"!!!"
In the blink of an eye, Aura's undead army, along with the three executioners, was completely wiped out.
"Uh..."
Linie slowly stood up, her eyes vacant. She looked at Kafka in confusion, then at Aura, equally lost.
Under the effect of the Spirit Whisper technique, her mind was in complete chaos. She had no idea what she was supposed to do, only a vague sense that she should obey the purple-haired woman before her.
"Go stand over there. I'll take you to meet the Commander in a bit."
Kafka pointed in a direction.
"Oh."
Dragging her weapon behind her, Linie staggered toward the spot.
"Linie!"
Aura shouted, but the little girl didn't react at all. She was entirely under mental control.
"?"
"A domination-type spell?!"
Aura frowned and stared at Kafka with a serious expression. Even Frieren, who was watching from afar, showed a hint of surprise.
"Controlling demons? There's no trace of magical power on her... how is this possible?"
"I told you—beyond magic, there are many other things in this world that can be used and learned."
Setsuna smiled faintly.
Kafka was on an entirely different level from these demons. Her Spirit Whisper couldn't affect stronger beings, but against locals like these, it was effortless.
"Heh—"
Aura's expression darkened.
"What exactly are you people? Humans? Mages? No..."
"Forget it. I'll just eliminate you now and hope you can make up for my losses."
Clack—
More headless soldiers surrounded them.
At the same time, she fixed her gaze on Kafka. Holding a sword in one hand, she conjured a faintly glowing scale in the other and stepped forward.
"Domination magic!"
Swish—
A mass of black light separated from her body, while a pale blue orb drifted out from Kafka.
This magic, activated through the Scales of Obedience, placed both her soul and her opponent's onto the scale.
The scale would tilt toward the side with greater magical power. The one with less magic would become subservient to the stronger side.
Control over the body would fall entirely into the victor's hands, lasting until the body decayed.
Over the past several hundred years, thanks to Aura's immense magical reserves, she had almost never lost in a contest of magic against any human.
Aura didn't know the origins of these two, but one thing was certain—Kafka had no magical power whatsoever.
She wasn't even the lowest-tier mage.
"You're a capable fighter, but your magic is nothing special."
"In that case, you have no chance of winning."
Aura revealed a confident smile.
"Oh..."
Kafka found the spell a bit tedious and was about to strike first when Silver Wolf stopped her.
"Wait, I just thought of something fun."
Swish—
Her fingers flew across the holographic interface at a dazzling speed.
Aether Editing could modify almost anything in the real world—as long as she could decipher it.
Click.
Their souls landed on the scale.
Aura's black soul immediately caused it to tilt in her favor.
"You're far inferior to me. I've already won."
"Next, I'll personally cut off your head and turn you into my most unique warrior."
Smiling, she dragged her sword as she walked forward step by step.
Perhaps due to her confidence, her guard was slightly lowered. No one had ever resisted the power of the Scales of Obedience before.
Her gaze briefly swept over Silver Wolf as she considered extracting more information, though she also feared unnecessary complications.
To ensure absolute obedience, the simplest method was to cut off the target's head and erase their will.
"?"
Kafka rested her chin on her hand, fascinated by this unfamiliar ability.
"Come."
Aura stepped in front of them.
Suddenly—
"Ah, I've cracked it. Interesting. It doesn't support code editing, but you can brute-force it with Imaginary energy."
Silver Wolf tapped the holographic screen and casually entered a number.
Clack!
The scale instantly tilted the other way. Kafka crushed Aura with overwhelming advantage.
"What?!"
"Impossible! This is—?!"
Aura was stunned.
"You have no magic at all! How is this possible?!"
"Come on, it's just a numbers game. Just tweak the values a bit."
Silver Wolf yawned.
"Your little toy is pretty interesting."
"!!"
Aura tried to say something more.
Swish—
Magic scattered as the domination spell activated instantly.
Control over her body was completely seized by Kafka.
"Oh, this is even more thorough than Spirit Whisper? Though it's a bit troublesome to use."
Kafka observed Aura with interest.
