Arifureta (Main Series)/Light Novel/Volume 9

Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest ⑨ (ありふれた職業で世界最強 ⑨) is the 9th volume of the light novel series, written by "Ryo Shirakome" and illustrated by "Takaya-Ki", and was first released on December 25, 2018 in Japan.

Synopsis
Having finally found a way home, Hajime and his party head to the final labyrinth—the Frost Caverns. Its frigid depths hold the last ancient magic they need to return to Earth, but upon entering the caverns, a strange presence unsettles the party and splits them up, and they become lost in a maze of ice. Separated from the others, Shizuku is forced to fight a copy of herself. Will she be able to overcome this trial and surpass her limits?
 * -|Print=CHILLED TO THE BONE

Having finally found a way home, Hajime and his party head to the final labyrinth--the Frost Caverns. There, in that frigid land, the party seeks out the last ancient magic they'll need to go back to Earth. Upon entering the caverns, a maze of ice and an ever-present sinister whispering chips away at their concentration. As they proceed through it, the party is split up. Separated from the others, Shizuku is forced to fight a copy of herself. Will she be able to overcome this trial and surpass her limits?
 * -|Digital=

Chapters

 * Prologue
 * Chapter I: The Final Labyrinth
 * Chapter II: Whispers
 * Chapter III: Charging Emotions
 * Chapter IV: True Heart
 * Extra Chapter: Girls' Talk: Midnight Edition

Bonus Short Stories

 * Nightmare Holiday
 * The Mad Synergist of The Forest
 * A Hot Night in Verbergen
 * Arifureta Magic Academy: the Four Bombs of the Academy’s Club Recruitment Efforts
 * Floating Hot Springs Panic
 * Arifureta Fairy Tales: Momotarou

Web Novel

 * Chapters 137-144

Trivia

 * This volume's release date in Japan is the same as Volume 4 of the Manga adaptation and Volume 2 of Arifureta Nichijou.
 * In the Web Novel, Hajime does not explain the issues he has when he enhanced Kouki's Holy Sword artifact.
 * In the Web Novel, Hajime and the others encountering the herd of snow rabbit monsters originally did not occur. However, this would later referenced in Arifureta After Story.
 * Much of Shizuku's backstory that was revealed during the fight with her doppelgänger (particularly her relationship with Kaori during their time in elementary school) is not revealed in the Web Novel.
 * In this volume, Hajime and Tio discuss how Vandre Schnee may have been responsible for the constant blizzard that was plaguing the Schnee Snow Fields. However, this would later be retconned in the 2nd Season Blu-ray Short Story, in which it is revealed that the Schnee Snow Fields had been formed due to the death of the ancient spirit Foldia.