It was painful, cold, and damp. Unfamiliar. Why was it like this? It was always good before – warm, cozy, and without that sound of the wind howling. And her body ached so much, as if she had run several laps around the house, then to the river and back.
Hmm... home...
— SEFI! — Flamme abruptly jumped up from her spot and looked all around, and that's how she spotted the demoness, who was sitting on a driftwood, staring at the fire. She didn't even glance at her. The girl ran towards her, stumbling over rocks a few times, but still made it and shook her. — HOME! HOME! MAMA! PAPA!
There was no answer
But the girl didn't stop shaking her
— You said you'd handle it! Did you? You saved Mama, right? You did, didn't you? How are they, where are they? — The silence from Sefi was frightening. Why was she so quiet? Sefi said she would handle everything, so why? She never lied to me. What happened? Could it be... — Sefi... Mama... Papa... they...
— Just shut up already.
Why was Sefi so... angry? What happened, why? She had never been like this, never said such words, even in the worst of times. Once, a captured beast, that same brawsons suddenly stood up, the ropes broke, and it lunged at her, throwing Sefi to the ground with a terrible crack. Even then, Sefi just got up and aimed her hand at it, shooting a new spike at the beast. She got up and approached Flamme, only limping slightly.
She came over and examined her, then said a few kind words and asked her to gather some strong branches for her. Back then, Flamme thought Sefi was impossible to... defeat, she was like a mountain. How could someone take such a hit and keep a straight face? It was too much... it seemed like Sefi had stepped right out of the pages of the books she sometimes read. Well, more accurately, the ones Sefi herself and Mama... Mama...
— Sefi...
— You're annoying. You're useless.
Sefi unnaturally squeezed the bridge of her nose and finally turned to her, pushing her away. It hurt. Not from the fall... but because of her aggression. Why was she so angry? What did she do wrong? Did... didn't she do what Sefi told her? Didn't she?
She told her to leave, said she would handle it herself... she said...
— Tears already. Well... what did I expect. — She approached the girl, towering over her. The fire from the campfire cast shadows, and the logs crackled menacingly. Sefi could only look. One of her legs was completely covered in gold – the same gold that had consumed their home. — A useless little brat. There was so little left, but no, everything had to go the hardest way... I spent so much, only to get... this?
By this... what did she mean?
Why was she looking at her like that? Like at a... thing?
Could it be... her?
— Just some little kid, can't even satisfy my hunger.
...
...
No... no... no...
This is... a dream, right? It's a nightmare, right?
This couldn't be happening, no... no... someone will wake her up soon, yes, they have to
She'll grumble again about not wanting to get up
Please... please... let it be so...
Please...
Mama... Papa...
Sefi... please...
— Cat got your tongue? Even better, then you won't scream here. Your squeaking gives me a headache.
— Sefi, this is a joke, right? You're joking, right? — Flamme was trembling, her chest heaving heavily, trying to inhale something, but choking on air. Her eyes darted around. It has to be a joke... Sefi couldn't say something like that, this is... — I... I... will get offended! I'll deduct all my trust points... all one hundred... two hundred!
— A joke? All of this is a joke? Think what you want, brat. — Sefi's hand gripped the top of her head. It hurt. Lifted her head and turned it slightly. Her neck became visible. — Choose. I'll give you one last choice: I can kill you quickly or slowly.
— Kill... why? — This nightmare... the joke has gone too far, when will it end? This can't be happening... she... she will never sleep with Sefi again when she's scared, never again! Even if it's always warm next to her... even if she smells of campfire...
...
...
It wasn't warm next to Sefi
Only the quiet crackling of the wood and the trembling of the flames gave any semblance of warmth, but not from... the demon... from Sefi...
— To devour you, of course. At least be useful for that. I wanted your parents too... but... tsk... I had to abandon them.
— Abandon?
— Well, if injuring them and leaving them in front of a demon to survive... well, buying time, although that seems more like murder, but who cares.
