The silver-haired girl clenched the lightning, then suddenly threw it like an arrow loosed from a bowstring, striking the ground at the Full Moon Queen's feet. Almost simultaneously, her staff spun, deflecting the magic's trajectory.
A good move, using skill to achieve a rebound similar to a forcefield or light wall, but this time Frieren had focused on increasing elemental amplification damage; a large amount of lightning bypassed the defense.
Zap!
The unpreventable lightning finally hit its target. Even the usually indifferent Rennala couldn't help but cry out in pain, her body tensing as she involuntarily bent over, a numbing sensation spreading throughout her.
Frieren pressed her advantage, unleashing a large cloud of Ancient Death Rancor. This type of necromantic magic was also uncommon in the Academy region. Unfortunately, the next moment, the opponent forcefully dispelled the negative status effect using enhancement magic.
She readjusted her stance, gripping her staff tightly and leaping a short distance into the air to blast away the Death Rancor. The booming sounds were incessant. Just one round of offense and defense had caused the water in the illusion to boil, the moonlight to blur, and the deep starry sky in the background to seemingly shake endlessly, on the verge of collapse.
As long as Ranni's ingrained will and the Full Moon Queen's subconscious counterattacks didn't stop, it looked like this would drag on for a while. One couldn't underestimate a powerhouse who had become famous during the Golden Conquest; to judge her by ordinary mage standards would certainly be a mistake.
Lightning Spear.
Using it again, it was deflected even more easily. In reality, Frieren often used spells like Annihilation Lightning for large-scale bombardment; elemental attacks had many advantages. Against the power of a demigod sorceress, it wasn't enough. Of course, the objective had been achieved: the Full Moon Queen hadn't completely cleared the effects; arcs of electricity still occasionally sparked from her hands, slowing her movements, as the paralysis from the previous attack also affected her soul.
"Should be the next phase, right?" She noticed the opponent had been airborne for some time, probably brewing something.
Sure enough, dozens, even hundreds of Glintstone Comet Shards spread out from her as the center. Their trajectory was clear, very basic, but their strength lay in each one being a threat, capable of tearing through any heavy armor and exploding.
This furious offensive could annihilate an army in an instant, as its relentless barrage was comparable to a battlefield arrow shower. Yet, against Frieren's level, it consistently failed to catch her sharp movements, and she didn't forget to counterattack. Suddenly, she pounced, and in the brief moment she was airborne, a bow materialized.
Swoosh!
A shot from Loretta's Greatbow crossed the distance. Suddenly, a giant appeared out of nowhere and firmly grasped the arrow. The summon's immense power protected its master from harm.
Even if its hand was blown off the next moment, it had succeeded, buying time for a charged attack. It was a projected summon, somewhat fragile in nature but flexible and agile, and with sufficient mana, it repaired itself quickly.
"A bit like Iji?" Frieren couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as she looked at the giant's phantom, wondering if it was the power of Ranni's will. It had truly become a mother-daughter team effort.
However, the situation didn't allow for careful discernment, because Rennala had finally finished charging. Here it comes! The caster curled up, embracing a ball of mana, then gathered the bright moon, a sphere of chalky light.
The power emanating from it was world-shaking, possessing super-mass and a magic-dispelling effect; even a glance was enough to make one's scalp tingle. The Full Moon Queen lived up to her name, finally bringing out her anti-mage measures!
Frieren's first thought was to dodge, but the bright moon came too quickly, arriving before her in an instant and crushing down. All mana barriers shattered; rebound-type defenses couldn't stop its great mass. It had already bypassed the mana insulation and struck a hand, instantly mangling flesh and blood. She had actively met it, confronting force with force, using her own body as a zero-distance casting medium.
Annihilation Lightning, full power! The blooming crimson patterns represented absolute annihilating lightning, spreading in all directions, enveloping the illusion. Caught off guard, the Full Moon Queen was struck by a bolt of lightning and fell, her body crackling with arcs of electricity, temporarily unable to organize a pursuit. Experts know how to control their output without scattering it; even the lightning's fury only raged for a breath before condensing into a single point and striking out fiercely!
Dong!
The thunderclap and the bright moon collided, shattering and disappearing into each other. However, the latter's magic-breaking property was extremely troublesome. Enduring the pressure, it once again struck Frieren's main body, while Rennala also unleashed a meteor shower. It was a rare moment of life and death after so long in the Lands Between. She rolled to dodge the first impact, then her speed greatly increased as she deployed an incomparably hard barrier to neutralize the meteors. In a seemingly certain-death situation, she had carved out a path to survival. Even Rennala showed a hint of a puzzled expression, because this kind of barrier construction was unheard of.
