Barke welcomed the master and apprentice into a small room in the blockhouse.
The furnishings were quite simple, with various broken odds and ends scattered about. The air was thick with dust, and breathing too much of it left one's mouth and throat dry.
The conditions were harsh; it was clear that even with the Empire's resources, they were stretched thin.
It was no wonder the fight was so difficult. Berletania was a remote, mountainous region, with conditions even more severe than the labyrinthine kingdom they had previously encountered. Logistics were a bottomless pit, leaving little surplus strength for an offensive.
They could only defend.
And it had to be a defense mounted by a small number of people; only an elite fighting force could hold back the demon assault.
This resulted in a tense situation on the magical battlefield. A familiar surge of magic Frieren passed through caused her to raise an eyebrow.
"It should be Serie and the others fighting."
Her certain conclusion brought a look of joy to everyone's faces. Barke replied:
"The occasional explosions and faint human magical reactions have assured us that the advance team is still alive, but we couldn't confirm who it was. Your perception is truly powerful; you've already identified them for us. As long as the President is safe, all is well."
This was truly good news.
Although Serie and the Empire had their frequent minor squabbles, they were far from enemies; it was merely a matter of exchanging interests.
The continued presence of a pillar like the founder of magic was enough to stabilize the situation on its own.
Frieren threw a bucket of cold water on their hopes, saying, "The demons' colorless mist actually has a barrier effect to some extent, mainly restricting communication from within and without. It's not easy for ordinary people to get out once they're in."
"And a large number of demons are concentrated at the edge of Berletania. They won't let anyone leave."
Hearing this, Barke had a sudden realization.
Barke replied:
"So their best option is indeed to keep fighting and find a way to clear out the most dangerous ancient beast first."
"Correct. The Titan Demon you mentioned in the intelligence report is quite a threat and not easy to deal with. Besides, the advance team has to search while fighting, which is very time-consuming."
"What are your plans, Vice President? We will cooperate fully."
"Flamme and I will launch a frontal assault and completely kill the ancient beast to bring peace to this place."
Everyone was shocked, except for the red-haired girl, who nodded with a calm expression. It was the answer she had expected.
In everyone's eyes, her master was the cautious type, but that was mainly reflected in her defensive, counter-attacking combat style.
Once she had confirmed her overarching strategy, Frieren was, on the contrary, very direct.
Exploration was set aside.
Berletania was in ruins, the defensive line was in peril, and her colleagues from the Association were fighting a bitter battle. Thus, the priority became resolving the situation quickly.
Her expression was solemn as she gazed towards the other side of the colorless mist, already prepared.
Barke cautioned, "I hear the ancient beast comes from the evil magical aura of people, coexisting with the negative energy of demons. I'm afraid it cannot be eliminated, or at least it will be very difficult. Acting rashly might expand the disaster. You must be careful."
"I know. I have my ways of dealing with such things."
Frieren felt it was similar to the Abyss, which was said to exist within the darkness of humanity and could not be destroyed, only suppressed.
But times were different now; she had plenty of ways to deal with it.
Moreover, her home world was not like the world of darkness or the Lands Between—environments that were either fundamentally beyond saving or gradually decaying and in need of reversal. It was still thriving.
The Goddess's power shone upon the world.
There was no room for such creatures to exploit, or they were not yet a significant threat, as long as they were extinguished in time.
Since both master and apprentice were ready, the Imperial mages had nothing more to say. After all, Frieren, authorized by the letter of appointment, could even be considered the supreme commander. No one would question her opinion.
"Your Excellency Barke, you just need to watch for any stray demons on the perimeter."
"Understood, and I wish you good luck. I hope you and Lady Serie can attend the upcoming Imperial conference together. We will be discussing the overall strategy against the demon race. The suppression of the colorless mist is the prelude to the greatest war in human history."
The court mage reminded her with great solemnity.
Frieren nodded. She hadn't expected that just after finishing a divine war in the Land of Shadow, she would have to participate in another grand conflict.
The sooner, the better.
Having made her decision, she took a step off the city wall. Her petite body floated straight down for a distance, maintaining a levitating state as she flew towards the mist barrier.
Flamme followed, looking slightly nervous but having already cast her magical enhancements. She was fully prepared.
...
Meanwhile, on the central avenue of the Berletania Royal Capital.
Under a bombardment of attack magic, the entire upper half of a large demon's body evaporated. It fell with a thud, clearing the way for Serie. She strode forward, while her other disciples remained vigilant, looking left and right.
