The World of Magic ｢
Synopsis[]
Frieren, Kanne, and Lawine struggle with the 13th party over possession of the Stille, but there'll be more surprises in store before their battle, and the first test, reach their conclusion.[1]
Plot[]
As rain falls on the magic barrier that encompasses the test area in the Grobe Basin, Denken and Richter prepare to fight the second party. Richter casts Bargland, an earth control spell, which separates the earth and creates a mesa with the raised ground holding him, Kanne, and Lawine away from Frieren and Denken. Denken tells Frieren that the young are too hot-blooded and calls the privilege for becoming a first-class mage nonsense, which prompts Frieren to inquire why he thinks so. Denken responds that the greatest joy of magic lies in the search for it.
Flamme kneels before her master, Serie.
Some time ago, Frieren and Flamme visited Serie at her ancient hall. When they arrived and kneeled before her, Serie greeted her apprentice and mused about how time flies as the apprentice she raised on a whim had found herself an apprentice of her own. Flamme introduced Frieren to Serie, and Serie pointed out that Frieren is an elf like her and she liked her already, as Frieren must be strong. She then told Frieren that she would grant any spell that she desired, as she claimed to have the knowledge of practically any grimoire ever written and mages spend their lives in pursuit of magic. Frieren refused her offer, stating that the pursuit of magic itself was the greatest joy.
Flamme describes Frieren as a mage of a peaceful era.
After hearing Frieren's response, Serie addressed Flamme and told her that Frieren was no good, as she lacked ambition. Flamme replied that Frieren would defeat the Demon King one day, and she believed that a mage like her would open the path to a new era of peace. Serie questioned if Flamme was saying that she could not, and Flamme reminded Serie that she was a warmongerer and wondered if Serie could even imagine herself living in an era of peace, whereas Frieren was a mage who belonged to a peaceful era. In the present, Frieren approves of Denken's answer and states that mages should have that mindset.
Lawine attacks Richter with Nephtear.
Meanwhile, Kanne and Lawine face Richter. Lawine tries to freeze Richter with a spell, but it is ineffective against him, and Lawine speculates that the difference in their mana is too large. She then attempts to attack him with her spell Nephtear, hurling arrows of ice at Richter. Richter blocks the arrows by casting a defensive shell of earth around himself. He calls Lawine's attack weak and proceeds to cast his own spell, which creates stalagmites that rise from the ground. Lawine shouts at Kanne to defend them, and Kanne complies, casting defensive magic. After the attack, Richter tells Kanne and Lawine that he more or less knows their capabilities, and he describes the pair as a mage with ice magic that lacks lethality and a mage that is useless in a fight without access to water. He continues defending against Lawine's ice magic with earth and complains that he is doing nothing more than babysitting.
Richter lectures Kanne and Lawine on defensive magic.
After Kanne defends against another one of Richter's attacks, Lawine mockingly thanks Richter for the insight and adds her own observation that Richter will run out of mana if he continues casting flashy spells. Richter asks if the two of them are from the magic school and if their seniors are still teaching them to fight battles of attrition with mostly defensive spells. When Kanne asks what he means, Richter begins to give them a lecture on the history of magic. He tells them that the defensive magic that was created to counter Zoltraak provides great resistance to magic itself, but its defensive quality against attacks using mass has not changed much until now. He states that the reason for this is that the spell's defense was enough against physical attacks from monsters or warriors, and aiming to perfect and subsequently further complicate the spell to work against stronger physical attacks would be disadvantageous for its casting speed. He concludes that the history of magic is one of attacking and defending and that there is a reason modern attack spells favor the control of physical objects.
Richter conjures a massive stalagmite from the ground.
Richter proceeds to conjure a stalagmite from underneath Kanne and Lawine. Kanne attempts to defend, but the spell easily pierces through her shield and sends both girls into the air. Richter iterates that his spells overwhelm defensive magic with high-volume physical attacks and requests them to stay down, as he does not intend to kill them. However, they both draw themselves up, and Lawine asks if Richter should be approaching them so carelessly, as sixty percent of a human's body consists of water. Richter responds that the world of magic is of visual imagination and asks if they can picture the distribution of water in the body while also considering how to remove and manipulate it. He adds that a mage like him is also protected by a high amount of mana and that even if water was present, Kanne is not a threat to him. Lawine sighs that not even bluffing works, but she brings up that Richter is lying, as if he had been unconcerned about Kanne's water manipulation magic, he would have beaten them somewhere with water around given that he enjoyed lecturing about magic. Richter refuses to address her remark but instead requests again that they should behave while Denken fights Frieren.
Denken engulfs Frieren in a flaming whirlwind.
