Synopsis

Foyle may have been denied the role of hero, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be a savior. Having changed his name to Ayame, he’s on a journey to save as many people as possible, accompanied by Iris, an elf with legendary healing powers. When Ayame and Iris arrive in the city of Rikko, they find preparations are underway for the Full Bloom Festival. The pair teams up with the Adventurer’s Guild as they hunt a dragon to gain the rare materials needed for the festival’s stunning fireworks display that will light up the night sky. Unfortunately, the festivities have invoked the envy of Sway Ka Senco (a member of the fearsome Eight Warlords) who’s determined to ruin the fun. With powerful ice magic that threatens to freeze the entire city and its people—their flesh, their souls, and the very ground beneath them included—Warlord Sway Ka Senco looks to be Ayame’s toughest opponent yet. (Source: J-Novel Club)

The Difference between a Hero and a Saviour!

Having successfully found his new identity as a saviour, the latest volume of The Fake Hero sees Ayame putting his newfound title to good use.

Continuing with Ayame’s quest to become the living embodiment of a saviour, the second volume begins with him and his elf companion, Iris, travelling through the nation on a mission to help anyone in need. During these travels, the pair come up against several difficult tasks, including helping a romance bloom in the face of a tyrannical noble and helping to slay a dragon for their fire bladder.

As well as helping Ayame build up his reputation, these little adventures work to flesh out Shinonome Kousyaku’s fantasy world. The story revolving around dragon slaying, in particular, provides some interesting insight. Solving the fireworks issue, this fantasy world gets its bangs and booms from the bubbling flames inside a dragon’s fire bladder rather than from gunpowder.

Ultimately, Ayame and Iris’ saving crusade takes them to the city of Rikko. While there, Ayame faces his toughest challenge so far in the form of Sway, a member of the demon generals. More than a match for each other in terms of strength, the true difficulty of this fight actually takes place away from the battlefield. 

The highlight of the volume is that through interactions between Ayame and Sway, there’s a clear parallel between their characters. Both abandoned and rejected by their species, albeit for different reasons, it’s through this shared pain that Ayame is able to understand Sway’s motivations and justifiable anger. It’s also why Ayame is also able to make the decision that Sway can be saved and rehabilitated. It, therefore, makes for a good first big challenge for Ayame as it forces him to understand that being a saviour and a hero is different, and without the hero title’s restriction, he has the opportunity to right wrongs in a way he couldn’t before.

Unfortunately, these moments of complex inner conflict aren’t quite as ubiquitous as they should be in this volume. Unlike in the series opener, where Ayame’s trauma and consequences are placed front and centre, in this volume, they take a back seat to the point of being almost non-existent. This is a shame because it’s the aspect of the series that elevated it so much beyond other titles within the genre, and as a result, the sequel can quite reach the same heights.

Overall, The Fake Hero’s second instalment doesn’t quite live up to the hype of its first. While still a good series, without a regular update on Ayame’s long-standing trauma, the storytelling can’t reach the elevated heights it deserves.

I Give the Fake Hero Volume 2: 7/10