Whoosh!
Frieren threw out a Lightning Retaliation with full force, and sure enough, a shockwave from a battle axe shattered it.
The booming golden halo in the sky dispersed the dark clouds over the Ashen Capital, and even the flames on the burning Erdtree were extinguished slightly. The ground rebounded with a thud, scattering dust, and everyone felt as if they were being tossed in a wok.
This collision was undeniably powerful—a clash between genuine kings.
The Ancient Dragon Knights of the Royal Capital looked at each other, feeling a bit discouraged. A strike they had meticulously planned, charged by dozens of people, was caught single-handedly by the Soul Cinder King and thrown back.
The Elden Lord was truly extraordinary.
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I didn't protect you well."
"It doesn't matter. The decisive battle is about to start anyway, and I've recovered." Frieren stretched her waist and said, "I'll trouble you to deal with Fortissax. Don't let it take away our aerial advantage."
"Rest assured. This is an internal cleaning of the house for the Ancient Dragon race. I will help Lansseax free her brother."
Then she looked at her two closest comrades, who nodded in response.
Gravity Sphere.
Supported by Frieren's magic, the three descended from the high sky, landing steadily at the very forefront of the battlefield. Behind them was the direction of the Soul Cinder Army's advance; in front was the mighty Golden Army. The closer they got to the palace, the more they encountered the Forbidden Troops—well-equipped and high in morale.
They could have air-dropped directly into the palace, of course, but that would easily split the battlefields and lead to danger. It was better to punch through in one breath.
Moreover, the essence of war has always been politics, and the political tradition of the Lands Between is to break through frontally.
The silver-haired girl pointed lightly upwards.
The Gravity Sphere that had delivered the squad to the ground did not vanish but instead expanded.
In an instant, it exceeded fifty meters in diameter, like a miniature sun. The moment it was unleashed, it released a terrifying gravitational field.
Frieren made a pulling motion with both hands, then waved violently, causing the massive Gravity Sphere to carve out an arc. Wherever it passed, people were turned upside down; an unknown number were lifted directly into mid-air before falling heavily.
Rumble!
Formations were meaningless before her. Without Melina or Ranni even needing to lift a finger, the palace Forbidden Troops in front were already largely repelled.
This method of using Gravity Magic was shocking to the world, relying entirely on rock-solid magical support—simple, unadorned stats.
There was no shortage of veterans present who had experienced the Shattering War, and they felt that even when Radahn besieged the city back then, he hadn't brought out such momentum.
Even as the Gravity Sphere dissipated, she was not satisfied.
The sky tore open with one gash after another, revealing deep holes spitting out a rain of meteorites.
Meteorite of Astel!
The dense meteorite bombardment escorted the group, blasting out a thoroughfare, the other end leading straight to the Golden Palace.
At this point, the Royal Capital's army could no longer construct defensive lines step-by-step; it was meaningless. Thus, a rallying horn echoed, and everyone understood that this was to be a defense with all their might.
"Quick, reinforce! We can't let the palace fall just like that!"
"We lost the city walls, and now we're going to lose the palace too? It's simply a disgrace! We must at least stop the main force of the Soul Cinder Army here."
"Do not linger in battle. Go to the designated positions to guard."
After the orders were conveyed, the entire Royal Capital army converged like a tide, passing through the streets and alleys of the city to gather in one place at top speed, rapidly reforming a thick human wall in front of Frieren.
Of course, relying on soldiers alone would not work; there were also numerous Demigods intercepting them.
The mermaid-shaped, distorted body of the Prince of Death blocked the entrance with a thud, while on the other side, Yhorm the Giant took a large stride to block the way. Two massive figures obstructed most of the offensive routes left and right.
They, along with the Forbidden Troops, stared dead at Frieren.
Before such a massive army, she appeared to be all alone. However, none of the Leyndell Knights felt emboldened; the pressure radiating from the opponent was clearly that of high fighting spirit.
At the same time, Serosh and Morgott in the distance also immediately broke away from their battles to come and intercept.
Except for the Lichdragon fighting Florisaxx in the sky, the strongmen the Golden Dynasty had committed to the main battlefield were all gathered together.
"Are you all coming at once?"
Although she was eager to try, Frieren did not make a move because the two companions beside her reached out to stop her. Melina and Ranni had already channeled high-intensity magic, preparing for a vicious battle, waiting to fight and decide the victor.
Immediately after, Messmer, Rellana, the Mimic Tear, and the Undead Legion caught up, guarding the King's left and right together.
They were equally prepared to fight to the death here.
All eyes converged on Frieren, but she looked with interest at the palace steps, where a figure in armor covered with a hundred ears slowly walked down, holding a staff.
"Ofnir, you look haggard."
Except for this interesting former colleague, the others were not worth wasting breath on. She was curious about his state after they parted ways; it seemed his life hadn't been nourishing, as his face was full of resentful hatred.
