Stormveil Castle.
In a high tower room, the sleeping silver-haired girl frowned, her hands tightening as if in the grip of a nightmare.
Ranni, sitting in a nearby chair, closed her book. She looked over, puzzled. "Strange. Lady Frieren's slumber has always been peaceful, without even the faintest sign of a dream. Why this instinctual wariness?"
"Because her perception has sensed danger before any of us."
Melina strode to the window, throwing open the curtains to scan the surroundings. She found nothing, only the howling wind remained.
All was still.
But Ranni chose to heed the warning, rising immediately to deploy a new layer of barrier defenses, ready for anything. Caution was never a mistake; she would never doubt the judgment of the quasi-monarch or the interpretation of the witch.
"If she is in a state of heightened danger perception, the return of her consciousness will be slower. We must prepare to buy time."
"Indeed. We must stall, not fight to the death."
The two Demigods had already extended their senses to their maximum range and detail, assisting each other, yet they still found nothing. But the strongest quasi-monarch had discovered a faint clue, dimly sensing a psychic power that was searching with keen alertness. Could she be so vigilant even while unconscious?
The opponent was not to be underestimated. Few in all the Lands Between were capable of this, and they feared some scheme was afoot.
They also had to protect Frieren's physical body and could not allow it to face danger.
"Sound the alarm!"
At Melina's command, an alarm bell echoed throughout the entire fortress. Answering alarms rang out on the wind, signal fires were lit, armored soldiers stood in formation, and the armory was thrown wide open.
Stormveil Castle had detected no sign of invasion but obeyed the order.
After all, it was well known that the Soul Cinder King had chosen to slumber in the castle of the storm this time. They had to ensure the highest level of alert and could not afford any carelessness, especially now that the city had become a bustling commercial hub for the south, making it a prime target for infiltration.
Soldiers pulled continuously on iron chains with a great clattering sound as the heavy portcullis slowly closed, causing the winds to howl even more fiercely.
The walls of the capital-class cities in the Lands Between were all tough nuts to crack; even a Demigod would have to think twice.
BANG!
Suddenly, the gate, not yet fully closed, was smashed open.
A massive gargoyle leaped lightly over the defensive line at the entrance, landing in a low crouch like a drawn arrow. The next moment, a terrifying killing intent was unleashed, pouring out in an endless torrent that caused some ordinary men to faint on the spot.
A Black Blade Kindred. The strange thing was the aura of the Rune of Death emanating from the poleaxe it wielded.
"By the blessing of Lord Maliketh, I have come to reclaim Destined Death and punish the vile sinner who brings chaos to the Lands Between."
The blessing it spoke of was certainly not a conventional power from the Golden lineage; rather, it was filled with murderous intent. The sheer pressure it exuded caused plants to wither and all life to decay.
It was a sliver of Destined Death!
Even more bizarre was the grayish-black aura the gargoyle emitted, as if it were a shadow.
Ranni recognized it immediately. "This is most likely Maliketh's power. This Kindred is probably equivalent to one of his avatars now."
Therefore, she could not judge it by the standards of a Hero Gargoyle. One had to be cautious even of a living corpse imbued with Destined Death, let alone a top-tier Kindred infused with the power of the Black Blade himself.
"Its target should be the two of us."
Melina and Ranni's gazes met from afar, facing an opponent that radiated an intent to flay them alive.
"You and I will engage it directly to draw its attention. The protection of the room will be left to Florisaxx."
Upon hearing this, the witch had already leaped down from the high tower.
Ranni, who remained behind, gave the priestess who had hastily rushed in through the door a meaningful look and said, "Farum Azula gave us no warning. I suppose they have their difficulties?"
"Because we believed the Black Blade would not leave, nor could we closely monitor the palace where he resides."
"I see."
"If there is any sign of Maliketh moving himself, the Ancient Dragons will certainly inform you, whether there is time or not…"
"I'm leaving this to you."
Though she showed a hint of caution, she followed Melina and left, entrusting the weakest link to a newcomer who had just recently joined. Was it really? Perhaps not the weakest link after all.
Florisaxx's heart tightened as she looked at the sleeping silver-haired girl.