She had little interest in controlling random nobodies. It was simply amusing to her.
She casually praised Silver Wolf as well.
"Nicely done."
"...Not quite how I imagined it going, but the result's the same, I guess?"
She picked up the scale, treating it as a piece of loot.
Pulling up the list on the holographic interface, she glanced over it.
"Next, let's see... which demons are left?"
"Hmm, Solitär, Lügner... and the rest. Hopefully they'll be more entertaining."
...
A day later.
"Here you go, Commander. I've gathered everyone from your script."
Kafka and Silver Wolf tossed Aura, Linie, Solitär, and several other demon girls in front of Setsuna.
Some were tightly bound, others were completely under control.
"Oh!"
Herta and Ruan Mei were instantly intrigued by these truly otherworldly lifeforms.
Only Frieren frowned, standing a bit farther away with caution.
"There are three great demons here."
"You didn't eliminate them—why bring them back?"
She could handle one great demon, but several at once was a headache.
"Of course, they're for the Commander to use as fluffballs."
Grey whistled.
"From now on, you'll sit at the same table as Phantylia. Get properly reformed."
"!"
Aura gritted her teeth, glaring angrily at the nanomachines.
"What are fluffballs?"
Frieren asked, confused.
"Hmm..."
Setsuna fiddled with the scale in his hand. For him, this kind of magical construct could be analyzed in seconds.
He glanced at Aura.
"Sit."
Thump—
Aura dropped to the ground.
"Stand up."
"Crawl over here."
"Hey!!!"
Within the Starsea Empire, there were two kinds of people: citizens with full rights—like shipgirls and young girls—and prisoners who had been captured for re-education, just like Phantylia.
Clearly, these villains had no human rights at the moment.
"!!!"
Aura bared her teeth, fury blazing in her eyes.
She had no idea who Kafka was, how she had so easily reversed the Scales of Obedience, nor where this group had come from.
"Ugh—"
With her own will, she desperately tried to resist the effects of the scale, struggling to regain control over her body.
Tap—
Setsuna placed a hand on her.
The power of the Herrscher of Corruption flowed into her, taking complete control of Aura, Linie, and the other demons—their minds, bodies, and very existence.
"Don't waste your effort. If you keep entertaining such thoughts, the corrosion will only worsen."
"Ah!"
She suddenly realized that an incomprehensible force had taken root within her—something she could neither defy nor separate from, something she couldn't even fully perceive. Any attempt to resist it brought unbearable agony.
At that moment, Aura thought she had encountered the Demon King himself.
"What are you planning to do?!"
"Nothing much. I just want you demons to behave for now. Don't try anything that would make me unhappy."
Setsuna's gaze lowered slightly, and Aura shivered.
"You're going to control us? I can—"
Before she could finish, Setsuna interrupted her.
"Stop. Don't bother trying tricks or playing pitiful. I've seen your kind before. And don't tell me you'll agree to anything, or that you want to join the Starsea Empire."
"When we get back, Phantylia will teach you the new rules. How you're dealt with in the future depends on your performance."
Aura and the other demons fell silent, not daring to speak.
"Oh..."
Frieren watched, somewhat dazed.
With just a few words and a bit of power, several great demons had been completely subdued.
She realized that Setsuna didn't lack magical power—rather, he wielded something entirely different, something beyond her understanding.
"May I ask... what was the name of the magic you just used?"
"That's the authority of the Herrscher of Corruption. It's a bit more advanced than your magic."
Setsuna smiled.
"You won't be able to learn it. But if you're interested in magic, the Empire's Grand Library will have more than enough material for you in the future."
Swish—
He opened the holographic interface.
"Hmm... the demons are mostly gathered. As for the remaining great demons and demon generals, let Kiana and Ritsuka Fujimaru handle them."
"Come on, let's go meet your grandmaster."
...
"Report, 120 kilometers ahead—we've detected the Demon King's castle."
Northern continent, Erd region.
Led by Kiana and Ritsuka Fujimaru, the subjugation squad advanced through forests and wastelands.
