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Chapter Text

Kenichi leaned against the doorway of Subaru's room, arms crossed like he'd been standing there for way too long. His black T-shirt was wrinkled, his hair looked like he'd just rolled out of bed, but his grin had that dangerous "I'm about to wreck your peace" energy.

"Subaru, buddy," he started, voice full of that fake concern that's just an excuse to roast you, "you gotta get yourself a girlfriend. Or at least a real friend. 'Cause if you keep living here as a shut-in, this place is gonna eat you alive, man."

Subaru didn't even look away from his monitor. His fingers kept dancing over the keyboard, a mix of game inputs and chat messages flying on screen. "I'm fine the way I am," he said, deadpan, not even the courtesy of a fake chuckle.

Kenichi's smirk widened, like he'd been waiting for that line. Without a word, he pointed toward the far wall where Subaru had taped up a glossy poster—centerpiece of his collection—of a white-haired elf with violet eyes, smiling in a way that could make anyone think she was smiling just for them.

Subaru's head snapped toward him with a glare sharp enough to cut glass. "Oh, real mature, dad,"

Kenichi just shrugged like he was the voice of reason here, then crossed the room and hooked an arm around Subaru's shoulders. "C'mon now, let's get some dinner before you forget what daylight looks like."

Dinner was the usual routine: take-out sushi from the place down the block. The soy sauce packets, the faint aroma of grilled eel, the faint hum of the fridge—comforting in their predictability. Subaru sat cross-legged at the low table, chewing slowly, enjoying the soft pop of salmon roe and the warmth of fresh rice.

Naoko wandered in halfway through with a laundry basket on her hip. "Hey, tomorrow's laundry day, so get your stuff together tonight."

"Hai, hai," Subaru mumbled through a mouthful of tuna roll, giving her the bare minimum acknowledgment while already thinking about which hoodie he couldn't bear to part with for even a single day.

Later, he pushed his plate aside and stood up. "I'm heading out. Need snacks for the late-night game marathon."

From the kitchen, his mom's voice carried over the clink of dishes. "Then wash your mug before you leave. It's in the sink."

"I'll do it when I get back," Subaru called back, already shoving his wallet into his hoodie pocket.

The cool night air hit him as he stepped out of the apartment and down the narrow metal stairs to the street below. The soft buzz of the streetlights hummed overhead. Okay, mission parameters: ramen cup, readymade curry bread, maybe a bottle of melon soda if the store had it cold. He was halfway through planning his snack haul when the light above him flickered—once, twice—and then blazed so bright it stabbed into his skull.

Subaru squeezed his eyes shut against the sudden glare. It wasn't just bright—it was everywhere. His skin prickled like he was standing in the heart of a lightning strike.

Then… nothing.

Silence.

And a voice—quiet, uncertain, and close enough to make his eyes twitch open.

"Frieren? You okay?" someone asked someone.

Subaru's eyes adjusted, and the first thing he saw was… well, quite possibly the most handsome man he had ever laid eyes on. And that was saying something, considering Subaru had once spent an embarrassing thirty minutes staring at a poster of a male idol in Shibuya just because "the lighting was interesting."

This guy—this walking bishounen stereotype—had light blue hair that was definitely dyed (nobody's born like that unless their parents are anime characters), and warm, kind blue eyes that screamed "I'm here to save you and also heal your childhood trauma." Subaru squinted. Is he European? Australian? Some kind of genetically blessed mix?

And then there was the outfit. A pale blue shirt, crisp white pants, and over it all… a flowing white cloak that gave off serious "main character in a JRPG" energy. Subaru's otaku brain immediately fired up. Wait… is he cosplaying Saber from Fate? No… maybe King Arthur from Fate? Yeah, that's it—Saber, but genderbent the wrong way. Bold choice. Subaru swallowed the urge to start listing Fate trivia out loud. He was not about to out himself as that guy. Not yet.

Then his gaze shifted.

Beside Mr. Beautiful stood… the shortest man Subaru had ever seen. No exaggeration—this guy wasn't even half his height. Subaru knew the Guinness record for the shortest woman was some Indian lady barely taller than a toddler, but this guy? This guy was smaller than a toddler. Nearly two feet tall, with a yellow beard so long it almost touched the ground, a thick horned helmet resting on his oversized head, and clothes that looked like he'd just walked off a Viking history channel reenactment set. Subaru's brain made the leap instantly. A dwarf. He's a dwarf. We're doing fantasy clichés for real now.

And then… another figure. Younger, lankier, with tidy green hair and glasses perched on his nose. His outfit was instantly recognizable to anyone who'd ever touched a JRPG: long white robes, gold trim, a pendant resting on his chest. The kind of thing you wore if you were either a high-level priest or cosplaying as one. Subaru mentally checked the trope bingo card.

Only then did he really look at his surroundings.

Trees. Thick, tall, lush ones—none of that carefully manicured city park stuff. Bushes sprouting at random. A dirt path beneath his feet, dry and dusty in the sun. And ahead… Subaru's jaw slackened.

That was a mountain. No—calling it a mountain was underselling it. That thing was monstrous, so massive it made Mt. Fuji look like a glorified ant hill. Clouds curled lazily around its peak. It was the kind of backdrop you saw in fantasy anime right before the camera panned to the hero standing dramatically with a sword.

Subaru's heart pounded in his chest. This wasn't Akihabara. This wasn't even Japan.

"This… this is it," he breathed, eyes going wide. "This doesn't feel like a hallucination…" His grin spread so wide it hurt his cheeks.

"I'm freaking isekai'd!"

The priest guy and dwarf exchanged confused glances, but Subaru wasn't paying attention.

"Yosh! Dream come true! Okay, okay, lemme guess—" he jabbed a finger at the blue-haired bishounen, "You're the hero!" Then at the dwarf, "You're the dwarf warrior!" And finally, the green-haired priest, "You must be the healer! And me?" He puffed his chest out dramatically. "I must be the protagonist destined to slay the demon king! This is my—"

"Did she hit her head?" Blue Hair asked, turning toward Green Hair.

"She?" Subaru's internal record scratch was so loud he swore the trees could hear it.

"Heiter, check her head," Blue Hair ordered.

The bespectacled priest—Heiter, apparently—stepped forward and placed a cool palm against Subaru's forehead.

"Hey—" Subaru started to snap, but the moment the sound left his mouth, everything in his brain froze.

That voice.

That… high-pitched, softer-than-expected voice.

No.

NO.

He looked down, and the world tilted. His legs—shorter. His center of gravity—off. His clothes—different. His… head… heavier? His jaw, his teeth, even the way his tongue felt in his mouth—wrong. The scent and taste in his mouth—wrong.

Panic clawed up his throat.

"She's fine," Heiter said calmly, pulling his hand back. "But she's… acting weird."

She.

They'd been calling him "she."

Subaru's stomach dropped like a stone.

Why the hell are they calling me 'she'?!

Subaru froze.

His hands—trembling, unsteady—lifted instinctively toward his head. His fingers sank into… hair. Not the messy, short, unkempt black mop he'd known his whole life, but something long. Long enough that it brushed against his elbows.

"What the hell—?" he whispered, dragging his hands down in disbelief. The strands slid like silk between his fingers, unnervingly soft, unnervingly real. His heartbeat spiked. He yanked one lock into view—

Silver. Not white like some old man's beard, not ash-gray, but a shimmering, ethereal silver that caught the sunlight in a way no natural dye job could. His brain screamed cosplay wig, but the warm tug at his scalp told him otherwise.

He reached up again, trying to push the hair back from his face, and—

"...What the…?" His fingers brushed something hard and smooth—and pointed.

His hand froze midair. Slowly, slowly, he traced the edge of it.

Long. Slender. Pointy at the tip.

An ear.

A freaking elf ear.

