From Far Away: Vol. 8

by Kyoko Hikawa

Synopsis
Transported into a fantastical world of high adventure, a confused and frightened teenager discovers she holds a prophetic power that will awaken a new epoch of staggering uncertainty.

But even with such infinite power, Noriko remains vulnerable to the dangers that swirl around her. Ever so slowly, a small delegation of supporters has rallied to her defense -- most notably a fierce and loyal swordsman by the name of Izark.

Both demon and savior, Izark struggles daily with the good and evil that resides deep inside him. Is he the monster a whole world fears? Or is he the hero who will lead his people to a new and prosperous era? Whether she knows it or not, Noriko is the only one who has the answer to that fateful question.

Review
The antagonists begin to set their plans in motion in this volume. They set a trap so that they can capture both Izark and Noriko, and use Noriko to control Izark. Much of the volume involves this trap, and Izark fighting the "new and improved" Keimos.

One thing I noticed about this volume was how sorry I felt for Izark. He's the kind of character that I totally identify with because his personality is similar to mine: introverted, reticent, sensitive, empathetic, introspective, but also brooding and negative. He didn't ask for this fate, to be the sky demon, nor did he ask for people to reject and punish him for it throughout his life. He really is just a kind, gentle person, who does what he does because he has to, not because he wants to. And then for people to use his personality against him, his need to protect Noriko because he cares about her, is just horrible. They treat him like he's not even a human being, like he's a "thing" that they can use for their own benefit. That's just sick.

Anyway, I suppose we'll see whether Izark's musing about changing the future actually work or not. It's going to be interesting, I'm sure.

Final thought: I have to read to the end!