Tatakau Shisho

The Tatakau Shisho (戦う司書, literally Fighting Librarians) series is a collection of Japanese light novels by Ishio Yamagata, with illustrations by Shigeki Maeshima. The series started with the release of the first volume on September 22, 2005, and as of January 22, 2010, ten volumes have been published by Shueisha under their Super Dash Bunko label. A manga adaptation by Kokonotsu Shinohara was serialized in Shueisha's Internet-based manga magazine Ultra Jump Egg between March 2008 and October 2009. An anime adaptation, The Book of Bantorra began airing in Japan on October 2, 2009.

Plot
In a world where deceased people turn into stone-like books and are stored in the Bantorra Library, anyone who reads a book can learn its past. Bantorra Library is maintained by the Armed Librarians, who wield supernatural abilities, and their enemy is a psychotic religious cult known as Shindeki Church. As the story progresses it presents a world of sorrow and pain, and the unfairness and frugality of life, as well as personal desires. However, in each arc there is also a small underlying hope, and more of the reasons, conspiracies, and secrets are revealed behind everything. It is about a specific overall history in time of Bantorra Library and its people. Each character dies a sorrowful yet meaningful death, and each death will open paths to a small ray of hope in the world, which also reveals a part of a secret to the reader.

Bantorra Library

 * Hamyuts Meseta (ハミュッツ メセタ)
 * The Acting Director of the Bantorra Library. She usually wears a white button-down shirt with a small bunny patch sewn on the right breast. She has an easy-going personality and a lust for battle; she is always searching for an opponent strong enough to kill her. She had a relationship with Mattalast in the past. Her main weapon is a sling (usually wrapped around her right wrist), which she uses to snipe enemies from a far distance with great precision and force. She can throw large objects, but usually uses small rocks or pebbles. The speed of those projectiles can reach 5 times the speed of sound. Her magic ability is "Sensory Fibres", which allows her to observe locations from afar. Her fibres, fully emitted, can reach approximately 50 kilometers, while the number of fibres emitted reaches over billions.
 * The Acting Director of the Bantorra Library. She usually wears a white button-down shirt with a small bunny patch sewn on the right breast. She has an easy-going personality and a lust for battle; she is always searching for an opponent strong enough to kill her. She had a relationship with Mattalast in the past. Her main weapon is a sling (usually wrapped around her right wrist), which she uses to snipe enemies from a far distance with great precision and force. She can throw large objects, but usually uses small rocks or pebbles. The speed of those projectiles can reach 5 times the speed of sound. Her magic ability is "Sensory Fibres", which allows her to observe locations from afar. Her fibres, fully emitted, can reach approximately 50 kilometers, while the number of fibres emitted reaches over billions.


 * Mattalast Ballory (マットアラスト)
 * First grade Armed Librarian, and one of the five strongest Armed Librarians. He usually wears a black tuxedo and bowler hat. He is an easy-going person and always known by people as a liar. He used to have a relationship with Hamyuts. His main weapons are guns. He bears a revolver and an anti-tank rifle. His magic ability is to see 5 seconds ahead in the future, which he can use to preemptively take action in the presence of the enemy. He is one of the few who knows the secret of Heaven and also protects it.
 * First grade Armed Librarian, and one of the five strongest Armed Librarians. He usually wears a black tuxedo and bowler hat. He is an easy-going person and always known by people as a liar. He used to have a relationship with Hamyuts. His main weapons are guns. He bears a revolver and an anti-tank rifle. His magic ability is to see 5 seconds ahead in the future, which he can use to preemptively take action in the presence of the enemy. He is one of the few who knows the secret of Heaven and also protects it.


 * Mirepoc Finedel (ミレポック)
 * Third grade Armed Librarian and is the instructor of Noloty. She was once a reserve officer of The Empire and was introduced by Hamyuts Meseta to join the Armed Librarians. She usually wears her uniform and is a strict person. Her main weapons are a sword and pistol. Due to her lack of combat proficiency she usually takes on a support role. Her magic ability is Telepathy; regardless of how far away a person is located, she can engage in telepathic communication with them-- as long as she knows their name and appearance. She is in love with Volken.
 * Third grade Armed Librarian and is the instructor of Noloty. She was once a reserve officer of The Empire and was introduced by Hamyuts Meseta to join the Armed Librarians. She usually wears her uniform and is a strict person. Her main weapons are a sword and pistol. Due to her lack of combat proficiency she usually takes on a support role. Her magic ability is Telepathy; regardless of how far away a person is located, she can engage in telepathic communication with them-- as long as she knows their name and appearance. She is in love with Volken.


 * Volken Macmani (ヴォルケン)
 * A young Armed Librarian. He has green hair and usually wears standard Armed Librarian robes. His sense of justice is unrivaled. His weapons are flying razor-sharp disks that he can control at will. His ability is to use illusions to create multiple copies of himself. Because of his strong sense of justice, he begins to doubt Hamyuts' actions.
 * A young Armed Librarian. He has green hair and usually wears standard Armed Librarian robes. His sense of justice is unrivaled. His weapons are flying razor-sharp disks that he can control at will. His ability is to use illusions to create multiple copies of himself. Because of his strong sense of justice, he begins to doubt Hamyuts' actions.


 * Noloty Malch (ノロティ)
 * A trainee Armed Librarian. She is an expert in hand-to-hand combat. She is a joyful, outgoing person who doesn't like to kill people. She was born on an island near The Empire and raised by her father, who was the head of the village. After her father passed away, she was thrown out of the village, and eventually became an Armed Librarian.
 * A trainee Armed Librarian. She is an expert in hand-to-hand combat. She is a joyful, outgoing person who doesn't like to kill people. She was born on an island near The Empire and raised by her father, who was the head of the village. After her father passed away, she was thrown out of the village, and eventually became an Armed Librarian.


