Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World

It's usually the case that manga and anime are part of a multimedia project, designed to drive sales to the original material. In this case, a light novel, and I have to admire the balls it takes to deliberately blueball readers in the middle of the volume being adapted to drive them to pick up the source material. Even so, it's a fun ride while it lasts, and with the light novels all out in English, it's not like it's impossible to find out how the story continues. In a world that has ravaged by a war between the Land of Witches and the Empire forthe last hundred years, there are those who dream of peace. In that world, Iska, the youngest Sacred Apostle in the history of the Empire, has been sentenced to life imprisonment. His crime? He released a little girl who happens to be a weak witch from an Imperial prison. Of course, we're not staying in jail, but the terms of parole are harsh: defeat and capture the pureblood Witch of Frozen Calamty, one of the most powerful enemies the Empire has ever faced. Of course, the only way out of jail being a suicide mission just means we may have to question if we are indeed the baddies. In any case, Iska battles Aliceliese Lou Nebulis IX, the Witch of Frozen Calamity, to a draw, until in a single fateful moment, he sees her face. Rather than a battle to the death, everything changes. Iska and Alice are fun deuteragonists. They both have dynamic personalities that express themselves in different ways, charming the reader by their differences and similarities. Both have been active participants on the battlefield since they were young children, either as victims or fights, but these experiences have not scarred them. They still retain some of the optimism and spirit they should have as youths. The resilience of that youth means that they both become more curious about each other and the boundary between friend and enemy starts blurring. Of course, they don't exist in a vacuum: given their extremely high ranks in their respective nations, they are pawns in various schemes and counter-schemes that test the bond they are slowly forming. The art is distinct, unique even, unmistakable for anything else. Character expressions are delightful, easily communicating their emotions in the moment. The battles are beautifully drawn, exciting and tense, with the excitement leaping off the page each time there's a significant brawl. In general, the story works quite well, with sufficient twists to keep things interesting and engaging. Frankly, I'm surprised this is reviewed so poorly, though I can understand the frustration people would feel at the cliffhanger ending, since it was rare for light novels to get translated at the time this was scanlated. It's obviously not perfect, but it's a very fun ride while it lasts, and it does an excellent job of expressing the reasons why readers should get the light novel. Even without the light novel to be continued aspect, it's worth reading if only for the chance to see the interesting things it does with its setting.