My next life as the Winter Fox? I just want a carefree life

~Sasha's POV~

"Amazing. As expected of Shishou. She is giving the Demon Lord a run for his money." (Sasha)

"Nee, but I wonder, is she toying with him?" (Stella)

I could not understand my sister's remark.

"She should have already dealt with him. Although I can't see, I can feel. It's like… her senses are dull…" (Stella)

I took a closer look. My sis was right. Her movements are sluggish. It's like she has some shackles on her ankles holding her back.

"AAAAAAAA!!"

"What was that?" (Stella)

"Eh!? Elves. They're starting to scream and holding their heads." (Sasha)

"Make the nightmare stoop!"

"Nooo. Don't come any closer!!"

"Save me… save me…"

I don't understand. Why are they suddenly breaking up like that? Nobody even touched them. So what's causing them to react like that?

"Sis, I sense… an evil aura spreading from the Demon King." (Stella)

I tried looking closer and at the moment.

*Cough**cough*

"Sis?" (Stella)

I collapsed on my knees.

"This… this isn't right. My body is… shaking. Just looking at him… it makes me feel like I am falling in an endless dark pit.

No. I don't… want that." (Sasha)

"Sis, close your eyes and try to calm down. Even I am feeling some sort of strange effect on my body. Like a voice is painting a horror picture inside my head." (Stella)

Wait. Could it be some sort of ability? He's the Demon King of Mind. Has he actually found a way to mess with our heads even though we didn't even touch him?

"Sis, we need to step back. If we get caught up even more in that it's going to be dangerous." (Stella)

"You're right… we have to believe in Shishou. Ugh… my legs… it's like they're not listening to me. But… let's go." (Sasha)

------

10 strikes

20 strikes

If our blades cross the earth shakes and if the blow is deflected the leaves from the trees are blown away from the force.

We stood in the center of a typhoon of force where everything around us was mown down by our sword pressure. It's like a natural disaster. 

Even though I’m gradually raising my power, this bastard is matching me so I have to up it a level after each strike. However even if just for a brief moment I was pushed back and forced to take some distance.

"Darling, are you alright?" 

"Yeah… but this bastard… something doesn't feel right."

"Darling… your hands are trembling."

"!!"

I looked at my own hands. Yuki was right. They weren't steady. They were slightly trembling. What the hell is going on? Is it because I got grazed earlier? Was I poisoned? That would explain why I feel so much tension in my body.

"Hahahaha. It seems you finally noticed. Let me assure you, what you're feeling now isn't because of poison. I bear the title Demon King of Mind for a reason. Haven't you noticed all the screaming elves around us?"

I looked around. They were all in pain and holding their heads. I tried peering with the mystic eyes I obtained by devouring the angel guardian a while back. They were all surrounded by a black miasma. A miasma that was gushing out from Ygalima. And I was also surrounded by it.

"The mind is indeed the strongest weapon a person can have. Doesn't it make sense that if you tamper with it, anyone can be defeated? Although I must admit, yours is a bit harder to crack."

Even Sasha and Stella look in pain. They're trying to move further away. This bastard…

"Are you scared? Allow me to enlighten you. What you and everyone else are feeling right now… the thing that's crawling up on your spine is… despair.

The easiest way to break someone's mind is to fill it with despair. I can twist your most cherished memories and turn them into nightmares. A darkness which you can't escape. Despair is the greatest of fear. After all, even your body is not responding the way it should. Am I right?"

So that's his secret? It's true. Science has proven that fear can temporarily stop the body from reacting properly. That's why the saying "frozen in fear" was invented. 

While having those thoughts he launched another attack of black thorns. I leaped and managed to dodge everything.

"Kuku. You're getting slower. That's just how despair acts. Can you feel your limbs heavy?"

He once again leaped and was sure he would slice me.

"Is that… really all there is? It's just a party trick."

I blocked the swing and this time I don't even flinch.

"Huh?"

"Now that I know the trick, it won't work on me anymore."

To be honest for a second I thought this guy was able to read minds given his title. That would have been more dangerous. But if that's his true secret, I can counter it.

"Are you stupid? It is true that fear can be dealt with. If you remove the cause, you remove the fear. But, this is despair. It's a chemical reaction in your brain.

Despair is closely connected to death. All living creatures avoid death. That's why, when engulfed with despair, it's not something you can just brush off. Everyone tries to grow stronger so they wouldn't despair, but when faced with despair all their power fades away.

Don't you get it? As long as you are a living being, despair will eventually reach you no matter how much willpower you have!!"

"Are you done?"

I squeezed Yuki tighter and unleashed the power of the nether flames. Blue flames that don't burn, but freeze everything into snowy ash. The flames pushed his sword back. I was overpowering him. Maybe due to instinct he broke contact and jumped backwards.

He probably sensed that the flames were bad news.

"You don't get it, do you? Allow me to enlighten you. Yes, as you said fear, or in this case, despair, is a chemical reaction. It all comes down to the flow of blood and molecules. So doesn't that just mean I have to stop them?"

"What nonsense are you saying?"

"Do I need to spell it for you? I didn't want to push myself this far because I can't control this power so well. And the Queen might scold me regarding the damages I will do to the forest. But at this point I guess it doesn't matter anymore. 

You pushed me to use this, so I have an excuse. You yourself said that all living things can't escape despair.

In that case, it's only logical that my course of action is… to stop being alive."

"What the…!?"

"I'll end this soon. Whiteness, true cold… and true despair… [Absolute Zero]!"