Forty-eight years after Diego disappeared…
"Grandma, that's her, right? The Frieren on the assassination list!"
In the distance, a burly young man spied on Frieren while she was buying food. Beside him stood an old woman leaning on a cane, her face full of kindly benevolence.
"Looks like we're lucky. We just started the infiltration plan and already ran into a big client on the hit list."
The two were not truly grandmother and grandson. Many years ago, they had been identified by Diego Brando as members directly belonging to the warriors in the shadows.
According to the plan, the operatives for this batch of missions were divided into several regions. The pair disguised themselves as grandmother and grandson and were responsible for targets in the southern nations.
"The Slayer Frieren—the mage who has slain the most demons in history. Didn't she make quite a contribution to the empire?" The young man couldn't understand why such a figure would end up on the empire's assassination list.
"We don't need to know the reason. Completing the mission is all we should be thinking about. There are plenty of targets on this list—don't waste too much time on her."
"But you reminded me of something. The two of us can't handle Frieren." The old woman's gaze turned vicious, a flash of malice passing through her eyes. Her voice came out extremely low and sinister: "Frieren is only here to gather supplies. She won't stay long. Calling for reinforcements now is already too late. Tonight is our last chance."
"Fortunately I kept an ace up my sleeve. If things go smoothly, the mission can be finished ahead of schedule. We move the moment Frieren falls asleep."
"Good afternoon, Granny Enriya. Out shopping with your grandson again?" A bearded uncle pushing a cart appeared and greeted the pair beside the apple stall.
"Yes, the apples are really good this season. My dear grandson has been craving them for a long time, haha…"
...
Night fell quietly.
Frieren arrived at a small village outside town. There was no inn, but the villagers kindly offered her an empty house. They enthusiastically helped clean it so she could stay there for the night.
To thank them, Frieren used magic to harvest all the crops in the fields and bring them back to the village.
After busying herself for quite a while, Frieren returned to the empty house to rest. She lay on the bed and quickly fell asleep.
"Grandma, can we move now?" The young man who had radiated a peaceful—even somewhat timid—air during the day had completely transformed. His eyes were filled with killing intent. His loose clothes had been changed into a night suit designed for mobility. Everything about him screamed seasoned warrior.
The old woman was a cleric. She had now changed into a nun's habit, eyes tightly closed, fingers interlaced in prayer. A string of prayer beads floated before her.
Frieren's whereabouts had been tracked precisely by the old woman's Goddess Magic.
Goddess Magic was the Goddess's special favor toward clerics. It could completely transcend the boundaries of 『imagination』—even things that could not be imagined could be realized through it.
The old woman had devoted her life to deciphering the Goddess Magic recorded in the holy scriptures. No one knew exactly how many Goddess spells she had mastered.
"We can move. I'll cast 『Necromancy』 in a moment." The old woman opened her eyes. The floating prayer beads fell into her hand.
『Necromancy』: one of the Goddess's spells. By using a piece of someone's body tissue, it could summon that person's soul to fight on one's behalf. The Goddess would restore a physical body for the soul through the tissue, achieving a state of 『pseudo-resurrection』.
"You've actually deciphered it?"
"Yes. Although I still don't understand the principle, I've grasped the method of use."
"Whose soul are you summoning to attack Frieren? Did you collect tissue from someone strong enough to reliably beat her?"
"No need to worry. He was the strongest warrior I've ever seen. Forty-nine years ago, when I was still a little girl, he left an unforgettable shock on my soul." A look of reminiscence appeared on the old woman's face as she recounted a past unknown to most.
"I was born in the north. From the time I can remember, my hometown had already fallen to the demons. We lived in constant hiding.
Parents, childhood friends, loved ones—one by one they died at the hands of Macht of the Golden Land, one of the Seven Collapse Sages. I survived thanks to his twisted games.
But that day, when I was discovered again and thought I would die at Macht's hands, 『he』 appeared.
I swear it was a sight I will never forget in this lifetime. That invincible Macht—the one who ruined my life—was beaten back step by step. What a beautiful figure…
『He』 chopped off Macht's right foot that had been turned to gold, pinned him down hard, and forced Macht to eat his own 『Everything Turns to Gold』 magic, turning him into a golden statue.
Just as Macht was about to be executed, 『he』 sensed the Demon King's army arriving as reinforcements and chose to withdraw.
I realized my chance had come. Macht needed time to undo his own gold transformation, and the Demon King's army needed time to arrive. That gave me the perfect window.
I rushed forward, seized that severed right foot, and fled in disgrace…"
The old woman took a bottle out of her spatial storage magic. Inside floated a right foot wearing a riding boot. Using magic, she extracted the foot from the bottle and let it slowly drift down onto the grass before her.
"This is Diego Brando's right foot. You block Frieren's escape route. I can probably maintain Necromancy for about half an hour."
"What terrifying presence…" As a warrior, the young man could clearly sense the horrifying physical strength of the foot. In a flash he moved silently to the door of the house where Frieren was resting.
The moment Necromancy completes—strike!
Inside the room, Frieren lay on the bed with her back fully exposed to the door, breathing softly in sleep.
Those two… still not attacking?
I'm almost falling asleep here.
One at the door, the other 500 meters away on the grassy field behind—a perfect combination of a skilled warrior and a seasoned cleric.
Yes—Frieren was only pretending to sleep. Ever since buying supplies in town, she had detected that she was being tracked by Goddess Magic. At the same time, through counter-tracking magic, she had clearly pinpointed the locations of the two.
She had played a game of waiting for the rabbit to crash into the tree.
Meanwhile, the old woman chanted under her breath. An enormous amount of mana surged from her body. The right foot emitted a bizarre glow.
