Crystania: Legend of the Gods’ King 2 is a light novel written by Hide Shirai and illustrated by Yukitoshi Hotani, based on the original Crystania novels by Ryo Mizuno. The Gods’ King 2 is the seventh novel in the Crystania novel series. It takes place roughly half a year after Legend of the Gods’ King 1[2] and before Legend of the Drifters 1.
The novel is an adaptation of the Legend of Crystania CD Special audio drama released in 1995. The story was also adapted into a three part OVA series, Legend of Crystania: The Chaos Ring.
Synopsis[]
In Dayton, the capital of Beldia, Captain Ruins of the Knights of Darkness along with the young Grael of the Tribe of the Fierce Tiger, are on their way to the Temple of Myrii to take out Father Vien. The two quarrel on the way there—Ruins finds it strange that the People of the Dark and the Fierce Tiger tribe have been having a feud since Barbas’ absence, whose defeat should've united them. At the temple, they are met with fierce resistance by the warrior priests and Vien himself, but Ruins manages to close in to Vien, who is saved at the last moment by Sheru. Grael saves Ruins, and their army withdraws.[3]
While resting in his mansion, Ruins laments Barbas’ absence and calls out to him. Suddenly a rush of vitality comes over him, he can no longer speak, but roars instead, and physically he begins to change into an animal. He also receives an image that indicates to him that Redon will be Barbas’ next vessel.[4]
Elsewhere in Dayton, Muha has been searching for the Chaos Ring. He meets with Truya, who informs Muha he has located Sheru in the Temple of Myrii, meaning the Chaos Ring is also there. Muha proposes Truya to assassinate Vien so that they can obtain the Chaos Ring, but Truya declines.[5]
Boakes, Jenoba, Redon and Nasare have returned, without Sheru, to Fort Roma following their defeat of Barbas. They've received a letter from Saya from the nearby village of Suede, informing them a general in Barbas’ army is about to visit Suede with only about 10 men. The party takes up on Saya’s offer to take out Garudi, the general in question and meet Saya outside the village. However, when the time comes, Garudi isn’t there and the party faces much more enemies than initially told—the Tribe of Duality betrayed them again. The party manages to flee, but Boakes gets separated.[6] When he returns to Fort Roma, he finds its completely destroyed. He meets Garshun there, who takes him to the survivors.[7] With all Fang of the Animal fortresses now annihilated, Boakes vows to destroy Barbas.[8]
While Jenoba, Redon and Nasare are also on their way to the fort, they are surprised to encounter the presumed dead Rio, leader of the Tribe of the Great Snake, with three followers. Rio proves a difficult opponent, but Redon manages to defeat her. Before she dies Redon asks her if she was happy living a life set by her god Rumiss, but Redon doesn't get an answer.[9] The party is reunited with Boakes at the remains of Fort Roma. At the last meeting, the mercenaries decide to end the Fang of the Animal. Boakes, Jenoba, Redon and Nasare decide to head to Beldia again and maybe reunite with Sheru. They travel via the Dream Forest, fight some giant ants there, and meet Kisara of the Tribe of the Butterfly, a follower the animal god Resfen. They peak Kisara's interest when they mention heading to Beldia. She takes the party to her village where they meet the village elder. There they learn about the Chaos Ring, which originally belongs to the Butterfly tribe, and the chaos world. The latter was created by the gods, and from there the three planes—material world, spirit world and fairy world—were created. Chaos exists outside these three planes, enveloping them.[10] The Chaos Ring can be used to transport soul and body to and from the chaos world, thus the Drifting King's soul can be brought back into his own body, driving out Barbas.[11] With this information, the party continues to Beldia and Kisara joins them.
In Dayton, a blue butterfly enters a sleeping Sheru's bedroom in the Temple of Myrii. The butterfly distorts her dream of her Drifting King, making it a nightmare. Vien checks up on her, but she replies it was just a dream. Sheru feels uneasy not possessing the Chaos Ring, and decides to check up on it in the temple's treasury. While searching for the key, she finds Vien stabbed in the chest, next to him a man who changes into a blue butterfly. Sheru summons Salamander to kill the man. Meanwhile, Fierce Tiger warriors have entered the temple grounds. Sheru finds the key and enters the treasury, hidden under a statue of Myrii, and finds the Chaos Ring there. When she tries to get away from the temple, an enemy warrior spots her. Just in time, her former teammates Jenoba, Boakes, Redon and Nasare, now with Kisara, arrive to save her.[12]
When Muha hears about the news of the temple having fallen, he is overjoyed. He recalls how he tricked Truya into killing Vien, but doesn't notice Kisara, in the form of a butterfly has entered his mansion.[13]
Now with the Chaos Ring in their possession, Boakes, Jenoba, Redon, Nasare and Kisara try to return to the Tribe of the Butterfly. There, they need to go to the Phantom Cave, where they can perform their ritual. The party is spotted by Ruins, who challenges Redon to a duel. If Ruins wins, Redon will become Barbas’ vessel, if Redon wins, Ruins will let the party go. The two duel for about an hour, and despite Ruins’ recent animal "upgrades" he loses the fight and dies of a throat wound. With his defeat, Ruins understands why Barbas chose Redon, and not him, as his next vessel.[14]
