Harbingers of Change

Chapter 24

Her task wasn't difficult by any stretch of the imagination. All she had to do was infiltrate Ruberios through the Kingdom of Ingrassia and dismantle its defenses. The first step was obliterating the nearby shield battery, severing the region's magical protection. Next, she would summon as many non-magical beasts as possible with her Skill to sow chaos throughout the unsuspecting countryside and retreat.

The templar knights and standard footsoldiers posed little threat; they were ants beneath the might of her pets. There was nothing to look out for, having been given free rein to do what she deemed right. She smiled at that thought. It was high time to land the first major blow to the despicable church of Luminism, a taste of the havoc Nazarick could wreak.

Aura was a streak of emerald and silver in the midday sun, riding her loyal wolf companion, Fenrir, toward the glimmering barrier of the holy empire. Her pace was a whirlwind, leaving the bewildered border guards staring at an empty stretch of road, their minds struggling to grasp the phantom that had just blazed past. She cared not for killing them - she had bigger fish to fry.

A surge of satisfaction coursed through her. Despite her mother's overbearing worries, Lord Momonga had entrusted her with this mission. Failure was unthinkable, even if it meant facing the mysterious goddess rumored to lurk in the shadows, waiting to capitalize on any misstep. This was her moment to prove her worth, to break free of her mother's concerns and emerge as the formidable force she was always meant to be. According to Hinata, whom Aura had effortlessly bested in a duel, even Luminous herself seemed inconsequential, likely residing in her opulent central palace and far removed from a simple border fortification.

Nevertheless, a covert legion of Lord Momonga's most formidable summons shadowed her every move. Not that Aura needed them since she was far stronger, but if it helped get her mother off her back and do something important for once, they were by all means a welcome presence.

'Mom, I can do this. I can be the floor guardian you made me to be. You don't need to breathe down my neck all the time,' she thought, engaging in an imaginary argument with her creator as Fenrir's paws thundered toward her target.

It was a fortress encircled by a five-meter-tall stone wall that bore the scars of past sieges and the passage of time. Patrolling the ramparts were several figures, their silhouettes constantly moving in vigilance. At intervals along the wall, watchtowers rose, their arrow slits peering out like the eyes of a hawk, watchful for anything that might approach from the plains that stretched before them.

The main wooden gate was reinforced with iron and adorned with the emblem of the holy empire, and it seemed to pulse with an inner light. It was here that the magical battery was housed. Aura could already sense its presence, its energy permeating the air with a subtle vibration that could be felt even before the entrance came into full view.

However, in the vast expanse of the known realms, very few things could withstand the full onslaught of a floor guardian. The moment she was in the vicinity of the fortress, she called forth her beasts. Dozens of twisted forms and bared fangs materialized with an eruption of snarls and screeches. She issued a mental order to kill everyone within the fortress and activated the soul-gathering skill granted to her by Lord Momonga. The nearby scouts dispersed in panic, akin to startled hares, as her summons ravaged through the flimsy gate, their howls echoing through the courtyard. Fenrir vaulted over the wall in a graceful leap, silently landing in a cramped enclosure already splattered with the blood and human remains of the fallen. These pathetic creatures couldn't offer any resistance to her pets.

It was a massacre, quite simply put. The creatures that swarmed over the barricades were nightmares incarnate, with Aura having chosen her most alien-looking beasts to do the job. The guards were lambs to the slaughter, their lives extinguished as swiftly as candles in a storm. Their blood soaked the ground, and in the end, they were not warriors meeting their end in a blaze of glory, but pawns in a game played by entities who knew the true meaning of strength.

"Good job, guys. Now, feast!" Aura said in amusement as she granted them the spoils of war. Meanwhile, she sprinted towards the keep's entrance.

Finding the battery wasn't hard; all she had to do was follow the trail of blood and lost body parts. The two-meter-tall glowing crystal emanated uncomfortable amounts of holy energies. Its golden luminescence pricked at her skin and stung her eyes as she located it.

