Dakini and Eiden
Eiden always had a natural talent for art. His skills grew as time went on until he was admitted into a school in the far off town of Buribcus to study art.
Then the Sky Golems attacked.
A year later in Enoth, Eiden is struggling to get by, both in his art and in general. After getting lost, he encounters a strange girl looking up at the sky that takes notice of his art. Later, while trying to figure out what to do next, he's the first to notice that the Sky Golems are approaching. Frozen in his tracks, he mentally curses the golems as they're about to fire their Straight Thunders, but the girl from earlier leaps into the air and reflects the shot with her sword. Her name is Dakini, and her mission is to destroy all of the golems and their leader. This is the story of her travels with Eiden.
Flower Knight Dakini (花の騎士ダキニ Hana no Kishi Dakini) is a manga created by Sho Shibamoto and the final part of his Verse, with The Jackalope and Pandemonium Wizard Village taking place before it.
The official English translation is available from Kindle Unlimited for free here.
This work provides examples of:
- Actionized Sequel: Compared to the other mangas, there's definitely more action scenes.
- Adjective Noun Fred: Flower Knight Dakini
- Admiring the Abomination: Eiden marvels at the things the Great Silver Jaw is able to do... before realizing he should be running.
- Alternative Calendar: Uses TE (Town-Era), representing how long since the nomadic lifestyle stopped with the introduction of aiushi technology, allowing for settlements to safely be established.
- Animalistic Abomination: Thunder Beasts in general, from what glimpses we have of them. Most of them look as messed up as some of the more unlucky Rare Ones and are implied to even be Rare Ones themselves.
- Applied Phlebotinum: Aiushi, a plant-based bug repellent that can also be used as a fuel source.
- Big Creepy-Crawlies: Very common outside of towns. Due to them generally being highly dangerous, towns ward them off with aiushi or send knight-certified to fight them.
- Big Eater: Prakasha, who's able to eat the Mega-Cream Donut Sandwich Pancake all by herself.
- Blind Without 'Em: Eiden, though he shows more foresight than most characters in this trope and has a case full of spare glasses.
- The Cameo: Gyobu shows up as one of Prakasha's teachers and he discusses her decision to research 'Variant Wizards' with her over lunch.
- Zipher and Anna can be seen looking at a sunset in Crain's artbook.
- Cannibalism Superpower: Dakini is able to take on the physical aspects of what she eats, such as the Silver Jaw's mandibles and wings.
- Constantly Curious: Dakini will usually point to something she wants Eiden to explain, which is frequent.
- Continuity Nod: Arkhamheim is mentioned among the Sky Golem attacks in Eiden's flashback.
- Eiden initially thinks Dakini is from the Tepantar Desert, where Neri from Sakasabane was born.
- The Knights Eiden talks about before setting up the Title Drop seem to have been the In-Universe inspiration for Supernyan, Foxy Lady, and Riderwan.
- Prakasha's presentation on Thunder Beasts shows examples of Rare Ones, including jackalopes, pygmies, giants, and nine-tailed foxes, which had previously been seen with Jacka (And Uisce), Brow, Cosith, and Kayoh respectively.
- Furthermore, the 'Variant Wizard' lullaby from Pandemonium is heard in full during Prakasha's presentation. Its ending now references "flowers' dreams", which given the title, may become relevant later.
- Polar Ice has branched out into additional towns, still sells bizarre flavors, and even has their own Mega Meal Challenge.
- One of Prakasha's books is the same kind of 'Mjolnir' book Algernon studied.
- In Chapter 6, Dakini finds an artbook made by Crain at some point.
- Covered with Scars: On Dakini's body are several scars, but how she got them is unknown, as she's able to heal from any wound.
- Cute Mute: Dakini. She can speak, but very rarely and she seems to have trouble with it.
- Destructive Saviour: Played for Drama when Dakini's fight with Karura results in several Straight Thunders hitting Karacuma.