Hah... hah... Sefi... she... she...
Such a... monster...
A demon...
She abandoned them? In front of a demon? All to buy time? So her parents were just... a thing? To be abandoned... Mama... Papa... they... they were just...
— I would have liked to eat them together with you, that's why I went... well, can't be helped. At least you have a lot of mana, I think you can compensate for their loss.
Too bad... too bad... I can't clench my hands, my fists... I'm too weak. I want to smash that face that's looking at her so disgustingly, tear out all its teeth, that tongue that speaks so horribly about her parents. Make her suffer just as much... experience all this hell.
No... I have mana... I can...
— Want to attack? So be it, I'll allow it as a last will... what was it... Mariam, right? And spouses Francois? One hit.
Infuriating, infuriating, so...
— One hit? Allow me, rather than a child. — A new voice emerged, authoritative to the extreme. All that power, that superiority, was felt. Just from its appearance. It was monstrous.
If Sefi's... no, the creature's mana seemed like a lake, then the new figure's was akin to an ocean. Boundless and limitless. Absolute power, with which one could accomplish anything.
— ...You... where did you come from? — It was so good to see the two-faced bastard tremble, looking at... an elf. Golden-haired with equally bright eyes, a fragile body behind which magic itself shone. — Don't come near!
The voice, that deceitful voice, was breaking. Literally
The demon was too lazy to speak, which is why she had made herself a collar that projected her voice, but now... that thing hissed – just like the true nature of the scoundrel. She had to throw the collar from her neck. She glared at the elf with an evil look.
— One more step and this girl...
The demon flew back without finishing her sentence. Hit a tree with her back and crumpled to the ground, groaning in pain. The golden leg clinked. The creature managed to rise slightly before dust kicked up. A huge blizzard, a veil that covered the entire forest, like a storm, a hurricane... a tornado. The silhouette inside disappeared, vanished somewhere. She wanted to chase after it, why wasn't this woman doing it? She had such power... such might.
The elf calmly walked over and crouched before her, reached out her hand and...
— The demon placed a curse on you. Death, simply put. Quite complex. — And a second later, there was a crack. It seemed the mana around her cracked. She lifted the curse that easily? — Catching the demon will be... difficult, and not really my business anyway, but you...
Her?
— Become my apprentice. In return, you can... hmm... destroy this demon.
Kill Sefi?
No...
Kill that creature?
HA-HA-HA! THERE IT IS, THE CHANCE!
— I want to... become your apprentice... Master. — Just those words, after which a smile appeared on the elf's face. Perfect. Magnificent.
***
Serie had seen much in her life. Quite enough to understand many aspects of more than one culture. But she had never seen this: in just a few pitiful words, a person was ready not just to kill, but to torture and follow into hell for revenge. She had seen lords and common folk fall to their knees, beg her for salvation and pray, and when she refused – call her a monster. But even they... were not so sharply fixated, merely from words.
And according to Sefi's story, this whole idyll had been built over six years, maybe more. Nothing at all for an elf, but how much for a child. A part of childhood life, carefreeness, laughter and fun were trampled in one night. For such a radical breakdown, much was needed: the death of loved ones right before their eyes, destruction of precious things, and maybe torture. But not just words.
Perhaps she was judging superficially – the girl was just a child, everything seemed bigger to her than it was. Her parents were killed, her home destroyed, but not before her eyes. She was in the forest with hope, which was so violently trampled by sound.
Having hidden her presence, she listened to Seraphina's words
It was too harsh. Even for her. It seemed she had truly revealed her demonic trait. She immediately wanted to knock her out, to stop her from crossing the line... but... even here...
Seraphina pushed the child and nearly moved. Serie saw her leg twitch, her fist unclench for a second before clenching again. It was still her, and that held Serie back from interrupting the spectacle.
But the child hadn't noticed.
And now...
