"It's the Scary Monsters! Too terrifying—we're retreating!"
"Again with this trick. Sixty years ago, the one who disrupted the encirclement of Princess Elga was him too. Didn't the intelligence say he was already dead?!"
"You've gotta be kidding~"
All the demons present had participated in the encirclement of Sui sixty-eight years ago. The reappearance of Diego, who had once carved out a fearsome reputation, dealt them a crushing blow.
In an instant, their fighting spirit plummeted to rock bottom, and the urge to flee took over once more.
In the distance, Diego flashed over to Stark's side and gently placed Frieren beside Fern, letting the two lean against each other.
"Yo, little mushroom's grown into a big mushroom. So cute."
Diego's playful side flared up. He used black mud to draw a little turtle on Fern's face.
Then he reached out and ruffled Stark's head while his mouth kept splitting wider in his dinosaur transformation.
"Very good, very good, very good… Long time no see, Stark. You've done pretty well~" Diego crouched down, face-to-face with Stark, placed a finger to his lips, and shushed him. "Or rather, nice to meet you. Take Fern and Frieren and get out of here. Leave the rest to me."
"Huh————!!!" Staring at this unfamiliar man, Stark's eyes widened. His trembling hand pointed at himself as he asked, "Uncle, why do you know me? Have we met somewhere before?"
Uncle…
This lord is pissed!
Deliberate heavy punch!
Boom!
Diego smashed a fist into Stark's head.
"That hurts— Wait, this familiar force…" Stark clutched his forehead, tears unwillingly streaming down in a pitiful look. Then, excitedly, he hugged Diego's leg and shouted, "It's Master—!"
And Stark's pathetic, teary-eyed appearance was, of course, met with Diego's disdain.
Diego shook his leg furiously, trying to fling off the Stark clinging to it, his voice carrying a hint of reprimand: "Let go! Let go!! Let go!!! Why is the way you recognize me by how hard I hit you, you idiot?!"
"Because… isn't this one of the ways Master shows affection?" Stark shrank his neck, noncommittal. "I've always thought so."
"…Nonsense, what nonsense are you thinking? You don't act like a disciple of ko no Dio at all." Diego turned his back, his face unusually flushing red for once. He quickly composed himself, coughed twice, and snapped, "Get lost already. Don't hold me back here."
"Yes…"
Master really hates me now!
Before leaving, Stark blinked and asked, "Master, with this many demons, you can't handle them alone. You have to wait for me to bring reinforcements!"
"Don't worry. How could I possibly lose? The real show is just about to start."
Soon after, wind spirits carried Stark and the other two back to Count Granat's territory. Diego officially faced off against the army led by Aura.
As for why Aura didn't stop Frieren and the others from leaving—
Compared to letting Frieren escape, she was far more worried about what would happen if she so much as twitched a finger and this reckless brute Diego stabbed the Inverted Spear of Heaven straight into her brain.
He had done exactly that years ago, and years later, he could still do it again.
Looking at the demoralized army, the elder rallied their spirits once more. His voice echoed across the night sky: "No running! Diego Brando is already dead. The necromancy state can't last much longer. Have you forgotten the humiliation of being caged like dogs in the Demon King's castle all these years?!"
"Anyone who flees—this old one, as a former general, will execute them one by one!"
At those words, the scattering demons indeed halted and stayed in place, awaiting the next order.
The elder then turned his gaze to Aura, seeking an answer with an inquiring look.
"Schlacht said he has already seen the future. We will win this battle!" Aura nodded and raised the Scales of Obedience in her hand. "Facing a mere corpse, we have the advantage in numbers. Even if it takes grinding him down, we can wear him to death!"
"Charge! Surround and kill Diego Brando!"
Aura shouted with passionate fervor, but only she knew the guilt hidden within.
Schlacht had indeed spoken of the outcome of this battle—that Diego Brando would be controlled by her—but he never mentioned how victory would be achieved, nor the casualties.
Just a paper tiger.
Diego stood quietly in place, allowing the combined demon army and undead forces to encircle him.
Sniff sniff… sniff sniff…
"It stinks so bad. How can it smell this awful? After all these years, Aura, the stench of corpses on you is still as strong as ever." Diego's dark eyes kept spinning as his tone grew gloomy. Then his tone shifted, and he spread his arms in an embracing gesture. "Hey, won't you greet an old friend?"
