New Friend

In the deep of Schwer Mountains, in the Northern Lands, the weather was unforgivingly harsh. Thick clouds hung low, obscuring the peaks and casting a shadow over the frozen landscape. The wind howled through the valleys, carrying with it the biting cold that seeped into every crevice, every inch of exposed skin. Snowflakes swirled in the air, clinging to Sasha's hair and clothes, turning her into a ghostly figure as she made her way through the desolate wilderness.

Sasha glanced up at the gray, overcast sky, her breath visible in the frigid air. The world above seemed as bleak and unyielding as the one below, offering no hope of warmth or respite.

She pulled her tattered cloak tighter around her thin frame, her fingers numb from the cold. The shackles on her hands and feet clanked with every step, the sound muted by the thick layer of snow beneath her feet. But she paid it no mind.

Today, her masters were resting, content with the spoils of their latest conquest, and there would be no overseers to monitor the slaves' movements. For a brief moment, Sasha had a sliver of freedom, and she knew exactly where to go.

With a quick, furtive glance around to ensure she wasn't being followed, Sasha ducked into the underbrush. The bushes were sparse and brittle, their branches weighed down by the heavy snow. She crawled through narrow tunnels formed by the low-hanging limbs, her body brushing against the frost-covered leaves.

The cold bit into her skin, but she pushed forward, driven by a need that was stronger than her discomfort.

She pushed aside layers of tangled vines, their once-green tendrils now brittle and white with frost. The sharp edges scraped against her already bruised and cut hands, but she ignored the pain.

Sasha squeezed between jagged rocks, their surfaces slick with ice, and walked through dense woods where the trees stood tall and silent, their bare branches reaching out like skeletal fingers.

At last, she reached her destination—a dark, moss-covered cave nestled deep within the mountains. The entrance was almost entirely obscured by overgrown ivy and snow, making it easy to miss if you didn't know where to look. The stone around the entrance was slick with moisture, and icicles hung from the overhang, their sharp points glinting in the dim light.

Sasha hesitated for a moment at the mouth of the cave, her heart pounding in her chest. The wind howled louder here, funneled through the narrow passage, and the cold seemed even more intense. But she pushed the fear aside, steeling herself before calling out into the cave, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"Are you still in there?"

Tap, tap—

The sound was weak but steady, a signal that the creature within was still alive, still capable of movement. Sasha felt a wave of relief wash over her, a warmth that briefly chased away the cold that had settled into her bones. The creature was getting better.

Without hesitation, Sasha entered the cave, the darkness swallowing her whole.

————

Sasha had discovered the cave a week ago, during a particularly brutal snowstorm. The icy winds had howled through the mountains, driving her to seek shelter from the biting cold.

She had wandered through the dense forest, her body trembling from the chill, when she stumbled upon the cave by sheer accident. The entrance was hidden behind a thick curtain of ivy, almost invisible in the swirling snow, but Sasha's sharp eyes had caught a glimpse of it, and she had hurried inside.

The moment she stepped into the cave, the world outside seemed to vanish, replaced by a deep, almost oppressive silence. The sound of the wind was muted, and the air was thick with the scent of damp earth and moss.

Sasha had been expecting to find nothing more than an empty cave, perhaps a few old animal bones left behind by some long-gone predator.

But as she ventured deeper, she heard it—a faint, almost imperceptible sound. Breathing.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she crept forward, peeking around a corner to the back of the cave.

There, lying motionless on the cold stone floor, was a figure. At first glance, it looked like a young girl, but as Sasha's eyes adjusted to the dim light, she realized that this was not a "human".

The figure had delicate, almost ethereal features, with pale skin and purple hair. But what caught Sasha's attention were the two horns on the figure's head—one of which was broken off, leaving a jagged, uneven stump. Her clothes were tattered, and they were covered in cuts and deep gashes, as if she had been in a fierce battle. Bloodstains marred the fabric, but oddly, none of the blood seemed to belong to her.

