Arslan Senki Spoilers - Tumblr Posts
Maybe the manga get another twist? Maybe an alternative after book 7?
Maybe 😅
Let me dream
Yes Isfan without his cloak his 1+
GOOD ArSen Chapter 109 changes: Isfan’s beloved horse is okay
BAD ArSen Chapter 109 changes: Gurgin… 😭😭😭😭
(Surely this confirms the manga will only adapt up to the end of Book 7… I don’t want that to be true, but there’s so other reason to cut/change scenes and kill Gurgin off so early.)
A new chapter is out.
I managed to get the chapter in Japanese. Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to download it so I tried to take screenshots and upload the album (please let me know if yours opens in the correct order or not). The chapter was really interesting, although short, I tried to translate it from Google translator and I even understood what it was about :D. Perhaps later I will be able to write a longer review.
New Arslan Senki chapter is out.I made an album with RAW scan's. But if you want on this site you can officially buy a chapter in Japanese, as support for the author.
This chapter contains many events and characters, so I'm really looking forward to the translation.
👀👀👀
Didn’t know I need this until now
Like a boxer after a warm up……let’s get ready to rumble!!!!!!
Daryun fulfilling the wet man quota this chapter 👌
I am eating my phone the website won't show me the images as if it knows my eyes won't be able to handle it.
(I'm currently sewing on a project, so I'm not on my laptop much hfhjdjdjdjd)
The translation is now out on mangasee123!
Arslan Senki Chapter 123
Edit: let me preface this by saying I'm an idiot and didn't realise the simulpub release is split into two parts that you have to buy separately... so I only bought part 2... therefore this post is all about the second half of the chapter and I'm about to go back and purchase the first half now!)
Official chapter title: The Lonely Throne (and just as I suspected this relates to Hilmes, so brace yourselves...)
SPOILERS FOR THE WHOLE SECOND HALF OF THE CHAPTER from here on...
Team Arslan content at the beginning is more light-hearted in tone (joking about making Azrael a general, what sort of reward he might like, how Kishward would have to be Eran so Azrael doesn't outrank him, it's amusing) and deals with Arslan outlining his next moves. Those match up with the novels, I won't bother outlining them here for now.
Then we change locations to Ecbatana and my heartrate just shot up instantly lmao
Hilmes, inside the city: 30,000 men, versus Andragoras, whose army of 100,000 is outside the walls
PUP SIGHTING
Sad that this is his only panel, my thoughts are still spinning having only just read the chapter but I'm a little concerned that some Team Hilmes scenes were cut, especially the scene between Zandeh and Hilmes and the whole confrontation in the underground waterways that led to what comes next...
There's not even a single panel of Sam this chapter. I want to trust Arakawa and hope that we backtrack a little in the next chapter and see those events, the scene involving Sam in particular because I just can't fathom why that wouldn't be included, I think it's a really important one for his character. I suppose the other option is that it's moved to a little later in the story, and that could work, too! So we'll see.
Anyway, Team Hilmes are facing the inevitable struggles of a closed city running out of food and water, where even loyal soldiers are now worrying about their fates if they lose (or even if they don't win soon enough... the citizens could well turn on them and they know it).
Hilmes... is not having the best of times right now.
And I realised where this was going at this point, and started thinking OH FUCK OH FUCK OH FUCK because I am not ready to see him go through the bombshell that is about to be dropped on him and I didn't even expect to see it yet this chapter either although the title did make me wary
But first we get a little flashback to his interrupted conversation with Ghundi, the sorceror, in which we learn that Hilmes learned... nothing, because their talk was interrupted by word that Andragoras's forces have reached Ecbatana
OH NO OH NO OH NO
FUUUUUUUUUCK
In the end, I was only slightly more prepared for this moment than Hilmes. The chapter ends here. I'm feeling the weirdest mixture of dread and excitement about the next one.
(I haven't counted pages but it felt short? Let me see.)
Edit: okay yeah it was only 16 pages this month OKAY WAIT WAIT THIS IS HILARIOUS but I think I only bought half the chapter lmao, I don't know how KManga works but it looks like the chapter is split into two parts? I think this is the second half???)
There’s no character I want to hug more than Arslan. Like the poor baby, he basically only had one person growing up that treated him like a son.
Arslan Senki Chapter 125
I'm not going to cover the whole thing, just a few bits and pieces that aremost interesting to me. My heart rate still hasn't calmed down, and the way this chapter ended is not helping! (No Zandeh yet, sadly... next time for sure!)
Losing my shit over these glimpses of TINY BABY ARSLAN and his birth father. Sad that we didn't get to see his mother too, though.
'Marzban' though, uh... I'll have to check the raw to see what it says there but I'm pretty sure in the novels it says that he rode off to battle with the rank of 100-rider captain. Honestly, Marzban feels like a totally inappropriate and way too attention-grabbing promotion for a man who needed to be killed off without anyone suspecting anything out of the ordinary.
I wonder what, if anything, will come of the 'Tahamenay's lost daughter' plotline in the manga? Will we ever find out the truth? Will it be different to the novels?