The next second, flesh grew wildly and frantically from the foot.
Before long, Diego Brando's body stood before the old woman.
"It's done."
"『Diego Brando』!"
Come forth! The most infamous criminal!
A beam of light burst from the body, piercing straight into the sky and tearing open a passage that allowed only souls to pass through.
The next instant, the body stood up, clenched its fist, and made a cracking sound.
...
At the same time, elsewhere…
"Hm? A feeling of my soul being pulled… Interesting. Let's follow this magic and see."
A flash of white light passed. His soul was drawn away by a powerful force.
(Strictly speaking, the old woman's Necromancy was not strong enough to forcibly pull out Diego's soul. But voluntarily following it was different.)
...
"『Diego Brando』!"
Scary Monsters… manifest!
Holy crap, is this real? He actually did it! Just from this guy's stance you can tell he's… ridiculously strong!
Cold sweat dripped from the young man's forehead as he directly faced the terrifying pressure that had gripped both humanity and demonkind forty-eight years ago.
Good—strike!
The young man turned his head, ready to smash through the door and give Frieren a quick end.
Rip…
A hand grabbed him.
So fast! I didn't even react!
The young man—who had been about to smash through the door—was seized by the collar of his night suit and hurled onto the stone path in front of the house.
The next instant, his face hit the ground. His head was pressed down and dragged all the way to the old woman.
The young man truly was a powerful warrior. Most people would have died after taking this combo from Diego, yet he was only critically injured and on the verge of death.
"…You damn old hag, what the hell are you doing!" The bloodied young man roared hoarsely while trembling.
Buzz!!!
He lifted his head and saw only a headless corpse, scattered prayer beads, and grass soaked in the smell of blood.
"…What happened?" The young man stared at the dead old woman in terror, then whipped his head around to look behind him. He saw Diego staring at him with an indifferent expression—an expression that didn't look at a person, but at a corpse.
There were no whites in his eyes. The black eyes symbolized…
Necromancy… is still active!
What exactly happened when I turned my head?!
...
"As long as Diego Brando is here, Frieren is no threat. Go on—head into the house and kill the mage inside." The old woman used the mental manipulation magic within Necromancy to issue a command to Diego.
I really want to see the incredulous expression on Frieren's face when she's killed by her former comrade.
But Diego stood still. Instead of charging into the house as the old woman had imagined, he slowly turned his head. With the expression of someone looking at a dead person, an overwhelming pressure bore down on the old woman, making it hard for her to breathe.
"Old hag, who the hell do you think you're ordering around?!"
Terrifying fear flooded the old woman's mind. Her expression completely collapsed. She staggered back dozens of meters, muttering in disbelief: "Impossible… I didn't cancel the mental manipulation magic!"
"Mental manipulation magic? Oh, so that's how it is…" Diego shook his hand. In an instant he stood before the old woman. "No one can command me, Dio. Your mental manipulation magic was completely overpowered by my soul! Let me tell you—during the five years I hunted the Demon King, not once—not a single time—was I ever controlled by mental magic."
"Who were you just trying to kill… the mage in the house, right? Don't you know how to use magic yourself, you old fossil?"
"Wait—"
Splat!
The old woman's head was smashed apart with a single punch. Her body remained standing in the same terrified posture as before death.
...
"Now we play a game: I ask, you answer. Answer slowly and you die. You wanted to kill Frieren, correct?" Diego grabbed the young man's hair and forced him to meet his eyes. "Warriors in the shadows… right?"
"Yes…"
"Why take her life?" Diego asked coldly. "Also, who else is on the list besides Frieren?"
"Who knows! I wish someone would tell me the reason too!!!"
Diego's gaze turned icy. He slammed the young man's head downward, knocking him unconscious.
"Memory sprite, project this person's memories."
"As you wish, Lord Dio."
Frames of memory flashed by, finally stopping on a list.
"Only Frieren is on the assassination list…? All mages. Wait—hah, I see something interesting. Serie is also a target. And the great mage Minus. You actually developed a way to deal with great mages? Impressive, warriors in the shadows!" Diego's voice dripped with mockery.
He lifted the unconscious young man and patted his chest in mock approval of the shadows' ability to find a counter to great mages.
Then—a fist pierced straight through his chest!
Blood flowed down Diego's arm. He flicked it lightly. The young man—with a huge hole in his chest—fell to the ground. Diego stomped down and crushed his skull.
"Fire sprite, burn everything around us to ashes."
"Wind sprite, blow the smell of blood away behind us."
"As you wish, Lord Dio." ×2
"Good." Diego stood up, towering in the darkness. His gaze locked onto the small wooden house. He gave a soft laugh: "Sleep well, Frieren."
Heavenly Restriction does not consume mana. In theory, Necromancy can continue indefinitely.
But this body can only sustain me for twenty minutes. After twenty minutes it will collapse. Fortunately the Goddess was somewhat useful—she restored my recovery ability, allowing me to repair this once youthful and frail body.
Twenty minutes of activity per day, huh…
Diego's gaze dimmed. In a flash he appeared on a cliff thousands of meters away, silently watching the sleeping figure in the wooden house.
Well… it's enough…
Then his consciousness and soul returned.
Diego clutched his head, marveling at the strange sensation of one consciousness controlling two bodies.
I can adapt to that terrifying flow of time…
I left a sliver of consciousness to block that passage. If needed, I'll go check on Frieren and the others again.
...
"Ah—" Frieren climbed out of bed with two massive panda eyes, visibly exhausted, her hair a tangled mess that looked impossible to manage.
In the end those two never made a move all night. They wasted my sleep.
Better leave this place quickly…
"…What happened?"
"An entire patch of grassland was burned to nothing, and I didn't notice a thing…"