Defeating the Demon Invaders

Frieren didn't intend to engage in frontal combat from the start for a simple reason: it would likely affect the elf village. Her mana sense, already enveloping the enemy, made it clear several foes capable of large-scale destruction were present. They had to be eliminated first, or at least thinned out. Prudence dictated picking them off one by one. It was time to return to stealth combat after a long while.

She raised her staff, simultaneously using Invisibility Body and Natural Mimicry, then suppressed all her mana signature. Even a sharp mage wouldn't detect her trace before engagement...

Mid-forest.

"Something's wrong." Azart suddenly raised a hand, signaling the march to halt. "The miasma is getting thicker, even mana sense is weakened." He frowned, scanning the surroundings warily, but found nothing.

The adjutant replied, "According to intelligence, this area has always had thick miasma and fog. Even the boldest merchants detour around it, only occasionally exchanging goods during favorable seasons, leading to rumors of the elf village."

"Regardless of elves, there should at least be numerous monsters and the like; the environment is very suitable for them."

"And now, the puppets you can command are dwindling, right?"

"Indeed."

"I wasn't asking for agreement, idiot. Since it's suitable for growth, why don't we see any? Only one possibility: a long-standing overlord cleans its territory, preventing these creatures from thriving. Thus, we haven't encountered much resistance."

His words made the other demons realize. Logically, they should have encountered various monsters, especially after setting fires, which should have caused chaos. Yet, everything was eerily silent.

Excluding the fleeing birds and beasts. Powerful monsters would detect threats immediately. Encountering an aggressive group of mages, they should either flee in terror or attack in rage. Either way, fighting should have broken out long ago. Strangely, the squad hadn't faced any skirmishes so far. Unreasonable. This forest was definitely unusual.

"Is it possible a dragon ate the monsters then went dormant?"

"Perhaps."

"No. Those creatures sleep soundly, but this much commotion should have woken them. Besides, with our mana signatures present, a monster unable to sense danger wouldn't rule a region," Azart refuted one hypothesis. Don't be fooled by the small number—just over a dozen demons—each was highly skilled.

For a generally dispersed race, this undoubtedly constituted an army. Mobilizing an army of this scale indeed required the Demon King's backing, ultimately leading to this pursuit. And they did achieve results: they injured elves earlier and deliberately let them escape. They were clearly fleeing in this direction. That was correct.

So it was strange, why were they so patient? Logically, they should have shown themselves long ago. Various clues pointed towards the answer, yet constant interference made certainty elusive. Thinking left and right, it all felt odd, yet lacked more evidence.

Azart finally ordered, "Spread out and search. Maintain contact." He actually hesitated. Should they split forces? Was it correct? But then he thought, they hadn't encountered any fatal threats so far; might as well expand the search area. As long as they were fast enough, they could regroup immediately if anything happened. No big deal.

"Yes, sir." The demons aggressively headed deeper. After splitting up, they continued advancing individually. Only one adjutant and one warrior followed him. Crunch crunch, their feet snapped twigs underfoot.

The bushes ahead grew denser, occasionally needing fire to clear the path. They didn't fly to avoid early detection, as elves surely had mages too; best be careful. Using explosions to start the forest fire was already a risky probe. If the battlefield environment were clear, he wouldn't be so reckless. It was precisely this uncertain situation that caused intermittent tension and relaxation, leading to wavering tactical execution...

As Azart pondered, the demon who first entered the deepest part of the forest was enveloped by thick fog. "Strange, the fog shouldn't be this thick."

He muttered, annoyed, blowing away a gust of wind. Sure enough, his vision cleared, revealing an ancient tree trunk. However, the next moment, the bark twisted into a human form, delivering a sharp glint before he could see clearly.

Clank! Frieren, revealing her true form, stabbed through the heart. It was effective because soul magic attacks had first disrupted the defensive barrier, allowing even the most ordinary weapon to kill the demon unimpeded.

Still unsure, she used a wisp of Scarlet Rot mana to completely annihilate the enemy, first blooming a Flower of Aeonia, then its petals scattered,fading, solidifying the corpse. After a while, it completely vanished. The beautiful death was vividly colorful, seemingly attracting other kin to approach.

Killing efficiency is indeed fast. And silent. The experiment proved her combat method correct: use soul and rot attributes to quickly break defenses, then finish with a weapon.

"Better keep killing a few more like this for now." Witnessing the demon corpse turn to ash on the ground, Frieren vanished again, blending into the natural background.

