Godfrey struck first, stomping heavily. The earth churned with a shockwave, sweeping forward with unstoppable momentum, reaching Frieren even from that distance amidst the tree roots.
She countered with her own ground stomp.
The frost storm born of the Divine Beast Dancing Lion's power clashed with it, annihilating each other and dissipating into fragments of energy.
Just as dust filled the air, a war axe with a chilling glint swept towards her, poised to cut Frieren in half. She gracefully stepped onto the blade's surface, elegantly dodging the blow, then immediately unleashed Sorcery: Comet at point-blank range.
Boom!
The stream of light grazed Godfrey's face. The avatar, sensing the threat, grinned.
With a hearty laugh, his body shook, releasing a devastating sweep in all directions. His strength erupted like explosive air pressure.
The silver-haired girl used the pull of Sorcery: Gravity Well to regain distance, and the two resumed their tense standoff.
In just two rounds of exchanges, their extraordinary skill became evident, proving them truly worthy adversaries.
However, it was clear that the First Lord's avatar had plenty of skill but lacked sufficient raw power, even if it already seemed exaggerated to onlookers.
The Royal Capital forces retreating along the tree trunk above frequently glanced back, dumbfounded by the sight. Their astonishment was palpable.
"It's still not enough for you." The avatar's next words were even more jaw-dropping. "Frieren, you are indeed the strongest quasi-king."
"The First Elden Lord of the Golden Dynasty is also impressive. I wonder how much of your true self's spirit this avatar possesses?"
The two, with tacit understanding, had suppressed their destructive output.
On one hand, generating too much destructive force underground could easily compromise various areas above. On the other hand, neither was at full power, so there was no need to compete in destruction.
It was better to spar with techniques, as a combatant's core fighting style would not drastically change. At least they could test each other's initial capabilities.
They understood that today's spar served as a prelude to the upcoming King's War. Information was crucial, and this opportunity could not be missed. Not solely for finding weaknesses, but also for the sheer exhilaration of combat.
Again.
The moment their eyes met, both understood.
Frieren was first to unleash a Moonlight Wave from the Dark Moon Greatsword. Such bottomless resilience; ordinary Weapon Skills couldn't even scratch it.
Godfrey's avatar didn't dodge. He waved his arm to interrupt while simultaneously delivering a heavy axe chop. The Dark Moon Greatsword met it head-on.
A crisp 'ping' sent a jolt up their arms. The test was clear: a body primarily specced for a mage wasn't resilient enough for a direct clash.
"This kind of probing is too risky, what's your plan?"
The avatar swept fiercely in all directions. In a critical moment, the ability known as Miriam's Vanishing allowed Frieren to teleport away, reappearing dozens of meters away. A wisp of silver hair from her temple drifted to the ground.
That momentary exchange was incredibly fast; even she couldn't completely dodge the attack.
Yet Godfrey's avatar used the least efficient full-area attack. If it were his true form, his perception, strength, and speed would all be superior; she would have definitely been caught in a combo just now.
Although dangerous, it gave Frieren a rough estimate. Of course, she also had to consider the possibility of her opponent intentionally setting a trap.
Sorcery: Comet.
A barrage of glintstone sorceries, each a pinpoint Sorcery: Comet, fired in rapid succession, surrounding the target.
However, the effect was minimal. The golden phantom merely snorted, and a shockwave dispersed the attacks, rendering the glintstones fragile before him, shattering and vanishing one after another.
Something was amiss; the strength of an avatar was indeed a bit exaggerated. One explanation was that Godfrey himself was not far. Another explanation was... Grace?
Frieren tried to actively resonate with the Great Runes within her. Sure enough, the avatar emitted a similar radiant glow: a wisp of Grace from the Erdtree.
"You weren't completely stripped of Grace?"
This sentence touched upon one of the major events in The Lands Between. Could it be that Godfrey's banishment was part of a plan?
If Marika and the First Lord had some tacit understanding from beginning to end, at least leaving behind a contingency—such as this Grace—then many things would have to be re-evaluated. This was extremely important.
Godfrey smiled without speaking.
Whether he answered or not didn't hinder Frieren's attack; the battle continued.
The two went back and forth, blades and magic flashing at mid-range, each movement breathtaking.
The devastating power of a mage and the absolute dominance of a warrior were fully displayed, each clashing without reservation at their peak, focusing solely on pure offense.
