Majo to Ryouken - Cruel, but amazing storytelling

One of the series I am already caught up with and now waiting on new volumes for is Majo to Ryoken (魔女と猟犬), a dark fantasy supernatural horror light novel with six volumes released so far. It is written by カミツキレイニー and illustrated by LAM.

The story follows the adventures of Rolo Duvel, also known as the Black Hound, an assassin working for a small country named Campus Fellows. His mission is to recruit multiple witches in order to save his homeland from destruction at the hands of the Amelia Kingdom, a powerful nation that monopolizes magic and uses it aggressively in warfare.

The series draws a clear distinction between ordinary magic users and witches. Witches possess overwhelming magical power and are often tied to ancient calamities or legends. Controlling even a single witch is enough to shift the balance of war, which gives Rolo’s quest enormous weight.

I was definitely not prepared for what the first volume delivered. Things go downhill fast and violently, pushing the tone firmly toward dark supernatural horror. The enemies are merciless and will do absolutely anything to achieve their goals. The story constantly reminds you that no one is guaranteed to survive ten pages later, which is perfect for building tension in a series like this.

So far the structure is episodic, with each volume introducing a different witch for Rolo to recruit, although the overarching conflict with the Amelia Kingdom keeps progressing in the background. The group often clashes with high ranking magic users and the stakes rise steadily with each confrontation.

Among the witches we have Maiden Teresalisa (shown in the first picture of the post), the Witch of Mirrors and Rolo’s primary partner throughout much of the story. The chemistry between the two works incredibly well and is one of the reasons I am so eager for the next volume. The last book ended with her being separated from the group after a climactic battle against Pulcinella. I am dying to know if she will return safely and what kind of trials she will face on her own.

My personal favorite is definitely Funnel, the blonde witch who exists in a state that is half alive and half dead. She survives only because her magic perpetually freezes the moment when she was stabbed many years before the story begins. She is the cool, quiet type with strong combat instincts and a surprisingly deep attachment to Rolo. Every scene she is in ends up being memorable.

If I had to pick something negative about the series, it would definitely be the names of some characters. I can handle a princess named Delirium Grace and even a maid named Cappuccino, but why on earth is one of the antagonists named Parmiggiano Reggiano? I am not joking. There is a scene where Delirium is about to be killed by an Amelia Kingdom magic user, then this man appears, eliminates the attackers, approaches her and says, “I am Parmiggiano Reggiano,” and I completely lost it. I was laughing for half an hour. It was impossible to take the moment seriously.

Either way, I am really looking forward to more content. Hopefully the next volume will be announced soon because the cliffhanger is still living rent free in my head.