Flamme

"Is she too badly injured? Is there residual offensive magic power within her?"

Frieren's keen eyes instantly grasped the root cause of the orange-red-haired girl's unconsciousness. An ordinary person would likely be helpless, as too much volatile magic power, ready to explode at any moment, remained within the small body.

Azarte, though dead, was still causing trouble. But patience was something she had in abundance. She just needed to slowly untangle the magic power.

This would keep her busy.

She wasn't worried about the people back in the elf village. According to her kin's sense of time, wandering in the forest for ten days to half a month without returning was normal; they wouldn't worry because of it.

She carefully embraced the girl.

Pressing their bodies close, she channeled her magic power. One hand supported the girl's back, the other caressed her forehead. A warm current of magic flowed in, its vastness like an ocean overwhelming the residual energy.

"As expected of a Demon General's technique. Even dealing with the aftermath is troublesome. Good thing I didn't let him into the village."

While healing, Frieren didn't forget to maintain her wide-range magic perception.

No one else was around.

The demons must have attacked a caravan – likely retreating soldiers, including some families or servants, even high-ranking knights among them. Sadly, all met violent deaths. It was indeed their style to leave no survivors. No one else could be found.

But thinking it through, the caravan's destination was the neighboring town. Most of them surely had relatives there, and the town was currently unharmed.

After all, the demons' current advance had reached its limit.

The annihilation of Azarte's elite vanguard meant the pressure on the main front had drastically reduced. Even if Greater Demons arrived later to reinforce the line, they would have to stop here, unable to advance further.

In terms of absolute numbers lost, it wouldn't shake the demon ranks, filled with powerful individuals. The issue was time.

The loss of numerous front-line elite combatants and commanders in a short period would create a gap, enough to halt their overly aggressive push.

Or they could choose not to stop.

The united human armies certainly wouldn't mind striking down reckless fools.

Besides, Frieren wouldn't allow the forest housing the elf village to fight alone. They needed to organize a defensive line with the surrounding towns. Otherwise, losing this position meant impending extinction.

Even if the Demon King himself charged, she wouldn't retreat a single step. At worst, they'd clash...

"Cough!"

Suddenly, the girl in her arms coughed violently, spitting out clotted blood. Her breathing gradually returned to normal, the danger of suffocation gone. Her life force recovered at a visible rate, and then she opened her eyes.

She found herself enveloped in warmth, facing a silver-haired elf with long, pointed ears. The elf had a detached aura but revealed a faint smile upon successful rescue.

In her daze, she had thought she was done for. Being targeted by such demons meant her life was likely forfeit. She had only hidden temporarily out of luck, unable to change the outcome, probably destined to become a lonely ghost. She never expected to be saved.

The returning vitality reminded the girl of the reality of being alive, manifesting as warm tears that overflowed, blurring her vision.

"My name is Frieren. It's safe here now. I've healed your injuries too."

"I'm... Flamme."

"A good name. You're a strong child. Surviving a great disaster means future blessings await. This isn't just comfort; I noticed you adapt well to magic power. Your talent is good. Otherwise, I couldn't save someone uncooperative."

"Thank you... I will never forget this kindness."

"No need for thanks. A human's 'forever' is too short for me. Just live easily. Can you walk on your own? I still have things to do."

Flamme nodded obediently, standing awkwardly in place. She watched her savior examine the corpses, collect belongings, and simultaneously dig graves to bury the unfortunate victims.

She had heard that elves were a race with little concept of death, perhaps even disrespecting funeral rites. Frieren was different.

Though she shared that innate detachment, she seemed quite humane. The figure constantly digging earth represented her consideration; at the very least, she was unwilling to see these people left exposed in the wilderness.

"Do you have family in the nearby town?"

"Yes."

"That's good. I'll escort you part of the way later. I hope you don't meet misfortune again."

So considerate! Frieren's actions completely overturned the impression Flamme had built from rumors. She wasn't some heartless elf; quite the opposite, she was very concerned, surely raised in an environment rich with diverse emotions.

In contrast, demons were famous for their fake smiles, that uncanny horror of mimicking humans was truly terrifying. Though supposedly as emotionally dull as elves, they were entirely different species.

"Your Excellency... those demons..."

"They're all dead. I killed them. I also have some belongings they looted that weren't theirs. Please help return them to their rightful owners."

Looting was a necessary step, but Frieren didn't take items clearly belonging to humans. Perhaps the owners' families needed them more. She would find someone to deliver them later.

As for gold and jewels, she picked some to keep. After all, operating in town later would be impossible without money. Since the blind demons delivered themselves to her doorstep, she'd accept the spoils of war.

Her nonchalance while displaying the loot stunned Flamme.

It's over?