Next to the purple-haired girl lying motionless on the ground, there was a huge skeleton and a piece of eaten bear skin.

Gnawed bones were visible everywhere. Every bit of bone was clean, without any trace of flesh. Even the bones had teeth marks.

'It won't eat me too, will it?'

Sasha wondered, her breath catching in her throat. But as she stood there, frozen in place, she noticed that the creature wasn't moving. The only sign of life was the shallow rise and fall of its chest and its half-open eyes that stared unblinkingly at her.

Summoning every ounce of courage she had, Sasha stepped closer. The creature made no move to stop her. It simply lay there, as if resigned to its fate. Tentatively, Sasha reached out and poked its cheek. The skin was soft and warm just like a human.

The demon still didn't move.

Sasha's fear slowly gave way to curiosity.

She noticed the demon's cracked lips and dry, parched skin. It was clear that it was in desperate need of water.

Without thinking, Sasha rushed outside, scooping up a handful of snow. She cupped her hands, letting the heat from her body melt the snow into water, and then carefully brought it to the creature's lips.

At first, the water dribbled down the creature's chin, but after a moment, it began to drink, its throat working weakly.

Sasha watched in fascination as the creature's eyes seemed to regain a bit of focus. After a few more sips, it finally spoke, its voice barely more than a rasp.

"I am Aura... a demon," it said, the words slow and deliberate, as if each one took immense effort. "Swear your loyalty to me, and I will grant you wealth and power beyond your wildest dreams."

But Sasha didn't want anything, nor did she know what a demon was. Even if she wanted something, Sasha felt that a monster lying on the ground unable to move would not be able to help her at all.

The monster said that it was very powerful and could help Sasha get whatever she wanted. But Sasha asked why it was so powerful but could not move.

The monster started muttering something like "The holy sword will burn the any demon mana", "I didn't expect the holy sword to be here", "Why did the holy sword's force field suddenly expand", "I can only hide in the cave, otherwise I will be burned to death", etc., things that Sasha couldn't understand.

The last time they met, time was tight. The masters had just returned from looting outside the village and wanted all the slaves to go back to work, even Sasha, who was only seven or eight years old, was no exception.

Sasha waited until the relentless snowstorm began to calm before she dared to venture back to the mountain stronghold. The icy wind still cut through the air, but it was less vicious now, allowing her to brave the elements once more.

She promised the monster that she'd come back next time.

Three agonizing days had passed before Sasha found another brief respite from the cruel demands of the masters. As soon as she could, she slipped away from the stronghold, her heart pounding with both fear and anticipation.

Would Aura still be alive? Would the demon have succumbed to its wounds or the bitter cold?

Sasha pushed through the snow, her small body fighting against the drifts that threatened to swallow her whole. The journey felt longer this time, her anxiety making every step heavier. She didn't know what she would find when she reached the cave, but she had to know. She had to be sure.

When she finally arrived, the entrance to the cave was just as she had left it, hidden behind a curtain of ivy and snow.

She hesitated for a moment, her breath catching in her throat as she reached out to push aside the ivy. The cave was dark, the air within cold and still, but there was a faint sense of warmth that Sasha hadn't noticed before.

She crept inside, her heart pounding in her chest. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she saw it—the demon, Aura, was still there, lying in the same spot as before.

But something was different.

Aura's body was still motionless, but her eyes—those bright, purple eyes—were open, gleaming with an intensity that hadn't been there before. They glowed softly in the darkness, almost like embers, and when Sasha met that gaze, she felt a strange mixture of relief and unease.

Aura was alive, but more than that, she seemed to be recovering, however slowly. The once-lifeless eyes now held a spark of determination, a sign that the demon's strength was gradually returning. Sasha couldn't help but feel a flicker of hope.

Sasha remembered Aura's mention of the "holy sword," and she wondered if this was why the demon seemed stronger now. Perhaps the power of the holy sword, whatever it was, had begun to weaken, allowing Aura to regain some of her strength.