When conquering a world, everyone had different tasks.
The Angeloids and Sophons were responsible for unifying human civilization. Some teams were tasked with locating and recruiting specific individuals. Their mission, however, was simple—
Eliminate all demon generals, great demons, and the Demon King not on the list.
It was Stelle and March 7th's first time participating in an interdimensional expedition, and they were especially excited.
Bronya, Seele, and the others had mostly been studying at the Valkyrie Academy and rarely participated in external combat missions.
"Hmm... let me see. Up ahead should be the Demon King's castle."
"There are quite a few targets here. Aside from the Demon King, several great demons are inside. There are also a few smaller demon cities nearby."
The white-haired girl checked the holographic map, then looked into the distance.
There stood a fortress shrouded in a barrier, emitting a dark glow.
Within it were several well-known great demons, including the infamous Macht of the Golden Land.
He was considered the strongest among the Demon King's subordinates, wielding the magic "Spell to Transmute All Creation into Gold," capable of turning even living beings into gold at will.
Over five hundred years ago, he had fought against a group of mages including Frieren, defeating them utterly.
He had even turned Frieren's right arm into gold, a curse that took her nearly a hundred years to lift.
"Do we have a battle plan?"
March 7th asked nervously.
"We're already close to the demons' core territory, right? If we act recklessly, we might alert them and get surrounded..."
"Should we clear the surrounding fortresses first, or...?"
"Why make it so complicated? Just wipe them all out together."
Kiana waved it off.
"Didn't you learn this in the Starsea Empire? Standard procedure is to begin with firepower saturation."
"Break their resistance first, then move in for annihilation. Doesn't matter whether it's technology or magic."
"I haven't even had classes yet!"
March 7th squinted as she complained.
Swish—
Kiana pulled several magic scrolls from her bag and handed them out.
"Wait, aren't super-tier spells only usable after passing the Magic Academy exams? How do you have so many?!"
"Aren't these contraband for us?!"
Mei stared in shock.
"I begged the Commander for ages before he gave them to me!"
Kiana looked smug. As the ultimate nepo-baby in the academy, she occasionally enjoyed special privileges.
"What's this?"
March 7th, Stelle, and the other newcomers were baffled.
"Something fun."
The white-haired girl showed them how to spread the scrolls on the ground, lock onto targets, channel magic into them, and activate the incantations.
[Super-tier Magic: Skyfall!!]
...
Inside the Demon King's fortress.
The Demon King, clad in heavy armor, sat upon his throne, listening to reports from his subordinates.
"Aura the Guillotine, Saint Todd, and Solitär—their legions were all defeated by two strange humans."
"Gauval and Rivale were also killed. It appears the enemy has launched a large-scale extermination campaign against demonkind."
A horned, red-haired, blue-eyed great demon marked several locations on the map.
At first, they had assumed the war between the Starsea Empire and the human kingdoms was merely internal conflict, something the demons could exploit.
But they quickly realized the Starsea Empire wasn't targeting any specific faction—their goal was the entire world, and they had resolved to eradicate demonkind completely.
Boom!—
The Demon King's fury swept across the entire city.
Several great demons under his command and the Seven Sages of Destruction had been utterly crushed without even mounting a proper resistance.
Some had even been captured alive—it was a humiliation beyond words.
"Is it the Hero?"
The Demon King asked.
"No. At the very least, a Hero wouldn't attack human kingdoms or subjugate entire nations."
Macht pondered for a moment.
In the past, those who challenged the demons and the Demon King were blessed Heroes. But this time, the enemy was... different.
"Tch."
The Demon King let out a low grunt.
"Reveldi, locate them. Go intercept."
Whoosh—
Beside him, another bizarre demon with four arms and a serpentine lower body activated a detection spell. His gaze pierced through the Demon King's castle, across forests, mountains, and lakes.
Then his expression changed abruptly.
"They're approaching—right here!!"
The moment he finished speaking—
Humm—
Crackle...
Magical energy began to saturate the air. Demons, being highly sensitive to magic, instinctively grew restless.
