ブレイド＆バスタード
Our take
Elite dungeon explorers face a demon lord, then a whole army of them.
- Escalating stakes
- Elite cast
- Dark tone
The setup
A party of top-tier adventurers senses something has shifted since a particular newcomer arrived in their ranks. That change becomes terrifyingly literal when a greater demon, a being that should never appear on this level, materializes before them.
Why read it
- Escalating stakes One grueling victory only opens the door to a larger demonic force arriving next.
- Elite cast The story follows a top-rank adventuring party rather than untested beginners facing danger.
- Dark tone Exhaustion and blood mark every fight, giving the violence real physical weight.
For fans of
This dark fantasy comic follows a group of elite adventurers who operate at the very front line of a dangerous dungeon. They are not newcomers finding their footing; they are seasoned explorers who have survived long enough to sense when something larger is changing around them, a feeling that has been building since a particular figure joined their ranks.
That sense of unease becomes concrete when a greater demon, a being that has no business appearing at this level of the dungeon, suddenly manifests in front of them. What follows is a brutal confrontation in which the party throws everything it has into surviving, emerging from the fight only after exhausting nearly all of their strength.
Just as they manage to claim a narrow victory, worn down and spent, they discover that the threat is far from over. Instead of relief, they are confronted with the arrival of still more greater demons, a wave that threatens to undo whatever ground they just fought to hold. The structure of escalating danger, where each hard-won win only reveals a bigger problem waiting behind it, gives the story a relentless, grinding tension.
Readers drawn to grim, high-stakes fantasy will find a lot to like here: competent characters pushed to their absolute limits, enemies that outclass them on paper, and a sense that survival is never guaranteed even for the strongest adventurers around. The emphasis on exhaustion and sacrifice after combat, rather than easy triumph, keeps the tone heavy and the danger feeling real.
For anyone who enjoys dungeon-crawling fantasy with a harder edge, where victories come at a cost and the next threat is already approaching before the last one is fully resolved, this entry continues that same unforgiving rhythm. It is a story built on pressure and endurance as much as on strength.
15 volumes in print / Volume 1 to the latest
Oct 20, 2026ブレイド＆バスタード9
Official synopsis
The All-Stars, top-tier adventurers standing on the front lines of labyrinth exploration, have sensed a 'great flow' ever since Iarumas brought Garbage with him. Suddenly appearing before them is an entity that should not exist on this floor: a Greater Demon, a demon god lurking in the abyss of the demon world. The All-Stars party exerts all their strength and narrowly achieves victory against the overwhelming onslaught of the demon god. However, as they lie exhausted from the death battle, an even greater army of Greater Demons swarms them... The ninth volume of this blood-and-ash-stained dark fantasy manga adaptation!
Mar 10, 2026ブレイド＆バスタード6 -冒険者達の凱歌-
Official synopsis
Although they defeated the jester demon, Iarumas and the others were forced to return to the surface. At the same time, a mysterious strange beast that parasitizes adventurers appeared within the 'dungeon,' causing a critical situation where even veteran adventurers, including the All-Stars, were either wiped out or went missing. As one of the few high-ranking adventurers remaining on the surface, Iarumas is entrusted with turning the situation around and, having prepared thoroughly, takes on the adventure once more. 'Then, let us go and verify it! Your worth, all the way to the depths of the underground dungeon!' Their goal is the deepest part of the dungeon, which is likely the origin of the strange beast. What fate awaits Iarumas's party in this uncharted territory!? The sixth volume of the dark fantasy!
Mar 10, 2026ブレイド＆バスタード8
Official synopsis
While journeying through the 'dungeon' with Iarumas and the others, Lalaja is constantly pursuing the corpse of a girl from Rea. Standing in his way is Gertz, the boss of his former clan. The offer he makes to Lalaja is that if Lalaja brings back the treasure from the second basement floor of the dungeon alone, he will reveal the whereabouts of the Rea girl's corpse. What will be the fate of Lalaja, who must throw himself into the 'dungeon' where the scent of death lingers all alone... And what is the true meaning behind the twisted smile of the man who knows the whereabouts of the corpse...? The eighth volume of the blood and ash-covered dark fantasy comic adaptation!
Dec 22, 2023ブレイド＆バスタード2
Official synopsis
Lalaja, a thief whose comrades were wiped out and who was expelled from his clan, is manipulated by a mysterious man he met at a tavern, forcing him to get Iarumas and Leftovers (Garvey) involved and teleport into the depths of the dungeon... The impromptu party begins to explore the unexplored areas of the dungeon, but what awaited them was a giant gas dragon and a swarm of dragonflies! Though Lalaja was daunted by a powerful enemy unlike any they had encountered, Iarumas strikes the dragon's massive body with 'lightning' bearing the name of a god!!! The second volume of the blood and ash-covered dark fantasy comic adaptation!
Dec 8, 2023ブレイド＆バスタード3 -金剛石の騎士の帰還-
Official synopsis
'You're looking for Rea's daughter, right?' While continuing to adventure with Iarumas and the others, Lalaja had been searching for the corpse of a girl from Rea, an old acquaintance. Before him appear members of the clan he once belonged to. In order to get the leads they have, Lalaja agrees to their terms and begins to dive into the dungeon alone. Meanwhile, Garvey, who lost her beloved dachi in battle and was looking for a new weapon, has a fateful encounter waiting for her. 'Is it... you?' An ancient legend is revived in the conspiracy-swirling dungeon in this third volume of the dark fantasy!
Oct 25, 2023ブレイド＆バスタード1
Official synopsis
Iarumas, a man who was discovered as a corpse in the depths of a dungeon no one had ever set foot in and who lost his memories despite being resurrected. He would dive into the dungeon alone, spending his days recovering the corpses of adventurers in order to learn about his own 'life before death.' His ash-covered daily life begins to shift with his encounter with a girl swordsman called Leftovers—! Includes a short story written by the original author, Kumo Kagyu!!
Jun 9, 2023ブレイド＆バスタード2 -鉄骨の試練場、赤き死の竜-
Official synopsis
'I want to defeat... that red dragon.' The large girl that Iarumas and his group recovered as a corpse in the dungeon called herself Belcanan. A fledgling mage, she had encountered a fire dragon, which shouldn't have been on the shallow floors, and her entire party was wiped out. While even veterans hesitated to explore, wary of the red death threat wandering the dungeon, the girl tried to look forward— 'In nine cases out of ten, those kids will die if they challenge the dragon.' 'Adventure is like that. It has to be.' Garvey and Lalaja take on the trial. And Iarumas guides them. Flames scorch the iron-boned dungeon in this second volume of the dark fantasy!
Dec 9, 2022ブレイド＆バスタード -灰は暖かく、迷宮は仄暗い-
Official synopsis
In the depths of a 'Dungeon' where no one has ever stepped foot, the corpse of an adventurer that should not be there is discovered. Iarumas, a man who lost his memories after being resurrected, spends his days diving into the 'Dungeon' alone to recover the corpses of adventurers. While other adventurers scorn his attitude of demanding payment regardless of whether the 'Resurrection' succeeds or fails and he turns to ash, they hold him in a certain regard. His ash-covered daily life begins to shift upon his encounter with a girl swordsman named 'Garbage,' the sole survivor of a destroyed party! A dark fantasy presented by Kumo Kagyu and so-bin arrives!!