Frieren's Soul Magic struck Aldrich solidly, causing him to cry out in immediate agony.
He felt an intense burning.
There was no mistake; the power of the First Flame had also entered him. But that was not the most critical part; what was truly terrifying was that a wisp of Gwyndolin's remnant soul had flowed in naturally along with it, entering that divine vessel.
The incompletely devoured god atop the slime monster's upper body was reviving.
"It's all your fault! My great undertaking is a mess!"
"You are nothing but a pawn of Pontiff Sulyvahn. Exit the stage; you don't even have the necessity to return," the silver-haired girl said, her face devoid of anything but indifference.
Crack!
The Soul Stream pierced through Aldrich's body. The surface sludge structure could not deflect the force at all, taking the full brunt of the attack. Not only that, but the inflowing soul of Gwyndolin was gradually awakening, murmuring:
"Thank you, Frieren."
Immediately afterward, that wisp of soul fell into a deep slumber. It did not yet have the strength to take complete control and needed time.
"You're welcome. Anor Londo will need you to preside over it in the future."
She didn't care if Gwyndolin heard it or not; she had dumped the work onto him anyway. This little prince might lack a bit in martial prowess, but he wouldn't find the work of recuperation and governance difficult. Before meeting a conspirator like Pontiff Sulyvahn, he had governed quite well.
The shortcoming in martial power didn't matter to Frieren; she had already beaten her way through Dark Souls anyway. All that was needed was recovery.
This sentence was actually also telling Gwyndolin: I will bring the method to rekindle the First Flame.
"You people—"
Aldrich was at death's door before he could even utter his curses, for Frieren's Soul Crystal Spear had pierced his hideous body.
He struggled, attempting to unleash one final blow.
What welcomed him, however, was a violent twist of Frieren's Soul Magic, shattering him completely.
The soul reaction belonging to the Lord of Cinder, Devourer of Gods, grew increasingly dim until it almost vanished. Under the attack of a Master of Soul Magic, this level of defense was not worth mentioning.
His representative body of sludge vanished, dying in the Lands Between.
Leaving Gwyndolin lying weakly on the ground. A moment later, he too turned into particles of light and returned to the world of the First Flame.
It was much like the exit of the Twin Princes, the difference being that the former were beaten up and forcefully sent back. Gwyndolin, however, received Frieren's Soul Blessing before leaving, so he should be able to recover quickly.
Finally resolved.
Aldrich could indeed be considered durable, but there was one even more durable.
The rocks above shattered, and amidst the rumbling sound, a giant serpent head poked out. Rykard spoke groggily: "I... will eat you... Frieren."
"How about using my Destined Death?"
Melina had realized the immortality of the God-Devouring Serpent; ordinary means were indeed difficult to handle it.
"I can kill him with Soul Magic. Then, using the characteristic of the soul feeding back into the body, I'll wipe out that constantly growing serpent body along with it. The principle is about the same." The silver-haired girl clenched her hand. "I was only able to achieve this recently."
In reality, it was a reverse derivative method of the soul modifying the body.
It was just that previously, Frieren lacked sufficient control, and her body was relatively fragile, so she had held back this method. It was different now; a genuine, powerful Demigod physique was enough to support a higher tier of output.
So she looked at Ranni. This was the final confirmation, because slaughter by Soul Magic was inevitably accompanied by pain.
"Go ahead and do it."
Immediately, the Princess of the Moon and Melina retreated together, completely ceding the battlefield.
They didn't need to intervene anymore. The current one-on-one situation was enough for Frieren to win. On the contrary, they should stay further away to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.
Rykard shook his head, his gaze becoming sharp again.
"That guy actually died? What a useless piece of trash. No matter, I will kill you just the same."
The flesh and blood upon the Blasphemous Blade brandished its claws and fangs, roaring and screaming in pain, tormented at every moment. Now, boiling within the magma magic, it condensed into a long rainbow that connected heaven and earth.
Whoosh!
Meeting it was the Moonlight Wave of the Dark Moon Greatsword. Although it was a Weapon Skill, in Frieren's hands, it was like a blizzard passing through, inflicting frostbite even on the God-Devouring Serpent.
Ice and fire intertwined; the melting streams were evaporated before they could even reach mid-air.
However, a wisp of lightning lingered around Rykard, using the last remnants of water vapor, and exploded with a thunderous crack in an instant.