The end of the conversation between Tahamenay and Arslan felt very fufilling. Can't help but admire Arslan.
good panel GOOD PANEL
The end of this scene was slightly different to the novels, but I don't wanna drop spoilers here in case it comes up in the next chapter or so.
OKAY onto the last quarter of the chapter which is back with Hilmes and Andragoras...
What a horrific way to refer to the child he raised.
Hilmes trying so hard to rally himself after hearing all this, but when he hears Andragoras's reason for telling him all of this (which is totally on brand for Andragoras) he loses any composure he'd regained; he must sense that it's true.
I do think it's impressive that despite having the foundations of his world effectively shattered, he doesn't just let himself crumple, and his thoughts even turn to what Bahman said all those months ago, leading him to follow that line of reasoning in full and ask Andragoras who Arslan truly is.
He's cute here.
But of course Andragoras isn't prepared to answer that question, and the chapter ends with the two of them crossing blades for the first time aksdhjfshshj I am going to be an utter nervous wreck next chapter.
Andragoras: I only want to talk with Hilmes
Also Andragoras:
(Feels like Hilmes made a mistake in bringing up Arslan, tbh. It's clear to Andragoras that Hilmes suspects the truth, and he can't have that. I wonder what he would have done if Hilmes had said 'Okay, fine, I'm not the rightful Shah after all, the throne is yours'?. If Hilmes chose to attakh him, I'm sure Andragoras would have answered him in kind, but as it is, it's not until Hilmes asks the question about Arslan that he reaches for his sword.)
Arslan Senki Chapter 126
So I meant to do this last night but apparently I had accidentally hit the daily tumblr post limit, and was stuck unable to post or reblog anything up until now! I AM FREE, MUAHAHAHAHA.
I will be cannibalizing the discussion @innerchorus and I had in our DMs since all of that was what I meant to put in the post all along, though I'm running a bit low on energy so I won't be weaving screencaps into the post.
One of the first things that stuck out to me was how humble the residence of Arslan's birth parents was, when I read spoilers and it said “knight”, I had assumed something... a little larger than that. Nothing grand, not a mansion or anything, they weren't prominent knights, but... not this. I wonder what the social standing of “knights” in general are? Zaravant also described himself as a knight, iirc. Though it's likely that knight in this case was used to refer to a warrior in general than a specific caste/rank? Maybe cavalry officers of any rank were deemed knights?
I apologize for jumping backwards but oh, oh man I want to hug Arslan so bad. His face! The way Arakawa took the time and panel space to really show how he tried to hold his reaction back. He's trying to be composed and he succeeds. Even something of this caliber (even if he did suspect it all along) didn't make him lash out. He has incredible self-control, or maybe he's just too used to setting his own feelings and reaction aside. I don't think he's repressing it here though, rather he's facing it head-on.
(I wonder how Andragoras even managed to find Arslan, and that swiftly, too.)
Turns out the marzban thing was a translation error, which is good because I was raising my eyebrow skeptically at that panel when I first read it.
Man something about the memory and deaths of a family who were basically exploited just vanish away, paved over and buried. There's just something so relevant to my interests and the themes of Wolfpack about this all. The clan is all about remembering and protecting those the world would've deliberately chosen to forget, after all.
Also, Arslan's father wasn't prepared to raise his own child? Boo. Wolfpack!Shapur was twice the single father by age 22, LOL. (I jest, it would've been harder for him than it would've Shapur, considering the financial situation and the fact that he doesn't have people he can leave the baby to when out at battle or something. It's natural for him to be worried. I'm sure he saw this as the best path possible, and hey, his son will be a prince! Surely a better life than he could ever lead as the son of an insignificant knight.
Arslan considering the notion of Andragoras possibly planning to sire another male heir... I don't have any intelligent commentary to give on the matter but I found it interesting. Perhaps another king in Andragoras' shoes might've done it. Gotarzes certainly did.
Tahamenay sure did go through a lot, and the dehumanizing lenses everybody saw her through meant that she was villified and demonized for just trying to survive (or just existing, period! the things that happened to the shitty men in her life was NOT her fault) She's not my fave, no, but I do feel for her. Like, her homeland got annexed! As someone from a country that got occupied by both Britain AND Japan and suffered under them, that really resonates with me. And while Pars fights for its freedom (and it should, I'm not arguing otherwise), Badakhshan???? Still under occupation for more than sixteen years, if I'm correct. There's just something heartbreaking about it.
Arslan confirming that his wet nurse and her husband being purposefully murdered to tidy up loose ends! And he's rightfully angry at the answer— we don't see his face in full, his eyes are shadowed when he asks the question, he clenches his hands when he hears the answer, and grits his teeth too. I may be reading too much into this but the agony on Tahamenay's face being replaced by cold distance when she said “They were. To avoid any complications later.”, the almost clinical way she delivered it, it's such a stark contrast from her emotion mere moments before. Maybe, just maybe, the delivery of the truth on top of the truth itself was what set Arslan off (though of course, he still does not act on it). Maybe there's something to be said about the disregard of “insignificant” lives.
I think Tahamenay has shut her feelings down, and her daughter is the only thing she'll let herself feel anything over. The sheer trauma and the constant bombardment of such vitriol from all angles meant that completely shutting down all emotion was... probably the only way to cope. Conceal it, don't feel it.
