Tags: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Comedy, Romance, Harem, Slice of Life, Isekai
Sub-Tags: Cute, Heartwarming, Dungeons, OP, Game Elements
Synopsis:
Friend or foe, it doesn’t matter! Demon Lord Yuki’s letting loose in the tournament! Yuki’s second life as a demon lord in another world continues! He’s been entered into a tournament by the Demon King, and he breezes through the preliminaries. Just when he thinks he’s got the finals in the bag, though, he learns that there’s a human contender! Against this older gentleman who has a refined ability with his holy sword, Yuki finds himself overpowered. But he won’t be defeated so easily. If his admittedly lacking swordsmanship won’t get the job done, he’ll just have to bulldoze his opponent through stats alone! Meanwhile, Nell has been working diligently to secure alliances in the demon world. Out of nowhere, she’s attacked by a mysterious group of people clad in black from head to toe. As she desperately tries to fight back, both her endurance and magic drain away, leaving her in a desperate situation with no escape. (Source: J-Novel Club)
Yuki and the Tournament of Fiends!
Yuki’s Tournament Troubles
Continuing his time in the demon country, the fifth volume of Now I’m a Demon Lord finds Yuki about to perform his first mission for the demon king. As the newest member of the demon king alliance, he’s to show his power to the country as part of an official fighting tournament.
The tournament makes for an ideal opportunity for Yuki. Being able to fight numerous opponents of different fighting styles allows him to test out all new battle strategies – useful given that his problems recently has seen him go up against some powerful opponents.
Whilst the early rounds are plain sailing, Yuki comes into some trouble in the last two rounds. The first sees Yuki go up against one of the world’s strongest humans. Even as an older gentleman, he’s the first fighter in a long while to put Yuki through his paces.
The second comes about due to Yuki’s short temper. Sick and tired of tip-toeing around the fiends, the series’ titular protagonist decides that it would be a good idea to challenge their leader to a one-on-one battle. Unable to disagree, the fight between the two shows glimpses of a promising future battle between the two. Long-fought and hard-won, the two living weapons they possess will play a large role.
A Hero’s Welcome
The tournament isn’t the only place the fiends have come to scout. Deeper within the demon territory, the hero Nell, has also become embroiled in their activities.
This volume serves as a turning point for the young hero. Fighting against the fiends has brought up the age-old question of duty against feelings. As Yuki saves her from a perilous situation, she decides to join Yuki’s family in the dungeon, hoping to vie for his affection.
As part of the harem genre, by bringing Nell into the fold, the series has still managed to avoid falling into the genre’s many pitfalls. Developing her character over several volumes and having already introduced her to the main set of characters makes her integration into the main cast all the more natural. Her motivations and reasonings behind following Yuki are clear.
Overall, Now I’m a Demon Lord’s latest volume continues to broaden the scope of its universe. Focusing on the infighting between demons has provided the series with ample material going forward, as well as introducing a likely long-running antagonist.
Additionally, the fifth volume in the series has brought a new member into the dungeon. With fleshed-out characterisation and motivations, Nell will be a great addition to the series main cast.
Now I’m a Demon Lord! Vol. 5
My Rating: 8.5/10
I hope you enjoyed my review and would love to see what you thought of the volume in the comments! If you like what I do and want to see more, consider supporting me by buying me a coffee on Ko-Fi.
You can read the fifth volume of this series digitally on the J-Novel Club website.
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