Sousou no Frieren - Ch. 128 - The Special Forces of Magic

[Aegisx15]

Feel like some readers need to take a step back and breathe. It's just one chapter, let the author cook.

Besides, we haven't even been shown what spells Ubel and Land asked for. Feels like Ubel is someone who would continue to gain offensive powers, while Land would be more pragmatic in his choice, but there's a lot of room for variety.

 

[ForPain]

Can't wait for Frieren to wipe the floor with that secret group.

 

[1idd0kun]

Feel like some readers need to take a step back and breathe. It's just one chapter, let the author cook.

Besides, we haven't even been shown what spells Ubel and Land asked for. Feels like Ubel is someone who would continue to gain offensive powers, while Land would be more pragmatic in his choice, but there's a lot of room for variety.

This isn't a battle manga and this arc isn't even about Ubel and Land. It's about Serie's life being targeted. There's no reason to assume Ubel will get to fight this imperial dude again either.

 

[Aegisx15]

This isn't a battle manga and this arc isn't even about Ubel and Land. It's about Serie's life being targeted. There's no reason to assume Ubel will get to fight this imperial dude again either.

I didn't say it was and there's nothing in my previous comment to imply anything like that nor any assumption they would battle again against the same people.

 

[Mr.Oblivion]

It really depends on what your metrics for strength is. From how I see it, Serie simply has a colossal amount of mana comparable to a hypothetical magical calamity. Simple, raw, unadulterated and unquestionable power. She's practically a walking hydrogen bomb. Serie is the undisputed strongest being within the world of Frieren.
But when you start putting wits, techs, uniqueness into the equation, it's no longer a power scale. It becomes a Rock-paper-scissors type of situation where various factors determines the outcomes of certain match ups. For example: this whole chapter.

Serie also have 1000s of years experience in fighting. She is practically a god of war.

 

[Elandriel]

Serie also have 1000s of years experience in fighting. She is practically a god of war.

Does she? Do we have any indication she's spent basically any time fighting at all?

 

[Cidolfas]

Serie left Macht alone the entire time the Demon King was alive. Once the Demon King was dead and the humans protecting Macht were gone, she rushed over to kill him. Serie also spends her life engaging in mana restriction, an exhausting art that she herself calls impractical for anyone who isn't desperate for an edge against demons, specifically. When Flamme outright says that Serie can't visualize herself beating the Demon King, Serie uncharacteristically doesn't respond with an arrogant put-down. And Serie's objection to Flamme's methodology isn't that it will end the age of conflict, it's that magic will become commonplace.

While Serie is definitely a jerk, there are a number of hints that for many centuries the Demon King really was the most terrifying guy around.

My big guess:

The Demon King's speciality magic is to take the opponent's greatest desires and turn them back upon them. Serie not being able to win becasue she cannot imagine an era of peace is not a metaphor: she is vulnerable to this spell. As is Flamme. And every other great mage of the era.

Except Frieren.

 

[nhansieu1]

SoL is not generic "oh they are doing things about their daily liives". Usually, we only count series that are mostly event-less, with no overarching storyline, SoL. Series like Yuru Yuri, Yuru Camp, K-ON, are SoL. You can literally skip 10 chapters and high chance that you will still understand what's going on.

Skipping 5 chapters with Frieren and you'll have a lot of questions.

Wtf. So SoL is not just about a person life.

 

[Ignore]

When I asked Ubel and Sukuna to define Slice of Life, they sent me photos of Burg and Gojo.

 

[Ignore]

My big guess:

The Demon King's speciality magic is to take the opponent's greatest desires and turn them back upon them. Serie not being able to win becasue she cannot imagine an era of peace is not a metaphor: she is vulnerable to this spell. As is Flamme. And every other great mage of the era.

Except Frieren.

That's a really interesting possibility, and would explain why all the demons took for granted that they couldn't beat the King. That said, I'm not 100% sold since Flamme would've made anything useful for killing demons public knowledge. It's established that many heroes perished in battle with the Demon King and Frieren didn't screen Himmel's party thoroughly before joining; while hardly conclusive, that at least suggests Flamme was not aware of qualifying or disqualifying traits for taking on the Demon King.

