"It seems it's my turn to step in."
Macht surveyed the golden statue Flamme had set down on the ground, then calmly made his way to the front of the group. No one had asked him to act — but without being prompted, he lifted the Gold Transformation Magic (Di Agolze) from Aura of his own accord.
"Ugh! You bastard, Macht — I always figured I was the only one who could defect... and yet here you are, running off to the humans' side!"
With the Gold Transformation Magic she had used to protect herself dispelled, Lady Aura was visibly on the edge of despair. In front of Macht, re-encasing herself would accomplish nothing.
So... to preserve her dignity, should she just kill herself?
Absolutely not! Lady Aura had not lived nearly enough — she had no intention of dying!
Aura clenched her teeth. In that instant, her mind was running faster than it ever had.
Is there a way... is there any way to escape?!
Tch... how am I supposed to find a way out? Against this lot, even my perfect combo of Magic of Obedience (Auserlese) plus Gold Transformation Magic is completely useless... Does that mean I'm just waiting to die?!
Fíliya, what are you doing?! You heartless woman — you have that far-sight of yours, so you must have already seen that I've been captured... why aren't you coming to save me...
With your power, couldn't you whisk me back in the blink of an eye.....
Lost in those frantic thoughts, a look of pure wounded grievance crept across Lady Aura's face — the spitting image of a kitten abandoned by its owner.
"Alright, Aura. Don't even think about trying anything. Just answer our questions."
Frieren crouched down in front of the demon, her expression completely blank.
"!?"
Aura first startled — then felt a small surge of relief.
They want to question me... right, I still have value alive... they won't kill me. They need information from me first.
So... should she sell them that information?
Absolutely not!
Even Aura had her pride!
And so Aura's gaze turned to steel. With every ounce of dignity she could muster, she delivered her line.
"I won't tell you a single thing... Hrgh... Just kill me."
The sight of the demon with the enormous curved horns putting on a face of noble self-sacrifice struck everyone as simply ridiculous.
"It seems she's not worth talking to. Best just dispose of her."
Frieren fixed Aura with a cold stare.
Ugh!
Aura's whole body gave an involuntary shudder. Of course she was afraid to die — her heart had practically leapt into her throat. And yet she clung to one last hazy fantasy:
Maybe Fíliya got distracted for a moment and missed what was happening... but once she notices I've been captured... she'll come save me, won't she... She did say she'd protect me.
The orb of light in Frieren's hand kept growing, building and building, on the verge of being released — the moment of Aura's probable death drawing closer by the second — and still no sign of rescue came.
You absolute traitor, Fíliya. You really aren't coming!
Well... I suppose this is my own fault too. I had already made up my mind to throw everything away and live only for myself — and in the end I still went and trusted someone else.
That's what you get for trusting people, isn't it.
But at least... I kept my promise, didn't I?
At that thought, the trembling in Aura's body stilled. She said nothing more — and quietly closed her eyes.
"Tch....."
Frieren watched, and could only put away her magic with an expression of clear displeasure.
"It seems no rescue is coming for her... and she's genuinely not going to give us anything."
"Mm. I'm a little surprised, actually. I recall that this demon was someone Fíliya held in high regard — and yet she was captured this easily, and Fíliya doesn't seem to have any intention of retrieving her....."
"So there's really only one option left, isn't there."
"Indeed."
The master-and-disciple pair of Frieren and Flamme reached their decision quickly. They turned and beckoned to Miss Edel, who stood among the crowd.
"Edel, come help us check — we need to make sure we don't miss a single memory."
Frieren extended the invitation, and Edel came forward without hesitation.
Whenever she had even a small part to play, Miss Edel looked genuinely delighted.
This is bad, this is very bad.....
Watching the scene unfold, Aura's heart sank — even she could guess what they were about to do to her.
They were definitely going to use Mind Control Magic (Gramtranz) on her. And with three of them working together — who could possibly hold out against that? Would her mind come out of this intact? Even if it did, everything about her would be laid completely bare.
You people are absolutely despicable!
But then Aura reconsidered... maybe this was actually acceptable?
It wasn't like she could resist anymore anyway... It's not like I'm the one giving up the information. I'm the victim here, really...
And besides — do I even know anything worth knowing?
Wait, how would I not?
While Aura's thoughts were racing at full speed, a strange, irresistible drowsiness washed over her — and she sank immediately into a deep sleep.
"Right. Let's begin."
The three gathered around Aura exchanged a glance, then together dove into the sea of Lady Aura's consciousness.
Some time passed.
Under the combined efforts of two great mages and one prodigy of mind magic, Lady Aura was thoroughly and completely laid bare — figuratively speaking.
Having reviewed the full span of Lady Aura's life, Frieren first furrowed her brow, then let out a quiet sigh.
"She really is a lucky one."
That was Frieren's verdict — because she had discovered that Aura had once harbored plans to use Magic of Obedience to raise an undead army and resume her campaign against humanity.
If not for her encounter with Fíliya, Aura would have carried out that plan without question — and would have been destroyed for it, either by Frieren herself or by a combined human effort. None of the happiness that followed would have existed.
And yes — having read through Aura's thoughts, Frieren found that after Aura, Fíliya, Solitär, and Linie had formed their strange little family, Aura had gone on to live days of joy that would make many a human envious.
Even within the Demon King's Castle, these four had shared a remarkably lively everyday life. While the human side had been on constant high alert, nerves stretched to their limit... those four had been living inside the castle with almost absurd ease.
She also saw the ritual — the one in which Fíliya had used Terminal Virus Magic to reshape the demon race.
For the moment, though, she couldn't quite grasp what Fíliya's goal had been.
That magic — the one that dissolved hundreds of demons into bloody water and then brought them back — was something Frieren had never so much as heard of before.
"I see... No wonder the demons have been forming settlements like little villages, and even learning to build houses. Fíliya, that child, is genuinely [remaking] the demon race."
Flamme, standing at Frieren's side, was deep in thought — after all, she knew Fíliya's ideals better than most.
"Is that so..."
Frieren gave a small nod. She was beginning to remember now — Fíliya had said something similar to her as well, hadn't she.
____
👻🔥Seek: Walnut-chan🔥👻
🔥 New history: Oshi No Ko: Co-starring with Kana Arima
Let's hit these goals:
🎯 100 Powerstones = 1 extra chapter for the public!