Her intuition told her that a series of hidden spells were rapidly activating, and terrifyingly, she was not within the recognized range. If anything were to happen, the unfamiliar Ancient Dragon priestess would likely be the first target.
"Your Majesty, you truly are thorough in your considerations."
In a sense, it also reflected Frieren's level of trust; after all, when her two companions were present, she felt no hostile magic.
Meanwhile, below the tower, chaos reigned. Soldiers were stumbling and falling within the confined space.
Their training had always focused on open-field battles and sieges. Faced with an unfamiliar scenario, they were bound to falter. Fortunately, after a brief moment of disarray, the knights quickly formed a shield wall and surrounded the enemy.
They didn't care if it wielded Destined Death or not; the army of the Soul Cinder King was no band of cowards.
Dragonfire!
The first to strike was the Dragon Communion Legion, unleashing scorching flames that surged across dozens of meters and slammed into the Black Blade Kindred. The air shimmered with heat, melting the flagstones below as thick smoke billowed, obscuring vision.
The Grafted Nobles fired their longbows with a great twang, each arrow loosed with tremendous force, causing a clatter from within the black smoke.
Yet the roars from within did not cease for a moment.
Immediately after, a burst of sword energy erupted, overturning the front rank of the shield wall. Seizing the opportunity, the gargoyle charged out, its poleaxe sweeping towards them.
CRACK!
The very tip of the axe was stopped by Melina, who had leaped down and stamped on it. Using the acceleration of gravity, her light body accomplished an impossible feat of suppression, creating an opening.
A Sorcery: Ranni's Dark Moon descended from the sky.
With a sharp crackle, Ranni's spell-breaking magic struck the Black Blade Kindred. It staggered backward, its body covered in frost.
Heavy snow began to fall throughout the inner bailey, a display of power that showcased the Demigod sorcerer's dominance. This was why Melina had given the role of primary attacker to the Moon Princess.
A direct hit.
Even with its constitution, the pain was excruciating. It hurriedly released its magic to counter the effect. The ice flaked off; the protection from Maliketh ultimately allowed the gargoyle to endure without falling.
Shaking its head, it roared again, the turbulent aura of death surging without restraint.
Black and red energy swirled around its poleaxe, even showing signs of overflowing.
"All of you, fall back." Melina summoned Destined Death as well and warned the soldiers around her, "Leave this to me and Ranni. The rest of you, handle the evacuation. Don't let the losses mount. Preserve our elite forces."
"As you command, my lady."
In the Limgrave region, her command was second only to Frieren's, making her a true chancellor, fully capable of making decisions for the city.
Her order meant clearing the inner bailey, leaving the interception entirely to the two Demigods, which could potentially endanger Her Majesty.
But no matter what, a military order was absolute and had to be carried out immediately.
As the gargoyle faced off against Ranni and Melina, the inner city gradually fell silent.
The will of the Black Blade controlling the Kindred was hesitant. Though it appeared ferocious, its time was limited. Even with the power of an avatar descending, a mere gargoyle could not contain it for long; it would soon collapse.
The primary target should have been Melina. The stray fragment of Destined Death must be recovered; this was a matter of principle.
The problem was, why did she look so much like Marika?
Moreover, the purity of her bloodline was very close to his sister's. Excluding Godwyn, she was practically a perfect descendant of the Golden lineage. Could she be some sort of hidden contingency?
Could it be related to her disappearance?
Even stranger, she also possessed the power of the Gloam-Eyed Queen. The aura of his old rival left Maliketh completely conflicted. What a confusing mess of a person; it was impossible to judge if she would disrupt his plans.
The other secondary target was, naturally, the person who had orchestrated the theft of the Rune of Death.
However, she was a future god, and had a close relationship with the Tarnished who was currently closest to the Elden Ring.
He had to admit, it was highly likely Frieren could mend the Ring, or at the very least, find out what happened to Marika. Therefore, this quasi-monarch's goddess was crucial.
This was difficult.
Using an avatar himself had only complicated matters further.
Maliketh hesitated, but the two women dedicated to protecting Frieren would not. The next moment, a stream of flame laced with Destined Death flowed along Melina's dagger, erupting fiercely yet concealed within the blizzard.