The thing is, though, even if he were to “Arslan: exit stage left” out of this conflict, where would he go? I'm sure he'd have little problem finding happiness in a humble life, he's never been one to care about stuff like birthrights and status, but where would he go???? The people he loved before his life as a prince are gone. Wet nurse and husband, dead. Everyone else? The kids he played with? Probably don't even remember him anymore due to the distance (I assume they didn't know he was the prince). Would he even be able to recognize them anymore? And would Team Arslan follow him into exile? There is technically an out, yes, but it's not a meaningful one. Just like how Hilmes is trapped in his own identity, Arslan also is, though Hilmes chose to build his own cage and Arslan was unknowingly put into it. And there's something to be said about how both their claims/identities were laundered. Hilmes is not the son and heir of Osroes. Arslan does not possess royal blood.
@innerchorus pointed out that Tahamenay was offering Arslan what she would have chosen herself (and this lines up with novel canon where she retreats to her homeland and distances herself from court), and it makes sense, this was a game she never asked to play. Still, it's just really sad that Arslan can never truly go back to who he was before all this.
I also loved the way his dialogue was paired with the internal monologue in black panels, even if I can't quite put my finger on why. That part was brilliantly done. (Maybe the way the “camera” comes closer and closer to his face as he proceeds?)
And the way that Tahamenay was prepared to receive angry words and even physical violence as a matter of course, it either speaks to her own guilt about the situation, OR the way she was treated so shittily by all the men and people in her life. Or maybe it is both. A brilliant moment of characterization, where she is shaped by her experiences and is in turn, blinded by them. Arslan is not that kind of person. He bows to her, and then leaves.
I have nothing to say about Kishward's worried face, but Arslan declaring his will is such a powerful moment. I'm reminded of a very early Narsus moment that's very relevant, I went and dug this out from my reread tag:
Here's what I had to say about it back then:
“What Narsus basically means here is: State a concrete vision, a cause, a goal, and people will naturally gather round to support it— to garner allies, you must basically broadcast what it is that you wish to achieve.”
And Arslan here is doing just that. Fantastic.
I know I said no screencaps in this post but I couldn't help it! It's such a powerful moment.
Arslan has really grown into his role and he's embodying the counsel Narsus gave him all those chapters ago!
And Hilmes, I see, is having a not-so-spectacular time.
The way Osroes spoke of Hilmes makes my skin crawl. He doesn't even deign to refer to the boy as “he”, and “send the thing to meet its true father” is just. YIKES. It's not the child's fault he was born into shitty circumstances, Osroes! How could he have raised Hilmes all those years (eleven!) with no outward sign of contempt, and just. Never develop any sort of attachment to him? No hesitation? Maybe it's the fever that's making it worse but I don't believe it was all delirium which just makes it worse. I hate Osroes.
Andragoras really did it as revenge, which seals the deal that he is, in fact, speaking the truth. It's just like him, and loathe as Hilmes is to admit it, he does realize that. This boy too deserves hugs. SOMEBODY COME HUG YOUR PRINCE.
And even still, even as his world is crumbling around him with no preamble, he still has enough headspace to process and start piecing the pieces together. Hilmes has POTENTIAL, he's a good commander and this right here shows his intelligence and relative ability to keep it straight in stressful conditions (relative, because of his whole consumed by revenge thing). If only he wasn't led astray perhaps, he could've made a good Shah. He unfortunately harbors some very typical biases about social class or whatever, but perhaps it could've been given a chance to change. But as things are now, his chance of being a Shah at all is...
Another Arslan-Hilmes parallel: they're both refusing to back down even as their lack of claim is revealed, and though the refusal stems from very different emotional roots there's a commonality in that they keep at it because if they stop now then what did all those people fight for? Though, Arslan's motive is selfless (he's doing it because it's his duty to the people who gave so much for him) while Hilmes' is selfish (it's tied to his sense of self-worth).
And Hilmes putting things together (so close, so close!) signifying his refusal to give up, that's what spurs Andragoras into action.
Man, what a fucking chapter, amirite?
Now with all that out of the way—
ITTY BITTY BABY BABY BABYYYYY HE'S BARELY LARGER THAN A COIN POUCH (and if we remove the swaddling cloth he might actually be smaller oh godddd) like I would've made infant Areyan tiny anyways but ohhhh god I'm about to cry. He's so huggable. I WILL SOB.
Arslan Senki Chapter 126 (Part 1)
SPOILERS for this chapter, obviously. The cliffhanger ending on this one is quite something and obviously a big departure from the novels.
We're straight into the Andragoras vs. Hilmes duel at the start of the chapter, and at this point I was sure that this would be the most stressful part? And it was pretty stressful, especially seeing Hilmes appear on the defensive and then watching as Andragoras kneed him in the chest/stomach... but then Hilmes managing to kick Andragoras's elbow from his position on the floor lifted my spirits somewhat!
Good move, Denka!
They're... really trying to kill each other here though, and that fills me with fear.
However, as they part with a hand to their respective injuries (nothing major for either, but Andragoras's arm must be throbbing/numb and Hilmes is winded and bruised) who should appear but the (Un)Holy Master?