"Frieren, you destroyed the Order that should have remained eternal. Now everyone will suffer."
"Still that same rhetoric?"
"I'm not afraid to tell you a piece of intelligence: the Mother of Fingers has a powerful companion who descended to the Lands Between together with her. Even if you killed Metyr, there is a backup hand to maintain the Order. You will die miserably."
"Ofnir, to have things to confess to me even at this point... many thanks. But we formally break ties here."
The silver-haired girl declared this plainly, without a hint of sarcasm.
Although she had always been wary of this conspirator, she had also received his help, so she felt some regret.
So be it.
If the old doesn't go, the new won't come. The Roundtable Hold must always move forward, and this organization that gave her a sense of belonging when she first arrived in the Lands Between would continue to develop.
Sir Gideon Ofnir released a Comet in annoyance.
However, Frieren remained motionless. Beside her, Ranni blocked it with Carian Retaliation, neutralizing it precisely.
In an instant, this single exchange completely broke the hair-trigger silence. Immediately after, every Demigod except Frieren moved. Multi-colored magic exploded, shattering the heavens and the earth.
At this moment, more than ten Demigods attacked together—a record unprecedented in history. In an instant, the outskirts of the palace were reduced to powder.
The aftershock was a natural disaster.
The Golden Palace, built and reinforced over many years to double as a fortress, was shattered directly.
It didn't even exist as ruins; right before Frieren's eyes, it turned into sand and dust, merging into the gale. Even she had to actively put up a defensive barrier; otherwise, it would be inevitable to suffer some injuries before the Battle of Kings, and she should meet Godfrey in the most perfect state.
Moreover, desperate trump cards should be saved for later as much as possible.
She naturally took Sir Gideon Ofnir's provocative words to heart. She couldn't waste his "kindness" in revealing the clue about another strong enemy.
Was it the other extraterrestrial visitor cast down by the Greater Will, mentioned in Elden Stars?
She would meet him.
Frieren strode up the steps piled with rubble, bathed in countless shockwaves without suffering a scratch. No one around her blocked her way. Everyone realized that what was coming was the Battle of Kings.
The new Elden Lord would soon be born.
After Frieren entered the inner layer of the palace, the war of the Demigods became even more intense.
Since they no longer needed to concern themselves with the Battle of Kings, the urgent task was to solve the enemies before them. This kind of melee was actually more dangerous; fatal killing moves came from all directions, impossible to defend against.
Especially with Destined Death mixed in.
The one receiving the most attention was undoubtedly Melina. The awakening of her Gloam-Eyes combined with the deterrence of the Rune of Death was exaggerated.
Every movement she made kept people on edge. Combined with her battle record of assassinating Godefroy with a single strike just moments ago, it made them even more wary. They had to keep an extra eye on this Maiden of the King.
"Ofnir, my Destined Death can eliminate the Prince of Death and the Lichdragon, right?"
"Everyone, take out that fellow first!"
Sir Gideon Ofnir, who had personally modified the two undead puppets, knew best. He reminded his allies through gritted teeth, and immediately, coercive pressure converged.
The Demigods of the Golden Lineage knew clearly that the greatest threat must be eliminated carefully.
Boom!
The one who acted first was actually Ranni. Moon magic violently surrounded Sir Gideon Ofnir. Two top-tier mages began a full-power contest at medium range, dyeing the scene with colorful, materialized magic power. She decided to finish off this mysterious character first.
On the other side, a massive amount of attacks aimed at Melina. Fortunately, her petite size and fast movements saved her from heavy damage.
But Serosh and Morgott had locked onto the target. Both knew that one of the key points of the war lay here; killing the Maiden could potentially affect the Soul Cinder King's performance.
Crack!
A low, crisp sound made everyone's heart tremble, and alarm bells rang loudly.
They couldn't even attend to fighting each other, instinctively looking towards the sound. It was Messmer crushing the sealed eye. Snake fire filled with blasphemy rose from his entire body, yet it did not burn him; instead, it wrapped around his spear and the python, obediently turning to his use.
Different from the tyrannical, crazy transformation displayed at the Shadow Keep, he was now restrained and steady in his second phase, his aura extraordinary.
"Melina, I will create an opportunity for you."
Before his voice fell, Messmer struck. His long spear shook out specks of afterimages, sweeping in all directions carrying the fire of the serpent.
Combining hardness and softness.
Every thrust of the spear came from a tricky angle, and the giant python upon it spewed fire that could even erode magic, actually firmly suppressing the two who were already injured.
Serosh and Morgott, who had intended to launch a surprise attack, instead suffered additional injuries.
They hurriedly retreated. Fortunately, in the sky, the Lichdragon washed the earth with lightning in time, dividing the battlefield. Although Fortissax was bitten on the throat by Florisaxx in the next moment and smashed into the ground, grinding out a gully, he still resisted fiercely and was very tenacious.