The gargoyle moved to block, only to find its feet frozen to the ground, unable to move.
With a crack, it decisively severed its own two legs and took flight. At the same instant, a wave of deadly black-red magic grazed past it.
A close call.
But even a second's delay would have meant a direct hit to its main body, a fatal blow from which there was no recovery. Since the enemy was determined to fight to the death, there was nothing left to be conflicted about. He cast aside all distracting thoughts and focused solely on the battle.
The Black Blade Kindred's aura changed abruptly, becoming like a newly sharpened blade, incomparably keen.
"Watch out for its assault."
Melina took a step forward, blocking the path to Ranni's position. Though she too was a fragile assassin-type, having the back line cut down was more dangerous.
Glintstone Pebbles shot from behind her, flying past her shoulders to envelop the enemy.
The Black Blade Kindred swung its poleaxe, creating a whirlwind whose blades of air clashed with the dense glintstone barrage.
It pushed through the damage, forcibly closing the distance.
Ranni's Glintstone Sorcery was not so simple. Even when cut, the projectiles continued on their trajectory, striking its body and shattering its plaster-like skin with splattering sounds. An icy aura then seeped in, making its body heavy and its movements slower and slower.
This was bad.
Coordinating her attack was Melina, who lunged forward. Her dagger swung out a slash of the Rune of Death at point-blank range, which roared as it collided with the vertical poleaxe, instantly kicking up a shockwave that blasted a deep pit in the ground.
She took a backward step and leaped away, but the gargoyle, with its legs severed, was a beat slower to react.
That single beat's difference decided the situation.
Seizing the opportunity, Ranni waved her hand, switching to Dark Moon magic. She bombarded the deep pit with one blast after another, stunning her opponent into a stupor.
The gargoyle let out a hoarse cry but stubbornly refused to fall, its resilience further proving their choice of tactics was correct.
They knew well that a vessel serving as the Black Blade's avatar would be difficult to destroy.
Although there was a Demigod sorcerer present, she was not known for her burst power. To truly destroy it would require gravity magic like the Sorcery: Adula's Moonblade, which could easily create an opening.
In the face of Destined Death, the margin for error was extremely low.
If Frieren were awake, she would have plenty of methods. With the Soul Cinder King's style of magic, every spell was high-burst, high-power, and cast instantly; there would be no concerns about firepower. But alas, there were no 'ifs.' For now, they could only wear it down steadily and safely.
ROAR!
Amidst the roar, the winds rose again, lifting the Black Blade Kindred's massive body into the clouds.
At the critical moment, Melina brandished sacred flames, incinerating a small half of its wing and causing it to wobble unsteadily in mid-air.
"A perfect chance—"
Ranni seized the moment, unleashing a wave of crystal shards that formed a torrential rain of blades in the sky.
As expected, the gargoyle was battered and on the verge of falling from this volley of fire, but it held on. Without the supporting fire from ballistae, the sky was its domain, and it could finally catch its breath.
Ranni, attempting to give chase, was stopped by Melina's outstretched hand. "It's too dangerous for you to fly up there alone."
"The army has also regrouped and can coordinate an attack."
At a command, the ballistae on the outer walls swiveled with a clang, aimed at the Black Blade Kindred in the air, and fired a volley of arrows. The creature could only twist and turn to evade them.
Though it appeared to be in a sorry state, Maliketh's control was becoming more precise. In response, the puppet grew more agile, a far cry from its earlier sluggishness. It was ready for a proper fight.
He admitted he had been careless earlier, underestimating the threat of the two Demigod powerhouses.
Destined Death was not an infallible advantage. He had to channel more power, even if it meant transmitting magic all the way from Farum Azula.
He would go all out.
The gargoyle in the sky beat its wings, stirring up a tornado that swirled with sand and dust, connecting heaven and earth. All incoming arrows were shredded.
The storm even expanded to the outer walls.
The soldiers atop them were sent flying, and a good number of the ballistae were torn apart by the fierce winds, unable to retaliate. They could only watch as the Black Blade Kindred gradually recovered, the magic within its shell surging as if it had entered a new state.
At this point, all they could do was quickly mobilize their forces for a desperate defense.