"Nope—NOPE—NOPE—" Subaru's breath hitched, coming in sharp, shallow bursts. His chest rose and fell too fast, each gulp of air feeling less satisfying than the last. The edges of his vision fuzzed.

"Hey, Frieren—" The blue-haired bishounen—Himmel, apparently—stepped forward, reaching out.

Subaru staggered back, his hands moving in a frenzied search down his sides. His shoulders—narrow. His waist—pinched in. His hips—wider. And then—

He cupped his chest.

Not much. Barely anything compared to anime standards. But… enough. Enough to feel the subtle bounce under his palms.

The panic spiked to a new level.

"No. No no no—" His voice was cracking now, high-pitched, desperate. His shaking hand slid lower, pressing against the fabric of the dress that—when had he started wearing a dress?!—pooled around his thighs.

Over the crotch.

Void.

Nothing there.

Absolutely nothing.

"...Goodbye, Subaru Jr.," he whispered in a broken voice. "RIP."

Eisen—the dwarf—took a step forward, his little boots thudding on the dirt path. His gravelly voice cut through the air. "Himmel, something is wrong with Frieren!"

"I know, Eisen!" Himmel snapped, his earlier calm melting into alarm. He dropped to one knee in front of Subaru, hands hovering uselessly in the air. "Frieren—breathe. Calm down, calm down—"

"I'm a girl?!" Subaru blurted, his voice climbing in pitch until it was just shy of a shriek.

Himmel blinked, confusion etched across his perfect face. "Of course you are—"

"I DON'T HAVE MY DICK!"

That did it. The woods went dead quiet, as if even the birds were too stunned to keep singing.

Himmel and Heiter—still standing nearby—exchanged looks that were somewhere between bewilderment and we should not be dealing with this right now. Eisen just let out a slow sigh like he'd been on enough adventures to know when something insane was about to happen.

"This isn't a safe place," Eisen rumbled. "Monsters are around."

"Frieren—" Himmel tried again, voice gentler this time, "you need to calm—"

"STOP CALLING ME THAT! I'M NOT FRIEREN!" Subaru shouted, voice breaking as he stumbled backward. "I'm Natsuki Subaru, damn it! And I'm not a—" His chest heaved, breath coming in ragged gasps.

Seeing no other option, Heiter stepped forward. "Hold still."

"What are you—" Subaru started, but he didn't get to finish. Heiter's fingers tapped his neck twice, quick and precise.

A rush of dizziness slammed into Subaru's skull, the world tilting sideways. The last thing he saw was Himmel's face—still too handsome for reality—before everything went black.

"Let's get to shelter first," Himmel said firmly, scooping the unconscious elf girl—Subaru—into his arms like she weighed nothing.

Eisen grunted in agreement. "We'll talk once we're somewhere safe."

And just like that, they vanished into the forest, leaving behind the rustle of leaves and the promise that Subaru's problems had only just begun.

—O—

The cabin was old, but it would do.

It sat at the edge of the forest, far enough from the main road to be overlooked by travelers, yet still close enough that the path outside was trodden flat by deer and foxes. Moss crept up the wooden walls, the windows were clouded with dust, and the smell inside was a mixture of old timber, dried herbs, and something faintly metallic—perhaps from an old iron kettle left in the corner.

Himmel pushed the door open with one hand, his other still supporting Frieren's slight frame. The inside was bare: a table with one leg propped up by stacked stones, a couple of rickety chairs, and in the far corner, a cot that looked like it had been abandoned decades ago.

Eisen wasted no time. The dwarf stomped over to the cot, tested the legs with a grunt, then began stacking folded blankets over the thin mattress to make it softer.

"Good enough," he said simply.

Himmel carried Frieren over and gently laid her down, brushing a few strands of silver hair away from her face. The expression on his features was soft—too soft for someone who'd just dragged an unconscious elf through half a forest.

Heiter leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his eyes thoughtful behind the lenses of his glasses. "While we were walking, she had her nose buried in that old grimoire again," he began. "Didn't notice a branch hanging low. She smacked her head, bit her tongue, and I think she misspoke a line from a spell mid-chant."

Eisen frowned. "And that caused her to lose her memories?"

"It's possible," Heiter admitted. "Magic can be fickle if interrupted, especially old magic." His tone turned grim. "This is bad. Really bad."

Not just because she was their mage—the backbone of their spellwork in combat—but because Frieren wasn't just a mage. She was their friend. The idea of her looking at them like strangers… it weighed heavy in the air.

Eisen's brow furrowed deeper. "What if she doesn't recognize us? What if she lashes out?"

Himmel's head snapped toward him instantly. "We're not tying her up," he said flatly, leaving no room for argument.

The conversation was cut short when a soft mumbling broke the tense silence.

"Mom… no more gohan… more ramen… Dad… mhm, stop it…"

All three men exchanged uneasy glances. That didn't sound like any memory Frieren should have.

Then, without warning, her green eyes snapped open.

She blinked rapidly, looking around as if waking from the strangest nap of her life. "Holy…" she murmured, rubbing at her temples. "I had the oddest dream that I was isekai'd as a silver-haired elf in a fantasy world—"

She stopped. Her gaze darted down. Both hands flew to her throat, tracing the slender shape of it. Then they slid lower, feeling along her sides, her waist, her—

Himmel turned his head with a cough that did absolutely nothing to hide the bright red creeping across his cheeks.

"OH. MY. GOD." Her voice cracked into a full-on shriek.

"Frieren?" Himmel stepped closer.

"What the hell happened to me?!" she yelped, scrambling up against the wall like a cornered animal. "Don't come any closer! Did you—did you do some kind of surgery on me?! Is this some secret military project?!" Her eyes darted around wildly. "Or is this a virtual world?!"

Heiter tilted his head. "A what?"

Eisen muttered under his breath, "I don't understand a word of this."

"Back off!" she shouted, swinging a pillow like it was a weapon. "I mean it—"

Himmel moved anyway, slowly, hands raised to show he wasn't going to hurt her. He reached out, placing his palms gently on her shoulders. "You're safe, Frieren. You're safe—"

"Gah!" She winced, squeezing her eyes shut. "Too bright! This is a fantasy world, isn't it? No way VR can make a face like yours look that perfect. I'm really genderbent, huh? As my ideal girl, no less!"

Himmel's eyebrows knit in confusion. "...What?"

Heiter sighed, already stepping forward, fingers twitching in preparation for another neck tap.

"WaitwaitwaitWAIT!" she blurted, throwing her hands up in surrender. "I won't run away or scream now! Relax!"

Heiter paused mid-step, but kept his skeptical gaze on her. Eisen grunted, clearly still ready to restrain her if she tried anything stupid.

The air in the cabin settled into an uneasy stillness, the only sound the faint creak of the old wood as they all waited to see whether Frieren—whoever she really she was thinking she was—would keep her word.

—O—

Subaru sat cross-legged on the floor, the old wooden planks groaning in protest under her. She leaned her back against the rough-hewn wall of the cabin, her arms draped loosely over her knees.

The three men she'd just met had pulled up a collection of mismatched chairs around a small, wobbly table. Himmel, the one who called himself the hero, sat in the center, a reassuring presence. To his right was the broad-shouldered warrior, Eisen, looking as solid and unmovable as a stump. On the other side, Heiter, the priest, was leaning against the wall, his posture a mix of boredom and exhaustion, as if he'd already heard this whole conversation a hundred times before.

Himmel's voice was calm and even, but with a friendly undertone. "It's been almost two years now since we started our journey to beat the Demon King," he began, his gaze sweeping over the group. "He's up there in the far North. We've been at it for a while."

He gestured to the bespectacled man slouching against the wall. "This is Heiter, our priest. He's also my oldest friend." Himmel paused, a small smirk on his face. "Ironically, he's also a pretty serious alcoholic."