Since it was a test, conservative fighting was impossible; any move was fair game. This battle was a preview of the future King's War.
Boom!
Shockwaves reverberated through the entire root area, rattling eardrums and filling their minds with a deafening buzz, making the very ground beneath them shudder so violently they could barely stand.
The ground, in the clash between Godfrey and Frieren, undulated like a canvas filled with wind.
The Golden Dynasty entourage retreating from the tree hollow passage had rocks and soil rolling at their feet. Above them were Yhorm the Giant, accompanied by the Prince of Death and the Death Dragon—each a colossal behemoth.
If they fell, the consequences would be unimaginable. Sir Gideon Ofnir had no choice but to cover their retreat personally, cutting off certain key paths as they went.
Indeed, the avatar had no intention of returning. Seeing the First Lord's resolve made it clear: it was both a personal desire to spar and a way to avoid a premature slide into the final battle, serving as cover for the group's retreat.
"Let's fight again later, Frieren."
It had to be admitted that among all the Tarnished in the Roundtable Hold, Frieren was the most outstanding. Unfortunately, their paths diverged, leaving no room for coexistence.
Gideon, having made up his mind, increased his speed. The more they were enemies, the more seriously he needed to regard her.
Godfrey's personal admission of her as the strongest quasi-king held enough weight. She was not someone to be confronted directly; he would have to rely on strategy.
For today, they would part ways, and the remaining grudges would be settled later.
The group departed.
On the other side, Melina and Torrent also moved towards the edge of the battlefield.
Melina understood Frieren's fighting style; even with an intention to control the destructive range, Frieren definitely wouldn't be able to. Most likely, the battle would only grow more intense, so it was better to retreat far away early and not interfere casually.
To be honest, Melina also anticipated the King's War, because ultimately, a winner would have to be decided between those two.
At this moment, the battle also intensified. In their ultra-high-speed exchange of offense and defense, neither combatant gained a clear advantage.
They attacked, blocked, and defended in turns, yet emerged unscathed. Onlookers watched in amazement, yet Godfrey and Frieren remained unsatisfied.
How could it be considered a true test without understanding the opponent's resilience? Both knew they had to be more serious.
Rancorcall!
Frieren, ever the mage, struck first, using the Prince of Death's Staff to summon rancor spirits with both ghostflame and fire attributes, a dense mass that quickly enveloped their surroundings.
Even with Godfrey's skill, dodging left and right couldn't evade them all.
Suddenly, he leaped, soaring from among the many rancor spirits, and with his war axe, crashed down.
However, Frieren had already taken a stance: the charged stance of her Moonveil Katana.
Clang!
The azure slash and the axe chop intersected, and their breastplates cracked simultaneously, finally delivering wounds to their bodies.
Frieren's physical body was bleeding profusely, while Godfrey's phantom form had a chunk gouged from his chest.
That moment was extremely dangerous.
As if by agreement, the Soul of Cinder and the First Lord only attacked, never defending, not even bothering with basic evasive maneuvers, almost to the point of allowing a blade to reach their necks, solely to verify each other's defensive capabilities.
This proved their resilience was truly bottomless; they were clearly monstrously built, formidable foes.
Godfrey touched his broken armor. As a phantom, he dimmed slightly from the heavy blow, but his fighting spirit intensified instead.
"Truly exhilarating, what formidable martial arts. My first injury in years came from you."
Frieren stretched her wrist, which had almost cramped.
"Your body is very hard, unlike anything I've ever cut."
Unlike the dead hardness of Ancient Dragon scales, it was muscle that resisted the cuts; a terrifying physique that could be described as a legendary weapon in itself.
This was just an avatar; the true form would only be even stronger. 'Hard enough,' she mused. 'An excellent punching bag candidate.'
Godfrey burst into laughter: "You're much the same. That last strike was meant to split you in two, but it felt like cutting the Erdtree."
"Did you actually use the Erdtree as a punching bag? I'll have to try that later."
After a brief moment to catch their breath, the very next instant, both charged again, their figures interlacing.
After a magical teleport, Frieren feigned an attack, then opened distance to unleash Sorcery: Carian Piercer, the slender glintstone rapier slashing through.
In a split second, Godfrey reacted, twisting his war axe to intercept and snap the glintstone sword.
Immediately after, an ice storm swept forth, frost engulfing the area. Unexpectedly, Godfrey forcefully exhaled, scattering the elemental attack in reverse.
