Cleaners (Chapter 35)
Chilchuck figures out a path that can lead his friends out of the Fifth Level and back to the main dungeon system. And with the help of some cleaner critters, the Touden Party find their way out. But as they get out, they're taken by surprise by the Shuro-Kabru Alliance.
Dried with Sweet Sake (Chapters 36)
Laios and his party are reunited with Shuro whom he explains about his recent adventures and Falin's whereabouts while Kabru listens on. But after Shuro collapses from exhaustion, the rest of the party members rally together to make a banquet.
"Cleaners" contains the following tropes:
Stone-baked cockatrice and egg ankake
- Art Shift: Maizuru's ushi-oni is drawn with thicker, off-black lines, indicating that it is created via her paper spells.
- All Webbed Up: This ends up happening to Laios after Maizuru summons a spider demon to trap him.
- Bait-and-Switch: At first Marcille notices something strange about the familiar street and Chilchuck worries that she found the blood trail leading to Falin. But to his and everyone's surprise, the trail is gone and the group turns their attention to a hole in the wall.
- Breather Episode: Both parts take a break from any monster attacks.
- Continuity Nod:
- Marcille brings up her frog costume in preparation for going up the vine-infested staircase.
- Senshi uses a variety of ingredients from previous adventures for the meal of the day.
- Entertainingly Wrong: Laios assumes that the brick bowl for the meal is "edible" since it was from the freshly repaired wall by the dungeon cleaners. He soon learns the hard way, with just one bite that, it's not; or at least not as tasty as he thought.
- I See Dead People: Laios mentions that while experiencing mana sickness, he's been seeing ghosts which he brushed off as hallucinations.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: After reaching the stairs leading to another level, Senshi and Laios decide that it's time for that thing. Aka the meal of the day!
- Now You Tell Me: Marcille is expecting to go through tentacle vines again. Laios only points out that there shouldn't be any vines in the stairs they reached after she goes through the effort of putting the frog costume back on.
- Self-Healing Phlebotinum: Cleaners are a tiny slug-like species that are made to restore a dungeon system whenever it's damaged. They help repair and construct any walls or floors and can even consume debris or carcasses that have been left to rot.
- This Is Gonna Suck: Chilchuck initially worries that Marcille and Laios will try to rush to find Falin after they find the bloody mess on the street mixed with the single blood trail that could lead them to Falin. To his relief, the dungeon cleaners removed evidence of that along with all the other changes to the dungeon.
"Dried with Sweet Sake" contains the following tropes:
An Eastern dish: mirinboshi, riceballs, tsukemomo, miso soup
- Art Shift: Played for Laughs: While discussing the possibility of Shuro marrying Falin, he and his ancestors are displayed in paintings reminiscent of traditional Japanese art. Then it shows a hypothetical son of Shuro and Falin, rendered in a more detailed Western style. Benichidori then asks why the art style changed so much.
- Cliffhanger: After Laios confesses to using black magic to save Falin, Shuro takes out his sword in anger while Kabru looks on in intrigue. As this happens, Falin can be seen on another part of the Fifth Level in a new monster form, ready to find King Delgal.
- Culture Clash: Shuro's Eastern Amazon Brigade are confused and concerned when they see Laios interact with Shuro so casually while referring to him via nickname instead of his proper name
- Dissonant Serenity: Despite being initially shocked by Laios' confession, Kabru internally expresses eagerness in seeing how the conflict between Laios and Shuro will play out like a telenovela.
- Heart Felt Apology: Shuro gives on to Laios for abandoning the group but repented when he realized that Falin didn't show up.
- Hey, You!: Maizuru refers to the other party members by their race or what they're wearing.
- Hunger Causes Lethargy: Due to his lack of food and his single-minded effort to look for Falin without rest, Shuro passes out from exhaustion and starvation, prompting his retainers to make him a meal.
- Ignored Enamored Underling: Maizuru adores Shuro, treating him much like a mother would her son.
- Imagine Spot: Chilchuck worries that Laios and Senshi will creep out Shuro and Maizuru respectively with their love of monster cuisine. He decides to keep an eye on Senshi in case Maizuru attempts to kill him.
- Internal Reveal:
- Kabru deduces that Laios didn't rob them of their treasure out of malicious intent.
- Marcille declares to the other adventurers that she and her party slew the Red Dragon.
- Laios would then elaborate how they encountered the Mad Mage while losing Falin.
- Irony: Fearful that his friends could spark a conflict with their love of monster eating, Chilchuck goes with Senshi to keep an eye on him as he interacts with Maizuru. Unfortunately, they get along really well and the true conflict is sparked from Laios conversing with Shuro.
- Let's Split Up, Gang!: Maizuru splits the combined adventurer party into three groups: Marcille, Rin, and Holm set up a magic barrier, Laios, Kabru, and Asebi take care of Shuro, and the rest help prepare a feast.
- Mirthless Laughter: Laios does this while sheepishly confessing to Kabru and Shuro that he and his friends have been eating monsters.
- Mood Whiplash: Both parts are essentially a Breather Episode with no monsters to fight. Then Laios tells Shuro what happens to Falin, and the tone quickly gets serious and somber.
- Relative Error: Chilchuck calls Shuro a "depraved" man after seeing his party being made of strong lady warriors. Shuro clarifies that they're actually his family members.
- Squick: In-Universe. Shuro is genuinely grossed out over Laios eating monsters.
- Stepford Smiler: Kabru keeps up a friendly face while showing "interest" in Laios consuming dungeon monsters. Deep down, he's genuinely concerned about it.
- Through His Stomach: Discussed. Senshi deduces that Maizuru puts so much effort into the meals she makes for her ward because she genuinely loves him and wants to show his appreciation for him.
- Wham Shot: Falin appears in the final scene of the episode in her new monster form.
- What the Hell, Hero?: After hearing that Laios and his friends used black magic to resurrect Falin, Shuro tries to strangle him while angrily bringing up how those who practice such an act, including Falin, can be arrested and locked away until they die.