Heiter didn't even bother to lift his head, just raised a lazy hand in a half-hearted wave. "Harsh, but can't argue with it," he grumbled, his voice a low, gravelly rasp.

Himmel's hand shifted to the short, stocky figure sitting next to him. "And this is Eisen, our warrior and the one who always leads the charge. He's tougher than a mountain and can hit harder than any ten demons you'll ever meet."

Eisen's response was a low grunt, a sound that seemed to rumble from deep in his chest. It was apparently his way of saying hello.

Finally, Himmel tapped his own chest with a thumb. "I'm Himmel, the hero of the story and the leader of this whole crazy party."

Subaru blinked slowly, tilting her head. The introductions were nice and all, but they had left out one very important person. "...And I am?"

Himmel's smile was warm and genuine. "You," he said without a moment's hesitation, "are our mage, Frieren. The only student of the most powerful human mage in history, Flamme."

Subaru's eyebrows shot up. She felt a nervous flutter in her stomach. "Okay, so there's a huge problem with that whole explanation," she said, her voice a little shaky. "I was not Frieren an hour ago. I was a dude named Subaru. In a completely different world. So, like, did something happen and I ended up in her body?"

Heiter's face twisted into one of those long-suffering sighs that seemed to be his default expression. It was the kind of look a teacher gives when a student asks a question about something they just explained. "You're confused," he said flatly. "My magic tells me you have only one soul. It's the same soul Frieren has always had. You are Frieren. It's possible you've just lost your memory and your brain is inventing new ones to fill in the gaps."

Subaru froze, her mind racing. She put her hands up, palms out, as if to physically stop the conversation. "Wait. Hold on a second. What if—and just hear me out—I am Frieren, but also Subaru? Like, what if I just woke up with the memories of my past life? Yeah, that has to be it! That makes a lot more sense than me just being a completely different person all of a sudden."

Himmel rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "It's... possible," he admitted, "but it doesn't sound very likely."

He reached into the worn leather pack resting beside him and pulled out a slim book, holding it up for her to see. "This is the book you were reading before you tripped and hit your head," he explained. "This particular grimoire is for a spell to... trim your leg hair. It's not a place you would normally find any kind of dangerous or high-level magic."

Heiter, apparently done with his exhaustion, snatched the book from Himmel's hand. He flipped through the pages with surprising speed, his eyes scanning the text until he found the page Subaru had been looking at. He paused, his eyes narrowing behind his spectacles. "As I suspected," he said with a sigh.

Subaru leaned forward, her curiosity overpowering her confusion. "What? What is it?"

Heiter turned the book around and held it up. The neat, elegant script of the original spell was covered in messy scribbles and doodles. Jagged lines of ink were drawn over the words, written in a completely different handwriting.

"It's a random incantation," Heiter explained, his voice flat with disbelief. "And not just any incantation. This is the worst I've ever seen. It looks like a spell for... mental displacement. But it was written by a drunk teenager."

Subaru stared at the page, her mouth hanging open. "Are you telling me some complete moron wrote an isekai spell on top of a book about how to do a manicure?!"

The three men just stared back at her with blank expressions.

Taking a deep breath, Subaru leaned her head back against the wall, letting out a long, weary sigh. "Okay. Fine. Whatever. I can deal with this. I'm a girl now—I guess that's something. Peeing is gonna be a pain, but I'll figure it out. The long hair is a little annoying, but I've cosplayed as Natsumi before, so I can handle it. But these..."

Her ears, long and pointy, twitched involuntarily.

"...these are gonna be a nightmare to sleep with."

With a determined push, she got to her feet. She planted her left hand on her hip and raised her right hand toward the low rafters of the cabin ceiling, striking a pose straight out of an anime.

"Alright then! The journey begins now! This is Re:Subaru's New Life in Another World as an Elf Girl!"

Eisen just stared at her, looking like she had grown another head. Heiter just looked even more tired. But Himmel... Himmel let out a soft chuckle.

"I guess this is going to be pretty fun," he said, a small smile on his face.

"Obviously!" Subaru shot back, her enthusiasm bubbling over. "Now tell me, what can I do? What are my powers?"

There was a moment of silence.

Then, Himmel sighed, a long, drawn-out sound that was full of resignation. "...Of course she's forgotten all her magic."

TBC

Chapter Text

I'm Frieren, Right?

The cabin's old wooden planks crackled softly, the sound a low, steady heartbeat in the silence. The faint smell of dust and pine hung in the air, a scent as ancient as the wood itself. The four of them were gathered around the small, wobbly table, which now held a chipped teapot Eisen had found tucked away in a cupboard. Himmel, Heiter, and Eisen had all taken their seats again, but their relaxed postures from before were gone. They had a new look, a kind of careful, deliberate calm, like they were explaining how to light a fire to someone who had completely forgotten it could burn.

Subaru sat across from them, her elbows on her knees. Her long, silver twintails hung down over her shoulders like braided ropes of silk. Her bright green eyes were locked on Himmel. "Alright," she said, tapping her temple with one finger. "Hit me with it. What can... I do? I mean, what can Frieren do? Because right now my spell list is, uh, zero."

Himmel leaned forward slightly, his hands clasped on the table. "Frieren," he began, his voice serious and measured, "you are one of the most powerful mages alive. Your knowledge of magic, both the practical stuff and the theory behind it, is unmatched in our time. You've mastered hundreds of spells, from controlling the elements to high-level protective magic. You can manipulate mana more efficiently than anyone I've ever seen. You're also the only mage we know of who studied directly under Flamme, who was the greatest human mage in history."

Subaru's eyes grew wide, a look of pure astonishment on her face. "Okay, cool, cool, cool... but how much of that do I actually remember right now?"

Heiter raised a single eyebrow, a dry look on his face. "Currently? None."

"Great. I just love that for me," Subaru muttered, slumping back in her chair with a groan. "So what's the highlight reel? I'm guessing... I can cast a fireball?"

Heiter's lips quirked upward in a tiny, almost-smile. "Oh, yes. And not just a small one. You can summon flames that could burn an entire tree to ashes if you wanted. You've also used ice magic, able to freeze a pond solid in minutes. Your wind magic is so precise you can carve rock with just a gust of wind. And your earth magic... well, you rarely used it for fighting, but your shields are strong enough to block a strike from the Demon General."

Subaru leaned forward again, her fascination growing. "Okay, that's awesome. So I'm basically the mage version of a cheat character from a game?"

Eisen's deep voice rumbled from her left. "You also have magic to help us in a fight. You have speed-boosting spells, spells to strengthen our bodies, and even healing magic for emergencies. Although healing is Heiter's job."

Himmel chuckled softly. "Your style is... methodical. You watch and you wait. And then you strike with perfect precision. I've seen you stand completely still for an entire battle, letting the rest of us handle things, only to end it all with one perfect spell at just the right moment."

Subaru's grin widened. "Okay, so I was basically the 'final boss' of my own party. Got it."

Heiter tilted his head, taking a slow sip from his teacup. "There's more to it than that. You have a very... unique magical ability. It's not something you notice right away, but it's very dangerous. You can change other people's spells while they're still casting them."

Subaru blinked, her mouth hanging slightly open. "You mean... I can hack magic?"

"That is... one way to put it," Heiter said, looking a little confused by the term. "It's extremely rare. Most mages can only stop a spell by physically getting in the way. You can edit it while it's still being formed. You can turn a huge fireball into a harmless puff of smoke, or you can turn a minor healing spell into an explosion."

"That's... terrifying," Subaru admitted, before a smirk spread across her face. "I love it."

Himmel leaned back slightly, crossing his arms over his chest. "Your mana reserves are massive. Even after fighting for days, you'd still have enough energy to cast powerful spells without any trouble. You also have an incredible resistance to magical corruption, which is why you've been able to study dangerous magic without it messing with your mind—until now, apparently."

