Chapter 44

## Chapter Guide

**Recapture the Stille** 「隕鉄鳥奪還 (シュティレだっかん) , *Shutire dakkan*?」 is the forty-fourth chapter of Yamada Kanehito & Abe Tsukasa's *Frieren: Beyond Journey's End*.

## Summary

Right after the events of the previous chapter, Lawine and Kanne begin to fight Richter in a battle of attrition. However, Richter utilizes the flaw in defense magic, its weakness against physical mass, and using his earth manipulation magic and greater mana, easily overwhelms Lawine and Kanne. Richter calls out Lawine's bluff about manipulating the water within his body, correctly guessing that neither Lawine nor Kanne would be able to visualize such magic, and tells the pair to settle down while Denken defeats Frieren. Denken uses a powerful series of spells that impresses even Genau and Sense, the latter of whom calls into question the integrity of the exam ground's barrier, but Genau states that as it is cast by the Great Mage Serie, the barrier is impenetrable. Though Denken casts more spells, Frieren is able to slip past his defenses and defeat him using basic offense magic. She then threatens Denken's life to draw out Laufen, and after restraining both Laufen and Denken to a tree, recovers the Stille. Seeing that Denken has lost, Richter prepares to face Lawine and Kanne seriously. Despite Denken's concern for Lawine and Kanne's safety, Frieren is assured that they will win, and indicates that she has finished deciphering Serie's barrier.

## Plot Details

Right after the events of last chapter, Richter is locked in combat with Lawine and Kanne. Lawine attempts to freeze Richter with an unnamed freeze spell, but it is ineffective. She thinks it's because of the difference between their mana. She then attempts to attack him with her spell Nephtear, which hurls arrows of ice at Richter. Richter blocks the arrows with an unnamed defensive spell that creates a shell of earth around him. Richter then starts his attack, a spell that creates stalagmites that rise from the ground, in the direction of the girls.
Lawine shouts at Kanne, signaling her to defend. After the attack, Richter tells them that they made a huge show and that he more or less knows their capabilities. He describes the pair's magic as ice that lacks lethality and a mage that is useless in a fight without access to water. He mutters to himself and complains that this is nothing but babysitting two brats. Lawine mockingly thanks him for the insight, adding her observation that Richter loves showing off his fancy magic. She asks Richter if he is sure that he won't run out of mana soon. Richter asks them if they are from the Academy of Magic and if their seniors are still teaching them to fight battles of attrition with mostly defensive spells. Kanne asks what he means. Richter then asks if they'd like a lesson on magic's history. He tells them that the defensive magic that was created to counter Zoltraak provides great resistance to magic itself, but its defensive quality against physical attacks hasn't changed much till now. He adds that there was a clear reason for this: the spell's defense was enough against physical attacks from monsters or warriors, and complicating the spell further would be disadvantageous for its casting speed.

## Characters in Order of Appearance

* Richter
* Lawine
* Kanne
* Frieren
* Denken
* Genau
* Sense
* Laufen

## Battles and Events

#### Battles

* Frieren, Lawine, & Kanne vs. Denken, Richter, & Laufen
	+ Lawine & Kanne vs. Richter
	+ Frieren vs. Denken

#### Events

* Frieren captures Denken and Laufen
* The Second Party reclaims the Stille

## Spells and New Tools Used

#### Spells

* Unnamed freezing magic
* Arrows of Ice: Spells|Nephtear
* Unnamed magic that creates a defensive earth shell
* Unnamed magic that causes stalagmites to rise from the ground
* Defensive magic
* Zoltraak
* Flight magic
* Tornado Winds: Waldgose
* Wind becomes Hellfire: Daosdorg
* Lights of Judgement: Catastravia
* Jilwer
* Unnamed restraining magic