Chapter 134: Alchemy Commission — Disciple of Sanctus Medicus's Secret Hatchery Base!
「 On the other side, the Alchemy Commission.
The setting sun was like blood, and the evening wind swept through the Alchemy Commission, where the smoke of battle had yet to dissipate. An indescribable sense of bleakness and desolation permeated the air.
The severed limbs and broken bodies of the Cloud Knights covered the ground, piled high like hills and valleys. Crows circled on the low branches, preparing to feast on the carnage.
Just as one crow opened its beak and repeatedly pecked at an eyeball, sudden footsteps shattered the silence, startling the flock away.
"...Whoa, looks like the battle here was intense..." Seeing a scene like this for the first time, March 7th unconsciously shrank behind Stelle.
"It seems the Master Diviner set off ahead of us while we were delayed at the Artisanship Commission," Tingyun guessed.
"Thank goodness the general didn't make us go with the Knights... Fighting is totally different from adventuring," March 7th couldn't help but shiver. "All these people on the ground… I, I can't handle such a large-scale scene."
"Benefactor, what are you saying? This barely counts as a scene…" Tingyun crossed her arms, glancing slightly at the corpses strewn below the steps. "Centuries ago, an Emanator of 『 Abundance 』 besieged the Luofu, intending to take the Ambrosial Arbor. They destroyed half our delves and killed most of the Cloud Knights."
"Such a past is not even history to the long-life species; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it yesterday. Compared to that, what's before us now is merely a minor skirmish."
"Hey, is that supposed to make us feel better!?" Being told this by Tingyun, March 7th, shrank back even further. 」
「 .....」
〜Frieren: Beyond Journey's End World〜
"These Cloud Knights…"
Stark lowered his gaze. A sharp pang of sorrow welled up from his heart when he thought that these Cloud Knight 'big brothers' also had their own siblings, wives, children, and parents.
...Within the Xianzhou, there must be people they cared about, and people who cared about them, right? Yet the Mara-Struck pierced the Cloud Knights' chests with just one blow, extinguishing all beauty and hope in a single instant.
Looking at the painful or distorted expressions on the faces of the dead Cloud Knights, memories from his homeland rushed over him. Stark felt as if he saw the bodies burned by the Demon King's army again, smelling the scent of iron and fire in the air...
He abruptly clapped a hand over his mouth, desperately suppressing the urge to vomit.
Just as his body trembled, a surging warm current dispelled his physical discomfort. Stark turned his head and saw Sein holding the Holy Scripture, applying the Goddess's Protection to him.
"What's wrong? Not used to large-scale scenes?"
After the protection ended, Sein patted his shoulder consolingly.
"If you still feel unwell, take a rest for today."
"Scenes like this are not rare on the Demon King's frontline; one could even say they happen every day,"
Frieren reminded him from the side.
"If we are to cross the northern plateau in the future, we will inevitably pass through the frontline… You must adapt quickly, Stark."
"Mhm."
Stark lowered his gaze.
"It's just that seeing these dead Cloud Knights reminded me of some past events…"
—
「 "It's hard to tell if the master diviner won or lost here." Welt looked at the tragic state of the Alchemy Commission, feeling quite worried.
"Let's play it safe and say it was a draw." Stelle guessed..
"...A draw? This isn't a tournament, y'know!" March 7th rolled her eyes at her.
"I see more Mara-Struck bodies than Cloud Knights. The Xianzhou must have fought well in this battle."
"...Not necessarily." Welt shook his head gently.
"If there had been a great victory, they would usually leave behind strongholds and troops for rear support, but there are none here. Let's look around; perhaps there are clues."
Stelle examined several Mara-Struck corpses and found hack marks from swords and blades on their armor. What was startling was that all these marks came from the deceased's own weapons. These Mara-Struck were… suicides.
How could this be? Puzzled, Stelle and the others walked along the main road and soon discovered two people in a nearby corridor.
One was dressed as an Alchemy Commission medical officer, and the other was a Cloud Knight clutching his head in agony.
It looked like the medical officer was treating the Cloud Knight's injuries. Stelle was about to ask them about the whereabouts of the troops, but unexpectedly, the woman saw them and said in surprise: "Oh, you aren't Cloud Knights… What are you doing here? It's very dangerous."
Welt: "We are aid summoned by the General. May I ask where everyone else has gone?"
"Heh heh…" The medical officer suddenly gave a sinister laugh. "To actually bring in short-life species as reinforcements… Heh heh, Jing Yuan is truly running out of options."
As soon as she said this, everyone immediately sensed that the atmosphere was wrong.
Sure enough, the trembling Cloud Knight used all his strength to squeeze a single sentence through gritted teeth: "Run! This person is… Disciples of Sanctus Medicus!"
"Too much chatter!" the medical officer woman said coldly. "If I heal you completely, you will also become one of us." 」
「 .....」
〜Demon Slayer World〜
"Oh? To be able to transform a severely injured Cloud Knight into Mara-Struck?"
"And then having the Mara-Struck fight the living Cloud Knights… The idea of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus perfectly aligns with mine."
Inside the Infinity Castle, Muzan Kibutsuji nodded approvingly.
For hundreds of years, he had deliberately tried to turn swordsmen who possessed Breathing Styles into Demons, making them turn against the Demon Slayer Corps. The effect was outstanding.
It was a pity that few swordsmen were willing to become Demons. Some, even after being turned into Demons, remained loyal to the Demon Slayer Corps, preferring to commit suicide rather than be driven by him.
However, Muzan never considered that the problem might be his own.
—Choosing death over becoming a Demon only proves that these people all have problems with their brains! They are all utterly senseless fools! To give up a nearly infinite life and instead covet a few decades as a human is simply utter folly!
...Just like these Cloud Knights on the screen, who would rather commit suicide after turning Mara-Struck than enjoy a perfect, long-life physique. Muzan simply thought they were as foolish as the swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps.
"Gyokko."
Muzan slightly lifted his eyelid, and a strangely shaped pot appeared before him. Gyokko's head cautiously peered out of it, and only after confirming that the master was not angry did he respectfully reveal his entire body:
"Master…"
"After you and Hantengu go to the Swordsmith Village, remember to bring me a living swordsmith."
Muzan looked down at him and spoke coldly:
"I intend to conduct some small experiments on those fools loyal to the Demon Slayer Corps…"
—
「 Golden branches burst out from inside the Cloud Knight, and golden ginkgo leaves sprouted from the hair at the back of his head. In the blink of an eye, the Cloud Knight transformed into a Mara-Struck right before their eyes!
His consciousness seemed extremely chaotic. While wildly swinging his blade toward Stelle, he struggled to say: "Hurry… get out of here…"
"I can't control myself anymore..." 」
「 .....」