 

[Ignore]

Does she? Do we have any indication she's spent basically any time fighting at all?

We know from her comments when beating down Macht that she was feared in the distant past, but we also know from her use of mana restriction that for centuries she considered fighting dirty either her only survival option or more practical than overpowering an enemy. She also stayed in hiding from a millenia ago until the Demon King was dead. To Mr. Oblivion's point, she knows more combat magicks than anyone else, and was skilled enough to be feared in the era of elves. To your point, magic has been evolving, Serie's recent battle experience is limited, and for most demons, years alive=years of fighting experience. If everyone in their world submitted a photo-free resume for 'super-veteran magical combat boot camp instructor', Serie wouldn't make top five due to lack of recent work history.

 

[FlyingThunder]

i hate how even this manga which i really like is not immune to the lame bullshit trope of explaining your enemies moves to him. laaaame

 

[curvedtree]

No? He didn't say that First-Class Mages are lame/weak, he basically said that the Special Forces are anti-mage mages. It makes sense that as an Empire, the Emperor has anti-magr specialized forces in case of a revolt because in most party there will always be a mage involved. It's like when there's an intelligence unit, there will be counterintelligence unit prepared. They will be stupid if they do not have something like that.

And the First Class Mages do not consist only of attackers. As you can see there is Land who specialized in information gathering rather than attacking. That is why he was sent on this mission, rather than Wirbel, who is more specialized in warfare.

"Land is making it sound like the First-Class mages are lame" If you are going to quote me, do it properly.

Besides, what you said just reinforced my point, why would the Continental Magic Association send an infiltration duo if they can't deal with the anti-mage mages? Also, Land says those "anti-mages" - as you called them - can topple countries and we have seen there are several of them in the event, having Wirbel there wouldn't make any difference.

Either the author rushed things out having those examinees become first-class mages, or the scaling for the Special Forces of Magic was done quiet poorly. It can still be fixed since the last, and only, big mention of a division of such relevance was with the Shadow Warriors attempting against Frieren's life - which was another bad example of power scaling.

Land isn't making it out that First Class mages are lame its just both have different criteria on how they pick their mages. The CMA 1st Class Mages are world class talent mages that ALSO happen to be good at combat while the Empire's Special Forces of Magic are Battle Hardened Mages that uses magic as their primary tool of killing and battle. Thats like comparing NASA Scientists to Lockheed Scientists in creating military weapons. NASA Scientists could probably do it but in that area Lockheed Scientists has a major advantage.

Also Land and Ubel are relatively new mages or relatively new 1st class mages. Land also only specializes on clone magic NOT battle magic while Ubel having good battle instincts has been shown to actually not have a deep understanding of magic because she only learns magic by empathizing with other mages not actually learning magic on her own.

Lastly the Empire Mages probably faces demons on a normal basis and demons are basically superior mages compared to humans so they have to be REALLY crafty and talented.

How isn't he making the First-Class mages sound lame? He says something on the lines "First-Class mages are the strongest in the Empire" only to retract that saying they are a poor match against other mages, how can First-Class mages be the strongest mages, but there are mages out there better than them? It doesn't make sense. Except I do might have to draw back the "sound lame" which was too harsh, still doesn't change my mind the writing here from the author was quite poor.

Also Land and Ubel are relatively new mages

That was my point in "oh Special Forces are too strong for newly First-Class mages as us"

 

[slyss]

Does she? Do we have any indication she's spent basically any time fighting at all?

 

[lenovoaxioo]

The power level of the humans living in this frieren universe seems to keep expending. It sure make you wonder why it takes thousand of years to kill the demon lord and demons with all these OP secret army that supposedly can kill the powerhouse like Serrie, frieren etc. And since Flamme is basically the one that introduce magic to the empire and the empire is the one that made magic a norm to humans, that means they are very strong army now. And if the direction they go is to have a lot of mage killer secret army that means they should be able to kill the Demon lord long ago considering the demons are mages focused build. And you telling me after all these secret mage killer army etc and they still can't kill the DL? Ngl the power creep does make the earlier writing seems questionable. You can't just suddenly have all these secret army that can kill the strongest people like Serrie and Frieren and not explained why and how they still unable to defeat the DL themselves. It was proven with the old shadow dude from previous chapter it is possible for a single shadow unit to kill Frieren. So their claim to be able kill Serrie and Frieren definitely is grounded.

