Check this book on Amazon — Volume 4
Introduction
Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash isn’t your typical fantasy story. It’s not about heroes who always win or magic that solves everything. It’s about survival, pain, and the weight of responsibility. If you’ve been following along, you know that Volume 3 ended with a gut-wrenching moment—the death of Mogazo, a key member of the squad. Now, in Volume 4, we see how the team deals with his loss.
This isn’t just about fighting monsters anymore. It’s about fighting the monsters inside—the guilt, the grief, and the fear that maybe they aren’t cut out for this life. Each character is struggling to move forward, but it’s not easy when you’re carrying that much emotional baggage.
Dealing with Grief and Guilt
Grief is a tricky thing. It doesn’t hit everyone the same way. After Mogazo’s death, each member of the squad deals with it in their own way—and none of them are healthy.
- Haru is stuck in a loop of guilt. He voted to take on the mission that got Mogazo killed, and now he can’t shake the feeling that he’s responsible.
- Yume? She can barely get out of bed. Her usual energy is gone, replaced by a heavy sadness that seems impossible to shake.
- Ron tries to drown his feelings in food, eating at the restaurant where he and Mogazo used to hang out. But no amount of food can fill the hole left by his friend.
- Sheho is numb. She doesn’t feel anything anymore—not anger, not sadness—just emptiness.
And then there’s Mary. Mary could have saved Mogazo if she had just remembered to recast her protection spell. That thought haunts her every day. To cope, she drinks herself into oblivion, hoping to forget—but guilt is a stubborn thing.
This chapter is all about how we deal with loss—or more accurately, how we don’t deal with it. Everyone in the squad is stuck in their own heads, unable to move forward because they’re too busy looking back.
New Encounters and Opportunities
Even in the darkest moments, life moves on—and sometimes it throws you a lifeline when you least expect it.
For Mary, that lifeline comes in the form of Kuzaku, a tall, quiet boy who saves her from an assault one night when she’s too drunk to defend herself. He’s not just some random guy though—he has his own story, one that will intertwine with theirs soon enough.
Meanwhile, Yume and Sheho meet Kaijo, the leader of an all-female clan called Wild Angels. Kaijo invites them to join her group—a tempting offer for two girls who are feeling lost and disconnected from their current squad.
And then there’s Ron, who runs into Renji, another strong fighter who offers him a spot in his party. Renji sees potential in Ron and thinks he could be a valuable addition to his team.
But perhaps the most intriguing encounter happens between Haru and Kuzaku (who we now know as “Mr. Tall”). Kuzaku was part of Choco’s party—the one that didn’t make it—and now he wants to join Haru’s squad as their new tank. Haru knows they need a tank desperately, but he can’t shake the feeling that Kuzaku might be bad luck.
These moments remind us that even when things seem hopeless, new opportunities can appear out of nowhere—if you’re willing to take them.
Rebuilding the Squad
After all these encounters and offers, there’s a moment where everything could fall apart. The squad could split up—Yume and Sheho could join Wild Angels; Ron could go off with Renji; Haru could turn down Kuzaku’s offer—but they don’t.
Instead, they decide to stick together and give Kuzaku a chance. It’s not easy though—trust doesn’t come quickly after what they’ve been through.
Their next mission takes them to a place called Wonder Hole, which sounds more magical than it really is. It’s filled with dangerous creatures like giant chickens (yes, chickens), short trolls, monkeys, and strange childlike monsters with jet-black skin.
The squad struggles here—badly. They’re overwhelmed by sheer numbers and forced to retreat before they’re completely wiped out. It’s clear they’re not ready for this level of danger yet—but at least they’re still alive.
This part of the story is about rebuilding—not just physically but emotionally too. The squad has been broken by Mogazo’s death, but now they’re trying to put themselves back together piece by piece.
Meeting the Daybreakers
Just when things seem bleakest for our heroes, help arrives in the form of Soma and his elite group known as The Daybreakers.
Soma isn’t just any volunteer soldier—he’s legendary—and his team is equally impressive: a paladin, a shaman, a sword dancer… even a necromancer with his own golem! They swoop in during one of the squad’s battles (which was going horribly wrong) and save them from certain doom.
Soma offers them something unexpected: an invitation to join The Daybreakers on their mission to invade the land of the undead—a task far beyond anything Haru’s team has faced so far.
He also gives them a relic—a black stone that acts like a one-way radio—and some advice: don’t go too deep into Wonder Hole until you can handle an Astral (a terrifying creature they’ll meet soon enough).
This encounter shows us what real power looks like—and gives our heroes something new to aspire towards.
Training and Growing Stronger
After meeting Soma and his crew, it becomes clear that Haru’s squad needs serious training if they’re going to survive in Wonder Hole—or anywhere else for that matter.
They spend days fighting giant ants (which sounds ridiculous but trust me—it’s intense). Slowly but surely though—they start getting better as a team… except for Kuzaku.
Kuzaku struggles at first—he can barely hold his own in battle let alone protect anyone else—and Ron isn’t shy about pointing this out loudly at dinner one night (brutal honesty seems to be Ron’s thing).
But something changes after Kuzaku has a private conversation with Mary—he comes back stronger than ever before—fighting two enemies at once without hesitation or fear!
This section reminds us that growth takes time…
