Not long after Nanoda and Aura left.
The wooden door was pushed open again, and a tall Demon walked straight in.
"I heard you understand humans very well."
"It really is lively today; another big shot has arrived."
***
"Why didn't you just use violence to subjugate that guy called Solitir?"
On the road away, Aura asked.
"Although she is arrogant, she is very smart. I don't feel at ease forcibly keeping an old relic like her by my side—someone whose philosophy doesn't align with mine, who represents a variable, and who remains loyal to the old Demon King."
"Wouldn't it be fine to just kill her directly?"
"No, she will become a whetstone for someone else in the future."
Shrugging her shoulders, Aura did not ask any further.
Another week passed.
"Why haven't we seen even half a Demon along this entire journey?"
Nanoda felt it was very strange. Leaving aside those old Demons who were ignorant of worldly affairs, she hadn't even seen a shadow of the new generation of Demons.
"I reckon they all hid early on because the Hero arrived."
Aura spoke with complete indifference. Now that she had a guy by her side who was no inferior to the Hero, she could walk anywhere under the heavens.
"Is everyone's information really that well-informed?"
Nanoda felt somewhat helpless; finding kin to serve as subordinates was truly difficult. Perhaps she should just go and seize a human city to expand their territory.
Thinking of this, Nanoda shook her head again. Leaving the Hero aside, the Northern Empire probably wouldn't let her off either. If she ran into a human wave tactic, even if she didn't get buried alive fighting single-handedly, she would be exhausted to death.
"Should I go steal and learn human magic first? The killing range of Severance Magic is still too limited. Or should I continue trying to find a way to develop Severance Magic further?"
"Stop researching. There are kin ahead."
Aura, who was beside her, suddenly reminded her.
"Aura, I've found that you are so convenient."
Nanoda discovered that Aura's mana perception was always a sliver faster than her own. Every time Nanoda sensed someone, Aura had already spoken up to remind her.
"I call this being cautious."
Aura curled her lips. She always kept her mana perception maximized specifically so she could remind Nanoda to respond in time.
At the crossroads ahead stood a pink-haired Demon girl. Her hair was tied into twin tails with brown ribbons, and at the ties were two small horns symbolizing the Demon Race.
She wore a brown and white corset dress, and her dark brown stockings were wrapped with a few circles of black bands, extending down to a pair of deep black, round-toed low-heeled shoes. On her back, she carried a massive double-sided axe.
"Which way should I go?"
At this moment, the Demon girl was propping her chin up with one hand, pondering the direction.
"Linie?"
Nanoda couldn't quite believe her eyes. She had actually bumped into Aura's future Executioner.
"Hmm? You know me? Who are you?"
Hearing someone call her name, Linie turned around to look, tilting her head in a daze.
She saw a white-haired, broken-horned Demon and a purple-haired, large-horned Demon.
For some reason, that purple Demon gave Linie an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
Feeling like they had made eye contact, Aura actually spoke up before Nanoda could.
"I am one of the Seven Sages of Destruction of the Demon King's Army, the Great Demon Aura! The one beside me is the Great Demon Nanoda."
Aura released her mana to the extreme; her powerful mana aura was extremely intimidating.
Linie immediately knelt on one knee.
"Demon Linie pays respects to the Great Seven Sages—Lady Aura."
Seeing Linie give her so much face, Aura immediately beamed with joy and spoke to Nanoda.
"How about that? This is my prestige!"
Nanoda was somewhat speechless. It seemed they really were fated; she had abducted Aura, and yet she could still lead her to bump into Linie.
"Ahem, Aura, which of us is the big one?"
Aura immediately puffed out her chest, then spoke with righteous confidence.
"You are big. I leave it to you."
After controlling her mana, she retreated behind Nanoda again.
Linie was very troubled. What were they doing? Comparing who is big? She looked at Nanoda's flat plains; clearly, Lady Aura was bigger.
"Linie, do you have a dream?"
Nanoda helped up Linie, who was kneeling on one knee.
"A... dream? What is that thing?"
No expression could be seen on Linie's face, but she was thinking.
"It means, do you have anything you want to achieve or a goal for the future?"
With Nanoda's explanation, Linie barely understood.
"I want to become strong."
Very brief. Linie answered with utter simplicity.
"Anything else?"
"None."
"As long as you can become strong, that's fine?"
"Mhm."
So natural, so simple. I like a subordinate like this. Joy rose in Nanoda's heart; she decided she must abduct Linie—no, make her join the group.
"It's like this: Aura and I are striving for the future of the Demon Race, and we need the participation of young, energetic, and idealistic Demons like you. Are you willing to walk with us? I dare guarantee that as long as you are obedient, I can groom you into a powerhouse no inferior to the Seven Sages of Destruction."
Hearing these words, Linie's expression fluctuated for a rare moment.
"Really? I can, but I want to work under Lady Aura."
"Uh, why?"
Nanoda's expression was a bit awkward; was something wrong here?
"Why should I listen to you? Isn't Lady Aura stronger? I only follow the stronger one."
Linie was very simple. Although Aura said Nanoda was also a Great Demon, the meager mana radiating from Nanoda's body could not gain Linie's recognition.
"Want to try it out? I will prove that I am qualified to lead you."
Nanoda understood. To put it bluntly, a fight would settle it. She had the confidence to beat Linie into submission.
Although Linie should already be able to imitate the movement techniques of the strongest warrior, Eisen, a body supported only by mana cannot compare to the flesh of a true warrior tempered by a thousand hammers and a hundred refinements; she would be unable to thoroughly exert that power.
In contrast, this monster body of Nanoda's, surviving from the Mythical Era to the present, though not yet fully developed, was sufficient for Nanoda to unleash herself wantonly.
She had intended to devour the surrounding mana to show Linie her power as well, but Nanoda felt a playful urge at this moment.
Since using Severance Magic, aside from that time with the Hero, she hadn't used her assassination arts in a long time. Going further back, that was a matter of her previous life.
"Heheh, Linie, fight her. Prove your strength to me."
Aura, standing to the side, wanted to watch the two fight with great interest.
Do you have to be such a poser? Although she was used to Aura's arrogance and domineering nature, Nanoda still couldn't stand her sometimes.
"Wait, let's go to an empty place. It's more convenient for actual combat."
"Okay."
Linie accepted Nanoda's proposal.
In Linie's view, this guy in front of her, whose height was about the same as hers, didn't look like someone who practiced martial arts, so she had to guard against strange magic.
Arriving at a clearing, Linie took down the great axe forged from mana on her back, holding the axe with both hands, poised and ready to strike.
Nanoda, on the other hand, stood calmly opposite her, doing nothing. Her hands hung naturally, as if her whole body was full of openings.
____
New Story: ZZZ: Mr. Ethereal Does Not Want to See a Tragedy
🔥We're handing out that '30% bonus' that makes your wallet smile. 😄
✅ Get immediate access to 40 early chapters for all stories.
✅ Enjoy exclusive material and special announcements!
Help us unlock these community rewards:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone
🚀 140 MEMBERS = +5 extra chapters across ALL STORIES!
👻 P - Walnutchan