Facing power at the level of Ancient Dragons' Lightning Strike, his body indeed went numb. The accumulated damage was cashed out one by one: scales peeled off, flesh decayed, and he even subconsciously coiled his body, curling up so he wasn't so massive.
Now was the moment.
"One shock and you're like this; so you are completely a snake now."
Before her voice had fallen, Frieren made a fierce lifting motion. The underground bedrock split open, actually lifting Rykard's body and forcefully floating him into the air.
Just as he reached mid-air, he discovered a dense swarm of ancient vengeful spirits of death, surrounding him tightly, airtight. No matter how he swung sword beams or used fire, it was to no avail.
Crash!
Immediately afterward, they all pounced on Rykard, striking directly at the soul through the flesh.
A sensation of intense tearing came—not simple pain, but being torn away bit by bit. Even though his physical body was intact, something unknown was being worn away little by little. He couldn't understand it. All that remained was a more violent bombardment, his entire serpent body stretching out to roam the sky.
At the same time, he scattered countless globs of magma, like blood and fire, flowing into a river of lava along the cracks in the ground.
The God-Devouring Serpent itself was like an incarnation of the volcano.
Frieren had no intention of engaging in a contest of brute strength with a madman. Instead, she calmly canceled the Gravity Magic, causing him to crash onto the ground with a boom.
Almost at the instant he touched the ground, the Blasphemous Blade delivered a heavy chop.
Ping!
Despite the extreme disparity in size, Frieren parried with precision. The transmitted force made even Rykard's figure pause. Immediately, he witnessed white threads spreading, passing through his body like long spears.
Pest-Thread Spears were fully unleashed, combined with Aspects of the Crucible: Thorns stabbing along the serpent's body.
New abilities from the Land of Shadow were all thrown at him.
Rykard, having never seen such a fierce assault, saw his vitality drop instantly, but she didn't count on this to kill him. What mattered was the soul damage.
One more strike to finish it.
A giant Soul Crystal Sword condensed in the silver-haired girl's hand. Rykard, sensing the threat of death, flashed a trace of fear in his eyes. He swung the Blasphemous Blade with all his might, but he was a beat too slow. The tempered soul attack was driven into his body.
With a crack, the sharp blade easily pierced his body and annihilated his soul. One hit, certain kill.
The injuries accumulated until now erupted all at once.
He stared blankly at his body, which he had been so proud of. Unexpectedly, it withered, decayed, and even decomposed along with him, collapsing right before his eyes.
"How is this possible! Is the God-Devouring Serpent not immortal?"
Frieren couldn't be bothered to waste words; there was no need to communicate with the dead. She merely threw out a burst of Chaos Fire from her hand. A life that had clearly been bred from magma now withered continuously within the flames.
With the emergence of the Great Rune, it meant that yet another Shardbearer had fallen.
Frieren cupped the Great Rune with both hands. A brand-new energy manifested; she had likely drawn a reward.
**[New Module: Nightfarer]
[Comprehensively amplifies character performance, ignoring the red tape of the stamina bar. Lets the Tarnished look up to the Nightfarer's mobility. Includes multiple other adjustment amplifications.]
She hadn't drawn a new module in a long time. The long-absent system enhancement made her body feel light.
The Great Rune was a part of the rules. Every time she obtained one, she could refresh an extra module. It was the same in the other worlds; without modules, it was hard to achieve a perfect ending or temporarily lock down a situation. In short, having it was a good thing.
For someone like Frieren, who could already leap about energetically, performance didn't matter much. The significance of the new module lay elsewhere:
Fusion.
The repulsion from the power of Dark Souls was greatly reduced.
This feeling was hard to explain clearly. Anyway, it wasn't like before, where using abilities would cause rejection, requiring constant attention to her physical state to avoid collapse. It didn't matter now. Fusion had advanced further; the conflict of rules from the Lands Between against her had decreased by at least half.
An unprecedented sense of ease made her feel reborn, even more refreshing than a round of Rune reinforcement.
A huge profit!
The reward of the new module alone made the trip worthwhile, solving Frieren's pressing need: further power fusion. At least the First Flame and the Elden Ring were not in such conflict anymore. With the advantages of these two, digesting the Ancient God wouldn't be difficult.
The situation opened up in one breath; this was the best reward.
