If anyone can kill you,
it's the Demon King
or a human mage.
ORIGINAL STORY BY KANEHITO YAMADA / TSUKASA ABE
She blocked it.
Not surprising.
From here it will be
a battle of attrition.
They really were here.
It's just as Methode detected.
Don't get in my way.
Right back at you.
Methode figured out the exact locations of our enemies.
If it turns into a melee, we have no chance of winning.
Let's split up and stop the clones
before they assemble here.
We've told each other who our toughest opponents would be.
If it's a tough opponent for you,
it should be a tough opponent for your clone as well.
In terms of being able to communicate and cooperate,
we have an advantage.
If we choose who we fight wisely,
we can have the upper hand to some extent.
If you can't defeat them alone,
try to outnumber them.
It's almost funny how easy it is to fight her.
If we keep this up, we can stop the clones.
Okay, let's go according to plan.
All right. I wish you good luck.
There's one concern.
The total number of clones I can detect
is less than the number of examinees.
And what's more,
I cannot detect our biggest threat, which is Sense's clone.
You're right, I can't detect it either.
We can't overlook the existence of Sense's clone.
If we get caught in crossfire, I won't be able to protect Fern.
Worst-case scenario, we both may die.
I'm not able to detect the locations of Fern and Denken's clones either.
We have no choice but to use more accurate close-range detection.
If you weren't here,
we wouldn't have to worry about this.
First-class mages must be able to
overcome even the most absurd adversities.
This doesn't even count as adversity.
Plus, you get to pass the exam just by covering each other's backs.
It is such an easy, peaceful exam.
We defeated it.
But it's not the greatest feeling.
A surprise attack?
What a monster...
I don't remember stopping my mana detection.
Lawine, you should break your bottle too.
You're mature enough to know your limits, aren't you?
There will be another exam in three years.
Damn it!
I didn't make it in time, huh?
But the outcome wouldn't have been any different
even if I had assisted them.
Even while her back is facing me, I don't see any window of opportunity.
In any case, I still need to at least buy some time.
Aren't you Denken, the Imperial Mage?
What's the situation?
Are you planning on fighting that thing?
I don't think you will win.
I am aware of that.
Hey, Denken, is this a necessary step in raiding the dungeon?
Right now, Frieren is...
I don't need an explanation. Is this a necessary step or not?
It is.
Then I'll defeat it.
What are you talking about?
Denken is the strongest among us.
And first of all, you couldn't even win against Wirbel.
That's not what this is about, though.
Indeed, I am an inexperienced third-class mage.
I am substantially weaker than Denken and Wirbel.
But I'm pretty sure I can win against Sense.
This is the spell I specialize in.
Reelseiden, a spell that can cut through pretty much anything.
It will cut through anything that I deem cuttable.
And it will not cut anything that I deem uncuttable.
So what?
Defensive magic can easily block that spell.
Oh, that's right,
you were watching me fight Wirbel.
Well, defensive magic is made to block magic, after all.
I can't really visualize myself cutting through it.
Is that right?
Then it won't work against Sense either way.
Just from what I can detect, that hair is covered
with multiple layers of magic that work like defensive magic.
Like I said, I don't care about all that logical stuff.
It's all about visualizing.
Hey, wait.
As I thought, Sorganeil won't work.
Hair is part of the body, after all.
It's impossible to keep her entire body within sight.
Reelseiden.
As expected, Übel is the one fighting my clone, huh?
I already know the outcome.
It probably won't even escalate into a battle.
That was two years ago, during the second-class mage exam...
The proctor assigned to the second stage of the exam
was Burg, a first-class mage.
Since the time he became a first-class mage,
he had never once suffered a single wound during battle.
He was a mage who specialized in defensive magic.
The Immovable Cloak.
It's a cloak he made from magic
that was embedded with defensive spells that repelled all offensive magic.
For the second stage of the exam,
the examinees were to aim offensive magic at the cloaked Burg,
and they simply had to make him take a step back to pass.
The rule prohibiting the act of killing
was only there to keep their offensive magic
under control for the safety of the other examinees.
Next.
Nobody was worried about Burg's safety.
I cut too much.
But a nameless girl who was a newly appointed third-class mage
killed him like it was nothing.
I'm disqualified, aren't I? I know.
Can I go home now?
I just have one question.
Go ahead.
How were you able to break through the Immovable Cloak?
Um, have you ever done any sewing, Sense?
No. What about it?
I thought so. You look like your family is well-off.
Or maybe you use magic to take care of all that stuff?
Well, you know,
I'm clumsy, so I've never done it myself either.
But I used to watch my older sister sew all the time.
When you cut the fabric,
you place the scissors like this and slice it in one sweep.
It makes a wonderful sound.
I loved that sound.
Where are you going with this?
I'm talking about visualization.
