I’m combining The Empty Box and Zeroth Maria Volume 3 and 4 into one review since they go together closely. The story picks up right after Volume 2, continuing the momentum without missing a beat.
In Volume 3, I actually enjoyed seeing some slice-of-life moments and the characters going out to have fun, instead of jumping straight into another dark and gloomy mystery. The mystery this time is definitely less heavy than the last one, which made for a refreshing change of pace.
The core of the mystery is basically a game of “Werewolf” (or Mafia), where each character takes on a different role with unique abilities and win conditions. It was interesting to see how their motivations clashed and how the darker sides of each character came to light during the game. Volume 3 mostly sets things up for Volume 4, which builds toward a major showdown between the box’s owner (no spoilers) and Kazuki.
One part I found a bit odd — or at least unclear for now — is the backstory about Kazuki’s first love. I’m not sure how that will tie into the overall story yet, but I’m curious to see if it becomes more important in the later volumes. Also, Maria doesn’t feel as present in these volumes compared to the previous ones.
Volume 4 wraps up the “Werewolf” game arc nicely and sets up a new enemy, Daiya, which I liked. We only get hints of his motives throughout Volume 4, adding to the suspense. O also makes a brief appearance after being absent in Volume 3, and I enjoyed the banter between O and Daiya.
The backstory of the box owner really shows how much of a terrible person he is — I didn’t feel even a little bad about what happens to him by the end. He got exactly what he deserved.
I recommend these volumes to anyone who’s been enjoying the series so far. Just make sure you know that Volumes 3 and 4 are closely connected, so it’s best to read them back-to-back.