————

Aura's ears twitched as she heard the faint rustling outside the cave, a telltale sign that someone was approaching. She opened her eyes slowly, blinking against the dim light filtering through the cave's entrance.

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, she could feel the flow of mana within her body again. It was a faint, sluggish current, but it was there—no longer completely immobilized by the holy sword's force field.

Just days ago, her situation had been dire.

The holy sword's full force had rendered her powerless, every drop of mana in her body solidified, turning her limbs into useless, heavy weights. She couldn't even lift a finger to defend herself, let alone escape.

The memory of that white flash, the blinding light that had signaled the activation of the holy field, still haunted her. She had been so close to death, saved only by the quick reflexes that allowed her to hide her mana and take shelter in this cave.

"Why am I so unlucky?"

After her encounter with Serie, who had spared her life for reasons she still didn't fully understand, Aura had dragged her broken body through the wilderness.

She hunted wild beasts with the last of her strength, tearing into their flesh to replenish the nutrients her body desperately needed to recover.

The bodies of demons are extremely strong and are not susceptible to diseases or injuries. As long as wounds are treated properly and given enough time, a demon's body can fully regenerate, leaving no hidden injuries, unlike humans who, if they don't use medicine or healing magic, will suffer permanent damage even after recovery.

Perhaps because of this, demons haven't delved deeply into self-healing magic, and Aura herself didn't know any spells to accelerate her body's recovery.

She had relied solely on her physical resilience.

After a long journey of running and eating, when her body was nearly healed, she suddenly found herself in a place she didn't recognize, only recalling a flash of white light. It was as if she had triggered some kind of magic alarm.

A holy field instantly covered a few miles around her. All the monsters within this range were burned to ashes. Only Aura, who reacted quickly enough to hide her mana and take refuge in a cave, survived by using the thick rock walls to block the holy field's radiation.

But the holy field hadn't just suppressed her mana; it had locked her body in place, as if chains had been wrapped around her very soul.

At first, she could still move within the cave, albeit with great difficulty.

She had devoured the remains of the cave's original occupant—a massive bear—eating every scrap of flesh and gnawing on the bones to keep herself alive. But as the days wore on, the power of the holy sword intensified, rising like an unstoppable tide, until she could do nothing but sit there, helpless, waiting for death to claim her.

Dehydration had set in, her throat dry and cracked, her voice nothing more than a hoarse whisper.

Just when she had resigned herself to her fate, a human girl had appeared, bringing her water and, more importantly, hope.

That simple act of kindness had reignited the flicker of life within her.

Though still starving, Aura at least had hope of survival.

Of course, it would be even better if there was food.

Aura's eyes gleamed with hunger as she watched the human girl cautiously poke her head into the cave, hesitantly approaching her. The hunger was almost tangible in her gaze.

The holy sword's curse had weakened, and now, free from Frieren's command, Aura could finally eat humans again!

Today, this unfortunate human brat would be Aura's first meal!

The girl inched closer, her bare feet silent against the cold stone. Her bony fingers gripped a stick, which she extended to prod at Aura's face.

"Can't you move?" she asked, her voice soft but curious, as if speaking to an injured animal.

Aura remained silent, glaring at her with predatory eyes.

"Hello?" The girl leaned in, peering closer. "Are you even alive?"

"I can eat you anytime," Aura rasped, her voice a low growl that was meant to terrify. But her tone lacked its usual menace, betrayed by her exhaustion.

"Really~~?" The girl's response was maddeningly playful, her voice lilting with teasing disbelief. She waved the stick in front of Aura's face, her grin widening.

"Stop pulling my horns," Aura snapped as the stick veered dangerously close, poking at the jagged protrusions atop her head. "It hurts!"

"Oh, sorry." Sasha apologized, but there was no real remorse in her voice. She was too fascinated by the demon's unusual appearance to stop.

