Illuminati on the scene!
Creative Staff
Story/Art: Kazue Kato
Translation: John Werry
What They Say
As the True Cross Academy festival reaches its peak, trouble is brewing. While Izumo confronts Nemu Takara, Rin and the rest of the Exwires race to find her. The betrayal they discover and the tragic details of Izumo’s past will shake them to the core and herald the beginning of an all-out war between the Illuminati and the Knights of the True Cross!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Though our heroes seem to have the Illuminati agents sussed out, when it comes to light that their objective is Izumo, everyone scrambles to find her. Meanwhile, the girl herself learns that Takara is a “coordinator,” and that even though he’s not with the Illuminati, he aims to make sure she gets kidnapped by them. To make matters worse, he then summons a giant model robot to fight with. However, Shima swoops in to the rescue with the help of a powerful Myo-o demon known as Yamantaka! He claims he’s always had it but he rarely uses it since it tires him out. An intense battle erupts, and Izumo decides that she’ll get help, only to find herself literally stabbed in the back by her “friend,” the real Illuminati spy!
It is then that some more Illuminati members arrive for the pickup, bringing Seraphim along with them. This includes Mephisto’s big brother and commander of the Illuminati, Lucifer himself! With their capture of Izumi they declare war on the Knights of the True Cross, as well as their plans to revive Satan within a year. Mephisto turns down Lucifer’s offer to join hands in this purpose, and despite Rin’s strong protests the villains simply fly off with an unconscious Izumo in tow. The Illuminati also leaves a parting gift by exploding their Seraphim, leaving the Knights in disarray. As a result, it ends up falling on our young heroes to rescue Izumo, with Mephisto’s spy Takara acting as their guide.
Just what horrors await our heroes in Izumo’s seemingly peaceful hometown where she’s being held? And what effect will it have on Izumo when her tragic past turns out to be tied to her current predicament?
In Summary
In contrast to the somewhat slow last volume, this book starts strong and keeps on rolling throughout. There’s some nice action, and it’s absolutely packed with twists and turns. The big reveal of the spy is obviously the huge one here, and it’s definitely a pretty interesting twist that really changes things for our heroes. Not only that, but we also get a first look at a rather intimidating and powerful villain that’s sure to have a big effect on the series. And of course we get a big look at Izumo’s character and past, which proves every bit as intriguing as it is tragic. Hopefully this new arc can live up to the great potential shown here, but for now this book remains as a fantastic read that’s sure to keep fans of the series on the edge of their seat.
Content Grade: A-
Art Grade: A-
Packaging Grade: B+
Text/Translation Grade: B+
Age Rating: 16+
Released By: Viz Medoa
Release Date: November 4th, 2014
MSRP: $9.99
