Kapitel 63: Chapter 62
Chapter 62: Reunion with an Old Friend
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If someone else ended up dying during a date, Ash would be thoroughly depressed. But skipping out didn't feel right either; after all, this was an arrangement with a friend.
So, he sighed as he sat on the city wall, feeling endlessly conflicted, unable to make up his mind.
Just then, Rivale appeared beside him without a sound, and before Ash could react...
"——What? You've pushed your martial arts to the very pinnacle of human ability. One more step, and you'd be on par with me. Yet here you are, with that unwarrior-like expression!"
Rivale slapped him on the back without a hint of restraint, the impact resounding with a loud bang and nearly sending Ash tumbling off the wall.
Ash shot the old man a frustrated look, but Rivale only grinned back, leaving him at a loss for words.
For a moment, Ash couldn't help but think that these powerful demons didn't seem quite like demons at all… Aura, he could understand, given that he'd essentially raised them; it was natural for them to be a little unusual. But Rivale? He lacked any fear of death and had an unyielding passion for battle—an attitude that defied demon instincts.
Yes, Rivale had absolutely no fear in battle. This was something the dwarf warrior Eisen, who had once fought him, could attest to.
It was said that Rivale's strength had reached a level of martial prowess that humans couldn't hope to achieve. Even though Rivale had used an axe to fight Eisen, he was still far beyond the pinnacle that Eisen had reached.
Although Ash hadn't witnessed their fight, he'd heard from his companions that Rivale's skill was terrifying, even outmatching Eisen's. His martial arts abilities were beyond anything a human could comprehend.
Eisen's special moves had only scratched Rivale's face, and his regular attacks hadn't harmed him at all. His body was astoundingly durable—harder even than that of a dragon.
However, his single-minded focus on fighting and lack of fear had allowed Eisen to seize an opportunity, knocking him off a cliff with a special attack… and even managing to cut his face.
But that was the extent of it; nothing else could harm him. His strength was simply monstrous.
…Of course, none of this was particularly relevant to the situation now, but it made him quite suited to be a teacher.
As for his appearance, he was just a quirky uncle with slicked-back hair, standing over two meters tall, always smiling.
So Ash just turned to look at him. When Rivale gazed back with a curious look, Ash was convinced—if he ever went to watch meteors with Frieren and the others again, it definitely wouldn't be with this strange uncle at this castle!
As for Serie… he figured he could skip that too. And Aura… well, that was just a shadow of the past.
"…Watching meteors with Serie or Aura isn't all that different from watching with Rivale…"
"Meteors? Ah~ So, the fifty-year meteor shower is about to happen again, isn't it? Do you want to watch meteors with me?" Rivale asked, his curiosity piqued as he overheard his name.
To Rivale, it didn't seem like much, but… Ash's expression turned to one of pure resistance: "…No, the very thought is disturbing, so let's not."
"Why not?"
"…Two grown men, sitting side by side, in the middle of the night, watching shooting stars. Can't you imagine how odd that would look?"
"Why, it's the friendship of warriors!" Rivale replied without hesitation, leaving Ash speechless.
After a long silence, Ash held his forehead with one hand and sighed, "…Alright, I admit it, I'm a bit old-fashioned. Please forgive me."
"Ah! You're forgiven! So let's fight again! This time, I'll only use one hand! No weapons, and I won't even go full strength!"
"Huh? What are you talking about? I was thinking—Whoa?!"
Before Ash could finish, Rivale's fist—practically the size of a casserole pot—smashed into his face without a shred of mercy.
Caught completely off guard, he took the full brunt of the punch, his body flung from the wall like a cannonball, landing heavily on the ground.
Not surprisingly, all his troubles vanished under that crushing blow.
Though helpless against a berserker like Rivale, Ash resolved through this brutal exchange that he would witness the final moments of his old friend.
So, the very next day…
With a face bruised and body battered, he flew straight to the Central Kingdoms at full speed. There was simply no other option.
Healing magic was a privilege of the goddess, available only to those who possessed the holy scriptures, primarily Priest.
Unfortunately, as a demon, even holding the scriptures wouldn't grant him access to healing. The goddess had clearly shown her disdain, unwilling to extend even a trace of favor to him.
...
...
Returning to the capital after half a century felt like a lifetime for Ash, still a young demon.
