A halo of light filled her field of vision.
Even Frieren could not help but shield her eyes as she passed through the Golden Seal.
The internal space was far more vast than imagined, hazy and misty, with no visible boundary line. The dome towered to an unknown height. Could the inside of the Erdtree be empty?
There was someone there!
Looking closely, she discovered a blonde woman in ragged clothes hanging in mid-air, her head drooping. Her hands were pierced by a Rune Arc, resembling an execution. Her body was broken, possessing the characteristics of a Numen, and a blood-red spike was impaled into her abdomen.
Could that be the Eternal Queen, Marika? In such a miserable state?
Frieren recalled the legends spread by the Two Fingers—that "Marika was punished for shattering the Elden Ring." It wasn't a bluff?
But who could punish her? It certainly wasn't the Greater Will, as there was no trace of It.
Click!
Suddenly, the Rune Arc instrument of torture in the sky peeled off and shattered, falling like raindrops, and the victim vanished along with it.
The silver-haired girl looked around vigilantly, her gaze locking onto a tree stump. On it lay a simple-looking stone hammer; it appeared to be a special forging anvil. There were burn marks around it, and upon closer inspection, they were the scattered shards of the Elden Ring...
A broken hand reached out from behind the stump—a powerful hand with clearly defined muscle lines, belonging to a man.
When was there a man in this huge room?
"So that is how it is."
Frieren realized the truth as she looked at the true face of the one picking up the stone hammer. He stood with his back to her, holding the weapon high in a smithing stance. That iconic red hair was known to everyone in the Lands Between.
Another legendary figure. The Second Elden Lord, Radagon.
There were too many strange stories about him. In a sense, she had started her journey by following in this predecessor's footsteps, which inevitably made her feel a bit emotional.
The next moment, the red-haired man turned around.
Only now did she see the full picture: half of his body was broken but pieced together by a black substance to form a shape. His torso was actually hollow, with the totem of the Elden Ring shining brightly inside. The way he raised the stone hammer was like a sculpture, robust and beautiful, exuding a sacred aura.
If the First Elden Lord gave the impression of domineering wildness, then he was one of detached overlooking, standing apart from the world.
"Will you be the last enemy I meet on this journey?"
The opponent remained silent.
Frieren did not expect to glean any information. As usual, she adopted the combination of staff and sword, testing the enemy's strength in her Astrologer state first, playing a defensive counterattack game.
Radagon did not make her wait. He unleashed a fierce one-handed hammer strike. With a loud boom, it smashed into the ground, instantly spreading a golden shockwave.
The silver-haired girl, having anticipated this, retreated just in time to avoid the damage.
Seeing this, she skillfully buffed herself with a string of Holy Magic Resistance, swapping her Talismans along with it.
Bang!
Another unpretentious pursuit strike followed. Even though Frieren dodged it, she felt the shockwave rushing toward her face. The Holy attribute impact shook her limbs and bones, likely causing internal injury and bleeding.
Superficially, his movements were wide and open, but the attack power was definitely not just surface level.
Radagon pursued again, but this time she didn't dodge. Instead, she met him with the Dark Moon Greatsword. The frost-imbued god-slaying weapon collided with the stone hammer, creating a buzzing explosion. The recoil forced both of them to step back.
A flash of nostalgia crossed his face.
Unfortunately, it was fleeting. Regardless of whether the treasure passed down by the Carian Royal Family evoked memories, this was not the time to fuss over romance.
"Rennala said you were the Golden Order's loyal dog. The name fits the reality. It is a pity she saw through it too late."
Before her voice had even faded, Radagon arrived in a flash of pursuit, the stone hammer smashing down.
Clang!
The heavy force made Frieren frown slightly. She wondered if this thing was what smashed the Elden Ring? It had absolutely reached a level comparable to a god-slaying weapon.
With a fully reinforced weapon offering no advantage, she could only use magic to accumulate damage.
Speaking of which, why were Radagon's movements full of openings and his walking so slow? Did he have some special ability? Wouldn't he just be a live target? regardless, she chose to test him with a shot of Sorcery: Comet Azur.
Bang, bang, bang—
A horrifying scene played out: the red-haired man parried the magic with a single hand, swatting even the continuous blue torrent into oblivion.
Frieren increased her mana output, but his counterattacks became even faster, swatting away the legendary magic attacks one by one, remaining unscathed. The magic between the two actually dissipated into nothingness.
The silver-haired girl, having ended the spell, immediately followed up with other attacks.
Sorcery: Comet, Sorcery: Night Comet, Incantation: Lightning Spear...
The results were minimal. They were all blocked or deflected, causing no damage whatsoever.
On the contrary, Radagon strode forward with his head held high and chest out, evidently building up momentum. He was now full of oppression.
Seeing this, Frieren put away her magic and looked at the enemy with deep meaning. So this was the mechanic of the Second Elden Lord. He indeed possessed divinity; this was the standard of a final boss.
Very tricky.
Any ordinary mage would probably be out of options. Who wouldn't be bewildered?
