THIS IS A LIGHT NOVEL ONLY DISCUSSION POST. DO NOT DISCUSS ANYTHING BEYOND THIS VOLUME.
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It was a while since I read the WN, but I don't remember the beasts attacking the Mansion. Or maybe I just did not pay attention to it?
And what was it at the end?
Did Roswaal die? What happened there?
Was it also in the WN?
@Raon
OK. Then I did not pay attention when I was reading the WN.
There were already some changes in the previous volume when Subaru meet only Echidna. In this volume he meets her for the second time and the other Witches too. When he leaves Echidna's Grave everything is covered in dark... something, similar to shamak. It's implied that this dark thing might the the Witch of Envy herself.
The volume ends with Roswaal standing up from the bed, saying that he will not see how the trial will end this time. Then he gets his Book from under the pillow and says that Subaru must succeed the next time. It is shown that he is slowly engulfed by that dark thing...
I read arc 4 from the WN and stopped once I learnt there will be a Polish version of the LN. I just don't remember that part but maybe I was just not paying attention to the details :-P
The illustrations for this series have got much better with arc 3 and now arc 4 doesn't disappoint either, such a lovely front cover~~
For the contents of this volume itself, a strong start, and a fast pace right from the go, unlike how I felt about some parts of previous arcs, this pacing is really up to my liking, I do feel like arc 4 (=10-15) is gonna be all focused on the Sanctuary, solving its mysteries, and the mansion (Elsa stuff), but how it slowly presents things to the reader, makes it so compelling and not boring, it is a problem because you want to keep reading but you have responsibilities in your life going on...
Not gonna comment on Garfiel in this volume, I know some stuff ahead, but not enough, I will just look with expectation to how everything will be resolved!
But let me comment on Frederica alright, I disliked Subaru's insistence on feeling her be guilty and these first chapters stuff that shit through his mouth and SHUT HIM GOOOODDDD!
What a girl, I also love Ram a lot, if anything, more than Rem, personality-wise, it is just that Rem had her moments to shine, but seeing the number of characters I m fond of growing and bundling together, leaves me psyched for the Future
Roswaal is still a bastard, I know what he and Beatrice long for, more or less, but I will avoid spoilers (for now) and Beatrice, saying all that, to then cry when he gets in the way of Elsa going for her.
Again, very fast pace, love it, but I feel that "Friends" and "The Value of Life" was a tad slower than I wanted, not the direction I wanted either, but then that ending for the latter, being eaten ALIVE is certainly one of the darkest and gory deaths yet, and I believe his mind was breaking...
Enters Echidna, to finally get tons of spotlight in what is probably the best chapter in this volume, I fucking cant wait to see it animated because her mannerisms lead me quite astray here, it was just too engaging to read, add that 3 new Witch reveals with quite important info going on, tons of world-building, AWESOME.
Oh and I cried again. when it is clear she knows about Return by Death, and that he can talk to her about that, it was just fantastic... oh my god, I won't give in, Emilia is still the best girl, but this Dona is making powerful strikes to my koro koro~~
But honestly, does the tea have her bodily fluids, or is it a joke? Even if the former, in a creepy way adds to her charm as a very witchy woman, with her witchy ways~~
Now is the time for possible spoilers, things that will be revealed only later on, NOT on this volume, don't click unless you have finished reading up to arc 5 or something.
About the eternal contract, the name of this arc in the WN
, I know Roswaal and Beatrice have a strong connection to Echidna, the former being her disciple, the latter, like Puck being made by her, it is quite apparent Echidna is the mother Beatrice was calling for even in Arc 3, I don't know how it all connects ultimately, I know Roswaal wants her back, and I know she will be able to escape from this prison, like getting her soul on another character, something something, IMO, great.
Would be a waste if this was the only arc she appeared, and I know she wants a contract with Subaru and that he refuses at the end of this arc, from the name of the arc I m lead to believe this contract is a source of many problems, I m quite excited to see how it all connects, because everything said
, this volume makes Echidna look too good, of course, Subaru's context up to now was just that horrible. I let myself be charmed by her ways, it is not hard at all, how helpful she was just this volume alone, but I m not blind. Miss Witch, you got my admiration, but your nature as a witchy WITCH won't fool me, even more so being a gran Witch of Greed~~
Anyhow, peak chapter this was.
Then Satella, at first I did not believe it, I know this arc is not gonna pull punches by the end and is gonna truly set things in motion and give us MANY answers, and more questions, but to get to this small chapter, and the Witch of Jealously appearing, I m still in awe, and I love how this is just a cliffhanger and how it begins volume 12 from this.
Seeing her finally going batshit crazy yandere was just top-tier stuff, what a way to end this volume.
Another amazing volume, if things hold, I may be one of those that join the camp of favoriting this arc, you just cant be unhappy with all the development and commitment from the writer to truly expand and give us long seek answers to some mysteries, while still leaving a lot of things in the dark and new questions to pique your interest in all the mystery and lore of the world.
Gosh, I really love this LN, and I want so badly to see Ram, Frederica, Beatrice, Subaru, even Garfiel and the rest, come together and kick this fate-shit up Elsa and all those evildoers' asses!!!
For now, I bask in the gloriousness of the most OP yandere ever created.