Lord of Lords Ryu Knight 28

SPOILER Summary:

The party eats a meal that Gratches has prepared and a discussion of what to do next comes up. Sarutobi isn’t interested in fighting Jya-ryuzoku, the reason the Ryu units were created. He’s only concerned with defeating Galden, whom he feels is alive thanks to the witch Idoro. But to get stronger, the others will need to find their Spirit Stones, and Gesshin thinks he knows where his might be, back in his home country of Hinode (where Sarutobi is also from).

As the company travels, they talk about the elf merchant Katze, whom Gratches has not met. She spots bandits on the move and hides, and the bandits, on their Solids (mecha units) head to a nearby town. The townsfolk flee inside their homes as a lone elf stands and single-handedly repels the bandit raid. The bandits flee and the townsfolk thank the elf while Adeu and company enter. They saw the fight but didn’t arrive in time to assist.

Katze shows up and she’s surprised to meet Gratches. She refuses to aide Adeu and company with Ryu Gunner Derringer because there’s no profit in it. She leaves and comes upon the bandits. They decide to buy a great deal of weapons from her. Katze again returns to town, having been lost in counting her money and and her selling of weapons angers Adeu. However, it is the elf who takes matters into his own hands by slapping Katze before the bandits arrive to raid the town again. Naturally, she doesn’t appreciate this.

The elf fights and Adeu’s group get the townsfolk to safety. Since the elf refused Adeu’s offer of assistance, Adeu uses Ryu Knight Zephyr to assist the townsfolk. A little girl, who wants to watch the elf defeat the bandits has to be rescued by Katze. The bandit leader arrives, demanding Katze had over the money they paid her. They are saved by the elf, whom Katze recognizes as her oniichan, Hittel. After a brief reunion hug and talk, Katze hands over the Ryu Gunner Derringer card to her older brother, whom she knows is the true rider of that Ryu unit. However, he won’t go alone and has her join him inside Derringer as they fight off the bandits with Adeu assisting.

With the bandits defeated, to include the bandit leader, the group leaves and Hittel decides to join the group in their fight. Katze wants to make sure they get paid for their bodyguard services though.

Thoughts: This series is as bad as a mahou shoujo title when it comes to henshin sequences. It is amazing how fast a Ryu can be summoned when time is precious (say, instantaneously) and how tediously slow the summoning can be when we need to waste time and and go through the whole summoning or transforming process complete with theme music (more when there are multiple henshin sequences).

As to this story, being a typical shounen title, it was obvious from the start who the mysterious elf fighter would be. However, I really didn’t expect Hittel to be joining the party. Considering what a merchant Katze is and apparently will always be, this is actually a good way to keep Ryu Gunner Derringer in the group.

How about the Clint Eastwood reference with Hittel?