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Episode 11: Between Life and Death

Overview

As everyone heads to the 5^th level, Mary finds herself coming face to face with her past in more ways than one. Which includes being in a life or death situation in which one of her allies may die.

Episode Summary (with Commentary)

With the 4^th floor now unsafe, everyone heads down to the 5^th floor and it is there where Mary finds herself having to face off with her friends’ zombies. Each of which are strong, agile, and yet nonetheless subject to the No Life King’s Curse so they have to be dealt with. Something it seems Mary has prepared for since with just a dispel spell she turns each one to ash. But, to make matters more complicated, both physically and emotionally, she has to be within close range, maybe even touching them, to undo the No Life King’s Curse. Thus forcing Mary to embrace the comrades she thinks she failed. But with one, as he faces ultimate death, perhaps for a moment regaining his senses enough to embrace Mary back, it seems whatever guilt she has is uncalled for and perhaps there is no need to be forgiven. For they knew she did her best and that was all they could once ask for.

But while closure comes in the form of laying her friends to rest, unfortunately the same can’t be said when it comes to the end of the kobold known as Death Spots. He remains on a hunt and once he finds Mary and co., he goes into a rampage. One which nearly kills Haruhiro and during everyone’s escape, alienates Ranta to the point he cannot return to level 4 like everyone else.

Leaving Haruhiro with one very important decision: Should Ranta be abandoned for the best of the group, especially since Death Spots has alerted seemingly the whole mine, or should they go back for him? Well, from what it seems, Ranta isn’t going to be given up on but the crew will need a different means of heading to level 5. So whether or not Ranta can hold out until then is the question.

Highlights

Mary getting closure.

An excellent battle between Mary’s allies and her current team.

Death Spot’s pursuit of the team reminded me that as much as our heroes have come out on top in the end, sometimes unscathed and other times with minor wounds, they aren’t invincible. In fact, for a moment it seemed between his fall, or being overwhelmed by Kobolds, Ranta would be dead by the episode’s end. Leaving Haruhiro with one more regret, for he would have been the reason for Ranta’s death.

Low Points

With this likely the episode before last, it makes the idea that everyone’s past not being explored kind of an annoyance. Mostly because we are told they aren’t of this world, for a few episodes in the beginning they remember what it is like in the real world, and then there isn’t one single mention. Making for what seemed like a major plot, or arc, just dropped without explanation.

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