"Well, well, Himmel. It's been a while, hasn't it? What brings you to a place like this?"
Aura's provocative smile matched her words, a demeanor befitting one of the Seven Sages of Destruction, a great demon of unparalleled power. She let her mana flare, a display so overwhelming that any ordinary adventurer would have fled in terror, their will shattered by the mere sight of it. Yet, standing before her—
"That's my line, Aura. You don't seem like a fake, do you?"
Himmel met her gaze with unshakable confidence, his presence commanding and fearless. To an onlooker, he might appear a charming, youthful hero, but Aura knew better—this was no ordinary man. In his hand gleamed the Hero's Sword, said to be a gift from the Goddess herself. Despite its grand title, it radiated no discernible power. That, however, was irrelevant. The real problem was—
(Why is Himmel here, of all places!? What kind of sick joke is this!?)
It was unmistakably Himmel. From every angle, it was him. His sword was already drawn, poised for battle, ready to strike at any moment. The old scar on her arm—the one he'd carved in their last encounter—throbbed faintly, and cold sweat dampened her back.
"Oh, I'm the real deal, alright. Pity for you. Where are your little friends? Not with you today?"
Suppressing the urge to flee, Aura forced herself to speak, addressing the hero with feigned composure. Showing weakness now would mean instant defeat—her demon instincts screamed as much. The spell she'd been preparing for Qual remained half-formed, frozen in the tension of the moment.
"Just me this time," Himmel replied, unfazed. "And it seems your vaunted undead army isn't here either, is it?"
Whether he knew her turmoil or not, Himmel's response was maddeningly calm, honest to a fault. His confidence suggested he didn't need his companions to face her. Worse, he'd already seen through her—she hadn't brought her undead army.
(This guy's as infuriating as ever…! But it's not over yet…!)
Her blood boiled, but she clung to her composure. True, as Himmel noted, her undead army was absent. Most had been lost in past battles, and bringing them would have drawn too much attention, making her an easy target for heroes like him. She'd left them behind to avoid detection, but that choice had backfired. Still, Himmel was alone too—a sign this encounter was as unexpected for him as it was for her.
"Who's to say?" she taunted. "Maybe they're lurking nearby."
"No chance," Himmel shot back. "A coward like you wouldn't face me without guards unless you had no choice."
"How dare you," she hissed. "And what about you? Why are you here? Don't tell me you were tracking me."
"Pure coincidence," he said with a shrug. "I came to check on Qual's seal in this village. Never imagined I'd run into you… but it seems I arrived just in time."
His words stung, a verbal spar as sharp as any blade. The absurdity of this chance encounter made her stomach churn. Why now? Why this moment? It felt like a curse, her body tensing under his unwavering gaze.
"Stop that spell," Himmel commanded, his voice cold. "I won't let you revive Qual."
"Oh? Even the great Hero fears Qual, hm?" she sneered. "Makes sense. You couldn't kill him, so you sealed him away, didn't you?"
"Exactly," he admitted. "But this time, I'm not letting you get away."
The words hit like a thunderbolt, igniting a storm of anger and fear in her chest. She nearly lunged at him, instinct screaming to act, but she held back. She had to stay calm. She knew Himmel wouldn't let her escape—he'd made that clear in their last battle. Back then, distracted by his companions, she'd underestimated him. His godlike speed had struck before she could unleash her Obedience Spell, Azeliyuze. A childishly simple counter—prevent the spell's activation—executed with terrifying precision. That was the hero's true strength. But not this time.
(At this distance, I can cast Azeliyuze… The problem is—)
She knew his power now. She wouldn't repeat past mistakes. Himmel stood within the effective range of Azeliyuze, and the distance between them was greater than in their last clash. She recalled that humiliating defeat, the memory fueling her resolve. She could win. But she needed one more advantage. Then it hit her—the nagging unease she'd felt since their reunion. Its source.
"By the way… why bother announcing yourself?" she asked, tilting her head. "You could've ambushed me and won. Is a sneak attack beneath the noble Hero?"
Himmel's expression shifted slightly. "…No. I had something to ask you, Aura."
"Ask me?" she echoed, genuinely puzzled.
What could he possibly want? Hero and demon, human and fiend—two beings who could never coexist. What could he need from her?
"The village chief and a child are missing," he said, his voice laced with barely restrained menace. "Do you know anything about it?"
The air grew heavy, his killing intent palpable, his eyes promising retribution if she lied. Yet, a wicked smile curled her lips. Fear and hesitation vanished, replaced by the predatory instinct of a demon. The final piece of her victory had fallen into place.
"I killed them," she said coldly. "An old man and a child? Useless, even if I'd enslaved them."
Her lie was a calculated blow, the perfect provocation for a hero like him. And with it, their rematch began—
The battle would be decided in an instant. Would Aura's Obedience Spell, Azeliyuze, take hold first, or would Himmel's blade reach her? A simple, brutal contest. Unlike their last fight, with its chaos of companions and undead minions, this was a pure duel. Her hand already held the scales of fate. She abandoned Qual's unsealing—too time-consuming, too risky in this moment. Instead—
"Obedience Spell: Azeliyuze!"
Her life's work, honed to perfection, erupted in a blaze of light, surging toward Himmel. Unavoidable, undefendable—a trump card no mage could counter. Orbs of light—souls—rose from both their bodies, hers and Himmel's, placed upon the scales. Faster than ever before, far swifter than in their last battle.
(I've won!)
Victory seemed certain. The shortened casting time of Azeliyuze was her triumph, the fruit of relentless training since her humiliating defeat. A demon's pursuit of magical mastery had led her to this peak. The distance favored her. Yet—
"Wha—?"
Her voice came out small, foolish.
