The world is filled with supernatural objects that house distortions of the world, called “vanits.” Shin Karamori wields one such artifact―an azure sword that granted his wish to live and gave him incredible combat abilities yet curses all those around him. Karamori throws himself body and soul into fighting bloody battles involving vanits, accompanied by an artificial young girl named Archive, whose fate is dictated by a certain book. Karamori fights to save an important figure from his past, and he'll do anything to make it happen, even if that means Archive loses her life. When the tragic pair meet a high-school girl, the wheels of fate rapidly start to spin. But is the future awaiting them one of annihilation…or something else?

The Azure Sword, Slayer of Distortions has a story by Takana Nanishi and illustration by NOCO. English translation is done by Luke Hutton. Published by Yen On (April 14, 2026).

Erica Friedman
Rating:

There are several factors that go into making a really strong story – a solid plot, good characters and writing that holds up to both story and character. The Azure Sword, Slayer of Distortions series has a very strong premise and sympathetic characters.

The premise that there are things in our world that are just wrong, and that they cause problems merely by existing, is good. Characters, whose lives have all been affected by these “distortions” are sympathetic, if not exactly relatable. Sadly, for the front end of this book, the writing feels amateurish. Key factors are hinted at, then hinted again, with more detail, then just explained, as if the author could not trust us to understand their intent.

Characters are not entirely cardboard cut-outs, although they do tend towards “types.” You may not know this specific boy with a cursed sword, but he's not that much different than others of his type. This holds true for the villains and Karamori's allies as well. In some cases you already know how they will look for any animated adaptations this series gets.

That said, once every player is on the board, the story picks up much-needed speed. Fight scenes are predictable, but fast-paced enough that even the inevitable betrayal moves quickly. The climax was more intelligent than expected, which allowed the story to have a pleasantly schmaltzy denouement. Folks who enjoy the magical chaos of the Fate series will probably enjoy this good guy with a cursed sword and the girls he saves story.