One Versus Two (Bonus Chapter)

Radahn, flying in the air, showed no intention of attacking hastily. Instead, he observed the changes, carefully surveying any movement on the beach below.

Not only that, but even with only instinct remaining, he did not forget to fully mobilize the Great Rune that was highly fused with him. He even benefited from his Scarlet Rot-ridden body, which allowed him to reach a higher upper limit.

"Is this a phase transition?"

Watching General Starscourge below the clouds made Frieren's heart jolt.

Excellent.

If the strongest demigod was at the end of his rope, it would be too devaluing. This way, she could truly test the gap between herself and the top tier of the Lands Between. Moreover, he had demonstrated a way to fuse with a Great Rune, whereas she, in contrast, merely used it as a casting tool.

This was a gap, but she wouldn't change. If she were to fuse, she would fuse with the complete Elden Ring; a Great Rune was just a transition.

Suddenly, a wisp of golden light rose from Frieren's back, and the internal injuries from the shock recovered slightly.

Without turning her head, she knew Melina had mounted behind her.

"Fight as you wish. Leave the recovery to me," she encouraged. "Also, the accumulated runes for enhancement have all been allocated as usual. I will witness your victory."

"Understood."

Torrent, beneath her, let out a high-pitched neigh, further accelerating, heading straight for the sea. The vast body of water would dilute the impact, and it would also cool the dangerous magic she was about to use.

Sure enough, he officially launched his attack. A dense, dark belt of meteorites descended from the sky.

A ring of rocks circled him as the center, falling from the heavens.

Gravity tore through the cloudy sky. Before this absolutely incandescent magic, even the Erdtree seemed dim, and the more distant starry sky trembled and roared.

The castle walls were shaking off rubble. Some nervous people quickly retreated into the city, not daring to watch, afraid a doomsday catastrophe was coming. This Caelid was truly plagued by disasters.

"It's just like the General in his prime has returned," Jerren murmured.

The strongest demigod who had once attacked Leyndell and fiercely fought the Haligtree Army had returned, his spirit no less than in his prime. Now, he faced an equally honorable opponent of the same type; how could he not be excited? That was why he brought out his maximum magical power, even fully activating the benefits of his Great Rune.

And as everyone knew, the New Lord of Souls didn't use her Great Rune in combat, so she was naturally a step weaker.

Would she win?

Originally, her performance in the Second Battle of Aeonia made everyone feel Frieren was unstoppable, but now, seeing General Starscourge still peerless in the world, the outcome was hard to predict.

They felt that in terms of spectacle, Radahn clearly had the upper hand. And why he chose the coast—it was unlikely to mitigate much of the impact.

"Wait, why is it getting hotter?"

Someone, drenched in sweat, began to remove their armor. Someone else drank water greedily. Yet others cried out in pain, "The castle walls are scorching hot!"

In a few breaths' time, the heat had reached a disastrous level, as if they were in a crucible. Fortunately, a cool breeze of moonlight blew over, barely neutralizing the heat. It was Ranni, atop the watchtower, retracting her magic.

"Magic you've never used before? This aura of destruction and demons..."

Chaos Storm!

Frieren had been charging it since just now. She had specifically chosen the seaside, fearing its power would be too fierce and harm the innocent.

This was the masterpiece of the Witch of Izalith, who had attempted to create the First Flame, but instead lost control and was consumed by it, even forming the Ruined Capital of Chaos, the birthplace of many demons. So, whether in terms of power or sheer status, it was second to none.

She didn't like using it before because it easily reminded her of the bothersome environment of Lost Izalith. Now, there was no need for such reservations; she had to use a super-powerful move.

She raised her staff and pointed it at the sky.

A demonic roar, accompanied by the flames of the ruined capital, shot towards the heavens, transforming into countless pillars of fire as if to prop up the sky and compete with the Erdtree.

In response, Radahn caused the entire meteorite belt to fall.

The fastest-falling meteorite and the fastest-rising flame pillar collided, churning into magma, shattering with a deafening boom.

Dong!

Heaven and earth simultaneously rained down upon each other—one side red, the other purple-white, neither giving way. Where they met in the middle, they annihilated and canceled each other out. The vast coastline was left with only this one booming sound.

The blinding light made one's eyes water, yet they still tried their best to gaze upon the sight.

"It's simply a miracle."