He's becoming a bit of a guilty pleasure for me, especially in this scene, I think this time I'm not ashamed to admit that I quite enjoyed him. And at least his appearance had the added bonus of interrupting the duel.
The way he is just like... lounging nonchalantly against the throne.
The 'vwap' sound effect makes it seem very much like he just materialised there. We also get to see him teleport to (partially) evade Andragoras's attack later in this chapter.
Anyway, even Andragoras is shocked, because he recognises him, and yet... this sorcerer should much older than he appears!
Why do I like this panel.
The clawed hand sliding on the arm of the throne 👌
Interesting that he describes himself this way (same as in the novels if I remember correctly). I do think he originally started off as a regular human, but the effects of using this kind of sorcery warp the body over time into something unnatural in more ways than just an extended lifespan. I see some of the changes as deliberate and some as just a consequence of their magic use, though that's only a headcanon.
SNAKE PUPILS 🐍
Anyway after the stress of watching Hilmes and Andragoras try to take each other out it's quite fun to see the Master enjoying himself in the knowledge that the other people in the room know far less then him.
Oh, Hilmes... They were never on your side...
'Sides don't matter', hmm? Is that because we've entered the endgame? Because Zahhak is already free from Mount Demavant? Because this close to triumph, Team Zahhak don't need to pretend to be supporting anyone or anything in particular? Because they were always, always working towards their own aims? Either way, it definitely highlights exactly how poor Hilmes's grasp of the truth is here.
And at this point we divert back to Arslan!
He tells his followers the truth her learned about his origins, and states his aim to head to Mount Demavant and retrieve Rukhnabad. Last chapter, I thought Arakawa might be avoiding this and was planning to have him acquire Rukhnabad incidentally, by bumping into Don Ricardo which is funny because... it kind of does happen like that rather than outright aiming for it, and so when I realised where this chapter was going I was hesitant, but actually I liked it more than I expected to.
The dialogue in this scene is all so good! And it makes this decision more understandable. I would share it but I'd just be posting whole pages at this point, but one thing I will mention is that I was glad to see some discussion of what happened when Hilmes went after the sword and mentions of how Zandeh's actions stopped the earthquake. It feels like Arslan is making a more informed choice with an awareness of the consequences, and an acceptance of the concept that he might be found unworthy, which Hilmes totally lacked.
(For reference, in the novels this declaration of Arslan's intent to retrive Rukhnabad is a brief scene with like three lines of dialogue. Arslan basically says he'll go to Mount Demavant to retrieve the sword, prove he is qualified to rule, and then become Shah, and Gieve immediately agrees to be his guide. Arakawa did a much better job. I know Tanaka is the original creator but honestly... elements of that part felt out of character to me, and I think Arakawa manages to acknowledge precisely what was bothering me, so I'm now more on board with Arslan's decision.)
Now back to the throne room, where I will try to prevent myself from sharing yet more screencaps of the bastard himself.
No more snake pics in this post challenge: failed. Will you believe me if I say I wanted to post this image because of Hilmes?
Anyway, the big secret is out and Andragoras is NOT happy. The first half of the chapter ends with him taking a huge swipe at the Master with his sword that not only appears to cut him in half but also slashes straight through the ACTUAL THRONE behind him.
Andragoras, exactly how strong are you? What is your blade made of that it can cut right through the throne like that?
And at this point I'm realising how long this post is, so like the Kmanga chapter releases I'm going to split it into two parts. Stay tuned for Part 2 coming soon, in the meantime I'll leave you with Hilmes's utter shock at what is actually quite an epic moment from Andragoras (and just about the only one where we can cheer for him unreservedly).
🕯️ 🕯️
🕯️ 🕯️
🕯️ 🕯️
🕯️ 🕯️
TEAM ARSLAN PRAYER CIRCLE. I AM SO SCARED.
Arslan Senki Chapter 126 (Part 2)
And unlike Kmanga you don't even have to pay twice for the privilege of having it split into two. SPOILERS for this chapter, I can't stress enough that the ending is a huge fucking cliffhanger so if you don't want to get spoiled please don't look.
That's a piece of the (Un)Holy Master's cloak...
Nicely dealt with by Andragoras!
Anyway, this is proper confirmation that Team Zahhak's clothing has magical properties / a life of its own and can potentially be dangerous even when separated from the wearer.
Given how fast the Master can dodge (or more correctly this is a teleportation style of evasion that I mentioned before where he reappears behind them) it's impressive that Andragoras actually landed a blow, though it's not even close to being a fatal one. Still, he looks like he's aiming to finish the job until the Master tries to regain control of the situation by attempting to blackmail Andragoras with the location of his child!
These panels of a shocked Hilmes in the background just watching all this drama unfold, lol
Anyway, it turns out Andragoras cannot be blackmailed and he'd rather renounce his child than be manipulated like this, which is... very on brand for Andragoras, regardless of what the truth about the child turns out to be in Arakawa's manga.
The Master: tch! Hilmes: Yikes
(Is anyone of the Parsian royal line a good father? Doesn't seem that way in recent generations. Hilmes, please reverse this trend with Irina by your side, I'd love to see you both happy with a family!)
