The Heroic Legend Of Arslan - Tumblr Posts
These panels give me life and if you hate on Alfreed in your Naryun shipping you are a coward.
Narsus says he forgets how serious things can get in her company. Daryun laughs when she calls Jaswant a big softie. You don’t do these things if you don’t like a person.
Look at her, she is amazing.
Narsus, is it true Daryun used to get a lot of love letters?
He got a couple -
Very entertaining reads.
{{Text reads - “Dearest Lord Daryun - You will find my heart is yours… … Flushed with the deepest and most ardent Admiration for only you… … my _Noble _and most Handsome Lord}}
Bonus:
Pardon me Lord Narsus, but I just /have/ to ask: do you get bad bed head?
Full chapter reaction/reviews post(s) coming soon but for now, behold THEM
Arslan Senki Chapter 129 thoughts
In the comments on this post of @tired-reader-writer I already somewhat voiced my general reaction. But I try to write some thoughts down her as well.
Hilmes reactions - my poor baby
The differences in Arslans and Hilmes mentallity and thoughts on their heritage! The back and forth! Wonderfully written!
how Hilmes sees fighting as his only out of his mental missery :(
Narsus, you naughty naughty man lol
but quick to act so nobody interferes!
Saams faces :( my poor poor sad soldier boy!
Make way for the Zots! And Gurazeh! I have never been happier to see you!
heh Narus tactics coming full circle! Suck on that Andycakes!
(but I do not look forward on how he will treat Kishward bc of that...)
ARSLAN MY BOY!!! I feel like a proud mother! (but also like a bad one bc I am playing favourits... sorry Hilmes...)
sad that we didn't get to see the fight between Daryun and Zandeh nor a solution and that the fight betweeen Hilmes and Arslan was really short... but it makes sense due to Hilmes mental state
I will make a seperate post about my AU thoughts for when I get there for writing! (bc I mayheps have found a way to switch from canon to fanon story!)
After two months of a long waiting and several times that I took his color pallete wrong (and agonizing because i can’t fix the previous one until my vacations end) I’M FINALLY DONE WITH THIS PIECE! :D
Because even being a little shit, Merlane needs more love
AU brainrot update! (This has been sitting for a while now oops)
Now onto AU thoughts to celebrate the newest ArSen chapter coming out! I actually had to put the phone down and stop reading due to my brain coming up with new scenes and ideas lol.
So Azar is defenitly with Team Arslan after the encounter with Zahhak (she jumps in after they have gathered around Rukhnabad and threw a light rune at him to blind him)
(I am going off of chapter 128 for a moment)
She defenitly will tease Gieve for speaking badly about Kaykusrawh and causing the earthtremor lol
but when the others make their vows of loyalty she tells Arslan that what she has to do (fighting her aunt Farah) keeps her from joing him
Daryun reminds her of their promise in Gilan and Azar makes a deal with Arslan that she will return to visit Arslans court
Azar meets back up with the Maaren army and they station themselves around the tower and on the castle wall
So now we're in chapter 129 and Team Hilmes have been confronted by Team Arslan
another - smaller- army has infiltrated via the sewers (they are neither Andragoras army nor left-behind Lusitanians)
Farzin and his army watch Hilmes struggle to keep his composure with slight pitty
Azar keeps an eye on the busted door
When Zandeh wants to fight Daryun, Chabik (Daryun's dad. Yes, Team Arslan know this by then) intervenes, not wanting to see his son fight to death (the dead had been called so that they could watch from the shadows more)
(and also Chabik is in normal parsian soldier armor and nobody relises who he is)
but gets recalled by Eldar so that he doesn't do anything stupid
(chapter goes as we see)
then the mysterious army comes in and it is Farah (Azars evil aunt, for those who can't remeber her)
the Maaren army goes into action with Chabik, Mehrin (Azar's mother) and Azar at the front
they mow down a lot of enemies but get stopped as Irsia (Daryun's mom, she is there... because of reasons) is being held hostage by Farah and Farah threatens Chabik with killing Irsia (tough luck with that, moron, she's already dead) and Daryun
Chabik goes nuts and rampages through Farahs army
they try to stop him but that makes it worse
(he gets exposed here aka his helmet flies off - the DRAMA)
Farah has no other choice but to retreat but in a last ditch effort to get the favor back into her court, she kidnaps Azar, Gieve and Alfarid (still unsure about the characters besides Azar)
now complitally impaled by weapons and being unable to prevent the kidnapping, Chabik collapses bloody all over
Irsia tries to calm him down but Mehrin is the one who does it with a slap (bc that is how you help your friends!)
