Necessary Killing ｢
Synopsis
The first-class mage exam intensifies as fighting breaks out between the participants - and what's at stake might even be worth killing for.[1]
Plot
Right after the events of the previous episode, the scene begins with falling trees in the Grobe Basin. Übel cuts them clean trying to land hits on Wirbel. Wirbel blocks her attacks with defensive magic and deduces that Übel is using some kind of cleaving magic. As Übel continues to cast her spell, progressively taking out the trees as she goes, shallow cuts start to accurre on Wirbel’s skin, first across his cheek and then his shoulder.
Despite how simple Übel’s magic is, Wirbel is unable to follow its trajectory whatsoever and as a result, cannot block all of her magical attacks. However, Wirbel has picked up on a weakness of Übel’s magic. He backs away from her and taunts her by asking why she isn’t chasing. Übel deflects by saying that she may have been too violent, but Wirbel states that the range of her magic is around five meters. Übel confirms Wirbel’s deduction and wonders if they will continue fighting with such basic magic, but full of confidence, Wirbel dismissively tells her that there is no need.
In a flashback, Ehre again repeated her remarks to Fern that Wirbel's magic is devoid of character, underhanded and focuses on winning. Übel facing her teammate would probably be killed. In the present, Ehre is seen flying again and Fern is unbothered by her last words but instead casts a saturation attack consisting of a swarm of casted offensive magic which forces Ehre to block them with defensive magic. However, Fern intensifies the amount of her multicasts of Zoltraaks which impresses Ehre and she dubs it an absurd feat that she can not handle and her defensive magic is pressured inwards as she struggles to keep up with the relentless barrage. At last Ehre's defense collapses and a big blast of mana lights up the forest.
Wirbel speaks the word Sorganeil and around Übel two loose rings of yellow glow manifest, which take her strength away and she collapses onto her knees. Übel notes that she can’t move at all nor can she control her mana, and concludes, with such a powerful binding spell at his disposal, that for Wirbel to not have just caught a Stille on his own means his party never encountered one. Wirbel explains to her that his magic binds anyone he keeps in his line of sight. The requirement for his magic to work is that he doesn’t take his eyes off the target, but as long as his magic is active, the target may well be a sitting duck. Übel realizes that despite stating he had a shot to kill her, Wirbel had actually taken it easy on the Fourth Party during their earlier skirmish, as he could have easily sealed their movement before shooting them with offensive magic.
Wirbel dissipates the spell's binding and tells Übel that it is her last chance to leave the Stille and escape. Übel thinks this is boring, as she had thought she finally had an opponent to fight to the death, but really Wirbel’s goal was just to extort her for the Stille. However, as she unclips the Stille’s cage from her belt, Übel realizes something strange about Wirbel’s request – the fact he wants her to hand out the Stille seems off. She points out that as she was totally immobilized, Wirbel should have easily been able to take the Stille from her.
Übel throws the caged Stille up in the air, which distracts Wirbel and causes his gaze to shift to the flying object; long enough that Übel closes her distance to him and gets right up in Wirbel’s face. His gaze snaps back to Übel, but a cut on the bridge of his nose appears while Wirbel leaps backward and brings her immediately back into the binding of his spell Sorganeil. Übel from what happened as of now deduces that he needs to keep her entire body in view, meaning he is unable to use his magic against many people.
The position of his injury shows Wirbel that Übel had aimed for his eyes; when he accuses her of such, Übel points out that it is rational to try to take away the vision of someone who requires sight to cast their magic. Wirbel counters that to settle the fight, Übel could have simply cut off his head, to which Übel’s smile grows. Wirbel speaks of other opponents he has met on the field of battle who did similar things and recollects one commonality between them all and says with disdain that they were degenerates who enjoyed killing. He then approaches Übel and aims his short staff at her head and states that he should kill her on the spot. Übel asks him if he has ever even killed a woman or children before to which Wirbel replies of course he has, which makes her question what sort of Hell he went through.