'Truly interesting,' Frieren thought, her eyes lighting up.
Ash of War: Hoarfrost Stomp!
The phantom avatar stomped fiercely, and the ground rose like waves, churning energy from the earth's core, releasing it indiscriminately from below, making it impossible to stand firm.
Dirt and rocks splattered, rattling loudly upon impact. Even more terrifying was the invisible shockwave that churned internal organs and vibrated bones.
At the same time, Godfrey had charged forward, striking directly.
Flowing Water Sword Style!
It was still the Moonveil Katana, but the technique used softness to overcome hardness.
It weaved past Frieren's exquisite footwork, even leaving several wounds on her opponent. Although slightly shaken, it wasn't an easy victory. The First Lord had taken a considerable risk.
He carelessly reset his stance. From beginning to end, Frieren hadn't managed to cause a significant stagger, meaning mid-range combat would be quite difficult.
Relying entirely on long-range magic coverage would introduce too many variables. Indeed, the First Lord's power itself limited his opponent's performance.
Frieren eagerly prepared to escalate the battle. Since the old methods were not thoroughly probing, she might as well switch tactics.
Godfrey, sensing the change in her aura, grinned: "Have you decided?"
"Of course."
"Coincidentally, I have too."
Before he finished speaking, Godfrey wielded his war axe, conjuring a whirlwind.
It wasn't an incantation or a sorcery, but purely raw power manipulating all things, instantly scattering the lingering rancor spirits.
Not only that, the whirlwind hadn't dissipated yet. Every subsequent move would likely carry the force of ground stomps and gales.
Godfrey, a warrior from the highlands, proved with his actions that magic of minor tricks was meaningless. Insufficiently condensed energy could even be deflected.
If one were to use power, it should be power worthy of a king. This physical body was probably stronger than that of an ordinary Ancient Dragon.
Witnessing this drastic change, Frieren naturally wouldn't be overconfident.
Lightning flashed in her palm, crackling as she conjured crimson lightning. Her opening move, Incantation: Lightning Strike, immediately spread, charring the roots of the towering Erdtree.
Lightning Blade!
The sweeping crimson lightning sliced open the sky. It was met by Godfrey's roar, his war axe conjuring a colliding whirlwind.
In an instant, hurricane clouds enveloped the lightning, causing the underground waterfall's flow to momentarily cease, and everything trembled.
During that single clash, rocks and soil actually rolled down from above, and even an unlucky knight was flung from the roots to his death.
Melina, riding Torrent, went to even more distant roots. She had a premonition that this was just the beginning.
Her suspicions were confirmed; given Frieren's fondness for new magic, Frieren would definitely not be content to settle down.
A single clash annihilated both attacks.
Frieren was naturally not satisfied with this outcome. She channeled lightning again, spanning the tree trunk vertically. Unlike the previous horizontal spread, it condensed into a two-pronged long spear.
Seeing this, even Godfrey's eyes narrowed. 'I must stop it!' he thought.
Godfrey immediately gave chase, but found Frieren agilely ascending. Incantation: Aspects of the Crucible: Wings?
Frieren had even learned an Ancient Incantation, and her proficiency was probably no less than that of the Crucible Knights.
Now Godfrey could not afford to overthink; he had to prepare his defenses, for he recognized the impending move.
Fortissax's Lightning Spear!
The move of a top-tier warrior from the Ancient Dragon War shone in the hands of the strongest quasi-king thousands of years later, asserting its dominance once more. It descended from the sky, piercing the earth and radiating crimson lightning.
Like scattering seeds, countless fine lightning bolts instantly grew.
Similarly, from bottom to top, using the same attack path as a return for Godfrey's Hoarfrost Stomp. Caught off guard, the phantom avatar could only tighten its body to block.
At the same time, Godfrey pointed his axe into the distance, and some of the lightning was actually diverted and dissipated.
But most of the energy still hit squarely.
Boom!
Accumulating to a peak, the impact even burst into flames. In the thick smoke, the golden phantom had already dimmed.
Even the radiance of his Grace struggled to resist; after all, it was only an avatar's strength. Godfrey barely stood, leaning on his war axe. That last blow had nearly killed him.
Yet his sharp gaze remained fixed on Frieren, who was slowly descending, ready to attack again at any moment. Unfortunately, the opponent remained vigilant and gave no opportunity; a forced attack at this distance was meaningless.