In the meantime, Frieren and Denken engage in combat while using flying magic. Frieren casts multiple beams of offensive magic that hone in and follow Denken while he makes evasive maneuvers. Denken realizes that he can not sustain this battle and she will eventually exhaust his mana with how they are currently fighting. He lands on the ground and apologizes in advance for what he is about to do. He proceeds to cast his spell Waldgose, which engulfs the elf in a tornado, and he follows up with his spell Daosdorg, which turns the tornado into a flaming whirlwind. The blaze of fire bumps into the magic barrier surrounding the test area, which astonishes Kanne and Lawine and prompts Richter to ask what the old man is doing. At the proctor observation site, Genau comments that Denken's fighting style is rather sensational. Sense asks if the barrier will hold, but an unconcerned Genau brings up that the barrier was erected by the Great Mage Serie and cannot be destroyed simply by force. Sense notes that somebody began analyzing the barrier the day before, which intrigues Genau, but he retorts that such an endeavor is a waste of time and asks Sense if she thinks there is any mage that can surpass Serie.
Denken attacks Frieren with Catastravia, barrage of arrows of light.
At the battlefield, Denken watches as Frieren outlasts his tornado by surrounding herself in a sphere of defensive magic. Denken attacks her with his Catastravia spell, sending a barrage of arrows of light at her defensive shield. During his continuous volley of arrows, he is distracted by a single counterattack of offensive magic that he has to block, shifting his focus and leaving an opening for Frieren to close the distance. Frieren casts Zoltraak at point-blank, which blasts Denken onto the ground while producing a path of desolation.
Frieren threatens to kill Denken.
When Frieren approaches him, Denken draws himself up and says that he is out of mana. He expresses his disbelief that she only used ordinary combat magic until the end, and he compares his fight with her to a practice session for a novice mage. Denken tells the elf that he is surprised that there was someone who surpassed his level, but Frieren does not respond and instead asks where Laufen is hiding. She aims her staff at him, but Denken refuses to cooperate. Frieren proceeds to step on Denken and proclaim loudly that she knows Laufen is nearby, and unless Laufen gives back the Stille, she will kill her teammate. However, Denken implores Laufen not to comply with Frieren's demands, as Frieren does not intend to kill him.
Frieren catches Laufen.
As Laufen hides behind a tree, she thinks to herself that Denken was beaten by Frieren, but although Frieren is a better mage than both her and Richter, she concludes that the elf underestimates them. Denken requests Laufen to stay hidden and avoid using Jilwer, but she disregards his request and casts Jilwer to grab him and flee. However, Frieren catches her, and Denken scolds Laufen for getting caught.
Denken recalls his hometown.
Frieren takes back her party's Stille and binds Denken and Laufen to a tree with restraint magic. Denken tells Laufen that Frieren did not intend to kill him, but the young mage replies that she at least would have made him suffer. Denken says that even so, they would have won this way, which prompts Laufen to ask why he is so desperate to become a first-class mage as he is already in possession of wealth, influence, and everything else one could think of. Denken recalls a sight of his homeland and tells her that his home is located deep in the Northern Plateau, and he wanted to visit a grave. However, due to demon activity in the region, the prerequisite to travel there is to be a first-class mage. Denken then asks Frieren if she should go help Kanne and Lawine, though he adds that perhaps it is already too late, as Richter will kill them before he faces the elf. However, Frieren responds that they will be fine and adds that she has just finished analyzing the barrier.
On top of the mesa, Richter says to himself that he did not expect Denken to lose and tells Kanne and Lawine that he is done babysitting. Now with the intent to kill, Richter creates stalagmites, one of which blocks Lawine's Nephtear ice shards and falls in their direction, with Kanne and Lawine narrowly escaping it. Lawine realizes that Richter is attacking them with the intent to kill and they will not last long against him.
Frieren finishes analyzing the barrier and destroys it.
Back at the tree, Laufen asks what Frieren meant by analyzing the barrier and Denken realizes what Frieren is about to do. Frieren proceeds to perform a casting sequence which aims a cone of light upwards. Sense watches the scene and notifies Genau, but he is insistent that it is impossible for the barrier to break. However, the barrier shatters, letting in the rain from outside the exam grounds. Genau inquires Sense about the identity of the elf, and Sense replies that her name is Frieren. Genau recognizes the name as the mage who traveled with the party of heroes, and Sense adds that Frieren apparently had a Holy Emblem, which prompts Genau to comment that she is the last Great Mage. Meanwhile, Serie sits on the throne in her ancient hall and expresses that Frieren is greeting her in such a way after a millennium has passed. She notes to herself that it is why she cannot quit being a mage, as in the world of magic, even the world can turn upside down.
Serie is notified of Frieren's presence.
At the tree, Laufen asks Frieren why she destroyed the barrier, and Frieren answers that she felt sorry for Kanne, as a mage should be able to use magic freely. Denken recalls that Kanne could manipulate water and Frieren replies that magic is a world of visualization. She asks if he can imagine defeating a mage who controls water in the rain and asserts that she herself would be unable to so, which should be the same for Richter.
Kanne casts Reamstroha, sending a massive sphere of water towards Richter.
On top the mesa, all three mages look upwards in surprise at the rain, with Richter being the first to recollect himself, and he figures he can learn what happened later. He touches the ground in preparation to cast a spell, but his hand is frozen to the ground by Lawine. She comments that he is panicking, which disrupts his mana. A massive sphere of water forms over him, and Lawine points out that Richter was afraid of Kanne's water manipulation, as it is the perfect example of a high-volume physical attack. Kanne commands Lawine to not let him get away, and Lawine complies by freezing his feet to the ground. Kanne casts Reamstroha, directing the sphere of water towards Richter. The sphere presses down on Richter's defensive magic, and as his shield cracks, he states that this is exactly why he hates water. The water engulfs him and spills over the top of the mesa in a flood.