Looking up, a massive magic circle formed above the Demon King's castle.
"Super-tier Magic: Skyfall!"
"Super-tier Magic: Heavenly Sword!!"
BOOM!!
A blinding white pillar of light, packed with searing energy, descended from the sky, instantly blasting a massive hole through the top of the castle.
Countless low-ranking demons were annihilated in an instant.
A second and third strike followed immediately.
Enormous blades of light fell from the sky, cleaving the fortress in half.
Violent energy swept through the city like a raging storm.
BOOM!—
RUMBLE!!
"!!!"
"What kind of magic is this?!"
Under the relentless bombardment, the entire Demon King's castle was reduced to ruins in a short time.
Only the Demon King and a handful of elite demon generals survived, barely clinging to life through sheer vitality, defensive magic, and barriers.
Before they could even catch their breath, they looked up again—
Bam!
A gray-haired girl descended from the sky, swinging a baseball bat and smashing it into the Demon King's head.
"You're out!!!"
"???"
The Demon King and Macht were enraged, just about to retaliate—
BOOM!!!
Another red-and-white mech dropped from the sky, its spear instantly pinning Macht to a wall.
RUMBLE!—
High-energy beams erupted from the spear. Before he could even activate his gold-transmutation magic, he was disintegrated into molecules within a fraction of a second.
Kiana led March 7th and the Valkyrie squad as they stormed in, wiping out the remaining demons.
"Alive ones! Capture a few alive!"
"Herta and the Research Department want them for experiments!!"
...
Elsewhere.
The Astral Express carried Frieren and the captured demon prisoners onward.
"Oh, new lifeforms."
Inside the carriage, Herta and Ruan Mei examined the Demon King and several demon generals, restrained within a force field.
Unlike Aura and Solitär, who had been subdued through domination, these ones had been captured purely for research purposes.
"Commander, can you give me one of the demons for study? I can trade you a Curio for it."
Herta asked.
"Sure."
Setsuna replied indifferently.
Demons had no rights to begin with—study them however they pleased.
"Oh, thanks."
"Hmm..."
Frieren's expression was somewhat complicated.
In just two days, the Demon King's army had been almost completely wiped out.
The once-terrifying Demon King and several great demons, who had defeated countless Heroes, were now confined like small animals in transparent cages formed by force fields.
Their treatment was similar to Phantylia's earlier.
The efficiency and methods of the Starsea Empire were beyond comprehension.
"They... are dangerous. Don't trust a single word demons say."
Out of caution, Frieren offered a reminder.
"Don't worry. No problem. However dangerous they are, they can't be more dangerous than a Lord Ravager."
Setsuna smiled.
"What will happen to them?"
"Aura and the others will be sent to be reformed as fluffballs alongside Phantylia. The Demon King and the remaining demon officers will be used for research first."
Grey thought for a moment.
"After that... hopefully they can still contribute a bit in the Synaptic Lathe. I've heard demons are fairly intelligent."
"Huh?"
Frieren heard another unfamiliar term and couldn't help but feel that her previous approach of simply killing demons lacked imagination.
Whoosh—
The Astral Express sped over cities below, most of which had already been fully taken over by the Angeloids.
With the help of Sophons and onboard AI, every individual in this world was being precisely identified.
"Hmm... the timeline is a bit tricky."
Setsuna glanced at the holographic interface.
At this point, the Hero of the Hero Party—namely Himmel—was still in childhood.
Aside from long-lived beings like Frieren and Aura, most figures like Fern and Übel hadn't even been born yet.
The future Continental Magic Association didn't exist either.
But for the Starsea Empire, which could traverse time and space through higher dimensions, that wasn't an issue.
The remaining targets, aside from a few who were still children, left only one particularly ancient individual.
Whoosh!
Both Setsuna and Frieren sensed a gaze and a surge of magical power from afar.
A petite elf with golden hair and golden eyes raised her head. Her gaze crossed half the continent and met Setsuna's.
"Are you looking for me?"
"Just so happens... I wanted to meet you as well."
—
—
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