I was hoping with the transfer circle going haywire that Boxxo ended up in a never before seen Stratum but no, he got teleported to the Labyrinth Stratum (which we last saw in Season 1 Episode 9). Am I ever going to see the Dog Mountain Stratum? Hulemy assumes that Kerioyl messed with the transfer circle. I’m not sure how he could’ve done it but he’s most likely the culprit anyway, given his betrayal. The point of the matter is that no one can warp properly at the moment and Hulemy needs magic stones dropped from fiends to fix the Labyrinth’s transfer circle.
While grinding for magic stones, Boxxo and Director Bear stumble upon a peculiar girl named Kikoyu (Rie Takahashi) and her animal companions, Botan and Kuroyata. The two help the group fight some fiends. Kikoyu explains that she has the ability to control cold air, conceal her presence, and read other people’s thoughts via physical contact. The last ability actually extends to Boxxo, meaning Kikoyu can hold a conversation with him without the vending machine’s pre-installed phrases and imperfect speech. I fully expect Lammis to get a little jealous of this in the future.
Kikoyu is also in possession of a magic ball of dirt. This can grow crops at an incredibly fast rate and absorb dead fiends, converting their energy into nutrients. Kikoyu explains that the dirt belongs to an old friend of hers, a sentient field called…Field. I don’t know what’s funnier. The silly concept behind this character or that its name is just as “inspired” as Director Bear’s. As ridiculous as Field sounds, the character actually establishes an important bit of worldbuilding: the existence of another sentient magical item. Considering that Boxxo reincarnated from our world, it’s likely the same happened for Field. Right now, Field has pulled a Kars and stopped thinking. He’s currently situated somewhere in the Demon Lord’s domain so it’ll probably be a while before Jihanki formally introduces the viewer to this character. I’d love to know what a conversation between a vending machine and a field of dirt will pan out but it’s possible the show might not get to it by the end of Season 2.
At nightfall, Director Bear tells Boxxo that he believes Kikoyu is a yuki-onna or Snow Child as the show puts it. It’s plausible given Kikoyu’s abilities and her character design certainly gives the impression. Apparently, when a Snow Child is beheaded upon reaching adulthood, their head will afflict curses but, more importantly, the rest of their body will become an ice statue that can cure curses. Because of the latter ability, Director Bear and Boxxo worry that the Menagerie of Fools will target Kikoyu, should he find about her. The lore surrounding Kikoyu is unusually dark for Jihanki but it does add a stake to the current conflict and you can buy the Menagerie would consider killing a child to save their ailing family member.
The group meets up with Hulemy to find a lava fiend that’ll drop a high quality magic stone. Perhaps the most charming moment in the episode overall comes when Boxxo and Kikoyu gets competitive over serving food to everyone. That’s traditionally Boxxo’s lane but Kikoyu is just as adamant and she does manage to one-up him during breakfast via the power of prep time. Seeing Boxxo finally meets his match for a change is both amusing and refreshing. Eventually, the team corners a lava fiend and Boxxo uses his inventory and barrier in conjunction with the Botan’s agility and Kuroyata’s flight. It’s a really silly fight, even for Jihanki, but I enjoyed it.
After the fight, Lammis arrives from Clearflow Lake and I do mean that literally as she crashes through the dungeon floors after using some of Hulemy’s magic items. As everyone points out, it’s a very reckless plan but it’s understandable that Lammis would take the risk. She’s not one to sit and wait and for the story’s sake, the show would want to reunite her with Boxxo ASAP.
Watch Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon on Crunchyroll
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