Subaru tapped her chin thoughtfully, a serious look on her face. "Okay, so I'm an overpowered, extremely dangerous magical hacker. But, uh..." She hesitated, glancing nervously between the three men. "How long have I been doing this magic thing? Like... all the training and stuff?"

There was a short, uncomfortable pause.

Eisen glanced at Himmel. Heiter swirled the tea in his cup, avoiding eye contact. Himmel gave her a small, gentle smile.

"Frieren," he said softly, "you've been practicing magic for over a thousand years."

Subaru blinked once. Then twice. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that? I think my ears just glitched."

Himmel's voice was firm, not wavering at all. "Over. A thousand. Years."

Subaru stared at him, then let out a sharp, almost hysterical laugh that echoed in the little cabin. "No. No, no, no. That's impossible. I was literally just playing video games in my room last night. Eating sushi. Annoying my mom. I can't be over a thousand years old unless my mother is, what, Methuselah?"

"You're an elf," Heiter reminded her calmly. "Your kind ages very slowly. You've lived for far longer than any human. You've watched centuries go by."

Subaru's laughter died in her throat. She swallowed hard, the sudden dryness making her uncomfortable. "...That's not me. That's not possible."

"It is you," Eisen said simply, his deep voice carrying a weight of certainty. "You've seen more than all of us put together. You've fought alongside heroes who died long before we were even born. You've seen entire empires rise and fall into dust."

Subaru rubbed at her temples, her hands feeling cold. "So... what you're saying is... I'm a thousand-year-old grandma who looks like a cute girl?"

Heiter gave a tiny, almost-imperceptible shrug. "Essentially."

She groaned, dragging her hands down her face in frustration. "Oh god, I'm that trope. I'm that exact trope."

Himmel leaned forward again, his voice softer now, more comforting. "Frieren... whatever has happened to you, we have to fix it. If you truly don't remember us or your training, we're at a serious disadvantage against the Demon King's armies."

Heiter nodded, setting his cup aside with a soft clink. "We will find a way to get your memories back as soon as possible. For your sake—and for all of us."

Eisen folded his massive arms over his chest. "If you can't fight at your full strength, the risk to our party grows. We're not just talking about losing a fight. We could lose each other."

Subaru's gaze darted between the three of them. Their faces were calm and steady, but she could see something else underneath—worry, genuine and deep.

She sat back in her chair, letting out a slow, shaky breath. "Okay... so you guys want me back to 'full power mode' as soon as possible. Fair enough. I don't like the idea of you guys getting wrecked because I forgot how to do magic."

Himmel's mouth quirked into a faint smile. "We'll manage until then. But you have to be ready to relearn everything from scratch if that's what it takes."

Subaru forced a grin, even though her stomach still felt tight with nerves. "Alright, fine. I'll train. I'll... study. Whatever it takes. I mean... I've done grind sessions in MMOs before, how hard can relearning a thousand years of magic really be?"

Eisen gave her a flat, unamused look. "Harder."

Heiter adjusted his glasses, a weary sigh escaping his lips. "Much harder."

"...Great. I really love the optimism, guys," Subaru muttered, but she couldn't help a small, nervous laugh.

As the fire in the old hearth crackled to life—Eisen had taken it upon himself to light it—the warmth in the room didn't quite reach the cold knot in her chest. A thousand years. An incredibly powerful mage. Friends she didn't remember. And an enemy she was supposed to help defeat.

Subaru wasn't sure what scared her more—the idea of losing herself completely... or the thought of finding out exactly who Frieren really was.

—O—

Frieren—no, Subaru—paced back and forth in the middle of the small, creaky cabin. The old wooden floorboards groaned under her feet with every step, sounding like an old man complaining. It was clear she was having a hard time getting used to her new body, a new set of legs and hips that didn't feel like her own.

"Why do they move like this?!" she mumbled to herself, shooting a frustrated glare down at her hips as if they had just personally betrayed her. "I'm not trying to sway, it just... happens!"

Eisen, a huge man who was as solid as a tree stump, sat on a sturdy stool in the corner, calmly stroking his thick beard. He watched her for a moment before offering his two cents. "You are... walking normally."

Subaru stopped and threw her hands up in exasperation. "This is not normal, old man! I look like I'm trying to seduce the floor!"

Himmel, who was leaning casually against the doorframe, chuckled softly to himself. "I always thought you had a graceful stride, Frieren."

"Well, I'm telling you, this is muscle sabotage," Subaru grumbled, picking up her pace. And because she was a genius, she decided to try jogging. "Okay, let's see what kind of cardio we're working with here—"

She made it halfway through her third lap around the cramped cabin before her legs started screaming in protest, her lungs joined in, and then her foot landed at an awkward angle. There was a sickening crunch.

"AAAGH—my ankle! Medic! Oh wait, you are the medic!"

Heiter, who had been lounging in a chair with a half-empty bottle of wine, didn't even flinch. "You tripped over absolutely nothing. I'm actually impressed."

Subaru collapsed onto the floor, a picture of pure, dramatic tragedy. "This body was not made for physical activity! I'm meant for magical fireworks, not... running!" She flopped onto her back, staring up at the wooden ceiling beams. "Fine. I'll do what I do best—magic."

She sat up, puffed out her chest (which was still a weird feeling, even if there wasn't much there to puff out), and held her right hand out in front of her with all the confidence in the world. "Prepare yourselves, for I, Frieren the Magnificent, shall now show you the full might of my elven sorcery!"

Subaru muttered something that sounded appropriately magical, focused her mana like she had seen in a hundred anime shows, and—

WHOOMPH!

A burst of flames shot out. Not at a target, not up into the air, but directly at the nearest wall. Which, unfortunately, was part of the cabin.

"—AHHH! FIRE! FIRE! NOT WHAT I MEANT!" Subaru scrambled on the floor, uselessly trying to pat out the flames with her hands. Himmel, moving with a swiftness that was surprising, grabbed a blanket and smothered the fire in a second. The entire cabin suddenly smelled of burnt wood and regret.

Heiter stood over her, his look almost fatherly, if you ignored the fact that it was more of a glare, like she was a toddler who had just drawn all over the walls with permanent marker. "You almost burned our shelter to the ground."

Subaru held up both hands in surrender. "Look, in my defense, uh... I have no defense. My bad."

Heiter let out a heavy sigh, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper. "Here."

Subaru blinked. "...Candy?"

"Sugar calms the nerves. And it keeps your mouth busy so you stop talking."

"Oh, thanks, I guess—wait, was that an insult?"

"Perhaps."

Subaru unwrapped the candy anyway, because, well, candy. "Mmm... that's actually pretty good. Doesn't make me any less offended, though. Noted."

Himmel, probably trying to get things back on track, placed a small, worn leather briefcase on the bed. "Frieren, this is yours. You always keep it with you. Inside are your things, including your staff."

Eisen crossed his arms, his deep voice rumbling like an earthquake. "A mage without her staff is like a warrior without a sword."

"Cool," Subaru said, rubbing her hands together with excitement. "So how do I... you know... summon it?"

"Just channel your mana into the case and call for it," Himmel explained patiently.

"Got it." Subaru knelt beside the bed, closed her eyes, and focused. Mana. Magic. Inner power. She imagined herself standing there, a dramatic gust of wind blowing her hair back, her staff appearing in a flash of light, with everyone gasping in awe at her power and beauty.

Nothing happened.

She opened one eye. The briefcase just sat there on the bed, mocking her with its stillness. "...Do I have to, like, knock first? Or say a password? Is there a secret handshake?"

Heiter pinched the bridge of his nose, looking more tired than ever. "You are completely hopeless."

"Excuse me! I'm only temporarily hopeless! My magic is just... uh... warming up after a thousand-year nap."

Himmel placed a hand on her shoulder, his touch warm and reassuring. "You'll remember. It's only a matter of time."