This method wasn't very mage-like, but practicality reigned supreme. Conversely, demons, due to survival of the fittest, constantly displayed their mana, making them like bright lamps in the misty forest. Might as well not be polite.

Azart's small team continued advancing, yet grew increasingly relaxed, as the dispersed personnel reported no activity, indicating no danger in the forest...

"Someone there!" Suddenly, a figure appeared in the thick fog. They quickly ran over, only to find a demon. A scarlet flower bloomed prominently on its chest. Besides the fatal heart wound, the body showed no signs of struggle; the killer was clearly fast, precise, ruthless, clean one-hit kill.

"Logically, weren't you exploring west? How did you get ahead of us?" Before the words finished, this demon suddenly collapsed with a thud.

The next moment, starting from the head, it turned to ash, disappearing into the wind before they could look closely, leaving no clues. Its sudden reaction put the remaining few on high alert, thinking it was some omen, all raising defensive barriers. "All units, on guard! Beware of sneak attacks!"

Caw! Their frantic movements only startled a few crows; no other reaction. Even Azart couldn't help but feel a chill. The three, despite watching all directions, didn't know what happened. They had to risk approaching the death site.

"...Mana residue remains. Likely died to a mage. But how was it done silently without leaking any trace of aura?"

"Lord General, could it be an undiscovered special monster attacked?"

"Impossible. The elite pursuers I selected wouldn't be eliminated by mere foolish monsters. Even if defeated, they would definitely leave a clue."

"Then it's strange." The investigation stalled again. Despite a casualty, no substantial progress was made; a death in vain. This result angered the demons, especially slapping the commander's face. Why so much trouble for a mere exploration and pursuit?

Azart spoke gravely, "Notify everyone to regroup immediately. We stay put. Quickly." Fortunately, the thick fog didn't block mana information transmission; communication within a certain range shouldn't be a problem... Logically correct, but after sending the message, there was no reply.

As soldiers, they should at least respond, yet the lack of any echo in this forest was bizarre. It swallowed too many sounds, and the lives behind them. The worst outcome was the entire dispersed demon force perished. How is that possible? They weren't just a few stragglers; shouldn't be killed off silently. But the corpse just now contradicted this.

"Currently no news," the adjutant's face grew progressively grim.

"The forest doesn't refuse sound, it swallows sound. Or perhaps, can it distort or even tamper with our information? Mana messages are unreliable, don't count on them. A strong team is counter-encircling us, or maybe just one person."

"Elves?"

"Unknown. The worst case is we've already fallen into the enemy's trap, not even knowing their numbers." Azart, having fought wars his entire life, never experienced such a frustrating situation, like lambs laid out on the table, waiting for slaughter. "The worst scenario is they're all dead. Since the enemy dared do this, they definitely wouldn't leave survivors. Assume it's just us now and plan tactics accordingly."

"I'll activate the puppets now." The adjutant summoned all controlled monsters at once, sending them attacking deeper into the forest. This was his unique magic; though not suited for frontal combat, undoubtedly fitting for a pursuit.

The cost was significant mana consumption, but now wasn't the time to consider that; the offensive-defensive dynamic had shifted. The other warrior stood guard nearby, wary of assassins.

The three continued advancing, maintaining contact. Unsurprisingly, silence. And the monsters suffered losses too; however many sent out, that many died, completely within the enemy's kill zone. Quantity became meaningless. Bad. This long silence basically confirmed fatalities, or at least rendered them unable to fight. No exaggeration, they were fighting alone now. Why did it inexplicably turn out like this?

"Wait! My puppet found traces of a village in the deepest fog! Already engaged! It's elves!"

"No need to remind us. We've arrived." Azart suddenly found his vision clearing ahead. The fog and illusions actively dispersed, revealing a settlement seemingly appearing out of thin air. It looked so fragile, likely shattering with one blast, yet was actually surrounded by a barrier. A low-level barrier, but guarded by the strongest watchman.

Before the gate stood a travel-worn silver-haired girl. Staff in one hand, longsword in the other, stained with the blood scent of over a dozen demons. Could the elite squad have been annihilated by this single person? The killer had arrived. How many she killed wasn't important; what mattered was her mana, fine as smoke, finally unrestrained, suddenly expanding, its diameter almost covering the village, enveloping everyone, vast and boundless.

The worst situation finally occurred. Did the elf village hide a Mage of the Mythical Era comparable to Serie?

...

Fierce fighting raged at the settlement gate. Demon-controlled puppets frantically attacked the barrier, while elves inside launched magic and arrow volleys. The one-way defense line made the monsters suffer miserably, falling like harvested wheat.

