01x09 - Aura the Guillotine

[bunniefuu]

ORIGINAL STORY BY
KANEHITO YAMADA / TSUKASA ABE

MAIN TITLE

I see...

I remember now.

It's Frieren.

She greatly helped humans in
their research and analysis of Zoltraak.

The mage who has k*lled
the most demons in history.

Frieren the Slayer.

Another genius that I hate.

EPISODE TITLE

You will have to take it easy for a while.

Thanks.

Hey!

Are you okay?

I'm alive thanks to you two.

Thank you.

I will pardon the incident
with your mage friend.

Her judgement was right.

Now Frieren can return to the town.

Let's have her take down Lügner.

Mistress Frieren didn't k*ll the guard.

I know. The demon did that.

More importantly, did you say that mage
was named Frieren?

Yes.

Don't tell me she's the elf mage
who was in the party of heroes...

If that's so,
that was very disrespectful of me.

The Granat family
is indebted to the party of heroes.

During my grandfather's days,

they drove back an army of demons

that att*cked this town.

Their opponent then
was also the Sage of Destruction,

Aura the Guillotine.

It's been a while, Aura.

It sure has.

It's been about years,
hasn't it, Frieren?

You're heading to
the town up ahead, right?

I'd appreciate it if you'd turn back.

I don't want to.

Why not?

Because I obviously have the advantage.

I see.

There are more than back then.

To think you can control this many...

Demons sure have outstanding magic.

Humans can't even dream of reaching
that level with their current technology.

But it's an utterly disgusting spell.

It's repulsive.

What a rude thing to say.

After all that work
I put in collecting them.

I recognize some of these suits of armor.

Aura, I will have to
k*ll you here after all.

The Scales of Obedience.

Because of that we have not been able
to win against Aura for years.

She uses

a spell that subjugates
and controls her opponents.

The Seven Sages of Destruction use spells
that surpass human understanding.

Aura puts her soul
and her opponent's soul on the scale

and weighs the difference in mana.

Whichever side has greater mana

can subjugate the other
and turn them into a puppet.

This spell lasts forever
until their body perishes.

The bigger the risk,
the stronger the spell.

For Aura, who has
tremendous amounts of mana,

it's an invincible spell.

There is no way to counter it?

Aura's mana is weighing
one side down at the moment,

but the scale itself is fair.

If a soul with more mana than Aura
gets on the scale,

Aura can be defeated.

However,

it's been years since Aura became
one of the Seven Sages of Destruction

and that has never happened even once,
or so I've heard.

So there is no countermeasure?

There was, actually.

Those with strong will

were able to resist albeit momentarily.

And such wills of steel

are often found in brilliant,
courageous warriors.

But even then it's only momentarily, huh?

But it's still a critical flaw.

I'm sure she found their will
to be very bothersome.

That's why...

Aura the Guillotine

did a very logical procedure
on those under her control.

Something very cruel...

How do you like it?

Isn't my immortal army strong?

How surprising.

My spell on them has been dispelled.

This has never happened before.

Dispelling magic as powerful as this

must use up a great amount of mana.

Why would you
go out of your way to do this?

Last time we fought,
you blasted them away like nothing.

Himmel got mad at me after that.

Then there's even less
of a reason for you to do this.

- Why is that?
- Himmel is not here anymore.

I see. That's good to hear.

You demons are beasts after all.

Now I can k*ll you without remorse.

All right.

I can move a lot better now.

Father, this place is safe, right?

Yes. It's not as strong
as the defense barrier,

but this church is protected
by a barrier too.

Then you can wait here, Graf.

What are you planning to do, brat?

Do you think the demons are nice enough

to go away while we hide here?

Master Stark, are you serious?

That att*ck earlier worked
because it was a surprise.

In fact,
it wasn't even enough to k*ll him.

If we'd kept fighting,

we would have been k*lled.

Someone has to do this though.

You're right.
Then let's do our best together.

No, you go to the guard station.

Help the townspeople evacuate.

Then are you going to...?

Yes...

I will

get on my knees and beg Frieren
to come back.

Huh?

What? We have no choice
but to have her defeat them!

I guess that is the most practical method.

He said the guards would listen to you
if you show them this.

Okay.

I'll leave town right away.

What is it?

Your arms are in bad shape.

Will you be able to
pass the gate looking like that?

I'm sure it'll be fine.

This is normal for a warrior.
Is it that weird?

I've never seen a warrior
walk around town with blood

running down both arms.

You're in no position to talk.
Fern, you also...

Whose blood is this? It's not mine, right?

Hey! What's wrong?

Master Stark, this blood has mana...

‪Fern!

Unbelievable... Am I dreaming?

That's Master's technique.

Because you moved, I missed your vitals.

I had no intention of making you suffer.

Why are you surprised?

Is it because I am standing here
despite receiving a fatal wound?

