Frieren: Understand Humans, Aura!

A swarm of bandits charged forward, armed with all manner of weapons—swords, spears, axes—but with a single swing of her axe, Aura reduced them all to shrapnel.

The metal fragments retained their momentum and scattered, cutting down a swath of enemies.

"My eyes! My eyes! I can't see! Something's stuck in my eyes!"

"I'm a doctor, let me take a look!" she declared, her voice carrying a mix of mock cheerfulness and amusement.

With a swift motion, she ripped the man's eye from its socket, holding it up to examine it. A shard of broken metal was embedded deep inside. She studied it for a moment, then flashed the man a wide grin.

"Good news, the shard's out," Aura announced cheerfully, holding the eyeball aloft for him to see. The bandit let out a strangled gasp, his face contorted in disbelief.

The man's breathing hitched in terror. "Bad news, you're blind."

Ah, ah, ah! It hurts, it hurts so much! I'd rather die than live! Kill me, kill me quickly!" His voice trembled with anguish.

With a wet squelch, Aura yanked her axe from the body of another fallen bandit, wiping the blade clean on her sleeve. She hummed a quiet tune as she surveyed the field, pleased with the results of her "treatment." It wasn't every day that someone requested such a direct and personal service.

Such was Aura—the benevolent, ever-helpful demon!

She just couldn't refuse someone in need.

"Die, you monster!!"

Another bandit charged at her, blade raised high. Before he could strike, she swung her axe in a single fluid motion, cleaving both the sword and the man in two. The bandit crumpled to the ground, his limbs still twitching in the throes of death.

Ah, such impolite children. Aura had no intention of granting his wish.

"Monster! Monster! It's a monster!! We can't kill it! It's too fast, too strong!"

"Out of my way! Let me through! I don't want to die!!"

"..."

She casually whistled a merry tune as she walked through the wreckage of her handiwork. Her movements were graceful, almost dainty, as if she were on a leisurely stroll rather than standing amidst the bodies of the fallen. The heads of bandits tumbled one by one from their necks, each severed cleanly by her expertly wielded axe.

Aura was worthy of her title: The Guillotine. Every head severed by her axe fell swiftly, painlessly, without so much as a whimper of protest.

Of course, this was due to Aura's exceptional craftsmanship. It wasn't because decapitated heads couldn't make noise.

Amid the disorderly mob of bandits, only one man remained calm—their leader. Crouching low, hidden among his men, he clutched a staff and waited like a wolf in tall grass. Carefully concealing his presence, he aimed a lethal spell at Aura's head.

Thud!

Aura lifted a young bandit in front of her just in time. The poor man's head exploded like an overripe melon, sending fragments of bone and viscera outward in a grotesque display of crimson fireworks. The mob fell silent for a moment, horrified by the spectacle.

Aura tilted her head and, in that fleeting moment of mana, pinpointed the spellcaster hiding among the crowd.

Her gaze locked onto the leader, his figure barely visible amidst the sea of panicked bodies. The instant their eyes met, his blood ran cold.

'Damn it. She found me!' His thoughts raced, but his grip on the staff tightened. He couldn't afford to falter. 'No retreat. No hesitation.'

Aura smirked, her lips curling in amusement. "Oh? Was that for me?" she called out, her voice carrying effortlessly over the din of battle. "How sweet."

The leader ignored her, his lips moving faster as he prepared another spell. 'If I can't take her out from here, I'll just blast her apart from the inside!'

The leader's self-devised magic—a blood explosion—ignored physical defenses. No matter how resilient a demon's body was, his magic could ignite an explosion from within.

His staff began to glow brighter, the magic circle pulsating as the spell reached its peak. But before he could release it, Aura's figure vanished, leaving behind only a faint swirl of dust where she had stood.

"Could you show me that trick again?" a voice purred from behind him, low and teasing.

His heart nearly stopped. He spun around, panic etched across his face, only to find Aura standing there, her expression one of childlike curiosity. She mimicked his earlier gestures, her fingers drawing invisible patterns in the air.

"That one… that magic," she said, her eyes alight with fascination. "The one that goes... bang! with all the blood!" She clapped her hands together as if reenacting the sound, her smile widening.

The leader stumbled back, gripping his staff like a lifeline. "Stay away! Don't come any closer!" he shouted, his voice trembling.

Aura only tilted her head, her gaze fixed on him like a cat watching a mouse. "Oh, but I have to see how it works up close."

Before he could react, she darted forward, seizing his wrist with inhuman speed. Her grip was ironclad, and with a quick, deliberate motion, she twisted. The sickening sound of bone snapping filled the air. 

"Aghhh! My arm!" the leader screamed, the staff falling limp in his shattered hand.

