Welcome to Anime Rants! In this installment, Frieren and company brainstorm about how to defeat the replica of Frieren. They were hoping to use Edel’s power of hypnosis. Dunste, the last teammate of Edel, joined the group. He explained Edel had dropped out, but that she did determine the replicas have no minds. Thus, hypnosis won’t work.

Lawine and Kanne also joined the group, providing information about the Spiegel. Since one of Lawine’s brothers had explored the dungeon before, he knew about the ancient monster. According to Lawine, if the Spiegel is killed, all the replicas it created will instantly disappear. However, Replica Frieren sealed the Spiegel behind a complex magic barrier for protection. The only way to proceed is to kill Replica Frieren first.

Fern thinks has the best chance of killing Replica Frieren with normal offensive magic, given that she knows Frieren’s one fatal vulnerability. For just a quick moment, while casting a spell, Frieren stops being able to detect the mana of other mages. Fern believes she can use this weakness to win if Frieren helps her by distracting the Replica. Frieren agrees and proceeds to go into battle with Fern. Everyone else in the group stays behind to minimize casualties.

As Frieren and Fern engage the powerful Replica, a flashback begins. A thousand years ago, Flamme passed away and instructed Frieren to deliver a final request to Serie. The final request was for support for Flamme’s plan to create an age where anyone can use magic. Serie tore up the letter callously. Her opinion on magic is very different from Flamme’s. While the human wanted everyone to have the chance to learn magic, Serie believes magic should be the special tool of the talented elite.

Regardless of Serie’s disapproval, Flamme had already paved the way for her dream. The world was entering the age in which humans can freely use magic. Previously, humans regarded magic as a mostly demonic tool. It was a forbidden art. Throughout the last fifty years of her life, Flamme laid the groundwork to change that. The human empire now had Imperial Mages and many humans began their research into magic. Serie is aware of this as she takes a sunset stroll with Frieren.

The two elves chat, but the conversation is dominated by Serie as she talks about her memories of the now deceased Flamme. Toward the end of the scene, Serie observes that the age of humans is beginning. In a thousand years’ time, magic will be common for humans, and the civilizations of humanity will spread and prosper. Elves will decline. Serie tells Frieren not to neglect her studies, because if anyone is ever able to kill her, it will either be the Demon King or a human mage.

Back in the present, Frieren battles with her replica. She forces the copy to use a powerful fire spell to destroy a slab of rock that would have otherwise crushed her. In that moment, Replica Frieren lost track of Fern. For one thing, she stopped being able to detect mana for a few seconds. In addition, Fern is extremely good at muting her mana and hiding. A minute later, Fern jumped out and cast a powerful Zoltraak spell that killed the Replica once and for all.

I liked the warning from Serie because it was true in an abstract way. The Frieren Replica did indeed die by the hand of a human mage. This also suggests that someone with Fern’s level of power and skill could one day kill the real Frieren, too.

There is probably more to say about this episode, but that’s all for my notes today. I’m continually impressed with Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End and its unique takes on classic fantasy and world-building. I look forward to learning more about Serie as well. Thank you for visiting Anime Rants.

~Thanks for reading~

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PATREON