Tilea's Worries

Mana flowed into the red magic stone embedded in my youngest brother’s hand. The stone absorbed about three megabands of mana per second. 

Fascinating.

It resembles the characteristics of the demon world’s magic sapphire, though it didn’t possess this level of absorption ability.

The red, glowing stone—it's somewhat aesthetically pleasing. Perhaps it could be added to the lower tier of the Evil God Army’s treasury.

As the red magic stone absorbed my mana, it shone even more brightly. The more mana it took in, the more it seemed to glow. If it absorbs close to thirty thousand mana, it’ll likely reach its maximum radiance.

I want to see that.

No, that’s not possible; the weak caster would break before it gets there.

I looked at my youngest brother.

He was grinning stupidly as he greedily absorbed my mana.

“Haaaahhh, it feels so goooood! This moment is unbelievable. I can feel the power, the power overflowing!”

Drool dripped from his mouth as he indulged in the pleasure.

I see. So he’s turning the mana stored in the magic stone directly into his own power. However, the conductivity doesn’t seem very good. He’s losing a significant amount of mana. The red magic stone’s properties aren’t being fully utilized due to the caster’s lack of skill.

“Gyahahaha, little brother, don’t kill her. Stop just short of draining her dry. Kukku, she’s an excellent catch. We’ll torture her thoroughly,” said my older brother, laughing triumphantly as he snapped a nearby branch from a tree.

He began carefully shaping the wood into a stake. It seemed he was crafting a torture device—a stake to impale me on, perhaps.

“Kukku, silver-haired little girl, I’m going to drive this stake through you. It’s going to be a fun, fun torture session,” he said with a twisted grin.

“B-Big Brother…” my youngest brother stammered.

“What is it?” 

“S-Something’s wrong. I, I…”

“Younger brother, what’s wrong? Hmm!? Now that you mention it, the mana absorption is slower than usual. Are you playing with her?”

“N-No! I’m doing it right. But, but…”

“Hey, get a grip. Enough playing around. Drain her dry already!”

“N-No, I can’t. It’s impossible. I, I…”

The voice that had been full of joy just moments before now turned into one of pleading. His limbs trembled, and his entire body convulsed.

“You! What did you do to my younger brother!?” my older brother shouted in panic, noticing the unusual state of our youngest sibling.

“Be silent. I’ll deal with you later,” I said, ignoring my older brother’s roar as I continued to observe the red magic stone’s properties.

This was an unknown magic stone to me. It had been a long time since something piqued my interest. I would investigate it thoroughly.

The red magic stone continued to absorb mana and glow brightly.

On the other hand, my youngest brother, the caster, was sweating profusely and convulsing.

Well, that’s only natural.

Even if he could draw mana from the red magic stone, his capacity wasn’t limitless. His vessel had limits. At best, he could handle around ten thousand mana. I had already poured in nearly double that amount.

“Hah, hah, I can’t… anymore…”

“Come now, don’t hold back. You won’t let go, will you?” I said, forcibly grabbing my youngest brother’s hand as he tried to pull away. I resumed the mana absorption by force.

“W-Wait! Enough, it’s enough already.”

“Don’t be shy. Take it.”

I pushed more mana into the red magic stone.

My youngest brother’s body began to swell before my eyes.

His capacity had been far exceeded, and the overflowing mana was likely rampaging inside his body, trying to break through his skin.

Hmm, this red magic stone is proving to be an excellent experiment. I’ll get to witness what happens when a caster surpasses their limits and absorbs too much mana.

“Ughhh! Stop, stop it! Let go of me!” My youngest brother screamed as blood streamed from his eyes. He flailed his limbs, teetering on the edge of madness.

Now, how long can he endure?

Hmm? Is there a strain on the red magic stone?

The magic stone was connected to my youngest brother. The turbulent mana was reversing its flow into the stone, threatening to destroy it from within.

Continuing any further would be pointless. Both the caster and the magic stone would be damaged. It would be a waste to break such a high-grade magical tool.

With that conclusion, I let go of my youngest brother’s arm.

However, I did so by literally severing both of his wrists.

“Gyaaaaah! M-My hands, my hands!”

“Quiet down. You were begging so much, so I let go, didn’t I?”

“N-No, that’s not… what I meant…”

“Kukku, what? That wasn’t it? It seems I misunderstood.”

“Ugh, my hands… how could you!”

“Oh, if you care so much about them, here, take them back,” I said, removing the red magic stone from his severed hands and tossing the hands onto the ground.

My youngest brother stared at his discarded hands in disbelief, his body trembling violently.

“Well, go on, pick them up. I only need the red magic stone. I have no use for your filthy hands.”

“Y-Y-You…”

“What’s wrong? Too filthy for you to pick up? Oh, right, you can’t pick them up with those hands, can you?” I said with a smirk, watching him, handless, struggle.

