01x25 - A Fatal Vulnerability

[bunniefuu]

Since we have such little information,

we should prepare just in case

it doesn't have a mind.

In that case, we'll have to

use sheer force.

Is that possible?

I don't know.

Um, in that case

I might be able to k*ll Mistress Frieren.

Yeah?

Yes.

Well then, let's draft up a plan.

ORIGINAL STORY BY

KANEHITO YAMADA / TSUKASA ABE

First, let's make sure

we're on the same page.

In the event that the clone has a mind,

we'll use Edel's hypnosis magic

to break through my mental defense.

-And to have Fern k*ll me. Is that right?

-Yes.

How can you say "yes" so easily?

Dünste.

Where is Edel?

We were attacked by Sense's clone,

and she dropped out of the exam.

I see. And Blei as well?

I was able to run to safety

because he bought me time.

I hope he was able to escape safely.

Don't mind me! Go!

But

Anything's better than having

zero participants pass.

I have information.

Will you cooperate with me?

I was willing to do that

from the very beginning.

Is there anyone who can heal?

I have Scriptures, so I can

perform simple healing magic.

Thank you.

I see.

So the clones don't have minds.

That's right. According to Edel,

they're just imitating the workings

of a mind very precisely.

But they don't have a real mind.

Now there is no easy way of defeating it.

We have to draft up a plan

with that in mind.

That being said,

there are still too many unknown factors.

The biggest issue to focus on

is the identity of

those clones and the caster of the spell.

We can't take action

until we understand their nature.

We especially need to find out

if they really don't have any weaknesses.

If that clone is really

on the same level as Frieren,

some of us may end up dead.

I won't give any answers.

I thought so.

It doesn't have any weaknesses.

The one manipulating the clones

is a monster from mythical times

called Spiegel.

Lawine.

How do you know?

My oldest brother

was part of the advance party sent by

the Continental Magic Association

to raid the Ruins of the King's Tomb.

So you had information?

No wonder you were

able to make it this far.

But what you did wasn't very logical.

If you knew, you should have

shared this information

and cooperated with us from the beginning.

No one seemed to be

in the mood to cooperate.

Plus, Frieren and Fern went in ahead of us

before we knew it.

And you, old man,

are the type to abandon your comrades

if it's not against the rules.

Why would we cooperate with you?

You really got on their bad side.

I am, indeed, an old man.

But it hurts when you say it to my face.

-You should probably apologize.

-Sorry about that, old man.

According to the observations

of the advance party,

Spiegel is on the other side of that door,

inside the treasure vault.

Supposedly, the monster itself

is weak and has no means of attack.

If you defeat it,

all the clones will disappear.

That matches up with the results

from our mana detection.

The monster is beyond that door.

But that door has

a powerful binding spell cast on it.

I noticed that too.

My clone must have done that.

The spell that shuts the door of

a treasure vault at the risk of your life.

It's one of the most powerful

binding spells in all folk magic.

That door will not open

unless the caster dies.

We could ignore the door completely

and break down the wall,

but it probably has

a workaround for that too.

Either way, in order to get to Spiegel,

we have no choice

but to defeat that clone.

Then you'd better hurry up.

What do you mean?

Spiegel creates clones of

everyone inside the dungeon.

And those clones

instinctively flock to

the innermost depths over time.

Aside from my brother's unit,

most of the members of the previous

advance party were annihilated.

They were annihilated right here,

just before the innermost depths.

I see.

Excuse me.

The clones imitate the workings

of a mind very precisely, right?

That means they have the same

behavioral weaknesses

as their originals, right?

Most likely.

In that case, we might have a chance.

What is this "weakness"

you're talking about?

Mistress Frieren,

can you please

stand by that wall over there?

Sure.

This is

It can't be

Unbelievable

Did you notice?

-Do you get it?

-No.

This is, indeed, Frieren's fatal flaw.

Why didn't I notice this

when I fought her?

No

I knew she was skilled, and that

preconception prevented me from noticing.

The moment she uses magic,

her mana detection is interrupted

for a split second.

Isn't that a common mistake

made by apprentice mages?

I've always been bad at that.

If you were aware of it,

why didn't you tell us?

Because it's embarrassing.

Now is not the time to be saying that.

But all her other skills

are just too exceptional.

Very few mages would be able to actually

take advantage of her flaw.

Anyway,

let's just start a strategy meeting.

Even if we get rid of Frieren's clone

Mistress Frieren,

you look like you're having fun.

Yeah.

Sounds like we have a plan.

Eisen, you distract the monster

while I attack from the side.

Frieren, you provide covering fire.

What about Heiter?

He has a hangover, so he's useless today.

He's dead.

I just remembered how

we used to have discussions like this

when we fought dungeon bosses.

All right.

Let's start our raid.

Can we win?

Don't worry.

There is no such thing as a dungeon

that can't be raided.

I'm the mage from the party

that has raided

the most dungeons in history.