"And don't pull my hair either, you rude little brat." Aura snarled weakly as the girl's fingers found her violet locks. "Haven't you ever seen purple hair before?"

"No, I haven't. But it's really beautiful," the girl said brightly, twisting a strand between her fingers.

"Don't poke my belly either!" Aura barked when the stick jabbed at her stomach. "It hurts."

"Oh, I heard it growling," the girl said, tilting her head like a curious bird. "It sounds empty inside."

Aura's expression darkened into something between shame and fury. "...Have you no manners?"

"Have you not eaten anything in a long time?" the girl asked, her teasing tone softening as she crouched closer, her eyes studying Aura's skeletal frame.

"I'm very hungry," Aura admitted, her voice raw with longing.

The girl fell silent, her face twisting into a frown as she patted her sides, her hands skimming over her thin, patched clothing. She found nothing. Her bony limbs and sunken stomach told the story well enough—she had little to give. 'I don't even have enough for myself.'

Sasha was just a slave, after all. Her masters ate the good food, the meat and vegetables, while Sasha and the other slaves were left with the scraps—the rotten vegetables, the coarse black bread. Even on a good day, there was never enough to fill her belly, let alone spare something for a starving demon.

Aura watched Sasha's futile search, her frustration mounting. How could this pitiful human child help her when she could barely feed herself? 

"Put your hand in my mouth, quickly." Aura commanded, her voice dropping to a low, insistent tone. She opened her mouth wide, revealing two pairs cute little tiger teeth "I've opened my mouth as wide as possible. I can definitely fit one of your hands in there. Don't worry, it's only for a moment. It won't hurt at all!" Aura's eyes glinted with hunger as she issued the demand, the ferocity of her nature coming to the forefront.

"No~~"

Naturally, Sasha refused. She sang, drawing out the word with a teasing lilt. She pulled her hands back, cradling them protectively against her chest.

Then, she curiously circled around Aura and finally stopped by Aura's head. Ignoring Aura's grumbling, Sasha rubbed her own growling stomach and placed her small hands on the only intact horn on Aura's head.

"What are you doing now?" Aura snapped, her tone sharp and suspicious as Sasha's tiny hands hovered above her horn. "Don't touch that! I'm warning you! I can eat you at any time—don't do anything rash! Absolutely don't—"

"Hmm," Sasha murmured, ignoring Aura's protests as her fingers wrapped around the horn. She gave it an experimental tug, then rubbed the surface with fascination. "It's smoother than I thought… but kind of hard. Almost like a rock."

"Stop that!" Aura growled, her voice laced with panic and indignation. "What are you trying to—aaah! What are you doing?!"

Sasha lowered her head and lightly bit the tip of the horn, her blunt teeth scraping against its surface. "Sorry, Aura," she said between playful nibbles. "I don't have any food, and I'm hungry too. But… it doesn't seem like your horn is edible."

Aura froze, her eye twitching as a thin trail of drool began to drip from the horn onto her forehead. "The drool you left on my horn… it's sliding down my face," she said through clenched teeth.

Sasha straightened, quickly wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "Oops! Sorry."

"What's the point of just saying sorry!!" Aura fumed. Fortunately, Sasha's teeth were incomplete, likely due to eating coarse grains mixed with grit every day. Otherwise, Aura's one remaining intact horn would have had bite marks. She threatened:

Aura narrowed her eyes, her tone skeptical. "If you're going to apologize, then you'd better bring me food next time. Otherwise—"

"Otherwise you'll eat me, right?" Sasha interrupted, smirking. "You keep saying that, but I don't think you'd actually do it. You'd miss me too much."

'The nerve of this child,' Aura thought, incredulous. 'She thinks she's invincible. One day, she'll see just how wrong she is.'

"I'm serious," Aura said, her voice dropping to a low growl. "Next time, I'll definitely eat you, brat."

Sasha's grin widened, and she shrugged. "Sure you will, Aura. I'll make sure to bring something yummy so you won't have to."