The moment their gazes met.
Frieren's staff manifested a Sorcery: Carian Slicer, seemingly intending to decide the outcome with it.
Godfrey naturally obliged, letting out a great roar and charging forward. His war axe swung with immense power, its speed leaving afterimages.
But it was no match for Frieren's sliding sprint, and Sorcery: Carian Slicer, a magic specialized in quick kills. With a sharp 'clang', the blade slashed across his chest.
The golden phantom paused, growing even dimmer, its outline blurring.
He turned back, looking at Frieren as she sheathed her sword, and smiled.
"Soul of Cinder, we'll meet again on the Royal Capital battlefield."
With that, the avatar's Rune energy, along with its Grace, dissipated, merging into that faint, distant connection.
Frieren pressed on the wound on her abdomen. Ultimately, the blow left a scar. The reason it wasn't deeper was due to the lingering paralysis from the Ancient Dragons' Lightning Strike; otherwise, she would have bled out.
"Minor Erdtree!" Melina, who had rushed back, immediately cast an Incantation: Urgent Heal.
Other recovery incantations were also prepared, immediately stopped the bleeding and rapidly closed the wound.
"What kind of King's War is this? It's clearly taking advantage of someone, you just fought the Death Dragon."
"It's fine. Later, my battle with Godfrey won't be one where neither of us is already depleted, merely waiting to fight each other."
"Should we go back now?"
"Since we're already here, why not try infiltrating the Royal Capital?"
"Are you serious? It's a long way up from here, and it's certainly heavily guarded." Melina glanced upwards, unable to see the end. The Erdtree's roots, sprawling through the underground space, were more magnificent than she had imagined, truly like a towering mountain range.
She didn't object, but sought to remind Frieren not to act impulsively, but to think clearly.
Frieren cupped her hand over her eyes. While gazing into the distance, her psychic perception extended unilaterally, fully exploring upwards, passing through crisscrossing tree trunks and branches, then bypassing Sir Gideon Ofnir's group. The demigod sorcerer might have detected her perception.
Continuing upwards, she indeed found an opening at the top of this underground ceiling, leading to the main city palace, which was also their retreat target. 'Ruled out,' she decided.
Even Frieren didn't want to immediately face the Golden Dynasty's most central area, fully guarded and on 100% vigilance. Setting aside the fact that she would be moving with Melina, their first visit was for exploration, not combat.
As for combat, the consecutive battles with the Death Dragon and the First Lord's avatar had been exhilarating enough. It would be better to first investigate the Royal Capital.
So Frieren's psychic power spread to the other side, searching for weak points... The deep sewers caught her attention. They were filled with the aura of Omens, reminding her of the description of the Fell Omen's shackles.
The dark side of the Royal Capital, a place of banishment. It was certainly a place full of taboos, one they would typically want to avoid at all costs.
Counter-detection would be easy, and they could advance and retreat as they pleased. If satisfied, retreating from there would not be too late.
The above-ground part would wait to be conquered. As for the underground part of the Royal Capital, Frieren would scout it first.
Frieren withdrew her gaze and said: "I've found an opening. After we rest, we'll follow the tree trunk to the sewers."
The previous psychic scan had already given her a rough idea in her mind; they could proceed.
"Understood."
Aside from major decisions like governance, Melina wouldn't voice her opinion. Compared to those, the seemingly dangerous infiltration of the Royal Capital was insignificant. Instead, it showed great kingly resolve. She would even support her partner in experiencing the Golden Royal Capital.
She looked up and murmured: "Thinking back, I also didn't get to see Leyndell, Royal Capital at the peak of the Golden Dynasty. Everything began to decline before I could even catch a glimpse... But it should still retain the most prosperous afterglow of The Lands Between now."
"Then it's worth a look."
Frieren always acted on her word. The two rested for a while to recover their strength, and incidentally checked their bags.
Another scan confirmed Sir Gideon Ofnir's group had also retreated. The time was ripe.
A Sorcery: Gravity Well rose from thin air, pulling the two. Climbing all the way up would be too tiring.
As the strongest mage in The Lands Between, there were naturally different options: flying up directly with gravity magic.
They swiftly glided past the thick tree trunks. The Great Waterfall of Deeproot Depths below became increasingly tiny; the battleground they had just fought on was almost out of sight.