Wirbel calls Übel out on trying to buy time, but decides to bite nonetheless. He tells Übel that the Northern Magic Corps he captains mostly consists of mercenaries that specialize in fighting demons, but in times of need they are mobilized for wars between nations. While Wirbel recalls child soldiers approaching his line on a battlefield he continues, that sending women and children to war wasn't uncommon and says rather than Hell, it happens commonly in the far north. Übel states that she has heard enough, and for a moment, Wirbel stands motionless towering over her, prompting Übel to ask if he is going to kill her or not.
Wirbel continues to hesitate, and Übel tells him that she believes the type of magic a person specializes in speaks greatly of their life and their character. Übel points out that Wirbel’s magic, which restrains rather than kills, seems like it was designed to delay death rather than cause it. Wirbel’s expression shifts into a grimace, and Übel realizes that in answering her questions and joining her in buying time, Wirbel is fulfilling the same purpose of delaying death. She expresses surprise that despite his hands being stained with blood for so long, Wirbel still wishes to be human. Hearing this, Wirbel grins. He confirms Übel’s analysis and tells her that his magic gives him time to build the resolve to kill, but also reveals that despite faltering and hesitating, he has never avoided an inevitable kill. With that being said, Wirbel begins to charge offensive magic point blank and tells Übel goodbye.
However, before he can kill Übel, he is interrupted by Fern demanding him to cease any action, who holds him at staff point. Wirbel pauses, outwardly expressing his surprise that Ehre was defeated and inwardly shocked that he didn’t sense Fern’s approach at all. He then assumes that she was the one who had captured the Sille. Fern does not respond, but Übel answers him that they were just lucky. She reveals to him that they stumbled upon a Stille's roost, and with Fern's master taught her a spell that captures a bird. Übel then mockingly tells Wirbel that even though he can capture anything, the odds are not in his favor, with which he agrees.
Wirbel then asks Fern, who fought Ehre, what happened to her. She tells him that Ehre has ceased to be. Wirbel recites the conditions to pass, which are to secure a Stille before sunset that day with all party members present. He then tells them that the Eighth Party has lost and he will now depart, lifting his binding spell from Übel. As Wirbel walks away, Übel asks him why he hasn't killed her, since he was about to. He tells her that's unnecessary now and bids his farewell. Übel then directs her staff at Wirbel. He stops in his tracks and tells them that if Übel were to shoot, an unnecessary kill would only turn into a Necessary Killing. Fern in a demanding tone calls Übel by her name as to say she should stop it and the teammate obliges. When Wirbel is out of range, Übel stands up and says to Fern that she is a good liar. Fern doesn't respond, but instead tells Übel that they should go and assist Land. Übel tells her that there is no need since Land, whom she calls four-eyes, is quite the pretender.
The scene cuts to Land and Scharf who fight in a meadow with blooming flowers. Scharf forms out of metal pedals an arrow-like swarm and attacks his opponent cutting through Land's defensive spell, severely injuring the victim's shoulder. Scharf then tells him that they have reached a verdict. Land compliments Scharf's magic and then describes what Scharf spell Jubelade did; transforming flower petals into steel, which the injured calls impressive as it slipped even through his defenses and asks if it was self-taught. He states that the self-taught tend to neglect the fundamentals. Land then tells him his method of fighting, saying that he always makes sure to wait and see how an opponent fights. He tells Scharf that he has figured out his weakness, so he will be the likely victor.
Scharf conjuring more petals, calls him rather chatty and asks the opponent how he plans to beat him, especially in the state that he is in. He then tells Land that if he does not surrender, he will cut off his head next. Land is rather dismissive of this and asks if detecting mana is not his forte. Suddenly another Land appears from behind Scharf and grabs his neck with one hand, while the original Land fades. Catching him off-guard, Scharf is surprised and says illusion magic, but Land corrects him because it has substance it better would be called clone magic. Scharf doesn't come to an end with his question for how long Land observed him since he gets knocked out with a zap of magic that produces a small electric shock. All the metal shards transform back to flower petals and Scharf collapses while Land tells the unconscious, since the beginning, when the first test started.
