Frieren: Understand Humans, Aura!

Heyaa... I've released the latest chapter for the omake yesterday in a separate book. You can click on my profile if you want to read the next chapter (^_^).

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Once the first one came, the second one quickly followed, then the third, and the fourth…

The snow-covered land, normally a silent expanse of white, was now marked by the trampled paths of those who had ventured into the forest after Sasha. The tracks of horses and the deep footprints of boots scarred the once-pristine snow, leading toward the ominous cave at the mountain's edge.

Aura wasn't entirely sure how Sasha managed it, but somehow, without being detected, the small girl had lured each of these adult humans—most of whom were fierce bandits, armed and armored—into the depths of the forest. Yet Sasha herself rarely got hurt.

Well, not completely unscathed.

Aura had noticed recently that Sasha's once delicate face and small body bore more and more bruises, the dark purple blotches standing out against her pale skin. There were dark patches of dead blood beneath her skin, and sometimes fresh welts that crisscrossed her torso, evidence of the beatings she endured.

Aura had tried to help in the only way she knew how, by licking Sasha's wounds with her tongue. The saliva of demons held certain properties that promoted wound healing.

'Since I don't know how to use healing magic, I'll just have to use this crude treatment method.'

As more and more humans disappeared, Aura noticed a pattern. The new humans Sasha brought were mostly following the trails left by those who had gone missing before them, searching for their lost comrades. The snow-covered ground was now a patchwork of these tracks, a clear guide for anyone looking for the vanished.

When the number of missing people reached a certain level, Sasha wouldn't even need to deliberately lure them over—they would come automatically, drawn by the scent of danger and the need to find their companions. They came to Aura willingly, unknowingly providing her with the food she needed to survive. How kind of them.

At first, one or two lone humans came with whips in their hands, their voices echoing through the forest as they cursed and shouted, "The slave escaped!" They barged into the cave, their anger blinding them to the danger that lurked within.

These first few were easy prey, their bodies soon reduced to little more than bones, stripped clean of flesh by Aura.

Later, small teams of two or three appeared, armed with bows, crossbows, and spears. They approached the clearing cautiously, their eyes scanning the tree line, wary of the shadows that seemed to move just beyond their vision, saying something like "demons was summoned by that group of fanatics" and "the people in the village disappeared one after another". But their caution was in vain. The moment they stepped too close to the cave, chains and hands stretched out from the darkness, pulling them in before they could even scream.

Finally, a heavily armored cavalry unit arrived.

There were about fifty of them, all tall and imposing, their metal armor clanking as they moved. Their horses were thick with muscle, their breath visible in the cold air as they snorted and pawed at the snow. The men had sharp eyes behind their faceplates, their expressions hidden but their intent clear.

These were no mere bandits; they were soldiers, disciplined and prepared for a fight. They cut down trees to clear a path through the dense forest, the sound of axes ringing out through the otherwise silent landscape.

At the front of the group, a long chain led the way, tied around Sasha's neck like she was a dog. The chain rattled with every step she took, the metal biting into her skin.

By now, Sasha's face was swollen with large lumps, her once bright eyes now dull and glassy from the beatings she had endured. Blood dripped from the corners of her mouth, and when she opened her lips, it was clear she had lost a few more teeth. Despite the pain, despite her battered condition, Sasha moved forward, her small hands occasionally reaching out to touch the marks she had left earlier, guiding the soldiers step by step toward Aura's cave.

The leading bandits whispered among themselves.

"What happened recently? There was a slave riot and many people disappeared inexplicably. I thought the slaves killed them, but after suppressing the slaves, we didn't find their bodies."

"Boss, boss, these are our last men. If these guys die too, we're done for! The slaves will definitely revolt again!"

"Calm down! We've got fifty men here, all armed and mounted. We've taken down monsters before, and we can do it again!" the leader snapped, trying to rein in the growing panic. "Let's follow this brat and see what these 'angels' those fanatics keep blabbering about are all about. If it's just some monster messing with us, we'll chop its head off and show it to the rest. That'll shut them up and keep the slaves in line!"

As they reached the clearing, the bandits were momentarily stunned when the once docile Sasha suddenly broke free, tearing the chain from the grip of the man holding it. Without looking back, she dashed into the ominous cave nestled in the cliffside, the long chain trailing behind her like a serpent.

At that moment, all the bandits felt a chill run down their spines as they finally noticed the cave's entrance, its maw framed by the scattered remains of human bones and soil darkened with old blood. The cave seemed to exude a palpable sense of dread, as if it were a living thing, lying in wait to consume any who dared approach.

The horses sensed something and began to neigh, taking a step or two back with their riders.

"Look at that cave! The brat ran right into it, but we can't see a damn thing inside. Wait... isn't that broken armor from Eberl? So that skull must be his too… They were eaten by that cave! All those people who disappeared—they were all eaten by that monster in the cave!" one of the men cried out, his voice breaking into hysteria.