"Yeah, long time no see. Even though you let Frieren get away, if I can take care of you here, it'll still be a pretty good outcome~" After throwing out the threat, Aura retreated two steps again, silently positioning the elder in front of her and falling silent.
If she could successfully dominate Diego Brando, he alone would make up for all the combat power she lost in this battle.
The old guy really helped out. If he hadn't brought the ones hiding in the Demon King's castle, she would undoubtedly have been defeated by Frieren and never forced Diego Brando out.
But there was still one problem.
How much longer could his necromancy last…!?
Right now was absolutely not the time to use the Scales of Obedience. Placing souls on the scales required time, and that time would be enough for him to kill her.
While Aura was deep in thought, the elder furrowed his brows tightly, shook his regenerating arm, and reminded her in a low voice, "Aura, buy this old one a little time. My arm still needs a few minutes to fully regenerate."
"No problem. We have an overwhelming advantage in numbers. Even the living Scary Monsters would have a headache with this many." Aura replied.
Under Aura's control, the undead army advanced first. Thousands of undead soldiers charged with swords raised, slashing relentlessly at Diego—only to be dodged with eerie, unnatural movements.
At the same time, Diego casually grabbed a few undead soldiers and hurled them forward.
Clang! Clang! Clang—!
The battlefield rang with the sound of metal clashing. Under tremendous force, the thrown undead soldiers cleared a wide path through a large number of demons.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh…
A massive barrage of magic hurtled toward Diego.
I see. A troublesome tactic against most opponents—planning to stall until the necromancy duration runs out?
"But that trick, against this Dio, is muda da muda!"
Boom!
Before the words even finished, Diego stomped the ground. Corpses freed from domination magic flew high into the air. His hands moved without pause, flicking rapidly a few times, fingertips tapping armor—the undead soldiers shot straight out, blocking the incoming magic.
Under the Scary Monsters' powerful dynamic vision, the demons' first wave of attacks failed to trouble Diego in the slightest.
Diego leaped high and retreated backward continuously, luring the undead army onto a narrow mountain path. He asked, "I have a pretty good idea. Do you guys like kerosene lamps?"
"?! What is this guy talking about…" Aura thought.
"But unfortunately, even if you like them, the only thing shining and dancing under the moonlight right now is the sword in my hand!" Diego's gaze turned icy. He held the sword of light and swung it sharply upward at an angle. The blade suddenly extended, giving the mountain range spanning hundreds of meters a clean shave.
Falling rocks instantly buried the undead army.
"What the hell is that sword…" Aura's eyes showed surprise. She turned to urge the elder, "Hey, have you recovered yet? My undead soldiers are depleting too fast!"
The elder swung his newly regenerated arm and pondered for a moment. "It's ready. This old one can still fight."
At the same time, thoughts raced through the elder's mind.
This old one will absolutely not run again. I came here with the intent to kill him. If it's just buying time now, that's even less worth mentioning!
I can do this—
Boom!
The elder's thoughts were instantly interrupted. Its mind went blank as a fist slammed into its abdomen. The heavy blow forced a gush of acidic fluid from its mouth.
When the elder's brain reconnected and it regained some clarity, its body had already been sent flying high into the air.
This old one lost consciousness for a few seconds?
How is the allied army now?
No—where am I right now…
Flying!
And Diego Brando, amid the scattering debris, was riding on its back, grinning like a vicious demon.
What?!
What is this monstrous strength?!
"I say, you're one of those demon warriors who specialize in enhancing physical abilities, right?"
Before the elder could answer, the speed of Diego's claws increased again. Torn flesh sprayed constantly before the elder's eyes. Even though it tried to resist, the hand it raised was tightly bound by the dinosaur tail and rendered immobile.
Blood filth covered the elder's eyes like a crimson filter.
The elder roared and thrust a hand blade toward Diego's chest.
Rip!
Before the attack could land, Diego intercepted it. He grabbed both of the elder's hands and yanked them outward with brutal force. The elder's arms were torn off.
"General!!!"
The shouts of the demon allied army suddenly rang in its ears, making the elder feel the flow of life even more keenly.
Die…
Am I going to die…
Die here?
Perhaps both humans and demons live for some purpose. The elder's once majestic frame hunched over, its gaze gradually dimming.