The urgent battle report of Stormveil Castle being under attack was spreading rapidly. More elite Dragon Communion soldiers and Grafted Nobles would return to defend, and their combined force with the Demigods would be enough to easily suppress the threat.
So the Black Blade's time was also short. Powerful as it was, fighting against many would still prove cumbersome.
SWISH!
Within the tornado, a flash of crimson energy appeared, forming a longsword of pure magic, its sharp edge slowly flowing as it pointed towards the two targets on the ground.
The aura of the Rune of Death was completely unleashed.
Even Ranni and Melina felt a prickling on their backs, a chill running through them. This was an instinctual fear unavoidable for every living being in the Lands Between; the slightest touch would send them trembling.
"Oh, that must be the Black Blade incantation, and summoned by Maliketh's will at that."
Melina, with her profound understanding of incantations, immediately recognized its nature. Unlike the previous scuffles, this was for real.
Before she could finish, the gargoyle performed a leap in mid-air, its entire body tensing like a longbow to fire a sword-beam of the Black Blade. It crossed hundreds of meters in the air, arriving before them in an instant.
Dark Moon!
In the nick of time, Ranni chose to meet it head-on to cancel it out.
But the clash of the two energies only amplified the area of effect. With a thunderous roar, the tall tower began to fracture, the cracks spreading rapidly as it threatened to collapse.
This was utterly disastrous.
Regretting not having fully intercepted the Black Blade incantation, Melina and Ranni watched helplessly as the tower fractured, poised to fall and injure Frieren inside. They were always protected by her, yet could they not even protect her this one time?
Suddenly, a pair of massive claws forcibly righted the tower. An Ancient Dragon was clinging to it, providing support.
Florisaxx revealed her true form, while her long, slender body remained hidden behind the tower, concealed from the enemy. At least this would buy them some more time.
"Leave this to me. You two focus on the Black Blade on the battlefield."
"An Ancient Dragon?"
Maliketh's heart sank. He also recognized her as the Dragon Communion priestess in charge of the mad dragons, who was, in a sense, independent of Farum Azula. The question was, how to interpret this? Did it mean the Ancient Dragons had pledged allegiance to the Soul Cinder King? That seemed a bit too severe.
Or was this limited to Florisaxx's personal choice? The charisma of a quasi-monarch was, after all, considerable.
And even in the worst-case scenario, did the Golden Dynasty truly have any means to punish the Ancient Dragons now? They were both just two half-dead factions.
Relying on his own deterrence was no longer a safe bet…
This moment of distraction was seized by Ranni. In an instant, Ranni's Greatbow was fully drawn and fired, accurately hitting the gap in the wing that Melina had previously struck. It dealt no damage, but it immediately sent him spinning.
Not good!
The Hero Gargoyle desperately spread its wings to find its balance, only for the tornado it had just created to interfere with its flight path.
Melina, who had been locked onto the enemy's movements, reacted even faster. Raising her arm, she cupped a stream of golden light. A Lightning Spear streaked across the sky and pierced deeply into the Black Blade Kindred's chest. It stiffened for a moment before a brilliant flash of lightning paralyzed its limbs, causing a brief loss of control.
As expected, it plummeted to the ground with a crash, twitching uncontrollably even as it lay in the crater.
This was a Lightning Strike incantation backed by a fully maxed-out Faith.
She had not held back in the slightest, aiming for maximum firepower coverage.
Her own safety was not so important, but attacking Frieren was unforgivable. Even the Black Blade's avatar had to die.
Destined Death was unsheathed.
Melina dashed forward, her dagger swinging fiercely. In its haste, the gargoyle managed to recover one arm, pick up its poleaxe, and retaliate in kind, unleashing Destined Death—
But with a sharp crack, it was deflected. It was the repeating crossbow in Ranni's hand that had diverted the energy.
"Thankfully, it was only in the form of an incantation. The genuine Destined Death could probably only be deflected by Frieren."
She immediately followed up with a force field into Carian Retaliation, then charged and transformed it:
Glory to Caria!
At the same time, Melina's Rune of Death arrived. The two streams of magic, red and blue, cleaved straight down from above, a powerful blow descending upon the Black Blade Kindred. Even Maliketh, far away, could feel the immense pressure.