Eisen gave a small nod of agreement. "We'll help you until then."

Subaru's shoulders slumped a little, the energy draining from her. "Right... thanks, I guess. You guys are way nicer than my old party members. And by old, I mean imaginary. And by imaginary, I mean... ah, never mind, you wouldn't get it."

The three men exchanged confused glances but didn't push her for an explanation.

Himmel smiled faintly. "We'll just keep moving forward. Soon enough, your memories—and your magic—will come back."

Subaru looked from face to face, then let out a sigh that was half-exasperated, half-touched. "Alright. I guess I'll just have to wing it until then."

But deep inside, she was already plotting.

If she couldn't summon her staff the "right" way, she would just figure out how to do it her own way. And when she did, this fantasy world wasn't ready for what was coming.

—O—

The walk was absolutely awful. Subaru—or Frieren, as she was apparently called—felt like she was a player stuck in a terribly-made video game. The developers, in their infinite wisdom, had nerfed her character's movement speed and stamina all for the sake of "realism." Every single step felt wrong. Her hips swayed on their own, and her shorter legs made it feel like she had to double her pace just to keep up with the others. Her smaller feet kept catching on loose roots or random rocks, a constant danger. In her old body, she could have at least run to the store without her ankles screaming at her, even if she couldn't exactly run a marathon. Now, she felt like a fragile porcelain doll with a horrible sense of balance.

She desperately wanted to blame the body, but the worst part of all of this was the nagging doubt starting to poke holes in her mind. She was so sure that she had been a boy from another world just a few hours ago. But these three men stubbornly insisted that she was Frieren, an ancient elf mage who had just lost her memory. And Heiter's calm, annoying confidence when he said it, like a doctor giving bad news, was starting to wear away at her own certainty.

What if... what if she really was Frieren? The thought was like a cold, unpleasant stone in her gut. She didn't like it one bit.

And Heiter was not helping at all. He treated her like a child, his tone shifting between the warm patience of a doting uncle and the sharp edge of a schoolteacher. That would have been fine if she was a child, but if their story was true, she was over a thousand years old. Even if elves aged differently, that should have earned her a little more respect. But nope. Heiter still offered her candy when she messed up.

They trudged along the forest trail, the leaves crunching loudly under their boots. Despite her frustration and a small, growing fear, she couldn't ignore the quiet hum of magic she felt deep inside her. It wasn't like the mana bars from a video game or a shonen anime power level. It was more like a constant, low warmth in her chest and fingertips, a little voice inside her whispering that she could do incredible things if she just knew how. Too bad she didn't have a single clue how to actually use it.

That's when Himmel glanced over at her, his expression soft but serious. "We can't let anyone know about your... current state," he said, his voice low enough that only the four of them could hear it.

"Why?" she asked, blinking in confusion.

"Because it will hurt more than just us in a fight," Himmel explained, his eyes scanning the path ahead of them. "Demons are smart. If they sense any kind of weakness, they will use it against us. And there are other people who place their faith in me, in us. If they believe our mage is... compromised, their morale will break. That would put everyone at risk."

Frieren frowned, thinking it over. "Okay, fine. I get it. But if I'm supposed to keep this whole amnesia thing a secret, what am I supposed to act like? What was I like before?"

Himmel smiled faintly. "You don't have to pretend to be anything. Not many people know you. And even fewer know us."

"That's... kind of depressing," she muttered under her breath.

Eisen, who was walking a few feet ahead, turned his head just enough to look back at her. "You could always bang your head again. Might fix it."

Subaru—Frieren—instantly took six huge steps back from the dwarf. "Nope. Nope. Nope. I'm not letting some fantasy Gimli give me a concussion, thank you very much."

That earned a soft chuckle from Himmel and a low, rumbling laugh from Eisen. Even Heiter, who was usually the very picture of composure, smirked behind his hand.

She huffed but decided not to argue with them anymore. Instead, she asked, "So, where are we even going, anyway? Please don't tell me it's just more walking for the sake of walking."

"The Sword's Village," Himmel said, as if the name alone should have made it obvious.

"Oh, cool. Let me guess—they make swords there?"

Heiter shook his head with a small smile. "No. The village is home to a sword that was given to mankind by the God himself."

She raised an eyebrow, a skeptical look on her face. "Like, the sword in the stone kind of deal?"

Eisen nodded, his face completely serious. "The destined hero is supposed to pull the blade from the rock. Only the chosen one can wield it."

Frieren blinked, then looked over at Himmel. "...You're the hero, right?"

He gave her a modest smile. "That is what I hope."

Her jaw dropped slightly. "Wow. I'm traveling with the medieval version of a JRPG protagonist. Should I start calling you 'Your Destiny-ness'?"

The three of them looked a little confused by the joke, but Himmel chuckled anyway, probably just amused by her tone. The path stretched out in front of them, the trees starting to thin, and for the first time since she had woken up in this world, Frieren felt a tiny spark of excitement under all the confusion and frustration.

If nothing else, this "Sword's Village" sounded like the kind of place where weird, plot-relevant things happened. And maybe it would be the first step in figuring out if she was really Frieren... or if she was still Subaru, just stuck in someone else's life.

—O—

The wind was a snarling beast, its howl echoing through the Schwer Mountains as it tore past, showing no mercy. The snow was a thick, blinding wall of white in every direction, swirling and stinging against Frieren's face like a thousand tiny needles. Her ears, long and pointy, twitched with irritation. They felt like they were about to snap off from the cold.

"This... sucks," she mumbled, clinging to Himmel's back as if he were a magical, heated blanket. "I'm supposed to be the mage, right? Where's my super-mega anti-cold barrier spell? Oh, right—it's gone, along with the rest of my memories."

"You don't need to be ashamed," Himmel said, his voice steady and calm despite the roar of the wind. "The cold is powerful, it can take down the strong just as easily as the weak."

"Yeah, but you're carrying me like a princess," Frieren muttered into his shoulder, her voice muffled by his heavy cloak. "And I can't even accuse you of being a closet pervert because you're so disgustingly wholesome."

Himmel let out a small laugh, a warm and annoyingly sincere sound, and pressed forward through the deep snowdrifts. Eisen was a few feet ahead of them, trudging along like an unstoppable boulder, while Heiter brought up the rear, squinting through the storm with his priest's staff held tight in his grip.

"This storm is worse than I thought it would be," Eisen's deep voice rumbled. "We might have lost the path."

Frieren's head shot up. She tried to peer through the thick white curtain of snow. "Lost? Seriously? What kind of legendary hero squad are we if we get beaten by some bad weather?"

"It is not a shame to be stalled by nature," Heiter replied, though his lips were a faint blue color from the cold. "This is no ordinary blizzard."

"Yeah, well... if we keep wandering around, we're all going to turn into human-shaped popsicles." Frieren tapped Himmel's shoulder, her fingers numb. "Hey. If this village is where you said it is, we should follow the wind's scent."

Himmel glanced back at her, a look of confusion on his face. "The wind's... scent?"

"Yeah. Villages have people. People have fires. Fires mean smoke, and smoke has a smell." She jabbed a finger toward the left. "That way smells faintly like roasted meat. Unless my brain is just making that up because I'm starving, but it's worth a shot."

Eisen lifted his nose, sniffing the air, then squinted. "She's right... I think. I smell something faint in the air."

Himmel grinned at her over his shoulder. "Impressive, Frieren. Even without your memories, your instincts are sharp."

"Obviously," she said, trying to sound smug while her legs dangled uselessly. "I'm a genius, with or without my memory."

Following her directions, the group pushed on. The wind still howled, but now they had a new sense of purpose. After a while, a tall, wooden gate emerged from the swirling white, half-buried in snow. Beyond it, the faint orange glow of a bonfire flickered.