In her eyes blazed a rage, a hatred she had never seen in anyone. In her entire life. Desperate people with nothing could walk to their death like that. People filled with rage had a history behind them. And people who followed ideals had faith within them.
But Flamme had none of that
Pure hatred
And if this were an incarnation of something... the world would shudder from it
— Master, when can we... begin training? — asked Flamme, clenching her small fists. Only, there was no emotion in her voice. Emptiness.
Serie looked at her and thought for a moment
Seraphina... right? She was able to learn her name. But would she be able to recognize her?
It seemed this person would reach her goal faster than she herself would
And her heart clenched at that
— In a day. Keep walking for now.
***
Having anything of one's own was difficult, especially in this world. Sefi learned that from her own experience. First, her peace was disturbed by her own ignorance, then by the weather and nature itself. Terrible winter, the worst time of year.
Then Miss Serie – had to flee. Frieren and her kin – had to lie low in an insect nest, rotting alive like a corpse. Then flee.
Frau and Mari, Flamme's daughter – a demon attacked, couldn't protect. Flee again. Three times there was a home, and three times flight. She's always running from something. Weak...
She is weak
And that's the problem
It seems, somewhere in this life, she didn't act as she should have. Is it because of weakness? Can weakness be considered a sin, and is that why she suffers?
It's so hard, though... no need to think about it, not now. Her choker is broken, her arms don't work, one leg is gold, and she can't move it. Her back still aches from that hit against the tree. Normally this would be... the most disgusting moment. But now... she doesn't want to think, about anything. She created a high wall around herself, just a wall without a roof.
Just rest
Doesn't matter that the ground is beneath her
Above her, there is no roof, only the dark sky, scattered with sparkles
Beautiful...
She can rest
She'll think about the rest tomorrow
***
Morning came. A sunny day, and Sefi returned to the pond again. Miss Serie had set up a couple of spells there that protect and conceal the place from monsters and various creatures. This should help her survive in the future, or rather, give her time to recover.
First, the woman leaned against a rock, looking at the extinguished campfire. Everything had burned out, leaving black layers, soot. Grey ash... Should she light it again? Probably yes, it's an important task, but later, first she needs to fix the choker.
Her previous choker had a bloody pattern to save mana and for durability, and now it lay broken on the ground. However, fixing it again wouldn't be difficult. She had enough experience in making this kind of... technique? Could it be considered a technique? Never mind, she had enough experience.
It took about thirty minutes in total, after which she put the device back on her neck and surveyed the clearing. Rocks, though grey, complemented the view of this spot. A beautiful place. A small pond, a green carpet of grass, and silence. So necessary for her.
— What should I do?
No one gave an answer, nor would they
Sefi now seriously started working on her leg. She couldn't remove the gold immediately, but she could chip it away. However, even for one millimeter, almost all her mana was required, so it was a hopeless task. Thank Miss Serie for stopping the gold's advance, otherwise... she didn't want to think about it.
This was more like a curse than magic. So removing it with mana would be harder, and that's precisely why Miss Serie couldn't remove the gold from her leg. Besides, she immediately stated she wouldn't work with such a thing because the chance of success was extremely low. Better to cut off the leg than try to restore everything to its normal state.
How did she remove the gold? Well... just poured mana into it until part of the gold receded. Apparently, due to the imperfection of the magic itself, such an action had an effect, because the mana belonged to her, and the gold belonged to Macht, so... was it a war of territories? If you look at it from one point of view, yes, mana against a curse.
Today she removed the second millimeter, and her mana was nearly zero. She wouldn't use it all, it was too dangerous, despite the barrier's presence. Sefi learned the lesson from all these times. Being defenseless was, at best, torment, at worst, death.
***
Such days passed. What day was this? Possibly the third month already. In all that time, she had only removed 9 centimeters, a success, but such a... pathetic one. Nevertheless, there were other successes: she built a small house with everything needed. In this matter, she had become, if not a master, then at least experienced. The second success was having tools, food, and other necessities.
