The start of this volume was the fight between Rudo and the Raider. We got a really nice flashback between Regto and Rudo. His parents gave up on him, so it is not surprising the mental state he was in. But him reacting to things being thrown out that still have purpose really resonates with his powers as a giver. As Gris goes down, he can give his lucky charm life. Much like Gris wanted everyone to come back home, this charm would protect everyone.
Honestly, this seems like an OP mechanic in the sense that if you can’t be touched, it would make it a one-sided fight. In which turn Jabber had a clever trick using his poison. He basically made himself unconscious so that the Lucky Charm wouldn’t recognize his threat. It makes sense that if your mind is numb, you can’t immediately tell whether the intent to kill is there or not.
In comes Zanka, who was taken down by Jabber. Where it is revealed those claws of his can really fuck you up. As Zanka is in a terrible state. However, a great defense can make a great offense. As Zanka’s Assistaff has a longer reach than Jabber’s claws, which allows the charm to defend against Zanka, which will cause him to hit Jabber. This strategy goes well, of course, except that his left claw is a pain tolerance of sorts. Which makes for an annoying trick.
Though Jabber tries to make his leave with Rudo, the other cleaners are here. There is mention of the Raider’s boss, and some relation to Rudo is interesting. Is he connected to the guy who killed Regto? Also, the fists that Rudo was wearing caught Jabber’s eyes. For now, Rudo meets the boss of the Cleaners, and Gris is alive. So Cleaner’s skills can even be used for healing, given the introduction of Eisha Stilza.
The boss gives a big information dump that is interesting. The border is a place that resides between the Sphere and where Rudo is currently. It is clear there is a way to the Sphere, but traveling between these two is impossible. It’s interesting that there is a woman who has seen people come and go. This is the first lead for Rudo and a good one.