Before falling asleep, she had once worried that things wouldn't go smoothly. What if she couldn't find a way to fuse them for a long time? Now it had already begun, proceeding step by step.
Furthermore, there was the power of the Great Rune.
Rykard's Great Rune, together with the other three pieces inside her body, pieced together more than half of the Elden Ring. In an instant, it emitted a magnificent, supreme power—warm and inclusive.
Frieren was all too familiar with this power. Most of the Elden Ring was now in hand.
Grace!
She hesitated not at all to scatter specks of Runes into the earth. In the blink of an eye, the vegetation burnt by magma revived and grew. Spring returned to the land, greenery covering the fields. Not only that, but it even climbed up Mt. Gelmir in reverse, lowering even the scorching temperature slightly.
It seemed to fall back into dormancy, no longer so violent.
Melina came to Frieren's side and gently grabbed a handful of soil; there were actually roots of vegetation inside already.
"In the long time of the future, the volcano will go dormant, and then forests will cover it again... That is something I have never seen."
"Maybe there will be a crater lake."
The two smiled at each other and then tacitly moved away from Rykard's remaining carcass.
They yielded the space to Ranni, the only family member present. She sighed deeply and came before the face of the serpent's carcass, clasping her hands in prayer to silently recite words of parting, stroking her elder brother one last time...
"Your Majesty!"
A cry of alarm from Tanith broke the silence. She was seen stumbling over to embrace the gradually melting flesh and blood, hugging Rykard tightly regardless of the boiling high heat.
Not far away, Ranni revealed a wisp of grim, cold magic, which then dissipated amidst her lament.
She shook her head, turned, and left, returning to the squad.
"No need to mind her. Since Tanith has made her choice, then let her die for love with Brother. They have resolved themselves; we are outsiders now."
As the sole person in charge of the new generation of the Carian Royal Family, she made the judgment.
Melina naturally had no objection; it basically didn't concern her. Rather, having fewer other Carian Royal Family members sharing power and concentrating resources on the Little Princess was beneficial to the Soul Cinder King's faction.
Frieren's thoughts, however, drifted.
She didn't rush to exchange Rykard's Remembrance. Instead, she took out that weapon which was so exaggeratedly large it required two hands to hold.
It was hard not to associate it with the Storm Ruler greatsword, recalling the defeat of Yhorm the Giant alongside the Onion Knight. As the saying goes, only a storm can fell a great tree.
[Serpent-Hunter]
[Weapon that serves as both greatsword and spear.]
[Thought to have been used to hunt an immortal great serpent in the distant past, it manifests a long blade of light when facing such a creature.]
[When their master's heroic aspirations degenerated into vile greed, the knights set out to find a weapon that would stop their lord.]
The description indeed lived up to the title of serpent-hunting; it was perfectly suited to deal with Rykard. It seemed the temptation of the serpent had existed since ancient times. And no wonder—yin and yang oppose each other; immortality is not absolute immortality.
There had always been people trying to stop Rykard's corruption. Unfortunately, when he willingly fell into madness, no one could help.
[Unique Skill: Serpent-Hunter]
[Skill that executes a powerful thrust, followed by an upward thrust with additional input. When facing a great serpent, a long blade of light is formed, revealing the weapon's true power.]
As a counter-strategy weapon for specific scenarios, it was quite good, with decent power.
Of course, Frieren wouldn't use it; she would treat it as a collectible.
After basically confirming her harvest, she glanced at the ruins on the summit from afar. There, Bernahl, fully armored in the Beast Champion Armor, was staring back. His face was determined, his gaze sharp. After a slight nod, this hurried teacher of Ashes of War stroked his sword and left.
It wasn't time yet.
He wanted to find a way to reach Farum Azula. Frieren, who already had Ancient Dragons pledging allegiance, might be ahead, so he had to move fast.
Thus, Bernahl left decisively.
Frieren, down below, also relaxed a little. If the opponent had insisted on deciding the victor here, she would have had to fight a great battle with the specifications of a Would-be Lord. She would have had to defeat him, but a prolonged fight would inevitably trigger a reaction from the Royal Capital.
She spread her perception and sure enough, discovered an army returning from the direction of Leyndell, Royal Capital.
Morgott's style was as conservative and boring as ever.
Frieren pondered for a moment and made a decision: "Let's go. We'll find Patches and Rya. They shouldn't have gone too far; we can still catch up."
A moment later.
