After Aesc's ruckus, Heiter finally had a moment to catch his breath and rest a little.
However, the monument of the Goddess was already within sight. After a short break, they pressed onward once more.
They had thought this final stretch would be smooth and uneventful...
Aesc was the first to sense something amiss. She suddenly pulled a longsword from her staff, her posture tense and vigilant as she stared behind them.
Immediately after, Frieren reacted. The moment Aesc took up a battle stance, her magic detection flared, and visible unease crossed her expression.
The reason was simple: whatever had entered her detection range was moving at a speed beyond belief.
Following Frieren, Eisen's body moved faster than his mind.
The aura—the sheer presence—that surged toward them was more savage than a dragon, more violent than a horde of demons. Eisen's mind froze for a moment under the weight of that terror… his body instantly flooded with fear.
Clutching tightly to that fear, remembering it, Eisen hefted his massive axe and rushed ahead of the others, meeting the oncoming punch that tore through the roaring winds.
Boom!
A sharp pain split his palms; his arms went numb.
But Eisen dared not loosen his grip, dared not relax for even a second.
His battle boots sank into the earth as an unstoppable force shoved against him.
He barely managed to block the attack, only to find that behind him was a sheer cliff—one foot already stepping out into open air.
Towering above him was the figure of a mighty demon, the crushing gap in their strength laid bare in the most brutal, undeniable way.
Eisen's trembling, muscle-corded arms were not only from the impact—but from fear itself, embedded deep in his heart.
If I were alone right now, I would've turned and run without hesitation.
But he wasn't alone.
High above, the silver moon cast its cold, sacred light down upon them.
A single flash of moonlit swordlight cut through the night.
Like the horizon cleaving land from sky, the swordlight split light and shadow alike.
Without a sound, the earth and forest were sundered, leaving a flawlessly smooth gash behind.
Half-crouched beside Eisen, Aesc's face showed not even the slightest hint of relief.
"What a beautiful strike."
The towering demon smiled approvingly, reaching to touch his waist—where a shallow cut marred his skin.
"One of you managed to block my punch, and the other struck and even wounded me in that fleeting instant... Without a doubt, you two are warriors who could dominate an era. I made the right choice coming here."
"What the hell is this guy made of?"
Aesc frowned, her voice grave. "A sword that could easily sever a dragon's neck only scratched his skin? I've never seen someone tougher than Eisen before... Or is it that in this world, to be strong, you have to make your body harder than steel?"
"Eisen! Aesc!"
Himmel reached for the longsword at his waist, ready to charge to their aid—only to have giant swords, summoned from the sky, block his path.
Frieren cried out, "Careful, everyone! There's another one lurking nearby!"
Unnoticed until now, the air above was filled with giant swords, each one radiating terrifying magical power and a chill that made their skin crawl.
"Eisen."
Still gripping her sword in one hand, Aesc kept her sharp gaze locked on the demon before her, speaking to Eisen without turning her head: "Leave this guy to me. You and Himmel, take Frieren and head for the Goddess Monument."
Eisen lifted his gaze toward Aesc, falling silent for a long moment.
"...Fine. But don't push yourself too hard."
Turning his back on Aesc and the enemy, Eisen ran toward Himmel without hesitation.
"Hm? Turning your back on me? A brave warrior wouldn't do something like that," the towering demon commented with a smile that carried no warmth.
He threw no weapon, raised no sword—only swung a bare, simple fist.
Yet that fist, forged from monstrous strength, could punch through steel and shatter stone without anyone doubting it.
Eisen had started moving first—but in a blink, the demon caught up, a devastating punch aimed at Eisen's back.
Eisen felt the killing blow hurtling toward him, his whole body trembling from the sheer force behind it.
And yet, he didn't turn to defend. He kept running toward Himmel and Frieren.
Because he trusted his comrades.
The demon was fast—but someone else was faster.
Aesc moved like a shadow, swift and sharp, reaching Eisen's side as if by teleportation.
The heavy punch meant for Eisen landed instead on Aesc's swirling cloak.
Boom!
Though it was just a cloak catching the blow, the impact was like a missile slamming into the ground.
The demon still smiled, but a flicker of confusion passed through his eyes.
"This is…?"
Something impossible had just occurred.
The lightweight, flowing cloak had, at the moment of impact, hardened beyond steel.
And in that instant, Aesc struck back.
The tip of her staff pressed against the demon's chest, its embedded ruby glowing faintly with gathered magic.
Aesc's lips parted slightly, whispering a single word.
"Repel."
A flash of red light burst forth, dispelling the surrounding darkness.
Bracing her stance, digging her heels into the earth, Aesc stabilized herself—
—but even so, the immense repulsion force flung the towering demon back over ten meters.
It didn't hurt him—not even enough to disturb his breathing, much less break his skin—but it did leave him unable to resist the distance opened between them.
"Magic, huh..."
The demon smiled down at Aesc. "So you're not a pure warrior after all."
"Sorry to disappoint," Aesc said lightly. "I've always been a mage."
Sword in one hand, staff in the other—she combined close-range combat with long-range magic seamlessly.
"To think someone with such beautiful swordsmanship is actually a mage."
"For you demons, the line between warriors and mages must be pretty blurry," Aesc said indifferently. "Magic's like breathing to your kind—it's instinct. Even a warrior should be good with magic."
"You're not wrong," the demon chuckled.
"I am Livale, a High Demon. By human standards, you'd classify me as a 'General,' I suppose? Though titles mean little to me. Tell me your name, o mage who calls herself a swordsman."
"Aesc."
She gave her name without hesitation.
