Chapter 598: When the Chains Break
The island seemed to breathe with them.
The ground shook, but not as before. It was no longer the serpent forcing the earth to bend beneath its colossal body—it was the energy gushing from the three warriors, as if nature itself had decided to release what had been pent up.
The serpent’s roar echoed through the heavens, deafening, but now it wasn’t just the beast that dominated the atmosphere. The auras of Rogue, Kali, and Xyn exploded like wildfires, covering the forest in intermittent flashes.
Rogue was the first to react.
Her muscles tensed, every fiber vibrating with raw power. The feline body launched like lightning, crossing the distance of tens of meters in less than the blink of an eye. Its claws flashed blue, slicing through the air like blades forged by gods. She leaped at the serpent, striking its side with successive blows, and the once-resisting scales now shattered like cracked pottery.
"Well, well..." Rogue smiled, baring her feline teeth. "It’s finally breaking."
The creature’s thick, blue blood gushed out in streams, its salty, metallic scent filling the air.
Kali wasted no time.
The demonic axe roared in her hand, crimson flames swirling like a storm around the blade. She raised the weapon above her head and charged, each step shaking the ground. When she leaped, she looked like a meteor, descending straight for the serpent’s head.
The impact exploded in shockwaves, destroying surrounding trees, cracking rocks, and making the entire island shudder. The serpent’s jaw was split in two, bones snapping like dry twigs. The creature’s bellow was so loud that the seagulls and seabirds fled in black clouds.
"Now this is fun!" Kali roared, her mouth open in a savage, almost insane grin.
Xyn, for her part, no longer looked human.
Her body was engulfed in black flames so intense that the light consumed the surrounding color. Shadows danced like living specters, and her every step set the ground ablaze. Her blue eyes glowed with unearthly contrast, cold and merciless.
"Lift your head, damn you..."
And the serpent reared, as if understanding the provocation.
Xyn shot forward, and in an instant, she was above the creature, wings of black flames momentarily sprouting from her back. She spun in the air, wielding her sword in both hands, and slashed down in a vertical slash that split the leviathan’s forehead open.
Blood cascaded, but it still wasn’t enough.
The serpent writhed, twisting its colossal body in fury. The impact swept away entire trees, engulfing the ground in destruction. Rogue was thrown backward, Kali had to drive her axe into the ground to avoid being swallowed by the wave of energy, and Xyn spun in the air to regain her balance.
Frieren remained seated.
Her white dress remained immaculate, even as the forest was devastated around her. She watched calmly, turning the crystal in her hands as if it were just another lazy afternoon.
"Interesting," she murmured, with a slight smile. "Without the chains, you remember what you’re capable of. A lovely difference."
"YOU COULD HELP, YOU—" Rogue cried, dodging a bite that nearly ripped off half her body.
"No, you couldn’t," Frieren replied calmly, without even looking at her. "I’m busy... appreciating the aesthetics of chaos."
The fight continued brutally.
The serpent, even wounded, was powerful. Its body coiled around half the island, compressing the forest, crushing rocks like sand. The sea began to surge along the perimeter, as if the island itself were about to sink.
Rogue sprinted at impossible speed, crossing the monster’s body in rapid sprints, carving trails of glistening gashes across its flesh.
Kali, laughing madly, crushed scales with blows that shook the ground. The axe was already stained with blue blood, right down to the blade.
Xyn, wreathed in black flames, attacked the most vital points: eyes, throat, wounds opened by her companions. Each blow was accompanied by the roar of a phoenix, echoing like thunder in the sky.
The enraged serpent began to spit jets of pressurized water, capable of cutting trees in half. One of them nearly pierced Rogue, who dropped to the ground at the last moment. Another passed over Kali, destroying an entire hill. Xyn blocked a shot with her sword, but was thrown back violently.
"This thing never dies!" Rogue shouted, blood dripping down her shoulder.
"Then let’s kill it FOR REAL!" Kali roared, her demonic aura rising like a volcano.
It was then that Frieren raised her voice for the first time in minutes:
"Enough playing around. How about we finish this?"
The three warriors almost cursed her in unison, but the archmage’s gaze was serious now. The crystal glowed a deep blue, pulsing like a heart.
She raised one hand and, for the first time, traced a magic circle in the air.
The serpent, preparing another blast of water, froze for a moment. The sealing runes were gone, but now Frieren was erecting invisible barriers.
"You wanted help, didn’t you? Well, I’ll hold it. Kill it."
That was enough.
Rogue howled like a wild beast, charging at breakneck speed. She leaped, soared through the air, and dug both claws into the wound on the serpent’s forehead, clearing a path.
Kali followed close behind, swinging her axe with both hands. She launched herself like a shooting star, crushing the already wounded skull with such incredible force that the ground shook like an earthquake. The crack opened even wider, revealing bones and pulsing flesh.
Xyn flew, engulfed in black flames so dense that the forest below was consumed only by the heat. She raised her sword, now a flash of pure darkness, and fell in freefall.
The cut pierced the serpent’s skull from end to end.
The roar was the last.
The colossal body writhed, falling toward the forest, crushing trees and rocks, raising gigantic waves that swept half the coast. The entire island shook as if it were about to collapse.
And then, silence.
The serpent lay motionless, blue blood flowing like rivers, staining the sand and mingling with the sea.
The three warriors breathed heavily, covered in sweat, blood, and dust. Rogue fell to her knees, panting, her claws still flashing. Kali leaned her axe against her shoulder, smiling as if she’d just drunk a glass of wine after a good fight. Xyn wiped her sword on her arm, the black flames slowly fading from her skin.
Frieren calmly stood, tucking the crystal into the pocket of her dress.
"There," she said, her voice soft. "Now the view is acceptable."
Kali stared at her in disbelief. "You... you’re insufferable."
"And you’re too loud." Frieren smiled, almost sweetly. "But I admit... you did a good job of butchering."
Rogue dropped to the ground, staring at the sky, still trembling. "Next time... I’ll kill you myself before the snake."
"That wouldn’t be any fun," Frieren replied, already walking toward the sea.