There was nothing else, this whole schematic life continued
Only today she heard footsteps
Unnatural. It wasn't the clatter of hooves or the rustling of branches from small animals, the chirping of birds, but... something else... measured steps with a steady approach. Only a sentient being could produce such a sound.
How did she hear them? Apparently, her senses had sharpened, after all she had trained everything not only in hunting but also just in general. Understanding where steps came from was a useful skill, and identifying who was who was even more important.
— This is a wondrous place, — spoke a deep voice. In comparison, Miss Serie was like a wise voice of antiquity, and this one... deep, one that had experienced life. Leisurely. — Only, I've found you, you cannot hide.
He knew her location? How? She was standing behind a rock, observing. Definitely in a blind spot, unless he had eyes in the back of his head. He was also wearing a cloak, his head hidden by a hood. Excessively powerful reaction.
Was she going to just come out? Of course not, she was a demon, so upon seeing her, the newcomer would attack her immediately. Knowing his perceptiveness, she could assume she wouldn't be able to talk. Best to... run? No.
She had to fight, stun him and threaten, so he would run away himself. She wouldn't run anymore.
— I've sensed you for a while, demon. — As if on cue, he vanished from his spot, kicking up dust. Her eyes couldn't locate him in time. Sefi began looking around quickly: not on the left, not on the right... where... — Hmm.
A kick from behind slammed her into the rock
How did he get behind her? Impossible. Was that magic? Did teleportation magic exist? How was something like this possible? This is...
— I will pacify you for the protection of innocent souls. — The stranger removed his hood, revealing his true features. Short-cropped green hair and matching eyes, long ears, a stern face. A cold gaze, showing neither malice nor joy. — I don't usually say such things to beings like you... but... this will be payment for destroying your life in idyll. Any last words?
So that's how it is, last words, huh? What if she used magic? No matter how fast he was, he couldn't dodge. As if sensing her intention, he just sighed.
— This is your end, demon. You can't run anymore.
...
...
Looks like she should have accepted Miss Serie's offer
Hah
Was this truly her end?
Nevertheless, who was this elf? He was too strong. That kick of his had at least fractured several bones, and his movements – there wasn't a single trace of mana fluctuation. Were these purely the physical capabilities of an elf? Who even was he... green hair and eyes... ears, she had seen... no... read about this somewhere.
This is... he...
— The Hero. — She managed to articulate with the choker. The sound was made, and... the elf recoiled, his calculating eyes shifting to pure surprise, no, astonishment. He stepped back and looked her over. — You're the Hero...
— For... of all living beings, a demon knows of me... — He spoke bitterly, then knelt on one knee, becoming level with her. His green eyes, which had been cold before, became different, more... emotional. — How do you know me?
— I read about you. You had... a friend, a human... a priest. Are you continuing his work? — Sefi asked, and then he rubbed his face. His movements seemed too heavy for him. His gaze dropped downward, and a sigh was heard, as if the whole world had been placed on his shoulders. — Forgive me... I didn't mean to remind you.
— For a demon, you know a great deal about death. — He stood up again and looked at her once more. — You... do you know my name? The name of my comrade?
— I don't know... your names were erased from the book. You had the letters "Kra..." left, and my comrade's name vanished from the pages. You yourselves didn't want your name to appear there often. — At this, the priest laughed heartily, looked at the sky and smiled.
— I know that person. He promised us he would write a book about us, he didn't lie. — His hand stopped over his heart. Now nothing remained of those cold eyes, only cheerfulness. — I swear by the goddess, if I had known it would be like this, I would have asked him to fill the whole book with our names. So... where did you read this book? I don't believe a demon found it of its own accord.
— I read it with Frieren... with an elf, to be precise. — At this, the Hero's eyes widened again. He thought for a moment and then knelt again. His movements were now more erratic. Alive, so to speak.
