Part 6
---[Underwood]’s South-eastern plains, At the frontlines.
Percher continued to whip up black winds that smashed the enemies to the ground but she soon found it to be a boring task. Although she was fine physically due to the elemental advantage she had over the opponents, but this sort of repeated action lacked the factor that would have made it interesting.
If it were to continue this way, this would really make the fight with Asuka so much more enjoyable! As Percher thought of that wryly, she continued to advance deeper into the heart of the enemy’s army. And as she passed, Titans who were touched by her black winds continued to fall to the ground stricken with disease, without any exceptions.
The battlefield had rapidly become a stage where she performed alone. And seeming to mock her haughtiness, the golden melody started to fill the air.
Scrunching her brows in displeasure, Percher turned her gaze towards the heart of the enemy’s forces.
This is the melody from before?
She had heard of this information from before but she now understood as she felt it for herself. The already low fighting spirit that she had was almost gone as well……but in fact, without listening to this melody, her fighting spirit would have decreased too.
But no matter what the case was for her, it was clear that the enemy was trying to control the mood in the battle field.
The Titans who have been wasted away by the disease and almost reaching the stage of becoming corpses were starting to struggle to their feet under the control of the melody.
(Hm……Controlling the mood of the battle field and forcing a race to do battle. That sure is distasteful. It’s as if the Titan tribes are just one of the extra chess pieces in their hands.)
Percher had completely lost her fighting spirit by now, but the despicable method of the enemy had gotten on her nerves.
Giving a sidelong glance to the Pied Piper ring on her finger---
“---Okay let’s do this. Although it’s also infuriating to be summoned by the [No Name]s to do their work, but you guys are certainly more despicable.”
Not giving the dying Titans who had struggled to their feet a second look, Percher rapidly ascended into the sky to a spot out of reach of the attack of any Titans and unleashed a strong barrage of attacks in the direction of the melody’s source, striking away at the huddle of Titans in that region.
Amassing the condensed hatred and miasma formed by the eighty million resentful spirits in her hands, she maintained their stability while landing before the enemy.
The black robed female who was holding the ritual with an open [The book of Invasions] before her---Aura noticed her presence.
“Hehe. What took you so long? I’ve been waiting for you, [Black Percher]. Was it fun running around for the [No Name]s?”
“Yep. At least it wasn’t as detestable as helping you guys.”
And without further ado, Percher thrust her palms forward to release the miasma that rushed towards Aura with the screams and moans of millions of tortured souls.
However, that attack exploded a few steps before reaching Aura.
The sudden turn of events caused Percher to widen her eyes in surprise while Aura covered her mouth in a giggle.
“After leaving [The Pied Piper of Hamelin], your spiritual level seems to have fallen, hasn’t it? Despite being a vessel that holds eighty million resentful spirits, your current self is still a long way off from being at the level of a God-class spirit……Here’s this. Why not come back to our side? This time, we will prepare an excellent Gift to suit the Gift you have attained. How’s that?’
“……”
Percher maintained her nonchalant expression while keeping up with the wave of attacks.
But all these attacks exploded before Aura---No, it would be more precise to say that they have all exploded upon coming into contact with the area demarcated by the ritual’s circle. It was clearly a mechanism of some sort that had been put in place within the circle.
Aura gave a confident smile as she continued to bait Percher with her honeyed words.
“Percher. Just based on attainment alone, you do have the spiritual level sufficient to be a God-class. The number of spirits contained within you could be said to be extraordinary to the point of breaking the boundaries of the rules that govern logic. To form a new group of Gods wouldn’t be a dream for you. If you like, we can arrange some more subordinates for you. It won’t be anything like those useless demons of [The Pied Piper of Hamelin] previously---”
“---shut your trap.”
A red line was traced along Aura’s cheek for the magic circle that was supposed to keep out the black waves of miasma was suddenly breached. And Aura whose face continued to be covered by the long robes twitched, evidently surprised.
Her surprise wasn’t as much as to the cut on her face as it was to the surge of anger that Percher had.
“……Aura. If there’s even something that I have to thank you guys for, that would be for the grimoire of <The Pied Piper of Hamelin>. Just for that single point, I really do owe you guys on the account of those old times……and hence the negotiation just now would have been worth some consideration.”
“……”
“But since you have trampled over such feelings today, even if [Grim Grimoire Hamelin] is one of those chess pieces that you conveniently made use of and toss aside……it’s still a flag that I’ve betted my all upon and a Community that the members have given up their lives for.”
Percher’s calmly rebuked Aura while clenching her right hand, feeling the ring of the pied piper digging into her flesh.
---She was originally a group of evil spirits that had no connection with [The Pied Piper of Hamelin]. But to allow her to reappear after being separated from [The Pied Piper of Hamelin], this ring was the weak medium that enabled her to do so.
But this is also the wish of Percher herself.
When she was summoned once more to Little Garden, she had brought up a condition for her subordination---
“For remembrance of the two comrades who have died for the ambitions of [Black Death Demon Lord], I don’t care how or what sort of way it is but I wish to retain the flag of [Grim Grimoire Hamelin].”
---Of course, she didn’t deserve that sort of privilege.