Whether it was Radahn's gravity magic or Frieren's Chaos Storm, both were world-destroying. When one used an ultimate move, the other was willing to meet it, guaranteeing a head-on clash to their satisfaction.

The seawater actually receded continuously, or rather, it evaporated. Hissing steam filled the surroundings, only to be quickly blown away by the fierce winds accompanying the meteorites.

Pillar of fire and meteorite—colliding, each trying to tear open the other's defense.

After all, they weren't just making a grand spectacle for fun, but using their maximum output to create an opening, then using the advantage of a massive magical reaction to defeat the enemy in one blow. So, both were observing the other, searching for a flaw. Though amidst a doomsday scene, their hearts were as calm as still water.

Meanwhile, Melina healed her partner's internal injuries.

"Sufficient brute force, but lacking in flexibility."

Suddenly, Frieren was the first to change her move. The pillar-shaped Chaos Storm condensed into a single point, easily piercing the increasingly thin meteorite belt to strike the target directly.

Caught off guard, Radahn was instantly enveloped. The flames, stretching from heaven to earth, wrapped around his massive figure as he fell.

He was already at the point of his old strength fading; being hit by such a large-scale spell naturally caused heavy damage.

Comet barrage!

Even as he fell, she didn't miss the chance to pursue, continuously releasing glintstone to hit Radahn until he smashed a crater in the ground. The next moment, he stood up, though covered in wounds.

His corrupted flesh continuously flaked off. Even if it delayed death, it couldn't change the trend of his growing weakness.

But he saw through his opponent's bravado.

In fact, Frieren's injuries had only been superficially repaired by Melina. The remnants of a demigod's power were not so easily dispelled. Coupled with the consumption of mana, her condition was also declining.

As the reigning champion of the "strongest" title and the challenger, they both looked forward to the result. Their injuries did not affect them resuming their stances in the slightest.

Radahn raised his two Starscourge Greatswords high, roaring as he activated Starcaller Cry. The terrifying mana siphon dragged the petite silver-haired girl. The coastline even formed a sandstorm vortex, devouring all things. The ultimate destructive power came head-on.

Almost at the exact moment her footing became unstable, a full six rock spheres flew towards her.

Boom!

In the nick of time, Frieren met the attack with the same magic. The two gravitational forces dissipated each other, yet also caused a further explosion.

Both sides dashed forward, once again colliding in a zero-distance offensive and defensive battle.

One spell could stir the winds and clouds, one step could trigger an earth-shaking rumble, one weapon clash could drown out thunder. This momentum was more like two legions battling; the aftershocks alone were enough to level a city.

"Although it's a pity, we must move away," Blaidd advised while carrying the wounded.

Millicent asked sharply, "Did you receive some kind of signal?"

"Yes."

"Specifically what?"

"Witness a few more of Frieren's demigod battles and you'll understand. She demands of herself to learn and draw lessons, and likes to try her opponent's magic. So, what comes next is the clash of two gravity magics—"

Before his words faded, two purple-white spheres of light collided. Mountains and rivers were overturned. The shockwave caused the cliff where Redmane Castle stood to begin to collapse!

No one had expected Frieren's gravity magic to evolve to the point of contending with Radahn's in such a short time.

Naturally, they had also underestimated the power of their clash.

To be precise, before this, no one truly knew how magnificent it was for two demigods to use gravity magic with all their might. Now, the people on Redmane Castle were both fortunate and unfortunate to witness a purple-white halo of magic expanding spherically.

They watched helplessly as a shockwave swept across the dunes, smashing directly into the cliff, which also meant the city's lower foundations began to collapse.

Crash!

A section of the castle wall not far away crumbled. The shattered bricks and stones turned to dust in the two gravitational forces before they could even hit the ground.

And that wasn't all, because Frieren was gradually switching through a series of powers—lightning, fire, rancor, frost—greeting Radahn with each in turn, also making this place a forbidden zone of life.

Except for Scarlet Rot, she had used everything she should.

Jerren decisively ordered, "Withdraw from the walls! No, the entire army to open ground!"

"Move immediately—"

As the order was given, the intensity of the battle between the two escalated further. The entire cliff castle shook violently. Was the sky tilting? Or was the earth rolling? They couldn't even stand steady, only able to stumble away.

"Looking at you all, haven't you seen General Starscourge fight at full strength before?" Edgar was very curious.

"We have, especially during the first Aeonian War."