Sure enough, everyone met up again at the lower reaches of the Seethewater River. It turned out they hadn't left the volcano at all. Discovering this, even Ranni couldn't help but scold her little niece for her audacity, leaving lingering fear in their hearts.
"Your Majesty, and the two Highnesses, may I ask... has Lord Rykard returned to the Erdtree?"
The girl asked very euphemistically.
In reality, being devoured by the Great Serpent was considered one of the worst ways to die in the Lands Between. Out of gentleness, they nodded.
Immediately, Ranni changed the subject and asked, "Do you want to come to the Magic Academy? I will have a careful talk with you about your origins, and your future... In short, you will return to a safe and peaceful life, and you can travel the Lands Between later."
Her voice sounded as if she cherished this greatly, afraid the other party would leave.
Sensing this sincerity, Rya nodded. "I trust you. I can set off at any time."
"Then my mission is over?"
Patches rubbed his hands with a grin, then received Frieren's large sum of Runes as he wished. This deal was worth it.
"Your Majesty is indeed generous. I'll throw in a piece of news for free: the First Lord is not far from the Lands Between. The entire Golden Order faction is uniting closely."
"Thank you. I know. I came this time to end it."
...
Main Gate of the Royal Capital.
Morgott led a host of the Golden Dynasty's army to guard strictly, receiving the retreating sentries, scouts, and other forces in batches.
Suddenly, the air was no longer scorching hot; replacing it was a wisp of floral fragrance.
Looking out, Mt. Gelmir was no longer billowing thick smoke; the eruption had ceased. The magma flowing at the very top cooled rapidly, solidifying into black bay-like traces of volcanic ash, like the carved marks of a sculpture.
There was even a smear of green climbing up the high mountain.
Morgott made a gesture. His subordinates stopped their gathering actions and looked into the distance together.
The power of fully four Great Runes was reshaping the scorched earth. Grace descended from the sky, scattering like dewdrops from Frieren's hands. Even as enemies, everyone knew that only the Soul Cinder King would do this; anyone else's first reaction upon possessing Great Runes would be to strengthen their combat power.
So far, she had not relied on the shards of the Elden Ring to fight.
"Halt the retreat."
"Redeploy outwards. Dig trenches, build fortresses, and expand the defense line. We must prepare to face the Soul Cinder Army on the volcano."
Hearing the order, everyone's hearts tightened. Indeed, the troublesome phase was coming.
The loss of the volcano directly meant that the various southern troops didn't need to take the Grand Lift route, which was easily targeted. They could be transported to the volcano one after another to wait at their ease, and it would be difficult to interrupt them during the troop transfer.
If the Capital Army attacked rashly, it would be the Third Volcano War, but they were not the Rykard of those years.
Now, the Soul Cinder Army possessed numerous Demigods and elite troops, unafraid of a head-on collision.
Added to the advantage of the natural moat, they might even swallow up the Capital Army.
It couldn't be done.
In reality, Leyndell's only choice was to repair the defense lines and continue to utilize their defensive advantage, though they naturally had to face the volcano's high ground looking down on them.
The outer defense lines were destined not to be held; they were sacrificial pawns left for the Soul Cinder Army to slow down the momentum of their charge. Ultimately, the victor would be decided under the world's highest city walls. That time was not far off.
Although they didn't see the Soul Cinder King's figure, they all felt a gaze.
The moment of the decisive battle was approaching.
Seeing that the Fell Omen remained very calm, everyone felt somewhat reassured. Moreover, the Capital's military strength was constantly increasing, and with numerous Crucible Knights guarding, it was returning to its peak.
Little did they know that Morgott's true confidence lay in Godfrey—his own father. That Majesty was about to land in the Lands Between. Once his return was announced, the entire Lands Between would boil over.
Northern Altus Plateau.
Millicent, having just killed a group of hollows, stroked her sword and gazed into the distance. She saw the volcano, which towered into the clouds, gradually extinguishing.
In the long time of the past, it had clearly been erupting constantly.
Today it was uncharacteristically quiet, and had even sent down dewdrops. It was likely the handiwork of an old friend. The Lord of Blasphemy had fallen.
"Frieren... we will meet again soon, right?"
Intuition told Millicent that the time wouldn't be too far away. Soon, the Soul Cinder King would formally step onto the Altus Plateau, and everyone would definitely meet then. She heard she had clashed with the Haligtree Army; she must ask about it later.
