There are vaild criticism of this arc. Lakens return feels especially drawn out. I didn’t think the battle with the knights vs the horde was very clear on how the knights managed to hold as tens against thousands before Califors veil. And I think it overall was just too long, but these gotcha style arguments against the worldbuilding or character actions reek of poor media literacy

“Wiskerias power being justice is stupid, it’s not an emotion” – Yes it is. It stands thematically opposed to her mothers. Her mother presents a “fair deal”, she delivers on her promise, but what she does is not ‘right’, On pure logic, there’s nothing wrong with Rehanna trading her life for the doll, the reason people are so upset is because they FEEL like it’s abhorrent. Justice may not be the perfect word, but Wiskeria is the opposite, Justice is not always “fair” it can be misused or wrong, but it FEELS righteous. Perhaps a better name for it would be retribution? The naming could be stronger but thematically and in universe it perfectly makes sense for a witch to be able to do this.

“Ryoka is an idiot for continually trying to see the best in Belivierr” – Other people have argued why she is interested in immortals and I generally agree with them but for some reason no one is bringing up the fact that Ryoka is OBVIOUSLY projecting her own mother onto her. She keeps hoping Belivierr is good deep down or isn’t a monster because it means her own mother isn’t a monster. She even outright says this to Wiskeria a few chapters ago. Ryoka is also a person that hates emotional arguments and prefers logical explanations for everything, she’s willing to overlook the things that make her feel wrong since the deals so far have been relatively fair. She hasn’t SEEN the monster people are describing. They tell her she’s bad over and over again but no one actually ever TELLS HER the stories. Belivierr hadn’t commit and unjustifiable wrong in Riverfarm before the “deal” with Califor.

“The twist makes no sense why did Califor sacrifice herself when she was already free” – I literally have no idea how so many people don’t understand the scene with Claifor and Belivierr once they initially escape the fire, it’s extremely clear. Both witches escape with their lives because neither is willing to make the sacrifice that is needed to save riverfarm even though they both COULD do it. At any point Califor COULD have offered her own life as sacrifice as she is an old and deeply powerful witch, her bones themselves are steeped in magic for a sacrifice, but she won’t make it because she would do anything to be with Nanette, the reason she was forced to turn back and make the sacrifice is because Belivierr threatened to kill Nanette with the brown bow she had hidden in her hair. It feels like somehow everyone missed the line describing Nanette choking with the bow around her neck. Belivierr forced her into a deal she would have never taken otherwise, THATS why its abhorrent, THATS why Ryoka finally turns on her. Belivierr could have sacrificed herself to save Wiskeria, but instead she forced Califor to take her place and shattered Nanettes heart into pieces. It also serves to give Wiskeria a reason to follow her craft as desperately as possible, she knew it would bring hate and she knew that hate would be beneficial to Wiskeria. She finally revealed her true nature as a selfish monster instead of an unthinking amoral monkey’s paw

“Why did Riverfarm turn into a matchbox so quickly and how did Ryoka move the tornado” – Changing the weather in this series always has serious NON MAGICAL after affects, the use of constant rain on the antinium permanently ruined the ecology of an area with too much moisture, this is a smaller scale opposite, the scrolls REMOVE MOISTURE from the air/divert it to somewhere else, it wasn’t only not raining, it was actively making the air extremely dry and hot. Maybe this is because I can read the chapters in a row and not weekly, but I remember the heat being mentioned A LOT through this arc, and even so a stray bolt or fire may have been put out, but multiple targeted arson locations in a dry forest? Ryoka moving the tornado is unscientific, but her power is the most unscientific thing in the whole series, she taps into the power of the fae, and the wind is always described as being something that you cannot control or force. It’s free and chaotic. To control the wind by magic is a MIGHTY undertaking. I’d argue in universe it makes sense for the spell to be thrown off by someone who could control the wind to whip it into chaos since the winds very nature is to be uncontrollable. Ryoka probably should have died here, you could argue the wind thanked her for breaking the chains of the spell or something. I concede it pushes plausibility, but I think a MC living after all this struggle is emotionally earned.