- Die Laughing: Karura
- Doomed New Clothes: Eiden buys Dakini a traditional Karacuman dress while visiting the city. It winds up nearly destroyed by the end of the arc.
- Even the Girls Want Her: After Kayoh introduces herself to the citizens of Karacuma, a rabbit girl can be seen furiously blushing, much to the shock of her boyfriend.
- Extreme Omnivore: Fire? Mud? Rocks? Butterflies? Dakini can eat seemingly anything, but that doesn't mean she thinks it tastes good.
- Face-Revealing Turn: During Chapter 6, a horrifying version of this happens with Eiden of all people when he has a flashback to after Buribcus was destroyed. Later in Chapter 8, what actually happened is shown.
- Female Fighter, Male Handler: Dakini is a badass that can bat lasers back and slice opponents in two with her sword, but is still a child. Eiden, who became her friend and decided to tag along with her, helps her learn about the world while keeping her from breaking down.
- Foreshadowing: While at Karacuma, Eiden notices Dakini looking out over the town and is reminded of when she was staring up at the sky in Enoth, waiting for the Sky Golems. When he calls out to her, she responds, making him relieved that there's not going to be a Sky Golem attack anytime soon. At the end of the chapter, golems do attack, just not Sky Golems.
- Funny Background Event: When Eiden is examining the Ironball Bugs, Dakini can be seen slapping one.
- After Prakasha gives her thanks, Dakini starts rubbing Prakasha's stomach like she did when she was hungry.
- Growling Gut: Happens with Eiden and Prakasha a few times.
- Hands in Pockets: In the author's notes, Sho points out that there aren't any chairs in the Karacuma Central Hall meeting room and suggests some explanations for it and claims it has nothing to do with him not wanting to draw chairs.
- Hope Spot: During the attack on Karacuma, it seems like the evacuation of the city is going to be a success, then the golem destroys all the buses people were supposed to board.
- Hunter of Monsters: The Knights and knight-certified are trained individuals who's job is to protect people from the giant beetles. In the past, the Knights used varied fighting styles, equipment, and careful observation to defeat beetles. In modern times, however, the best strategies are taught in training and instead they use things that can pierce their hides such as spears and guns.
- Identical Stranger: While in Karacuma, Dakini hears someone singing and wanders off. The source of the song is a fox woman that looks like an older version of her. She's so stunned by this that she can only watch as the woman boards a train leaving town.
- Inelegant Blubbering: Prakasha does this at the end of chapter 5 upon finding out that Eiden and Dakini believe her about a potential attack on Karacuma and are willing to assist her in getting there.
- It Began with a Twist of Fate: Had Eiden not gotten lost while trying to find something to draw, he would never have met Dakini and formed a connection with her.
- Karma Houdini Warranty: After two mangas (and a couple of one-shots) worth of causing mass destruction, death, and tragedy, the Sky Golems and whoever controls them finally have a way to be stopped.
- Lost in Translation: Variants now being called Rare Ones may seem like a strange switch in terminology, but it's an important distinction that loses its meaning in other languages. Igyō (Variant) literally means something with an abnormal appearance, and is used to disparagingly describe something that looks strange or grotesque. Marebito (Rare One) refers to benevolent supernatural beings said to bring gifts of knowledge from afar. This helps reflect the change in status these people have gained.
- Mega Meal Challenge: Polar Ice's Mega-Cream Donut Sandwich Pancake. Eat it all by yourself and you only have to pay the price of a regular pancake! Naturally, Prakasha completes it.
- Mix-and-Match Creatures: Rare Ones, the more socially acceptable name for variants.
- My Significance Sense Is Tingling: Dakini is able to sense where she needs to go by spontaneously growing a horn, which can be retracted back into her head.