Elsewhere in the forest, Wirbel is looking at an also unconscious Ehre. Wirbel recalls what Fern's claim was, that she killed Ehre and can’t believe that Fern lied to him. He then wakes up Ehre. Wirbel asks her if she is out of mana and calls her lame, since she was the top of her class. Ehre tells him that Fern overwhelmed her with the sheer force of ordinary offensive magic and that she could not handle all of them. Ehre then says that Wirbel probably doesn't believe her, but looking at the damage to the environment around them, he understands. Wirbel then tells her that he doesn’t understand why she fought Fern head-on like an idiot, since he knew that it was a match she could have won.
Wirbel recalls Fern's appearance out of nowhere interrupting his fight with Übel and thinks to himself that the fact that Fern can pull such a feat off with just ordinary offensive magic makes her quite the monster. He then tells Ehre that they’ll regroup with Scharf. Ehre says that she is unable to walk. He calls her a pain, though he is smiling. Wirbel then casts a spell to make things float to take her levitating with him, but Ehre tells young man to stop and to just give her a piggyback ride. This genuinely annoys Wirbel, though he gives her a piggyback ride nonetheless.
With Ehre on his back, Wirbel makes his way to Scharf. Wirbel asks Ehre why he has to babysit him. Ehre doesn't answer back, instead asking if he senses Scharf nearby. He tells her that they are near. When they arrive, Wirbel asks Scharf to help carry Ehre. To his dismay, Scharf can’t move either and also asks to be carried. Wirbel sighs and then carries him using the magic he used on Ehre before. Having her still on the back, she wonders out loud what that sound is that she hears. Wirbel tells her that it probably sounds like rain falling onto the barrier and thinks it reflects his current mental state. Depressed he continues that they only have two to three hours until sunset; the time the exam ends. Wirbel laments further the state they are in, with two of them being unable to fight, and tells them that they’ve blown it.
Ehre tells him that even despite that, he still choses to help them and calls him kind. Wirbel jokingly tells her that he could ditch both of them right now. Scharf asks Wirbel to not abandon them, and Wirbel tells him to stop crying and man up. Ehre asks Wirbel if that kindness is why he fights demons and she recalls a memory of her as a young child in her village when she was cowring on the ground in front of a large demon that attacked the settlement and only Wirbel in between them. Wirbel tells her to stop being ridiculous and says that people fight to satisfy their desires, and that in his case, he did it for a girl that he liked in his hometown.
It then cuts to Wirbel's memories as he speaks. Wirbel tells them that exactly twenty-nine years ago, there was an increase in demonic activity in the Northern Lands. This led to the girl he had a crush on fleeing to the Central Lands with her family. He calls himself a dumb kid who had wanted to look cool in front of her. He declared to the girl that he would kill every last one of those crappy demons and told her to come back here after he is done. This made the girl with a red scarf smile and she teared up. Wirbel tells his teammates that back then he was around four to five years old and that he doesn't even remember his crush's face or name anymore.
Ehre with warmth in her voice calls him a fool and he confirms. Wirbel then adds that he will have to go home by boat again and that he gets horrible seasickness. Ehre asks if he’d like to be introduced to her grandfather, who is a first-class mage and could take Wirbel by land, but she abruptly cuts herself off. Ehre asks him to wait and points to a tree, making him pay attention. A Stille is perched on a tree and chirps. Wirbel then proceeds to capture the bird with Sorganeil. As the bird falls on the ground he approaches the Stille and squats in front of the creature, he calls this a joke and asks what the point of all the effort was, adding that it took way too long to be lucky.
Meanwhile, Laufen is facing off with the Second Party. Kanne states that the mage who confronts them seemingly doesn't do anything. Denken watches from behind a tree. He notices Frieren's elf features and judges her to be a skilled mage. He also thinks that Laufen’s magic won’t work on her again after Frieren has already witnessed it once. Laufen then disappears leaving only shortly an afterimage. Kanne and Lawine are surprised and while Kanne states that Laufen vanished, Linie points out that the Stille is gone. Frieren looks at her open hand and confirms that it was taken by her opponent. Laufen made only way behind a tree and used her spell a third time, which Frieren picked up on and looked in the direction where she disappeared again, calling it an interesting spell.