Having disrupted the peace as a Demon Lord and having lost to others, why should she get this sort of freedom to choose?
But Shiroyasha had listened to her stubborn request when she was summoned into Little Garden for the second time and given her the hope in her rebirth. The ring with the symbol of the pied piper was now the proof of her subordination contract.
“To insult my comrades is equivalent to insulting my flag---Hence as of today, I will sever all ties with you guys and what’s left for us will be an all-out bloodlust for each other’s lives, you old witch.”
“…Is that so? Well, that’s really a pity.”
Aura gave a sigh as she drooped her shoulders, seemingly sad about the loss.
And happening around that time, Asuka, Deen and Sala and the many Eudemons and beastmen of the [Draco Greif] Alliance who have caught up…broke through into the heart of the enemy’s army and arrived before Aura.
“Good work, Percher.” Asuka said while giving her a sidelong glance.
“No problem. But we haven’t tied up the situation as of yet.”
The gaze of everyone present were riveted onto Aura.
Being the representative, Sala took a step forward to advise Aura to surrender.
“The Titans have already been completely annihilated by us. Even if you continue to control their fighting spirits to force them to do battle, what’s close to dying will be dead anyways and won’t put up much of a fight. It's best to surrender quietly and come into our custody.”
With that, Sala drew her sword to signal the end of the negotiations.
Aura had lost her Titan army and was surrounded but a smile of disappointment continued to linger at ther lips.
Percher heightened her alertness as she warned Asuka and Sala:
“Guys, you would want to be careful now. This woman is a similar sort of Eudemon like the Titans, a humanoid sort---generally termed as a [Sorcerer].”
“……Sorcerer? Is it the kind of sorcerer that are told of in stories?”
“Yes. There’s quite a number of classical examples for them too and these sort of people are also termed as [Fay], equivalent to the roots of the term [Faerie](Fairy) that are of a species close to extinction. The more prominent examples would be the [Lady of the Lake] in the stories of [King Arthur], MorganleFay; and the FairyGodmother of [Cinderella] etc. The highest order in the realm of human species.”
“Oh my, you exposed everything about me. But shouldn’t this be something that should have been told to them before the battle?”
“Do I need to repeat myself? Up till just moments ago, I still felt that I’ve owed you guys a little….And moreover, Jin, the little red girl, Freak boy and Freak Usagi seemed to have arrived at some sort of agreement to not ask or listen to me. Wouldn’t it be stranger to talk about morality and fairness in that situation?”
Percher simply stated it matter-of-factly as she gazed at the army of [Underwood] around her.
Jin who was also observing the battlefield through Percher’s senses gave an involuntary shudder.
……Peeping-tom.
No…It’s not it---
Percher thought in her mind, and as it happens, Jin also gave a quick reply to that.
So that’s how it is. Having synchronized their senses, they could also communicate telepathically? Percher smiled devilishly as she realized that she found something interesting. Percher who was in a good mood after a discovery of such a useful material for her future pranks, turned her gaze back to Aura once more---
“Well then, let’s end things here, Aura. For you, I can give you a special discount now. So long as you beg me to spare your life, I can help you negotiate to be collared up, given three meals and allow you to be a maid.”
“……”
Hearing Percher’s words, Aura wiped all emotions from her face and swept her gaze around the army that surrounded her as she muttered in a low voice:
“……Percher, do you know why the Titans have such a vulnerability to the Black Death disease?”
“Hah?”
“That’s because there was a Titan with overwhelming power who controlled the other Titans. The [System of control based on the manipulation of Black Death disease] is a curse of the Titans that gave you the advantage---but if you look at it from a different perspective, there should also be the [Titans that controlled Black Death to enslave the other Titan tribes] right?”
“……what?” A collective gasp in response came from the [Underwood] army.
Snapping [The book of Invasions] shut, Aura reached her hand towards [The Death Eye of Balor] that was positioned within the ritual grounds.
Not knowing what she was up to, Percher raised her brows at that movement.
And at the recesses of her mind, Jin’s sudden cry jolted through her.
Percher! Defeat her now! Quickly!
Huh?
We have fallen for her ploy! It’s Balor! The person whom she said to have created the [System of enslavement through Black Death], it’s the tribe led by Balor himself! The enemy’s true aim might just be……
Jin’s reminder had also caused Percher to notice something amiss and she turned to look back at the Titans who have been defeated by the Black Death Disease.
However, Aura had already raised [The Death Eye of Balor] and said her last words in a mocking tone---
“Farewell~[Black Death Demon Lord]! The guys from the [Draco Greif] Alliance and the others! Your little oversight shall be your downfall!”
In a flash, [The Death Eye of Balor] emitted a Black ray that swept through the entire battlefield.
Sala and the others who had already mentally prepared themselves before the death ray bathed across them were shocked to find that they were unharmed and nothing was out of the ordinary.
Unable to comprehend the situation, the people of [Underwood] were looking at each other in confusion. But in the next moment---
"---Gahouhouhouhouhouhouhouhouhouhouhouhouhou----!"
The Titans’ roars surrounded them as they were released from the holds of the Black Death disease.
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