— I haven't seen my kin in a long time. Do you know where this place is? — Sefi shook her head and instead of answering, tapped her eye and then her arm. A dull thud, not flesh, but a piece of wood and glass.
— I was driven away from there. My condition, apart from this leg, is their... influence. — The woman replied, which made the elf frown. His eyes lowered.
— I don't know what from your lips is truth and what is lie, but I am willing to listen. — And then Sefi wanted to gasp, more than anything, too bad she couldn't. She was just some demon who doesn't feel joy, horror, only fear for her own life, not for others'. This... was not her. Not like how she lived, how she was taught.
— But why... I'm... a demon.
— Because... ordinary demons don't apologize.
So that's how it is...
An apology? Was she... the old her enough... to apologize...
— I... have a long story. — She said, and then the elf, instead of responding, lifted her, carefully sat her down, and took a piece of bread from his backpack. Handed it to her along with a small bottle of water.
— I have lived long enough. Speak.
***
Sefi realized her essence as a monster. What had previously seemed to her like quiet joy, pleasure, and fear, was nothing more than a manifestation of bodily instincts, though could they be considered different things? Emotions are determined not only by innate traits but also by situations. Over these three months, she had thought enough about herself.
And instinct is always there, it's present from birth
The first joy in magic was simply because she was a demon. Much was clarified for her on this matter. Creatures of magic tend to understand magic, and therefore the joy was there. It wasn't from small successes, not from overcoming a step... it just was.
Her anger, hatred towards Miss Serie was caused by this. Hiding mana? Mana is magic, and concealing it seemed like something terrible, a sin, a heretical act. Only for a demon.
The feeling of calmness next to Frieren, when she was offered food – just a quiet exclamation that she managed to deceive someone for her own benefit, so that they would waste time caring for her, while she herself did nothing.
The anger at the moment of creating the sword... envy that someone was better than her, that everything came easier to them than to her. Pettiness, but did it matter? More like a desire to kill, because it was directed not at Frieren, but at Serie. A distorted sword, wavy with serrations, like a saw. It wounds, makes the victim suffer, and even if it heals, it leaves scars for life. And the joy, the euphoria after creating an instrument of death... that wasn't normal.
Life with Flamme: so much lies and so much joy. And when she approached the infant and that movement in her jaws – that was the most heinous thing possible. She wanted to devour the child. That... was wrong. Terrible... she wasn't taught that...
What was she taught? To be good, to support a loved one, to save and be a role model. To be right. She was smart, smart enough to understand that she couldn't help everyone, but she could help a few, and that's how she was taught...
Who taught her that? She doesn't remember
And now...
— Your story, it is full of pain. — Said the priest, without making a single extra sound, just took out another piece of bread for her. Soft. Too bad she couldn't taste it.
He had heard everything: how she appeared in the world and how she came to this moment. Her thoughts, her desires, and her... understanding of herself. And his verdict was wrong... completely wrong.
— I believe you. — Sefi stopped chewing the bread, she shook her head. This was...
Wrong... wrong
This was not right, this was terrible
It shouldn't be like this
— Don't believe me. — She only said, which made the elf so surprised he nearly dropped his backpack. His tall figure, broad shoulders loomed over her, his eyes full of questions. His mouth uttered a silent question: «Why?». — I'm a demon... believing me... that's the path to death.
— So that's how it is... if so, then I believe in the goddess who led me to you.
The goddess, huh?
— You know, — he said quietly. — The goddess doesn't always speak to us in words. Sometimes she speaks through silence. You fear your essence, and that is good. It means your soul is still resisting.
Soul?
— A living being needs support. Some kind of faith, just to put one foot in front of the other the next morning. I'm not saying you have to believe in the Goddess. Believe in that self you once knew. Believe that you are still the right one you were taught to be. Because if you stop believing in that... you truly will sink into the abyss. But not because you're a demon. But because you gave up, you let the horror take over.
Believe in herself?
Yes... that... should work
— Thank you... Hero...
— Kraft.