"I've heard of you," Livale said suddenly. "But since you were listed as a mage, I never paid much attention. Seems that was a mistake. I prefer to fight pure warriors, like that companion of yours who just left... but with someone whose swordplay is as beautiful as yours, I'm sure this battle will be worth enjoying too."
"To think a demon without emotions would talk about enjoying battle..."
Aesc smiled thinly, keeping her eyes locked on him. "You're a strange one."
All around them, countless giant swords pierced the earth, conjured by the hidden mage lurking nearby.
Livale casually pulled out the nearest one, holding it with ease.
But from Aesc's perspective, his stance was flawless—no openings, no vulnerabilities. No matter which angle she attacked from, he could likely counter instantly.
The wind howled with killing intent.
In the next instant, Livale stomped forward, shattering the ground, while Aesc's form blurred into a streak of afterimage.
A savage dragon tearing up the land.
A beam of moonlight illuminating every river and mountain.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Himmel and the others ran desperately toward the Goddess Monument, dodging the rain of swords as they went.
Frieren wasn't too worried about Aesc. She knew Aesc would never fight a battle she wasn't confident of winning.
And yet...
Why have I been feeling this strange sense of wrongness ever since just now?
Clutching that unease, Frieren and the others brushed past a figure standing in the shadows.
Their hearts skipped a beat. Every one of them froze in shock.
When did he—?
No—that wasn't right.
He had been standing there all along—we just hadn't noticed him.
In that instant, Frieren recognized him.
Glaossam of the "Miracle."
I have to strike first! We can't let him make the first move!
Cold sweat soaked Frieren's back. She knew exactly what kind of magic Glaossam specialized in—the kind she absolutely couldn't defend against.
But—
"It's too late, Frieren. Everything's already over."
As if merely describing the inevitable future, Glaossam calmly cast his magic.
And in the next moment, everyone collapsed to the ground, helpless.
Looking down at the fallen heroes, Glaossam appeared ready to end their lives at any time—to wipe out the greatest threat to demonkind.
Yet his voice remained eerily placid, as if he had done something utterly mundane.
"My Paradise Transfer Magic... grants my targets the dreams they once deemed impossible, the dreams they gave up on."
Explaining his magic leisurely, Glaossam drew a sword from the ground, brimming with absolute confidence that none of them could escape.
"You will slumber forever within that beautiful, all-too-real illusion."
His boots softly tapped the ground as he strolled through the forest of swords, preparing to lop off Himmel's head and extract future knowledge from Frieren's mind.
But then—an unexpected scene unfolded.
Heiter, clutching his head, struggled upright.
"...Amazing. So this is the 'Goddess's Blessing.' You must be a very devout priest."
Glaossam tilted his head slightly, his face as serene as a still pond.
But so what if a priest alone wakes up?
He can't change anything.
Meanwhile, the battle between Aesc and Livale raged fiercely.
The massive swords, despite their sharpness, were fragile.
Each swing of Livale's sword had the force to rend gold and shatter stone.
Aesc ducked low beneath a slicing blow that howled past overhead, her focus absolute, her eyes gleaming bright.
In utter silence, her sword flashed out—a cold gleam, swift as a swimming dragon.
The blade whistled like a dragon's cry.
Her swordlight slashed under Livale's arm—but again, it only scored his skin.
Landing a blow, she instantly retreated, vanishing before Livale's counterattack could land. All he caught was her afterimage.
Appearing once more in the shadows, Aesc spoke, her tone utterly devoid of ease.
"I'll admit it—you're an incredibly powerful warrior. Even Aize can't compare. You might well be the strongest fighter in this world."
"But I've never let you hit me even once."
Livale continued smiling, ignoring the bleeding cuts on his body. "Your footwork is fascinating—accelerating to top speed in an instant without the usual buildup. Truly, humans are weak, yet always capable of surprising brilliance."
He saw through Okita Souji's famed 'Reduced Earth' technique... but it wasn't surprising.
Livale was a high demon who had lived for who knew how many ages, likely older than Frieren herself, and almost certainly the strongest warrior among the demons. His combat experience was unimaginable.
"Aize... You've mentioned that name several times now."
Casually tossing aside the sword that was crumbling under his strength, Livale smiled. "So that warrior who blocked my punch must be Aize, the so-called 'Strongest Human Warrior.' I'd long wanted to meet him."
But then his tone shifted.
"What a pity. Had he stayed, we could have had a truly thrilling battle. Instead, he ran off chasing after Frieren."
"You all seem pretty convinced that Frieren and the others are doomed," Aesc said lightly, glancing up at the dozens of giant swords hanging above.
"Of course," Livale replied without hesitation. "No one in this era can resist Miracle's magic."
"Paradise Transfer Magic... it certainly is a remarkable mental spell."
Aesc tilted her head slightly, as if pondering something.
"Right now, Sinmüll and Frieren are probably dreaming sweet dreams, aren't they?"
"...Why are you smiling?" Livale asked, confused.
"Hm? Am I smiling?" Aesc's lips curled slightly. "Maybe it's because... even if it's just a fragile illusion, a dream so sweet you can't help but laugh is still a dream worth cherishing. Even if it vanishes in an instant... it can still be carried into the future."
Her words were strange, inexplicable.
Livale didn't understand—and Aesc had no intention of explaining.
Instead, she relaxed her stance, lowering her sword as if giving up the fight entirely.
But to Livale, it felt exactly the opposite.
The threat she posed only grew stronger.
"The warrior's battle ends here," Aesc said softly. "Now it's time to show you... how a mage fights."