One of the reasons Leonhart and Sariphi bonded was that they were alone. Leonhart had to hide his human side, and Sariphi saw no point being close to anyone since she was going to die. But it turns out that Sariphi did have a friend who visited once a year or so. Now, he’s out for revenge for Sariphi’s death…except, of course, she’s alive.
Leonhart shows mercy for Sariphi’s sake, but Ilya’s presence ends up making both the king and his queen uncomfortable. Leonhart, of course, suspects Ilya has feelings for Sariphi, and he begins to have doubts whether his beloved should — or even wants to — stay in beast country. Meanwhile, although Sariphi is happy to see her only ally, she can’t help but notice his still-boiling anger.
I didn’t think I’d like this arc at all. (Which, thankfully, is introduced and wrapped up in the same volume.) Sariphi made references like she was always alone, and suddenly having a dear friend seemed like a forced plot device. I guess them meeting for only a few days every year or two is a way around that. Still slightly shoehorned in though. His feelings being so strong despite this is no further stretch of the imagination than all those characters who hold on to a childhood promise to someone they met once.
I give this whole situation credit for the fact Sariphi recognizes that there’s no way that Ilya will suddenly turn over a new leaf. His family was attacked by beasts (and the manga shows some of the horror), and the fact that the girl he likes was also taken is seen as more proof beasts are monsters. But neither Sariphi’s words nor the actions of the beasts in the castle penetrate his rage.
But despite all the attention on this newfound love triangle, for me, the supporting cast is still what draws me in. Although he’s less of a factor here than in the previous volumes, Anubis still has his hopes pinned on his king giving up the crazy idea of marrying a human. Meanwhile, Cy and Clops are adorable as they decide whether they’d rather face the scary guy who kicked him or the scary beast who lets them live there. My favorite though is Amit, and I like how even in her most important scene here, she’s very much herself. Amit is still scared to talk the king, but her friendship with Sariphi is enough for her to force the words out of her trembling body. For me, that has more impact than if she had suddenly made a bold proclamation.
I still love how Tomofuji draws beastkind, but it’s Ilya’s near-mad state that is most memorable. Lots of shots of his face where only his eyes are exposed, and as he descends further into darkness, so does his face. The cover didn’t impress me since Ilya’s eyes look too far off to the side. (Leonhart’s apparent anger also doesn’t fit the actual story.)
All in all, this is probably the best volume of Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts so far, as the story switches from Sariphi not being beast-enough to be queen to a human who is acting too much like one. The Ilya arc could have been something the author ran with for quite a while, so I’m glad Tomofuji avoided the temptation. It makes the whole dark love triangle and human vs beast realm struggles more enjoyable than I expected.