Anyway GUESS WHO'S KNOCKING AT THE DOOR IN THAT LAST PANEL? THAT'S RIGHT, IT'S ZANDEH, PUPPY BOY TO THE RESCUE! And he's still got that little guy who was one of Kharlan's soldiers with him, and that warms my heart for some reason, I hope he gets to live.
Hilmes... 😭
I wonder what Zandeh thinks? It's clearly not 'nothing at all'.
Anyway this makes me really sad because where we saw Arslan open up to his followers and receive their support, Hilmes... can't bring himself to do that. Personally, I feel that at this point, Zandeh would support him regardless (as would Sam, who unbeknownst to Hilmes already knows the truth) but Hilmes can't bring himself to admit it, to admit the fact that he's based his whole life around a lie. Without his claim to the throne, who is he?
It's sad that he can't see that the right to rule and the qualities that might inspire loyalty and love are based on so much more. I'm not saying that he's a worthy ruler right now, unlike Arslan he hasn't even thought about how he'll govern the country for the better, but I do find it sad that his mindset leaves him so isolated here when it doesn't need to be that way.
(I'm going to need an Irina mention soon. At least show that Hilmes is thinking of her, even if he feels he can't speak with her.)
That's it for Team Hilmes content this chapter, anyway.
Who should Team Arslan bump into on the way to Mount Demavant but the Zot with a leashed Don Ricardo, still clinging on to Rukhnabad! So while Arslan did deliberately set out to get the sword, in the end it looks like it's going to happen via a chance encounter (well, if anyone can ever persuade Don Ricardo to let go of it).
Gieve recognising Rukhnabad is a great moment! Even he is so shocked that it seems like he's struggling to form the words as he processes what he's seeing.
I feel pretty sorry for Don Ricardo, he hasn't really recovered mentally from his encounter with Zahhak, he doesn't look to be in a great state, and while the Zot are merely intending to hand him over to Arslan, they can't communicate with him so presumably all he knows is that he's their prisoner, he has no idea what his fate will be and nobody to reassure him. Likewise, they don't know what he's been through.
Team Arslan try to figure it out thanks to Estelle, but Don Ricardo is too distressed, so they decide to find a village to stay the night. It's at this point that alarm bells started going off in my mind.
Narsus says "It's too quiet." (I start thinking of the village he stayed in with Alfarid where Arzhang had killed all the villagers.)
The horses start freaking out (we know they react this way to Team Zahhak)
Team Arslan find bodies of villagers with only their brain eaten (and who do we know of who has an appetite for brains?)
OH FUCK, OH SHIT, OH FUUUUCK
A weird mist begins to seep into the scene; Zahhak in the novels was described as exuding a miasma of sorts, I think it provoked fear in those who were close to it?
PANELS THAT FILLED MY HEART WITH PURE DREAD
Gods, I hope everyone survives this encounter. I don't know how it's going to go down but it strikes me that this could be it, this could be the actual deciding fight as far as Zahhak is concerned, because we have Rukhnabad on the scene right here, it could really be happening in Arakawa's manga right now, and I'm not sure I'm ready?
My head is ringing with questions. What does Zahhak's full form look like (we see the snakes clearly but not what they're attached to)? Is he fully resurrected or are the shoulder snakes just operating on the instinct of hunger? What happened to Kaykhusraw's body? Are any members of Team Zahhak here with the Snake King? If Team Arslan do fight Zahhak here, how do they go about it? One on one? As the strongest warrior, will Daryun take him on? Will Arslan (with Estelle's help) manage to persuade Don Ricardo to hand over Rukhnabad, and will he opt to take on the Snake King himself with the sword's powers?
Man I wish Kubard were here... I've always said he'd set everyone straight about the notion of taking on a being like the Snake King in single combat... Just kill it, any way you can.
Part of me feels like Zahhak won't be defeated yet and this encounter will serve its purpose mainly in showing Team Arslan that he truly has been unsealed, so now they'll know what the sorcerers were working towards and they'll know what they're up against. But will they come through this unscathed? I'm not ready for character deaths!
My working theory as of this post: Zahhak is not fully conscious and is mainly being driven by the snakes' hunger; he is heading for Ecbatana for some sort of ritual involving the head jars where he will truly return in full. The final confrontation will take place after matters in the capital with Andragoras and Hilmes have been resolved, and may involve entering Team Zahhak's lair beneath Ecbatana (ArAkAwA sHoW mE tHe DaRk TeMpLe).
Guys... I am utterly exhausted, this chapter has wrecked me. I'll keep an eye out for raws / somewhere to read the simulpub for free and post a link if I see it.
Arslan Senki Chapter 127
The long-awaited encounter with Zahhak is here! I'm tagging my posts for new manga chapters with 'arslan senki spoilers' but here is your reminder to look away (and probably avoid my blog until you've read the chapter) if you don't want to find out what happens.
Turns out I was right about a few things and my suspicions about something else seem likely to be correct, too.
