The Water-Mirror Demon
Deep within the library of Oysast, the occasional sound of pages turning could be heard.
Genau and Falsh sat facing each other at a small long table, drinking tea and flipping through magic books.
Outside the window lies the perpetually calm surface of Lake Oysast, where the afternoon sun casts shimmering golden light across its surface.
On the table sat a set of plain white porcelain teaware, the tea lukewarm, emitting a faint herbal fragrance.
Genau picked up his teacup, took a sip, and gazed out the window, as if looking through space towards the distant north.
"We call the master of that labyrinth 'the Water-Mirror Demon'."
His voice was steady and stood out clearly in the quiet reading area.
"It's a monster from the mythical era, learned about from the magic book recorded by the sage Ewig."
Across from him Falsh pushed up his round-framed glasses, his gaze behind the lenses focused.
"Up to now," Genau continued, his fingers unconsciously tracing the warm rim of the cup, "We believe it can read the memories of everyone who has entered the labyrinth, and create copies of those memories."
He paused, then continued, "Although in this era, there are also monsters with similar abilities to the Phantom Demon..."
"But Water-Mirror Demon create are perfect replicas with physical bodies, whose strength, magic power, and even skills can be perfectly Imitation."
"This is why the Ruined King's Tombs have remained unconquered to this day."
Falsh glanced at him, then picked up his own teacup.
Why did Sense choose this maze as the examination venue?
"A clone is the perfect opponent."
"Genau replied."
"To defeat them without making sacrifices, we must calmly conduct a self-analysis... and rely on teamwork."
He put down his teacup, the porcelain making a soft "click" as it touched the wooden table.
"This really fits her exam content as a 'pacifist'."
Falsh did not respond, but simply looked quietly at Genau through his glasses.
The Ruined King's Tombs.
The battle on Frieren's side is over.
The ground was littered with gravel and dust, and the air still carried the faint, scorching smell of colliding magic.
Frieren, Fern, Wirbel, Ehre, Scharf, Kanne, Rabiñe, and Sense, who stood quietly in the corner without participating in the battle.
At their feet lay three "corpses" that were gradually disintegrating and turning into stone dust.
--It is a copy of "Wirbel", "Ehre", and "Scharf".
Wirbel grinned, poking at the unrecognizable pile of gray powder at his feet with the tip of his boot. His usual wild smile was now mixed with a hint of undisguised astonishment.
"That's amazing."
He pulled his foot back and crossed his arms.
"These three fakes... have almost identical abilities to the three of us. Even the trajectory of Ehre's troublesome 'Stone Missile' spell and the range of Scharf's Flower Field Magic are exactly the same. Luckily, there are many of us, so we dealt with them easily."
Ehre's expression was also somewhat complicated. Looking at the pile of "herself" dust, she added softly, "My fighting style is... it's like looking in a mirror."
Scharf didn't speak, but simply nodded silently.
Frieren didn't look at the powder.
She lowered her head, her emerald green eyes fixed on a small patch of damp ground in front of her, seemingly lost in deep thought.
Fern stood beside her.
She first scanned the battlefield to make sure there were no other threats, then her gaze settled on Frieren's lowered profile.
She keenly sensed her master's unusual behavior.
"Lady Frieren, what are you thinking about?"
She paused, then raised her hand and pointed to the incredibly thick rock wall that separated them from Duncan's team. The rock wall had a rough surface and a cold, bluish-gray sheen.
"I just tested the senses on this stone wall, and its structure isn't completely indestructible. Although it's very thick, I should be able to break through it using the same move I used to defeat the Lion Boar."
"To break it, should we go and join Mr. Duncan and the others?"
Upon hearing this, Wirbel raised an eyebrow, looked at Fern, and grinned.
"You're truly outstanding, Fern. Your judgment is quick, and your thinking is clear."
He patted the short cane at his waist, his tone tinged with self-deprecation.
"As for me, I'm completely helpless against rock walls of this strength. My magic excels at dealing with living things, but against this thing..."
Rabiñe crossed his arms and snorted, "We're about the same. Ice and water are far too inefficient against this kind of solid, thick wall."
Kanne nodded without saying anything.
Fern did not respond to their comments.
Her gaze remained fixed on Frieren, awaiting her answer.
Frieren kept her head down.
After a few more seconds, she slowly raised her face. "Okay, let's leave it at that for now. Let's get started, Fern."
Fern glanced at Frieren.
"Good."
Without saying anything more, she simply raised her staff.
The staff glowed faintly, and a white magic circle quickly took shape in front of her.
The next second, a condensed white beam of light shot out.
"Bang!"
A penetrating sound rang out.
The beam of light pierced straight into the thick rock wall, and pebbles and dust fell along the edge of the beam, but the edge of the cave entrance was unusually neat, as if it had been carefully polished.
The beam of light dissipated.
A smooth-edged circular hole remains in the rock face, just large enough for one person to pass through easily.
"Beautiful power and control, Fern," Kanne praised. "Not a single unnecessary destruction."
The group passed through the passage, preparing to meet up with Duncan. Sense at Frieren, who seemed lost in thought, without saying a word.