Frieren: Demon of Domination

"I just wanted to use Domination Magic to rule the world and make everyone my slaves—"

"Am I really that bad?!"

"Huh?! Answer me!"

"Why, why do I have to live like this?!"

Because she was afraid of Himmel, she didn't dare return to the castle, much less show herself—

The violin lady, who had been forced to hide in a secret cave in the southern part of the Heaven Vein Dragon for a month, burst into tears with a wail from hunger.

In the days before the hero party came,

Although equally miserable, at least she had soft tree bark and fresh grass to fill her stomach...

But ever since those guys arrived,

She who didn't even dare see the sun could only fill her belly by eating dirt.

The most useless Grand Demon proved through personal experience the tenacious vitality of demon life,

While also pioneering an unprecedented survival path among demons—

Demons could not only eat grass, they could even survive eating stones!

Our demon genes are truly excellent!

"No good, I can't hold on if this continues—"

Aura, already starved beyond recognition and completely describable as skin and bones, leaned against the cave wall with difficulty.

She weakly raised her hand,

After confirming her nearly depleted magic power, she fell into complete despair.

"Although I can forcibly break down minerals and soil into energy the body needs using magic power..."

"But this efficiency is too low, and my magic power can't recover under such extreme hunger..."

"Without enough magic power, I can't use magic detection."

"Without magic detection, I can't confirm whether Himmel and the others are still here."

"If I can't determine whether Himmel and the others are still around, going out means the possibility of death."

"Since going out might mean immediate death, it's better to just stay in this cave and barely survive."

"But barely surviving in this cave won't last much longer before I die too..."

"But going out might mean dying even faster."

The logical death loop caused by survival instinct made Aura's brain overload.

And the brain overload made her little stomach growl again.

The most useless Grand Demon stopped thinking in despair with no future in sight.

"Himmel, Frieren—"

"Damn hero party!!"

Completely lying flat on the stone bed she had cut out when she still had strength,

Not even daring to look directly at the sunlight outside the cave, only curling up in darkness, Aura's voice was hoarse.

She complained with all her might about the hero party that had put her in this situation,

But her full-power roar while weakened by hunger was almost inaudible—

"Schlacht..."

"Didn't you say I was still useful to you?"

"Please, please come and use me with all your effort—"

"Ribbit!"

"I'll never talk back to you again, Schlacht."

"I'll never call you a riddle person or a worm of the Demon King's army behind your back anymore!"

"Really please, come save me quickly!"

"As long as it's something I can do—"

"No, even if it's something I can't do, whatever you ask me to do, I'll do it!"

"Really..."

"I'll really do anything—"

Aura, about to faint from hunger again, murmured in her blurred consciousness.

Having reformed through Agusheed's free-range punishment,

Her only thought now was just to eat her fill and stay alive.

"Watashi, watashi—"

"I'm really willing to do anything!!"

Before her consciousness completely faded, Aura prayed from her heart once more.

Then...

As if heaven had responded to her expectations—

In her hazy vision,

That familiar tall figure from her memories actually appeared before her eyes.

"Am I already hallucinating?"

"Schlacht coming to save me, how could I have such a dream..."

Her blurry vision watched that figure's silhouette slowly step into the cave from under the noon sun.

Aura self-deprecatingly mocked her current situation.

"Hallucination?"

"Heh... Aura, is that what you think?"

"If so, then I'll return the way I came."

A surge of magic power transmitted from outside gradually revived Aura's senses,

So she instantly understood the reality of the situation—

Not a dream, Schlacht really came to save her!!

Using the partial strength recovered from that transmitted magic power to forcibly straighten up—

Aura unhesitatingly grabbed Schlacht's cloak.

"Really not a dream..."

Her vision gradually recovering, looking up at that familiar face covered by a mask over the lower half...

And those same disgusted eyes looking at garbage as always—

The most useless Grand Demon was now moved to tears.

"Schlacht, I knew you and His Majesty the Demon King wouldn't abandon me!!"

