“Bu—”
“May I? I’d like to talk.” Fremy interrupted the exchange.
“Don’t worry. I’ll find the seventh. You just relax and wait for it. I’m the strongest man in the world,” Adlet assured her, smiling.
“I’m apprehensive, but…all right. I did decide to trust you.” Mora acquiesced.
“Good. Just keep your mouth shut and follow me.”
The group circled Fremy and sat down. They were all on the ready for a surprise attack, weapons in their hands. For perhaps the first time in history, humans would hear about the fiends’ internal affairs. They’d been unable to even investigate for a very long time, much less actually acquire information. Fremy could turn out to be the Braves’ greatest advantage. Knowing their enemy would significantly impact the tides of the battle.
“Like I’ve said a few times now, the fiends operate under three commanders. Their names are Cargikk, Tgurneu, and Dozzu,” Fremy commenced quietly. Her manner was matter-of-fact. “About seventy percent of all fiends are lower life-forms, their intellect on par with animals’. Most of the other thirty percent have some degree of intelligence, but no complex feelings, and all they can think about is killing humans. But these three are different. They possess will, feelings, ideology, and aesthetic sense. They’re also strong enough to control all the other fiends. Every one of them aside from myself has sworn absolute allegiance to one of these three. They’re so loyal that if one of these commanders ordered it, they would not hesitate to give their own lives.”
“How strong are they?” asked Adlet.
“I can’t be certain. But don’t think you would have a chance against any of them one-on-one.” The prospect of three enemies they could never defeat alone. The Six Braves now had a good idea of just how disadvantaged they were. “But if we can defeat these three, we’ve basically won. There are no others capable of leading the fiends. Without their command structure, they would turn into a disorderly mob. We could pick them off one by one until they’re gone, or we could just ignore them all and head for the Weeping Hearth. Whatever we want.”
“I see.”
“But the most important part is this—the three of them do not cooperate. In fact, I’d even go so far as to say that they’re intensely antagonistic toward one another.” This information about fiend affairs was startling. Before Adlet could make any sound of acknowledgment, Fremy continued. “Supposedly, the most powerful one is Cargikk. He looks like a lion and manipulates poison flames—he can easily roast a human, and the smoke from his flames contains a powerful toxin. He’s an opponent to be feared.”
“Who’s stronger, Chamo or Cargikk?” probed Chamo.
“I don’t know. I don’t stand a chance with either of you,” replied Fremy. “Cargikk commands about sixty percent of all fiends. The majority are concentrated around the Weeping Hearth, where the Evil God sleeps, in position for a counterattack. I doubt Cargikk will move from that position. I think he plans to focus on defense.”
“That’s the type that’ll give us the most trouble,” observed Adlet. It was a simple tactic, but the most effective. Since the Braves of the Six Flowers were vastly outnumbered, they’d want to scatter the blockade somehow.
“Next…Tgurneu. It’s a little difficult to talk about him.” Fremy, who had been speaking dispassionately thus far, suddenly faltered. The mention of the name sent Adlet’s heart pounding. “Up until six months ago, Tgurneu was the most important thing in the world to me.”
“And now?” asked Mora.
“…The thing I hate most. Let me continue. Tgurneu commands around forty percent of the fiends. He’s the one responsible for my creation and the one who ordered me to kill potential Braves.” There was something that bothered Adlet, but he kept silent and let Fremy speak. “Tgurneu is a mixed-type fiend. He gained his powers through fusing with numerous different fiends. His combat style is simple—he crushes his enemies with overwhelming physical strength, speed, and resilience. It’s safe to assume there is nothing he can’t smash with his fists. But what’s even more terrifying about him is his ingenuity.”
“What do you mean?” pressed Adlet.
“My existence was just a tiny part of his plan. Frankly speaking, I can’t even guess at the full scope of his machinations. I’m positive Tgurneu was the one who sent both Nashetania and our current seventh Brave.”
“So the princess of a nation fell into the clutches of the fiends… I still cannot believe it,” Mora murmured.
“It’s absolutely probable,” said Fremy. “Tgurneu had influence in the human world all the way back when I was born. The fiends who gather intelligence and do his bidding have skills related to shape-shifting, espionage, and hypnosis. I don’t know just how far his reach into the human world extends, but he did easily determine things he could not have known unless he had penetrated to the center of a nation.”
“…”
“Tgurneu was the one who made and raised me. On his orders, I gained my powers and killed Brave candidates. I respected him deeply, but at the same time, I also feared him. He seemed warm, but at times, cold. I could never see deeply into him, never understand him.” Then Fremy seemed to realize the phrasing she’d been using. “No…I could never understand it,” she quickly corrected herself.
“Goodness,” Tgurneu muttered from a certain location as Fremy explained. “So that was what you thought of me, Fremy? You can’t understand me? That’s rather a sad way to put it. Even after I spoiled you rotten.” The fiend chuckled.
The half-fiend continued. “Cargikk and Tgurneu are hostile toward each other. And just as their masters are divided, those under their command are also split. When Tgurneu’s underlings and Cargikk’s run into one another, they don’t talk. Their rivalry is so intense that even lower-tier fiends incapable of speech of different factions will bare their fangs at one another