The chapter opens with the legend of Zahhak and his defeat by Kaykhusraw as the Parsians know it. The title page features Kaykhusraw's open sarcophagus with his wrapped body and Rukhnabad inside, inside the tomb. This is clearly from an earlier time (presumably his burial?), well before Hilmes ventured down there, and given the chapter title it feels... ominous. (And it's right to feel that way, as you'll see when you get to the end of the chapter.)
The legend is conveyed in the typical stylised carving/illustration style that Arakawa has used for mythological history before.
Look what appears as a decorative border to one of the panels!
It might just be a nod to the existence of these creatures in the novels, but I really hope that their presence here makes it more likely we might actually encounter them before the end of the manga... DARK TEMPLE PLUS CREATURES, ARAKAWA PLEASE
Very much has the feel of something that has been mythologised, the details probably don't match up exactly with how it really went down, but the main points are there...
...and 300 years later, the Snake King appears to have returned
Farangis's raishal reacting like this is a nice touch and shows just how extreme the presence of evil is here. (Also I didn't know it could do that so I'm filing this detail away very happily.)
Those snake heads are really very freaky, the fact that they are so humanoid yet totally animalistic and driven by instict and hunger for human brains. Top notch horror!
Daryun's warrior instinct comes to the fore and overrides his shock!
The Zot do their best but one gets chomped pretty quickly, sadly. I'll go ahead and say it now, the Zot being the only casualties in this encounter was exactly as I called it, but Arakawa does her best to ensure their deaths don't feel trivial, as we later learn the names of those who fell, and even though we never got to know them it's clear that they meant something to their comrades.
Some very exciting combat scenes follow and Team Arslan enter the fray and get to grips with their frightening new enemy! Some key details about Zahhak rapidly become apparent: his blood is corrosive, and his wounds can heal.
The key is to keep moving! Alfarid realises this; one of the Zot tries to encourage her to flee, but is struggling with his terrified mount, but thanks to Elam and Alfarid loosing arrows at one of the snake heads he is spared.
Don Ricardo is in abject terror, but his behaviour later this chapter was a surprise for me, in a good way!
Estelle saving Don Ricardo just in time, and putting her life on the line to stand before him even though she's trembling in fear! 👌👌👌
She's so brave!
She doesn't know that the snakes have spotted/sensed Rukhbanad... but Don Ricardo does! Let's hope he will now give that 'junk sword' the respect it deserves. Anyway this is the part where he surprised me, as he breaks out of his terrified state to call out to everyone to rally to him and gather round the sword! Remember when I said 'quick, everyone group hug Don Ricardo'?
Of course, he's speaking in Lusitanian, but Estelle translates in an instant... and Gieve quickly grasps why!
"Is it truly Zahhak...?" This is the line that makes me think I might be on the mark when I say that Zahhak, although freed from Mount Damavand, may not have returned to full consciousness yet. I think those head jars may have something to do with a final ritual to bring about his true return.
So, it's not a stalemate. Zahhak cannot attack them, but they can't attack it either. But there's an ominous shape in the mist (and you can take one look at it and just KNOW it's going to be fucked up and even take a pretty good guess at how)
Before Team Arslan can get a good look at it, Zahhak withdraws, whether due to the arrows they fired at it it because of some other unknown reason isn't clear... Team Arslan leave without even being able to spare time to bury the bodies of the fallen, which clearly weighs on them, but night is drawing closer and they can't remain safely.
(I wonder whether they will still continue to Mount Damavand? Perhaps Arslan will appeal to Kaykhusraw's spirit to seek his approval to wield the sword? Or maybe priorities will have understandably changed and they'll change directions. Personally I think we'll at least get a scene that indicates Arslan has the right to wield Rukhnabad!)
Anyway Zahhak's also in a hurry to get somewhere and although Team Arslan didn't manage to glimpse the true horror, we do!
JESUS FUCKING CHRIST WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK
Well, now we know what happened to Kaykhusraw's mummified body? I did think that Team Zahhak would use him as a vessel for the Snake King, thinking this might occur in Ecbatana, but nope, that looks to be the case already.
The torso ending in a cluster of snakes, ugh.
I wonder whether Kaykhusraw's spirit is aware of what has happened to his body now that it has been possessed like this?
I wonder whether the intention is for Zahhak to retain this form? Because at the end of the chapter you see the host body's brittle-looking arm disintegrate where one of Team Arslan's arrows struck it, and it looks different to Zahhak's snakes pushing arrows from their bodies and regenerating. So maybe this takeover of Kaykhusraw is a temporary thing, and Team Zahhak are planning to transfer Zahhak to a new body once he reaches Ecbatana? And that new body... who better than another descendant of the Parsian royal line? 👀
I feel like with any luck I might get my wish for Hilmes to come face to face with Zahhak and in a moment of horror realise exactly what the sorcerers have been using him for and what he's helped to bring about...
(I want Team Zahhak to be planning for Hilmes to be a host for Zahhak but I don't want for it to actually happen! I'd love it if Team Arslan managed to step in just in time... augh my brain is racing into visions of Hilmes captured for a head jar ritual below Ecbatana)
Oh and Zahhak really is heading towards Ecbatana as I thought, so it looks extremely likely that all final showdowns are going to take place there. I feel like this direction was actually hinted at when the corpse of Kaykhusraw was slithering towards the setting sun. It's a panel I really like, as it both indicates the sun (which represents the Shah) setting on the royal line and Pars alike, and as the sun sets in the west and Ecbatana is west of Mount Damavand, you can tentatively extrapolate where the Snake King is heading.
