Frieren: Understand Humans, Aura!

"...." The Astrolabe Demon stared at Aura for a long moment before finally speaking:

"What a lunatic."

Without hesitation, the Astrolabe Demon raised the golden astrolabe in his hand. The intricate gears within began spinning rapidly, emitting a faint, ominous hum as they locked into place. His voice rang out loudly:

"Kill her."

Click—

The sound of gears locking echoed through the air.

Boom!!!

In the blink of an eye, the Greatsword Demon, which had been a considerable distance away, appeared right in front of Aura. The giant sword descended with a force that seemed to split the very air. Aura barely had time to react, raising her axe to block the strike. The impact was devastating, sending her body hurtling backward, crashing into the ground with a thunderous force.

Click—

Another sharp click of gears locking.

Aura's pupils dilated in alarm. She braced herself, expecting another devastating attack to come at any moment, and quickly curled up, shielding her head with her arms. But the anticipated strike never came. Instead, when she looked up, she found herself staring at an unexpected sight: the Clock Pendant Demon had been teleported out of her reach, now standing beside the Astrolabe Demon.

The Astrolabe Demon, with precise, almost mechanical movements, picked up the severed clock pendant from the chest of the Clock Pendant Demon. He placed it back in his broken hands, and the clock's hands began to move automatically in reverse.

Ssssss—

A chilling sound filled the air as the Clock Pendant Demon, nearly cleaved in two, began to heal before Aura's eyes.

No, not heal—it was being restored! Aura's sharp gaze caught the subtle details: the wounds weren't closing naturally; instead, the demon's body was forcibly rewinding, time itself reversing to undo the damage as if the injury had never occurred.

'A spatial transfer?

A body reset?

A violent output?'

Aura scrambled to her feet, her expression troubled. She felt a cold sweat bead at her temple. These abilities were unlike anything she had anticipated, and the combination of them was overwhelming. The spatial manipulation of the Astrolabe Demon, the temporal restoration of the Clock Pendant Demon, and the sheer physical power of the Greatsword Demon—it was a deadly trio, each compensating for the other's weaknesses, creating a nearly unbeatable synergy.

She clenched her fists, trying to quell the rising tide of panic. She had faced countless enemies, survived battles that should have killed her, but this—this was different. The situation was dire, and for the first time in a long while, Aura found herself at a loss. Every move she made, every counter she considered, was outmatched by the trio's abilities.

She had no solution for this situation!

Whoosh whoosh!!!

The sound of the wind being sliced apart came again; it was the Greatsword Demon, moving with a speed that defied his massive form. His legs, thick as tower pillars, pounded the ground with such force that the earth trembled beneath him. Despite his immense size, his movements were almost invisible to the naked eye, a blur of raw power and speed.

Aura barely had time to react. She quickly cast defensive magic, layering one shield after another in a desperate attempt to block the incoming attack. But the Greatsword Demon's strength was overwhelming. The first layer of her defense shattered instantly, followed by the second, third, and fourth. By the time the tenth layer was obliterated, there was no space left between her and the massive sword descending upon her.

She raised her axe horizontally to block, but the impact was devastating. The force of the blow sent her flying again, her body crashing through trees and rocks as if they were made of paper. Her hands trembled violently from the shock, barely able to maintain their grip on the axe handle. It felt as though her arms had been nearly torn from their sockets.

Aura's body, while stronger than that of an ordinary human, was far from invincible. Compared to seasoned human warriors, her physical strength was middling at best. And against a demon general, especially one who specialized in physical combat, her body could only be described as fragile.

The Greatsword Demon's overwhelming power made her feel like a delicate ceramic toy, one that could be shattered at any moment.

As she tumbled through the air, she unleashed a series of Zoltraak, brilliant beams of light that erupted around her. But rather than targeting the Greatsword Demon, they streaked across the battlefield toward the Astrolabe Demon in the distance.