In its dying moments, the elder's vision focused on Aura on the ground below. Its expression was complicated, lips trembling as a weak voice emerged: "Aura, this old one says… I regret it…"
Back then, to survive, it had already abandoned a warrior's dignity and fled the battlefield…
But why, when facing that ferocious beast again, did the dead pride of a warrior reignite…
I have to defeat the one who humiliated this old one. That thought filled its entire mind, leading to the misjudgment of the gap in strength between us…
Memories flashed. A revolving lantern appeared before the elder.
[Schlacht, this old one doesn't understand what you're so wary of. He's just a guy with no mana. In that case, this old one will personally take the field and behead Diego Brando.]
The scene shifted.
[Why is this guy so strong? My body can't stop trembling. One of the Seven Sages of Destruction, the immortal Beze, has already been beaten to death by him. Am I next? I have to find a chance to escape…]
So that's how it was… The once proud self was dissatisfied with the ignoble escape, so it urged this old one to act again…
What the hell, this old one already denied its former warrior self long ago for the sake of survival…
Falling like this… maybe… isn't so bad…
Boom!
"What did you just say?" The two crashed to the ground. Diego stuck a pinky in his ear, blew dismissively, and glanced at the elder sprawled like a dead dog. He sneered coldly, "Strange. I hit you that hard and you're still alive? Whatever. This works too—time to kill you!"
Mismatch!
The elder rallied its spirit again. A thought flashed in its mind once more!
Something's wrong with this guy!
This old one can feel it—when we were in the air just now, the force of his claws was steadily weakening. Is the duration of maintaining the necromancy about to run out?
Now that the Demon King is dead and Schlacht left arrangements for the future—for the survival of the demon race—if this old one falls again, Aura will be left alone and defenseless. The Scary Monsters will completely annihilate the demon race!
I can't fall yet!
I need to buy a little more time!
Perhaps it was a final burst of strength. The elder squeezed the last bit of energy from its already ruined body, broke free of the dinosaur tail binding it, wrapped its legs tightly around Diego's waist, and prevented his next move.
"This old one will not run anymore…" The elder exerted even more force, headbutted Diego, gritted its teeth, and gave a miserable laugh. "Let this old one struggle uglily to the very end!"
However, under the vast difference in strength, all the elder's efforts seemed childish and laughable.
Diego effortlessly broke free of the elder's hold. The sword that had buried the undead army appeared in his hand once more and chopped off the elder's legs.
The elder roared, opened its bloody maw, and bit into Diego's shoulder, trying to tear off a chunk of flesh: "It's not… over yet—"
Pfft…
The light sword pierced the elder's eye and emerged from the back of its skull. With just a slight exertion from Diego, the elder's head was split in two. Blood rained down on Diego's face.
[But this old one… really still wants to live…]
The elder's body gradually turned into mana particles and dissipated between heaven and earth. It retained the pride it once held as a general and great demon in dying honorably on the battlefield. It died—torn to pieces by Diego.
"I was lying. I didn't use any strength."
"And you're not alive either."
Diego lowered his gaze and licked the blood on his hand that had yet to break down into mana particles.
"Ptooey. I thought it might taste different… but it's as disgusting as ever."
At the same time, Diego advanced step by step toward Aura. In just a few blinks, he closed the thousand-meter distance and stood right in front of her.
Watching Diego approach, Aura slightly raised her chin and spoke in an unusually calm tone: "…The old guy died too, huh."
"You're next, Aura." Diego rolled up his sleeves and looked down at her with contempt.
"That's so mean~ Wasting so much time on the old guy—was that really okay?" Aura raised an eyebrow with a playful smile. "The necromancy is almost over, you know. Is it really smart to underestimate me like this? Get a grip on the situation—take a good look at how many demons under my command are still itching to move."
Pfft…
Of course I get the situation.
Diego suddenly felt incredibly hyped.
Just as I expected!
Just as I expected!!
Just as I expected!!!
Aura, you've completely lost. You stupid fool didn't notice anything. Everything is developing exactly according to this Dio's plan!
Although the appearance of the Demon King army remnants here was unexpected, these guys were already wounded by the little dinosaur fifty-eight years ago. They're fully under Scary Monsters' control.
No… no, I can't laugh yet…
Diego frantically suppressed the corners of his rising mouth.