At the same time at the location where the first test proctor Genau had made a temporary camp, he enjoys again some hot brew and a Stille unbothered sits on a teapot not far away. The Stille chirps, flies alarmed into the air and the scene cuts to the appearance of the woman with long hair, sitting on the table who was also present at the very start of the exam in the assembly hall overlooking the examinees. The woman remarks that’s it’s rather comfortable inside the barrier despite the rain. The fact that the woman is the proctor for the second exam comes into Genau’s mind, and he let’s Sense know calling her by her name.
As the Stille lands on Senses head, she tells Genau that it seems that he is once again responsible for the deaths of many promising candidates. Genau chuckles and calls this nonsense, telling her that anyone that gets killed wasn’t promising. Walking forward as he overlooks the testing area, Genau adds that this is what makes first-class mages more valuable. Nonetheless, Seemingly without effort Sense appears now sitting in the grass beside the first test proctor and the bird again lands on her. She thinks Genau is devious and thinks to select a creature that can’t be detected by mana for the exam is cruel, while adding that whether you catch one depends on luck. Her view of his test, she shares is that of a battle masqueraded as competition.
Genau tells her that luck is a skill and points out that some test-takers have found ways to capture the Stille without it, while he recalls a scene in which Frieren uses the spell that captures a bird at the pond. Genau then shares with Sense that sunset is in three hours, meaning that the battles will get more intense. Sense asks him who does he thinks will win, and Genau tells her that he believes that a third of them will remain. He then adds that he believes that Denken will be among those who pass, since he is almost as capable as a first-class mage. Sense claims that Denken is only interested in money and power and questions why an old man like him would participate now. She asks if he is after the privilege after all. Genau voices his cluelessness but thinks even if he gets up there in years he must have his reasons for attending the exam now.
Back to Frieren's team, they in the meantime got confronted by Denken and Richter who stepped out of the woods. Frieren asks them if it was the spell Jilwer the girl used and describes it as folk magic coming from a mountain tribe in the Southern Lands. Denken confirms her guess. Kanne is clueless about what Jilwer does and Lawine informs her about the magic that it allows one to move at high speed. Frieren then tells the men of the other party that they should have just stayed hidden and that Laufen could have stolen the Stille and run away alone. Denken tells her that Laufen is still a novice, and has left too many traces of her mana. He believes that the elf could have tracked her down easily, calling Frieren by her name. Denken then guesses that Frieren must find it rather troublesome being held up by them.
Frieren admits this to be true. She expresses surprise that he knows who she is. Denken tells her that there isn't a single mage in his generation that hasn't heard her name and that even though this was his first time seeing her in person, he was sure of it the moment he saw her. Denken states that she is Frieren of the Hero Party. Kanne asks if Frieren is famous, and Lawine whispers that Frieren is legendary. She tells Kanne that she thought she could be Frieren but wasn't sure. Frieren questions that even with the knowledge of her identity, Denken's team chose to confront her directly. She asks them if they have been snooping around the whole time, and states that she expected them to make a dirtier move.
Richter disagrees, telling her that what they are about to do is dirty enough. He reveals that while Frieren fights Denken, he will kill one of either Kanne or Lawine. Frieren calmly says that it makes sense, since they'd be unable to pass if they lost a party member, so they'd have to resign. Lawine readies herself to fight and challenges Richter to try it. However, Kanne remarks that he appears to be strong. Richter as to make himself ready touches the ground, but Denken interrupts any further action and tells Richter not to do that, and that they just need to keep them busy. Richter expected Denken to be more ruthless. Richter claims that Denken is an Imperial Mage, who likely eliminated his fair share of opponents. This triggers Denken to recall a memory of him walking down between lined up kneeling hooded people in a lowly lit hall. Denken responds to him by saying that he doesn't think that being a first-class mage is worth someone's life. Frieren tells him that they at least agree on something.
