Title: Reign of the Seven Spellblades Vol. 2
Author: Sakae Esuno, Bokuto Uno (Story), Ruria Miyuki (Characters)
Publisher: Yen Press
Language: English
Format: Paperback
Pages: 192
Genre: Fantasy
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
The Story
Reign of the Seven Spellblades volume 2 has a lot going for it. First off, we learn of Katie’s condition which isn’t too bad. Oliver checks her hands and a certain chemistry forms between them… or so you would think.
Pete forgot a book so Nanao and Oliver accompany him to retrieve it. As they are heading back, the school turns to night and its labyrinth begins to twist the halls. As they traverse it, they are overcome with a perfume meant to enchant them. This is the work of fourth-year student Ophelia Salvadori. She’s a succubus at heart and is looking to have a bit of fun. They resist the perfume and try to run but then they run into a fifth-year student named Cyrus Rivermore who, apparently, can make use of bones he finds and bends them to his will.
Luckily for Oliver and company, Cryus and Ophelia hate each other and begin fighting. Nanao wishes to cover them as they run, citing that this is a perfect time for her to die. Before she can do anything, they are rescued by the student council president.
This brings us to a backstory chapter for Nanao and it ends up bringing her and Oliver closer together! While nothing becomes of them as a couple just yet, you can tell that this is going to be the main ship of the series!
But what of Katie and her supposed love interest? Well, that’s tossed aside when she hears that the school is going to dispose of the troll that attacked them from the first volume. Katie, having a good relationship with trolls from her home village, opposes it and draws the ire of the conservatives. Oliver and Guy cannot stomach all of the students talking about Katie behind her back and they start a fight which lands them in detention. While there, they receive a summons to fight Mr. Andrews in the colosseum but rather than fighting, they are now forced to band together for survival as a Garuda is let loose on them which brings our volume to an end!
Characters
We received some nice development here with a few characters along with the introduction of two new characters which may play a bigger role later on down the line!
First up, Katie. After her failed ability to infuse magic into the silkworm, she was taken to the infirmary by Oliver. There, you would think the two of them would bond but that was saved for another character. Instead, they took Katie down the route of being a troll protector. Of course, Katie has a soft spot for trolls since she lived with one growing up. It was kind to her and even sang her lullabies whenever it was time for her to go to sleep. Because of that, she saw trolls in a different light and refused to let the school dispose of the one that attacked them. That’s about as far as we got with Katie in this volume but it was enough to shape her character and the type of person that she is. The big question is… where do they go from here with it as this kind of story seems like a dead-end once the arc wraps up?
Nanao got some big development with a whole chapter being dedicated to her backstory. She picked up the sword and led 200 men into the imperial fortress. Despite being outnumbered, she showed no fear and fought her way through the opposition, displaying her overwhelming strength and combat skill in the process. When everything was said and done, she was invited to Kimberly to become a mage; however, the battle left her feeling as if she had no right to live anymore and was looking for a way to die.
This tugged at Oliver’s heartstrings and he made her take a new vow… to pick up the sword only to keep on living. Nanao became so enamored with Oliver’s interest in her life that she became a bit infatuated with him. Oliver, although embarrassed about it, seemed to secretly like that. Thus, we have a blooming romance on our hands and a shift in character for Nanao! Even if they don’t end up getting together, at least Oliver will have a personal protector for the rest of his life!
Our new characters didn’t get much screen time but it was painfully obvious when it came to their personalities.
Ophelia simply loves seducing and toying with people’s hearts. She has an enchanting perfume that not many can resist. She is akin to a siren but instead of luring with song, she lures with scent. Deranged and lustful can perfectly summarize her personality.
Cyrus, on the other hand, is just sadistic. Obviously, he loves controlling bones and weaving them into weapons, or fences as in this one case to prevent Oliver and Co.’s retreat. He just seems like the type to want to rip your heart out just because it’s something to do. I like him!
Final Thoughts
After a bit of a traditional start, we are followed up with a bit of a traditional second volume. Lots of character development all around while the plot nudges forward. Typically, in a second volume, this is what you will receive. The plot moves but not too much but you get to learn about the characters and the world they inhabit and Reign of the Seven Spellblades accomplishes that perfectly. Typically, in a third volume, there is a conflict that requires resolution and a bit of a cooldown before a major story arc begins. We will see if the third volume ends up following that path.
I’m a sucker for romance so I think the whole Nanao/Oliver dynamic is cute. I’ll be rooting for them although I find it weird that they just diverted away from Katie’s possible feelings almost immediately in favor of throwing her into a political plot. I wonder if she will eventually form a love triangle? Guy and Pete didn’t get much time to shine here and felt a bit like background characters but at least Guy showed that he is loyal to his friends and will stand up for them!
Not really a fan of political story arcs so this whole morality thing with the troll I don’t find interesting so I’m hoping the series moves past it quickly and gets to something more interesting. That’s just my personal tastes and, in an objective view, there’s really nothing wrong with that story arc. It’s being told well and it does drive some emotion into the story so it is accomplishing what it is setting out to do.
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**This item was provided for review by Yen Press
