A manga by Oishi Romy and Meshe

It appears after all my hype and hat-tipping to my man, Shuhei, was in vain as he really did not stand a chance in a one-on-one battle with a monster hellbent on killing him. At the beginning of the chapter, it’s all up to the heroine of our story, Ryoka, to once again carry all the weight. For those unaware of what I’m talking about, this is the fifth chapter of a small horror manga I’ve been enjoying called Lockdown Zone Level X by Oishi Romy and Meshe. The story so far involves Ryoka, a young school-aged girl, being stuck in a “Groundhog Day Loop” where a terrible creature called “X” (pronounced “Sai”) is out to kill her. “X” has changed from a huge Lovecraftian monster to a creature similar to “The Licker” from the Resident Evil franchise and is out for blood. Ryoka is the only person that seems to understand that she is in a loop, causing great distress.

“While Shuhei faces off against Sai, Ryoka makes her way to the top floor of her apartment building. The trek is tumultuous but potentially worth all the heartache and pain as she discovers what may be a massive clue behind Sai’s origins.”

We are greeted to a fairly foreboding item in this chapter, something that both adds more mystery to the situation and foreshadows the future. Ryoka is actually able to make it to the roof, seemingly defeating “X” in an incredibly lucky way. Upon arrival, floor 40 is a barren wasteland, the remnants of a story that almost appear to have survived a bomb detonation or something. On the ground a crudely drawn notebook can be seen that shows pictures of “X” in his first and second forms, as well as a third form marked “Hansel and Gretel”. My guess is that level two is now complete and that a duo of terrible creatures await our heroes on the next go-round. The question now is, are there more people in this “world” dealing with “X”, even potential allies she can align with? I’m sure we are soon to find out.

Another solid chapter in this comic, I definitely can’t wait to see what “Hansel and Gretel” is all about. This chapter is predominantly an action scene with Ryoka, so there aren’t too many plot bits to speak of. I’m sure the next chapter will be interesting, considering the changing landscape once a “level” is complete. I wonder what will happen next?