When they arrived near the forest, their bodies began to feel strange. First came a burning sensation on the skin, then a choking that worsened as they advanced, and finally dizziness.
If they kept going, they felt they would die.
Because of that, one of the generals shouted, "We need to go back!" He said, marching in the opposite direction.
Phobos, who didn't feel as sick as the rest of the group, opposed him. "We can't go back now! We have to head for the tree and take the remaining elves as hostages!" she shouted.
Her soldiers, disbelieving what they had heard, looked at one another.
They started to wonder whether it was even worth it.
Then the general said to Phobos, "We need to go back right now. Haven't you noticed we'll die if this continues? Can't you see?" He asked Phobos to look around, and she did. She noticed that everyone was suffering.
Their expressions were pure agony. All of them felt intense anguish and pain.
Tsk!
Phobos clicked her tongue and prepared to withdraw.
But—
"Why are you here?" Phobos heard a calm voice from above. It was the voice of a young woman. The tone was flat but very threatening. Phobos looked up, but she saw no one.
Frieren, who was flying just above, was hidden by the trees.
"Who's there?!" Phobos, who didn't recognize the voice as Frieren's, demanded, irritated. "Show yourself now!" She shouted, throwing all her bloodlust and hatred toward Frieren, who didn't feel the least bit threatened.
After a terrifying silence, the general said, "We have to leave right now. Don't you feel it?" Phobos looked at the general; he was staring at her with desperation in his eyes. His eyelids trembled, and sweat ran down his face.
"What is it? What are you feeling?"
"Death," the soldier answered, causing Phobos's body to tremble.
She looked up, and between the leaves blown by the wind she managed to see someone.
Silver hair blowing in the wind. Skin white as snow, and an extremely piercing, threatening gaze.
The large staff the woman held was pointed at them.
"Run!" she shouted.
ZUUMMM!
Following her cry, a loud sound erupted and a beam of light flew toward them.
####
POV: Frieren
I remained silent for a while, then I pointed my staff at them.
'Let's just scare them for now.' I smiled, though I don't think they noticed.
Then my staff glowed and a light formed.
'I shouldn't use too much mana,' I thought.
I used only one thousand mana points and the light grew greatly. A ray of light formed, burning everything in its path. The trees were scorched, and some of the soldiers in its way were hit as well.
When the light dispersed, I saw arms and legs cauterized on the ground.
The rest of their bodies had been reduced to nothing.
AAAAAAAAHHHH!!
MONSTER!!!!
RUN!!!!
AAAAAAAAAAAAA!
Those who managed to survive began to scream as they fled in panic. "I didn't think she had that much power." I sighed and watched as everyone fled at high speed from the forest.
Phobos was among the fugitives.
"I thought I'd hit her, but I didn't." Would she have died instantly like Ares?
I smiled and kept flying while observing them like small animals.
When they started to leave the forest and regroup, I appeared just above them.
I enhanced my hearing with magic to catch everything they said.
"There she is."
"She's following us. Goddess Phobos, we need to get out of here as fast as possible. If we run, they surely won't pursue us!" one man said. He was tall and muscular—he looked strong.
Maybe he's one of the army's generals.
"Her army is quite large." Although I had killed some of them already, there were more than two hundred people here.
Phobos looked in my direction and our eyes met.
She stiffened and turned her head.
"I don't know if she'll allow us to leave. I need to speak with her."
"Goddess!" the man shouted. "You can't. If you do that, you'll die! Don't you know who that is?!" The man knew who I was. Not just them—most of the people there knew who I was.
The terror in their eyes was entertaining.
But Phobos didn't seem to know who I was.
How was that possible?
I'm sure we've met in the past.
Besides, my appearance is known to everyone.
Phobos looked my way and I began to descend slowly.
The closer I got to her, the more terrified she became.
"She's the queen of the elves…" Phobos whispered. She looked at the man and asked, "What should I do?"
I almost laughed, but held back.
"Talk to her. We won't be able to escape anyway." The man who had suggested fleeing gave up on the idea. He was smart. If they tried to run, I'd kill them instantly.
I wanted to speak with these people. I wanted to understand what was going on inside that idiotic goddess's head.
I descended and landed a few meters from Phobos and her army.
The men stepped back and formed lines behind her, all clearly terrified of my presence. I noticed that some of them had even wet themselves.
I slammed my staff on the ground and said, "What are you doing here?!" I said calmly, directing my full murderous intent at them.
And when I did, for some reason an enormous amount of mana was sucked away.
All the men behind Phobos fell to their knees. No—some even fainted.
Phobos was no different.
Her eyes trembled and filled with tears. Then she knelt, and a puddle of urine formed beneath her.
'I didn't know a god could feel so much fear.'
####
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Next chapters: Chapter 48 - I don't like people who lie to me. / Chapter 49 – Murmurs. Isaac?