Are you sure you want to

fight Frieren's clone

all by yourselves?

It's easier to predict your opponent's

movements when there are fewer people.

Yes.

It's true that we would most likely win

if we all fought together,

but most of us would die in the process.

You probably won't even have time

to use your evacuation golem.

So you're saying

it is more important

to stop the clones that will

come to the innermost depth?

After all, we'd all be wiped out

if we got attacked from both sides.

Okay, let's go according to plan.

All right. I wish you good luck.

Go ahead and open it.

Well then

Let's go around and say who the toughest

opponent would be for each of us.

Judradjim.

It's moving exactly how

Mistress Frieren predicted.

Vollzanbel.

Its mana detection was interrupted.

My clone will be wary of Fern,

who hid during that time.

But it will be too busy fighting me,

its evenly matched opponent.

It won't have time to search for Fern.

After all,

nobody knows how dangerous I can be

more than I do.

Don't worry.

When you perfectly conceal yourself,

even I can't find you that easily.

But are you sure that Zoltraak

is the spell I should

use to attack?

It's the quickest spell to fire.

Plus, Zoltraak is

a relatively newer spell among elves.

It hasn't been around long enough

for our reflexes to

automatically defend us.

In order to counter it, we have to think,

so it takes a little longer,

even if it's just a split second.

But not for you, Fern.

For you, Zoltraak is something

that has always existed

from the time you were born.

It's fundamental magic

that comes naturally to you.

Your Zoltraak would be able to k*ll me.

Put in all the mana you have.

Frieren,

you don't like me, right?

Why did you come see me?

To tell you the truth,

I thought I'd never see you again.

I came to deliver my master's will.

It's been 50 years

I see. So Flamme died, huh?

You're not sad?

I only raised her on a whim.

It's basically a report.

What did she write?

Apparently,

the emperor authorized the research

of magic on a national level.

Up until now, magic was viewed

as the art of demons

among human societies,

so studying it indiscreetly

was considered taboo.

Flamme was the one who proposed the idea,

and she took part in teaching

the newly established Imperial Mages.

She basically wrote to me

to ask me to take over in her place.

How greedy is she?

Just getting the authorization

for researching magic was a feat.

But she wants more?

Is this such a big deal?

This means the largest empire

on the continent will begin researching

and applying magic for military use.

The nations around it

won't be able to ignore that.

In just a few decades,

magic will become

widespread throughout the continent.

A day will come when all of mankind

will be able to use magic.

In the not too distant future,

mankind will gain the power

to fight against the Demon King's army.

I see. That's pretty incredible.

I know.

But

that is not what I want.

Go home, Frieren.

There is no way I am going to

agree to this will.

It's extremely annoying.

"A time where

anyone can use magic," you say?

Magic should be special.

I don't plan to

teach anyone without talent.

To think she would send me this

Flamme and I could never agree

until the very end.

She's just an apprentice I raised

on a whim, after all.

Master said,

"Serie will most likely get mad

and rip up the will."

But she still wanted to tell you anyway,

that her dream came true.

Don't ask me why.

Well, I'll be off now.

I don't think we'll ever meet again.

Frieren.

Before that, want to take a little walk?

We have all the time in the world, anyway.

It was Flamme's dream to see

the day when anyone

could use magic.

At first, it had nothing to do

with wanting to save mankind

or fight the Demon King's army.

She didn't care about any of that.

Do you know her favorite spell?

The spell to create a field of flowers.

It's a stupid spell

that has no use whatsoever.

She really loved magic.

She sincerely wished for everyone

in the world to be able to

cast spells like that.

It gave me the creeps.

It sounded like

a little girl's cutesy dream.

But that's exactly what it was.

It was a pipe dream that

she shared with me when she was

a little girl who was

much shorter than me.

Honestly, I thought

that day wouldn't come for a while

and that she couldn't possibly

make it come true.

But in her short lifetime,

which amounts to

almost nothing in my eyes,

she was able to become

the progenitor of mankind's magic.

Master was always quick to make decisions.

It was as if she was pressed for time.

Humans have a limited lifespan.

They are closer to death than we are.

There are many times

in life when you have to

make big decisions,

and humans like her cannot afford

to postpone making them.

For us, we could do it

100 or 200 years later.

Even if we put it off for 1,000 years,

it wouldn't make any difference.

The time we have is close to an eternity.

Frieren,

a long time has passed

since humans first created

what we call civilization.

From here, the generations

will come and go rapidly.

In a mere millennium

In a mere millennium,

it will become the era of humans.

Humans will overtake us.

Don't neglect your training, Frieren.

If anyone can k*ll you,

it will be the Demon King

or a human mage.

How exciting, Serie.

That means I will get to see lots of mages

and all kinds of spells.

Well then.

-Let's get it over with.

-Both might die.

-Wow.

-I'll leave it to you.

-This won't work either.

-Mistress Frieren.

-I expected it.

-I have no choice but to do it.

So this is the height of magic?