I have to hold it in…
But… but…
The way Aura is so convinced of her victory…
Just wait a little longer. Because the infection happened so long ago, it takes time from the roar to complete dinosaur transformation. Thirty-five seconds. In another thirty-five seconds, the situation will completely reverse.
I'll laugh after thirty-five seconds…
"Hahahahahahahaha…"
Diego lost the Don't Laugh Challenge. He suddenly burst into manic laughter, the sound echoing without end.
This made Aura inexplicably uneasy.
Clearly he's the one surrounded—why can he laugh so arrogantly, as if…
I'm the one surrounded…
"Tch… borrowing the tiger's might." Aura furrowed her brows tightly. A bead of cold sweat appeared on her forehead. Her smile became strained as she commanded the remaining forces: "Diego Brando is at the end of his rope. Kill him!"
35, 36, 37…
Clang!
A spear pressed against the small of Aura's back.
"Heh heh hahahahaha! Why don't you look behind you?" Diego laughed wildly, his chest heaving with laughter. "Those guys lost consciousness ages ago. This is what they call violence of numbers!"
Aura whipped her head around. The fully dinosaur-transformed demon army suddenly rose up and easily wiped out the last of Aura's remaining undead soldiers.
Aura's mind panicked: "…What the hell? Impossible, impossible! You clearly only used your claws to kill the old guy—how could you have time to infect the entire army!"
"Well, of course it wasn't just now. Blame yourself for choosing allies who were hiding in the Demon King's castle." Diego tapped his temple and explained, "Remember what happened back then?"
Aura's pupils quaked. Recalling the scene from years ago, she said in disbelief, "Could it be…"
"Idiot. The true ability of the Scary Monsters is to transform creatures or objects into dinosaurs through scratches or bites—and place them under this Dio's control! They were all bitten by dinosaurs. That roar I let out when I arrived on this battlefield was to awaken the Scary Monsters hidden inside their bodies!"
"..."
After a few breaths, Aura seemed to accept her fate and gave up resisting. Her arms dropped limply as she walked dejectedly toward Diego.
The story should have ended there, but Aura made a move that caught Diego completely off guard.
This hesitation actually saved her life—she wasn't killed on the spot by Diego.
"Huh?!"
Diego's eyes widened, his mouth slightly agape in shock as he stared incredulously at the scene.
As Aura walked forward in a daze, her hands never stopped. She removed her clothing piece by piece and casually discarded them into the muddy sewage left after the rain, exposing pale, smooth skin.
First the Scales of Obedience were discarded, then the necklace around her neck, the thigh-high boots, the upper garments, the skirt, and finally even the inner layers vanished.
[Aura, use submission magic on Diego Brando.]
Damn it, I don't care what happens anymore.
Aura gritted her teeth and walked alone up to Diego. She raised her head, and the two stared at each other.
?
He grabbed her…
"Ah… uwaaa… huff… huff…"
Completely naked, Aura was lifted high by Diego gripping her jaw. He examined her constantly and asked in a puzzled tone, "What's going on? Why did you take off your clothes? Do demons mate too?"
Aura's face turned deathly pale. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead. Her muscles tensed as she stammered incoherently: "…Life. To survive… I've come this far for the survival of the demon race…"
Diego slowly lowered Aura but kept his hand clamped tightly around her neck. He gave a cold laugh, his tone full of disdain and mockery: "Hmph! I see… So this was Schlacht's arrangement."
If he couldn't break the contingency Schlacht left behind, it would be the same as letting him hold all the advantages at some 'critical' moment!
"I certainly can't just let his contingency slide, but I don't think someone like you—one of the Seven Sages of Destruction—will obediently spill everything."
"But Aura… such a tempting and cute Aura. What should I do with you?" Diego's tone turned teasing as he smiled frivolously. "First of all, I don't think you'll live. Years ago, you and Solitär teamed up and actually dared to desecrate my mother's corpse. Both of you have to die!"
"…Cough. From Schlacht's mouth, I already knew you would return to this place. So I didn't care at all whether Frieren escaped. Our goal from the very beginning was you." Aura panted heavily.
"..."
"I won't tell you anything." Seeing Diego remain unmoved, Aura continued through ragged breaths. "You absolutely cannot interfere with Schlacht's 'plan'…"
Diego hugged Aura, his gaze ice-cold, a flash of disgust crossing his face. Hot breath kept hitting her face.