- Nightmare Sequence: Chapter 10 features a scene of Dakini viewing herself causing havoc in Karacuma while the words of her mother urge her to focus only on killing the Golems and nothing else. Then her past self notices her and from her mouth emerges a hand which grabs Dakini by the neck. Then her mother climbs out and rips her mask off to reveal herself to be a multi-faced monstrosity.
- Outside-Context Problem: At the end of Chapter 6, an unknown force attacks Karacuma, and whatever it is, it isn't Sky Golems, as Dakini wasn't able to sense it coming in advance. As we find out, they are other types of Golems.
- Overshadowed by Awesome: Anyone who's Knight-certified is a genuinely competent fighter that can take out giant beetles by themselves if they have to. However, anything they're capable of pales in comparison to what Dakini can do.
- Pint-Sized Powerhouse: Dakini
- Playful Cat Smile: An expression frequently made by Dakini.
- Raijū: Thunder Beasts play an important role in the story as they are created specifically to destroy the golems threatening the world. They do not possess any electricity-related powers, instead the main weapons of their enemies are destructive lasers called Straight Thunders or Mjolnirs.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Kayoh, who has become the village chief of Rare Village in the place of Ainu in the intervening years between the end of Pandemonium and this manga.
- Shaming the Mob: Eiden attempts this on the citizens of Karacuma in the aftermath of the battle, but it doesn't work, as their emotions have gotten the better of them.
- Spin-Offspring: Prakasha is the daughter of Kayoh and Cosith. Have fun figuring out how that happened.
- Starving Artist: Eiden, quite literally.
- Tears of Joy: When Eiden says that him and Dakini believe her when she says a Sky Golem attack on Karacuma is imminent and offer to help in any way they can, Prakasha is so happy hearing this that she cries.
- Time Skip: The manga starts two years after the events of Pandemonium Wizard Village.
- Title Drop: When Dakini battles the Silver Jaw, Eiden notes that, long before the invention of bug repellent, the people that fought the bugs were called Knights, and compares the way sunlight reflects off her sword when she strikes to flower petals and titles the fight 'Flower Knight Dakini'.
- Unlikely Spare: Eiden's glasses get broken in the third chapter when he walks face-first into a tree branch. After bemoaning that he just bought them a few days ago, he pulls out a case full of spare glasses.
- The Watson: Dakini's questions serve to expound upon the world, as in the previous mangas, the audience had only seen a few towns that were focused on.
- Wham Episode: Chapter 8. Not only is the truth about Eiden's mental block revealed, but Dakini's combat mode allows sections of Karacuma to be destroyed to focus on the fight with Karura, the Humanoid Golem, and another golem appears to taunt her.
- Chapter 9 as well. The Mirror Man drops the bomb that not only was he fond of Karacuma, but it wouldn't have been attacked if Dakini hadn't arrived. Despite clearing out the Golems, Eiden and Dakini are forced to flee town to avoid the wrath of the citizens. Crain also makes a reappearance and two Thunder Beasts saw the fight from afar, one of whom is fixated on stealing Dakini's sword to prove that she isn't a failure to her mother.
- Chapter 13: Kayoh thinks she might be more of a Thunder Beast than a Rare One, explaining her recent feats of strength, and possibly how the Utsurobune was able to activate for her. The Utsurobune was also activated by several parties in the past, with the most recent having been used thirteen days prior. Meanwhile for Eiden and Dakini's side, Crain and the Sparnin Brigade find them, only to pledge their allegiance to them and promise to protect them.
- Wham Line: In Chapter 7. Not so much what's being said, as what's saying it.Humanoid Golem/Karura: No one will escape.
- Wham Shot: At the end of Chapter 7, Eiden smiles when he sees that Dakini is leaping to action, however, the way he's smiling is the exact same way Crain did after he shot Molte.
- While fleeing from the fight with the red panda siblings in tow, Kayoh can still see what's happening, and simply affirms it when asked. Then in the last panel, there's a close-up shot of her eye, which has the same design as the Thunder Beasts' eyes.