Farzin asks Saam for help to help him find his (by Saam presumed dead) child
Team Arslan + Saam go to Maar!
And that is how far my mind went for the transition from semi-canon to full on fanon for my AU! As you can see, the ending is a little rough and very unstable as I now have catched up to the manga for planning and I have to go by the chapter and change a few things here and there. But this should be roughly how we get to Maar (and Azar backstory whohoooooooo! Finally, the actual reason/scene I started this AU in the first place!)
CHAPTER 3
will be uploaded this or next week. I actually wanted to do it today but not only did my proofreader not go over it yet (which is absolutly fine. I am going at their pace) but tomorrow AO3 will be down for the day for maintenance (for about 10 hours).
Thus it made no sense to me to upload the chapter now as nobody would have access to it for the first day. So the release will be pushed back for after Monday or for the next week.
But chapter art is ready to go as is the chapter.
Chapter 3 has been posted!
Here it is! Chapter 3 ! On the cover this time is Sir Pavle!
Enjoy reading!
Cover without text under cut
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.
You know, we never actually saw Hilmes draw Rukhnabad in Fuujin Ranbu. Not when he took it from Kaykhusraw's sarcophagus, and not when he stole it back from Bodin in Maryam in the last episode. And this dialogue from Episode 1 concerning his ability to wield the sword is original to the anime.
So (years after the anime was left unfinished) here is my theory: Hilmes would have found himself unable to draw Rukhnabad, and that would have been fucking HILARIOUS. He gets to some kind of final confrontation and the thing just won't come out of its scabbard for him? Kaykhusraw says no? The gods of Pars (the Master refers to Rukhnabad as 'a gift from the gods' in this scene) have seen what he did to his country and they don't like it?
Funny how in the manga we've currently got Arslan incapable of drawing the sword, yet in the anime maybe it would have been Hilmes! Shame we'll never know what their plans were. Though given how obsessed Hilmes is with his bloodline and right to the throne, there's no way he wouldn't have tried to draw it as soon as it was in his hands. The fact that he never does so (it even looks like he's about to in Maryam and then he just... doesn't!) feels weird and something about all this seems deliberate. Honestly, a moment where he tries and fails would have been funny enough that maybe I would have forgiven the dubious grasp of how Hilmes would act when holding an object that could prove his legitimacy. Maybe.
Arslan Senki chapter 130 is hereby out on mangasee!!!!
Arslan Senki Chapter 132
Hoooooly fuck. I knew from the chapter title (Warriors From Beyond the Grave) that some horrific stuff was going to go down, but after spending all month worrying about Isfan and Kubard facing Shapur, the fact that they don't even appear this time didn't make this one any less traumatic, lmao.
So, the contents of the other head jars were revealed as dead warriors pop up across Ecbatana. Seems as though they are the ones Team Zahhak were able to gather the heads of (the two who were missing in action at the first Battle of Atropatene are not included; presumably their bodies were never located and were left somewhere on the battlefield).
I enjoyed how Arslan does as Tahamenay asked and tells Gieve to spread the word that Andragoras died in the fall when Innocentis flung them both from the tower... and that Gieve looks at the bloody dagger on the floor. You know that he knows, his look to Daryun and Narsus before he gives his assent just confirms it, and you also know he won't breathe a word of that truth.
(And here we have the first of the dodgy translations in this chapter, because of course there's not going to be further fighting between Parsians at this point unless you count undead Parsian warriors...)
I like that we see word spreading like a ripple through the city. Zaravant's reaction of "NO FUCKING WAY" followed by "Wait, really?" was hilarious. And as we see a lot of the citizens are thinking the same; a man of Andragoras's might, toppled like that? Zaravant had a close encounter with Andragoras; it's no surprise that his first reaction is denial.
Also lol Elam, not quite lying in his attempt to uphold the official version of events. Yes, he saw him die, but not quite in the way that was reported. So Zaravant wasn't wrong, really. Not that he'll ever know it.
Rumours spreading that Arslan killed Hilmes in a duel! It does make me wonder, might the truth of Hilmes's survival be kept quiet and this rumour allowed to flourish instead? Mirroring Hilmes surviving when all thought he had perished in the palace fire, this would allow him to eventually make a quiet exit with Irina and go and live out his life peacefully beyond the borders of Pars. (I would still like to see him rule Maryam with her, though.)
Tahamenay being left alone to watch over Andragoras's body is giving me prickling feelings of imminent Team Zahhak interference...