“Why is this drake attack so effective. Plot armor villains!” – This is a multidecade, multi walled city surprise attack by the most powerful oldblood drakes with powerful walled city tier artifacts. Tyrion paid 6000 gold for ONE weatherscroll to change the weather for a DAY. The drakes used up over 30 scrolls and long range magic in this attack meaning they spent 200,000+ gold on SCROLLS ALONE. With how Tyrion winced at the 6000, I’d bet that’s something even he could not afford even if he drained all his money, and he’s one of the better off five families. This attack came at MASSIVE cost. The drakes and humans also haven’t really been at war for decades. The bloodfield fights are essentially dickswinging competitions and no ones really been in danger of being attacked outside of that in forever, the first thought after a week of rain isn’t immediately going to be “the enemy is spending tens of thousands of gold to alter the weather” Sometimes it just rains for a week, sometimes it’s dry for a week. This even happens on earth.

We’re now millions of words into this story and if it isn’t clear to you by now, this isn’t the kind of story where the protagonist can beat the villain just because they have the moral high ground and really want to. Az’kerash has been making his plans and gathering power for centuries. Would it really make sense for Zel, who had beaten him in a narrow straight up fight, to survive his surprise attack after decades of making a plan just to kill him in specific? Would the Redfang goblins be able to trounce an apprentice of this century spanning villain because they fought eater goats in the high passes for a few years and really like an innkeeper nearby? Would an unprepared relatively backwater city really be ready to fight a creature like skinner designed in a time of much higher power to attack with hordes? There’s no shame in wanting to indulge in a story where the protagonist shows up and within a year of finding out about a century spanning villain becoming strong enough to oppose them and foil their long time evil plot, but if that’s what you’re looking for go watch an anime, the characters in this story aren’t going to magically overcome a leveling system that scales power exponentially with time just because they’re the good guys. Every comment complaining that the main characters never get stronger is so frustrating, especially considering the characters are ALREADY leveling absurdly fast compared to inn universe standards

So I see that even 5 years ago the website comment section was filled with whiny brats like you lol. Glad to see nothing’s changed!

on another note, how long has this drake been flying, i suppose the pallas oldblood were pretty shitty cuz they could only fly 20 minutes? and this one been doing it what, a whole day flaming stuff? he got pretty over commited quite at the end, unless they were all ordered to destroy stuff or die trying, the dude could have called it a day at causing casualties, but nah, he dived in, infiltrators id say should be better disciplined.

Lastly, ah believer? belibabas, left standing is verily satisfying, although half forced and plenty expected, i wonder if the witches can proclaim that their craft must be left alone at this point, and if ryoka suddenly didnt like immortal things much more.
well thanks for the arc, no big intervention of the big E till the end. Betting in some much needed erin pov next?

Feels like Veltras all over again. I’ll say this, Pirate ABA really is very good at writing villains who threaten to be more than obnoxiously awful set dressing.

Though I suppose that pettiness is on brand for someone who just went out and said “Yeah I got angry some people were skipping chapters with characters they don’t like so I threw away a good chapter initial scheme. Go fuck yourself”

Didn’t ryoka also say she Almost forgot her parents, so not sure it applies

That’s why Califor kept saying “just wait til tomorrow to see if you still think the same way”

“You need not worry. We sit together in an [Immortal Moment].”

From the effects shown in this chapter, Immortal Moment seems to have some effect on time outside of the moment.

Perhaps that is just one use of the skill, Belavierr’s Immortal Moment is immortal because it keeps the Moment going for far longer than it should. Erin’s Immortal Moment is immortal because you remember it forever. Interesting.

The [Witch] had died mid-laugh, her head thrown up to the sky. Ryoka wondered what Belavierr’s last expression had been. Happy? She whispered, numbly.

Something about characters dying with a smile on their face always gets me more emotional than a sorrowful end.

A character that has lived for centuries using other people’s life essence finally being made mortal and then sacrificing themselves with a smile on their face reminds me of a certain old man from Fullmetal Alchemist

“And yet, somehow, despite my daughter’s youth. Despite that she and I share no blood save for the original blood of humanity, she matters to my tapestry. She is bright color on darkest cloth. Without her, night is the same as day. Without her, contrast fails. And I would have no meaning.”

—–

“My beloved daughter. You will remember this day forever. You have found your craft, and you will be the first [Witch] of a new era. One of law. Of order. And you will be the greatest [Witch] of us all. This is my love for you, Wiskeria. This is what I can give you. I will be your craft. Stop me. Hunt me. For I shall never die until the day you stop me.”

Belavierr’s purpose has always been her daughter, first to always be there for her, and now to always run from her, but their fates are ever intertwined. Belavierr sees this as making her daughter stronger – greater, and that is her twisted form of love.

I look forward to more [Witch] content in future chapters. I wonder if Belavierr will restore her wards and return to immortality, if she will act even more maliciously to prompt Wiskeria into chasing her?