As the wave of water reaches the tree, Frieren flies away to the top of the mesa, where just Kanne and Lawine are left. She congratulates them on their victory and tells them they should leave, as the sun sets in about two hours. Frieren requests that they hide their mana in the meantime, and Lawine replies that they both have none left to conceal. Frieren praises them, which pleases Kanne and irritates Lawine.
Richter reconvenes with Denken and Laufen.
In the meantime, Richter is washed to the tree and caught by Denken. Richter apologizes for his defeat, but Denken says that it was inevitable. Richter attempts to free Laufen and Denken's binds, but he gives up shortly after remarking that he and Denken have no mana left. Denken asks Laufen to undo the binding, but she claims it is too powerful. He tells her to cut down the tree instead, and she complies, releasing them. With Denken and Laufen free, Richter questions what they should do now with the impending time limit, and Laufen adds that she does not have enough mana left to use Jilwer. Denken says that an Imperial Mage would fight until the end, and he proposes that they search for signs of battle and track down other parties.
Übel tells Land to open up to them more.
Inside a cave, Übel calls Fern boring for only casting ordinary offensive magic. Fern replies that she should complain to Frieren. Übel then goes on to say that her master is at fault for her to be soaking wet from the rain and Fern should scold her. As Fern lights up a small campfire, she tells Übel that she intends to do just that and adds that her master does not restrict what spells she uses outside of combat. Übel recalls that Fern used a spell to catch birds and asks what other magic she can cast. Fern thinks for a short moment and then says that she has a spell that allows her to see through clothes and adds that she will not use it when Übel widens the gap between them. Land interrupts their talk and suggests that they should not reveal too much, as from the second test onward, they will be competing against each other. Übel concedes, but she tells Land that he should open up to them more.
Denken prepares to fight the other party.
From a bush, Denken, Laufen, and Richter observe two mages holding on to a caged Stille. Denken comments that they are a defeated party and the corpse of their third member was nearby. Richter asks if they should negotiate, but Denken believes that they would not agree to negotiatons, even though they are not eligible to pass, and he would not accept negotiations either if he was in a similar circumstance. Laufen asks why, and Denken responds that it would not sit right with him. Denken rises from the bushes, telling Laufen to wait for an opportunity to take the Stille, and he informs Richter to follow him. Richter reminds Denken that they are out of mana, but Denken replies that the other party is in the same situation. Denken approaches the party, removes his cloak, and casts his fists towards the other party while exclaiming they will settle things with a fistfight.
Laufen treats Denken's injuries.
As sunset approaches, the remaining parties wrap up the exam. Frieren, Kanne, and Lawine set up a campsite, Übel, Fern, and Land wait in the cave, Wirbel carries Ehre on his back while floating Scharf, Laufen bandages Denken with Richter and a caged Stille beside them, a male and female mage attempt to catch a Stille that has landed on their third teammate, and a party walks past three incapacitated mages.
Genau concludes the first stage of the exam.
In the evening, the parties reconvene at Genau's campsite. Genau states that the first test has concluded and six parties, consisting of eighteen individuals, have passed. He goes on to say that the second test will take place in three days and all of the successful examinees will be informed of the details later. He then dismisses the examinees.
In a bar in Äußerst, Stark says that it has been two days since Frieren and Fern left for the exam, and he utters that he can stay up as late as he wants since Fern is not around to get mad at him. He expresses that he is so happy that it scares him. The barkeeper comforts him and says that it sounds like he has it rough.
The barkeeper comforts Stark.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
Locations in Order of Appearance[]
- Grobe Basin
- Serie's ancient throne hall
- Denken's village in the Weise Region (flashback)
- Äußerst
Episode Notes[]
- When Richter lectures Kanne and Lawine about defensive magic, he casts defensive magic and modifies the structure and shape of it when describing the reason why it is less effective against physical attacks. These modifications are original to the anime, as the manga does not show him changing the structure of the defensive magic.
- Before Richter is washed towards Denken and Laufen, there are two additional scenes with a Geisel and a presumed victim of the Geisel in a tree that are unique to the anime. Additionally, Richter's attempt to undo the binding magic Frieren casted to fixate Laufen and Denken to the tree is an extra scene included in the anime.
References[]
- ↑ Crunchyroll: Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Episode 21.
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| Anime Navigation | ||
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| Season 1 | ||
| Episodes | 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 • 21 • 22 • 23 • 24 • 25 • 26 • 27 • 28 | |
| Blu-ray&DVD | Volume 1 • Volume 2 • Volume 3 • Volume 4 • Volume 5 • Volume 6 • Volume 7 | |
| Music | The Brave • Sunny • Anytime Anywhere • bliss • Original Soundtrack | |
| Spin-offs | Mini Anime | |