"Mental magic? No... this is more like a barrier magic..."
Frieren made a judgment at lightning speed. After all, even for Miss Edel, who specialized in mental magic, it would take some time to penetrate her mental defenses. Yet, she had been pulled into this world in an instant.
"No attacks are coming... so, is the intention to stall me and find an opportunity to restore her body?"
Frieren made another deduction, then closed her eyes, preparing to immediately analyze and destroy this barrier.
"Wait... how is this... possible?"
Frieren, having only just closed her eyes, suddenly snapped them open, staring wide in disbelief. In that brief moment of sensing, she had discovered two things.
First, she found the hiding place of Fíliya's broken remains. And second... beside that counterfeit body, she sensed a figure that was incredibly familiar.
The instant she perceived this fact, all thoughts of destroying the barrier vanished from her mind. Instead, she moved with immense speed toward the source of that presence.
Very soon, she saw that back view from her memories.
That young man, seeming to be surrounded by clumps of soft light, had the same short blue hair as in her memories, the same posture, the same teardrop mole. Even the curve of his cape as it was lifted by the wind matched her memories exactly.
And so, Frieren froze in place, somewhat at a loss for what to do.
She knew very clearly that what stood before her was not some defective product generated by the Phantom Dragon. After all, even a dull fellow like herself could feel the aura of a living person washing over her.
"Oh? Frieren? Where is this... Where are Heiter and Eisen?"
Himmel turned around and asked Frieren with a somewhat dazed expression, while simultaneously sheathing his sword.
It was only then that Frieren noticed the remaining two limbs of that Counterfeit Fíliya had also been chopped off by Himmel in passing. It had now become a bona fide carcass.
"I don't know... we probably got separated."
Frieren froze again after speaking, not even understanding herself why she had chosen to lie.
"...Is that so? I feel like you're acting a bit strange, you know? You always make that face when you lie."
Himmel leaned in a little closer, pinching his chin with one hand and squinting his eyes to observe Frieren's expression.
"...Just how well do you know me?"
Frieren felt a bit helpless.
"Hmm, just a little bit better than you know yourself, I suppose."
Himmel answered with a light chuckle, then pointed a finger at Fíliya's remains.
"What is that..."
"A kind of... monster that looks like a human. Just like a Gargoyle."
Frieren continued to weave her lies.
But Himmel immediately poked holes in them.
"Really now... don't force yourself."
As Himmel spoke, he couldn't help but shake his head. Then, seeing Frieren's stunned expression, he seemed to understand everything in an instant.
"I see. No wonder your eyes look so lonely... Is this the time after my death?"
Himmel asked tentatively.
Frieren's expression became somewhat hesitant. After pausing for several seconds, she slowly nodded her head.
"I knew it... This magic really is miraculous. It feels even more real than that time with Miracle Grausam."
Even after realizing the fact that he was a spirit, the smile on Himmel's face remained brilliant as he continued to chat with Frieren nonchalantly.
"Grausam used mental magic to produce the ultimate illusions, but this child's magic already gives the feeling of 'Forging Reality'... It's simply more exaggerated than the Seven Sages of Destruction... I didn't expect her to be hiding a hand like this."
Fíliya, you bastard. Just to what extent do you have to be a genius before you're satisfied?
Even Frieren had to express a silent word of praise in her heart toward that green fellow.
"So, what's the situation now?"
Himmel asked with a face full of excitement.
Consequently, Frieren summarized it for him as briefly as possible.
"The 'Ruins of the Royal Tomb', is it... To think there was such a fun dungeon. Sigh..."
"If only I had known earlier... Why didn't we encounter it when we were adventuring back then?"
After listening to Frieren's explanation, the first thing this Lord Hero expressed was actually a feeling of regret.
"Hmm... but it is strange. Why would that child use this magic at the very last moment?"
Himmel continued to ask curious questions.
"After all, the copy doesn't have much wisdom. It was already helpless at that time, so it probably just grasped at straws and used whatever it could, right?"
Frieren offered her own guess.
"Is that so? I actually feel that the child estimated that if she made me appear, she could cause you to reveal an opening."
Himmel flashed a narcissistic smile at Frieren.