Seizing this opportunity, Radagon suddenly charged in for the kill. The power of Gold hammered the ground, whipping up an unpretentious shockwave, though unfortunately, it failed to catch the teleporting target.
No, a Sorcery: Gravity Well pulled her petite body back in the blink of an eye, followed by a mid-air strike from the Sorcery: Gavel of Haima.
Boom!
The blue glintstone exploded. Almost simultaneously, Frieren used the Incantation: Bayle's Magma, splashing lava onto Radagon's body. Although he had the Incantation: Barrier of Gold, it still left a wound. Facts proved it was effective.
Instantly, she switched to a Ringed Knight Straight Sword. Aiming at the enemy, she delivered a vertical slash, while simultaneously activating the Weapon Skill: Ember, wreathing the blade in flame.
It resonated with this body of a Lord of Cinder!
With a shout, the silver-haired girl forcefully knocked Radagon back with the paired swords, causing his body to stagger.
"Your ability to deflect magic isn't invincible; it's just a bluff." Frieren switched her right hand back to her staff as she spoke. "As long as I master enough moves, your strength holds no ground."
Sorcery: Comet Azur rose again.
Radagon raised an eyebrow and swatted it away directly, but in the next moment, he lost sense of her presence. She had actually used a legendary spell as cover—how extravagant.
The sharp edges of two curved blades swept across his body, the quick slashes bringing out scars.
In that instant, he actually had a clear dodging motion, but unfortunately, it was based on the standard of a straight sword. He hadn't expected the opponent to switch weapons again, nor that her swordsmanship would remain unaffected.
Then, Frieren turned and backstabbed him with a blast of Sorcery: Stars of Ruin.
Sure enough, Radagon, unable to react in time, took the full brunt of it. Hit by the ping-ponging barrage, his aura was briefly disordered.
Master of all weapons!
In just a few rounds of exchange, the opponent was actually superior. Even he was surprised in his heart. Whether it was magic, swordsmanship, incantations, or fighting techniques, the enemy had reached the peak of perfection. Instead, it was he who had underestimated the enemy capable of reaching the interior of the Erdtree.
"...You defeated Godfrey?"
"So you can speak. That's right, he is dead. He died in a duel with me."
Before her voice fell, the silver-haired girl grabbed the ground with both hands,轰然 whipping up a shockwave like a surging tide, answering with practical action—
This was the First Lord's Earthshaker.
The ground bulged, and flames surged amidst the explosive sound. It was less like flipping a table and more like a volcanic eruption.
Even Radagon was shaken and injured by Frieren's sudden move, forced to retreat. Yet he found the range of the Earthshaker constantly expanding, spreading throughout the interior of the Erdtree.
Boom!
The violent explosion was deafening even to those outside.
The group standing before the seal of the Thorns of Rejection looked at each other, their faces filled with unease. They really couldn't figure it out. Wasn't she supposed to go in, directly have an audience with the Elden Ring, and then summon the deity to enact the Order? Why had a battle started?
Who on earth was she fighting?
Frieren had mentioned there were enemies before, and everyone was indeed mentally prepared, but they hadn't expected the commotion to be so massive, losing nothing to Godfrey.
This unexpectedly severe situation might shake the entire plan; carelessness was not an option.
The Mimic Tear clicked her tongue, cursing, "Damn conspirators. It must be a setup designated by Marika, not allowing anyone else to enact the Order. So Mother had to beat her to death."
Her words made it hard not to associate this with the convenient timing of Godfrey's return; suspicion was inevitable.
A trap?
Ranni spoke bluntly: "Regardless of whose conspiracy it is, Her Majesty will shatter it. It is nothing more than a question of time. We will not let the Golden Order revive; its history ends here."
"Mother is likely in a near-death state... I can feel it. Her self-awareness is already chaotic. Release might not be a bad ending."
Melina looked sorrowful.
But this was not a multiple-choice question. The world had to move forward.
In the time they hesitated, the interior of the Erdtree on the other side of the seal shook violently, and ash from the tree crown peeled off with a rustling sound.
It was hard to imagine what would happen if this occurred outside. Leyndell, Royal Capital, would probably have been destroyed long ago. But laterally, this proved that the battle inside was extremely intense, beyond the reach of ordinary Demigods.
Ping, ping, pang, pang!
The stone hammer and greatsword collided at super high speed, grinding out brilliant sparks, and shockwaves rose in all directions.
The two in combat both had numb arms and bleeding webbing between their thumbs and forefingers, yet neither dared to stop their offensive. There was no room to breathe.
Once they relaxed, they would be met with a fierce attack.
After the brief disadvantage just now, Radagon's fighting spirit skyrocketed. Disregarding his own safety, he continuously used the power of Gold. At this moment, with a leap, he threw down a Golden Spear, exploding with holy magical power.
Even Frieren had to dodge to avoid internal injury.
She gradually discovered that the enemy's Holy attribute was unusual—pure and supreme—while other attributes were easily scattered. So that was it; he was an existence that resonated strongly with the Elden Ring. That foundation supported Radagon's power.