Dark storm clouds heading towards the city in that one panel look veeeery ominous. I still keep wondering whether we are going to see any of Team Zahhak's creatures unleashed on the world. I'm not sure exactly how dark things are going to get, but we did see winged apes when the legend of Zahhak and his earlier defeat was presented in Chapter 127. So who knows?
THE FACT THAT UNDEAD VAHRIZ SHOWS UP IN THE VERY COURTYARD WHERE HE USED TO TRAIN ARSLAN! I cannot scream about this coming full circle enough, and here it is so very wrong.
But even though it's his uncle, Daryun's typically fast warrior's response saves the day and he gets in front of Arslan to defend against Vahriz's blow (and fuck, these undead warriors are fast!).
The horror just continues to mount as more and more famous undead warriors return, but wrong, so very wrong. I am really digging the way they are presented, though.
Silent, black-eyed, still bearing the wounds they wore in death on their faces, their bodies wreathed in bandages... I'm... honestly not sure that anything below the neck is even corporeal. They look like severed heads on bodies formed from sorcery, wrapped in the same sort of magic-infused cloaks that Team Zahhak wear. Even their weapons are formed from tendrils of snakes (see Kharlan's spear forming). It makes me think that when they are defeated, their bodies may just disintegrate and only the severed head will remain. And that's... fucked up, considering they are fighting people who remember them, who fought by their side, who loved them.
More off translation when Manuchurh shows up; Kishward didn't see his head (he was in Peshawar), he only heard about it. I did wonder why Gieve was so slow on the uptake given that it was his report that confirmed Manuchurh's death to Kisward and Nasrin, but he heard about it from Parsian soldiers rather than recognising Manuchurh for himself. That's why he only infers it from how Kishward addresses him here.
I do like that we get to see Manuchurh's sword here! Sure, it's probably made of snakes, but it is at least modeled on the weapon he would have wielded in life, and that's a neat detail to have so late in the story.
As always, I badly wanted to see Team Hilmes but given what's going on my heart still started to beat faster in alarm when we cut to the room they're in. But it's Sam who leaves the room and is confronted by Garshasp! An undead version of the man whose death he envies... not sure I'm ready for this but please for the love of god let Sam kill a sorcerer before this is over.
Please know that when I scrolled down just far enough to spot Kharlan's moustache I scrolled back up so fucking fast and had to sit for a bit before I could continue.
ZANDEEEEEEH. THAT'S NOT YOUR FATHER! His face and the way he says "Father?" so questioningly breaks my heart.
Hilmes sees quickly that it's not, it can't be Kharlan, because he knows Kharlan is dead, and (unlike Zandeh, who hasn't actually witnessed any sorcery yet) he knows that this is something Team Zahhak are capable of... in fact, he knows it can only be them.
For one horrible second I really thought Zandeh was going to get stabbed right in the heart. Definitely made me realise how utterly devastated I'd be if he died in the manga version.
Thankfully the wound he receives on his shoulder doesn't look life-threatening, but you can see how unprepared he is for it, how he can't quite understand why his father (IT'S NOT YOUR FATHER!) is attacking him like this. I really don't think it would have gone well for him if Hilmes hadn't gotten involved. The way these jar warriors move.. It's fast, it's unnatural, it's deadly. These were all skilled warriors in life; are they even more dangerous now they are dead?
Hilmes protecting Zandeh like this is a brilliant moment, and never have I been so fucking glad to see Hilmes in a rage as I was to see him FINALLY display some anger towards the sorcerers who he knows are responsible. He must finally see now that they are not, and never were, on his side. Sam was right, and I hope Hilmes lets him know before this is over.
I keep thinking about the way the eyes of some of the undead seem to leak blood like tears... their faces look... empty, I guess, but this does make me wonder, is there any sort of awareness there? Do they know what their bodies are being used for? That bit of blood in Kharlan's eye at the end; is there part of him that somehow knows he's attacking his son? Perhaps it's nothing more than the remains oozing blood as they are puppeted by sorcery. The thought that there might be even a fragment of consciousness there is horrific, so I truly hope not.
So yeah, no sign of the encounter with Shapur but all of the undead jar warriors have now taken to the stage, and that stage is set for some unpleasant clashes next chapter. I hope to see some Team Zahhak deaths for sure, and I'm still banking on Team Arslan capturing a mage before this is all over. I imagine the disciples are largely seen as disposable by the Holy Master at this point, but there's no way he would allow himself to be killed or captured so easily, not when he is so close to his goal.