"What nonsense are you spouting! A cave can't eat people. There must be a beast inside, maybe even a magical beast… Is it a bear? No..." The leader barked back, quieting the panicked crowd. He was one of the few calm people. He squinted his eyes to observe the human bones in front of the cave. The broken parts showed signs of being crushed violently, like some large beast. However, the tooth marks on the bones seemed a little too small.

Just then, at the entrance of the cave, Sasha's little head popped out again and smiled at them. Before they could react, she retracted.

"Look, she's fine! The brat's fine! If it was a beast, how could she not be eaten! It's a demon! It's a demon! Those fanatics made a pact with a demon! Damn it, I knew it, we never should have let them pray during their free time! The slaves don't worship any goddess—it's a demon, a flesh-eating demon!!"

The horses behind him grew more restless, their fear almost tangible. The leader, sensing the rising tide of panic, cursed under his breath and shouted for order. He wasn't about to let his men fall apart. In his mind, demon or not, they had a job to do.

"Calm down! We're still far from the cave. Who cares about gods or demons? We just won't go inside, right? Bring me the torches and throw them all in. No matter what goddesses or demons, burn them all to ashes... completely... eh?"

The leader's command was abruptly cut short. As he reached for the torch handed to him by a subordinate, he noticed something strange. The torch seemed to rise higher and higher in his hand, the ground below him spinning out of control. It took him a moment to realize that his vision was spinning because his head had been severed from his body.

Swish—

A scythe, its blade gleaming wickedly, shot out from the darkness of the cave, a chain attached to its handle. The weapon wrapped around the leader's neck, and with a swift, violent tug, his head was torn clean off, rolling to the snow-covered ground with a wet thud.

Crunch!

The tip of the scythe embedded itself in the top of the leader's severed head, the chain retracting into the cave, dragging the grisly trophy back into the shadows.

The bandits could only watch in horror as the head disappeared into the darkness, followed by the sound of bones crunching and flesh being torn apart.

"Ahh!! Ahhhhhh!!!"

Chaos erupted among the bandits as the reality of their situation set in. The once disciplined group dissolved into a cacophony of panic and terror. Horses reared and neighed, their riders struggling to keep control.

Some bandits, their fear overridden by a desperate surge of courage, fumbled to reload their crossbows or hurled spears blindly into the direction of the scythe. The others, driven by primal fear, screamed of demons and monsters, yanked on their reins, and fled into the snowy forest.

But they were no faster than the scythe.

Whoosh—

Another scythe, gleaming wickedly in the dim light, shot out from the cave's depths. It arced through the air with terrifying precision, targeting the man who had managed to put the most distance between himself and the clearing. The weapon wrapped around his waist, the chain tightening with a crunch.

Schlack!

The man's body was severed clean in two, his torso collapsing to the ground while his legs continued to stumble forward for a moment before crumpling.

The scythe didn't stop there. It pulled back with a deadly grace, carving through the fleeing bandits like a farmer's sickle through wheat.

Slash! Slash! Slash!!!…

The scythe moved in a blur, its chain taut, carving a massive crescent-shaped arc through the air. It struck with such force that the impact against steel armor sparked briefly, only for those sparks to be snuffed out by the gush of blood that followed.

In one devastating sweep, dozens of bandits were sliced in half, their bodies collapsing to the snow-covered ground, dragging their entrails behind them like grotesque trails.

The few bandits still standing were gripped by a new wave of terror. Even those who had shown some semblance of bravery earlier were now trembling beneath the shadow of the giant, blood-soaked scythe.

Their cries of "demon!" and "monster!" grew more frantic as they turned to flee, but it was too late.

"It's a demon! It's appeared! It wants to eat us! We're all going to die!!"

"Please let me go! Let me go!! I'll never do evil again! I'll return all the gold and slaves I stole! I don't want anything, I'll stop being a bandit! Just let me live, let me live!!"

"My guts! My liver!! Bastards, you bunch of bastards, watch out, my kidneys have been crushed by horse hooves!! No no... I don't want to die! I don't want to die ah ah!"

The man who had been cleaved in half by the scythe did not die instantly. Instead, he writhed on the ground in agonizing pain, his hands frantically trying to gather up the slick, wet organs spilling from his belly. But even in his desperate struggle, he found no reprieve. The pounding hooves of panicked horses trampled over them, crushing his intestine, liver, and kidney into a pulpy mess. The man could do nothing but watch in horror and despair as his inside were ground into the snow beneath iron-shod hooves.

Inside the cave, Aura listened to the symphony of terror and pain with a twisted sense of pleasure. The frantic screams, the cries for mercy, the sounds of bodies being torn apart—it all filled her with an elation that she hadn't felt in ages.

Her grip tightened on the scythe's handle, the speed of her swings increasing with each flick of her wrist. The weapon became an extension of her will, flying out again and again to reap the lives of the humans who dared to flee. Each desperate plea, each final, gasping breath, only spurred her on, her scythe a blur of motion as it continued its deadly dance.

In the clearing, the bandits fell like dominoes, their numbers thinning rapidly as the scythe found them one by one. The once-white snow was now stained with crimson, littered with the broken bodies of men who had once believed themselves invincible.