Man. . What? Power creep? Did you have amnesia or what.... 😫

We have shown no one is invincible and can be taken down just because of a simple bad matchup.

Physically, frieren is weak. If you throw enough warrior at her you probably can defeat her. It's hinted as far as the fight with aura. And even between mage, she got outmaneuvered 11 times already.

Do you believe some scrawny human can kill the big strong buff demon king who solo the hero party?

And Linie is warrior class demon. We have rivale in the previous arc too, a demon warrior that can match eisen.

You also forgot DK have great demon under him like schlat, macht, qual, solitar, grausam, bose, all those dude can't be sneak attacked.

History book boys. Until 80 years ago, humanity doesn't even have a way to counter qual's Zoltrak. Just until recently, golden transmutation too is still categorized as a curse.

These secret ops mage may be strong, but they need 2 people (or so it's seem because Ubel seems to keep geetting 3rd party obstruction) to take down fledgling like ubel.

 

[lenovoaxioo]

"Land is making it sound like the First-Class mages are lame" If you are going to quote me, do it properly.

Besides, what you said just reinforced my point, why would the Continental Magic Association send an infiltration duo if they can't deal with the anti-mage mages? Also, Land says those "anti-mages" - as you called them - can topple countries and we have seen there are several of them in the event, having Wirbel there wouldn't make any difference.

Either the author rushed things out having those examinees become first-class mages, or the scaling for the Special Forces of Magic was done quiet poorly. It can still be fixed since the last, and only, big mention of a division of such relevance was with the Shadow Warriors attempting against Frieren's life - which was another bad example of power scaling.


How isn't he making the First-Class mages sound lame? He says something on the lines "First-Class mages are the strongest in the Empire" only to retract that saying they are a poor match against other mages, how can First-Class mages be the strongest mages, but there are mages out there better than them? It doesn't make sense. Except I do might have to draw back the "sound lame" which was too harsh, still doesn't change my mind the writing here from the author was quite poor.


That was my point in "oh Special Forces are too strong for newly First-Class mages as us"

I have to disagree on old man sneaking frieren is bad.

Having assassin sneak attacked mage in their sleep is very logical.

It's even more logical when we know Frieren heavily rely on magic sensing she can't even tell the illusion is illusion because it was very well made in the previous arc. Mage rely heavily on mana sensing.

So it should be common sense that if you want to kill her( a mage). .. You send assassin who barely have any mana to kill them in their most vulnerable state.

All the power in the worls is useless if you can't use it.

Power scaling doesn't even matter outside direct battle against a people of the same class.

Mage can oneshot strong warrior from miles away or warrior can kill mage in 1 hit if he is fast enough is very plausible scenario in this world.

 

[aister]

Wtf. So SoL is not just about a person life.

yes. Or else every single series is SoL.

 

[trieuvuhoang]

Indeed. Lets send the suicidal murderhobo to the covert op. What can go wrong.

the murderhobo is questionable. But Land is the greatest choice for a secret mission. Dude can order his clone to snuff around and doesn't have to worry about getting find out.
Ubel seem like the only one who could work well with Land, so i guess that's the reason they send her

 

[eviljackspicer]

Really glad these killer mages and powerful empires are around to keep the roads safe and to protect villages from being terrorized by wild monsters.

These characters glow so god damn hard they could keep the streets safe by becoming street lamps LMAO

 

[eviljackspicer]

I gotta say, the more the author dives into the behind the scenes politics of the empire, it make me wonder, why the god damn fuck would ANYONE stick their necks out to save it? Just let the demons take it. Fuck them. Let these glowing bastards fight them if they are so powerful.

If I was Frieren, I would just take myself and my crew to an island, use magic to produce everything I need, and just live the rest of my days there and just lay back as this empire just rips itself apart from its intense hatred and fear of its own citizens.