They trudged into the village square and all but collapsed around the fire. The villagers, wrapped in heavy furs, gave them curious but silent stares. Nobody said a word as the party tried to thaw their frozen limbs.

"My stomach," Eisen muttered, rubbing his abdomen with a heavy hand. "It is empty."

"Same," Frieren agreed, holding her hands close to the flames.

Heiter pulled his bottle from his coat and took a swig, only to find the contents frozen solid. He stared at it for a long moment, a look of profound sadness on his face. "...Cruel."

"Tragic," Frieren deadpanned. "Someone should write a ballad about it."

A few moments later, the snow-crusted silence was broken by a young woman stepping forward. Her dark hair was in a thick braid, and her fur-lined cloak brushed the snow as she approached.

"Travelers, greetings," she said, bowing slightly. "I am the head of this village. Welcome."

Himmel rose to his feet, brushing frost from his cape with a dignified motion. "I am Himmel, leader of this party. This is Eisen, our warrior. Heiter, our priest. And..." He gestured toward Frieren.

"Mage Frieren," she said automatically, giving a casual little wave. "Yo."

The woman blinked at the strange gesture. Frieren froze, realizing that wasn't exactly the kind of greeting you'd expect in a high-fantasy world. "...Uh. Hello," she quickly amended, her face flushing with embarrassment.

"I see," the village head said, completely unfazed. Her eyes shifted back to Himmel. "You have braved the Schwer Mountains. What brings you here?"

"I've come for the Sword," Himmel said simply, his voice carrying a quiet authority.

The woman's eyes narrowed slightly. "Ah. Another hero. I see. Well... the blizzard won't let you travel to the sacred site tonight. You may rest in a cabin until morning. I shall escort you there when the weather eases."

Frieren leaned toward Himmel as they followed her. "So, you're the chosen hero guy, huh? The one who has to pull the sword and save the world and all that?"

"That is the hope," he said with a small smile.

Frieren grinned faintly. "Cool. I guess I'll just stand there looking mysterious and elf-y. You know, since I'm definitely good at that."

Eisen's chuckle rumbled like distant thunder. Heiter muttered something about how she'd be a lot more mysterious if she didn't try to set more cabins on fire.

Frieren just pretended not to hear him.

Chapter Text

The Village Of Sword

The cabin they were led to was small but warm, a heavy pelt hanging over the door to keep the wind out. Inside, the faint smell of woodsmoke hung in the air, and the fire in the stone hearth crackled low but steady. The moment they stepped in, snow dripped from their cloaks and boots onto the rough wooden floor, making small puddles.

Eisen immediately dropped onto a stool at the table, pulling a small leather pouch from his belt. With practiced care, he began counting their coins one by one, muttering numbers in a low, steady rumble.

Heiter went straight for the fire, holding his poor frozen bottle with the reverence of a priest handling a sacred relic. He placed it dangerously close to the flames, his eyes narrowed in concentration as if he were performing a divine ritual.

Himmel, ever the responsible one, knelt by their packs. He rifled through their supplies, checking each item with a methodical and careful eye. "We're running low on dried rations," he murmured to himself. "We'll have to restock before heading out."

Frieren, meanwhile, stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, unsure of what a mage without magic was supposed to do in a scene like this. That's when her gaze landed on a half-broken mirror leaning against the far wall, its silver backing warped and spotted with age.

Without a second thought, she hurried over and crouched in front of it. The reflection was cracked and uneven, but her face was still clear enough to see. She tilted her head, a critical look on her face.

"...Okay, not bad," she murmured, talking to herself. "Ten out of ten for the hair. Ears? Perfect as always. Eyes? Yeah, these could kill a man." She adjusted her bangs slightly. "Mm. Eight out of ten for the smile... but only because the lighting sucks."

Then she started trying out different expressions—puffing her cheeks out, sticking her tongue out, winking, and doing the kind of playful pout that belonged on the cover of a shoujo manga. She even struck a "cool and aloof elf" pose before switching to "cute and approachable elf" for balance.

That's when she heard a strange sound from behind her—like someone choking on their own heartbeat.

She glanced over her shoulder just in time to see Himmel, a hand clutching his chest, stumble backward in sheer shock before promptly fainting onto the bed with a dramatic thump.

Eisen didn't even look up from his coins. He just muttered, "Lewd."

"Lewd?" Frieren repeated, genuinely confused. "What does that even mean?"

"Yes. Lewd," Eisen confirmed without hesitation, his deep voice flat and certain.

From his post at the fire, Heiter's head whipped around, his expression somewhere between a scandalized priest and an exasperated babysitter. "Stop this at once, Frieren!"

Blinking at the three of them, Frieren tilted her head. "...Wait. So, like... making faces in a mirror is some kind of high crime in this medieval fantasy world?"

No one answered, but the heavy silence was more than enough of a reply.

"...Ohhh," she said slowly, a sly smirk forming on her face. "So if that was too much for you guys... what about this?"

She bent forward slightly, hands resting on her knees, and blew a playful flying kiss directly at Eisen and Heiter.

Eisen froze mid-coin count, staring as if she had just summoned a demon.

Heiter, for his part, made a strangled sound, dropped his now half-thawed bottle, and slapped a hand over his eyes like he had just witnessed the gates of hell opening right in front of him.

"...Yeah," Frieren said, standing up straight again with a satisfied nod. "Definitely a high decency world.”

—O—

If there was one thing Frieren—or-Subaru-in-an-elf-body—wasn’t ready for, it was the "public restrooms" of this new world. They were pure nightmare fuel.

A blast of cold air hit her the second she stepped into the little wooden shack at the center of the village. The cold was so intense her soul wanted to retreat back into her body like a scared cat. The floor was made of uneven stones, the walls were drafty planks that did a terrible job of keeping the wind out, and the so-called "toilet" was essentially a bench with a hole in it and a whole lot of empty space beneath.

The strange, ticklish feeling she got while actually doing her business was bad enough, but the sound—the sound—of water trickling down into some unseen pit below was hellish. Every single droplet seemed to echo, as if it were personally mocking her. She was in the only public women's restroom in the entire village, so she imagined centuries of ghosts of embarrassed patrons were all silently judging her.

The cold cut through her like a blade, and she decided dignity could wait. She was done in under a minute. She practically fled the shack as if it were cursed, her cheeks burning with a blush no winter wind could ever cause.

By the time she made it back to the cabin, she was muttering to herself, "Nope. Nope. Nope. Mentally blocking that forever. That never happened. Gone. Deleted from memory. We don't talk about that."

Determined to distract herself from such a deeply emotional trauma, Frieren plopped herself down on the bed. She dragged her briefcase onto her lap, deciding it was finally time to give it some real attention. She'd been told this thing was her constant companion, but she hadn't really looked at it properly before.

When she popped the latches, her jaw went slack.

Inside, there were way more items than could possibly fit in a case the size of a carry-on bag. She picked up a heavy iron cauldron the size of a beer keg, but as she lifted it, it suddenly shrunk down into a palm-sized toy and dropped neatly into the corner, as if it had always been there.

Frieren's eyes went wide. "Okay... that's sick."

Digging deeper, she realized it wasn't just shrinking things—the space inside stretched into a strange, pocket-dimension storage. She could stick her arm in up to her shoulder, feeling around for objects like she was rummaging through an infinite junk drawer.

"Ohhh, this is dangerous," she muttered, a wide grin spreading across her face. "This is, like... loot box heaven."

She started pulling things out at random. A rusted birdcage filled with dried rose petals. A creepy porcelain doll missing both of its eyes. A stack of flat, round stones with runes carved into them. A single taxidermy squirrel wearing a jeweled crown.

Some of it was fascinating. Some of it made no sense at all. And some of it was so horrifying she shoved it straight back in with a whispered, "Nope. That's cursed."