I am worried, though. This is... a lot... for all of Team Arslan to come through unscathed. What a horrible position for them to be in, and even if their instincts tell them that they're not fighting their comrades/relatives, they're surely at a disadvantage due to the shock and emotional turmoil involved. And I'm left wondering, what are Team Zahhak up to? What's the purpose in bringing the dead back like this? Do they wish to kill, torment, or capture other warriors as snake food? Do they simply seek to cause Ecbatana to fall into chaos? Where the heck is Zahhak?
It's going to be a difficult month until the next chapter, lol.
Arslan Senki Chapter 132
Received screencaps from @innerchorus , thank you for your service, and without further ado here we go!
Gieve knows. Gieve knows what Tahamenay has done. I don't know why but this is tickling my brain.
Screencap not featured but I believe there's a mistranslation on this page. Yeah that would make sense. Arslan's line, “There is to be more fighting between Parsians” I think should've been “There is to be no more fighting between Parsians” instead.
Wasn't expecting to see Tus wear such an expression but I guess this is the appropriate response for news like this.
Zaravant's reaction was funny, ngl.
Not much in terms of commentary, just interesting how rumors evolve— and makes sense considering how little information people had regarding the duel.
“queen consort” and “his majesty”. There's just something incredibly heartbreaking about how Arslan no longer calls them “mother” and “father”, though I suppose they haven't been much of parents to him in the first place. It's just. It makes it sink in, y'know? They're not his parents. Not even in name. Not anymore.
Walking through the courtyard where Arslan used to receive lessons from Vahriz, now dilapidated... I too can't believe it's been only a year in-universe since then, if even that. How long has it been for us? The manga started in 2013. It's 2024 now. Eleven years for us, even if I did join the fray somewhat late.
Sorry, I'm just getting emotional over here.
BUT THEN.
UNDEAD VAHRIZ.
OHHHHH I DO NOT LIKE THIS AT ALL. THE HEAD DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT GOES WITH THE REST OF THE BODY, ESPECIALLY NOT IN THIS PANEL.
And this panel especially shows the damage on his head. HOW ABOUT I SCREAM, ARAKAWA.
Okay, another mistranslation in the chapter, this time a line from Kishward: “I saw your head displayed at the city gates.” Kishward was not in or near Ecbatana in that time frame, he did not and could not have seen Manuchurh's head. Probably this line was meant to say: “Your head was seen displayed at the city gates.”
In any case though the soldiers get all excited to see a marzban alive (it seems Manuchurh could've possibly been well-respected and beloved? which could mean numerous things for what I have in store for him for Wolfsong...)
Not pictured but y'all. The way Manuchurh is drawn, as well... Freaky as fuck. Looks so creepy and unnatural and I do not like it.
The way he's drawn here (and I've had this thought ever since I saw undead Shapur from the previous chapter) feels like they have no body (just heads + limbs protruding from formless smoke), the posture and stuff just feels really, really unnatural, I wonder what's going on beneath those shrouds. All the undead marzban were shown with bandaged limbs, does it perhaps mean something?
OH OKAY NO THEORY IMMEDIATELY DEBUNKED. Kharlan at least seems to have a solid body from what I can tell— which would mean the unnatural posture and movements a side effect of being puppeted by Team Zahhak rather than having no corporeal body.
...maybe they move uncaring that their own bodies and bones are being harmed, they're dead after all, what is there for them to care about anymore? That would explain the unnatural vibes.
BRUH I'm gonna have nightmares for days.
Zandeh even gets injured because he was too shocked to react in time— but thankfully our Durian Denka comes to the rescue! He held Kharlan off.
And he's rightfully pissed at Team Zahhak for this. High time you realized their evilness, boy. You shouldn't have been so harsh on Saam.
ARSLAN SENKI (2013-?) by arakawa hiromu
You know, I'm quite worried for Tahamenay. If Team Zahhak do end up coming for Andragoras's body, I don't trust them not to kill her or kidnap her.
Yeah like the moment Team Arslan left her and ran into undead Vahriz I was like, “shit, there's nobody of significance guarding her” like sure there's a couple guards but I don't think they're gonna be able to do anything if Team Zahhak were to show up suddenly... Like, I like the direction the manga took with her character but I can't help but be afraid for her. She's had her revenge, I think she's accepted that she'll never see her daughter again and that's what enabled her to kill Andragoras, like she's essentially a flag untethered to a pole and one possible way to utilize her narrative-wise is to...
Her life has been so hard already, I hope it won't have to end like this.
At last, ArSen chapter 132 is out now on mangasee!
