free silver-haired girl put away her staff. Victory and defeat had been decided.
In contrast, Alexander's Warrior Jar body was falling apart. Even though she had held back, it ended up like this.
"...I still can't reach that realm," he muttered, lying down and looking up at the sky. "Thank you, Frieren. You really are the hero I acknowledged. This battle was truly magnificent."
Before he could finish speaking, a Soothing Sunlight was slapped onto his body.
The jar body, originally on the verge of collapse, was forcibly reversed, radiating vitality once again. Even if it didn't compare to the professionalism of a Jarwright, it was enough to save his life.
"Alexander, you didn't think that because your time was up, you would just die at the hands of a warrior you acknowledged, did you?"
"Sorry."
"My hands do not stain with the blood of friends. I will not let you die here."
Fortunately, she had glanced at the message on the ground just now.
Otherwise, she really wouldn't have seen that the Warrior Jar intended to self-destruct directly. Although it had the feeling of a farewell, who could have thought he would be so decisive? Once the jar body disintegrated, it couldn't be saved no matter what. Luckily, she was in time.
"Since you lost, you have to listen to me. Go back. I need you to attend my coronation ceremony when the time comes, Alexander."
_____
New Story: Bleach: Dominating Soul Society in One Sting
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