'Demon Race enthusiast'?
The female demon clearly couldn't comprehend the concept.
Humans and the Demon Race were diametrically opposed, locked in a life-or-death struggle. How could something like a... 'Demon Race enthusiast' possibly exist?
"Don't be scared. I really do love the Demon Race. A moment ago, it was only because those two were about to attack me on your command that I had to defend myself, you see? So... let's have a nice little chat."
As Fíliya spoke, she slowly walked toward the female demon and clasped her by the wrist. Then, she walked a short distance, holding the female demon's hand.
During this time, the female demon's mind was racing. She was constantly debating whether or not to attack.
Right now, this human had her guard down completely, even holding her wrist directly. She was, for all intents and purposes, full of openings.
But... for some reason, she didn't dare to make a move.
After witnessing the gruesome fate of her two subordinates, she had lost her courage to fight Fíliya. All she wanted now was a chance to... run. Run as far away as possible. If she could just survive this, she would hide deep in the mountains for a hundred years.
"Hm, let's rest here for a bit."
Fíliya finally found a tree stump to her liking and, still holding the demon, began to walk towards it.
Once they were seated, Fíliya took a blank book from her pack.
"Ahem... First, tell me your name. It's the foundation of any conversation."
"...Sani."
"Excellent. Let's continue. You see, I want to write a book titled 'An Ecological Record of the Demon Race.' I'll need you to cooperate fully, okay?"
"...If I cooperate, will you let me go?"
Sani asked hesitantly.
"Of course! As long as you don't attack me, I won't kill you. After all, I'm a Demon Race enthusiast."
Fíliya said with a beaming smile.
And those words finally gave the female demon named Sani a glimmer of hope.
In her experience, she had rarely encountered a human who could lie. Because of this, she subconsciously began to feel contempt for the human mage beside her, whose true power was a mystery.
If their roles were reversed, she would never give her prey any opportunity.
Humans truly were naive.
All she had to do now was play along with this madwoman's friendly game, and she would be granted a new lease on life. Nothing could be more fortunate.
But just in case... she still needed to figure out how this human had killed her subordinates.
So she looked at Fíliya.
"I agree to cooperate. But can you tell me what that magic was?"
Sani recalled the humans she had killed in the past, doing her best to imitate a tone that carried some warmth.
"Oh, that? It's simple. I drowned those two."
...Sani's pupils dilated slightly. She was starting to understand that the longer she spent with this crazy woman, the more questions she would have.
"It's 'Magic to Control the Senses.' I deceived their brains, making them believe they had been submerged at the bottom of the sea... Hmm, it is different from illusion magic, you know, but it would be hard to explain the nuances right now. In short, they reacted, struggled, and ultimately drowned on dry land without a single drop of water."
"I'm very satisfied with the results of this experiment. It proves that you of the Demon Race and we humans are very similar in 'structure.' Any trick that can kill a human can basically be used on a demon. This is a very important discovery."
"Oh, I know what you're worried about."
Fíliya gave Sani a deep look, her expression playful and cute.
"As for this magic's weakness... of course it has one. If the target's total mana is more than five times mine... no, it's probably around four times, it won't work. Those two only had a little more than twice my mana. What a shame. If they had been just a bit stronger, their deaths wouldn't have been so pathetic."
Sani was first startled by Fíliya's words, then immediately overjoyed.
She hadn't expected this human to be so foolish as to voluntarily reveal her magic's flaw.
And her own total mana was clearly more than four times greater than this human's, which meant... that 'Magic to Control the Senses' wouldn't work on her...
So that was it! That's why she didn't kill me.
What nonsense about research... about not wanting to kill me. The truth was she couldn't kill me.
A human voluntarily exposing their own weakness... It would be a waste not to take advantage of it.
Yes, after hearing what Fíliya said, the demon named Sani was immediately filled with killing intent.
She had even prepared her opening attack.
But... that feeling of being constricted by a python washed over her again.
No...
She came to a sudden realization, recalling her life experiences as a demon.
The humans she had killed and eaten, though very weak... they had learned and mastered a fair number of spells.
Unlike the Demon Race, which prefers to specialize in one or a few types of magic, humans seemed to be able to learn many different spells...
Which meant, could this madwoman have more than one killing technique?
At this thought, she swallowed hard, a wave of fear washing over her.
This wasn't fear, for the Demon Race cannot feel emotions. She was simply... under immense pressure, driven by her survival instincts.
"What's wrong? Your expression suddenly turned so grim. If you have a question, just ask. I'm a Demon Race enthusiast, you know. I'll tell you anything and everything, I promise."
Fíliya paid no mind to Sani's reaction. She was completely unconcerned whether the demon was plotting to assassinate her.
"Do you... know any other magic?"
Sani stared intently at Fíliya, as if to confirm whether this human would truly 'tell her everything.'
"Mm, I know plenty. That last spell was just a toy, you know."
...
Finally, the female demon Sani completely abandoned the idea of fighting Fíliya.
From now on, her priority had to be 'escape.'
...
"Alright, first question: how many humans have you eaten?"
...Why was it still about eating people? Why was this human more concerned about it than a demon?
Sani was deeply confused, but she didn't dare say more. After a moment's thought, she looked at Fíliya.
"I don't know. Do you remember how many slices of bread you've eaten? But, in the past, I rarely had the chance to eat humans. It's only recently, since I joined the Demon King's Army, that I've been able to eat more of them."
"Oh? Only recently? Does that mean... your kind doesn't actually need to eat humans?"
Fíliya asked with an excited look on her face. She felt the answer to this question was crucial.
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