Aura leaned in, her breath tickling his ear. "Don't stop now," she said sweetly, guiding the glowing staff upward until it pointed directly at his own head. "Show me again. One last time."

"No! No, please, I—" The leader's pleas were cut short as Aura forced his hand to release the spell.

Bang!

His head erupted in a violent explosion, spraying blood and fragments of bone across the clearing. Aura released his lifeless body, watching with fascination as the crimson spray painted the surrounding air in macabre patterns.

"Ah, that's it! That's it!!"

Aura clapped her hands gleefully, her violet eyes reflecting the spray of blood. Her face lit up with a pure, childlike joy, the kind only humans seemed to feel.

This demon, who had recently begun to grasp human emotions, was experiencing them one by one, in her own unique way.

Like a child discovering sentience, picking up a doll to play with, to admire, or to dismantle—not out of malice, but simple, innocent curiosity.

Aura hefted her axe with both hands, gazing longingly at the remaining bandits. Her playtime was far from over.

—————————————

Ten minutes later, the scene was quiet.

Whoo—

Aura exhaled deeply, lowering her axe and laughing with satisfaction.

"Ha… hahahaha… HAHAHAHA!"

What a delight slaughter was!

This was far more exhilarating than the mindless killing driven by instinct. With every swing of her axe, every bisected human, every heartbeat silenced in her hands, and every look of despair in dying eyes, Aura felt an overwhelming, genuine joy!

This was something she had never experienced before.

Something no demon could ever comprehend!

Demons killed for feelings or for desire, but those desires never brought true happiness. Aura had once mistaken that dull, detached satisfaction for joy. But now, having tasted real happiness, she realized her past feelings didn't even come close!

"To think… being human could feel this good!!"

Aura cradled her face, her cheeks flushed, her breathing unsteady. She laughed so hard, she nearly choked.

"I want more... I need more..." she whispered, her voice raw with hunger—not for flesh, but for the intoxicating rush coursing through her veins.

Aura straightened, planting the axe's blade into the ground as she surveyed the remnants of her prey. But her smile faltered when she realized something: there were no more bandits left to kill. Every single one lay lifeless, their bodies scattered like broken toys.

'How disappointing...'

Her gaze swept the battlefield once more and then stopped—sharp, purple eyes locking onto a tall figure cloaked in a worn cape.

'Huh?' Aura's senses sharpened instantly. She hadn't noticed them earlier. The figure's mana signature was faint, Not even one-tenth of Aura's own. Yet they stood there, unmoving, watching her.

'When did they get here? And what are they waiting for?'

Aura hefted her axe again, a spark of curiosity lighting her eyes. She started toward the figure, her steps deliberate, her weapon dragging through the blood-soaked dirt. Halfway there, she paused.

"Get lost!" Aura swung her axe threateningly at the cloaked mage, feigning ferocity to scare them away.

But to Aura's surprise, the cloaked mage remained unfazed by her overwhelming mana and the intimidating strength her swinging axe displayed.

Instead, the mage spoke in a strained voice, asking:

"Why did you kill so many people?"

"They deserved it!"

"Whether they deserved to die or not isn't for one person to decide. Justice should be served in court. Even if they committed grave sins, they should have the chance to repent, rather than be slaughtered outright."

"Repent?" Aura tilted her head, failing to grasp the concepts of justice, court, or repentance the person spoke of. To Aura, killing someone was simple: she wanted to kill, so she killed. Why complicate things?

"And who are you? One of their comrades?"

"No, I'm just a passing mage."

"Just passing by, huh... Fine, I won't kill you," Aura lowered her axe, generously sparing the unknown mage.

"As for repentance?" Aura leaned on the axe planted in the ground, casually licking the blood on her nails, staining the corner of her lips crimson. She looked up with a mocking grin.

"I've always believed that repentance on the guillotine is the only repentance that's sincere."

"..."

The cloaked figure fell silent. For a moment, they just stared at her, their face obscured by the shadow of their hood.

Aura's amusement began to wane. She straightened, her eyes narrowing. "What's the matter? Too weak to stop me? Or are you trying to play hero? What would you do if I ate someone right in front of you?"

The figure's hands lifted slowly, reaching for the hood. Their voice, steady but now laced with familiarity, pierced through Aura like a dagger.

"…Aura, long time no see."

The hood fell back, revealing a face framed by a waist-length braid of fiery orange hair.

Aura froze. Her eyes widened, her grip on the axe slipping. Her mouth moved, but no words came out at first. Then:

"I-I'm sorry! I was wrong! Eating humans is wrong! Please forgive me!" She dropped to her knees in an instant, bowing so deeply her forehead nearly touched the blood-soaked ground and admitted her mistake.

"I've always believed," Flamme said, baring her teeth in a grin that mirrored Aura's earlier mockery, "that only the confession of the hung demon is genuine."