Later, in the Phantom Cave, which acted as a vague boundary between the material world and the chaos world, the party attempts to get into the chaos world. To do so, Kisara explains, they must face the evil in their hearts, which exists in all humans. Normally, humans suppress it, but now they must face it and accept it. Boakes, Jenoba, Sheru, Redon and Nasare come face to face with imaginary manifestations of their darker selves. Redon is the only one to fail and not get into the chaos world.[15]
In the chaos world, the group faces all kinds of challenges, which they overcome by finding stability and acceptance within themselves. Kisara, Boakes, Jenoba and Nasare are reunited, and deep in the chaos world they find the animal god Resfen, and tell her of their journey to save the soul of the Drifting King. Resfen tells them that the Drifting King's soul is in a dire situation and that he built a phantom castle from the last vestages of his memory, to protect himself.[16]
Sheru, who hadn't reunited with the other four, finds herself in front of the castle's entrance. Shortly after, Boakes and the others arrive, but Sheru enters the castle alone. The others unexpectedly find themselves facing Muha, who had been killed by Kisara after the Temple of Myrii had fallen, and has followed her into the chaos world. Jenoba tells Boakes to go after Sheru, while they deal with Muha. Boakes realizes Jenoba knows about his feelings for Sheru.[17]
In the castle's throne room Sheru finds the Drifting King kneeling in front of the Dark Emperor, who sits on the throne. She tries to run up to the Drifting King, but invisible barriers prevent her from doing so. She shouts at the Drifting King if this is what she fought Barbas for and waited three centuries for; a coward hiding in his memories instead of the proud ruler she hoped to find. The Drifting King then stands up, moves to Sheru, apologizes to and thanks her. Sheru explains what had happened thus far and the two embrace. The castle suddenly begins to crumble; the Drifting King has awoken and no longer needs his phantom castle for protection. Barbas appears and the now re-enlivened Drifting King resumes his battle with him. The illusion of the Dark Emperor disappears and his sword and armour returned to the Drifting King. Sheru wants to fight alongside her king, but the Drifting King says this is his fight. He tells Sheru to return to the material world and live her life however she wants, “Just wait, someday I will win. Believe in me.” Knowing that Sheru is waiting for him, he will feel less lonely fighting Barbas.[18] When Sheru is reunited with Kisara, Boakes and Jenoba, Kisara uses the Chaos Ring to transport everyone back to the material world. Nasare had gone missing during the fight with Muha and his whereabouts were unknown.[19]
Boakes wakes up and realizes and finds himself in the village of the Butterfly tribe. He is alone. As he explores his surroundings he finds Jenoba. From her he learns that Redon has become emperor of the Rabradal region, Sheru has returned to Beldia, Nasare is also alive, the Cycle of Crystania has ended, the Gods’ Wall is no more, and all of Crystania has lowered to sea level, just like Beldia and Da’nan. Ten years have passed. Barbas has only performed one "miracle" in all this time; he has seriously weakened due to Sheru, and continues to fight the Drifting King. He is currently in a deep slumber and wasn't present at the animal gods' meeting.[20]
In the throne room of the royal castle of Beldia sleeps besides her Drifting King. She believes that her king will one day win, and until that day, will wait for him. That is the purpose of her eternal life.[21]
Characters appearing[]
In order of appearance.
- Ruins
- Grael
- Vien
- Sheru
- Muha
- Truya
- Jenoba
- Nasare
- Redon
- Boakes
- Matisse
- Saya
- Saya’s two-tailed fox
- Garshun
- Rofel
- Rio
- Kisara
- Brian (imagination)
- Sia (imagination)
- Animal god Resfen
- Beld (illusion)
Gallery[]
Artwork from the novel. At least two versions with (slightly) different artwork have been published. One version says it was published on 25 June 1996 and is called "the first edition". Another version was released on 10 August 1996 and is a reprint. Publisher Kadokawa's website says the novel's release was on 10 June 1996.
First edition[]
Reprint[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 KADOKAWA, "神王伝説クリスタニア<下>"
- ↑ Shirai, H. Crystania: Legend of the Gods’ King 2, page 10 (fan translation).
- ↑ Shirai, H. Crystania: Legend of the Gods’ King 2, page 26 (fan translation).
- ↑ Shirai, H. Crystania: Legend of the Gods’ King 2, page 31 (fan translation).
- ↑ Shirai, H. Crystania: Legend of the Gods’ King 2, page 35 (fan translation).
- ↑ Shirai, H. Crystania: Legend of the Gods’ King 2, page 56 (fan translation).
- ↑ Shirai, H. Crystania: Legend of the Gods’ King 2, page 59 (fan translation).
- ↑ Shirai, H. Crystania: Legend of the Gods’ King 2, page 62 (fan translation).
- ↑ Shirai, H. Crystania: Legend of the Gods’ King 2, page 75 (fan translation).
- ↑ Shirai, H. Crystania: Legend of the Gods’ King 2, page 91 (fan translation).
- ↑ Shirai, H. Crystania: Legend of the Gods’ King 2, page 92 (fan translation).
- ↑ Shirai, H. Crystania: Legend of the Gods’ King 2, page 113 (fan translation).
- ↑ Shirai, H. Crystania: Legend of the Gods’ King 2, page 119 (fan translation).
- ↑ Shirai, H. Crystania: Legend of the Gods’ King 2, page 133 (fan translation).
- ↑ Shirai, H. Crystania: Legend of the Gods’ King 2, page 147 (fan translation).
- ↑ Shirai, H. Crystania: Legend of the Gods’ King 2, page 158 (fan translation).
- ↑ Shirai, H. Crystania: Legend of the Gods’ King 2, page 165 (fan translation).
- ↑ Shirai, H. Crystania: Legend of the Gods’ King 2, page 173 (fan translation).
- ↑ Shirai, H. Crystania: Legend of the Gods’ King 2, page 174 (fan translation).
- ↑ Shirai, H. Crystania: Legend of the Gods’ King 2, page 182 (fan translation).
- ↑ Shirai, H. Crystania: Legend of the Gods’ King 2, page 183 (fan translation).