Lehman reminded her, "Master, after killing those few greater demons, the ancient beast is already becoming active. The seal is about to break."
"I can feel it. What a strange power. The world is truly full of wonders."
Only someone as skilled and daring as Serie could remain so calm. Her accompanying disciples and some of the Imperial mages showed signs of fatigue. It was exhausting; the continuous battles against powerful demons kept their nerves constantly taut.
It was finally coming to an end.
Their greatest relief was that the seemingly aloof President Serie never forgot to rescue and heal, ensuring that the team had survived with all its members intact so far. Otherwise, they would have likely been in tatters long ago.
That being said, full survival was only after Serie's arrival.
That was why they had decided to send an urgent request for aid to the Continental Magic Association headquarters. They had been forced to.
If possible, the Empire absolutely did not want to appear inferior in the realm of magic; it was somewhat humiliating.
But the situation was stronger than them. They couldn't afford to be stubborn; joining forces with a Mage of the Mythical Era was the safer choice.
"ROAR!"
A deep roar came from underground, accompanied by an evil mana. In an instant, all the demons grew restless.
"You should not have come. This is an invasion of Berletania."
Suddenly, the castle gate in front of them swung open, and an old man in a golden robe walked out—King Allant, though his body exuded a dense demonic aura.
A trademark mocking smile appeared on Serie's lips. "What shameless boasting. You're the one who dabbled in demon power and shot yourself in the foot. You deserve it. If all this is destroyed, so be it. People must pay for their foolishness."
"You don't realize the developmental prospects of demon technology."
"Interesting, but that's all it is. I'm here today to eliminate a danger, and that includes you."
"It's a pity we have no common ground."
Old King Allant raised his longsword and pointed it lightly. Everyone felt the pressure surge. All but Serie were even blown back a distance by the sword's aura.
BOOM!
Suddenly, a huge explosion came from the outer edge of the colorless mist. The blast kicked up a fiery tornado, sweeping away the surrounding demons in its wake. Someone was launching a forceful attack, and from the main gate no less. It was utterly arrogant.
They certainly had the capital to be arrogant. Only the screams of demons could be heard, a clear sign of an unstoppable, crushing force.
"The Empire is truly impatient, to have invited Frieren as well."
Serie had long expected the Empire to keep raising the stakes. The demon disaster was urgent; if they were attacked from both front and rear, wouldn't it cause serious damage?
She just hadn't expected such a heavyweight to arrive.
She had to admit, she felt much more at ease the moment she sensed Frieren's presence. After all, the ancient beast's power was unknown, and she had to ensure her teammates' safety, which was a bit troublesome. It was best to have someone to share the burden.
Old King Allant also frowned, glaring at the edge of the mist and gritting his teeth.
A mage couldn't help but exclaim in admiration that with the Vice President here, their chances of victory had increased, and their safety was more assured.
Everyone believed the Mage of the Mythical Era's strength could handle the ancient beast. They didn't doubt Serie's skill, but the problem was that she wasn't known for healing. In a fight, she certainly wouldn't be able to attend to the finer details. The most likely outcome was that the ancient beast would die, but their side would also suffer heavy losses.
Just as they were rejoicing, they saw Allant swing his sword.
A cutting force that could slice through iron swept towards them. At the critical moment, Serie defended with a barrier, but the spreading energy still tore the ground asunder.
"Demon power? I've seen your warriors are among the best here. It's a pity you're not a mage; fighting you is no fun."
"You will die here."
Allant's blade swirled with the colorless mist, gathering power with the raging wind.
In an instant, he stepped forward and teleported in front of Serie. However, she lightly took to the air as a torrent of magic erupted, clashing violently with the power of the mist, interspersed with beams of attack magic shooting out.
The two sides simultaneously began a super-high-speed exchange, each move possessing immense destructive power.
The central avenue of the Royal Capital was shattered in an instant.
The other mages didn't even have time to find their footing. But flying rashly into the sky was also dangerous; they might be hit by even more magical aftershocks.
"Retreat to the main city."
Lehman gave the order decisively, simultaneously clearing the rubble ahead with shadow magic. With his release, everyone else acted together, clearing a path.
However, the next moment, numerous demons climbed up from both sides of the road.
Even under normal circumstances, clearing them out would be difficult, let alone on this chaotic battlefield.
Whenever some mages tried to shoot from a distance, their paths were interfered with by the aftershocks, forcing them into short-to-medium-range combat.