Then she hit something big—books. Dozens of them. No... hundreds. No... thousands.

There were leather-bound grimoires with gold lettering, their pages so old they crinkled like onion skin. The text wasn't in Japanese, or English, or any modern language she knew. It was a strange hybrid of something that felt like German but was twisted with Latin-style endings and flourishes.

To her own surprise, she could sort of... make it out. It was like reading a foreign language you didn't technically know, but your brain could piece it together with context clues. She flipped a page, mouthing the syllables under her breath, her lips shaping strange words that seemed to hum faintly in her ears.

The feeling of unlocking something ancient and dangerous was intoxicating, even if she had no idea what any of it did. But she also knew this was going to be a long road. She barely understood the basic structure of the spells, let alone how to actually cast them without accidentally blowing up another cabin.

Eisen, who had been quietly sitting at the table oiling his axe, had been watching her for the past five minutes with the same expression you'd give a cat trying to open a door.

"...What is it you are doing?" he finally asked, his gravelly voice cutting through the soft crackle of the hearth.

Frieren looked up from her pile of grimoires, still grinning like she had just found a buried treasure chest. "Uh... nerd stuff. But, like, cool nerd stuff. Infinite-bag-of-holding-meets-ancient-library kind of deal."

Eisen blinked slowly. "Those words mean nothing to me."

She snorted. "Yeah, I figured." She patted the briefcase fondly. "Let's just say... if I figure this out, you're never gonna have to worry about me being 'the useless mage' again."

Eisen's mouth quirked into the smallest of smiles. "...I will hold you to that.”

—O—

The night air was filled with the lingering scent of roasted meat and spiced vegetables, the warm glow of firelight spilling over the village square. Subaru sat cross-legged among the villagers, a bowl in her hands. A small army of children had surrounded her, clinging to her sleeves and poking at her ears with the fascinated reverence of someone who had just discovered the greatest toy in existence.

"Whoa, hey, be gentle!" she laughed, leaning back as one boy gave the tip of her ear a small tug. "These things are sensitive, you know! They're not detachable! This isn't some market trinket—hey! You, with the pigtails, no pulling!"

Her tone wasn't really scolding; it was just dramatic enough to make the kids squeal with delight. She reached out to playfully boop one of them on the nose, earning a giggle, then snatched another one up into her lap with exaggerated villainy. "You dare touch the sacred elf ears? Now you're my hostage until further notice!"

The children laughed so hard some of them fell over. Her party mates, who were sitting a little ways off, exchanged glances. Eisen's brow furrowed slightly in thought, Heiter raised an amused eyebrow, and Himmel watched quietly, a small smile tugging at his lips. The person they were watching was nothing like the reserved elf they had met months ago. This person was lively, teasing, and magnetic.

When the meal was over and the villagers had started to leave, the party began their slow walk back toward the cabin. The sky was scattered with starlight, and the night was quiet except for the crunch of their boots in the snow.

Then Subaru suddenly slowed down, glancing sideways at Himmel with a spark in her eyes. "Hey... you know tomorrow is your big day, right?"

He gave her a small, knowing smile. "The sword."

"Yup. Mister 'Destined Hero' himself." She stepped backward in front of him, walking in reverse so she could keep her gaze on him, her hands stuffed into her sleeves. "I was thinking—you should go into tomorrow with a smile so bright it blinds the gods. No moping, no pressure, just pure epic-main-character energy."

Himmel chuckled softly. "You're very different from before."

She grinned, leaning closer as if she were sharing a secret. "Well, maybe I decided I like this party enough to actually cheer for them properly."

That's when Heiter's voice cut in, sly but amused. "If we're cheering Himmel up, I can do a lot better than that."

Eisen rumbled low in his chest. "I will outdo you both."

Subaru stopped, blinking between them. "Wait, are you two... competing to be the best hype-man?"

Heiter smirked, placing a hand on Himmel’s shoulder. "Think of tomorrow as not just fate, but the culmination of everything you are—a man of beauty, grace, and unmatched charisma."

Eisen straightened beside them, his voice deep and completely sincere. "You have trained with discipline and fought with honor. You are worthy of that sword."

Himmel laughed quietly, clearly amused by the sudden competition. Subaru, who was never one to back down, folded her arms. "Pfft. Amateurs. Watch and learn."

She sprang forward, striking a dramatic pose in front of him, her finger pointed like she was giving the final speech of a tournament anime. "Himmel, tomorrow you're gonna walk up there, grab that sword, and make destiny your personal sidekick. And when the bards sing about it, I'll be in the background of the painting making a thumbs-up just like this."

She demonstrated, giving an overly dramatic grin and an exaggerated thumbs-up, and Himmel nearly doubled over laughing.

By the time they reached the cabin, he looked lighter, more at ease, the tension of the next day dulled by the ridiculous, heartfelt camaraderie surrounding him.

—O—

That night, Frieren slept like a rock, a deep, undisturbed slumber that was a welcome change from the chaotic new life she found herself in. Her mind was a whirlwind of possibilities: magic to master, ancient relics to find, strange towns to wander through, and probably a dozen bad food experiments along the way. For the first time, the idea of "tomorrow" actually felt exciting.

When morning came, the world outside the cabin window was a golden painting, with sunlight spilling over the snow. The air was crisp, carrying the scent of damp earth and woodsmoke from the village hearths. Himmel was already up, his hair annoyingly perfect, sipping a delicate porcelain cup of tea like he'd been born in a nobleman's dining hall. Eisen was gnawing on something that looked suspiciously like a brick of dried meat, and Heiter, of course, was cradling a steaming mug of hot wine, the faint smell making Frieren's nose wrinkle.

"You know," she muttered, tugging her hair into something resembling order, "it's way too early for wine."

Heiter just smiled that sly, priestly smile. "And yet... here we are."

They didn't have long to linger. A sharp knock at the door interrupted their lazy breakfast. Standing in the frame was a young woman dressed in thick furs, her posture proud, her gaze steady. She was the village chief, a rare thing for someone her age, but the steel in her eyes said she had earned the role.

"Are you ready?" she asked simply. There were no wasted words, no hesitation.

Himmel rose with his usual dramatic hero's confidence and gave a slight nod. "We are."

Frieren noticed a flicker of determination in him, and even Eisen seemed a bit more awake. Without another word, the chief led them out of the cabin and onto the snow-packed path that cut through the village. As they walked, she spoke, her voice clear and strong in the cold air.

"The sword," she began, "is an heirloom from the Age of Heroes. There is a prophecy, a simple but absolute one. One day, the hero will pull the sword from the rock and stop a great calamity in the world."

"The Demon King," Frieren said without missing a beat.

The chief glanced at her. "Yes. That is what we believe."

Frieren tucked her hands into her sleeves, letting the rhythm of the walk warm her legs. "Figures. There's always a demon king."

The chief continued, ignoring the muttered sarcasm. "Many have tried. None have succeeded. They were not the hero. This village has guarded the sword for forty-seven generations—over two thousand years. We have sworn that it will only be touched by the one destined to wield it."

"That's... a lot of babysitting," Frieren said, which earned a faint smirk from Heiter.

The path eventually sloped upward, and the trees began to thin, revealing a jagged cliff face. There, set against the stone, was a yawning cave entrance, its mouth dark and rimmed with frost. But the real problem wasn't the cold or the darkness.

It was the wolves.

Massive snow wolves, their fur thick and white, prowled the entrance. Their eyes glowed like shards of ice. Each one was the size of a horse, with teeth long enough to make Eisen's great axe look like a toy.

"I guess they're not just going to let us stroll in," Himmel said, drawing his sword with a smooth, ringing motion.

Eisen didn't even bother replying. He was already striding forward, axe in hand, his heavy boots crunching through the snow. The wolves growled, a low and deep sound, before launching themselves forward.