He only had time to raise his poleaxe horizontally to barely block the assault, but he never expected the two girls to be so audacious as to continue their output and walk up to him.
They each kicked one end of the weapon.
It was the simplest of kicks, not even qualifying as a weapon skill, but it perfectly destroyed his balance, making it impossible for him to hold on.
"Dammit."
In that moment, he could only look up as Melina and Ranni coldly kicked his poleaxe away. The result was, naturally, as expected. The terrifying energy landed with its full force.
The Carian Greatsword sliced down from the shoulder, taking a wing with it and opening a massive wound in its chest.
The attack from Destined Death was even more terrifying, piercing from its abdomen through to its back. Even a gargoyle stitched together from corpses could not withstand this blow. Its remaining life force rapidly drained away, leaving it on the verge of death.
However, it still managed a feint and rolled away to create distance.
Melina and Ranni did not press their advantage, immediately switching to a defensive stance. They understood the principle of not pursuing a desperate foe. After such a heavy blow, anyone besides an outlier like Frieren would be doomed to die; it was only a matter of time.
"What a miscalculation."
Maliketh, controlling it from afar, had to admit he had underestimated Stormveil Castle's defenses. It was teeming with experts.
His original plan was to eliminate just one of the two, but unexpected situations kept arising.
First, he hesitated upon sensing Marika's arrangements, then his suspicions grew with the appearance of the Ancient Dragon. Now, Florisaxx, atop the spire, had Dragonfire gathering in her mouth, ready to incinerate any target at a moment's notice.
In truth, the Hero Gargoyle was already dead.
Both Glory to Caria and Destined Death were decisive, finishing moves. The moment they both struck, the Kindred had perished.
It was merely a puppet being controlled by Maliketh.
He couldn't just leave. At the very least, he had to expend the sliver of Destined Death left to the Kindred.
Hmph!
With this thought, the gargoyle stood up, poleaxe in hand, its body radiating a black and red aura of death, surging endlessly and even spreading a corrupting power across the land, causing all things to wither.
"That thing is going to detonate the energy of the Rune of Death in a final, desperate act."
Melina's warning sent a jolt through everyone.
If the will of the Black Blade, its long-time master, were to detonate it, the consequences would be unimaginable. The power would be far more terrifying than a simple release. Causing such a disaster in Stormveil Castle, a major southern stronghold, would likely be a crippling blow, and could even affect the strategy for claiming the throne.
Suddenly, the gargoyle's movements froze. All fell silent as a ring of purple-white gravity locked onto its body, descending with a terrifying pressure.
Frieren was awake.
The two looked towards the sound and saw a silver-haired girl standing in the collapsed opening of the tower, wiping blood from the corner of her mouth.
Only she knew that this injury did not come from Destined Death, but from a severe warning from one body feeding back to the main body as a dissonance, resulting in internal bleeding. Fortunately, it was not serious.
To think she'd wake up to such a lively battle. A pity that Melina and Ranni had already taken care of it.
"You've already lost, Maliketh. Don't make your struggle too unsightly."
"As expected of the monarch closest to the Elden Ring."
It wasn't that he hadn't tried to struggle, but the gravity ring was too powerful. With the shell's body weakened, he couldn't activate any magic. Moreover, the pressure was almost on par with the lock of the Rune of Death itself; he couldn't make a reckless move.
At that moment, a mercury-like liquid rose behind the silver-haired girl. It had to be the legendary Mimic Tear, fully poised to strike.
The Ancient Dragon, no longer needing to protect its sleeping master, also poked its head out. The colossal beast atop the tower was overwhelmingly intimidating.
This was truly a dragon's den and a tiger's lair.
A full five powerful enemies were enough to fight a Shattering War. There was no chance of turning the tables.
"Frieren, do not forget that Lady Marika is the true representative of the Golden Dynasty. Choosing the Order of the Stars was your greatest mistake. A monarch who does not support the Golden Order is a traitor. I will hunt you down sooner or later. Prepare to face Destined Death."
After speaking, a wisp of black smoke emerged from the Hero Gargoyle's body and vanished, and the shell itself turned to ash along with it.
The invader had failed. The turmoil subsided into peace.
_____
Versão 4 (Concise)
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