Afterword
Thank you for picking up the second volume of Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World (Last Crusade)’s short stories!
How did you like it?
This special volume contains some of the short stories serialized in the bimonthly Dragon Magazine!
I really had trouble figuring out which stories to include in this one, too… (Ha-ha.)
Allow me to introduce the stories themselves right away and to talk about the “Secret Files” that show anecdotal glimpses into Iska’s everyday life and Alice’s palace life.
File 01 “Our Last Crusade or the Artist of Fire” (September 2018)
The living treasure, Master Daiban, makes his first appearance.
Of the characters who show up in the short stories, he has a particularly unique spark. He’s a living legend in the art world and has a passionate international fan base, which includes art lovers like Iska and Alice…but that’s not all there is to him.
Master Daiban actually has a major role in the main story.
When this short story was published, Lord Yunmelngen’s form was still a secret in the main story. Masterpiece No. 9 is actually the first depiction of the Lord in their true form as a beastperson.
Then there’s Daiban’s opera masterwork, Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World Love Sonata.
Daiban was asked to write the song for a young man three decades ago, and you may recognize that as a significant number from the main story.
That’s right.
Thirty years ago, right before he ended up in prison, a certain sorcerer commissioned Daiban to write a song that would convey his feelings to someone who didn’t understand how he felt about her.
(Please take a peek at Volume 6 if you’d like to know more.)
The unfinished magnum opus will be completed soon…
But that’s for another time…
File 2 “Our Last Crusade or the Spy Mission Training” (March 2019)
This is when Commander Pilie gets her revenge (kind of).
Just like Master Daiban, P is a character just for the short stories.
If I say that this is a regular day for her in the Imperial forces…that might be misleading. Commander Pilie is actually an excellent soldier. But whenever she’s up against Mismis, she rapidly loses all common sense and her faculties for judgment…
File 3 “Our Last Crusade or the Turbulent Halloween Party” (January 2019)
In this story, Master Daiban gets his second bombastic introduction.
Iska and Alice almost cross paths, Rin puts in a big effort, and Commander Mismis and Nene get up to some fun. It’s my favorite of these stories.
In this tale, it’s also revealed that Master Daiban has had a meeting with Elletear from the Lou family.
There are other Easter eggs where the short stories and main work intersect (not just when it comes to Master Daiban). I hope that you’ll find them!
File 04 “Our Last Crusade or the Undefeatable Big Sister” (July 2020)
This story was written in celebration of Last Crusade being on the cover of Dragon Magazine for the first time!
Since I’d been writing only for Fantasia Bunko, this was my first time having something on the cover of a Dragon Magazine issue.
Since it was a special issue I was commemorating, I wanted to write something special, too.
So I put the spotlight on the three sisters, which hadn’t happened since the sixth volume.
This was all about how Elletear is the strongest big sister ever. It’s also unusual to see Alice and Sisbell joining forces. (Ha-ha.)
File XX “The Strongest Combatants Serving the Lord” (New story)
This ended up becoming a pretty long new story about the Saint Disciples.
In addition to Risya, even Nameless and Mei join in.
Nameless showed up in the anime, and it seems like his battle with Alice was well-received not only in Japan, but also internationally!
And because of the response to the anime, I had Nameless appear in this competition, too.
Mei hasn’t shown up in the anime, but some people might remember her from the seventh volume when she fought against Kissing, the Thorn Witch.
My concept for this story was to portray a merciless battle among the three Saint Disciples.
Secret “Or the Prediction the World Doesn’t Know Of” (New story)
This story closes off the Secret Files for this volume.
I’ve revealed some of Iska’s conversations with Crossweil, but this one focuses on a conversation with Jhin.
This is where it’s shown what role Jhin is given as a young man and how the group (including Nene) needed an adult to act as a “boss.”
Also, this epilogue is the story that occurs the most recently, as far as chronological order goes.
It’s right between Volumes 10 and 11, so you can wonder how this epilogue connects with the main story.
I hope that you enjoy it!
The Last Crusade TV anime is airing.
The anime should be reaching its climax by the time this volume of short stories comes out.
How have you liked it so far? I’m excited every time I watch the anime, and fortunately, many people in Japan and around the world are enjoying it, too.
Three months of airing really go by quickly!
Well then…
With the anime comes BluRays and DVD releases. These will be available soon.
BluRay/DVD Vol. 1: January 27, 2021 (Eps. 1–4)
BluRay/DVD Vol. 2: February 24, 2021 (Eps. 5–8)
BluRay/DVD Vol. 3: March 24, 2021 (Ep. 9–12)
There are a lot of extras that are available with the purchases, but I’d like to talk about the extra stories I wrote specifically.
Anime Special Novel
I think some of you may already know this…
Last Crusade is my first work that was turned into an anime. From the script meetings to the recording sessions, and the actual broadcast of the anime, there’s so much I’ll remember, but having Last Crusade turned into BluRays and DVDs is like a dream come true.
And that’s why I’d like to make sure to give the best new story I can to the people who liked the anime and bought the BluRays and DVDs,
So, at the time, I pondered about what that new story would be.
Since I was writing about Iska and Alice in the main story and the short stories, I thought I’d write about the characters living in the background of Last Crusade’s world—in other words, the heroes and heroines behind the scenes.
This is only available with the anime BluRay and DVDs.
These are the stories of the former main characters and former heroines.
Anime BluRay/DVD commemoration, special novel
BluRay/DVD Vol. 1: Forbidden Chapter—The Founder
In the third episode of the anime, Iska and Alice had their battle with the Founder Nebulis.
This story is about that battle from the Founder’s point of view.
I think from Iska and Alice’s perspective, she seemed like a villain who indiscriminately attacked Rin and the neutral city.
But what did the Founder think?
What was she thinking as she fought Iska and Alice?
Her mind was on something completely different, and this is a story about her perspective as a last boss character.
This is about the wish that the Founder has deep inside that the anime and the first volume couldn’t cover.
I hope that once you get the novel, you’ll take a look at it.
BluRay/DVD Vol. 2: Forbidden Chapter—The Sorcerer
This is the story of Salinger.
As those reading the novels might know, this sorcerer should have previously been a main character, but he was brought down by a plot.
This is about what Salinger was thinking in the anime and the third volume when he faced Iska and Rin.
His story is also related to the grand chorus, Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World Love Sonata. I also put a lot of effort into writing this one.
BluRay/DVD vol. 3: Prohibited Chapter—The Astral Powers and the Black Steel
Since the last episode of the anime hasn’t aired yet, I’m just revealing the title for this one. Maybe you’ve already guessed what this might be about?
I’ll give more details on my X account on a future date!
Well then…
The novels and the anime are getting closer to their climaxes, and I’d like to talk a bit more about the future.
I have another new book that I’ve been writing alongside Last Crusade.
Please allow me to introduce my newest story!
A battle of the brains between humans and gods.
The supreme gods have created the ultimate challenge: the divine games. In all of recorded history, no one has had a winning streak. The competition against the all-powerful gods starts here.
Gods’ Games We Play is coming out January 25th (Monday) from MF Bunko J.
Humanity must win ten games of wits against the gods to be victorious.
In this tale, a young man takes up an impossible challenge.
We actually plan to air a commercial for it during the twelfth episode of Last Crusade’s anime.
Sora Amamiya will be doing the commercial!
That’s right. Amamiya, who also voices Alice, will be doing the voice for the commercial for my new work. I hope that you watch it!
So…
I’ve started another story in addition to Last Crusade.
I’ll work as hard as I can so you can enjoy it, and I’ll be so happy if you pick it up at a bookstore!
Looks like the afterword is nearing its end, too.
(I’m going to thank everyone involved in the anime after it finishes airing…)
First, to Ao Nekonabe, who drew another first-rate cover! Thank you very much! Sisbell looks so cute in her personal clothes!
To my editors O and S, I know you’re very busy with the novels and the anime. Thank you so much for everything.
The anime is also reaching its climax, but I wouldn’t have been able to get here without you two.
I’ll be so happy if you’ll help me for just a little longer!
Next is Last Crusade, Vol. 11.
A tale of the swordsman Iska and the witch princess Alice.
And also a story about siblings who go by the name of Nebulis.
Please look forward to reading this account of heroes and heroines past, revealed through Sisbell’s power of Illumination.
Well, see you next year.
Gods’ Games We Play comes out on January 25th from MF Bunko J.
Last Crusade, Vol. 11 will be out in the spring.
I hope that you’ll also see the final episode of the anime.
On an unusually warm winter’s day,
Kei Sazane
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