Click click click—

The sound of gears turning filled the air as the Astrolabe Demon activated his namesake device. The golden astrolabe in his hands began to spin rapidly, its intricate mechanisms whirring as space itself rippled and shifted around him. A large number of Zoltraak deflected by his spell, but the device were no match for Aura's enormous mana. Offensive magic: Zoltraak continued, and one or two white beams of light reached the body of the Astrolabe Demon's.

Defensive magic was deployed but easily penetrated.

The beams of light tore through his chest, leaving a gaping, smoldering hole. His eyes bulged in shock, his body teetering on the brink of death, ready to disintegrate into ashes.

Hiss!

The Clock Pendant Demon, without missing a beat, activated the magic of reversal. The clock's hands spun backward, and time itself seemed to rewind.

The gaping wound in the Astrolabe Demon's chest closed, the charred flesh restored to its previous state as if the attack had never happened. The demon, clutching his chest, looked at Aura with astonishment.

"An attack magic that can easily penetrate defensive magic—I've never seen that before," he muttered, disbelief clear in his voice.

"What a pity..." she thought bitterly. She had hoped to kill one of them with a single, overwhelming blow, taking advantage of their unfamiliarity with future magic. But the Clock Pendant Demon's ability to revert physical states rendered her efforts futile. As long as that demon could turn back time, she couldn't kill any of the three, no matter how powerful her attacks were.

Boom!!

Before Aura could catch her breath, the Greatsword Demon lunged at her again, closing the distance in a heartbeat. Aura was forced to fight defensively, her movements a blur as she dodged and parried, but the relentless pressure kept her from unleashing her more powerful spells like Zoltraak.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh!!

From a distance, the Astrolabe Demon and the Clock Pendant Demon also launched magic cannons from a long distance. The blasts converged on Aura from all sides, forcing her to deploy magic shields rapidly, but the combined assault spread her focus thin. Each impact against the shield sent shockwaves through her, making her stagger under the strain.

Offensive magic: Zoltraak!

Aura's voice was strained as she tried to mount a counterattack. But just as she summoned the spell, the Greatsword Demon broke through her defenses. His blade crashed down, shattering her shield with a deafening roar, and the impact sent her reeling backward, blood spraying from her mouth.

But in exchange, she unleashed an "ordinary" attack straight into the Greatsword Demon's neck. The beam burned through his thick armor and flesh, leaving a charred, gaping wound where his neck should have been. In any ordinary battle, this would have been the finishing blow.

Yet, as the wound sizzled and the smell of burnt flesh filled the air, the Clock Pendant Demon's magic took effect. With a click, the gears of the clock pendant turned, and the Greatsword Demon's neck, which had begun to disintegrate into ashes, suddenly reversed its decay. The ashes reformed into flesh, muscle, and sinew, leaving the demon completely unharmed as if the attack had never happened.

Click—

The gears of the astrolabe whirred ominously. In the blink of an eye, Aura, who had managed to distance herself several hundred meters away, found herself forcibly yanked back to her original position, directly under the Greatsword Demon's sword. Before she could react, the sky was filled with the light of countless magic cannons, all converging on her position.

The resulting explosion rocked the battlefield, a blinding flash followed by a shockwave that flattened everything in its path. When the smoke and dust cleared, Frieren's unconscious body was thrown to the ground, the belt that Aura had used to tie her to her back blown off in the chaos.

Aura, wounded and bleeding, managed to flash away from the epicenter of the blast, but the Greatsword Demon was relentless, already closing in on her again. His eyes were locked onto her, his sole focus to eliminate the purple-haired traitor. As long as they killed Aura, they would do whatever they wanted with a mere unconscious elf.

With Frieren no longer a burden, Aura's movements became swifter, more fluid, but it was clear she was struggling. The Greatsword Demon was a beast in close combat, his every strike a death sentence, not to mention that there were two big demons who mastered special magic to assist him from a distance.