This was the unity of God and Lord.
Marika, who once housed the Elden Ring, fought in the guise of Radagon, and the great power remained.
Now he was serious, vowing to kill the enemy.
Whoosh!
With a casual toss, he unleashed a Golden Barrage, no less than a meteor shower. Then she would respond with a meteor shower of her own.
Gravity Magic, possessing both mass and speed, intercepted them one by one. Not only that, but Frieren also mixed in Sorcery: Founding Rain of Stars. Densely packed primeval sorceries covered the area together, giving him no chance to deflect.
Sure enough, Radagon chose to temporarily avoid the edge, but the offensive was not over yet.
Just as he stood firm, he discovered the phantom of Dragon Communion opening its bloody maw. The Magma Breath lunged at him. At the critical moment, he extended his arms and caught it with a boom, deadlocking the upper and lower jaws, while simultaneously executing a fierce body slam.
But the caster leaped in an arc in mid-air, buffed by Incantation: Aspects of the Crucible: Wings, clutching an Ancient Dragons' Lightning Blade in her hand.
Crack!
The red lightning swept across his path, paralyzing Radagon. Unfortunately, it was dispelled in just an instant.
The powerful Holy attribute and the physique that once served as the vessel of the Ring gave him extremely high resistance. Even excluding the ability to deflect magic, it was very difficult to cause actual damage. On the contrary, his speed and force were accelerating.
Frieren immediately followed up with Sorcery: Rellana's Twin Moons.
The unfamiliar attack coated Radagon in a layer of magic-breaking attributes, yet his Poise was tough throughout, showing no wavering.
Sorcery: Stars of Ruin!
Even with the magic-breaking attribute paving the way, the effect of hitting his body was still not obvious.
Perhaps his mechanic was to make the power systems of the Lands Between ineffective. The one that dealt high damage just now was the Ringed Knight Sword... specifically targeting locals?
At least the compatibility for mages was very poor, and Radagon was still constantly strengthening. The Elden Ring totem inside his body became brighter and brighter, like a sun.
It's coming!
The next moment, the stone hammer smashed down. Even blocking with the Dark Moon Greatsword caused Frieren's arm to fracture. She gritted her teeth and held on. But unexpectedly, the red-haired man, with a cold expression, summoned another Golden Spear to impale her.
With a crack, the sharp weapon sank into her chest, striking directly at her vitals in a tearing motion, seemingly about to detonate.
Suddenly, the silver-haired girl clapped her hands together and snapped the long spear directly. The subsequent internal golden wave hit only a phantom.
A very fast reaction, but the injury was not light.
Frieren, having teleported not far away, wiped the fresh blood from the corner of her mouth.
Her killing power in the current Astrologer state alone was insufficient, and delay would bring change. Moreover, the nature of the opponent's attack was special; the magical power beaten into her body was preventing recovery. It was a blow from the rules of the Ring, quite troublesome.
Especially since Radagon's momentum continued to climb. In a sense, he was already in Phase Two. Dragging this out further would only cause her to suffer more injuries for nothing.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, Frieren was surrounded by raging flames, burning from the inside out. The silver light armor on her body was wrapped in a set of black full-body armor, and the heart-protecting mirror was actually a ring of fire. The edges of the armor and the cape all held unceasing embers. Merged with the First Flame, raging fire.
Soul of Cinder Incarnation, fully activated. But unlike the time at the Spiral Tower, she was more at ease.
The internal space of the Erdtree boiled instantly. There were actually signs of burning a hole through it; the outer shell was becoming weaker and weaker.
The energy had already permeated to the outside.
In fact, it was seen even more clearly from outside the Erdtree, because the sky changed abruptly. The massive golden structure before them became a torch, burning to hold up a Black Sun.
Red threads flowed from it, resembling both fire and blood.
Anyone who had experienced the war in the Land of Shadow would not be unfamiliar with this; they recognized the anomaly of the Soul of Cinder Incarnation at a glance. It was on a larger scale than before. Back then, it was limited to the Land of Shadow, but now, looking out, it was boundless.
Overlooking the common people.
All living beings in the entire Lands Between could not help but look up to witness the energy of the Soul of Cinder Incarnation, its aura shrouding all directions.
"The battle inside has reached this level!" Ranni turned pale. "This form places a heavy burden on Her Majesty. Even if she has become stronger, she cannot maintain it for too long."
"No, it is mixed with something else."
Following the direction Melina pointed, they saw clusters of energy floating in the sky. They were hazy and distant, echoing but not yet arriving.
She asserted: "It is Frieren liberating her full power. She is merely using the Soul of Cinder Incarnation first, but she is actually ready for fusion. This time, she wants to take advantage of the momentum to step into a higher realm and resolve the energy conflict within herself, right there in the battle to have audience with the Elden Ring."
So it counted as an active move, but the risk was immeasurable. This magnificent feat had no predecessors and would have no successors.
____
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