It was another refreshing morning.
But for Fíliya, this particular morning was not so pleasant.
Because she had been startled awake. While asleep, Fíliya felt her bed shaking nonstop, pulling her from a deep slumber into a lighter one. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, she opened her eyes with a resentful heart.
"What in the world is Solitär doing? I'm still crippled! Can't a person get a good night's sleep!?"
Miss Fíliya cursed inwardly, then dragged her broken body into a sitting position on the bed.
Hm?
Something's not right.
Now a little more awake, she finally noticed it.
Around the abandoned shipyard, besides herself and Solitär, there was another exceptionally distinct mana fluctuation.
And this third party, while not as powerful as Solitär, was still an existence far beyond her own reach.
Tsk, I've really been slacking off lately. To think I could only detect such immense mana after waking up.
Fíliya reflected on her lapse for a second, then struggled to her feet.
Although she had been blissfully enjoying Solitär's care like a baby for the past month, it didn't mean she had truly become useless.
If I just try a little, I can still make it downstairs... Miss Fíliya thought to herself.
Then, she grabbed the pair of crutches by her bed... As for where they came from, they were, of course, made for her by Solitär.
Initially, Solitär had planned to put Miss Fíliya in a wheelchair, but for the sake of her non-existent dignity, Miss Fíliya refused to sit in it, no matter what.
Alright, let's see what kind of trouble is brewing downstairs.
After rubbing her eyes again, Fíliya slowly took a step.
...
The land around the shipyard looked as if dozens of farmers had been called to till the soil—it was a scene of utter devastation.
Fortunately, Solitär had protected the building behind her exceptionally well.
That was why Miss Fíliya had been able to enjoy such a long, peaceful sleep. Unfortunately, Solitär couldn't block out the sounds of battle, so Miss Fíliya was still woken by the commotion.
To call it a fight wasn't quite accurate.
For her and the person in front of her, this level of exchange was merely a casual probe.
But as the saying goes, 'when gods fight, mortals suffer.' The two of them were fine, but the flowers and grasses by the roadside had been utterly ruined.
"Hey, Solitär, haven't you made up your mind yet? You've been cooped up in this place for hundreds of years. Don't you want to join me and do something big?"
Standing opposite Solitär was another female from the Demon Race.
From her appearance, she too possessed the characteristic, beautiful features of the Demon Race.
The first things one would notice were surely her purple eyes and chest-length purple hair.
However, this female demon's purple hairstyle was rather peculiar. While her voluminous mass of hair was enviable, the six... slightly strange braids hanging from the ends created a sense of disharmony.
If Miss Fíliya were to comment on such a hairstyle, she would probably say one thing.
"Looks like a mop."
This female demon's attire was also exceptionally revealing, with a generous diamond-shaped cutout at her navel that offered an easy glimpse of her almost pale skin.
"Aura, I've told you, I have no interest in attacking human cities. I just want to live a secluded life. If you don't mind, could you please leave my home at once?"
Solitär looked as though this wasn't the first time she had said this. As she repeated herself, her expression was already tinged with displeasure—a stark contrast to the gentle, sisterly demeanor she showed in front of Fíliya.
"There you go again. Honestly, I don't get you at all, Solitär. With such incredible power, why won't you join forces with me? If you and I teamed up, no human could possibly stand in our way."
Aura clearly didn't want to give up on such a powerful potential ally and kept trying to persuade Solitär to join her.
"Aura... you are simply too foolish."
Solitär looked at the person before her, an expression of pity involuntarily appearing on her face.
"Don't you understand yet? Even the Demon King himself is gone. For insignificant players like us, the best outcome is to live a life of seclusion. If you still insist on fighting humans now, you will die."
Solitär kindly advised her old acquaintance. If Aura had come a few months earlier, Solitär might have been tempted. But through her time with Fíliya, she had completely accepted Fíliya's theories and had come to agree that the Demon Race was probably... truly no match for humans.
Even back when the Demon King was alive, Solitär had always thought this person was incredibly stupid. But since they knew each other, she still wanted to persuade her not to throw her life away.
"Huh?"
Unlike the worried-looking Solitär, the female demon named Aura was extraordinarily arrogant. She had none of the composure one would expect from someone who had lived for centuries. Her haughty demeanor was identical to that of a low-level demon who had just come of age and become insufferably arrogant after eating a few humans.
"Are you kidding me, Solitär? Yes, the Demon King is dead, but humanity's strength has also been greatly diminished. I've confirmed it—the hero named Himmel died of old age. At this point, what power do humans have left to stop us?"
"In a one-on-one fight, I may indeed be the weakest of the Seven Sages of Destruction, but you know my abilities, Solitär."
"My Magic of Obedience (Auserlese) is the perfect magic for waging war. As long as I keep creating these undead soldiers, I can devour one human city after another like a swarm of locusts, and my army of the undead will only grow larger and larger."
As Aura spoke, she gestured with the sword in her hand toward the puppet army behind her.
"I feared that hero somewhat when he was alive, but now, there is no one left among the humans who can resist me. Believe me, Solitär. If we join forces, our chances of victory will be even greater than when the Demon King was alive!"
In response to Aura's renewed attempt at persuasion, Solitär simply revealed a helpless expression and sighed.
"Aura, you've improved a little. You actually realize that you're the weakest of the Seven Sages of Destruction. For that, I can praise you..."
Aura's expression faltered for a moment, but she could still tell that Solitär was probably, most likely... mocking her.
So she said through gritted teeth.
"What do you mean by that?"
"My meaning is simple. If you really don't want to live anymore and are eager to throw your life away, then go by yourself... I don't have time to deal with you right now."
Solitär made no effort to hide her disdain for Aura.
What a joke, asking me to attack humans at a time like this? Compared to something so risky with absolutely no reward...
...observing Fíliya is far more interesting.
As they reached this point in their conversation, the atmosphere grew tense.
Aura's face was ashen, but she clearly still didn't want to give up.
Just then, Fíliya, leaning on her crutches, finally pushed open the door of the abandoned shipyard.
"Solitär, what's going on...? Why is it so noisy?"
Fíliya looked at the ravaged land around them, her face filled with annoyance.
As for Aura, upon seeing Fíliya, a puzzled look immediately appeared on her face.
She pointed her finger at Fíliya and asked Solitär.
"What's that, Solitär? Are you keeping emergency rations at home?"
______
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