"How intense was it back then?"

"The key was the matchup. You also know that the Valkyrie Malenia is a swordswoman, not known for destructive power. After a life-and-death struggle, she probably judged she couldn't kill the General, which is why she suddenly bloomed. You know what happened after... Frieren is different. Like the General, she is an expert capable of shaking the stars."

As they spoke, everyone couldn't help but look towards the firmament. The myriad stars were trembling violently, breaking free from their seals, swaying under the influence of gravity.

The starry sky of the Lands Between symbolized the turning of many fates. At this moment, even they were affected.

Thump, thump!

Only muffled thuds remained on the dune battlefield, which had turned into a clash of pure strength. In comparison, Radahn's strength was still greater. His two Starscourge Greatswords continuously fell upon the silver-haired girl.

She sometimes dodged, sometimes blocked, but inevitably took more damage.

Fortunately, the aftershocks of their battle had subsided slightly, allowing the Redmane Army and the Southern Army to retreat to another open area.

During the time it took to redeploy the troops, they were still fighting fiercely.

Due to the continuous changes in the sky, people had forgotten whether it was day or night. Who knew how long the battle had lasted? In the time it took to move tens of thousands of troops, a victor had not been decided. Their stamina was bottomless.

"Look at the dunes! They've completely changed!"

The people, who finally had a chance to breathe, climbed another section of the cliff, enough to overlook the entire battlefield.

A heatwave washed over them.

The first sensation was scorching, their mouths dry. Only by continuously fanning themselves could they barely see: the entire dune had transformed into a sea of fire.

"How is that possible!" Edgar was dumbfounded. "This is on the scale of nearly half the Weeping Peninsula! It's already at the level of a nation-destroying disaster!"

"At this point, don't be surprised. Nothing is strange anymore," Jerren, who had seen more, was numb.

"No, Her Majesty wouldn't waste her strength so easily. It must be some kind of preparation."

"The General too, I didn't expect it to drag on for so long. So it's a battle relying entirely on fundamentals. Neither side has an opportunity to defeat the other in one blow. They can only rely on extending the battle to grind out a chance of victory. Truly an even match..."

Spectacular!

From now on, the Lands Between would find it hard to see such a high-spec, high-stakes grand decisive battle again.

Especially as the power of the New Lord of Souls was thoroughly engraved on the Caelid dunes.

Within their vision, a line of fiery red magma was level with the seawater, one covering the sea surface, forming a new gold. From afar, one might think it was dawn rising from the beach, but in reality, it was a chaotic hell.

The flames of the Witch of Izalith answered the call.

At this moment, Frieren's flames had filled the battlefield, even causing the Scarlet Rot to recede. It had also transformed the environment. It should have a new name:

The Ruined Capital on the ground.

Using flames had another objective: to weaken the enemy.

Before her, Radahn's mouth let out a hoarse, low roar. He looked uncomfortable, his actions gradually slowing.

The Scarlet Rot within his body naturally repelled flames, yet now the ground was full of magma and fierce fire. Even flight couldn't be sustained for long. Now he could only fight Frieren under unfavorable conditions.

What he understood least was, why did Frieren still have so much mana? It was bottomless, and she hadn't drunk from her physick.

"Curious, aren't you? Because I didn't just use the Astrologer's power. You misjudged."

If Radahn had known early on that his opponent's mana was so abundant, he likely would have adopted a more conservative tactic, not panting for breath as he was now.

In fact, he had already pushed his opponent to a threshold:

The Astrologer was not enough.

Her Lands Between sorcerer account was only equivalent to a top-tier hero level; it had long been stretched thin. She had to mobilize a portion of her main body's attributes to supplement it to keep up with the intense life-and-death battle.

The wielder of the "strongest demigod" title had proven his worth.

Swoosh!

Suddenly, Radahn saw the silver-haired girl throw a gravity sphere towards the sky. What was she doing?

His mind unclear, he didn't understand at all, but one thing was very clear: his opponent had specifically chosen a moment when he was too exhausted to contest control over gravity magic. Something was wrong! He immediately defended and created distance.

He did as he thought, and facts were as expected. That gravity sphere actually swept up the flames of the chaotic ruined capital, forming an unprecedented hurricane, rising from the coastline.

The skyline disappeared, leaving only a wandering fire tornado.

The flames, reflecting on Frieren's lovely face, carried a hint of killing intent. It was time to end this.