In contrast, the ceiling above grew more and more oppressive.
Almost there. If she wasn't mistaken, the direction should be aimed directly below Leyndell, leading straight to the sewers.
As the distance shortened, Frieren and Melina also saw a series of footprints, especially the tracks left by Yhorm the Giant transporting two colossal creatures.
One could imagine the trouble involved; there must have been ample support above. Thus, that was the location they needed to bypass.
Frieren steered the Sorcery: Gravity Well to fly to the other side. A moment later, she indeed found that a tree root had broken through a section of brick wall, creating a sewer opening.
The wafting foul odor further corroborated this judgment.
She didn't forget to cast purification magic on them both. Of course, Melina also shared her blessings using her own methods.
While enduring the stench, they couldn't exactly roll around in the filth of the sewers, so necessary purification couldn't be foregone.
Sorcery: Unseen Form.
Out of caution, Frieren first became transparent, then stepped into the opening, only to encounter an Omen head-on.
After silently assassinating it with a backstab, she gestured for Melina to also enter. They officially stepped into the Royal Capital's territory.
The two exchanged glances, a myriad of emotions crossing their faces. To enter the Royal Capital in such a way—through the sewers, no less—felt almost like a transgression.
And without needing the Two Fingers' seal. 'No, that's not right,' Frieren mused. 'The Mother of Fingers is dead, and with only the Two Fingers of the Roundtable remaining, the seal must have long since disappeared. All in all, the ground beneath our feet is Leyndell's territory.'
Melina looked around. Only the narrow and long passage left her undecided, so she had to ask: "Have you decided which way to go?"
"I sense the aura of the Frenzied Flame. Should we go check it out?"
Out of respect, Frieren asked her partner's opinion. The latter sighed and nodded.
'What a coincidence,' Melina thought. Their adventurous path was always accompanied by traces of the Frenzied Flame, as if it were laying temptations along the very places the Tarnished were destined to traverse.
However, the Lord of Frenzied Flame, Midela, had already been dealt with, so what remained were likely mere trifles.
"If we truly encounter the legendary Three Fingers of Frenzied Flame, leave it to me. I will bestow Destined Death upon them."
"I don't sense the aura of an Outer God. Even if that entity exists, it should be a weak avatar. Killing it would be good, making The Lands Between a little less troublesome."
Frieren had a responsibility to consider long-term future construction. The Stars' Order was very inclusive, but that didn't mean it could tolerate all manner of monsters and spirits; they should be cleared out as soon as possible.
She led the way, following the aura of the Frenzied Flame.
The Royal Capital sewers were lonelier than expected. Although they had encountered an Omen at first glance, there were actually few monsters, especially when maintaining stealth and evasion throughout, progressing with almost no combat.
A moment later, below the stairs, bodies were piled up, in various poses, with grotesque expressions.
'No, they might not even be actual corpses,' Frieren realized; they inexplicably gave off a lifelike impression. But they were so stiff, so eerie, showing no reaction to the newcomers...
Seeing this, Melina couldn't help but grip her Mission Dagger tighter. Indeed, wherever the Frenzied Flame resided, terror seemed to follow.
It served as a grim warning to visitors; those who dared seek it would surely meet a grim end.
"These bodies appear to be Nomadic Merchants, likely disposed of by the Royal Capital as Frenzied Flame worshipers."
"So there's a history like this."
"After all, the Golden Dynasty repeatedly issued strict prohibitions against the Frenzied Flame faith. Of course, no one knows how many were wrongly killed or how many escaped."
"Under a ban, there will always be innocents and survivors. The key is to solve the source."
Frieren spoke while standing at the end of the corridor. Ahead was a sheer drop—a vertical well plunging deep into the earth. Aside from a few rotten wooden crossbeams, there were no footholds to gain purchase.
Like the Blighttown pit, but worse. 'She missed her old friend who built ladders for her,' Frieren thought. Here, there were no ladders; they would most likely have to force their descent.
"You sensed the aura of the Three Fingers of Frenzied Flame from down there?" Melina, incredulous, felt precarious even standing at the very edge.
'Jump down?' she thought, a shiver running down her spine. 'We just came up from the Deeproot Depths; how much deeper would we have to go?'
"Yes, it's time for us to depart."
Frieren, without further explanation, once again conjured a Sorcery: Gravity Well to pull them.
____
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