Fabrics are made to be cut.
It's only natural to cut them.
She is crazy.
It's true that anyone can visualize themselves cutting fabric.
Even a fool can do that.
But the world of magic isn't that easy.
If you cannot perfectly visualize it, you cannot actualize it with magic.
Just as a tiny ant can't visualize itself stomping on a huge dragon,
hardly any mage could visualize
themselves cutting that cloak, which was protected by
impenetrable defensive spells.
That's because any mage could tell at first glance that the cloak
could repel any kind of offensive magic.
Even a fool could understand.
So long as humans are intelligent life forms,
we cannot break free from those mental constraints.
And yet, she still followed her intuition.
Intellectually, she knew it was uncuttable.
But she trusted her intuition and visualized herself cutting the cloak.
Her mental state cannot be that of a normal human being.
It's a gift, at this point.
Can I leave now?
Sure.
By the way, Sense, you have such beautiful hair.
Maintaining it must be a lot of work.
Perhaps I had already lost at that moment.
I cannot visualize myself winning against Übel.
We are just too incompatible.
Everyone needs to stop overcomplicating things.
Hair is meant to be cut, isn't it?
Maintaining my hair?
It's a hellish process.
I don't even want to think about it.
She should just cut it.
I see what's going on now.
So all of you are buying time until
Frieren defeats Spiegel, huh?
Yes, that's right.
We already took out three clones ourselves.
Then that saves us time.
Well then... Oh, my...
It seems Sense's clone was defeated just now.
This mana belongs to...
It was Übel, the third-class mage, who defeated it.
That's surprising.
Is it? They seem pretty incompatible.
Battles between mages are a bit like playing rock, paper, scissors.
Although it's a complex and difficult version
of rock, paper, scissors, with countless possibilities.
And now you want to expand the possibilities even more, huh?
All right, I'll help you in holding back the clones.
I'm not the type to trust others,
but I'm not stupid enough to waste an opportunity.
At the moment, there are two high-risk clones that
we must stop at all costs.
I have located
one of the two, which is Denken's clone.
I will leave that one up to you three.
In regard to the other one, which is Fern's clone,
you can leave that up to me.
It seems she is especially good at concealing her mana.
Unless I find her, we may suffer
casualties from surprise attacks.
Can you really handle her alone?
I can concentrate on mana detection better when I'm alone.
That girl is pretty strong, you know?
I'm versatile, so stalling people is what I excel at.
-Plus, I tested my restraining spell. -There!
-Made sure it worked on her. -I can't move.
All right then, let's get this started.
Übel, this isn't
my imagination, is it?
I don't think so.
After all, you can't move, right?
My clone has reemerged.
Is this perhaps going to
continue until that Spiegel or whatever is defeated?
It's a battle of attrition. This is getting exciting!
Indeed...
Now is the time to call it quits.
This opening won't work either.
Fern isn't able to notice it yet.
I'm left with no other choice.
The opening created after my mana detection is
interrupted won't be enough to kill the clone.
I agree.
If only there was a bigger opening, we could win...
You think you can win?
Then I will create an opening.
You can do such a thing?
The moment I become vulnerable,
the clone will be even more vulnerable.
But that means you will be...
If I focus on my defense, nothing will become fatal.
What's the plan in that case?
I'll leave that up to you.
If you think you can win, you will win.
How can you be so sure?
Because I always underestimate you, Fern.
That's good.
We have a chance of winning then.
It's still standing...
But it's critically wounded.
Let's end this...
What just happened?
Was I attacked?
I don't sense any mana at all.
My body isn't recognizing this attack as magic.
You're amazing, Mistress Frieren.
So this is the highest form of magic?
But it's uncharacteristic of you...
You're completely vulnerable.
Well done, Fern.
It's been 80 years since the last time I was forced into using that move.
Well then, let's get this over with already.
So it ended?
I can't move anymore.
Wirbel, carry me please...
You two are constantly worn out.
So this is the innermost depths of the Ruins of the King's Tomb?
You have raided the Ruins of the King's Tomb.
That makes you equivalent to a first-class mage.
Your names will go down in history for this achievement.
As promised, everyone who made it to the innermost depths
will pass the second stage.
And where did the greatest contributor to our success go?
It's so dark!
It's scary!
It's dark... So scary...
Well, I might do the same thing.
-Oh dear. -It's dark... So scary...
Well then, the second stage of the exam is over.
Can you believe that it can even use healing magic?
See? Isn't it amazing?
I guess.
Who are you?
-We've been together. -You were unlucky.
-Since I was small. -Flamme's spell.
-I'm in a terrible mood. -This will take time.
-Let's begin the third stage. -Fern.
-Let's go back. -Make fun of me like you always do.
"An Era of Humans."
Subtitle translation by: Kiko Morita