Steel met fang. Eisen's axe swept through the air in brutal arcs, forcing wolves back in sprays of snow and fur. Himmel danced between snapping jaws, his blade flashing in the morning light. Heiter stood at the rear, muttering blessings, while Frieren leaned against a tree, her staff in hand, occasionally flicking a lazy spark of magic at any wolf that got too close.

When the last of the wolves fled back into the forest, the air was still again. The only sounds were the party's heavy breathing and the faint drip of melting icicles from the cliff above.

The chief gestured to the now-clear entrance. "This is where the sword rests."

Without another word, they stepped inside.

The cave swallowed them quickly, the sunlight fading behind them. The air was cold, still, and heavy with the weight of centuries. Somewhere ahead, deep in the dark, something was waiting.

The air inside the cave felt charged, as if the world itself was holding its breath. Stalactites glittered faintly overhead, dripping water into tiny pools that echoed like distant chimes. And there, resting in the heart of it all, was the sword. It wasn't just a sword; it was artistry incarnate. Its blade shimmered with a faint silver glow, and the hilt was wrapped in intricate patterns that seemed too perfect for human hands. The aura it gave off was almost tangible, a majestic pressure that made the hair on your arms stand up.

Frieren's eyes practically sparkled. No, not the dignified, aloof kind of sparkle you'd expect from an ancient elf mage. This was the unrestrained, "my favorite anime just dropped a new episode" kind of sparkle. She leaned forward, clasped her hands together as if she were watching her favorite couple from a show finally get together, and then started bouncing slightly on the balls of her feet.

"Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho—this is peak fantasy quest right here!" she blurted out, unable to keep her voice down. "A legendary sword in a cave? Gorgeous light effects? Zero fingerprints or corrosion after who-knows-how-many centuries? Himmel, my man, if you don't go for it, I will take away your protagonist license."

Himmel gave her a confused look, as if he had just been accused of a crime he didn't understand. "My... protagonist what?"

"Don't worry about it, just—look heroic and pull the thing out!" Frieren insisted, shoving him forward with a surprising amount of force for someone so small.

Heiter chuckled, stepping up beside him. "Well, Himmel... maybe it's time to prove to the world you truly are the hero they believe you to be." His smile was gentle, but his eyes were sharp. This wasn't just about the sword; it was about what it meant to all of them.

Eisen, ever the steady presence, rumbled, "Whatever happens... we are with you."

Himmel stood before the stone, the sword's glow reflecting in his eyes. He took a slow breath, straightening his back until he looked like the picture-perfect hero from a bard's tale. Frieren was practically vibrating behind him, whispering things like, "Cue the theme music... this is the part where the camera zooms in..."

With one more deep breath, Himmel reached out, his fingers curling around the hilt. The metal was cool to the touch, heavy with history. He tightened his grip and pulled.

...Nothing happened.

Not even a wiggle.

Frieren blinked. "Okay, that's fine, maybe it's a stubborn lock mechanism—try again!"

He didn't. Instead, Himmel stepped back almost immediately, dusting off his hands like a man who had just tried to move a piece of furniture and decided, "Nope."

"That's it?" Frieren gawked. "You didn't even double-pull! What kind of hero gives up after one try?!"

"I think," Himmel said with all the calm dignity in the world, "it simply isn't mine to wield."

Frieren stared at him, her jaw hanging open, while Eisen and Heiter exchanged knowing looks, as though this reaction made perfect sense to them.

Frieren crossed her arms, tapping her foot impatiently as Himmel, with that annoyingly princely smile, shook his head. "Nope. Not doing it again. The sword clearly doesn’t want me."

"Coward," she muttered under her breath. Before anyone could protest, she strode over to the pedestal. Her robes swished as she knelt, brushing away decades of dust from the surface of the so-called "stone." Her sharp eyes narrowed, and then her brows shot up in surprise.

"This... isn't stone." She ran her fingers over it, feeling the smooth, cool surface beneath the grime. "It’s a gem. A massive gem. I don't know how, but it's not stone." She stood up, a theory forming in her mind, a theory based on countless hours spent consuming fantasy stories. "I bet the prophecy is a double-cross. It says 'the destined hero will pull the sword from the rock,' right? But if it's not a rock, then the prophecy doesn't apply! The magic on this thing is probably a test of patience, not strength. A true hero is supposed to know when to cheat! I mean, when to think outside the box."

Himmel blinked. "Wait—what?"

"Eisen!" she barked suddenly, her voice startling the dwarf, who was casually munching on dried meat. "Come here. Break it."

Heiter nearly spat out his drink. "Wait, wait, wait—you can't just cheat! This is a sacred trial!"

"It’s fine," Himmel said, raising a hand in a pacifying gesture. "I don’t need the sword—"

Frieren ignored them both, waving Eisen forward like an overly excited child dragging a friend to see a cool bug. "Musclehead, now."

The dwarf gave a slow shrug, hefted his axe, and brought it down in a heavy swing. A satisfying crack echoed through the chamber.

"Harder!" Frieren urged, her eyes practically glowing.

Himmel sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Fine. If it'll calm you down..." He stepped up, wrapped his hands around the hilt, and gave the sword a hearty pull.

Nothing. Not even a wiggle.

"Bah, again!" Frieren waved dismissively at Himmel's lack of results.

But Eisen paused mid-swing, leaning on his axe. "It's not budging. Maybe the magic—"

"Heiter," Frieren said sweetly, which was never a good sign, "use your Divine Magic to boost Eisen's strength."

The priest immediately crossed his arms. "Absolutely not. This is absurd. We are not—"

"All right," Himmel interrupted with an amused smile, "let's try it. Could be fun."

Heiter looked betrayed, but with the inevitability of a man who'd been through far too many of these ridiculous schemes, he sighed and raised his staff. Holy light flared, wrapping around Eisen's short, sturdy frame.

Frieren pumped her fists in the air, a wide grin on her face. "Now we're cooking with gas! This is our 'Royal Rumble!' Bring the thunder! Give 'em the 'Stone Cold Stunner!' Show 'em the 'Five Knuckle Shuffle!'" She cheered on, her voice echoing through the cave. The men looked at her, completely bewildered, but her enthusiasm was infectious, and a fire lit in their eyes.

And so the scene became a comedy of epic proportions: the priest glowing with divine power, the warrior's muscles bulging unnaturally, the hero straining at the hilt like he was in the middle of a dramatic stage play—and an overenthusiastic elf cheering at the top of her lungs.

Up on her throne, the chieftess rested her chin on her hand, watching the bizarre display with clear amusement.

Then—CRACK! The gemstone shattered into glittering shards, and with a final heave, the sword slid free into Himmel’s hands. Its divine steel caught the torchlight, casting rainbows on the walls.

The entire chamber fell into stunned silence.

Then Frieren threw her hands up. "Three cheers!" she declared in some ancient tongue that absolutely no one understood, her voice echoing with giddy triumph.

Eisen stared at the broken gem. Heiter buried his face in his palm. Himmel just... smiled, because really, this was exactly the sort of nonsense he’d come to expect from her.

The chieftess chuckled softly. "Your party is... unique."

Frieren looked terribly smug. "Hey," she said, planting her hands on her hips, "the prophecy said the destined hero would pull the sword, right? It didn't say he had to do it alone. That's the real lesson here. A hero isn't just about a single person, it's about a team. A hero is only as good as the party around them. Eisen's strength, Heiter's divine support, and Himmel's destiny, all working together. It's the ultimate 'power of friendship' move."

Heiter uncovered his face. "Power of... what?"

"Never mind," Frieren said with a wave of her hand. "The point is, you don't have to be perfect on your own. It's about teamwork. That's the real hero's journey, you know? It's not about being the best, it's about being the best together." She beamed, a look of pure pride on her face. "So yeah, you guys are legends. Now let's go get some snacks, I'm starving.