Wanting to be done as fast as possible, she shot an arrow from her Skill-forged bow, the wood cool and familiar against her fingertips. The crystal burst into a cascade of sparkling fragments, unleashing a shockwave that momentarily blinded her. The residual holy energy left lingering burns across her face and neck, quickly soothed by her regenerative abilities. Thankfully, her attire remained untouched.

Aura may have constantly butted heads with her mother and argued about clothing, but her guardian set was something they both took great pride in, and the thought of being caught unclothed was enough to send a shiver down her spine.

One final task remained before she could move on. Aura went back outside and leaped onto the wall, quickly observing the landscape. This part of the country was mostly farmlands with the occasional meadow, giving her countless summoned beasts no way to hide from enemy forces. However, that didn't actually mean much, considering the depleted forces of Ruberios and the scarce presence of the Free Guild. These humans were weaker than even the skeletons Lord Momonga summoned. They would face little opposition while terrorizing the countryside. Anyone remaining would be sustenance for her creatures. And should any of her beasts perish, they were, after all, expendable.

Aura nodded in satisfaction. Everything had gone smoothly on her end. She contacted Demiurge, hoping to claim the title of the first to complete their assigned duties. His response brought a smirk to her lips.

{ Hey, mission accomplished. Moving to the capital now. }

{ Proceed with caution. You're the vanguard. } Demiurge responded after a short while.

{ Gotcha. Don't dally or I'll steal all the fun for myself~ } She replied cheerfully.

'Lord Momonga will be proud of me. I can't mess this up.'

{ Duly noted. }

Forcing a gate into Ruberios' capital proved more difficult than anticipated. Having braced for a confrontation with Veldora for centuries, the nation boasted an impressive array of anti-magicule barriers and holy artifacts. These defenses, while ultimately futile, made weaving the necessary spatial magic a tad more challenging.

Aura's brow furrowed in concentration, "C'mon… this should be easy," she muttered, this being her third attempt at casting it. "Gate." Magicules began converging in front of her, only to immediately stop gathering once more.

"Tch.. I said Gate!" she commanded, her voice a mix of irritation and resolve.

The air crackled as the teleportation spell finally took shape, its ethereal edges cutting through the fabric of reality. A triumphant laugh escaped her, "Take that, stupid barrier!" While she was not as adept in the arcane arts as her brother, magical barriers at this level could not stand in her way for long, no matter how ancient or revered. Dealing with such parlor tricks ought to be simple for creations of the Supreme Beings.

With her pets and invisible undead guards surrounding her, Aura stepped through the portal and found herself right at the entrance of the imperial palace. The few guards that took note of her presence didn't even manage to activate an alarm before Aura's pets tore them to shreds, their screams silenced before they could open their mouths.

Now attuned to the signature of holy magic, Aura moved with purpose towards its source. Just as she began to descend into the palace basement, a tall, blonde figure with sharp features appeared out of the dark, blocking her path.

He was garbed in an elaborate robe of white and gold hues, fluttering with every movement. The cape-like extension flowed behind him, while beneath the glittering aristocratic facade was dark clothing that hugged his lithe form. It was a stark contrast to the paleness of his skin, and his light-colored boots gave off no sound with each step. His eyes, a deep and mesmerizing amber, seemed to pierce through the dimness, locking onto her with an intensity that could paralyze the bravest of souls.

"You shall proceed no further. Do you believe you can simply waltz in here, vermin?" The man's voice reverberated with fury, his aura crackling with barely contained power.

"I'm a busy girl, so could you please step aside? I might even spare you in return," Aura suggested. The man before her was far above the regular grunts and could be a potential recruit for Nazarick, a prospect that would surely please Lord Momonga.

Instead of accepting her offer, the man extended his hands, palms outward. In an instant, a torrent of blood projectiles erupted forth, surging towards the elven girl like a crimson wave, seeking to overwhelm her with their sheer number and ferocity.

Aura simply sighed. "Oh well, I did warn you."