General Azarte, who troubled even the combined armies of the kingdoms, had fallen? He was a butcher who terrified the region, yet his death was so unremarkable. The killer acted as if she'd merely kicked a stray dog by the roadside.

Frieren would probably forget about some general by the next day. Such a powerful being wouldn't bother remembering.

The red-haired girl gazed towards the distant forest. The residual magic power there felt like an abyss, faintly resonating with the person before her. It must have been a swift battle, a one-sided rout.

In comparison, she could only flee desperately to save her own life, utterly powerless against the demons' assault.

"You must be very strong?"

"I suppose so."

"Then, Lady Frieren, could you possibly teach me magic?"

This question made Frieren pause slightly. She had indeed never considered this aspect. Despite frequently seeking mentors in the game, she had no proper disciple in reality to inherit her knowledge. Was that a bit selfish? It didn't align with the philosophy of disseminating magical techniques.

Thinking positively, letting the wisdom of another world take root here could also gain her an assistant.

Thinking negatively, since she was already involved in the war against demons, if she were to fall to an enemy one day, letting her knowledge be lost with her would be too great a sin. She would die with regrets.

Frieren most detested mages who hoarded their techniques until they took them to the grave.

What to do?

"Taking a disciple is troublesome. I currently have no plans for that. But your talent is good, and you're resilient enough. Wasting such potential would be a pity..."

Hearing the initial refusal, Flamme's face fell, but did the senior elf's words hint at a possibility? Actually, whether she formally became a disciple didn't matter. As long as she was willing to teach, Flamme would consider her a master.

After pondering for a moment, Frieren took out a notebook. It contained her insights from when she first started learning magic – all fundamentals. The underlying logic wouldn't become outdated with time.

So she confidently handed it to the child. It wouldn't be too late to discuss other things after she grasped the basics.

Feeling the notebook's weight, Flamme received it like a priceless treasure, her eyes shining. Flipping through it revealed profound contents, but she was confident she could delve into them. This wondrous field filled her with intense curiosity.

"Don't rush to read it now. Once I'm done here, I'll take you to town. On the way, I'll tell you some tips to avoid pitfalls."

"Really?"

"And there are some unique secret arts, like my soul magic."

Frieren valued Flamme's talent. In the Lands Between, she had Sorceress Sellen to research with; she should have a helper in reality too. Besides, this magic was a culmination of knowledge from several worlds, enough for a human to study for a lifetime.

Wouldn't dual-track research with mutual exchange maximize efficiency? Things would be much easier now.

Half a day later, a small graveyard was completed.

For Frieren, who used magic throughout, it wasn't strenuous. The most tedious step was confirming identities and matching belongings. The rest could be left to the families.

Humans already had a standard procedure for this. War had changed many perspectives, reshaping lives.

Flamme placed flowers on each gravestone and bowed. According to her, one of her closest relatives had passed away here. Everyone had fought with their lives until the very last moment, striving for a chance of survival, worthy of remembrance.

"It's getting late. Maybe we should sleep here tonight and leave tomorrow."

"In the graveyard?"

"Isn't it convenient? When traveling, you can't be too picky... Fine, I'll make an exception today."

Raising earthen walls to build a simple house was easy for Frieren, done with a wave of her hand. It was just that her usual habits didn't involve such considerations, so she hadn't even thought of it.

With a flourish of her silver staff, a small hut materialized, sheltering the amazed Flamme.

Since she was taking care of a child, she should indeed be more mindful. It wasn't that she lacked experience; the elf village had kin of all ages, and she occasionally helped neighbors watch children. She just didn't know if humans were more fragile.

"Get a good night's sleep. I'll keep watch."

As she spoke, Frieren took off her outer cloak and covered the girl with it. She herself entered a meditative state, refining magic power anytime, anywhere.

Ironically, in the game, she would sleep more often, as sleep was essentially a long dream. Reality, however, was filled with enemies capable of posing real threats to her life, leaving no room for complacency. Thus, more time was spent cultivating magic power; otherwise, attaining a millennium's worth of power wasn't achieved for free.

Feeling the warmth from the cloak, Flamme paused slightly. There was also a faint floral scent, like from a field of flowers.

"Can I lean against you, Lady Frieren?"

"Sure."

Hearing this, she carefully leaned against the elf's side. The senior elf was actually quite petite, soft, even somewhat bony, yet inexplicably gave a sense of security, likely originating from her magic power.

The more closely Flamme sensed, the more she noticed subtle fluctuations in the elf's magic pillar. The true total amount was probably 5 times, no, possibly even 10 times greater.

Since Flamme was now in the safest place in the world, she naturally fell asleep without a care, her long eyelashes soon ceasing their trembling as she drifted off peacefully. She was too tired; the terrifying day was finally over.