"Chaos Tornado."

The vortex, like a giant python, lunged towards Radahn's position, directly blasting out a long rainbow, piercing through all mountain rocks and dunes along the way, stretching unabated for several kilometers. The power to destroy a nation was no less than this. This one blow had staked almost all her mana.

"Roar!" Amidst the roar, gravity energy forcibly resisted, creating a foothold of a few square feet. The caster, instead of retreating, advanced.

Radahn used all his strength to shoot an arrow, aiming for a vital point, attempting to interrupt her. However, Frieren tilted her head to dodge. The sharp arrow grazed her shoulder, leaving a bloody mark, yet her expression did not change.

The chaotic flames completely submerged the target, leaving no trace.

Had it ended?

The crowd strained their eyes to see, but their scalps tingled. At this moment, a pool of blood rose behind the silver-haired girl. Mohg, holding a sacred spear, struck down with all his might.

Clang!

Frieren, as if having long anticipated it, crossed her two staves, firmly blocking the attack from above. In an instant, accursed blood and fierce flames intertwined. The two each retreated several steps before stabilizing their stances.

"How is that possible!" The dignified Lord of Blood was thwarted several times. "Your mana shouldn't have been enough to block that!"

"What did I say earlier? You misjudged—"

Lusat's Staff waved lightly. The fire tornado that had been incinerating Radahn a moment ago flew straight towards Mohg, while General Starscourge hadn't taken much serious damage at all.

This move was prepared for an assassin all along.

Frieren, with a backhand, used her staff. With a swing behind her back, the fire tornado, in a gravitational reversal, performed a returning thrust, roaring as it struck the ambusher.

Crash!

Caught off guard, the flames completely enveloped Mohg's body. Although he immediately used accursed blood to block, he was inevitably burned. And why was this flame so corrosive? It exuded an aura of pollution, madness, and a demonic roar, difficult to purify.

Powers of a similar polluting type couldn't be cleared away in a short time.

In the nick of time, the blood pool surged with countless monsters, forcibly forming a shield to absorb the impact for their master.

It was a demigod's projection, after all. With the addition of numerous Sanguine Nobles, it managed to take the hit.

Mohg had indeed suffered burns, and his ambush had been countered. However, he was confident he still had the strength to fight. This level of weakening could be completely compensated for by troop deployment.

"Your counterattack missed—"

After the flames dissipated, Frieren was seen continuing her standoff with Radahn, her back turned, holding two staves, once again channeling monstrous mana, her majesty boundless. But she wasn't aiming at him at all, not even turning her head from start to finish.

Not even an extra word was spoken, not worth a glance. This act sent Mohg into a burning rage, almost driving him mad.

"I originally thought you were an expert comparable to the First Lord Godfrey, yet you are so careless? You dare to turn your back to me? You're courting death."

"I've entrusted my back to someone I trust."

Melina proactively appeared, staring deathly at the uninvited guest, clenching an offensive incantation in her hand.

Boring.

He wasn't interested in the maiden he had already fought once.

"From your words earlier, you seem to hold Godfrey in high regard. Then you should know what the Elden Lord is in the hearts of the people of the Lands Between. Strength? Wisdom? Or bloodline? I guess you lack none of these, but you're missing a bit of spirit."

"And your mind is strange, as if under some charm. I sincerely advise you to pay attention to those around you."

Frieren turned her head and gave the gorgeously robed Omen child a cold glance. Simultaneously, war drums thundered. Thousands of soldiers and horses charged from the cliff.

Even if she was prepared to fight many with few, it didn't mean everyone else agreed to the risk.

The allied forces joined the battle.

Mohg snorted coldly and snapped his fingers. Rolling pools of blood rose around him, from which crawled countless Albinaurics, accursed-blood monsters, and Sanguine Nobles—a black mass likely exceeding twenty thousand.

Thanks to the chaotic flames dissipating slightly, otherwise it would have caused unnecessary losses. Now was a good time.

"I will kill you before your reinforcements arrive, right in front of them."

Don't think that just because the Redmane Army and the Southern Army were watching from the cliff, it would be easy to circle around. This was enough to encircle and kill the enemy. This time, the New Lord of Souls would surely die.

"What do you think?"

Sensing Mohg's gaze, Radahn roared, displaying his imposing presence to both sides. Now he had to eliminate two enemies equally.