She danced through the barrage, weaving back and forth in a silver blur. Each step was calculated with instinctual precision, allowing the projectiles to pass harmlessly by. Amidst her evasive maneuver, Aura's fingers found their way to a summoned arrow that gleamed with an otherworldly light. With a fluid motion, she also called forth her divine-tier bow, a weapon that materialized in a burst of radiant energy.

"Tell me your name before I end you, it's required for the report," she said nonchalantly, as she dodged the final projectile and landed perfectly on her feet.

She was leagues above this man, no, vampire, if Analytical Appraisal was to be trusted. He was no threat; she was just taunting him into giving her the information she needed for a thorough report when all of this was said and done.

"My name? Your audacity knows no bounds, daughter of Bukubukuchagama!" The vampire spat, launching another volley of attacks. He simultaneously began to cast Disintegration - a spell Aura was wholly aware of - around the whole area as a killing blow.

"You're the rude one, you know. How am I supposed to know who you are if all of you insist on hiding in the castle?" Aura retorted, her voice laced with mock disappointment. With a flick of her wrist, she loosed the arrow, which split into numerous fragments of light that vaporized the incoming blood shower upon contact.

The dark elf notched another arrow, her eyes narrowing with fierce determination. The bowstring sang as she drew it back, letting it fly the next moment. It blitzed through the air, and her adversary's eyes widened in a fleeting moment of realization before glancing down at the glowing hole where his heart used to be.

The vampire crumpled, ending the casting of Disintegration as he groaned in agony. His regeneration struggled against the illuminated wound, unable to break through the continuous damage of the celestial fire. Aura took aim once more and stated, "If you don't want to tell me your name then I'll just have to report that I killed some nameless cleric who somehow didn't die from a single hit."

"L-Louis… My name is Louis. Lady Luminous will avenge me. You monsters won't—" The threat was cut short, seeing as how his head was obliterated in a gruesome spectacle that painted the walls with his life essence. His remains were ignited, leaving nothing but ashes as Louis' soul was dispatched to Nazarick, fuel for Lord Momonga's grand designs.

"Louis? Oh, the emperor. A decent catch, though I expected more of a challenge," Aura mumbled, a hint of disappointment in her voice as she moved on. Dwelling on one enemy was pointless since there would be many more to slaughter along the way.

Upon locating the battery, Aura raised her arm to shield her eyes and triggered another explosion. The familiar wave of holy energy washed over her, still as prickly as last time.

"And that's that."

{ I'm done. Killed Louis the vampire on the way as well. } She dutifully reported to her demonic counterpart.

{ Excellent work, as expected of you. Have you encountered any significant threats } Demiurge inquired.

{ Nope, just a bunch of weaklings~ }

{ Just as I suspected. Since there is no apparent danger, we are expanding your objectives. Clear the central cathedral and report back if you eliminate at least one cardinal. Shadow Demons will provide you with relevant information shortly. However, if you encounter formidable resistance, revert to the original plan immediately. }

{ Got it. Do you want me to flood the city with beasts? }

{ No. For now, our goal is to decapitate their leadership and cripple the Ruberios government. If there's no nation left to salvage, Luminous may have no reason to intervene } Demiurge explained, his voice laced with a hint of satisfaction.

The demon, ever the strategist and educator, clearly relished the opportunity to guide his fellow guardians. Aura accepted his instructions with grace, understanding his intentions were for the best.

{ I see. Oh well, more hunting is always better. }

This was good news. The enemies of Nazarick were proving to be weaker than anticipated. Just a few guardians and their escorts were already dismantling the power structure of the religion that had dared to declare war on all non-humans. She would have her harvest here and use the weaker corpses to grow her magical beasts even further.

With a renewed sense of purpose, Aura set off towards her next target. The hunt had well and truly begun.

Editing by aidan_lo and Zprotu.

Proofreading by Antilene, Malguis, Sluethen, Clagan, Cakeeight, aidan_lo, Thea, Lightflan, Cay, NuggetLover, Milk, and Zprotu.

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