Undead nature added to Ancient Dragon scales was indeed difficult to deal with.
Even a powerhouse as strong as the Ancient Dragon Priestess, who could repeatedly suppress him, could not prevent him from finding opportunities to interfere with the battlefield at every turn. The threat was not small.
"Ugly freak, old lion, you two are so annoying. Hurry up and die."
The Mimic Tear angrily released Night Maiden's Mist to shroud the entire field. At this, the Golden Demigods present immediately stopped their movements and maintained their guard. This was bad; everyone was afraid of Melina finding an opportunity for a fatal strike.
With one master of Night Sorceries and one assassin with Destined Death, their coordination could not be underestimated.
Especially Morgott and Serosh, who had just been named, waited in full battle array. This little brat had hated them for a long time; there was an eighty percent chance of some big move—
"Awoo!"
Unexpectedly, what they heard was the sorrowful cry of an Ancient Dragon.
Something was wrong. The target wasn't them. They had actually believed the Mimic Tear's clamor; blame it on her usual excessive behavior as a bratty kid, making them subconsciously think she was seeking revenge.
Only when the smoke cleared a little did they see clearly: Florisaxx had firmly bitten the enemy's throat, pinning him down.
Seizing this opportunity, Melina stabbed a blade into the dragon's head.
It had to be admitted that an undead monster modified from an Ancient Dragon was terrifying; even at this point, it struggled violently. Seeing this, the Golden Demigods attempted to stop it. However, the powerful Messmer blocked their path, his snake fire separating the battlefield.
It was too late.
With a violent upward slash of Melina's Destined Death, beheading him, Fortissax died on the spot, his remains immediately petrifying into a statue.
"This is the death our Ancient Dragons deserve. Lansseax will be satisfied too."
The Ancient Dragon and the Maiden exchanged a glance and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
In contrast, Sir Gideon Ofnir and the others, as enemies, were on tenterhooks. It was too dangerous and too efficient; in just a short while since the full-scale decisive battle began, another trump card had been killed.
Letting the Rune of Death fall into the hands of the Soul Cinder King's side was simply an endless source of trouble. They had to fight more conservatively.
On the other side.
Edgar ordered the Soul Cinder Army to stay as far away from the Demigod battlefield as possible. The opposing Royal Capital army also kept their distance by tacit agreement, and both sides shifted the battlefield together.
Before the Golden Palace, it was already a forbidden zone for life.
They couldn't intervene; their current task was still to eliminate the enemies as much as possible.
The fall of the Lichdragon boosted the morale of the Soul Cinder Army. They advanced their formation in an orderly manner. Lacking the Demigods tossing back and forth throughout the city, they could finally adopt a formation to push forward steadily.
The numerical advantage was demonstrated vividly at this moment; one Leyndell Knight often had to deal with four opponents.
Admittedly, there was a gap in troop quality and weaponry between the two sides, but it was no longer a cliff-like gap. Moreover, the main losses in this battle were concentrated on the Royal Capital's side, making it hard for them to sustain the fight.
They gradually lost control of the outer city districts.
Edgar did not advance rashly either, ordering: "Gaius, you go pursue. Don't give the remnants of the Royal Capital a chance to reorganize."
"The remaining Mulitir, Moongrum, and I will eliminate the strongholds in the outer city."
"As you command."
The deployment intent of the Soul Cinder Army was simple: press the enemy towards the inner ring of the city. They didn't even need to do it themselves; the battle of double-digit Demigods over there was enough to destroy everything. Soldiers couldn't be attended to; a single aftershock could wipe out a squad.
Seen from high above, the banners of the Black Sun and Fire Ring were causing the Erdtree banners to shrink continuously, the latter forced to draw closer inwards.
However, the more the outcome was decided, the more careful Edgar became.
He was not in a rush to order a general offensive. Instead, he systematically seized main roads and high ground, facilitating continuous harassment of the enemy army through long-range means. The main goal was to destroy their organization so they couldn't form large groups, reducing the threat.
"It's not that easy to wipe out the Royal Capital army. We just need to maintain the siege."
"Gaius has already chased them until they are exhausted," Moongrum murmured. "If the Royal Capital isn't a bit more active, even if they win, they will be powerless to exercise rule."
"So, I estimate those two Majesties in the palace are about to clash."
The commanders looked grave.
It was hard to imagine the upcoming conflict between the two Elden Lords... Suddenly, immense magic power rose from the direction of the palace.
It was Grace!
The nearly burnt-out Erdtree returned all its Blessed Dew to a single point. Accompanied by a stern roar, an aura known to all was unmistakably revealed. The First Lord of the Golden Order was anticipating the challenge.
As a response, the aura of the Embers of the First Flame was unmistakably revealed. The Soul Cinder King intended to go all out from the very beginning.
____
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