I Kept Pressing the 100-Million-Year Button and Came Out On Top: The Unbeatable Reject Swordsman Volume 3 takes place after Allen smacked down his opponent in the Elite Five Holy Festival. After unleashing another person within, the trio works as Witchblades for a month during their suspension. A lot happens in this issue, and The 100-Million-Year Button Volume 3 keeps a perfect pace, moving from battles and new characters to festival fun and soul attire training.
Created by Yutaro Shido with original story by Syuichi Tsukishima and character design by Mokyu, this volume begins with Allen, Lia, and Rose meeting with Chairwoman Reia to discuss their suspension. Translated by Daniel Luke Hutton and lettered by Arbash Mughal, this Yen Press manga volume delves into soul attire and more looming conflicts and covers chapters twelve to sixteen. Chairwoman Reia doesn’t blame Allen for his soul attire running amok in the previous volume. But his core broke several rules. So, now they must work as Witchblades to atone for their disqualification. Still, it’s not all bad since Reia sends them to a gruff teddy bear of a man.
The 100-Million-Year Button Volume 3 Keep The Trio United For Readers
Allen, Lia, and Rose are the center of what drives the story and keeps people reading. Adding the malicious soul core within Allen adds a fascinating later, akin to Bleach and Naruto, where something dangerous lives within the protagonist. His rage emanates to the degree that even Lia and Rose exhibit fear. The characters, particularly Lia and Rose, need more depth. Hopefully, more comes out about each as the story progresses. Still, the entertainment remains strong as they band together to take on missions at a guild run by Mr. Clean-esque man, Bonz Daulton. Future volumes need to show more of him.
Sets Up Future Conflicts, Allies, and Headaches
There are moments when Allen’s strength or his core’s ire shines through when they enter the guild to register as Witchblades. Thanks to their Witchblade adventures, readers learn that someone wants Allen dead from the competing schools. Still, the trio has fun training and hunting monsters, and later at the Unity Festival, where they try to relax. Allen even meets an old rival, allowing The 100-Million-Year Button Volume 3 to lay the groundwork for battles between them and the organization Allen’s antagonist is in.
The one frustrating part has to do with the assassins. They are girls, Yet Chairwoman Reia sends her strong, elderly, pedophile assistant, Eighteen, to fight them. Of course, he lectures them about their attire. He loves spying on girls or did before Reia stopped that behavior. So, he thinks they should be modest and shy like those girls he victimized. It’s exhausting to see books, films, and shows perpetuate the normalization of pedophiles, painting them as comedic or unserious.
It Needs to Include Unique Story Parts to Stand Out
While familiar, The 100-Million-Year Button Volume 3 keeps it interesting with the school environment where kids train their swordcraft. Still, the most fascinating aspect is the button Allen uses to train and attain his skill. It’s too similar to other stories in the Shonen genre without that or different twists. Hopefully, the series has a few more tricks up its sleeve and continues delving into what that button is and how it’s connection to Allen and his family.
Aside from the button, the beats of rivalry, comedy, and goofy characters feel interchangeable from other series. But the theme of achieving your dream through natural talent or hard work keeps that underdog compelling. The trio, swordcraft, and themes continue making The 100-Million-Year Button Volume 3 worthwhile.
