The plot thickens!
Unlike the previous episode, episode 16 gives an equal focus to Kumoko and Shun’s stories. First, our Hero party has found a safe refuge in a village in preparation for their trip in the Labyrinth. But contrary to what is expected, it seems that Julius’s previous guide, Goyef, doesn’t want to help out of fear from the Emperor, which in itself is understandable. Fortunately, not all hope is lost, and Goyef’s father, Basgath, arrives to take his place.
Meanwhile, Fei has acquired her Humanification skill, giving her a human form at last. And just like when she is a dragon, Fei is even more gorgeous than her beast form, a fact that rekindles her vanity and pride as Shinohara. But more than that, her skill allows her to join Shun in his adventures without hassle, and even use her draconic abilities, which proves incredibly useful during the party’s trip to the Labyrinth.
Back with Kumoko, our dear spider has evolved into the immortal Zana Horowa. This allows her to literally become immune to all but the most powerful attacks, even ones that would kill her. Sadly, most of the episode focused on her enjoying her life in peace for once, even with Mother’s lingering threat, as well as another phone call from the mysterious D.
There are some plot points and clues revealed during their conversation, particularly regarding the incident that killed the Reincarnators. It seems that D has been present in the classroom herself as a student, though her identity remains a great mystery. However, a lot of questions has been answered about the reason why Shun and the others retained their memories, as well as why they were even killed and reincarnated in the first place.
It is interesting to note that D is less of a villain this case, and more like a fickle goddess who only do things for her own amusement, at the expense of others. But that begs the question: of all the reincarnators, why did she took a liking to Kumoko?
The answer to that question might still be far off. After all, Kumoko has attracted the attention of yet another foe: the Demon Lord Ariel herself. And it is a foe she can’t obviously defeat this time, evident when Ariel dismembered our poor spider in the blink of an eye.
Overall, episode 16 doesn’t have any notable fight scene. Instead, we have a pretty laid-back episode with some fanservice, though the elements of urgency and mystery still remained. Fortunately, the final scene hopefully indicates yet another showdown. And one that should prove exciting.
Episode score: 8/10.