Her body slipped, her head sliding from Frieren's shoulder onto her lap. It was even softer there, so she slept more soundly.

At this moment, Frieren looked deeply at her so-called convenient disciple.

"She actually sensed my hidden magic power? How many more surprises can you bring me?"

Although the demons seemed ascendant, the era of humanity was still striding forward. Geniuses emerged one after another. Perhaps all they lacked was systematic education in magical knowledge...

The notebook should help, but unfortunately, it wasn't introductory enough. It would be good if future generations could refine a teaching system based on this foundation.

The night passed gradually in meditation. Normally, Frieren would sleep every few days to replenish herself, but this time, having a little one to protect, she remained vigilant throughout the night.

The next day.

Waking naturally, Flamme abruptly opened her eyes and grabbed the silver-haired elf's arm.

"So it wasn't a dream. You're still here."

"I won't leave until I'm sure you're safe. Hurry up, pack your things, let's go. This is the edge of a battlefield, after all. The sooner we move, the better."

Simultaneously, she noticed Frieren releasing energy from her staff while slowly levitating her body a few centimeters, practicing the demons' flight magic like a morning exercise. It seemed like mimicking, but she was making real progress.

So even this incredibly strong senior elf hadn't forgotten to research new magic.

More importantly, she proved a point: the sky wasn't exclusively the domain of demon mages. Humans could achieve it too.

Those intelligent monsters weren't so special.

Their boasted uniqueness and sanctity were actually trivial. Even their most prideful power was thwarted by an unknown elf. Therefore, Flamme might also succeed, as long as she diligently learned from Lady Frieren.

"This is the flight magic I'm experimenting with, currently in the development stage. However, I think the main issue is proficiency. I'll tell you the specific formulas later."

Researching the enemy must never stop, and flight magic was indeed very convenient.

Unfortunately, likely due to different world rules, it barely worked in the Lands Between. Over there, something like gravity magic might be needed.

The two set off.

The elf forest was actually in a relatively remote location, a corner of a wide, fan-shaped battlefield. The defensive line was primarily aimed at resisting the demon offensive, protecting the central towns behind it.

Currently, the northern part of the continent had mostly fallen. The cruelest battles were raging in the central region.

Facing an existential crisis, the various human kingdoms united, including long-lived races like dwarves, forming a joint army to defend stubbornly. Unfortunately, overall, they remained at a disadvantage, risking further territorial losses...

Flamme shared this information; the outside world's information flow far surpassed the village's. Frieren reciprocated with knowledge:

"In our world, magic is based on imagination, and even more so on the confidence that you can do it. At your age, you don't have so many fixed ways of thinking yet, making it the best time for research."

"The first principle of my soul magic: the soul exists."

"You can anchor your soul to different objects, repair your own soul to reflect on the body, strike souls to cause irreversible curse-level damage..."

Not basic at all.

That's why Frieren needed to instill related hypotheses and concepts in the child first. Otherwise, if she learned too much and came to believe the soul didn't exist, there'd be no hope. It was better to give Flamme some inspiration, supplemented by professional knowledge.

In fact, the effects she mentioned had already been achieved – especially the true damage attacks targeting the soul.

The reason she didn't use it often was that it was currently limited to single targets, and she had plenty of single-target methods. Her development focus was now on large-scale, army-level combat.

Both real-world warfare and the conflicts in the Lands Between urgently demanded this.

"Can I call you Teacher?"

The sudden question from the girl beside her made Frieren pause slightly, giving her an inquiring look.

"In human society, magic is very difficult to learn. Even nobles must undergo tedious apprenticeship ceremonies, and genuine skill isn't guaranteed. Yet you even gave me your research results. Even if Lady Frieren doesn't acknowledge it, I regard you as my teacher."

"Alright. Having a disciple with exceptional talent like you isn't bad either."

"Thank you."

"Flamme, remember this: my school leans more towards combat than pure research. We embrace all forms of magic solely for the purpose of killing enemies. You'll witness it soon."

As she spoke the last sentence, the silver-haired elf pointed distantly. Smoke filled the air, and the sounds of shouting and killing drifted over.

Unknowingly, they had reached the junction with the central battlefield. The familiar smell of blood, screams, and roaring explosions spread out. Even from afar, they could feel the clash of blades.

Sudden fear made Flamme's legs weaken, but the next moment, Frieren firmly grabbed her arm, forcibly pulling the girl upright.

In that instant, her gentleness vanished, replaced by absolute killing intent.

She must have sensed a bad situation.

Although Azarte had fallen, the news hadn't spread yet. The lagging front line remained precarious. The kingdom's joint army likely couldn't hold out much longer. Total annihilation, even a massacre of the city, was just a matter of time.

"The city wall defenses are about to collapse. So, I will join the battle. You too. Before that, observe carefully."

