manga: Seimaden Vol 6
Poisonous flowers! Cured amnesia! Flowers that represent “the barometer of one’s life”! Roddrick joined the ranks of the sexually confused! Laures becomes kinkier!
Actually, I wasn’t sure that last one was possible.
Our new villain, Karon, introduces himself by emerging nekkid from the river in front of Rod, causing ogling. On Rod’s part, not mine. Bit skinny for my tastes. He later snuggles up to Rod a lot, causing much blushing. I believe this leaves Laures as the only heterosexual person in the series whose hormones have actually kicked in. Admittedly, I assumed he was bi until Higuri You said he couldn’t be with a guy since he was straight. Though certain events and images make me seriously question that, I’ll go with it, though it sounds awfully similar to “Cain and Riff aren’t involved because Riff is Cain’s butler, and that would be wrong.”
Karon is the Lord of Hades, and likes to make out with his sister, Irie. Irie reminds me of Sancia, thus reinforcing my belief that Higuri You took a lot of her Cantarella cues from this. Karon has a bit of a flower obsession, as he drugs Laures with flowers and later uses a wilting flower as a symbol of Hilda’s life.
Hilda tells Laures she has her memories back but will never forgive him for everything he’s done. She’s clinging to his shoulders and crying on one of them as she says this, so his chances might be better than he thinks. At least up until Karon says he’ll heal Hilda from that pesky wound that won’t heal if Laures will make him lord of the demon world, so Laures summons the entire demon world to Earth and lets them loose, saying he’ll sacrifice the blood of all living things for Hilda because all of them combined aren’t worth a drop of her blood.
That’s all quite nice and dramatic and all, but is a prime example of “declarations of love, you’re doing them wrong.” It’ll just get him smacked around when Hilda’s back on her feet. Though, like with Cesare in Cantarella and Shuri in Basara, I have to admire Higuri You for not backing down and giving him excuses and misunderstandings so he’ll be a more acceptable lead.
Karon wants Rod and Laures to hate each other even more than they already do. I’m not sure that’s possible. The mustache guy who’s always with Rod may be more than he seems. Laures says Hilda must still have partial amnesia if she only remembers shining happy days with Rod. That goddess may not be inhabiting the little boy’s body anymore. I’m not sure.
Rod acts painfully heroic through all this. I always feel mildly guilty for not liking him more than I do.