Or is it because you were not able
to detect us approaching?

Concealing your presence
by controlling your mana

is not a talent
that is limited to just you.

Any demon can do that.

That being said, I can't possibly agree
that it is appropriate conduct

in a fight between mages.

You're very talkative.

You're not going to k*ll me?

Since I failed to k*ll you,
I'll ask a few things while we're here.

Or would you rather die now?

Go ahead.

Is that boy strong?

He's the apprentice of Eisen the warrior.

I see. How unfortunate.

Poor kid.

He will not experience
a pleasant death with Linie.

One more thing.

Where is Frieren?

She fled this town.

Because you k*lled the prison guard.

Graf Granat mentioned
something like that too.

Apparently,
k*lling a guard is a serious crime.

It's the death penalty.

Death penalty?

There's no way that woman would
flee just because of that.

She has a strong hatred for demons.

Strong enough to teach her apprentice
the spell to k*ll demons.

Someone like that would not run away.

She must be after something.

Is it Mistress Aura?

Please don't move.

It seems you have a clue as to where
Mistress Frieren went.

This is pointless.

You said you failed to k*ll me,
but that's a lie, isn't it?

You just wanted to
get back at me for that surprise att*ck.

You're prideful and haughty

and do not see us,

or anyone other than Mistress Frieren,
as a thr*at.

That is why you went as far as
giving me an opening.

At this distance, I can blow a hole
through your heart.

Try it.

You'll lose your head before that.

Mistress Frieren,

am I being useful to you?

Why do you ask that?

I cannot handle magic as perfectly as you.

Well, the amount of time
we've been alive is so different.

You'll never be able to catch up to me.

Is that right?

But that is only in terms of
mana and techniques.

You know how I often put you in charge
of fighting monsters?

Yes. You pushed it on me
this time as well.

I'm sorry.

It ends faster when you do it, Fern.

Because your speed at casting spells
is faster than me.

Girl,

I have dedicated most of my life to magic.

So have I.

What's with her reaction speed?

If I hadn't blocked it out of reflex,

it would've pierced my heart.

You blocked it.

As I thought, your heart is your weakness.

This girl...

I see...

I guess you weren't lying when you said
you've dedicated your life.

Well then, I'll crush you
with everything I've got.

Balterie.

They've begun fighting.

That's too bad.

I'm already done.

Maybe I'll watch their fight.

Master Lügner doesn't like it
when I get in his way.

Oh?

It's not

over yet.

You're pretty tough.
I guess I can have some fun.

In terms of mana, technique, and control,

I am considerably superior to her.

You don't even need to compare

to see the difference between us.

The only thing is that she's fast.

She's overpowering me with
her sheer number of moves.

Darn that Frieren... What kind of
training did you put this girl through?

Shall I wear her out
and let her exhaust her mana?

That won't work.

This battle will end before that.

I need to find some kind of opening.

Linie, what are you doing?
Get rid of him already!

Jeez, you're so bossy.

This guy keeps dodging me
and is so persistent.

That fighting style... What is going on?

That is Master's technique.

I'm good at reading people's mana.

I memorize the way mana flows through
people's bodies as they move.

Then I can copy their movements.

Like this.

When I saw you fight for the first time
at the mansion, I knew for sure

that you moved the same way

as the strongest warrior in my memory.

What a coincidence.

Fate sure is strange.

Don't tell me...

I am copying the movements
of Eisen the warrior.

Are you serious? This is ridiculous.

There's no way I can win...

Finally, he's knocked out.

I have to hurry

or Master Lügner will get mad again.

Knocked out?

I am knocked out?

Stand up, Stark.

No matter how battered you are,
you're not allowed to be knocked out.

That's easier said than done.

There's no way I can win
against you, Master.

Of course.

I am stronger than you.

Well then...

But you haven't lost to me yet.

Because you stood back up.

What are you saying...

Stark,

I'll teach you a trick
to winning against a strong opponent.

It's simple.

No matter how many times it takes,
get back up and keep fighting.

The warrior

who is the last one standing
is the winner.

Jeez Master...

Stop pushing your weird logic on me.

Is your brain made out of muscle or what?

You should've just kept snoozing.

You've lost already.

I'm still standing.

Plus, I remembered...

Master's att*cks had more weight to them.

You're just an imitation after all.

Well then, I will end your life

with this "imitation."

Erfassen.

Balterie!

A big swing with no defensive measure.

He must've gone crazy.

I was prepared to die along with you,
but I scared myself for nothing.

As I thought,
it has no weight to it at all.

Lightning Strike!

Linie!

- Darn...
- Zoltraak.

The spell to k*ll demons...

It's about a fifth of it.

- Of my mana.
- Frieren will lose.

- It's nothing compared to me.
- An elf village.

k*ll all the elves.

You're a far greater mage than me.