Sousou no Frieren › Season 1

Chapter 23 — Episode 23

The second exam of the first-class mage qualification test begins, with examiner Sense announcing that the 18 candidates who passed the first exam must now conquer the "Tomb of the Fallen King," an uncharted labyrinth where many adventurers have perished. Sense explains that all candidates who reach the deepest level will pass, and distributes escape golems in bottles — developed by first-class mage Lernen — as a safety measure, with the time limit set to the following dawn. First, upon arriving at the labyrinth's multiple entrances, one candidate suggests cooperating, but Denken refuses, arguing that unlike the first exam, there is no condition requiring allies to survive, making group alliances a liability risk; the candidates then split up, with Frieren, Fern, and Stark proceeding together while Sense decides to follow their group as the safest bet. Then, Frieren navigates the labyrinth with expertise gained from exploring dungeons alongside Himmel in the past, carefully mapping the route and warning her companions of floor traps as they descend through multiple levels. The group encounters increasingly dangerous obstacles, and mid-way through their descent they face a critical threat when magical duplicates — perfect copies of the candidates, replicating their mana, combat skills, and even memories — begin attacking them inside the labyrinth. Frieren, Fern, Stark, and their allied candidates coordinate a tactical breakthrough, with each fighter targeting a different duplicate to avoid confusion. At the end of the episode, after defeating the copies, Frieren identifies them as magical replicas likely created by a demon or magical creature, noting she has never seen such a flawless duplication before. The group acknowledges that their decision to work together proved correct, as it gave them more options to counter the threat. However, when asked