What had happened? The scales she'd held were gone. Where were they? Her gaze lifted, and there—Himmel, his sword flashing, the scales soaring through the air. In that fleeting moment, she realized: he'd cut the scales away. Impossible. What magic could do this? To close the distance in an instant—
Aura hadn't seen it. Himmel was no longer the man she'd faced years ago. The journey to defeat the Demon King had forged him into something greater, his growth outpacing hers in ways she couldn't fathom.
She didn't know the weight of time differed for humans and demons.
"It's over, Aura," Himmel declared.
A lightning-fast strike. He shifted his grip, swinging the blade downward toward her neck. Even a demon would perish if beheaded—a fitting tribute to the heroes she'd slain. His godlike speed left no room for pleas—
"No, Himmel. It's you who's finished."
The blade halted, not by Azeliyuze's power, but by Himmel's own will.
(That… a child…? No…!)
Himmel froze, his eyes locked on a figure emerging from the bushes near Qual's seal. A boy, wearing a straw hat—a mischievous child he knew, once bold enough to lift a comrade's skirt. Alive. Relief flooded him, but it was fleeting. The boy held a dagger, and in that moment, Himmel understood. He'd lost.
"Aura, you—!"
"Got it in one," she purred, her smile sly and triumphant. "Now, why don't you drop that dangerous toy?"
Himmel's face twisted with anguish, while Aura's radiated cunning delight. She didn't need Azeliyuze to control him now. Defying her would doom the boy—and the village chief, who stood beside him, also clutching a dagger.
"So, that was a lie," Himmel said bitterly.
"Duh. Demons lie. You, of all people, should know that," she taunted. "But isn't it great? They're both safe. You should thank me."
Himmel saw it clearly now. The villagers were under Azeliyuze's thrall. If he resisted, they'd be forced to slit their own throats. For Aura, this was an unexpected boon.
(This worked out better than I could've dreamed…! A child hostage is worth more than an undead army against a hero like him!)
Keeping the villagers alive had been a whim—the chief to control the village, the child as a future meal. But it had saved her. She realized now: one child could bind a hero more effectively than a thousand soldiers. Humans protected their young, a weakness she could exploit. Azeliyuze's true power against humans lay in such tactics, a truth she'd overlooked in her pursuit of raw strength.
"I'm sorry… Hero, I…" the boy stammered.
"Don't mind us, Hero!" the chief pleaded.
"Quiet," Aura snapped. "Himmel, resistance is pointless. I've ordered them to kill themselves if you try anything. Even if you escape, they're dead. But a hero like you wouldn't run, would you?"
Checkmate, she declared. Yet even that was a lie—Azeliyuze's effect would vanish if she died. Killing her now would save the villagers. But Himmel had no way of knowing that. If Frieren, the mage, were here, she might have seen through the deception. But she wasn't. Her absence was Himmel's sole, fatal flaw.
"…Promise me," he said, voice low. "I don't care what happens to me. Just—"
"I promise," Aura cut in, her tone mockingly sincere. "I always keep my promises."
A hollow vow, mirrored by his own. As Aura summoned the scales again, Himmel dropped his sword and fell to his knees. Their souls were weighed once more, the scales tipping slowly, inexorably, toward her. The impartial yet unjust judgment that had broken countless humans now fell upon the hero.
"Haha… AHAHAHA!" Aura's laughter echoed, wild with triumph. "I did it! I, Aura, have brought the legendary Hero Himmel to his knees!"
It was only natural. She'd defeated the hero who felled the Demon King. But that wasn't all.
(With Himmel under my control, nothing can stop me! No one can stand against me!)
Enslaving the hero meant unrivaled power. No more skulking, no more hiding. The villagers, witnessing their hero's fall through their fault, were paralyzed with despair, unable to even cry out. But—
"…Urgh…!"
Himmel, slumped on the ground, raised his head with a groan of defiance. Aura's laughter faltered, her eyes widening before she regained her composure.
"Of course," she said, exhaling. "Only a hero like you could resist this much."
Normally, those under Azeliyuze's thrall couldn't move without her command. But the strong-willed—heroes forged in battle—could resist, however briefly. Himmel, the epitome of such strength, was no exception. To counter this, Aura had a simple solution.
"My victory," she declared, gripping the Hero's Sword. "Now, I'll take your head myself."
Beheading her victims earned her the moniker "Guillotine." Raising the hero's own blade to end him was the ultimate irony. Himmel struggled, his eyes burning with unyielding resolve, but the scales' judgment was absolute. Yet—
"No need to worry," she sneered. "I'll add your friends to my undead army soon enough. You won't be lonely."
That careless taunt added weight to the hero's soul—
"What—!?"
Aura's voice broke with shock, a sound unlike any before. Impossible. Himmel had caught her descending blade with his hand. A victim of Azeliyuze defying her physically? Unheard of, even among the strongest heroes. But that wasn't the worst of it.
(My… my body… it won't move—!? No…!)
Frozen, eyes wide, Aura realized the truth. The Obedience Spell, Azeliyuze, weighed souls on its scales, comparing mana to determine dominance. A demon's magic, closer to a curse than human spells, its full mechanics eluded even her. She'd never questioned why it extracted souls to measure mana, when mana alone should suffice.
Aura didn't know: mana was part of the soul, alongside willpower. Strong spirits could resist briefly, tilting the scales. A demon's magic, rooted in unconscious imagery, was unbreakable—until now. Its flaw: a single failure meant defeat. And the scales, once tipped in her favor, now leaned toward Himmel.
The hero's soul, bolstered by his bond with absent comrades, outweighed even Aura's centuries-honed mana. That was the proof of his heroism.
Thus ended the rematch between Aura the Guillotine and Himmel the Hero—and Aura's defeat.