He gradually increased the strength of his embrace. Soon, the sound of bones cracking came from Aura's body. A scarlet glint flashed in Diego's eyes: "I see! Even if you say that in such a cute voice, it's useless… Aura."
"Pfft—…!" Under the pressure, Aura spat out a large mouthful of blood.
"Right now, because I'm controlling two bodies, my soul is incomplete. My head hurts like hell, and even using my Stand accelerates the rejection of the necromancy."
"If you're trying to use seduction to gain my sympathy, I'd be happy to heal my damaged soul first and then toy with you to my heart's content afterward."
"I'm still pretty curious what would happen if a demon and a human combined…"
"Letting a demon like you fall completely—turning you into an ordinary woman—then playing with you while taking your life."
While Diego spoke, he failed to notice the Scales of Obedience flash from the distant mud puddle and appear in Aura's hand.
Aura gripped the scales tightly and pressed them against Diego.
"Submission magic."
Aura's black soul and Diego's colorless soul instantly appeared on the Scales of Obedience. The black side sank with overwhelming dominance. The result of the mana comparison was obvious—victory tilted toward Aura.
Diego's gaze suddenly darkened. A spiral unique to being controlled by Aura appeared in his eyes.
"I win, Diego Brando. Your body truly has no mana." Aura picked up a knife from the ground, carefully wiped it clean.
"…This is impossible… I clearly saw you throw away the Scales of Obedience…"
Aura placed the knife against Diego's throat, full of triumph: "So mean. These years, I haven't been idle. Ever since you took the Scales of Obedience from me back then and left me unable to fight, I've been thinking about this nonstop.
So I spent some time researching a magic that can return discarded items to my hand.
And since you're so cautious, I went the unconventional route—stripping off all my clothes to create the illusion of being completely defenseless."
Aura's hand kept stroking Diego's cheek as she sighed, "As expected, no demon has ever done this before. That's how I got so close to you so easily."
"You damned mark, Aura… this Dio actually fell into your hands…"
"Goodbye, Scary Monsters. I'll miss you." Aura laughed lightly and suddenly exerted force. The blade sliced across Diego's throat.
Clang!
The knife passed over but left no wound on Diego's throat.
"How is this possible… What kind of physical durability is this!"
Aura grew frantic and slashed madly with the blade again and again, still unable to sever Diego's head.
"Ha… ha… Damn it, Diego Brando—I order you, commit suicide!"
Boom!
Aura was knocked flat by a single punch.
Diego's eyes blazed with ferocity, baring sharp dinosaur fangs: "You just ordered me, didn't you?!"
Aura lay on the ground, tears streaming from her eyes. In disbelief, she said, "You have no mana—how can you possibly resist submission magic…"
"Who gave you the illusion that this Dio is some rabble that submission magic can control?"
Diego stepped on Aura's chest, grabbed her long purple hair, dragged her to the edge of the cliff, and hoisted her up.
"Memory Spirit, investigate immediately." Diego placed his other hand on Aura's forehead, intending to uncover Schlacht's arrangements.
A curtain of memory appeared—but it displayed only garbled code.
"…Lord Dio, there is a mental shielding magic."
"As expected of the omniscient one. He really set up this kind of magic." Diego withdrew his hand. From the corner of his eye, he glanced at the struggling Aura and chuckled lightly. "Then you're completely useless."
"No, no—don't come closer! I have a date with Somali in Cairo! (Don't come near me!)"
Diego snatched the knife from Aura's hand and began "playing the violin" on her neck. The violinist arrived fashionably late!
"This lord already said—no one can order this Dio. That command of yours was like a powerful dispelling magic. It instantly let me regain control of my body."
Then, as if issuing a victory declaration, Diego said: "Win~win~win~ Your screams paired with the sound of the knife across your throat—truly a perfect match. Incredibly beautiful."
"Just as I expected, the Scales of Obedience are fair. Even though I have no mana, it still placed my soul 'completely intact' on the scales to compare mana. Because of that, my incomplete soul was fully restored. And now, this Dio lacks nothing!"
"This is my plan, Aura!"
♪♪
The piece ended. Diego's gaze turned cold. With a swift motion, he beheaded Aura with one stroke!
She could only watch helplessly as her body tumbled off the cliff—head and body separated!
Then Diego tossed Aura's head—still dissipating into mana particles—onto the ground and stomped down hard.
Boom!
"Hmph! Demons…"
"All right, what to do next…"