"Wuu wuu—"

"I'll never curse you again, Schlacht!!"

—

"She actually managed to stay alive..."

Looking at Aura before him, who was too emotionally rich to be like a Grand Demon,

Schlacht silently muttered to himself.

Two days after the Hero of the South left Agusheed's side,

Having re-observed the futures of himself and the Hero of the South, and confirmed that Agusheed would no longer interfere in their affairs—

Schlacht didn't delay at all,

Coming directly to the Heaven Vein Dragon following the magic aura Agusheed had left him.

He came here with three purposes.

First was to personally hear a definitive answer from Agusheed,

Second was to confirm whether the Hero of the South had done anything unknown to him using Agusheed's future shielding,

Finally, to temporarily take Aura away, restore her condition, and wait for the decisive battle with the Hero of the South—

But honestly...

Schlacht actually didn't think Aura could survive at first.

After all, setting aside whether the Hero of the South would change his mind before battle—

Just based on Aura's few words of trash talk toward Agusheed at Flamme's tombstone recently made Schlacht think she was doomed...

But unexpectedly—

She actually survived in the end.

"From a human logical perspective, did what I said to Agusheed have an effect?"

Shaking his head, he stripped all these thoughts from his mind.

Schlacht lowered his gaze back to Aura, who had recovered basic consciousness.

He didn't delay at all, nor did he intend to explain the background to Aura.

Schlacht, with his back to the sunlight, simply bent down slightly,

Softly asking the most useless Grand Demon before him who was swallowing saliva:

"You just said you'd do anything..."

"Aura, are you certain?"

Of course I'm certain!!

If I'm not certain I'll really die!!

Although she didn't know why Schlacht would appear at this time,

Aura couldn't care about all that now.

Listen well, then show her usefulness and continue living happily—

This was her only thought upon hearing Schlacht's salvation-like voice.

"Certain, of course certain!"

Aura's response was even more urgent than Schlacht's question.

She was like someone afraid that the suddenly appearing Schlacht would suddenly disappear again, impatient.

"Very good."

Schlacht casually snapped his fingers,

A complete northern roasted chicken appeared before Aura.

The ending needs no words—facing the wolf-like hungry Aura,

The roasted chicken's fate was predictable.

But paying no attention to Aura's unseemly behavior like a tiger pouncing on food—

Watching her tearing at the roasted chicken's right leg, Schlacht began speaking unhurriedly when she took her first bite of chicken:

"I'll temporarily take you away from here, but correspondingly, all your actions for the next month must follow my arrangements. Any problems?"

"No problems—" (chew chew)

Completely ignoring the word 'temporarily,'

Just hearing the word 'leave,' Aura completely lost her rationality.

Eating the first normal food in months, savoring the meaning of deliciousness, her words were sincere.

"As long as you can take me away..."

"I'll listen to everything you say—"

Schlacht nodded without comment.

But he never concealed his purpose and thoughts from beginning to end.

"Good then, Aura..."

"Wait here for me first. After I finish handling things, I'll temporarily take you away—"

"At the same time, I'll help you recover to peak condition, let you become a true Grand Demon again."

"And all you need to do..."

"Is assist me in the decisive battle with the Hero of the South in one week."

After dropping this statement, Schlacht turned around without hesitation.

Gazing at the magic power in the distant castle that even tore through the cloud layers...

He paid no more attention to Aura,

Instead walking directly toward the position of this place's master, Agusheed—

Schlacht was the only Grand Demon among demons who possessed something like credibility.

So Aura didn't doubt his words.

"Mm, mm—" (chew chew)

Continuous nodding was Aura's response.

Mm...

Mm?

Watching Schlacht's departing figure, Aura with greasy hands suddenly realized something.

He just said...

He wants me to assist him in battle against the Hero of the South—

Aura, who had thought Schlacht brought hope for survival, fell silent.

Looking down at the roasted chicken in her hands that was most likely her 'last meal.'

The violin lady's vision went black.

She lost consciousness.

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Powerstones?

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