"How is that possible... I told you the copy has no wisdom. And... I wouldn't hesitate. If the summoned you were to become my enemy, I would directly 'bury' you."
Frieren twitched her lips and simply turned her head away.
"Oh? Is that right... It's rare to have a chance to move my body, so shall we try it? We haven't sparred in a long time, have we?"
Himmel slowly shifted his steps. Since Frieren had turned her head away, he didn't mind circling around to face her.
"It has been a long time... almost 90 years. And I won't fight you; I can't beat you anyway."
This was the truth. At this distance, Frieren couldn't imagine how to fight Himmel at all... If she could pull the distance open to a thousand meters, perhaps she might have some chance of winning.
After all... Himmel's speed was simply too inhuman.
"Eh? 90 years..."
Himmel's eyes widened slightly. Although he had deduced himself that this was a point in time after his death, he hadn't expected such a long span to have passed.
"I am very happy, Frieren."
Himmel's tone sounded as if he had been greatly moved.
"Hmm?"
Frieren looked over with curiosity.
"Hmm... because even after 90 years, you still remember me."
"It's a mere 90 years... probably after another two or three hundred years, I should... I will forget you."
As Frieren spoke, her gaze drifted elsewhere.
"That is much longer than I anticipated. I am honored... You seem to have embarked on a journey again. How is it? Have your questions from before been answered?"
Himmel spoke as he slowly sat down amidst the clusters of flowers, acting carefully so as not to damage a single bloom.
"Yes, some have been answered, but even more questions have arisen."
Frieren mimicked Himmel's posture and slowly crouched down to sit.
"Is that so? Then keep on traveling... One day, you will obtain all the answers."
A lonely smile surged onto Himmel's face, and at the same time, he looked toward Frieren's finger.
"Eh? That ring I gave you... did you throw it away? Even if you don't like it, you didn't have to go that far... keeping it as a memento would be fine, you know."
Himmel probed with a somewhat aggrieved tone.
"I didn't throw it away... I just put it away. I don't have the habit of wearing jewelry."
Frieren explained quickly, then stole a glance at Himmel's profile.
"By the way, you definitely didn't know the meaning of the 'Mirror Lotus', right? Really... giving people random things without knowing the flower language... Although I only knew after hearing it from others..."
Frieren's tone was a bit unnatural, and halfway through her sentence, she was interrupted by Himmel.
"I knew."
Himmel stared straight ahead, his tone very calm.
"Eh?"
"I said I knew. When you chose the 'Mirror Lotus' back then, I even had a feeling of... 'This is the will of the heavens', so I bought it without hesitation."
The corners of Himmel's mouth raised, and his tone became incomparably firm.
"...Is that so."
Frieren murmured and lowered her head.
The atmosphere fell into silence until Himmel spoke again.
"Frieren, is the situation right now very critical?"
"I don't know, but since that fellow threw out some fierce words, I can only choose to believe her. It's actually quite nice like this right now; consider it stalling for time in a roundabout way."
As Frieren spoke, she glanced again at the remains of Fíliya lying in the flower bushes not far away.
Although it had been shaved bald, the head of that creation was still there, and the whole thing hadn't been destroyed. Thus, this barrier had instead become a very suitable 'Cage'.
"Do you want to hear stories from my travels?"
Frieren seemed to think of something, then looked at Himmel.
"Eh? At a time like this?"
Himmel appeared somewhat surprised. Of course, he was a hundred times willing, he just hadn't expected those words to come out of Frieren's mouth first.
"Yeah, I have to do something to kill time... besides, I discovered something interesting."
Frieren smiled as she spoke.
"Hmm?"
Himmel looked at her quickly.
"This barrier has been extracting my mana... At first, I thought this mud-doll-like creation intended to use my mana to repair its body, but as you can see, this thing has been lying there quietly the whole time... The 'Water-Mirror Demon' itself has infinite mana, so it has no use for my meager amount... So, where is this mana going?"
"Are you saying... your mana is going to that child's true body? Do you have proof?"
Himmel also revealed a curious expression.
"No proof, I'm just guessing... Hmm, to use your words, it's a 'vague feeling', I suppose... If only I could be of a little help to her."
____
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