How Not to Summon a Demon Lord (Volume 10) – A New Threat!
After stopping a sand whale from crashing into the city, Diablo came face to face with the Paladin Captain, Batutta and the Governor, Laminitus. Batutta invited Lumachina to stay at his house and quickly led them away!
How Not to Summon a Demon Lord (Volume 10) – A New Threat!
What happened?
Batutta was the first to get to Diablo and, as such, was able to confirm that he was the one who cast the powerful spell that stopped the whale. Moments later, they were joined by Laminitus, who also wanted to know, but Batutta covered for Diablo. Once Laminitus had flown away, Batutta invited them all back to his house, but not before giving them a tour of the area. The church building had been closed since Laminitus was demanding that they pay their taxes. However, they were unable to get enough money, so a temporary place of worship had been set up outside the town. Lumachina was shocked to see that the rich were being treated better than the poor and needy, although she wasn’t about to openly question Batutta’s methods. Once they were back at his house, she revealed that the Council of Cardinals had sent a Paladin to kill her, and it was only thanks to Diablo that she had made it this far.
After dinner, they retired to their rooms, although Diablo told Rem to stay with Lumachina. He didn’t completely trust Batutta. And, he was right not to. He visited with Lumachina to talk about the future which was when Lumachina told him that she knew the sickness was actually a curse and not a disease. Rem tried to instantly restrain Batutta, realising that he was most likely the one behind it. However, he had used a lantern to deliver a scent that knocked them both out. Diablo and Shera had just gotten out of the bath when Horn snuck into their room with some information. Batutta had taken away their friends by force. Diablo raced to check on them and confirmed Horn’s story. However, he had a good idea where they were going. He also knew that the disease was really a curse and how it was created.
What did you think?
I’m going to start to sound like a broken record, but the manga was once more far more detailed than the anime and did a much better job of pulling me through the story. I’m sure some of it was in the anime, but it wasn’t delivered in a way that made it stand out. The anime also made out that Diablo was getting incredibly flustered while fighting the sand whale, while the manga had him pretty much taking it in his stride, which felt a lot more natural given the monsters he’s already defeated. I thought the introduction of Laminitus was better too, and I was also surprised to see that she was actually the target of Batutta’s sinister plan. Was that just to get back the church and stop her from demanding taxes? Seems like there would be an easier way than cursing the entire population!
Anyhow, this was another good volume, and it is quickly making up for the rough time I had with season two of the anime. I’m even finding Lumachina to be more believable and not nearly as annoying. I found the scene in the underground temple to be far more convincing, too, with the brief glimpses of the various sinners. It felt far more sinister in the manga, and that was definitely the vibe it should have been going for. The manga is easily a more polished version of the story, which I would recommend over watching the second season any day.
What was your highlight?
There were two moments that stood out for me in this volume. The first was when Diablo was trying to take a bath, and Shera decided to jump in with him. There wasn’t much room, and there was no cloth to clean his back with, so she used her hands, and then her body. Might as well both get clean at the same time! The reason this scene stood out, and it’s not for the reason that you’re thinking (mostly), was because Diablo was remarkably self-aware. So often we see these protagonists who had no idea that the girls were coming on to them. They are utterly oblivious to anything sexual. Diablo didn’t instantly shy away or get weird; well, he got a little weird, but he’s also a shut-in, so this sort of thing has never happened to him before. Anyhow, it was nice to see him appreciate it.
The second was when Diablo confronted Batutta. The way that he revealed that he knew it was a curse and was surprised that Lumachina worked it out too was good. Then, telling Batutta that he knew a Fallen had shown him how to make the curse confirmed to Batutta that he was dealing with someone special. Unfortunately, their fight had only just started when the volume ended as Batutta landed a significant hit on Diablo. I have a very good idea of how things go thanks to the anime, but I’m still excited to see it all unfold. This series continues to exceed my expectations!
Series Information
| English Title | How Not to Summon a Demon Lord |
| Japanese Title | Isekai Maou to Shoukan Shoujo no Dorei Majutsu |
| Genres | Action, Comedy, Ecchi, Fantasy, Harem, Isekai, Romance |
Anime
Season One
Season Two
Manga
| Series | How Not to Summon a Demon Lord | |
| Author | Yukiya Murasaki | |
| Artist | Naoto Fukuda | |
| Volumes | Ongoing | Chapters |
| 1 | I’m Dangerous, I Swear! | 1-4 |
| 2 | Overpowered Overlord! | 5-9 |
| 3 | Keyboard Warrior! | 10-14 |
| 4 | The Devil You Know… | 15-19 |
| 5 | Boss-level Badass! | 20-24 |
| 6 | Demon Lord vs Demon Lord! | 25-29 |
| 7 | The Demon Within! | 30-34 |
| 8 | Don’t Wake the Demon! | 35-39 |
| 9 | Into the Woods! | 40-44 |
| 10 | A New Threat! | 45-49 |
| 11 | X Marks the Rot! | 50-54 |
| 12 | Swept Away! | 55-59 |
