The Dawn of the Witch

Lore & Background

The series is set in the realm of Wenias, following a global chaos caused by the Grimoire of Zero and a subsequent great calamity. Headmaster Albus strives for human-witch coexistence, and sends the amnesiac student Saybil on a special training program to a remote witches' village, escorted by the witch Loux Krystas and other students. Their journey is imperiled by an attack from fiends, during which the honor student Holt is revealed as a collaborator but ultimately turns on the fiends, and Saybil unlocks a latent power within Loux's staff to save the group.

The main characters include Saybil, a struggling student with no memories of his boyhood past who claims he can wield powerful magic but chooses not to use it; Loux Krystas, a three hundred-year-old witch with a semi-sentient staff; Holt, a top student and beastfallen deer; and Kudo, a lizard beastfallen adept at protection magic. Recurring characters include Zero the Mud-Black Witch, who is revealed to be Saybil's paternal aunt, and Mercenary the Tiger Beastfallen, now Zero's husband.

Reader's Guide

The Dawn of the Witch serves as a direct sequel to Grimoire of Zero, expanding the world of Wenias and exploring themes of coexistence between humans, witches, and beastfallen. The series introduces new characters while continuing the stories of established ones, such as Zero and Mercenary. Its significance lies in bridging the aftermath of the earlier series' events, showing a fragile peace and the ongoing efforts to maintain it. The light novel and manga are licensed in North America by Kodansha USA, and the anime adaptation by Tezuka Productions aired in 2022. The series contributes to the broader narrative of Kakeru Kobashiri's fantasy universe, offering a deeper look at the consequences of the Grimoire of Zero's power and the characters' struggles with memory, identity, and magical inheritance.

Did You Know?

• The series is a spinoff sequel of Kakeru Kobashiri's earlier series Grimoire of Zero.
• The anime television series adaptation was produced by Tezuka Productions and aired from April to July 2022.
• Saybil is the nephew of Zero, the Mud-Black Witch from the prequel series.
• Loux Krystas is a three hundred-year-old witch with a semi-sentient staff that can absorb magic from other witches.