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While walking together in a forest under the moonlight, Stark and Fern were having a chat while Frieren tailed after them. Suddenly, she felt a presence behind them and stopped.
Stark: “Hurry up Frieren, you’re falling behind again.”
Frieren: “You go on ahead; I’ll be right behind.”
When the other two left, she turned around, pointed her staff, and took the shot!
*BLAST!*
The Bushes stopped moving for a moment and Frieren’s gaze fixed on the point she shot. For a moment, silence took over.
“Show Yourself.” The Elf called and squinted.
It was then a Human-like figure with Horns emerged and made The Elf aim again, but she did not attack after seeing her initial blast destroyed a chunk of his center.
“How did you know where I was?” He asked without displaying any emotions.
Frieren: “Your Aura is too high; it was impossible to miss.”
The Demon gazed at The Elf blankly, then he asked: “Are you going to shoot me again?”
Frieren, however, pulled her staff and replied: “It seems 1 blast is enough, you are disintegrating.”
The Demon turned his head to his wound, much like what Frieren said, it was disintegrating like burnt Paper.
“Oh... I am... Dying...” He said without a hint of emotion.
Frieren nodded: “If you try anything funny, I won’t hesitate to shoot you again.”
The Demon then looked at her and asked with his head tilted: “You are... Human... Right?”
Frieren’s confusion increased.
The Demon: “How... Do you feel... When you kill me?”
Frieren squinted and answered: “Disgusted.”
The Demon: “Oh... But I saw you before... You were laughing and smiling too, and sometimes... I’ve seen you cry.”
Frieren raised an eyebrow: “Seen me cry?”
The Demon shook his head: “Yes, you were a lot gathering in taverns and guilds, partying and laughing, and other times crying too.”
Frieren recognized he was referring to Humans as a Race not her specifically, so she gave him the only answer she knew: “Demons are Incapable of Empathy.”
“Empathy?” The Demon asked.
Frieren: “Feelings of Love and Attachment, bonds and wanting to protect others. I myself had a time where I lost this feeling too.”
The Demon tilted his head: “What is Love?”
Frieren smiled in that moment and answered: “Since you didn’t hurt me, I’ll tell you what I know.”
Next, the Demon gazed intently and listened to everything Frieren said, as if he was learning something Foreign and new altogether.
Frieren: “The biggest difference between Humans and Your Kind is their ability to be Affectionate, their Love is driven by Feelings and Desire to protect each other. Humans are Fascinating because they will always break through hardship and unite together against external threats, and sometimes you will meet someone who will change your worldview altogether.”
“Did your worldview change from a Human?” The Demon asked curiously.
Frieren: “Yeah, he was the previous hero who defeated the Demon Lord. I thought I’ve known it all, but before I knew it, he was gone.”
The Demon: “But... People die every day....”
Frieren: “That’s what makes losing him meaningful. This is what I mean by Love and Empathy, if you care about someone this much, even after his death....”
*Tinng*
A tear fluttered from Frieren’s eye and fell on the grass.
“You will still miss him....”
When Frieren finished, The Demon’s eyes started widening for the first time.
Frieren immediately pulled her Staff and got ready to defend herself.
“I understand....” The Demon said and looked at the Moon illuminating the Dark Sky, “I finally get it....” He smiled as his Disintegration reached to his head and scattered his body to the winds.
Frieren stood alone for a moment, let out a sigh, wiped her tear, and turned to walk back to the others.
Before getting far, she looked over her shoulder and lamented: “For a demon to defy his instincts, it’s as impossible as it is fascinating.”
{The End}