So now Team Arslan have seen the Snake King. One day soon, they will have to defeat him for good. And given that everyone survived this time, can we hope for the same to happen again when they next meet in battle?
The scarf singeing moment...
I think there's just something in the way even Narsus was stumped when before he said something like “I fear nothing that talks” when faced against a sorcerer, but this time he's up against a true monster.
I know I've brought up this quote by Aozaki Touko from Kara no Kyoukai a lot but:
“There are three conditions to terrify someone: One, the monster can't speak. Two, the monster has to be unidentifiable. Three, it's meaningless if the monster can die.”
Zahhak, at present, qualifies for two of the three conditions, but can be stretched to all three since the characters don't know where he originated from, how he came to be. Even Kaykhusraw could not kill him.
Arslan Senki Chapter 128 (Part 1)
We've finally reached it. The Worst Coronation Ceremony in the World. As I'd hoped would be the case, it's a split chapter, with the first half sticking with Team Arslan before the second half moves to Ecbatana to focus on Team Hilmes.
The chapter opens with the gang sitting around a campfire.
An owl... Do Team Zahhak have someone watching them? Are we going to see that someone report back to the Master soon about how Prince Arslan now has Rukhnabad? Yeah sometimes an owl is just an owl but this really has Team Zahhak vibes.
Arslan trying to ask Don Ricardo to hand Rukhnabad to him, realising he doesn't speak Parsian, and then... managing to speak some fragmented Lusitanian? 👌 I love that he's been learning this and is willing to try instead of just asking Estelle to translate.
Who wouldn't immediately hand over the sword that saved your life upon seeing this face, amirite?
(Obviously, it worked. Totally disarmed, Don Ricardo gives Arslan the sword.)
Anyway now we have RUKHNABAD PLOT TWIST, because Arslan can't draw the sword. And while he's all 'welp, looks like I don't have the right to wield it!' Gieve is absolutely fucking enraged by the fact that Hilmes could draw the sword and yet Arslan can't. Gieve = not the greatest fan of Kaykhusraw's judgement, lmao.
The next section is interesting. After things are briefly disrupted by the tremors of an earthquake that soon dies down, discussion continues, and despite Arslan's recognition that his bloodline gives him no right to the throne, he's not backing down.
This panel... The fact that the (harmless) earthquake started up right when Gieve was trashtalking Kaykhusraw, lmao. Feels like the Hero King's spirit was putting Gieve in his place, ahaha.
The fact that he says this while looking down at Rukhnabad... I think this panel is conveying not only that he's not prepared to give it (and Pars) up to anyone else even if they can wield it and he can't, but also that the sword's function as a (protective) object of importance to Pars is more important than having it in his possession.
Is it possible that he will try and return the sword to Kaykhusraw's mausoleum instead? Sure, Zahhak is out already but maybe it will quell the earthquakes. This would set up nicely for a scene that is the inverse of Hilmes taking Rukhnabad from the sarcophagus, where Arslan instead tries to replace it and in the process of doing so proves himself worthy of wielding it.
And if Team Arslan try to place it in the sarcophagus itself (assuming they can still access it after the big earthquake back then?) they'll see the absence of Kaykhusraw's body and understand it has become a vessel for Zahhak.
(I feel like I want that realisation saved for Hilmes, though. He's seen Kaykhusraw's remains before, and I want him to see them again and realise what he's done... Sure, multiple parties can come to the same conclusion but I feel like that would be a great one off moment of 'oh FUCK')
That's the first half of the chapter. You know what, I'm going to split my post into two parts, so stay tuned for the next one.
The last picture
He grows so much this is giving me so much vibes.
Arslan Senki Chapter 128 (Part 2)
What a top choice, contrasting Arslan, the ruler Pars needs, being unable to draw the sword that would prove his right to rule, with Hilmes, who is choosing to brute force a coronation ceremony in order to give his position legitimacy.
While Arslan freely admits that his bloodline gives him no claim, Hilmes is still trying to maintain the lie that he is the son of Osroes. Ugh, watching him falter over this line during the ceremony was hard. He is far from at his best here, but I still have sympathy for him despite all that he's done.
However he needs to BE NICER TO ZANDEH, DAMN IT.
Things in Ecbatana... are not good. We get an overview: dry wells, Andragoras's growing army outside, closed gates, dwindling food, friction between citizens and soldiers, all combined to insinuate that it's only a matter of time before Hilmes's control of the city is overturned.
And a coronation won't fix this, (and nor will a crown patch up the emotional damage that was inflicted on him by Andragoras's big reveal) but what else can Hilmes do right now?
Ashamed to say I laughed at this. His face...
Man, Zandeh really is trying his best in this chapter. He and his men were the ones who went scrounging up golden coins to melt down in order for Hilmes to actually have a crown to wear after Guiscard stole the real one, but Hilmes isn't in the mood to appreciate his efforts.