Richter calls Frieren hopeless, questioning why she decided to take this test without knowing about the privilege. Frieren is confused by this. Richter talks about the Great Mage Serie, who founded the Continental Magic Association more than half a century ago to reign over humanity's mages. While he says so, Serie is shown sitting on a throne with hundreds of books stacking up behind her in a large hall full of chests and other stuff. In a close-up her features as an elf are presented. He tells Frieren that she still seeks out accomplished mages from the war against the Demon King. Richter tells her that Serie offers a special privilege to anyone who holds the position of a first-class mage, and this privilege is that she will bestow upon them a single spell that they desire.
He compares Serie to a living grimoire who knows every spell known to humanity; she is the mage that is the closest comparison to the omniscient and omnipotent Goddess. During his explanation, he imagines Serie standing in front of a monumental mural of the Goddess of Creation depicting her holding a staff and a handful of wheat-like grains.
Richter compares having any spell you desire granted to you as having your dream come true. He then tells her that people are simple-minded creatures and that it leads all of the first-class mages to become inhuman monsters while imagining three recent ones Genau, Sense and the other man who was present in the assembly hall at the beginning of the exam. However, Denken calls that mindset ridiculous, and Richter retorts that Denken is part of the minority that doesn't care.
Richter then signals Denken for them to begin. Richter asks Denken to keep Frieren occupied for a minute, which he claims is enough time for him to kill the other two. Denken tells Richter to just keep the kids occupied for a few hours and makes himself ready to engage, declaring that he will crush Frieren. Richter, with a face of disapproval, calls him an old fool. Richter then begins the attack with the spell Bargland, a spell that controls earth, which shakes the ground and separates him and the young female human mages from Frieren and Denken. While the ground rises-up a dozen sizes of a grown tree into a massive mesa-like hill Genau and Sense are shown as paying no attention to this landscape-changing event. Now alone, Denken tells Frieren that the young are too hot-blooded. Frieren doesn't say anything but brings her staff into position ready to face whatever happens next.
Characters in Order of Appearance
Locations in Order of Appearance
- Grobe Basin
- Wirbel's hometown at the Northern Frontier (in flashback)
- Serie's ancient throne hall
Episode Notes
- The episode starts with the fight between Übel and Wirbel, which should have been in between the talk Fern and Ehre had in the previous Episode 19, and by that, Ehre repeats now why she thought her teammate would win.
- When Wirbel says he has met others who tried to do the same on the battlefield after Übel has gone for his eyes he has in the manga a flashback of him fighting against remnants of the Demon King's Army which was not adopted by the anime.
- In the flashback during Wirbel's explanation about how wars use underhanded tactics the scene of him putting on a mask is anime original.
- After Fern comes to Übel's rescue in between Wirbel thinking he didn't sense her at all and saying that he is surprised, the last panel of Chapter 41 saying: "Let's make a deal," is omitted in the anime adaptation.
- At the end of the fight between Land and Scharf, when the anime shows the latter being knocked out with a spell that produces a small electric shock, which is anime original and in the manga instead Scharf gets knocked out with a physical hit by Land.
- Because of the red scarf Wirbel's childhood crush wore, it is speculated, that it a homage or easter egg to Mikasa Ackermann from the manga/anime Attack on Titan[2]
- In the scene where Serie is shown on her throne alone in a large hall a mage with a haircut like Genau is depicted in the manga as kneeling before her.
- The manga depicts Richter's words alongside with imaginations of each, when he describes the privilege that could fulfill wishes of acquiring massive wealth, curing the gravest of diseases or gaining overwhelming power.
References
- ↑ Crunchyroll: Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Episode 20.
- ↑ Mikasa Easter Egg in Frieren S01E20?.
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| Music | The Brave • Sunny • Anytime Anywhere • bliss • Original Soundtrack | |
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