Because the battle between Serie and Allant was escalating, the latter, empowered by demon energy, fought with increasing ferocity.
Now she was looking at him more like a test subject.
She was in no hurry, instead using powerful layers of Sealing Magic to shackle him, restricting the old king's movements while weakening him. It showcased the suppressive power of strong magic, but she couldn't be bothered with the destruction.
CRACK!
Another sword aura was deflected, flying across the avenue and splitting it in two. More demons surged forward in waves.
If they were surrounded, the situation would likely be dire.
Lehman quickly took his position at the very front, suppressing the enemy from a distance along with all the great sorcerers.
While they did their best to hold them off, Allant's figure was firmly trapped by the sealing barrier. Serie then drove the barrier-sphere to smash into him, leaving the unfortunate soul inside thoroughly battered.
The demon power was cut off.
She dispersed all the mist trying to connect with Old King Allant, single-handedly suppressing the main city area's resonance with the caster. It was a violent enough solution, but it effectively controlled the king.
Serie suddenly turned her head and shouted, "Be careful, there's a greater demon!"
Before her voice had faded, a group of even larger monsters charged towards the crowd, a black mass filling their vision.
And that wasn't all.
A Demon Dragon rose from the center of the main city. Its massive body was estimated to be over twenty meters long. It perched on a tower, roaring and bellowing, surrounding them along with the swarm of demons.
"I told you that you would receive my judgment."
Allant, inside the seal, fiercely bombarded the barrier. He would not admit defeat; he would continue to fight Serie to the death to wash away his hatred.
The next moment, a chain of crimson lightning pierced through a hundred demons, setting off thunderous explosions along its path, leaving only shattered corpses turning to ash. The power of a single strike spread along with its targets.
Flamme had arrived.
The red-haired girl dove down, landing a foot behind the broken bridge, and a lightning blade evaporated numerous demons.
At the same time, a cry of pain came from the giant dragon above. It was Frieren's Rock Sling smashing into it, causing it to fall with a crash.
The master and apprentice's support was timely, their coordination flawless. The moment they acted, they resolved the crisis. Their magical output was terrifying, bottomless; a single opening move was large-scale destruction.
"It's been a while, you've gotten stronger, Lady Flamme."
"Mr. Lehman, let's catch up later. We should retreat into the main city building first."
"You're right, let's move quickly."
The group quickly passed through the ruined road, not forgetting to clear out any demons that dared to pounce. Most were instantly destroyed under Flamme's bombardment.
So fast.
Her casting speed and efficiency were a cut above, already approaching the level of the demon race's top experts.
As for the two storm eyes on the outer battlefield, they didn't need to worry about them.
Both Allant and the Demon Dragon were terrifying. If let loose, they could ravage several cities and become disasters recorded in human history. Unfortunately for them, they had met two Mages of the Mythical Era. Now they could only die in bitterness.
It was a completely one-sided battle, without any suspense. On the battlefield, one could only see the magic of Serie and Frieren bombarding relentlessly.
The two had a tacit understanding, their crossfire suppressing their targets while not forgetting to clear out the mobs.
BOOM, BOOM!
Even after entering the main city, they could hear frequent loud noises.
The mages who had escaped death gasped for breath, having finally saved their lives. From beginning to end, they were never the main characters of the battlefield. In a great demon disaster, they were at best elite units; very few had the power to dominate a large-scale battlefield.
The two presidents were among them, as was Flamme, who stood before them with ease, living up to her reputation.
After a quick scan, she began to use a new magic. A light of Sunlight Healing enveloped everyone, and their recent wounds healed at a visible rate.
Such fast healing efficiency.
Since Frieren had popularized this magic, it had become mainstream, but this was the first time they had seen it work as fast as Flamme's, as if it had truly reached the inventor's level of raising the dead.
Only her talent could be considered a true inheritance; a single cast of Sunlight Healing cured them all.
Taking this opportunity, Lehman said, "The main target now is the ancient beast sealed beneath the Royal Capital. It's breaking free of control and is very dangerous."
"But before that, we must kill its minions, or they might become food for the ancient beast."
The red-haired girl nodded in understanding.
In fact, just by perception alone, they could tell that the source of the floor's constant trembling was an unprecedentedly massive demon, a true ancient demon. That was the source of the colorless mist.
The magical aggregate born from malice was continuously reviving, targeting all living beings here.
___
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