Original subtitles

Stand tall!

Protect the villagers!

FRIEREN: BEYOND JOURNEY'S END

EPISODE 34: A DEMON-SLAYING REQUEST

30 YEARS AFTER THE DEATH OF HIMMEL THE HERO NORTHERN LANDS, RUFEN REGION

I beg you!

I have a young son...

Silence.

I've heard those words countless times.

So, where is this son it mentioned?

Can't they at least try to speak the truth for once?

Mistress Serie personally requested me for a demon-slaying task.

I was wondering why she would do that...

But now I see the ruins of my hometown, destroyed by those very demons.

I practically have no attachment to this place,

but seeing it like this does make me feel melancholic.

You're... Genau...?

Yeah.

Genau, our village... The demons...

I know.

I've already taken care of them.

I killed every single one of them.

The villagers...?

They're safe. Everyone is alive.

You'll be fine, as well.

I have a new first-class mage with me.

She can use the Goddess Magic despite being a mage.

Strange, isn't it?

That's why you'll be healed in no time.

You can open your bakery again soon.

So, have you been able to bake good bread now?

I've only been able to eat cold, hard breads lately.

It'd be great if I could eat a freshly-baked one.

Actually, it doesn't have to be freshly baked.

Give me leftovers, or your failed experiments, just like old times.

I won't ask for more.

Genau.

Please bring that injured man here.

Injured man? Don't even try to pity me, Methode.

This man is already dead.

When I found him, he was already beyond saving.

Don't you smell that awful stench?

His stomach wound is already starting to rot.

There's no way he can be saved.

Even so, he clung to me.

He was the son of a baker.

We used to play together when we were kids.

When his father passed away, he took over the bakery...

But the bread he baked wasn't very good.

And now, I can't ever eat those again.

Everyone's here. He won't feel lonely anymore.

I wonder why it's them and not us.

Unlike us, these villagers didn't choose to fight.

If anyone had to die,

it should have been us, first-class mages, since we chose to fight.

Genau.

By the time our northern branch received the request

for help from the Chivalric Order of Norm,

the village was already destroyed.

It's not your fault.

I'll go check around the village one more time.

Shouldn't you get some rest?

Why?

What do you mean, "Why"?

Quiet.

One of my watchers was taken down.

One warrior, and one mage in hiding.

No, is it two mages?

It's two.

They seem quite skilled.

Do you think it's the enemy?

No, it's probably...

Oh, it's you, Frieren.

That means the other one I'm sensing is the first-class mage Fern.

Oh, so it's Methode and the proctor of the first exam.

Genau, was it?

Good grief. The mana I sensed was filled with intense killing intent,

so I thought you were a demon.

Is that so?

My apologies for the confusion. Did not mean to.

It sure was. I was so worried.

Fern, it's all right. They're on our side.

Let Stark know, too.

Okay.

I see.

So you also received the demon-slaying request, Miss Fern.

We were already in the Northern Plateau, after all.

So, what's the situation?

Are you praying?

Is there something wrong with that?

No, I wouldn't say that.

My village was destroyed by demons as well.

Is that so?

Say.

Demons eat humans, right?

So why did they leave these bodies?

They did so in my village, as well.

Who knows? I don't know the reason.

Those demons kill humans even if their bellies are full.

What a mystery.

Is that so?

So you two slayed the demons that were in this village.

Looks like we're one step too late.

We did our best to get here as fast as we could, though.

However, Genau mentioned that there's one thing that doesn't make sense.

These are the Chivalric Order of Norm, stationed in the village.

Chivalric Order of Norm?

They were in Norm Company's territory too, remember?

They're the military branch of the company.

There aren't that many of them.

That's just how it is for a small village garrison.

Even so, they are elites. Far too good for a village like this.

This man was their captain.

He's a hero who has protected this village for many years.

I'm surprised. I can tell he was much stronger than Stark.

I mean, everyone is stronger than me.

And the cause of death is...?

According to my autopsy spell,

they were all slashed to death by blades.

They all died instantly.

The demons we found in the village

were far too weak to be a match for them.

I suspect the demon who attacked this village is still alive.

Good for you three, you didn't come here in vain.

I see. Then it seems we can still help.

Let's work together and show those demons how scary humanity can be.

Like this...

Then this, and this...

And then this, perhaps?

Those moves shouldn't be possible to do in an instant.

But according to the wounds on the knights...

Wait...

Maybe it's a dual-wielder?

If that's the case...

Demons generally only conceal their mana for short periods of time,

so it's safe to think that they're outside of our mana-detection range right now.