"It's just a half-baked technique," the Astrolabe Demon remarked from his vantage point, his voice laced with disdain as he watched Aura struggle. His eyes, cold and calculating, flickered with a trace of amusement as he evaluated her performance.

"It is indeed lacking," Aura heard, the words stinging as much as the wounds on her body.

One demon general alone was enough to push her to her limits, to drain her of her strength. The title of a Seven Sage of Destruction was supposed to carry with it unparalleled power, yet here she was, barely holding her own.

After becoming one of the Seven Sages of Destruction, Aura had become complacent, relying heavily on the convenience of obedience magic. This reliance had caused her to neglect the rigorous training in offensive and defensive magic that had once been her strength. While the other Sages boasted formidable combat prowess, Aura had retreated into the shadows, manipulating soldiers and pawns to fight her battles.

"With so much mana, yet no powerful magic to show for it, what a waste," The Clock Pendant Demon said with disgust.

The Clock Pendant Demon's mana reserves were modest compared to the others—nothing like the vast reservoirs of the Astrolabe Demon, and certainly not comparable to Aura's. But what he lacked in raw power, he made up for with his unique magic: a terrifying ability to ignore any damage and revert his own and his allies' states to a previous moment. 

The Clock Pendant Demon had always harbored a deep envy for those blessed with the talent to amass large quantities of mana. Seeing Aura, a demon with such abundant mana but who had failed to realize its full potential, filled him with contempt. To him, she was a disgrace to their kind—a squanderer of talent.

"Ah, if you live long enough, of course your mana will continue to grow," Aura heard the Clock Pendant Demon.

Though Aura often claimed to be a young demon, this was only true when compared to the most ancient and powerful among their kind. In reality, most demons did not live past a century, their lives cut short by the endless civil wars among their own or by the relentless battles against humans. Five hundred years was a long time for a demon, and with it came a natural increase in mana—a slow, steady accumulation of power.

But what good was all that mana if she couldn't wield it effectively?

"With your limited strength, do you think you can protect the elf?" the Greatsword Demon growled, frustration creeping into his voice as he realized how long it was taking to defeat Aura. His blood-red eyes, hidden beneath the helmet, shifted from Aura to Frieren, who lay unconscious on the ground, vulnerable.

The moment the Greatsword Demon turned his gaze away from Aura, the Astrolabe Demon understood his intentions. With a swift motion, he activated his spatial transfer magic. The gears of the astrolabe clicked and whirred, and in an instant, the Greatsword Demon vanished from his spot, reappearing directly above Frieren.

The giant sword came down on Frieren's head.

Click—

This sword, which should have been a sure win, was blocked in mid-air.

The Greatsword Demon's pupils narrowed in disbelief as he saw Aura, who had been a hundred meters away only moments before, now standing in front of him, her arms crossed and braced against the descending sword. Her sudden appearance and sheer determination were almost impossible to comprehend.

Obviously, he is a warrior who specializes in physical training. He also had the upper hand in the previous battle in terms of strength. This purple-haired traitor didn't even dare to touch his sword wind... How come she was able to withstand it suddenly?

"I said, I never intended to protect her." Aura growled through gritted teeth, her voice a raw mix of pain and defiance. She held the sword with both hands, but failed to stop the force and was hit on the head. She managed to hold on even after bleeding.

"I want to kill her more than any of you!"

With half her face stained with blood, Aura held the giant sword with her head and hands. The half of her face that was not covered by the broad blade was still silently looking at the Greatsword Demon. For some reason, the purple eyes under the blood made the Greatsword Demon feel cold.

Rip!

The giant sword was pulled out from Aura's palm, leaving a trail of blood. The Greatsword Demon, recovering his weapon, began to spin it in a wide arc, preparing for another devastating horizontal slash.

Thud thud thud—

Aura, clutching Frieren tightly, was thrown across the ground by the force of the blow. She rolled several times through a bed of dead leaves, the ground erupting in a cascade of debris. As she tumbled, she shielded Frieren with her own body, enduring the full impact of the Greatsword Demon's assault. Her protective instinct drove her to absorb the brunt of the attack, even as she was battered by the sword's impact and the rough terrain.

