"Seven Demon Swords Rule" is a Japanese light novel that will be adapted into an anime in July. The original work is a hit, selling over 700,000 copies, and the anime adaptation has garnered even more attention. This work centers around magic and is full of magical terminology. So, as background knowledge before watching the anime, we'd like to introduce some of the terminology that appears in the work! Reading this article will definitely deepen your understanding of the story's worldview!
About the "Wizards" in the Work
Wizards refer to people who use magic. Oliver and the other main characters are wizards. They are sometimes called "magicians," while those who cannot use magic are called "normal people" or "non-magicians." Children of wizarding parents become wizards, but even among normal parents, wizards can be born. They are stronger than normal humans, and as long as their brains and hearts are intact, they are unlikely to die.
Long Lifespans, But Risks
They live longer than normal humans. However, if they attempt to live longer than 200 years, due to the emotional magical laws established by God, they will be targeted by life harvesters on their 200th birthday. It is estimated that approximately 80% of people die before their 200th birthday. Even if they survive their 200th birthday, they cannot let their guard down. Every 50 years, they will be targeted by life harvesters, and their numbers will increase by one. In the story, the proportion of wizards in the human population is limited to a certain percentage, and they are not completely replaced by wizards. This is because normal people need to form part of society as individuals.
There's also the battle over "blood"
Passing on one's "blood" to future generations is considered a vital responsibility for wizards, and at the same time, incorporating superior blood into one's family is also highly valued. While talented wizards are likely to be targeted, wizards of distinguished lineages cannot easily let go of what their family has cultivated. They never sell their blood cheaply, and in some cases will even resort to repeated incest to prevent the leakage of blood. For this reason, it is extremely difficult to have children with wizards from distinguished families. For this reason, wizards like Nanao and Pete, who come from obscure families but possess exceptional abilities and talents, are easily approached by other wizards.
What does it mean to be "consumed by the devil"?
This is the fate of those who pursue the path of magic too far: their magic formulas go out of control and they become unable to recover, they are drawn into something they have summoned and go missing, or they go mad and attempt to commit murder and are killed. What all of these have in common is that, for some reason, they are "irreversibly corrupted by the devil." Being consumed by the devil is the greatest fear of all wizards. However, since it also proves one's closeness to the demon, some consider it a very honorable way to die. Dying for the sake of the demon is perhaps a fulfilling wish. There's a custom of those who are consumed by the demon visiting their final moments, known as "omukae."
About "Spells"
In the story, when dealing with magic, the words that serve as a bridge between the image of the wizard and magical phenomena are called "spells." The word "spell" also refers to the magic that is activated by those words. The longer the spell, the more powerful it is, and even a difference in length can make a world of difference in the effectiveness of the spell. However, the greater the power, the greater the physical strain it places on the body. First-year students, whose bodies are still immature, are unable to cast spells longer than two verses. It's generally accepted that they can only cast spells longer than two verses by the second half of their second year at the earliest.
Terminology Summary
This work is full of terminology, and this time I've introduced keywords related to "magic." I've written separate articles about the "magic sword" that gives the story its title, and the "Kimberly Magic School," the setting of the story, so please read those too! That's all for now. Thank you for reading.