“I’m furious!” he roared, summoning a magic circle in front of him.

He was preparing to fire some sort of magic projectile.

“I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you! I’ll make you—Guberaaa!”

Before he could finish, I threw the wooden stake into his stomach, impaling him.

“Aguguuugh!”

“Kukku, I could have waited for you to finish casting, but your magic looked pretty pathetic. I don’t want to waste time.”

My youngest brother writhed in agony, spitting blood. The stake was the one my older brother had crafted earlier. I had snatched it from him in an instant and hurled it at my youngest brother. My older brother’s sadism had ensured that the stake wasn’t sharpened, meaning my youngest brother would suffer for a long time.

My older brother stood there, staring at me in shock.

“W-Who the hell are you?”

“Why ask now? Didn’t you investigate me?”

“…Silver hair, red eyes, a girl from Belga Village. This year, she enrolled in the intermediate division of the magic academy. Her mana is low, but her physical abilities exceed that of an average student. She’s skilled in ancient martial arts…”

“I see. Is that all?”

“Despite being a student, she has defeated several assassins from the underworld. She’s considered to have enough combat ability equivalent to a B-rank adventurer.”

“Is that so? Then I suppose that’s correct.”

“No way! My brothers and I can each take down a B-rank adventurer alone with ease. Together, we could handle even an A-rank! And yet you’re easily overwhelming us… Who are you? Your mana is weak, but your strength is absurd!”

“Is it really that strange?”

“Yes, it’s ridiculous. What in the world are you?”

“How do I appear to you?”

“…I don’t know. A nightmare. You should be weak, and yet… every cell in my body is terrified of you.”

“Then, let’s reveal the answer. I am your superior, the one who will crush you. Insect, prepare to die.”

“What!?”

“What’s the matter? Surprised? It seems you were acting all high and mighty, trampling on smaller bugs, but it never occurred to you that you might be the ones getting trampled.”

I cracked my knuckles and rotated my shoulders.

“Well, this conversation is over. I’ve had my fun. Now, it’s time to kill you.”

These guys weren’t affiliated with the academy. They weren’t covered by my sister’s order not to kill. I could dispose of them without holding back.

“W-Wait! If you kill me, you won’t be able to leave this place!” my older brother blurted out in a panic.

“Oh?”

“This barrier was woven by us brothers. No one else knows how to dispel it.”

“Hmm, is that all you have to say?”

I stepped closer to my older brother, Red.

"W-Wait! If you kill me, the barrier won't be dispelled!" he stammered.

"Well, that makes sense," I replied, continuing to approach him without the slightest concern for his words.

"Do you really want to be trapped here?" he pleaded, desperation in his voice.

"Hmm... The central axis is Z4567923, and the right side is WSE394. I see, you used the right side as a key to unfold the teleportation barrier," I muttered, analyzing the situation.

"W-What!? How do you know that!?" Red gasped in disbelief.

"I advised you to use concealment magic, didn't I? Without security measures, your magic is laid bare. I had it nearly deciphered the moment we teleported."

Pathetic. I raised my hand towards Red, my expression cold.

"W-Wait! I was wrong! I surrender!" Red fell to the ground, pressing his head into the dirt in a pathetic display of submission.

How predictable and dull.

"What do you think you’re doing now? Do you really believe such a pitiful act will stop me?"

"I-I'll give you money!"

"Money? How boring."

"P-Please, just wait! I’m a renowned assassin! I've earned billions over the years. I’ll give it all to you!" he begged.

"How many times must I say it? Boring."

"W-Wait! I understand! I’ll become your slave for life! I’ll dedicate everything to you, just spare me!"

"A slave, you say… But did you forget I already deemed you unworthy? You're far too unsightly," I reminded him.

"N-No… Please, I’ll stay far away from you if my appearance is displeasing. I’ll do any dirty work, groveling in the mud if necessary. Just, please!"

"Kukku, so the ugly one finally understands his place and is willing to serve me. You've started thinking properly, it seems."

I lowered the hand I had raised and stroked my chin in thought for a few seconds before delivering my verdict.

"No, it’s still no good."

"Why!? I’m serious about becoming your slave!"

"I’m a student of the magic academy. According to the school’s rules, criminals must be captured or killed. You're an assassin and a wanted criminal, aren't you? As an exemplary student, I must kill you."

"W-What are you talking about now? You're no ordinary student! You’re born wicked, just like me!" Red protested.

"Hmm..."

"Please, I'm begging you. Let me go," Red continued, his head pressed into the dirt as he desperately tried to survive. He kept bowing his head, ignoring the rubble and trash scattered around as his face scraped against the ground.

I glanced at the pocket watch I kept tucked away. It was well past school dismissal time.

Student time is over...

"Very well. I’ll let you go."

"Really!?"

"Yes. Camilla the student will end here. I won’t capture or kill you. From this point on, I’ll act as Camilla the Demon."

