Almost halfway there for the Rance IX Main Heroine articles and this time is another old time Main Heroine of Rance series, Masou Shizuka! For some reason Shizuka is the most popular Rance Girl in Japanese Fanbase constantly scoring top positions throughout Rance series. In Rance IX, we got to see Shizuka personal conflict resolved but her love story with Rance is still far from finished in this one. In this route we got to see the cooler side of Rance once again befitting his status as the legendary adventurer.
Masou Shizuka is one of the oldest recurring Rance Series main heroine going far back from Rance 2. Gifted with Magic Lv 2 skill and over 60 Level Cap, Shizuka is a very talented mage and had the potential to be the strongest in her generation but she have tragic past as she was orphaned in her early life after her Father killed by unknown assailant and her mother disappeared shortly after.
Shizuka's first encounter with Rance is during Four Witches of Custom Crisis where she kidnapped young girls to gather magical energy to fuel her Magic Ritual in order to travel back in time and saved her parents. However Rance managed to foil her plan and violated her in the process which makes Shizuka's impression toward the Brutal Warrior rather negative. However it was during Rance 3 is when Shizuka starts to hate Rance for real as the latter trampled her dignity quite badly during the Leazas Liberation. Regardless of her hate toward Rance, Shizuka for some reason always got strung along with the Rance's adventure mainly due to her best friend Maria whom had severe crush on the Brutal Warrior.
Then during her adventure in Magic Nation Zeth in Rance VI, Shizuka managed to find her father's killer, Chenezale Do Ragarl and with the help of Rance, she managed to exact her vengeance though not directly by her hand. In the process Shizuka also found out that she had a half sister, Nagi Su Ragarl who was one of Zeth's four lords at the time. Unlike Ragarl, Shizuka doesn't have any animosity toward Nagi and instead concerned for her as Nagi is her only remaining relative, however the latter doesn't share the same sentiment. Raised motherless and trained harshly by her insane father to defeat Shizuka, Nagi is obsessed to kill her half sister and hell bent on Revenge after her father died.
Prior to Rance IX, Nagi had tried to kill Shizuka multiple times and looks more grotesque each time as she mutate herself with Monster Body Parts in order to gain more power for the sake of revenge. By the time of Helman Revolution, Nagi's sanity barely left and does not have much time left with the heavy amount of Monster mutation,. Shizuka still caring for her half-sister, tried to save Nagi in her own way.
In the beginning Rance IX, Rance met Shizuka in Helman Border travelling with Maria as Nagi started to attack people related to Shizuka in order to bring despair to her half sister. Rance easily persuade both of them to join his new adventure in Helman. For most of duration, Shizuka still acts cold toward Rance as she is mostly preoccupied to find means to save Nagi. Rance himself make a bet with Shizuka that the latter will fall for him by the end of their Helman adventure and in his own way also try to make Nagi reconcile with Shizuka.
In Rance IX Shizuka Route prior to the Final Operation of Helman Revolution, Rance got kidnapped by Nagi for a second time to lure Shizuka. During this encounter Shizuka initially tried to let Nagi kill her but Rance shielded Shizuka from the magic attack and got badly hurt. Not wanting to risk Rance dying, Shizuka decided to fight back and cast Fire Blast on Nagi.
Taken the direct hit from the attack, Nagi's body is on the verge of crumbling with the monster mutations put a heavy toll on her body. On her dying breath, Nagi wonder why she had a terrible life and keep blaming Shizuka for her Misery. With her half sister life almost fading away, Shizuka took a risk and cast a powerful spell to save her sister's life using half of her body as the cost. At the cost of both sisters reverted back to a body of 10 years old kid, Nagi's life is saved giving Shizuka a second chance to redo their relationships and this time as a loving siblings.While Shizuka retained her personality intact, Nagi appears to lose the memory of her past life.
Nagi given a second chance to live turns to a rather energetic kid with shark teeth similar to Rance. In her child form, she loses all of her hatred toward Shizuka and in fact deeply cares her much to the delight of her elder half-sister. For some reason Nagi also very attached toward Rance constantly seeking attention from him and even willing to become the Brutal Warrior's lover once she grows up. While Rance is rather baffled with this kind of development of his relationship with Shizuka, he still treated Nagi quite well just like her Daughter Reset Kalar.
Prior to the final assault of the Langbau Castle, Rance is informed by Patton that Helman Royal Treasury possess a magic item called Banjo Rope that is capable of reverting Shizuka's body back to normal which greatly motivate Rance to conclude the fight quickly. Before the sortie, Rance ask the sisters what are they going to do after their adventure in Helman is over, Shizuka said that they will return to their hometown and Nagi ask Rance to join along with them but Rance made a counter offer and invited both sisters to live with him in Rance Castle instead.
During the Skirmish inside the Lang Bau Castle, Nagi got herself separated from Rance's party in the heat of battle and Shizuka got kidnapped by one of the Helman Knight in her attempt to save Nagi. Feeling guilty, Nagi went panicked, rushing to chase after the kidnappers to save Shizuka but Rance managed to calm down Nagi assuring that they will save Shizuka in the end. This is one of the few moment where Rance clearly shows his cool-headed confidence which had let him overcome many deadly situations in his previous adventure.
In Shizuka's route final showdown with Minerva Margaret, the Helman 3rd army general proceeds her team killing as usual and during her encounter with Rance, she used Shizuka as hostage to prevent the party to dispel the magic barrier surrounding the Langbau Castle and coerce Rance to give up his weapon to her. Shizuka tried to dissuade Rance from doing what she sees a certain death for him.But Rance exclaimed that he will do anything to save her woman which amuses Minerva wondering that a warrior like Rance had such pedophilic taste but the latter retorted that Shizuka is a very beautiful girl in her grown up form which make Shizuka blushes.
When Minerva lets her guard down, Nagi popped out from Rance's cape and shot a powerful magic at her making Shizuka break free from the Helman's general clutch. Rance proceed to fight a duel with Minerva and came out on top with both Nagi and Shizuka helped to foil Minerva's attempt to use Kalar Crystal. Shortly after the final siege, Rance is getting prepared to obtain Banjo Rope to restore Shizuka's body which the latter certainly doesn't look forward to.
For Rance IX Shizuka Route there are two different endings depending whether Rance make it in time to get the Banjo Rope. If Rance fails, shortly after the revolution Rance accompanied Shizuka and Nagi playing on a field grumbling with himself. Shizuka said Nagi is free to do with her wish in her second life and Nagi wished that both of them could love the same person. Nagi apparently regained her memory partially and remembered the cruel acts that she commited toward Shizuka, lamented that her Father had been the biggest source of negative influence of her life. However Nagi is very grateful that she is given a second opportunity to have a normal sibling relationship with Shizuka.
If Rance managed to get the Banjo Rope in time, reverting back to their Adult form both Nagi and Shizuka took Rance's offer to live in Rance Castle where they lived happily. During a particular moment where the sisters had a tea time, Nagi keep pestering Shizuka whether she love Rance and declared that herself love Rance wishing her sister love the same person. However before Shizuka managed to spill the beans, Rance barged in naked and soon shot with magic by both sisters leaving the question unanswered.
Overall i am not too particularly fond of Shizuka as she is way too prideful to accept her feelings toward Rance despite surviving many perils together in many adventures. But in Rance IX she still do show some care toward the Brutal Warrior and no doubt her H-scene is one of the best among Rance IX main heroines. Nevertheless i am still looking forward to Shizuka's Romance conclusion in Rance X and hopefully it will worth the journey.
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