Aura gazes intently at the elf with silver hair tied in twin braids.
The elf’s magic is remarkably refined. Elves are said to live far longer than even demons. Likely, they have dedicated long years to honing their skills. However, the raw magical power itself is not that impressive. As long as Aura has the Spell of Obedience, the elf is no threat.
The elf speaks up fearlessly, facing the undead army.
“Aura of the Guillotine, turn back now.”
“And if I refuse?”
The elf aims the tip of their staff at Aura.
The gaze is cold. Clearly different from how they look at humans. Like viewing a pest to be exterminated. Undoubtedly, they would not hesitate to slay demons. But then, Aura feels the same way towards them.
Even if they get serious, the match would be decided in an instant.
But that would be boring.
“Shall we have a look at your skills then?”
Swiftly, a headless soldier steps out in front of Aura.
The undead army charges at the heroes.
Frieren, that seems to be the name of that elf. Aura overheard the soldiers around her referring to her as such, while being guarded.
Frieren was strong.
The sturdy soldiers, even though they were puppets, were blown away like scraps of paper by her magic. Her attacks were grandiose yet precise. Ordinary demons wouldn’t stand a chance. But if she keeps using that kind of magic, she’ll soon run out of mana. Was her aim a short decisive battle, or did she attack the undead army in haste? Either way, the conclusion isn’t far off.
However, what’s strange is Himmel.
Even from a distance, his swordplay is skillful – and yet, he’s strangely reluctant to attack. There were several instances where he deliberately missed vital spots or refrained from delivering the final blow. In that regard, the dwarven axeman is doing better.
At first, Aura thought it was due to his nature.
Soldiers who fearlessly fight the undead army tend to hesitate when faced with the corpses of their comrades. Humans have that kind of instinct. But in Himmel’s case, he seemed to be holding back against everyone, not just specific individuals.
Aura had never seen a human fight this way before.
Given their advantage, she couldn’t help but observe him intently.
“Lady Aura,”
Lugner called out to Aura, making her avert her gaze from Himmel.
“Exhausting our soldiers further would be unwise. I think it’s time we give the party of heroes their comeuppance.”
“…You’re right.”
Perhaps she had indulged a bit too much.
She still needed to invade the territory of Count Granat today. She should follow Lugner’s lead here. But before that, there was one thing she wanted to confirm.
Aura stepped forward. The soldiers parted to the sides, creating a path leading to Himmel.
The heroes’ disadvantage remained unchanged. They had already succeeded in separating the four of them, each surrounded by the undead army. It wouldn’t be surprising if someone fell from the party anytime soon. Especially Himmel, whose exhaustion was clearly visible. Considering he no longer posed a threat, Aura closed the distance further.
She temporarily halted the attack on Himmel and asked,
“Why aren’t you fighting seriously?”
Himmel was leaning on his sword like a cane, barely standing. His whole body was covered in wounds.
What a pitiful sight. At first, Aura had sensed the aura of a strong warrior, but it might have been her imagination. Yet, looking at it differently, it was remarkable that he had managed to survive against the undead army while fighting like that. It was unclear whether he was strong or weak.
Furrowing his brows in puzzlement, Himmel answered Aura’s question.
“I don’t want to needlessly hurt them.”
“Were there any comrades among the undead army?”
“…No. But whether they’re comrades or not, it doesn’t matter. This is a matter of dignity.”
“I don’t understand. Dignity? Not wanting to hurt them? That kind of consideration seems to apply only to living humans, doesn’t it?”
“That’s not the case.”
“It is.”
Aura gestured dramatically toward the undead army.
“Look, can’t you see? They’re all already dead.”
Himmel’s hair seemed to stand on end for a moment,
as if he were angered.
But it was only a fleeting impression, and Himmel’s expression clouded with sadness.
“…That’s right.”
Himmel looked at Aura with eyes filled with pity.
“Demons don’t have a culture of honoring the dead, do they?”
Honoring.
Aura knew the word, but it was a concept she couldn’t comprehend.
She had heard from Lugner before that humans have the habit of decorating the dead and burying them in the ground. Perhaps that’s what Himmel means by “honoring.”
“What’s the point of doing that? Humans are really a wasteful race, aren’t they?”
“It’s not a waste.”
Himmel slowly raised his sword.
“By mourning the dead, we carry on the thoughts of the departed. That’s how humanity has built up its history. As long as this continues…”
A resolute light kindled in Himmel’s eyes.
“Humans will never be defeated.”
“! “
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
The atmosphere had changed.
Just a moment ago, he was like a wounded beast, barely clinging to life. But now, in an instant, he exuded the bearing of a noble warrior. Something had awakened within Himmel.