But the next moment, they rose again to fight to the death; unless physically obliterated, puppets maintained high morale. This battlefield ignored the standoff before the main road, because the situation there was clear; one glance at the boundless mana revealed the general picture.

"You killed my men?" Now, Azart felt only fear towards Frieren.

"Yes. As for keeping you alive, I have questions: How many know about this pursuit? What is the Demon King's specific stance? Does your demon intelligence network know where Serie is?" The silver-haired girl rattled off her demands like beans from a bamboo tube, making Azart sneer.

"You know very well I won't tell you."

"Doesn't matter. I'm letting you remember these questions beforehand. Later, I'll beat you half-dead, give you a glimmer of hope, and you'll spill everything. You demons are actually the most survival-driven race in the world; you'll surely help me."

"Even knowing I'll be killed by you after speaking? Yet I still need to cooperate for a sliver of hope?"

"A good subject, isn't it?" Such cold, exploratory words sent a chill down even the demon's spine. This attitude wasn't like viewing an equal intelligent life form, but rather looking at material. Humans slaughtered in the past viewed demons this way; now they were viewed this way by an elf. Turns out it's truly terrifying...

Pfft! Suddenly, the warrior beside him spat blood, a longsword piercing his throat from behind. No, it was three lightning-fast slashes, almost invisible, piercing the brain, throat, and heart respectively. Only when the body turned to ash did the petite, low-crouching silver-haired girl reveal herself. Wait, the same person? The guard at the gate vanished simultaneously.

It was a mimic illusion from the start, combined with the overwhelming mana presence making everyone overlook the hidden attacker, killing the warrior with the type disadvantage first. No matter how tough the physique, eating a full set of stealth kills meant certain death. Demons weren't divine beings with special immortality; sure enough, he vanished instantly.

Before Azart could react, she pulled away.

"Bastard! A mage like you hiding your mana, resorting to deceitful sneak attacks and backstabs! Despicable!"

"Done cursing?" Frieren's staff tapped lightly, generating a Glintblade Phalanx. Simultaneously, defensive barriers, wards, etc., were all stacked, parading around dazzlingly while moving. After the surprise attack, she showed no further offensive intent, seemingly waiting specifically for the opponent's move.

Mage combat emphasizes speed, precision, ruthlessness; victory or defeat can be decided instantly. Encountering unblockable curse magic is even more troublesome. Thus, her combat style in reality prioritized baseline defense before considering offense.

The First Flame within her was becoming active; if unfortunate enough to encounter a legendary curse like "All becomes one," rely on stronger brute force to break through.

"Are you underestimating me?" Compared to arrogantly launching a furious offensive to crush her, the elf girl's current excessive caution enraged Azart even more.

No mage dignity! Wary even against someone of his level! Where was the powerhouse aura? This trampled everything, shattering the worldview of a race that regarded magic as life itself.

"I am Azart. Who might you be, honored one?"

"Frieren." The answer came simultaneously with a beam of mana, incredibly fast, focused entirely on speed. It annihilated the adjutant's lower body in one hit, crippling his movement first. The attack had no warning, no casting time, launched amidst conversation. How did she attack? No chanting, no charging, no decay. Pure quality and speed kill.

The adjutant, hit head-on, instantly lost the ability to resist, unable to use any other techniques due to the simultaneous mana disruption, left helpless. He was even blasted far away, denied the chance of being killed by his comrade. Pure victory was meaningless; Frieren currently lacked external intelligence most, needing interrogation subjects, otherwise a waste.

"You will pay the price." Enraged beyond measure, Azart channeled all his mana into magic. The resulting explosion would be sufficient to blast everything within a one-kilometer radius sky-high, ensuring the settlement's destruction. He knew there was no retreat. The silver-haired elf before him radiated killing intent, more deadly than any opponent faced before. Demons came to exterminate elves? Ridiculous.

At this moment, Frieren looked more like viewing a target destined for elimination, and thorough about it. Those missing demons in the fog were likely all dismembered.

Azart violently released the explosion towards the target. The earth cracked open a chasm. Yet the figure at the end stood firm, absorbing the blast head-on with powerful mana defense.

"Is that the strongest blow you can muster?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Don't celebrate too soon—"

"It's enough." Ruinous Lightning magic thundered, its shockwave blasting through heaven and earth. Heat, explosion, and paralysis knocked back the demon general. Simultaneously, they clearly saw the silver-haired girl stretch her right arm towards the sky, pulling down a vortex of lightning from the clouds, terrifying mana stirring nature itself.

