Frieren: Attribute Hero Chapter 92: I Really Like It

Deep within the northern mountain forest.

As expected, Shane and Frieren spotted the hidden [Undead Legion] lurking in the shadows.

Yet strangely enough, there was no sign of Aura herself.

The two concealed their presence and slowly approached. But at that mont, a demon wearing a skull mask suddenly appeared before them.

"There's an intru—"

Before the warning could even leave its mouth, Shane activated [Shadow Assassination], instantly closing the distance and slashing its throat in one strike.

The demon imdiately dissolved into magical particles.

Just as he let out a small sigh of relief, countless icy blue ghostly flas suddenly lit up throughout the entire forest.

An endless army of headless puppets instantly surrounded the two of them.

At the sa ti, a petite demon girl with purple hair slowly walked toward them.

Frieren stared at the figure coldly.

"It's been a long ti, Aura."

"Indeed. It's been eighty years, hasn't it, Frieren?"

Aura's frivolous gaze swept over Frieren before shifting toward Shane beside her. Her slender finger tapped lightly against her lips.

"Oh? You found yourself a new companion again? Looks like Himl and the others are all dead now."

"This new warrior is quite skilled. I really like him."

Aura rubbed her fingertips together, naked desire flashing in her eyes.

Looking at her, Shane suddenly felt as though he'd seen that gaze sowhere before.

It reminded him of the old ladies from his previous life who waited beside school fields collecting discarded bottles.

The exact sa eyes.

Glowing green with greed.

"You killed my ssenger. In that case, you'll beco the new one."

"Don't worry, though. Your head is far too beautiful for to cut off. I'll allow you to keep it."

"You can beco the most powerful human general under my command, under Aura herself. How about it?"

Whoosh—

Frieren imdiately fired a thick blast of magic toward Aura.

Aura casually raised a defensive spell and dispersed it with ease.

The smile on her face deepened.

"What? Angry already? Eighty years ago, you weren't nearly this impatient."

Frieren ignored Aura's provocation completely and instead turned toward Shane.

"Don't listen to her sweet words. Demons are rely monsters that can speak human language. They only care about their own survival. Unless faced with death, they never truly cooperate with anyone."

"This is just a trap. Don't be deceived."

Naturally, Shane understood the nature of demons.

Besides, his [Occluncy (Blue/Rare)] wasn't for show. This childish level of temptation had no effect on him whatsoever.

"Don't worry."

He gave Frieren a reassuring look before stepping forward.

"Aura, stop playing gas. I want to know why you're so obsessed with attacking the city ahead. How many people have you killed here?"

Seeing that Shane showed no fear toward her, the possessive desire in Aura's eyes only intensified.

As expected, he truly was perfect puppet material.

"Do you rember how many slices of bread you've eaten?"

She curled her lips upward, her gloved hand lightly brushing across her full lips.

"I'm troubled too, you know. If the barrier protecting that city weren't so strong and impossible to destroy, this war wouldn't have dragged on for over a decade."

As she spoke, she spread her arms wide, displaying the endless puppet army behind her.

"The people hiding inside that city are truly foolish. They've sacrificed so many excellent warriors and still refuse to surrender."

"The number of these soldiers is already equal to the number of people left inside the city."

"If they had simply surrendered during the very first siege, none of these ten wasted years would've happened."

"Aren't humans supposed to treasure ti the most? I really don't understand."

Hearing that, Shane nodded.

"Frieren, you were right. She really isn't an intelligent opponent."

Aura rely chuckled.

"What? Trying to provoke with such a low-level tactic? Sorry, but it has absolutely no effect."

Then she smiled slyly.

"How about I show you one of my strategies instead?"

As Aura's words fell, a headless general stepped out from the puppet army.

The general wore refined steel armor covered in countless sword marks. On the chestplate was the crest of the Granat family, while a ruby necklace exclusive to nobles hung around its neck.

"I heard this was the beloved son of the count in that city."

In an instant, Shane's heart tightened.

It was the child of that countess they had t.

That armor belonged to her son—

Aura observed Shane and Frieren's expressions as she circled around the puppet, lightly tracing the armor with her fingers.

"My executioner, Lugner, put in a lot of effort to obtain this puppet. He designed countless traps, but every single one was exposed."

"Just when we were about to give up, a turning point appeared."

"This young master of the count's family actually walked willingly into Lugner's ambush just to save a completely worthless countryside orphan."

Shane slowly tightened his grip on his sword.

He rembered the orphanage in the countryside that the countess personally cared for—

In that instant, anger surged through his chest.

He had to admit it.

Aura's strategy was very effective.

He really was getting angry.

"I originally wanted to keep him alive and use him to force that son-loving countess to open the barrier. But surprisingly, he managed to break free from my ntal control through sheer willpower."

"Hah. In that case, I had no choice but to cut off that clever head of his."

"But..."

At this point, Aura glanced toward Shane.

"I've decided to keep yours."

"After all, beautiful warrior heads like yours are truly rare."

As she spoke, a brass scale ford entirely from mana appeared in her hand.

Shane stared at the scale.

This was the foundation of Aura's control over the [Undead Legion].

The reason she stood among the strongest forces under the Demon King, one of the Seven Sages of Destruction.

The [Scales of Obedience].

As long as two souls were placed upon the scale, the side with lower mana would submit to the stronger side until their body rotted away.

The reason Aura could use such a dangerous spell so confidently was because she had lived for five hundred years and possessed overwhelming mana reserves.

Frieren once said that a mage's mana continuously grew through endless training over ti.

Neither she nor Fern had ever relaxed in their training.

That was their respect toward magic itself.

But sotis, in the face of endlessly accumulated ti, effort alone beca utterly insignificant.

"And you're certain you can make submit?"

"Not just you. Both you and Frieren will submit to today."

Aura proudly raised her chin.

Shane glanced around him.

Those battle-scarred armors revealed just how brutal their owners' final battles had been.

Aura hadn't preserved a single one of their heads.

Which ant that even in death, those warriors had continued resisting her control.

"Aura, your arrogance will cost you dearly."

"Heh. A man with absolutely no mana wants to make pay a price? Are you counting on Frieren to save you? The Scales of Obedience cannot be interfered with by outside forces."

"Cannot be interfered with by outside forces..."

Shane fell into thought.

Beside him, Frieren stepped forward without hesitation and blocked his path.

"Don't act recklessly. I'll deal with her."

Shane lightly patted Frieren on the shoulder.

"Didn't you just say earlier that both you and Fern trust completely? If that's the case, then keep trusting ."

"Now isn't the ti for this."

"Believe in ."

Frieren stared into Shane's determined eyes. Though she frowned slightly, she ultimately stopped trying to stop him.

She turned toward Aura, already making her decision.

If Shane was controlled, she would use that instant to kill Aura imdiately.

Under no circumstances would she allow Shane's sacrifice to be aningless.

Shane, anwhile, had no idea what Frieren was thinking.

He walked past her and directly faced Aura.

"As expected of a brave warrior. I like you even more now."

"Then... [Domination Magic]."

As Aura's words fell, the brass scale constructed from magic in her hand began to shine.

Imdiately afterward, a silver-white fla with a black core slowly drifted out from Shane's chest.

At the sa ti, a pitch-black fla erged from Aura's chest.

The two flas slowly descended onto opposite sides of the scale.