As Sasha turned to leave, Aura watched her small frame disappear into the shadows. 'This human… what a strange creature,' Aura mused, unable to suppress the flicker of annoyance—and begrudging admiration—that Sasha's defiance stirred in her.

"Goodbye, Aura," Sasha called over her shoulder, her voice echoing faintly in the cave.

Aura glared at the empty space where Sasha had been, her pride bruised and her hunger unfulfilled. "Next time," she muttered under her breath, "I'll really eat her."

But somewhere deep down, even Aura wasn't sure if that was true.

————

Two days later, Sasha returned to the cave.

Aura's senses had grown sharper as the oppressive power of the holy sword weakened. She could now wiggle her fingers slightly, though every movement sent a sharp ache through her body. Her breathing had grown shallower, her heartbeat slower. Even with the unparalleled vitality of a demon, Aura knew she wouldn't last another month without sustenance.

She hated to admit it, but her survival now depended entirely on this insolent little human brat.

'Once I can move again,' Aura thought grimly, 'she'll be my first meal.'

The thought was interrupted by the soft sound of footsteps echoing against the stone walls. Aura's eyes flicked toward the entrance as Sasha stepped into view, her tiny figure illuminated faintly by the daylight behind her.

Aura's gaze narrowed as she noticed the fresh bruise on Sasha's cheek, the corner of her mouth swollen and blackened. 'She's been hit,' Aura realized. 'A slap… from a hand far larger than her own.'

Sasha approached Aura without hesitation, her hands clutching something behind her back. "Are you a monster?" she asked casually, as if the question were no more unusual than asking about the weather.

"I am a monster," Aura replied bluntly, her voice hoarse but carrying an edge of pride.

Sasha grinned, seemingly unbothered by the answer. "Do you want to eat something? Slurp, slurp, slurp~" She mimicked the sound of chewing and tilted her head, her teasing tone completely at odds with the weight of Aura's predicament.

Aura's eyes twitched. "I won't accept charity from a human!" she barked, her voice rough but defiant.

Despite her weakened state, Aura still held onto her pride. She was one of the Seven Sages of Destruction, a title that carried power, dignity, and authority among demonkind. The thought of being fed by this grinning child, with her mocking little game, felt like an insult to her very existence.

Yet Sasha didn't flinch. She crouched down in front of Aura, pulling out a rough piece of bread from behind her back. She held it up with both hands, as though presenting a royal treasure. "Do you want to eat or not?"

Aura's stomach betrayed her with a deafening growl.

"From today on, you're a little monster too—" Aura admitted reluctantly.

Ah, Aura found Sasha very likable. From this moment on, Aura would consider Sasha an honorary member of the demon race.

Being fed by an honorary demon didn't count as an insult.

"Then can we be friends?" Sasha, overjoyed to be called a little monster, grinned, revealing her buck teeth. She held out the food expectantly, gazing at Aura with anticipation.

"No..." Aura originally wanted to refuse. As a noble demon, how could she befriend a human?

"Gurgle gurgle..." But her stomach rumbled so loudly that her refusal was drowned out.

Aura looked at Sasha's expectant eyes, and finally couldn't bear the good nature in her heart that kept urging her to do so, and finally nodded in agreement.

"If you give me the bread, we can be friends."

"Great!!" Sasha was overjoyed. She held the bread in both hands and put it to Aura's mouth. Aura devoured it in a swift motion, not caring even that her nails were bitten off.

"Since... since... we're friends now," Sasha hesitated, watching Aura eat with wild abandon. After Aura finished eating, Sasha timidly asked, "Can we play the stone-stacking game?"

"Sure, as long as you bring me more food."

"No problem!!"

In the dark and damp cave, a human girl with bleeding fingers on both hands and a purple-haired demon signed the initial contract with a pile of stones.

This is where it all begins.

No one could have imagined that Sasha's innocent promise would drag all the slave owners in the mountain village into the abyss.