Despite the Greatsword Demon's initial shock, his confidence was quickly restored. The purple-haired demon had displayed a fleeting act of desperation, crossing a hundred meters in an instant to catch his sword's blow. But it was clear to him now: this miraculous feat was a desperate last stand.

Just now, the Greatsword Demon heard the sound of broken bones. In order to protect the elf, the purple-haired demon took the sword's blow head-on and didn't even have time to deploy defensive magic. She was probably too seriously injured to fight again.

The three demons advanced slowly, their sinister intent clear as they reformed their encirclement around Aura. They were closing in, prepared to deal with what they considered an exhausted and vulnerable opponent.

"Don't let Frieren die!"

The three demons suddenly heard the purple-haired demon curled up on the ground shouting. The leading Astrolabe Demon tilted his head:

"Are you begging us? This is not the proper attitude for a plea. Besides, we hold all the advantages now. Even if we wished to kill both of you, it would be a trivial task. You have no leverage in this situation."

Aura's form, barely able to stand, unfolded from her curled-up position. She struggled to rise on all fours, her body trembling and spitting blood. "Become strong, stronger than anyone, at any time!" she declared, her voice barely a whisper but imbued with unyielding resolve.

The Clock Pendant Demon observed with a frown. He had long been frustrated with Aura's performance. Despite her vast mana reserves, her offensive and defensive techniques were lackluster, a clear indication of her wasted potential. Where did this demon waste her time? Normally, every demon would have a specialty they honed all their life.

But this purple-haired demon showed none.

"What are you mumbling about? Can you become stronger just by talking about it? There is no spell in this world that can make you stronger just by shouting about it. Are you dreaming?" The Clock Pendant Demon's voice was laced with mockery as he watched Aura stagger forward. His tone was both derisive and contemptuous, clearly relishing the apparent futility of Aura's situation.

Aura, her hair disheveled and face streaked with blood, finally managed to stand firm. She gripped the handle of her massive battle axe with both hands, her knuckles white against the dark wood. Her steps were uneven and labored, each movement a struggle as she limped forward, her body trembling with every motion.

Her eyes were hollow, with circles of circular patterns spreading out in them. Through her bloody lips, Aura whispered a command that seemed more directed at herself than at her adversaries.

"Kill all demons before me."

'Wait?'

The Greatsword Demon noticed something was wrong. Aura was not talking to them but to herself, in a commanding tone.

This purple-haired demon was giving orders to her own body.

"Self-discipline magic!!" The Astrolabe Demon, whose keen observational skills were not to be underestimated, recognized the enchantment at once. His eyes widened in realization as he quickly retreated, conjuring a 360-degree shield of defensive magic around himself. His demeanor shifted from one of casual superiority to wary caution, preparing for an unexpected confrontation.

"A magic that can enhance physical abilities? Let me test it!" The Greatsword Demon took a step forward, his bloodshot eyes under the armor staring at Aula who was approaching step by step, his blood boiling.

He raised his giant sword, ready to meet the enemy...

'Huh?'

The Greatsword Demon suddenly stopped and his attention was abruptly drawn to his own weapon. His gaze fixed on the broad blade of his sword, where something peculiar had caught his eye.

Dense cracks had appeared on the sword's surface, converging in a small area at the center and spreading outward like a spider's web.

In the midst of these cracks was an unmistakable mark—a palm print, with clear five-finger claw marks embedded deeply into the metal. The print was so precise that it seemed as if Aura's very hands had imprinted themselves onto the blade, an eerie testament to the force she had exerted.

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Can you guess why three demons as powerful as these can appear in this timeline while they don't appeared in the canon timeline?

Here's the delayed bonus chapter. I shall let you hanging out with Cliff-kun and be his bestfriend zehahahahahaha~

Next chapter shall be delivered in a few hours.