Frieren activated Invisibility, taking Flamme with her as they advanced. The rumbling sensation of the ground grew stronger.

Inside the demon camp.

Another reinforcement squad of dozens arrived, imposing and still radiating killing intent, as they were elites temporarily transferred from a conquered fortress further back.

Including auxiliary troops, the demons had gathered nearly a thousand individuals on this single defensive line.

A map lay on the table. At its head was the commander, the Greater Demon warrior Yunus. He impatiently tapped the forest location.

"If Azarte could coordinate an attack from the fortress flank in the forest direction, our pressure would be much less now. Didn't I tell him searching for the elf village could take years? Why did he dive in based on some hearsay? You didn't advise against it either!"

"Now he's out of contact. What do we do?"

Yunus's furious aura silenced the other demons. They dared not meet his gaze, fearing he might grab his greatsword and start hacking.

The absence of a Demon General indeed impacted command authority. After all, they were supposed to cooperate – an order from His Majesty the Demon King, ensuring the race's military forces were united.

But what happened to Azarte? Why no word?

Logically, a mere forest could be flattened. If he encountered elves, fight; if he couldn't win, run. How could he possibly be unreachable?

"Send support?" someone suggested. "Dispatch a small team into the forest to investigate."

"No. We already sent reinforcements to Azarte. No division of forces is permissible now. Besides, small squads attract the attention of human archmages. It would be disastrous if they secretly left the city and ambushed our men."

Yunus rejected the suggestion. Ultimately, they couldn't spare the troops, and he didn't believe the insidious, cunning, and ruthless Azarte would fail so miserably.

That guy claimed to have a secret mission from the Demon King, while he himself was genuinely responsible for conquering this Northwind Fortress.

"We can't wait any longer! The opportunity is fleeting! Full-scale assault—"

"Yes, sir!"

The demon warriors, eager for battle, rushed out of the camp, commanding swarms of monsters, puppets, and even human captives to charge the city walls.

There were no clear tactics, only brute force – wave after wave crashing against the defenses. The main attackers were large monsters, often shaking the city gate with a single ram.

Atop the city tower, Commander Wien ordered with an icy expression: "Prepare for urban combat."

"Shouldn't we retreat?"

He glared at the staff officer who questioned him and asserted: "There's nowhere to retreat. If we fall, the central region is wide open. We must hold here."

"But reinforcements from the Kingdom's joint army won't arrive for at least 3 days."

"Hold on with all your might! If we show them a castle flying the Demon King's banner, the joint army's morale will be shattered... Get the mages ready too. I estimate the next wave will be magical bombardment for the siege. Everyone be careful."

His prediction proved accurate. A short while later, the demon mages collectively began channeling power, their blinding radiance rivaling the dawn sun.

Boom!

With a tremendous roar, a corner of the city wall collapsed. Falling stones buried soldiers beneath, crushing bones with a single impact, blood splattering everywhere.

Simultaneously, human mages retaliated. A high-speed magical duel unfolded in the sky above, clouds of fiery explosions filling the air, yet doing little to stop the rain of arrows covering the battlefield. The attacks never ceased.

However, the defenders were clearly at a disadvantage.

Trenches, bastions, and watchtowers hastily repaired outside the walls were destroyed and flattened. The soldiers stationed there were devoured by demons, showcasing the cruelest slaughter right before their eyes. Shocking.

Amidst the dust of the collapsing defense line, Yunus appeared, clad in black armor and wielding a greatsword. He stepped onto a fallen stone pillar, his crimson eyes fixed on the leader of the mage division.

"Besides those mages, there's no real threat. Climb the walls quickly. I'll handle the gate."

Before his words faded, he violently raised his blade. Magic power steamed from his body, distorting vision. Heat roared as the blade turned red hot. Sensing danger, the defenders quickly tried to interrupt with bows and crossbows, but his personal guard formed an impenetrable wall.

The battlefield held its breath, watching helplessly as the greatsword fell.

"Open the gate!"

A storm of wind and magic power hurtled forward, blasting open the city gate with a deafening crash, pulverizing even the monsters currently ramming it into a rain of blood and gore.

Also vanishing were the soldiers behind the gate. Steel twisted, wood splintered, the archway losing its shape entirely. Only ruins and corpses remained visible.

Breaking the gate in one strike stunned everyone.

Yunus grinned. "Commander up there, tell your men to come down at once. End this quickly, maybe it'll be more dignified."

Holding the high walls was no longer possible. The mages and the last elite knights gathered at the breach, hoping to buy time for repairs, even if it meant using their own bodies to block the gap, embracing certain death.

At this moment, the demon warriors understood they were only a step away from the city gate, where the greatest slaughter would occur.

____

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