Ruin-Strewn Precipice.
A large number of frontline troops stationed at the valley bottom began to mobilize under Edgar's command. The mighty contingent formed a black flowing line, climbing all the way toward the volcanic region. After emergency repairs, this place could be put back into use.
As long as Rykard wasn't causing destruction, it wasn't difficult to build a road for the army to pass.
Besides, with Florisaxx providing cover and watch from high altitude, transportation would be smooth enough.
Edgar ordered in a loud voice: "The mission of the first batch of troops is to occupy favorable terrain according to the map and establish basic alert defenses first. You must be careful of the Capital's reconnaissance."
"Yes, sir."
He didn't forget to check the map repeatedly to confirm the arranged positions.
The first batch of defenses had to be strict, as the possibility of the Capital Army attacking amidst the chaos could not be ruled out. Risks had to be controlled.
His mission was to take the forward springboard.
Just as he was pondering, he saw the Ancient Dragon that had been hovering in the sky suddenly descend, then nod respectfully. Following Florisaxx's line of sight, he saw Frieren returning.
The silver-haired girl was in a good mood, a smile on her lips, waving greetings from afar.
"Long live Your Majesty!"
Witnessing the Soul Cinder King return in triumph, everyone immediately burst into cheers, military flags fluttering and snapping in the wind. Everyone was incomparably excited for this moment; they had finally settled this trouble.
To say that having such a big volcano constantly dropping monsters on their heads wasn't scary? That was impossible; it was simply disgusting.
Now it was finally subjugated, and they had even created a forward base.
As soon as the Soul Cinder Army stepped onto the plateau, they would have a stronghold.
Unlike those temporary fortresses in front of the Grand Lift of Dectus, which would definitely be destroyed in one go if they met a main force charge, the volcano terrain was just right. It allowed for both advance and retreat; it was the best choice. In a sense, it and the Royal Capital held each other in check.
The relationship between the two even represented the direction of the pattern dominated by the hegemony of the Lands Between.
Disaster in troubled times.
Checks and balances in peaceful times.
If one wanted to rule the Lands Between, the governance areas that couldn't be bypassed, aside from the Snowfield, were none other than the Volcano. Now, Frieren's banner had been planted upon it. It was full of symbolic significance; this signal was inspiring.
"Edgar, set your mind at ease. I've already seen that the Capital Army isn't interested in the volcano. Their main tactic is defense."
"I understand, Your Majesty."
"The frontline is handed over to you for now. I, Ranni, and Melina need to go to the rear first to arrange tactics. Afterward, the main force will pass through here to the volcano. I leave the route's safety to you; keep an eye out."
"I am already clear on the heavy responsibility. Leave it all to me."
Edgar bowed, giving his answer solemnly. He understood that the prelude to the decisive battle had arrived.
Frieren nodded. The two had worked together for a long time and had full tacit understanding, so no superfluous exhortations were needed. Thus, the four of them embarked on the return journey together.
The squad headed all the way toward the Magic Academy.
Melina waited on the periphery, handling some newly added government affairs in passing.
Ranni needed to settle Rya and also handle Rykard's funeral affairs. She had to comfort her mother properly; Queen Rennala's life was truly a bit hard, having to receive another piece of bad news.
And she had to be responsible for the deployment of the Liurnia area army, ensuring it echoed the volcano frontline. This was the top priority.
Grand Library.**
Frieren had started reading books ever since hearing Rennala's sobbing just now.
Since the daughter and sister were there to comfort her, there would be no problem, so she didn't intervene much. The Carian Royal Family had suffered many disasters; it was good to give them a period of rest, and at the same time prepare them mentally. Because aside from Frieren, it was the Carian Royal Family that had staked the most.
Their entire family fortune was for this battle to claim the throne.
A moment later, Ranni walked over slowly. There was still a trace of sorrow between her brows as she murmured, "Your Majesty, we have lost too much since the Shattering War. You must not let anything happen to you."
"Haven't I always told you to be at ease?"
Before Frieren's voice fell, the other party threw herself into her embrace. The doll's four arms hugged her tightly, a fragrant scent assailing her nose.
She smiled faintly and returned the hug. Only the current Ranni possessed a kind of true solitude.
Suddenly, the face in soul form slowly drew closer, gazing directly. The intimate distance made both of their hearts skip a beat.
____
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