Chapter 61

Magic Sealing Crystal is the sixty-first chapter of Yamada Kanehito & Abe Tsukasa's Frieren: Beyond Journey's End.

Summary
Twenty-nine years after the death of the Hero Himmel, Frieren's Party are in the Saum Marshes. Frieren finds a magic-nullifying crystal and tells Stark and Fern its properties. Later, the ground collapses beneath them and they fall into a cave made of magic-nullifying crystal. They trek through the cave. Fern wonders how Frieren can sleep so soundly in this situation and admits to Stark she is terrified; they are interrupted by a Venomous Apex Dragon bursting out of the water. Frieren tells Stark she is able to sleep soundly because she has entrusted her life to him, and if he wants to flee, then they will flee together as they are a party, just as the Hero Party did. She pours mana into a magic-nullifying crystal and uses it to blind the dragon, and Frieren's Party escape from the cave together. They then continue on their travels north.

Plot Details
Twenty-nine years after Hero Himmel's passing, Frieren's Party finds themselves in the Saum Marshes. Early in the morning, Stark returns to the group, having caught some fish, which Fern includes in their breakfast. Meanwhile, Frieren is searching for something within the bushes. Stark notes that Frieren is uncharacteristically up early, and Fern explains that something of interest has awakened her.

Frieren discovers a large crystal and hands it to Stark, who remarks that it looks quite pretty. Fern finds that she is unable to cast her fire magic to cook, as Frieren explains that the crystal possesses the power to nullify magic. To demonstrate, Frieren has Stark move away with the crystal, allowing Fern to cast her magic. Frieren reveals that the crystal is incredibly rare; even a pebble-sized one would sell for a few gold coins and the large one in their possession could even buy an exotic mansion.

Fern reckons that keeping the crystal would pose too much risk for the party's journey, rendering both her and Frieren incapable of casting magic. Urging Frieren to dispose of the crystal, she emphasizes that an encounter with monsters would be dangerously compromised with its magic-nullifying effect. Despite Fern's concerns, a self-satisfied Frieren moves on to explain another unique property of the crystal. She demonstrates its ability to store enormous amounts of mana, causing it to glow extremely brightly. Stark comments on the crystal's radiance, while Fern, uninterested, urges Frieren to discard the crystal once again.

Later, the party continues their journey towards the next village, expecting to arrive later that day. Fern notices that an area of the marsh is still engulfed in light from the crystal. Stark asks Frieren if they are near the Northern Plateau, and she explains that they are still a fair distance away, beyond a great forest and a volcanic belt. Despite Stark's concern about the volcanic belt, Frieren reassures him that it has been centuries since the last eruption, and the location now serves as a safe hot spring region. Before the conversation can continue, the ground beneath the party caves in, sending them airborne with Fern carrying Stark. The ground beneath them gave way, revealing a cavern filled with magic-nullifying crystals. The disrupted flying spell left Fern and Frieren tumbling, and they landed on top of Stark's back.

Frieren examines the party's surroundings, noting the unprecedented size of the crystal ore deposit. While gently petting the perturbed Stark on the head, Fern observes that it seems as though the cave is entirely composed of the magic-nullifying crystal. Stark suggests the party could become extremely wealthy if they were to bring the crystals with them. However, Frieren explains that these crystals are the hardest material in the world, impervious to cutting or refinement with magic. She adds that such massive crystals are beyond humanity's reach.

As the party begins to search for an exit, Frieren encourages Stark, emphasizing that the party will be counting on him. Frieren explains that the crystals have rendered her and Fern into ordinary girls while reminding Stark that she hasn't forgotten him calling her a hag. A short compilation begins of the party exploring the crystal-laden cave and eventually making camp near a body of water. Fern notes to Stark that the cave is immeasurably large and may house a great monster, according to Frieren, who is now soundly sleeping. Fern confides in Stark, expressing her fear at being unable to detect any mana in comparison to the carefree demeanor of Frieren. She draws a comparison between the magic-nullifying crystals and being cast into darkness, intensifying her unease. Before Stark can respond, a dragon emerges from the water, prompting Stark to swiftly grab Frieren and defend against the dragon's attack. An awakened Frieren identifies the dragon as the Venomous Apex Dragon, a fatal matchup for Stark.

Stark, now at a loss, questions why Frieren had been so nonchalant earlier. Frieren promptly declares that she has placed her life in Stark's hands, explaining that it has been that way since Stark was recruited since parties cannot function without such trust. Stark counters this sentiment, stating that he only sees himself as a coward who flees at critical moments and currently can't stop the urge to run. With a smile, Frieren suggests that they run together. Instructing Stark to close his eyes, Frieren tosses a chunk of a crystal imbued with her mana towards the dragon, successfully blinding the monster.

A short flashback begins with the Hero Party sitting in a dungeon together. Eisen asks Himmel how he could leave his life in Eisen’s hands, considering Eisen was just a man who had abandoned his village. Himmel explains that whenever Eisen feels the urge to run, everyone will run with him, as they are a party after all.

The Hero Party is then seen fleeing from a dragon, with Heiter carrying Eisen and Himmel carrying Frieren. As the present unfolds, the hero party's escape from the dragon mirrors that of Frieren's party, with Stark running while carrying both Frieren and Fern.

Finally making their way out of the cave, Frieren remarks that it had been a scary experience and that it isn’t so bad to flee from battles together, to Stark’s agreement. As Frieren and Fern prepare to leave, Stark reveals that his legs have given out, and he can’t walk anymore.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * Stark
 * Fern
 * Frieren
 * Eisen
 * Himmel
 * Heiter

Locations

 * Saum Marshes

Events

 * Frieren's Party falls into a cave made of magic-nullifying crystal
 * Frieren's Party runs from a Venomous Apex Dragon

Chapter Notes

 * The purity of a magic-nullifying crystal affects its radius of effect
 * Frieren states that magic-nullifying crystal is very rare, and one the size of a pebble is worth a few gold coins