Aura intellectually knew that intense anger or killing intent can suddenly bring out a human’s full potential. However, the fighting spirit she felt from Himmel seemed to be of a different nature. A sense of mission… or perhaps what they call a sense of justice?
She didn’t understand.
But she didn’t understand, and a warning bell was ringing in her mind.
Aura immediately summoned the scale of subjugation in front of her.
No more words were needed. She would deal with this swiftly.
“I’ll subjugate the demon-“
At that moment, Aura tried to place her own magical power and Himmel’s under the scale of obedience.
But a flash of light knocked the scale out of Aura’s hands.
“Wha-?”
Attacked? From where?!
Looking towards where the flash came from, there stood Frieren with her staff raised.
While fighting the immortal army, had she accurately shot down the scale from that distance? If not by chance, then her magical skills were beyond imagination. How could a mage capable of such a feat have remained unknown until now?
Aura gritted her teeth.
She had underestimated Frieren. The one she should have truly focused on was not Himmel, but Frieren.
No, regretting could wait.
For now, she had to kill Himmel at least.
Even without the scale of obedience, she could still fight. And the opponent was severely wounded. There was no way she could lose.
Aura was about to unleash her attack magic, but Himmel darted into her faster. Such nimble movement. Before Aura could even wonder where Himmel had found the strength, she was struck by the slash.
“Ugh…”
“Lady Aura!”
Lugner called out.
Blood was gushing from her shoulder. A mortal wound. On top of that, she had lost the chance to counterattack.
Magical power was leaking out of the wound at a terrifying rate. This was bad. Her strength was rapidly fading. At this rate, she would be defeated. She should retreat.
But… how could the mighty Aura flee before mere humans?!
That was unacceptable. Yet, still…
Her pride as Aura and her clinging to life were weighed on the scale within her heart.
The scale tipped in favor of the latter.
“Remember this…!”
Leaving the immortal army behind, Aura retreated.
A week had passed since the battle with the hero’s party.
Aura and her subordinates had set up their base in a cave deep in the forest. The inside of the cave was dark and damp, with the sound of dripping water coming from somewhere.
Leaning against the rocky wall, Aura gazed out listlessly. In contrast to her gloomy mood, the outside was clear and sunny. In front of the cave, Linie and Draht were sparring. Linie seemed to have the upper hand in hand-to-hand combat, with Draht on the defensive.
After a while, Lugner, who had been on reconnaissance, returned to the cave.
“I have a report.”
Lugner spoke calmly.
“The immortal army left behind on the plateau has been completely wiped out. The hero’s party is heading towards the Demon King’s castle without any casualties.”
“I see.”
“What will you do now?”
“There’s nothing we can do. I’ll rest for a while.”
Aura lay down. The wound inflicted by Himmel throbbed painfully. It didn’t seem like it would heal anytime soon. Moreover, she had lost almost all of the immortal army, and had to abandon the ancient castle that was their stronghold. As a result, she was now hiding in this remote cave. In her current state, not only would getting revenge on the hero’s party be difficult, but even holding onto the Count of Granato’s territory would be a challenge.
Muttering to herself as she lay down, Aura asked,
“Why did I lose?”
Lugner did not answer the question.
Instead, Linie, who had returned to the cave after finishing her training, spoke up with an innocent expression.
“Was it because you let your guard down?”
Draht nearby was startled.
Lugner maintained a calm facade, but after clearing his throat, he glared at Linie reprimandingly.
“Linie, be quiet for a bit.”
“Ah… I’m sorry.”
Lowering her head, Linie apologized.
Aura did not get angry. She didn’t have the energy for that now, and moreover, it was the truth.
However, the fact that she had lost due to letting her guard down meant that, conversely, if she hadn’t let her guard down, she could have won. This was somewhat more palatable for the proud Aura than losing due to a lack of power or magic.
“I won’t let my guard down next time. When we meet again, I will kill them for sure.”
“That’s the spirit, Lady Aura.”
At Lugner’s words, Aura snorted and turned away. She had no desire to talk to anyone for a while. Closing her eyes and mouth, she tried to drift into a light sleep.
But she suddenly sat up.
“Lady Aura, the magic detection has reacted.”
“I know without you telling me. Honestly, why are humans always in such a hurry?”
Grumbling, Aura stood up.
Human beings had invaded the range of her magic detection. Judging from the scale, there was no doubt that their purpose was to search for and eliminate Aura. Her exact location had not yet been revealed to them, but with their numbers, including what were likely mages, she wouldn’t be able to hide for long if she just stayed put.
“Lugner, do something about it.”
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