>>280781351
>the scene was just plot
not sure what to make of this.
>Maybe Frieren wasnt "strong" at all
The scenery implies she solo'd a demon general, her dialogue with Flamme alludes to her fighting him head on with sheer magical might, the visual representation of an exausted Frieren is stil larger than what a current year first class mage might consider the aura of an experienced old mage. Conversely I think there are precious few clues that's not strong.
>Frieren still hasn't surpassed Flamme's peak
What we see of Flamme is vaguely comparable to Aura and Heiter in terms of mana. But sure Flamme's legacy is still greater than Frieren's. And though she considers her a failure overal, I don't think Serie would begrudge Flamme a 1st rank mage title if she went and took the exam.

>>280782453
Souls aren't real. Flamme lied about Areole (which is conviently where the Demon King's castle is) in a bid to get Frieren to confront him. But in the end all of that is irrelevant because the journey was the destination all along.