As a Moments subpage, all spoilers are unmarked as per policy. You Have Been Warned.
Under the brim of an action-packed story is a narrative and cast defined by loss and personal tragedies.
open/close all folders
Vs. Sojo Arc
- The flashbacks to the night Kunishige Rokuhira was killed at the hands of the Hishaku. The young Chihiro was Forced to Watch as his father, shown to be nothing less than a noble and kind man, was remorselessly murdered in the burning ruins of his own home and left to kneel with his corpse until Shiba found him.
- Daruma's ultimate fate. Right after being convinced to turn his life around and abandon his life as a sorcerer mercenary, he goes to meet up with his sister and mother, only to find Sojo waiting for him. He reveals he killed his mother and has left his sister's stabbed body in Daruma's car, before he stabs Daruma as well. Daruma tries to blow him up before he dies, only for the explosion to completely fail to kill Sojo, who makes sure he knows his sister wasn't fatally wounded and her imminent death is on Daruma's hands as he leaves.
- The death of most of the Anti-Cloud Gouger Squad at the end of their fight with Sojo. After coming tauntingly close to beating Sojo in battle, he blitzes through them all, brutally punching through Kugara's body, slicing through Makoto and Kazane's arms and cutting Shiyumi's neck. Her fatal wound in particular also inadvertently kills Uzuki, as the floating platforms she was keeping aloft with her sorcery fall, dropping him to death.
- The state of Kazane, effectively the Sole Survivor of the squad with Ikuto comatose. He is shown desolate on a beach, surrounded by the bodies of his fellows. Later, as he recovers at the hospital, he flashes back to his squad as he speaks to Azami, showing despite being the new guy of the team, he felt a true camaraderie with each of the now deceased members.
- Char's backstory, given over the course of Chapter 15. Her mother was the Sole Survivor of the Kyonagi clan, who were hunted and eaten for their unique healing powers. She found love and gave birth to her beloved daughter Char, but her husband abandoned her when she told him her past. She and her daughter were eventually captured by Sojo, another sadist looking to take advantage of them for their powers. With her daughter's life on the line, she stayed behind during their escape and destroyed as much of the research on her blood as she could to buy her daughter time, leaving her daughter alone on the street until she found Hinao's business.
Rakuzaichi Arc
- Hakuri's first appearance. Sitting alone in a restaurant, he grapples with a depressed mindset after being kicked out of his own family for being seen as a disappointment for his lack of magical talent. When his life is threatened by Sojo's attempt to slaughter everyone around with lightning, his only reaction is to silently plead not to die.
- His confrontation with his elder brother Soya. Assuming he is here to kill him for his betrayal of the family, Hakuri instantly tries to leap to his death from an outdoor staircase, only for Soya to catch him. His elder brother tries to reassure him, but he casually reveals the "merchandise woman" he tried to save was killed for "seducing" Hakuri.
- Following this, he ends up being summoned by his father Kyora. His own father holds him hostage against Chihiro and gives a scathing speech about how useless and disappointing he has proven to be at every turn. To make matters worse, Shiba tries to bluff the elder Sazanami and denies any comradery with Hakuri, driving the young man to tears as Kyora prepares to kill his son.
- Pictured above, Chihiro's first confrontation with a member of the Hishaku. Faced with their leader, the unflappable Chihiro completely breaks down and three years of training to steel himself melts away as the reality of him being a scared and traumatized young man sets back in.
