Synopsis

The Empire’s hidden scheme has finally reared its sinister head. Lynne, Ines, and Noor return to the capital with the demonfolk boy Rolo in tow, only to find the city engulfed in flames, overrun by monsters, and under attack by an ancient calamity. Can our heroes save the Kingdom from certain destruction, or will the Empire’s peerless military might prove to be too much for them? And will Noor ever realize his own strength?! (Source: J-Novel Club)

A Battle to Save the Capital!

Having managed to become an adventurer and defeated a myriad of different foes, the sequel to I Parry Everything sees Noor and the gang travel back to the royal capital only to find it falling foul of the Empire’s machinations.

Arriving to discover the capital in flames and under attack by a legendary dragon, the main characters get stuck in immediately, making the sequel an action-packed instalment. It begins, however, with a nice little section of exposition. The segment provides an introspection into the history between the Clays Kingdom and the Empire and how their current relationship soured due to the ambitions of an ageing emperor. In action-heavy volumes, these moments are always appreciated as they give depth and stakes to the battle at hand.

Moving these explorations aside, the majority of the volume is once again dedicated to Noor’s parrying escapades as they make themselves useful on a battlefield. With the kingdom under threat, Noor has plenty of opportunity to make use of his skill, battling everything from legendary dragons to magical robots, all while blissfully unaware of the powers that he possesses.

In all honesty, these battle sequences end up becoming the weakest part of the story. With so many throughout the volume, it becomes the case that not all parrying moments are created equally. There are only so many times that using the same skill to escape a situation can remain interesting, and not every one of these fights can offset this through unique perspectives such as that of a dragon or from a king. These moments often make you wonder how long it will take before the parrying gimmick starts to become stale.

On a more positive note, these battle scenes are bookended with the highlight of the series so far. Set up as a side story, the final moments of the volume remember Noor’s time with his instructors. While the previous volume described Noor as having failed these classes, this volume shows that this isn’t strictly true. From the perspective of each of his six instructors, it becomes clear that the reason why they failed him stemmed from the fact that he didn’t need their tuition. From being able to strike through steel shields and having impossibly keen intuition, Noor was more than able to defend himself, so much so that instead of teaching him, his instructors were looking to hire him instead.

Overall, while I Parry Everything’s second instalment isn’t as strong as its first, it still has its good moments. These ultimately stem from the series’ side-story explorations. The author’s look at the empire and recollections of Noor’s time in adventurer’s education are a genuine highlight and some of the best moments of the series thus far. 

I Give I Parry Everything Volume 2: 7/10