Barely contained CHAOS.
Creative Staff
Story/Art: Ryoko Kui
Translation: Taylor Engel
Lettering: Abigail Blackman
What They Say
In her first hours as lord of the dungeon, Marcille has completely transformed the dungeon’s layout, sending hordes of monsters from the deepest floors—as well as several of her own making—hurtling dangerously close to the surface. Though the demon’s influence is strong, Laios has a surefire way to reach Marcille: through her stomach! Drawn from fondly remembered flavors, will Senshi’s ultimate culinary creation be enough to break through to their friend?!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
First up, this volume is stuffed. Two extra chapters thick, and boy is there a lot going on in here!
The Winged Lion found a perfect mark in Marcille. While until the recent chapters, it looked like he was targeting Laios, it turns out that Marcille was walking right into the demon’s claws.
I love how the demon was revealed in the story. A winged lion is a symbol that has usually been used for good and nobility. (See, for example, the lion of Saint Mark.) When the lion grew after devouring Sissel’s desires it has now taken the form of one of the many demons described as having a lion’s head and a man’s body. Bravo Kui-san. Even now the lion doesn’t threaten, it doesn’t need to. It simply explains everything that it is to Laios and the others, how it operates, and what its desires are.
It still takes Laios way too long to realize that the demon is bad and needs to be stopped. How do you stop a force of nature though?
The Canaries know. They have to kill the dungeon lord. The problem is they think the lord is Laios and pursue him with the intent to kill. As the dungeon reconfigures to bring all layers closer to the surface monsters begin the rampage. Some are under Marcille’s orders to retrieve her party, but others are just caught up in the mix. Marcille’s single desire to make everyone live as long as she will is scoffed at by her friends and she doesn’t take it well.
We do get a look at the events that drove Marcille to pursue this dream. Her father was a tall man and her mother an elf. Yet as we learn half-elf children live natural lifespans of approximately 1,000 years. Marcille buried her father and never got over the grief. It’s a touching examination of the curse of longevity.
It’s not all bloodshed and tears in this volume. This is DinD after all! (I wonder if Kui-san is playing Baldur’s Gate 3 right now?) There is a moment that reminds me of a certain scene in the first Critical Role campaign involving the wrong end of a dragon. Izutsumi remains the best cat girl ever as she somewhat turns into the voice of reason and even offhandedly admits that she figures she’s stuck with her feline form and wants to pursue her own quest of revenge for it. When is a bowl of pasta, not pasta? When it’s ramen. Humor remains a key component of this series even during the serious parts.
Many casualties and new companions later, the party manages to reach Marcille. I still have no idea how they plan on fixing the situation. Marcille seems to have gone from 0 to crazy in record time and I don’t think the rest of society is going to be so forgiving of the mess she’s made. First things first though, we have to take care of the demon.
In Summary
In defeating the dark magician the adventurers have unleashed are far more devastating force, Marcille. Laios would have been a hazard, Marcille is simply out-of-control. She is driven by pure emotional grief and exhaustion, and that proves to be a scary combination. Much of this volume is about the many different groups in the dungeon trying to get a handle on the situation, getting splattered, and regrouping. Laios and the group try their best tactic to reach Marcille because the way to the heart is through the stomach after all! Yup, we’re still cooking even during a massive brawl! Still, I wonder how any of them are going to defeat the demon. It feels like an impossible task and squashing it will likely only cause it to pop up somewhere else later on. Not to mention they have to keep Marcille from being killed by the Canaries. The end is in sight, but I have no idea what is going to happen!
Content Grade: A –
Art Grade: A
Packaging Grade: A –
Text/Translation Grade: A –
Age Rating: T (Teen)
Released By: Yen Press
Release Date: May 23, 2023
MSRP: $15.00 US / $19.50 CAN