Indeed. Actually, the Astrologer account's stats were completely insufficient and couldn't make up the difference, so Frieren had mobilized her main body's power and techniques. The situation she faced was different from that of players; they had a certain degree of level balancing. Logically, early-game Liurnia of the Lakes shouldn't be too difficult, yet she had to face two demigods. Even resolving the crisis wasn't enough.
The silver-haired girl was panting, leaning on her staff. One hand was bleeding profusely, and half of her body was covered in frost. Her mana circulation was becoming disordered.
"So that's Rennala's Full Moon sorcery? It's indeed a bit troublesome." Frieren immediately drank a Wondrous Physick to recover. While walking and moving, she downed it all. Energy flowed through her body, healing her wounds. Even the negative status effects were forcefully washed away and submerged by the surging mana. Her main body possessed countless healing methods, but using the native ones of the Lands Between was more fitting.
Conversely, the Full Moon Queen was also suffering. She had just barely managed to stand up, suppressing the damage from Annihilation Lightning. The giant summon had disappeared, and after a period of high-intensity combat, she no longer possessed her earlier ferocity. The continuous furious attacks hadn't brought down her opponent. Now, with her mind lost, her willpower was ultimately insufficient. Her endurance relied on Ranni's will, which was failing.
Tired? Frieren, who was in high spirits, showed no signs of fatigue. She had already switched weapons, adopting an unprecedented stance: Azur's Glintstone Staff and the Demi-Human Queen's Staff. The dual-staff configuration compensated to the greatest extent for the incompatibility with the laws of the Lands Between, striving to improve mana output, control, accuracy, and other fundamentals, emphasizing offense above all else. Next was a round of reckless abandon.
Not good. The Soul of Cinder King's sword and staff style was renowned throughout the world. Today was the first time she had displayed dual staves; this was the pinnacle battle within the illusion. Frieren seized the moment while the Full Moon Queen hadn't recovered to reapply a series of buffs. By the time Rennala dispelled her paralyzed state, she found the silver-haired girl surrounded by several kinds of light, layered upon each other, dazzling to the eyes. Even with an incomplete mind, she knew something major was about to happen.
So be it. Perhaps today's battle in the illusion was a kind of new beginning. Rennala couldn't help but clutch her heart. The attack, imbued with soul magic, had touched the deepest part of her consciousness. She also felt the youthful soul's elation from her opponent. Then, satisfy the new Shardbearer King's fighting spirit.
Outside the illusion, in the library room. After losing the Full Moon Queen's coordination, the apprentices shrieked and attacked Ranni. It was still a variety of miscellaneous magic attacks, numerous in type, without even basic aiming, almost a chaotic barrage. They felt the opponent must have used some trick and had to be severely punished. So, they relentlessly pursued the figure in the Snow Witch attire, refusing to let go even if she was prone on the ground.
"I won't deliberately train with you like Frieren." Ranni's figure flickered continuously, easily dodging the attacks and incidentally using a mana shockwave. It was clearly the simplest technique, not even qualifying as magic, yet it stunned them. At the same time, she used sleep magic in coordination. These lively apprentices instantly fell sound asleep.
A small portion dealt with. The remaining ones, sensing the crisis, their magic became much more accurate, improving at a visibly rapid pace. Not only that, some even struggled to get up, their legs seeming to have regained sensation, trembling slightly.
"Could it be that soul-healing magic can truly repair some defects!" Witnessing this, Ranni decided to observe more, continuing to move, not attacking, yet revealing no openings. Her true body wasn't present from the start; the projection was enough to toy with these novices, and they couldn't seize any opportunity, basically just flailing around randomly, though they did manage to turn the library upside down. Seeing the familiar place of her childhood in such a mess, it was hard not to feel a sense of regret.
"You!" Suddenly, the apprentices seemed to struggle to shout complete words. It should be accusations and curses, but it sounded more like a complete person. One round of soul healing had such an effect! Ranni's interest grew as she continued to observe. Unfortunately, they couldn't last much longer. Some of them, without needing to be put to sleep, ran out of energy and fell soundly asleep. Clearly, this ordeal had been too taxing; they had to hibernate.
Both the esoteric art of life and soul magic were treasures of the Lands Between, technologies whose developers were the only ones who truly understood them. "It seems you can't make trouble for much longer. Sleep well now." With this thought, the doll-like girl spread sleep magic, easily subduing these rampaging individuals with illusions.
When it came to techniques like concealment and illusion, Ranni was confident she was among the top in the Lands Between; otherwise, she couldn't have evaded the Two Fingers' assassins, let alone secretly plan so many major events.