 * Ruruta Coozancoona
 * The Director and founder of the Bantorra Library. His ability is "Tearless Ending", which causes snow to fall across the entire planet, putting humanity into an eternal slumber. Like Zatoh Rondohoon, he is a Book Eater, but his resolve allowed him consume significantly more books (100,000).
 * The Director and founder of the Bantorra Library. His ability is "Tearless Ending", which causes snow to fall across the entire planet, putting humanity into an eternal slumber. Like Zatoh Rondohoon, he is a Book Eater, but his resolve allowed him consume significantly more books (100,000).


 * Mokkania (モッカニア)
 * One of the strongest Armed Librarians, along with Hamyuts Meseta. He is a lonely man. He is so strong that he fears his own power. During a war between the Bantorra Library and The Empire, he felt guilty after killing so many people. Therefore, he locked himself deep in the labyrinth beneath Bantorra Library. His magic ability is to control armies of flesh-consuming ants.
 * One of the strongest Armed Librarians, along with Hamyuts Meseta. He is a lonely man. He is so strong that he fears his own power. During a war between the Bantorra Library and The Empire, he felt guilty after killing so many people. Therefore, he locked himself deep in the labyrinth beneath Bantorra Library. His magic ability is to control armies of flesh-consuming ants.


 * Ireia Kitty (イレイア キティ)
 * The oldest Armed Librarian, and one of the five strongest Armed Librarians. Her job is to instruct trainee Armed Librarians. Her kind and friendly personality has earned the trust and love of most of the Armed Librarians. She mainly fights hand-to-hand. She has tremendous strength, which she uses to lift large and heavy objects easily. Her magic ability is localized time control.
 * The oldest Armed Librarian, and one of the five strongest Armed Librarians. Her job is to instruct trainee Armed Librarians. Her kind and friendly personality has earned the trust and love of most of the Armed Librarians. She mainly fights hand-to-hand. She has tremendous strength, which she uses to lift large and heavy objects easily. Her magic ability is localized time control.


 * Chacoly Cocotte
 * A childhood friend of Hamyuts. She is also known as "The Violet Sinner". Her ability is "Soul Transference", an ability that is similar to Mirepoc's telepathy but of higher level, as it can control the minds of people by injecting part of her soul.
 * A childhood friend of Hamyuts. She is also known as "The Violet Sinner". Her ability is "Soul Transference", an ability that is similar to Mirepoc's telepathy but of higher level, as it can control the minds of people by injecting part of her soul.


 * Fhotona
 * The previous Acting Director, who served before Haymuts. He was a mentor to Volken.


 * Makia
 * The Acting Director of Bantorra Library who served three terms before Hamyuts Meseta. After being asked by "Heaven" (Ruruta Coozancoona) to find a way to kill him, he made Chacoly and Hamyuts for that purpose. He seemed very emotionally troubled by his own actions afterward, and died as an old man doing harsh physical labor to punish himself.

Church Of Drowning In God's Grace (Shindeki Church)

 * Kachua, Governor of Paradise
 * The current leader of the Church of Drowning in God's Grace. His magic ability is to bend light and he uses this to hide his face. It is revealed by Hamyuts that the Governor of Paradise is chosen from among the ranks of the Armed Librarians and that the Church and the Armed Librarians act that they fight each other, but in truth they are working along side each other in protecting a secret. This secret is passed from Acting Director to Acting Director. Both Hamyuts and Kachua must protect this secret of Heaven.

Meats

 * Colio Tonies (コリオ トニス)
 * Doesn't consider himself human, being one of the so called "meats" who's been implanted with a bomb and sent out by the Church to kill Hamyuts Meseta. His story focuses on the collection of various fragments of a book depicting the tragic tale of a young woman named Shiron Byacornise, possessing the ability to see the future, and the love story enfolding between them, crossing even the boundaries of time.
 * Doesn't consider himself human, being one of the so called "meats" who's been implanted with a bomb and sent out by the Church to kill Hamyuts Meseta. His story focuses on the collection of various fragments of a book depicting the tragic tale of a young woman named Shiron Byacornise, possessing the ability to see the future, and the love story enfolding between them, crossing even the boundaries of time.

War Machines of the Past

 * Shulamuffen

The ever-laughing demon sword used by Shiron Byacornise (thus her title, Ever-Laughing Witch) that can counter any attacks. It does seem to have its own consciousness to the point it would relentlessly attack a target of its own choosing even without the command of its wielder.

The fantasy-slaughtering cup that has the power to selectively erase the drinker's memories.
 * Argax

Also referred to as the dancing fairy, reflecting its appearance. Yluculucu is used as a container for magic rights, which are stored when people undergo Magical Deliberation within its vicinity. Depending on its user, it can be the weakest or the strongest war machine.
 * Yluculucu

Also known as the Stone Sword of Spent Time, this sword has the power to remove and gather books from those who have died. Yor's physical manifestation is known as Lascall Othello, which initially appears to be an old man. Later, it takes on the form of a young girl.
 * Yor

Deities
The God of the Past, or the patron deity of the Armed Library.
 * Bantorra

The God of the Present, no known patronages.
 * Towitorra

The God of the Future.
 * Orntorra

Music
The composer for the series is Yoshihisa Hirano.

Opening Themes

 * "Datengoku Sensen" by Ali Project (Episodes 1-16).
 * "Seisai no Ripeno" by Sasaki Sayaka (Episodes 17-27).

Closing Themes

 * "Light of Dawn" by Annabel (Episodes 1-16).
 * "Dominant Space" by Aira Yuhki (Episodes 17-27)