"D-Demon!?"

With a sharp breath, I unleashed my suppressed mana. Of course, I didn’t release it at full power; it might shock him to death. I let out about half of it.

"What… incredible mana..." Red's eyes widened in terror. His legs trembled uncontrollably, and he collapsed to the ground.

"Hah, hah, hah, this overwhelming killing intent... Are you a real demon?"

"Do I look fake?"

"No… haha, you’re the real deal. A genuine demon! Kukku, ahahahaha!" Red laughed maniacally, as if he had lost his mind.

"Now, as for your fate..."

"Camilla-sama, I can be useful to you! I’ll do any dirty work you need. If you require sacrifices, I’ll bring them by the dozens. I won’t spare women, children, or even infants. Heh, heh, when I think about it, being a demon's lackey suits me perfectly."

Red grinned wickedly, as if he had received a pardon from the king of hell himself. He knelt on one knee, as if swearing allegiance to me.

Hmm... He's not much to look at, and as a fighter, he's disappointing. But it might be useful to have more pawns for the Evil God Army's conquest. Even if he’s just a disposable pawn, he has some value. Though it’s true that even as a pawn, he needs a minimum level of competence.

"Very well. I’ll spare your life."

"Really!? Then I can finally join the Demon King’s army?"

"Don't get ahead of yourself. That’s only if you pass my test. Normally, I’d execute you on the spot. But you did entertain me a bit, so I’ll give you a chance as a reward."

"Yes! Yes! So, what’s this test?"

"It’s a practical test," I said, beginning to chant the spell for necromancy.

A cylindrical symbol of necromancy glowed, and a magic circle appeared. After a moment, the corpses impaled by the stakes began to twitch and move.

"W-What is this!?" Red gasped.

"These are undead. Haven't you seen them before?"

"I-I have! They’re created with necromancy, right?"

"Good, you know at least that much. If you were too ignorant, I would’ve had to kill you on the spot," I replied.

For several minutes, my secret art spread through the area, and dozens, then hundreds of undead began to rise and crawl out of the ground.

"Um, what exactly is this test...?"

"If I’m to make you a pawn, your unsightly appearance makes you worthless as a servant. So, I’ll have to assess your strength."

"W-What does that mean?"

"It means you must prove your worth in battle. Defeat them!"

"B-But… there are so many of them!"

"Indeed, there are only this many. It should be easy, no?"

"Ugh… There are over five hundred of them!"

"Consider yourself lucky. Today, I’m in a generous mood. I’ll make you a slave of the Evil God Army with just this simple test."

"I-It’s impossible! The undead don’t die even if you inflict fatal wounds! You have to tear them apart completely. And there are five hundred of them!?"

"You complain too much. Should I cancel the test? If so, I’ll end your life right now."

"N-No! I’ll do it! Please let me try!" Red picked up the spear that his younger brother had used and readied himself.

It seemed he had finally steeled his resolve.

"Now, fight. If you defeat them, I’ll accept you."

"Ughhh, arrrrghhh!" Red charged at the horde of undead, desperately thrusting his spear at them.

One by one, two by two, he blew off their heads, tore apart their organs, and dismembered their limbs with relentless spear strikes.

…

"Hah, hah, hah, there are too many!" Red panted.

"Come on, keep going. Why are you so out of breath? You’ve only taken down a few dozen. There are plenty more where those came from," I taunted.

A few dozen undead had been reduced to pieces, but hundreds more were still writhing about. Among them were fully skeletal warriors.

"Hah, hah, hah, I’ll kill them all!" Red screamed, frantically attacking the undead.

"Oh, you still have some energy. Just be careful. The more resentment an undead had in life, the stronger they become. If you let your guard down, you’ll be caught off guard."

"What!? No, stop—stop it!"

One of the undead, its body 90% destroyed by Red, had latched onto him with sheer determination, biting into him. Taking advantage of that brief moment of distraction, more undead swarmed Red, sinking their teeth into his hands, feet, and organs.

He must have earned their deep hatred in life. The undead wouldn’t let go of him.

And then…

Red’s screams, which had been echoing through the area, finally stopped.

It seemed Red had met his end. His flesh was torn apart by the undead, scattering pieces of him everywhere.

"How disappointing. If you had passed, I might have made you a gatekeeper in the frontier…"

Silence returned to the area.

Once the undead had finished devouring Red, they collapsed to the ground, no longer moving.

Their activity time was only about thirty minutes, it seemed.

It’s still not a technique suitable for practical use. Well, necromancy isn’t my specialty. It’s more fitting as an experimental tool.

And now…

"Hmph!" I moved my fingers, and a crater appeared.

With a blast of magic, I blew away the ground along with all the corpses, garbage, and debris that had accumulated in the area.

Hmm, much cleaner.

The earth where Onee-sama resides must always be kept clean.