Reincarnated As Aura

"Haah… I lose."

With a resigned sigh, Aura watched as the scales of subjugation tipped in Schlacht's favor.

For the second time in her life, her own magic had been reflected back at her. The bitter memory of the first failure flickered in her mind. 'At least I'm handling it better than last time,' she thought dryly. Her purple eyes narrowed as she fixed her gaze on Schlacht, waiting for the inevitable command. Refusal was never an option—not with this spell.

Schlacht stood in front of Aura, looking down at her as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Now then, Aura, here's what I need from you. First, as I mentioned earlier, I need you to keep the humans in check so that I and that one can have our duel without interference. Just keeping them restrained will suffice."

"Yes…"

"And the second task is—"

Schlacht, maintaining a serious expression, issued what seemed to be the main order. No matter how arduous it might be, Aura would have no choice but to comply. And this, of course, would not be the last of his commands.

"Take all the time you need, and use whatever methods you deem fit. But complete the idea you've been drafting about 'coexistence between humans and demons, modeled after ants and aphids.' That's it."

"Yes... … …" Aura began, before her brain caught up. Her eyes snapped open, and she blurted, "Excuse me, what?"

Aura couldn't help but raise her voice in disbelief at the absurdity of the command. He had gone as far as reflecting her magic to force her compliance, and this was what he wanted? It sounded more like a bizarre request than a true order.

Schlacht canceled the spell manipulating the earth that surrounded them and turned his back as if his business was finished.

"There's no problem. Now the future makes sense."

Aura's brow furrowed. "What future? What are you—"

He started to walk away, ignoring her question. After taking a few steps, he stopped, as if suddenly remembering something.

Without turning back, Schlacht added with a quiet chuckle, "…Ah, there's been a slight change. It seems one more will join us… Kukuku."

Aura blinked. "What does that even mean?"

Schlacht offered no answer, his quiet laughter fading as he disappeared from sight, leaving only the faint trace of his overwhelming mana in the air.

Aura stood there in stunned silence, the absurdity of the situation washing over her. 'What the hell just happened?' she thought, her hands clenching into fists. For someone who had just survived a confrontation with one of the most dangerous demons she had ever faced, she felt less relieved and more… annoyed.

A piercing wail broke her thoughts.

"Waaaaahhh!"

Aura turned toward the sound, letting out a deep sigh. "Of course," she muttered, walking back to the hollow tree.

Inside, she found Frieren sitting on the ground, knees hugged tightly to her chest, her face buried in her arms as she sobbed uncontrollably.

"What now?"

Frieren flinched at her voice, then peeked up with red, tear-streaked eyes. She sniffled loudly before managing to choke out,

"Uh... that... there's no way I can win against something like that...!"

Having had her spirit broken by the Macht of the Golden Land and later restored by Aura, Frieren once again found her resolve utterly shattered—this time, by Schlacht the Omniscient.

———————————————

"Aura!? Are you okay!?" Her husband's panicked voice rang out as he spotted her approaching the village, her tattered figure illuminated by the dying light of the day. He sprinted toward her, his worry etched clearly across his face.

Aura didn't answer immediately. Instead, she adjusted the unconscious Frieren, who floated beside her thanks to her spell, and shifted the weight of the culprit slumped against her back. Her torn sleeve hung loosely where her arm had recently regrown, the faint traces of magic still lingering around her healed limb.

'Why does he have to look so worried?' she thought, her crimson eyes flickering away as he closed the distance. For some reason, meeting his gaze felt unusually difficult.

"Aura… What happened?" His voice softened, his hand tentatively reaching toward her shoulder. His eyes scanned her face, searching for answers. "Your arm… your clothes… Were you in a fight? Are you hurt anywhere else?"

She sighed, letting her gaze fall to the ground. "...Sleep," she muttered, casting a glance at Frieren's unconscious form floating beside her. "I had to deal with her being noisy first."

His brow furrowed. "Miss Frieren? Noisy?" He glanced at the elf, now peacefully floating, her pale hair fluttering slightly in the breeze. "Aura, you're avoiding the question. What happened?"

Her lips tightened. 'It's not like I can explain it all. Schlacht, the fight, what he said about humans… How do I even begin?'

"........."

"Aura?" He leaned in closer, his worry only deepening. "What's wrong…? Did something happen?"

She inhaled sharply, her shoulders stiffening. Finally, she whispered, her voice almost too soft to hear, "...It's your fault."

He blinked in confusion, his hand freezing mid-air. "Huh? My fault? What are you talking about?"

Before he could say more, Aura wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a gentle embrace. Her touch was firm but uncharacteristically tender, leaving him stunned.

"W-wait, Aura—"

"Just stay still," she muttered, her voice low. She closed her eyes, her cheek resting against his chest. The sound of his heartbeat was steady, grounding. It reminded her of the fragile yet resilient nature of the humans she had spent so much time with.

"If that's the case…" she began softly, almost to herself. "I don't understand anything, but… I must love you."

Her husband stiffened, his mouth opening and closing in a failed attempt to process her words. "H-huh? Aura, are you feeling okay? That doesn't sound like you at all."

"Shut up," she snapped, though there was no real bite to her words. Her cheeks flushed slightly, a rare sight. "This is your fault."

"My fault? What did I even do?"

"Everything!" She puffed out her cheeks in frustration, hugging him tighter. Not enough to hurt, but enough to make him squirm. "You're the reason I…" She trailed off, her voice faltering.

He chuckled nervously, his arms hesitantly wrapping around her in return. "I don't know what I did, but… I'm glad you're okay. That's all that matters."

Aura exhaled slowly, her grip loosening just enough for him to breathe. 'Idiot,' she thought, though the warmth spreading in her chest betrayed her annoyance.

"Just shut up and hold me," she murmured, resting against him once more.

His face softened, and he smiled. "Alright. Whatever you say, Aura."

The moment stretched on, quiet except for the distant rustling of leaves and the faint hum of the village behind them. For once, Aura allowed herself to stay in the comfort of his arms without overthinking it.