(That little guy is with him in this scene, looking nervous of Hilmes's reaction! Feels like Zandeh also knows Hilmes isn't going to love what they've done, but as he says, it's the best they can do for now.)
The fact that Zandeh adores Hilmes and can't wait to see him crowned yet is willing to tell it to him straight: calling Sam away from defending the underground waterways to attend to coronation ceremony is a bad move.
Fucking ouch. At least he didn't tell Zandeh to go and watch the passageways himself!
'The ceremony was a miserable, spare, and unsatifsying one' 🙃
Starting out strong.
My boy is so happy!
When Hilmes starts talking about 'King Osroes's legitimate heir', things start to go to shit. He falters, Sam and Zandeh can see something is wrong (and while Zandeh is puzzled, you know Sam knows) and then after failing to get the words out twice Hilmes rips the cloth off his scar and fucking commits to that lie.
I wanted a mask-free coronation for Hilmes but NOT LIKE THIS 😭
Sacrificing Innocentis to the gods isn't going to make that lie any truer, but Hilmes is just grasping at anything that will give him even a whisper of security right now.
Zandeh is very into it, lmao. I love him but am unsurprised to see his rough treatment of Innocentis. If I recall correctly he was excited about the idea of killing him before.
Filing this away under 'things that should not be hot'. (Also noting that he removed his armour for the ceremony 👀 and that he's abandoned the idea of burning Innocentis alive in favour of a different method.)
Also... how blind can you be, Hilmes? "Thus will I show what happens to those of other lands whose ambitions threaten the peace of Pars!"? Pars is your own country, and you facilitated that. Pars would likely still be at peace if not for you and your ambitions.
Anyway, Innocentis, who is likely delirious with fever from his wound, asks for sugar water, which enrages Hilmes so much he's about to strike him with his sword, when who should burst in (no doubt through those poorly-defended waterways, sigh) than Team Arslan?
(The coronation ceremony is taking place 10 days after Team Arslan set out for Mount Demavant. Chapter 126 says they 'rode East along the Continental Highway for several days' until they encountered Don Ricardo, so it seems a little more time has passed between the events of the first part of the chapter and those of the second).
This fills me with fear because no way will Hilmes withdraw.
Anyway, there's a panel of Team Arslan entering the room where you can't see what weapon Arslan is holding. Rukhnabad, you there?
Full chapter reaction/reviews post(s) coming soon but for now, behold THEM
Just a few more disjointed thoughts about Chapter 130 after rereading again (sign of a good chapter that I've been thinking about it throughout the next day, too).
Arslan repeating Hilmes's own words back to him ("Let the true Shah be revealed by his mastery of the sword") 👌👌👌
Zandeh trailing blood on his way to Hilmes 😭 (I'm still not over it, but thankfully the wound on his arm doesn't look serious.)
Andragoras broke Arslan's sword with one swing. If Innocentis hadn't entered the scene, what would have happened next? I think we'd have seen Andragoras vs Daryun, personally. They're inside the tower so no possibility for Gieve to save the day with an arrow, but Daryun being prepared to fight and kill the Shah for Arslan's sake? Looking at his expression in the panel before Azrael shows up, I think he was readying himself to do just that.
I'm going to need a scene of Team Hilmes waiting together inside that room next chapter. I need to see the look on his face. I need to hear the words that might be spoken between them.
Also someone please go and fetch Irina! At least let her know Hilmes is okay and make sure she's safe, but ideally bring her to his side!
Hilmes going through all of this while still wearing his fur trim coronation cloak 🥲
A few characters were conspicuous by their absence... Estelle (who I'm sure we'll see searching for the Lusitanians she previously helped soon), Jaswant and Farangis. We saw what Gieve was up to in this chapter, maybe next chapter we'll see what their role was during this time?
There's a part of me still hanging on to the whole 'what if Team Arslan DID go the Mount Damavand before their arrival in Ecbatana?' theory. As I said before, they had time... And Arslan once more stating "This sword was bestowed on me by the Hero King Kaykhusraw", this time to Andragoras... what if there's some truth in that? What if his bluff in the previous chapter was mixed with truth? He cannot draw the sword (yet), but something happened to indicate Kaykhusraw's will that he possess it? Perhaps Kaykhusraw's wishes are that the blade is only used to shed the blood of the Snake King, meaning that Arslan will be able to draw it when he faces Zahhak? Ah, I don't know, though, because would a flashback to that moment even work now? Well, maybe if they had captured a mage and next chapter we see Farangis guarding their snakey prisoner, we could then backtrack to see how that happened.
Surely there will be a full Team Arslan reunion next chapter, right? Kishward's forces are right outside, meaning that he, Isfan, Tous and Kubard can soon join forces with Arslan, given that Andragoras is now out of the picture.
I wonder whether Arslan will have his own coronation before or after the matter of Zahhak is settled? I imagine, unlike Hilmes, he wouldn't rush to do something like that until the city is in a better state. But how ready are they to to defeat Zahhak? How much do they even know about him, his servants, where they might be hiding, and what their plans are? This is why I keep saying they need to capture a mage. Though really, good luck getting anything out of one of them, they're unlikely to be willing to talk.