Chapter Text
924 years after the death of Himmel the Hero, Aureole
The ancient hero was sitting on a hill overlooking the path to heaven, a distant yet fond look in his blue eyes. It felt like just yesterday Frieren had visited and yet it had been over eight hundred years. The experience of time in Aureole, Himmel mused to himself, must be similar to how elves experienced time during life.
“Even in the afterlife, you’re still pining,” Eisen stated as he and Heiter walked toward their friend.
“Come on, Himmel,” Heiter said, holding up his near ever-present pint of heavenly alcohol, “It’s your one thousandth birthday!”
“How do you even keep up with the days here?”
“No one else bothers to celebrate birthdays in death,” Eisen added.
“He just wants another excuse to drink,” was Himmel’s reply.
Heiter laughed wholeheartedly, “I don’t need any excuses-”
The priest stopped abruptly, eyes widening in shock. The two warriors immediately tensed in anticipation of trouble. Old habits die hard, even after death. Heiter then took a breath before smiling.
“It appears you have a special guest for your birthday, Himmel.”
Himmel and Eisen glanced at each other in confusion before they felt her presence approaching as well. It was a feeling of warmth and comfort, like a mother’s embrace, yet so overwhelmingly powerful that Himmel almost dropped to his knees. He’d only felt her presence like this once before: the moment after his death, before he awoke in Aureole.
The Goddess of Creation materialized in front of them out of pure mana and light. She was a silhouette of sunlight with angelic wings spread as if in greeting.
“Himmel,” her voice rang, “Heiter, Eisen.”
“Goddess,” Heiter bowed.
“No need for that,” she said, hand reaching out to pat him on the head before ushering him to stand. “Please follow me, and I will explain.”
The Goddess then began walking with purpose, leaving the three souls to follow after in a bit of a daze.
“A very, very long time ago,” the Goddess started as if it were a fairytale, “Before even what humans refer to as the Age of Myths, I warred with a being that is both my equal and opposite: a god of destruction. Or… perhaps ‘Demon God’ would be an appropriate term for this being.”
They followed behind her, passing leisurely across the hills and farther away from the populated areas, as they listened intently.
“Eventually I was able to seal the Demon God. However, fragments of its mana escaped and took on new forms. Over time those fragments became what you mortals refer to as ‘monsters’ and ‘demons’.”
“That’s why they disappear into mana particles when they die?” Heiter asked.
“Yes,” the Goddess confirmed. She paused as they reached a canyon. She glanced at them with a smile and then glided down on graceful wings.
“This is certainly interesting,” Himmel commented.
Eisen nodded before jumping. He fell straight down like a rock.
“I know it won’t harm us but I’d rather not,” Heiter said. As if answering his prayer, an oddly shimmering rope ladder appeared before them.
“Thank you, Goddess!”
Himmel couldn’t help but laugh at that.
Once they reached the bottom, the Goddess began walking again. This time she remained silent until they reached a cave with a powerful barrier of her own making. The cave seemed familiar to Himmel, though he could not place why that was.
The Goddess then continued her explanation, “The creatures born from those fragments are troublesome but certainly not impossible for mortals to handle themselves. However, there is something much more dangerous.”
“The seal,” Himmel stated, “If something is sealed, it will inevitably become unsealed.”
“Exactly,” she replied, “The Demon God’s seal will fail within the next decade.”
The Hero’s Party that defeated the Demon King (minus one elven mage) glanced at each other. The pieces of why the Goddess had appeared before them was falling into place.
“What can we do to help?” Himmel asked.
An emotion akin to satisfaction and pride glowed from the Goddess’ ethereal face.
“I have been preparing for the seal to break since the moment I first defeated the Demon God. The Holy Scriptures, my Monuments, and especially…” As the Goddess explained, the barrier around the cave entrance faded.
Himmel sucked in a gasp as he saw just what rested inside the strangely familiar cave, “The Hero’s Sword.”
“Yes, I created the Sword of the Hero for the sole purpose of defeating the Demon God once and for all.”
“But how is it here?” Eisen questioned.
“Within this cave, space-time overlaps,” the Goddess said, “Anyone who touched this sword in life, is able pull it out of the stone here in death. They will then be revived in a body matching the one they had when they first touched the sword. In short you will once again have the body of a twenty year old but keep the memories and mind of your current self.”
Himmel looked from the mythical sword he’d once dreamed of wielding to his companions. He’d of course accept the Goddess’ request. However, he was a little disappointed that Heiter and Eisen wouldn’t be able to join him on this new world-saving mission. They had never touched the Hero’s Sword after all.
“It’s not like you’ll be alone,” Eisen spoke.
“I bet Frieren will have the same look on her face when she sees you as when she accidentally time-traveled,” Heiter smirked before pausing and really looking at the Goddess, “That was part of your plan?”
The Goddess just giggled mischievously. Once the chiming of her laughter faded, she turned to look Himmel directly in the eye.
“Himmel the Hero, will you forgo your eternal rest and return to the mortal coil to vanquish the most existential threat humanity will ever face: the Demon God?”
“Of course, Goddess,” Himmel replied with a slight bow.
The satisfaction and pride practically radiated off her like a hearthflame.
“I’m off on another adventure,” Himmel said, turning back towards his friends.
“Good luck,” Heiter replied, “Give Frieren our love when you see her.”
“Stark, Fern, and all the others will want to send their love as well,” Eisen added with an unusual amount of sentimentality in his voice.
“Of course. I’ll see you after a second lifetime.”
With goodbyes said, Himmel approached the Sword of the Hero and placed his hands on the hilt. Using all the strength in his technically non-corporal body, he pulled. To his surprise the sword slid out like a knife in butter. A wave of dizziness suddenly slammed into him. He stumbled to the ground. It was cold.
Nothing felt cold in Aureole.
Himmel looked up to find himself alone. No Heiter. No Eisen. No Goddess. Just him and the real legendary sword still in his hands in a cold, empty cave.
“I really am alive again,” he said aloud to himself. The sensations of being alive: the texture of the cave floor, the earthy smell, the chill in the air, his heart rapidly beating in his ears, the rasping of his breath, the oddly youthful sound of his voice. It was all overwhelming.
He just sat there, trying to adjust to the whole living thing again. Finally, after what felt like hours, Himmel stood up with determination flashing in his blue eyes.
“...I need to find Frieren.”
Then his stomach growled.
0 years after the rebirth of Himmel the Hero, Ruins of the Village of the Sword, Schwer Mountains