Chapter 96

Master and Apprentice is the ninety-sixth chapter of Yamada Kanehito & Abe Tsukasa's Frieren: Beyond Journey's End.

Summary
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Plot Details
After Fern and Stark split off from the group, Denken tells the civilians that he will stay behind to face Macht. He instructs them to take Frieren and head towards the Empire, where even Macht will struggle to enter. The civilians wish Denken well and he departs, eventually encountering the demon. Macht expresses that he wishes to leave his former residence and wipe out all who know of him so he can have a fresh start, and since Frieren is an interference towards this goal, he will need to go after her. Denken interrupts and tells him that he is still holding on to the prospect that Macht can return El Dorado back to normal, even if he is unable to reverse his magic. Additionally, despite the respect that he holds for Macht as his former apprentice, Denken tells him that he is too much of a threat to mankind to leave and prepares to fight him.

Macht questions Denken's mental stability upon hearing his declaration, and Denken explains that he has avoided facing him not due to fear or lack of confidence, but rather out of the absurd hope that they would be able to settle things in a better way. He takes this statement as Denken proclaiming he is capable of defeating him, and Denken responds that he has been training for this day and he won't know the outcome until he at least tries. As Macht unleashes his mana, Denken, after understanding the difference in their power, comments that it has been a while since he has felt close to death. However, he states there is a future where he can win, and Macht notes that Denken has always been stubborn.

The two clash with their magic, which Macht likens to their former training sessions. He is impressed by Denken's matured techniques and control, as he is able to react and respond to his attacks in a manner unlike before. After Macht dodges a shot from Denken, he praises his pupil for his abilities. He initiates a final attack as he realizes that he needs to catch up to Frieren before she reaches the Empire, given he and Solitär are not enough to efficiently disable the Empire's defensive barrier.

Suddenly, before he is able to attack, Macht starts transmuting into gold in a manner identical to his magic. A dark aura surrounds Denken, revealing his usage of the Curse Reversal Magic: Mystil'zla. As the demon becomes gold, he remarks on and applauds Denken's usage of the magic.

Post the first-class mage exam, Denken is granted any magic of his choosing by Serie. He chooses the Curse Reversal Magic: Mystil'zla, and Serie questions Denken's intended use for it as it is a relatively boring magic. Denken doesn't answer, and Serie mentions that it was nevertheless a decent choice, as it would take one hundred years to acquire through the typical acquisition process, near impossible for a human. Using Spell Transfer Magic: Fearvelia, Serie encloses the magic and her one hundred years of training to obtain it into a grimoire, which she grants Denken. Denken observes that the magic she rewards are actually materializations of the time she spends learning them, which is essentially giving away a portion of her lifespan. Sense, who is standing nearby, mentions that Serie would no longer be able to defend against curses through reversal if she transfers the magic to Denken, but Serie points out that she has other methods to prevent curses from affecting her, along with the fact that she can simply relearn the magic since one hundred years is nothing to her. For reasons like these, she reaffirms that any magic she gives out is absolute.

Serie warns Denken that using Mystil'zla takes up an incredible amount of mana—the same amount as an omnidirectional defense spell—and he will not be able to use it constantly like her. She also notes that because of this, he will need to know exactly when to use it for it to be effective. Denken assures her that this is not a problem for him.

Back in the present, Denken states that he is very aware of when Macht will cast his curse magic, even if it is invisible and undetectable, as he spent years observing him as his master. He also points out that Macht can return himself back to normal even if he is completely transmuted into gold and declares their next round of fighting as Macht slowly breaks out of the gold.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * Denken
 * Frieren
 * Macht
 * Lektüre
 * Solitär (mentioned)
 * Serie
 * Lernen
 * Sense

Battles and Events

 * Denken vs. Macht