She swept out a move. Fortunately, the remaining puppets acted as meat shields momentarily; otherwise, this strike would have been enough to shatter his defensive barrier. No! After the lightning rain flew out, it returned like a boomerang. Frieren caught it again, Lightning Reversal!

Boom! The exploding thunder completely vaporized the monsters. Even the forest floor cratered, bottom charred black. The proudly controlled puppets vanished utterly. And the caster's mana showed no change.

More accurately, a terrifying display. Initially, Frieren clearly expended significant mana for nature-interfering level magic, her mana pillar showing decay. But now, one breath restored it to peak. What did this mean? This elf mage's recovery rate was equally horrifying, virtually tireless.

Meanwhile, the other villagers had gradually retreated inside the barrier. This meant Azart couldn't take hostages or expand damage area. Large-scale magic required casting time; would she allow a moment of vulnerability before Frieren?

"When did the elf race gain such a powerhouse... You appear quite young physically."

"Are you saying I look too young?" For some reason, the perpetually calm silver-haired girl showed a hint of anger, finally provoked since the battle began, though the reason was unclear.

"His Majesty was right. You will continuously produce threats, must be eradicated, otherwise the demon hegemony will surely be affected." Fight! At this moment, Azart's mana reached its absolute peak, unprecedented operational power. The ground around cracked open chasms, containing world-shattering magic. He knew Frieren wouldn't let this squad escape. Any other options? None left.

A desperate struggle, perhaps. If he could damage the village, he might get a chance to escape and report to the Demon King for reinforcements. Yes, he had to display a 'mutual destruction' stance. Yet the silver-haired elf remained unmoved, raising a hand to erect a defensive barrier. Its area was vast enough to cover the village; sufficient as temporary defense, blocking potential explosive attacks wasn't difficult. As long as the caster's mana was strong, its hardness was virtually limitless.

"Idiot! This way you can't move—" Then she released an azure torrent that accurately pierced Azart's defense. Too fast! It wounded his soul, also causing the explosive magic to detonate violently, blasting the nearby adjutant senseless. The aftershock hit the village's temporary barrier, which stood firm.

Frieren herself remained completely unharmed. Simultaneously defending the village, herself, and launching ultra-high-speed attacks—triple-tasking. And he had just retracted his power to avoid death.

Swish! An azure arc flashed; both hands were severed, losing sensation. The next moment, heart-wrenching pain struck—the soul screaming. Carian Slicer. Worthy of the name, nimble and swift. With his reaction speed, Azart couldn't dodge Frieren's attack at all. Azart, attempting to continue his attack, froze mid-action. The moment she interrupted his magic, the silver-haired girl's other hand, holding a sword, released a Lightning Spear.

Thunder boomed, pulling from the clouds. Then, using the sword as a conduit, Lightning Reversal! The blade, along with paralysis, slammed into the demon general's body.

In a single exchange, his defensive magic shattered, armor disintegrated. His body sparked amidst crackling sounds, continuously convulsing until smoke billowed even from his facial orifices. With demonic constitution, he wouldn't die immediately, but was effectively paralyzed, incapable of any countermeasure, only death awaited.

Simultaneously, Frieren didn't forget to grab the equally half-dead adjutant. Thus, of the pursuing squad, only the two leaders remained alive; all others died to magical assassination, leaving no survivors.

"It's over." Only when she turned back and announced this to her kin did the villagers sigh in collective relief. They couldn't believe they had won. Even more unbelievable was that Frieren, whom they watched grow up, possessed such a level of magic, wielding millennium-grade power in a century-old body.

From start to finish, the battlefield was completely under control, at most leaving a few craters. Not that the combatants weren't strong; they were actually capable of turning the village to dust. The minimal destruction indicated control never wavered; the battle ended in mere breaths. Currently, the greatest force displayed was the mana pressure, which also caused the most damage, nearly crushing the fortifications at the settlement gate until they creaked.

The next moment, the silver-haired girl took a deep breath, and the pillar of light retracted as smoothly as it released, returning to a wisp of smoke. Stealthy enough. That aura didn't even flicker; perhaps this state suited her, easily misleading enemies. No wonder most of those demons were assassinated in the forest, dying mysteriously.

The only two survivors glared furiously. Even dying, it didn't stop them from staring fiercely at their target. "Despicable! You're so strong, yet you sacrifice mage dignity?"

Frieren spoke coldly, "Let's talk business. You can beg for mercy now, Azart."

____

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