Then I assume the area around this village is safe.

Genau told me about some places around the village that the demons might use.

Let's focus on investigating those.

Understood.

Well, I guess we should have dinner before that.

No battle can be fought on an empty stomach, as they say.

This bread again...

We have to be patient until the distribution network improves.

Where's Genau?

I think he's still at the church.

I will bring his share of bread.

No, I want to hear your analysis of the enemy.

I want to know their composition first.

Then I'll bring it to him.

Thank you.

So, what is our enemy?

We still need more time to figure out the minute details,

but we did figure one thing out.

I see, then let's have a strategy meeting...

Actually, let's have our dinner first.

What, are we leaving already?

No, I brought your dinner.

It's hard.

Yeah...

What were you doing?

The barrier on the church was destroyed by the demons' attack.

So I replaced it with a stronger barrier.

The corpses are still inside, after all.

Say, why are you leaving the corpses like that?

If you're going to bury them, I'll help. I'm good with physical labor.

That so?

I guess people who aren't from the Northern Plateau wouldn't know.

Basically, in the Northern Plateau, villages don't bury the dead.

Even if they do, it's only in the corners of a well-fortified city,

or a noble's tomb that is protected by a barrier.

Everyone else is buried at a public cemetery

at the southernmost Northern Plateau, where there are fewer monsters.

We spent all the effort carrying the corpses there.

And they're guarded by the Chivalric Order of Norm.

Do you know why?

Uh, no...?

If the graves are made poorly, the smell of decay will attract monsters.

It then becomes a hellish sight.

They don't even leave bones behind.

The Norm Company has been insisting for some time that corpses should be burned.

It's very much a rational idea that merchants would do.

And I do agree with them.

However, the clergy won't tolerate it.

I understand their feelings, too.

I truly do.

Throwing someone who died in agony into a fire is not a sane thing to do.

But eventually, we need to accept that.

Because at this rate,

no one will ever rest in the land of their birth.

It's still very weird to hear that sound when eating bread.

It feels so strange to have food together with you like this.

I honestly didn't expect to be reunited with you all here.

Neither did we.

We were camping a whole mountain away when we got the letter asking for help.

I was so perplexed.

What's with this guy?

It's holding a letter.

And what about you two? Why are you and Genau here?

I doubt two first-class mages are here simply by coincidence.

Right now, I am tasked by Mistress Serie

to work together with Genau and slay demons in the Northern Plateau.

So, first-class mages have to do that kind of thing?

I'm glad I didn't become one.

I'm doing it more because I'm her apprentice.

Apprentice?

Yes.

First-class mages generally end up becoming her apprentices.

Right, she did mention that somewhat.

But I refused her.

You're a good girl, Fern.

So you two are letting yourselves be ordered around by Serie.

Must've been troublesome.

Not at all.

Rather, I'd like to be of more use to her.

She's just so small and adorable, don't you think?

Is she...?

Of course, you are just as adorable as she is.

Why, thank you...

Besides, I can't find a better example of who not to be than Genau.

Don't end up becoming like me.

Now that we're full...

Let's start our strategy meeting.

So, how's the analysis on the enemy?

Did you find something?

Yeah.

I think we're still not sure about exactly how many demons there were,

but we figured one thing.

You said the enemy is a dual-wielder, didn't you?

About that...

I suspected that would be the case at first,

but some things just don't add up.

What do you mean?

As far as I know, all dual-wielding sword styles

focus on maintaining a balance between offense and defense.

That's why most would use a long sword to inflict fatal wounds,

while also wielding an easy-to-use short sword on the other hand.

What I mean is, there should've been differences in its slash marks.

So we're facing a powerful demon wielding two giant swords?

Yes.

We put that in mind along with the wounds on the bodies and the marks of battle

to imagine how the demon attacks with swords...

But no matter what, it is impossible for a dual-wielder to move the way it did.

Anything beyond that is simply speculation, but...

Just say it.

Whoa, my bad.

Apologies.

Our enemy...

...is a quadruple-wielder.

I see.

After looking at the slash marks on the knights and buildings,

that is apparently the logical conclusion.

A quadruple-wielder...

- This enemy outclasses me. - It's not a number we cannot beat.

- But you cannot abandon this village. - It's not a number we cannot beat.

- But you cannot abandon this village. - Shall we begin?

- You seem to know me. - Shall we begin?

There's a good chance this enemy's body is totally inhuman.

One of them is a demon general.

EPISODE 35: THE DIVINE REVOLTE The Divine Revolte.