Boom! The barrier sphere in the center of the library trembled continuously. Though its diameter was only a few arm's lengths, it actually contained an illusion, where a great battle was likely raging.
She had no doubt both sides were using all their combat techniques, a dazzling display of magic, in a sense, the epitome of the sorcerer's domain. Excluding herself, who couldn't fight for long, and the Full Moon Queen, who lacked willpower, the strongest pure sorcerer should be Frieren. Provided she won the illusion battle...
Just as Ranni was anxiously watching the barrier, the door creaked open. Leading the way was none other than the Carian Knight, Moongrum. He bowed and said, "Your Highness, they insist on coming in." Behind him were the Spirit Ash legion and the Dragon Communion legion, advancing menacingly. Even facing such renowned troop types in the Lands Between, they would not retreat. The leader was Sellen.
"After all, I can't miss my apprentice's crucial battle."
Ranni nodded and said, "My interests align with those of Stormveil Castle, and I also look forward to Her Majesty Frieren completing the battle soon.
What needs to be done now is to prevent the aftershocks from spreading further; the most intense conflict is about to arrive."
Illusion space. Countless spells streaked across the sky, outlining rainbows – a deadly palette. At this moment, the dual-staff wielding, silver-haired girl unleashed disparate spells like Comet, Crystal Burst, and Glintstone Pebble. Since you understand their performance, then make up for it with sheer numbers.
Boom boom! In fact, it truly blasted Rennala into constantly dodging to maintain distance. Seeing the situation was not good, she simultaneously summoned a giant, a great dragon, a Bloodhound Knight, and other summons.
However, they could only serve as shields, disappearing after a few breaths, unable to last. What she needed was an opportunity.
Comet Azur! A calculated move was suddenly unleashed, aimed at Frieren's position, its force enough to breach city walls. Unexpectedly, the opponent stood her ground and repelled it with Thops's Forcefield.
With her other hand, she returned a Soul Stream that hit the unprepared Queen. Although Rennala deployed a mana defense in time, she was still staggered by the blow, nearly losing her footing, swaying unsteadily.
Clearly, she was at the end of her rope, temporarily unable to organize a powerful offense, almost ceding the battle's rhythm.
Why? How could she achieve this with dual staves! What was counterintuitive was that Frieren, in such a combat stance, didn't squander mana but used finer control to improve efficiency and reduce consumption. While buffing herself, she attacked, growing stronger with each battle, flawless.
No, it should be a battle-hardened expert who had adapted to hellish combat experiences, so this seemingly high-pressure style was more suitable; she was in her complete form. And according to the Full Moon Queen's observation, the most difficult part was just beginning.
Moonlight Greatsword! A wisp of pale white mana rose from Frieren's hand, full of frost, possessing intense cutting power, and also great length and wide range.
Inspired by the Glintstone Dragon's mana, and having encountered much moonlight magic during this time, after analysis, she unleashed her own unique Moonlight Greatsword.
The cold air was biting, the light brilliant. Rennala immediately prepared herself. Sure enough, the opponent swept her sword horizontally with immense momentum. Then she would use Carian Retaliation to block it.
But unexpectedly, the mid-air move was suddenly dispelled. The silver-haired girl leaped off a block of ice frozen in mid-air, actually using that move as a feint. The real killing blow was at zero distance.
Frieren, wielding Carian Slicer, plummeted suddenly, blades of mana crisscrossing her body, completely dismantling the defensive barrier.
Crack! Even the illusion space showed a barely perceptible crack. After the strike, she landed in a slashing posture, then rolled to create distance, dodging the Full Moon sorcery released at her back, the cold air chilling to the bone. In the nick of time, Rennala used her moon stance to deflect the force and counterattack.
Unfortunately, it didn't hit Frieren; ultimately, she herself was more heavily injured.
After reverting from her moon transformation, she couldn't help but kneel on the ground, panting, her aura rapidly diminishing. But this also meant the most dangerous moment had arrived. Top-tier confrontations always reserved some mana for contingencies; now, the Full Moon Queen would not hesitate.
Glintstone Comet Shard! Terrifying energy condensed at the tip of the Carian Regal Scepter. It was more than just a meteor; it was a usage similar to Frieren's: infusing ordinary magic with absolute mana to achieve a qualitative leap in power.
Aim, and at the same time, spread icebergs throughout the space to freeze movement; neither side should think of fighting flexibly.
"Good, let's end this quickly." Frieren stood her ground, raising both staves. The abundant soul power within her surged joyfully, infusing them to form a brilliant azure torrent.
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