The following contains spoilers for Episode 1 of Mushoku Tensei Season 2, "The Brokenhearted Mage," now streaming on Crunchyroll.
After a very interesting episode 0, Mushoku Tensei starts off its season 2 properly with the return of main character Rudeus Greyrat. It's been some time after season 1, with Rudeus continuing the search for his missing mother, the last member of his family he has yet to find.
Despite managing to work up the energy to continue his travels, Rudeus is still heavily affected by his disastrous farewell with Eris. Rudeus has lost a lot due to the teleportation incident, and the weight of what is gone has finally begun to take a toll on his mind.
The Northlands
While riding in a wagon, Rudeus is approached by two female adventurers, Suzanne and Sara. Suzanne is concerned about what a young boy could be doing up in the mountains like this, and after attempting to avoid giving an answer, Rudeus eventually admits that he is looking for his missing mother. His detached and aloof behavior gets on the nerves of Sara, who reminds him of Eris, but Suzanne doesn't mind and gives him some info about the area, including the history of the local kingdoms.
The wagon eventually arrives in town, and Rudeus heads out alone to find lodging. Listless and despondent, Rudeus finds himself holding on to Eris's lock of hair yet again. While Rudeus has recovered enough to be out and about, it is clear that he still has trouble getting over losing Eris. Later, he goes out to the guild in order to officially disband his party, then tries to take on a quest on his own. He is stopped by Suzanne, who suggests that he join their party and work together with them. While he is reluctant, Rudeus eventually acquiesces to Suzanne's request.
New Companions
Suzanne introduces Rudeus to the rest of her party, while also mentioning that she is a sub-leader in a group called Counter Arrow. The others (Timothy, Mimir, and Patrice) introduce themselves right after, and while Rudeus is able to greet them cordially, he finds himself at odds with Sara, who hasn't gotten over her impression of him as a rude, unsocial person. Rudeus, for his part, can't help but be reminded of Eris every time he sees Sara, showing that he has not come close to getting over her.
After some travel, the group set up camp and eat while discussing strategies and plans against their target, a group of black grizzlies. Rudeus attempts to make a few suggestions, but every one of them is shut down by Sara. The others tell Rudeus not to mind Sara, but Rudeus isn't angry; he's still preoccupied with the shadow of Eris in Sara. Once the plans have been made, the group heads out to attack the grizzlies while they are sleeping. Their assault starts with Timothy bombarding the grizzlies from afar with flame magic. Initially the attack goes well, but Rudeus suddenly notices an odd sound and places his ear to the ground. He soon realizes the sound is the footsteps of grizzles slowly making their way to the party, having covered themselves in mud to camouflage themselves in the night.
Reason To Live
The grizzles quickly encroach on the party, and the group declares a retreat. However, Rudeus does not make a single move, preferring instead to let it all end here. It's at this point that Rudeus's depression and hopelessness comes clear; it's not just about Eris leaving him, but also about his fear of losing the things that he held dear. The bonds that he had built up during his journey across the Demon Continent were all but gone, and Rudeus was afraid to lose it all again.
Before he can be killed by the grizzlies, the party comes back to protect him. They valiantly fight off the beasts, and as they do, Rudeus begins to feel inspired by their actions. As he did, he remembered the pledge he made to himself once he realized he had been reincarnated: that he would live his life to the fullest no matter what happened. Realizing that he was about to lapse into his old habits yet again, Rudeus shakes off his hesitance just in time to help his exhausted party members, who are struggling to fight off the endless waves of grizzlies. Rudeus immediately begins to cast, summoning a massive ball of fire to wipe out the remaining monsters all at once.
The resulting haul is massive, and while the others work to remove the grizzlies' furs, Rudeus thanks Suzanne for letting him come along. When the party returns to the guild, they are scorned by the local adventurers until they offer to pay for everyone's drinks. After a rambunctious night, Rudeus returns to his room and reflects on the lessons he had learned during his time with Roxy, and recognizes that he needs to move on. With that, he throws Eris's lock of hair into the fire and watches it burn away, symbolizing his desire to get over her.