"I have no objection," Frieren replied with anticipation. "You two, come at me together. I need more pressure."

"Bastard, I wasn't asking you!"

How did it seem like he was the only one planning to besiege the enemy, yet both battlemages were prepared for a two-on-one? Could this be the spirit she spoke of? Was this the true contest of the strongest? No, he couldn't be swayed by her bewitching words.

With this thought, Mohg swung his giant sacred spear, sweeping out a wave of blood, overwhelming and vast.

He attacked the silver-haired girl with all his might, but his old acquaintance stood in the way.

Melina's Lightning Spear was resisted by the blood. Since the attack wasn't enough, she changed her approach, channeling a series of Erdtree-related enhancement incantations to Frieren.

"Excellent."

The staves in her left and right hands aimed at the two demigods respectively. Soul Stream instantly swept in all directions.

The relatively slower Radahn was knocked back, but didn't forget to release a gravity shockwave to envelop the two. The earth cracked, and sand and stones danced. This blow also affected Mohg's movement, and he was grazed by the cerulean torrent.

Something was wrong. This wasn't Comet Azur.

Even his main body felt a pain in its soul, as if a piece had been torn away by a greater existence. Could it be the caster projecting her own soul?

Countless skulls rose around the silver-haired girl's body, then cloaked themselves in armor, actually transforming into a giant knight.

She imitated the technique of projecting knightly figures placed in Anor Londo of the Royal Capital. The difference was that she was actively separating it from herself, using her main body's power as the energy source. And as a wielder of the Four Lord Souls, the last thing she lacked was soul energy.

Boom!

The soul warriors actually actively coordinated with Frieren's attacks. Swords, spears, halberds, hooks, forks, axes, and polearms—a series of attacks emerged endlessly, each carrying true soul damage.

They were different from the Spirit Ash legion; they were extended attacks that completely coordinated with their master's actions.

Looking from afar, it was as if a giant, white soul knight stood behind her.

And it wasn't over.

Suddenly, the weapons in the warriors' hands each burned with a wisp of flame. It was very weak, just a few sparks, yet it gave off a domineering aura of incinerating the heavens and boiling the seas, unstoppable. As for the caster, she had also adopted a new form.

Frieren imitated General Starscourge, floating rock spheres in orbit around her, protecting herself while also applying another round of enhancement buffs.

The New Lord of Souls assumed a stance of going all out.

This person really intended to fight two at once. Had there ever been anyone in history who faced two demigods at the same time?

There was no time for Mohg to think. The next moment, the silver-haired girl's Soul Stream came again. He quickly used a shockwave of accursed blood to counter. Did she realize I'm a projection, so she's using soul attacks? A good countermeasure, but don't forget there's another enemy.

Starcaller Cry!

Radahn's one move, a siphon, pulled both enemies towards him at the same time. Compared to Mohg's surprise, Frieren, in mid-air, was one step ahead, using a gravitational counter-force to cancel it while launching an attack.

Fell God's Flame struck the caster. He took the blow head-on and swung his greatswords at both of them.

"Idiots! Are you both really planning on a two-on-one?"

By now, Mohg understood. One was a madman, and the other, though not mad, was more fearsome than one. Both were uncontrollable. The situation had devolved into a free-for-all.

Then he would play along.

A man fights for his pride. Since all three refused to bully with numbers, they very straightforwardly entered a free-for-all stage. Each guarded against two opponents while using their largest-scale magic. The scene, with its storms and raging waves, was like a purgatory.

At this point, Melina had no choice but to actively move away. She released a Minor Erdtree and then watched, her heart full of worry.

Although it was a free-for-all, due to the ever-increasing destructive power of Frieren's magic, the two demigods were forced to attack her first, gradually showing signs of being ganged up on.

Just what I wanted.

The achievement of simultaneously facing two demigods in the Lands Between was claimed by the New Lord of Souls.

However, the Blood Dynasty army wasn't just watching. A black mass surrounded the dunes, charging with no fear of death. Even harassment would do; they had to create an opportunity for Mohg.

They surged like a tide, with the three demigods' clashing as a flood barrier in the middle, solid as a fortress.

The shockwaves sent people flying, the world spinning.

There was no foothold. Sand could become a storm at any moment, sparks could instantly turn into fierce flames, and the ground could be thrown into the air to become projectiles.

The battle range had already exceeded the Wailing Dunes.

_____

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