Aftermath

Monet's headless body lay limply in the snow, crimson blood spreading across the pure white ice crystals in a horrifying sight, quickly covered by a layer of newly fallen, fine ice crystals. Her magnificent ice and snow dress, having lost its magical support, became dull and lifeless. The raging snowstorm within the hall, having lost its source, gradually subsided, leaving only a lingering chill and a scene of devastation.

Her body did not slowly disappear like that of ordinary Demons; perhaps this was the last and only proof that she had once been human.

After recovering from Lowell's treatment, Heiter took another big gulp of wine, let out a long sigh, and regained some color in his face. He looked around and smacked his lips with lingering fear.

"That was close... That Grausam managed to infect us all without us even realizing it! If you hadn't woken up in time, we'd all be stuck here in this freezing cold forever."

Eisen silently wiped the ice shards off his battle axe, his bronze face still expressionless, but when his steady voice rang out, it carried a rare, almost imperceptible hint of lingering fear:

"Completely... without warning, as if the campaign had truly been completed. I returned home, drank with Ransen; laid down the burden of a warrior, and spent time with you all in the flower fields... I didn't even feel the chill of the snow gradually engulfing me, as if that was the inevitable end. It wasn't until Grausam's death and the magic fading that I was jolted awake. This kind of illusion is impossible to defend against." This battle-hardened dwarf warrior frankly admitted the terrifying nature of the illusion.

Lupa tightened her grip on the spear, her heterochromatic eyes still gleaming with lingering fear. She nodded vigorously, her voice trembling slightly, "Me too... In the illusion, the village was intact, and my parents greeted me with smiles... I even... I even believed I had personally killed Qual to avenge him... That sense of reality... it was terrifying." She glanced instinctively at Lowell, as if seeking a sliver of certainty.

Linié stood quietly to the side, her deep blue eyes blinking slightly. She stated in her completely calm voice, a hint of faint regret in her tone. "Linié's big apple, so big, so red, is gone."

Ruby's face was still flushed, and her large, emerald eyes kept stealing glances at Himmel beside her, each glance fleeting as if burned. The flawless wedding scene from her fantasy was still lingering in her mind, making her heart race with a mixture of embarrassment and a strange, indescribable sweetness.

Himmel noticed her gaze, and a gentle, knowing smile appeared on his handsome face. He naturally reached out and gently ruffled Ruby's fiery red curls, his touch soothing and comforting. "It's alright, Ruby. The illusion will eventually dissipate, and the real us will still stand side by side." His voice was clear and firm, instantly dispelling the last trace of unease in Ruby's heart. She softly hummed in agreement, lowered her head, and couldn't help but let a slight smile appear on her lips.

Lowell smiled helplessly at the various expressions on everyone's faces, his gaze finally settling on Frieren was squatting on the ground, curiously poking at the small cluster of strange ice crystals left behind after Monet's disappearance. He walked over, squatted down as well, and asked curiously, "Frieren, what was your illusion? How did you manage to break free before me?" He himself was thoroughly annoyed by layer upon layer of nested illusions, yet Frieren had time to come and save him?

Frieren didn't even look up, continuing to sense the faint magical fluctuations emanating from the ice crystal with her fingertips, and replied calmly, "I saw Flamme."

Lowell paused for a moment. "... That's it? And then?"

Frieren finally raised her head, her clear emerald eyes looking at Lowell. "That's all."

Lowell: "... That's it? Just 'saw Flamme '? And then? After Flamme, there were no other illusions?"

Frieren blinked, seemed to think for a moment, and then confirmed, "Hmm, no. I saw her, then realized it was an illusion, so I broke it."

Lowell opened his mouth, but seeing Frieren's "what's so strange about this?" expression of utter nonchalance, he was speechless for a moment before finally managing to utter a strongly indignant remark. "... This is fucking unfair!"

He recalled the series of mentally torturous "history replays" and "emotional interrogations" he experienced in the hallucinations, and then looked at Frieren's nonchalant experience, feeling targeted.

He stroked his chin and began to analyze, trying to find a reasonable explanation for himself. "Hmm... it seems this illusion is constructed based on each person's inner obsessions, what they most desire, what they cannot obtain, or their most unforgettable regrets... When I was originally human, I read quite a few history books, and indeed, there are many things I feel uneasy about, so they've all been included in my account, right... As for what I most desire..."

His gaze unconsciously fell on Frieren, his tone becoming somewhat complicated, carrying a hint of barely perceptible relief and... smugness?

"Frieren has always been by my side, and vice versa... Tsk, elves really have an advantage in this respect. Their emotions are relatively detached, unlike humans, who always have so many tangled obsessions and regrets..."

Upon hearing this, Frieren suddenly straightened her back, put her hands on her hips, her silver twin tails swayed triumphantly, and her bright green eyes looked at Lowell with sparkling eyes. A clear little smile appeared on her lips, "Hmph~ Finally, it's my turn to save you this time, isn't it? Admit it, this time I was the better one."

Lowell, seeing her rare, slightly smug expression, couldn't help but chuckle. He reached out and ruffled her silver hair roughly, his tone carrying a resigned smile and a hint of genuine gratitude:

"Yes, yes, Frieren is awesome! Frieren is amazing! But the difference in difficulty is too great... I was still battling my inner demons in those troublesome illusions, thinking about how to rescue you from some Mimic or dessert dream, and then I turned around and it was you who pulled me out of the illusion."

Thinking of how Frieren appeared beside him like moonlight through the illusion at the crucial moment, a warm feeling welled up in his heart.

Ruby nearby, overheard their conversation and widened her emerald eyes in surprise. She leaned closer and asked curiously, "Huh? Was it Frieren who stepped in this time? I thought it was you, Lowell, who displayed your power and defeated that illusion-casting Demons before saving us all!"

"The main credit goes to Frieren; I merely cleaned up the battlefield debris. If the illusion hadn't worked, even Himmel with her eyes closed could have defeated someone like Grausam," Lowell said frankly, scratching his head.

Frieren immediately raised her little face, even more smug. Although her expression didn't change much, the light in her blue eyes almost overflowed. She solemnly declared, "I'm very strong, you know~" as if emphasizing a fact that had been ignored for a long time but was finally being revealed.