New buildings had sprung up, and the streets had changed slightly, but fifty years wasn't enough to bring drastic transformations to a city of this era. He tried to recall the direction to Himmel's home…
"—Wait, I don't remember any of it!"
He'd only been to Himmel's home once, fifty years ago, so his memory was hazy, leaving him wandering through the city's maze of streets and alleys.
On top of that, a barrier in the capital prohibited flight, making his situation even more frustrating. He even considered casting some magic into the sky to catch someone's attention, hoping an acquaintance might notice him…
"Ash? Is that…you?" An unfamiliar, aged voice spoke from behind, prompting Ash to turn around instinctively.
"Hmm…? And you are?"
He looked back to see an old man with a bald head, long white beard, a blue cloak, and a cane. The man studied Ash with the same curiosity Ash had.
"Are you…" Relying on the mole at the corner of his eye, Ash ventured, with uncertainty, "Himmel?!"
"Haha! Your surprised face is as amusing as Frieren's," Himmel chuckled, stroking his overgrown beard with a warm smile.
"No, hang on a second…"
"What's wrong?"
"—Weren't you shorter than Frieren? Have you finally given up being human and switched professions to dwarf?" Staring at the old man who barely reached his shoulder, Ash couldn't conceal his shock and blurted out without thinking.
After all, while people may shrink with age, they don't normally become this short. Himmel had shrunk by half a meter, enough that it seemed like a real transformation.
After all, while people may shrink with age, they don't typically become this short. Himmel was nearly half a meter shorter than before, so much so that he genuinely seemed like he'd transformed into something else.
Himmel's look of shock made him burst into laughter.
"You really haven't changed at all. You're still as blunt as ever. But don't you think it's a bit much to say that again?"
"No… this definitely isn't normal."
"What's abnormal is how you've stayed exactly the same." Himmel looked him up and down with a smile.
"Honestly… it makes me miss you. Seeing you and Frieren together brings back memories of our adventures fifty years ago. Though, you were always absent at the crucial moments, as if you were just stopping by."
"Well… I'm still weak, after all."
"Really? Even if Eisen in his prime faced you now, he might not win in close combat, right?"
"Is that so?" He didn't respond directly, speaking instead with a vague, confused expression.
With a soft sigh, Himmel remarked, "Even though Eisen has aged, you haven't shown any signs of decline… Truly fitting for a great magician from the mythological era, able to create magic like this."
"It really is… amazing."
"By the way, how old are you now?"
"Oh… a little over a hundred?"
"Really? That's… quite something. Anyway, let's not just stand here chatting. Come to my house, let's sit down and catch up properly."
Himmel seemed delighted to see his long-lost friend. He didn't want to bring up anything that might spoil the mood. Smiling, he led him through the streets and alleys to the house that had remained unchanged over the past fifty years.
Along the way, they continued to talk, and Himmel mentioned that Frieren hadn't visited even once in all these years.
As to why, well…
"…Every year at our reunion, there are only three of us. The two of you never show up, almost as if you'd made a pact to avoid it. We sometimes wonder if you've forgotten about us."
"Uh, no… nothing like that… truly."
Himmel's slightly resentful tone made him look away in embarrassment, his feelings mixed. It wasn't that he hadn't wanted to come; he'd intended to visit 25 years ago to say farewell to Serie, but she had coldly rejected him.
Humans are different from us. Their lives are as fleeting as a blooming flower. Even if the relationship is strong, what's the point? It only leads to wasted time and needless troubles. Don't go! — This was the thought that came to mind as he looked at Himmel's face.
But seeing his elderly friend now, he couldn't help but wonder why Serie had taken on so many human students if she felt that way.
In facing this old friend, as frail as a flickering candle, he began to understand what Serie had meant.
…
As a hero who once saved the world, Himmel's home was surprisingly modest, just a simple, ordinary house.
he lit a fire in the fireplace like any elderly person would and took a seat first. Watching him, he realized that Himmel was now a true old man.
"…What's wrong? Do you want to try it too?" Himmel, gently rocking back and forth in his chair, noticed his gaze on it and asked with a teasing smile, "Shall I get up so you can try it?"
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[T/N: Let's go another long chapters, and this is the Start of new weakly rankings so give me power stones]
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein