Overview (Spoilers Below): Yuno the Distant Talon discovers the person responsible for a certain tragedy and vows her revenge.
Our Take: When we last saw Yuno in the previous episode, Higuare took her away from Soujiro while the boy battled Shalk the Sound Slicer. We wondered where they were going until this week’s episode. Before Mage City gets struck by Taren’s attack, Yuno finds herself in captivity in Lithia, where she discovers the culprit who solved the labyrinth, resulting in the appearance of golems that attacked Yuno’s hometown. It was none other than Dakai the Magpie, resulting in Yuno reigniting her hatred of Shuras for their self-absorbed nature. We also discover that Shalk has survived the fight against Soujirou from the previous episode, although we don’t know what happened to Soujiro following the battle. It’s another offscreen moment that’s frustrating but leaves viewers questioning what happened until the next episode. “The New Demon King War” provides a structure that focuses on the characters’ different perspectives amid the bombardment of Mage City. It showed a brief moment involving Taren and her allies that led to the attack on Mage City. Afterward, it shifts to the events after the attack. During that time, Hargent the Silencer attempts to rally the villagers to confront Lithia while Alus the Star Runner confronts Regnejee’s wyvern army attacking the village. Meanwhile, Kia and Elea attempt to rescue Lana from capture before the two confront Higuare. However, this would be Higuare’s final fight as he was quickly murdered by Nastique the Quiet Singer. It was an anticlimactic end to the mandrake gladiator, whose skills made him seemingly formidable. Besides that, the episode continues the show’s efforts to finish its first season strong, following its struggling first half.