In this episode, Kaina, Yaona, and Ririha make it back to the top of the castle and try to get to his father. They want to show what the flag is all about to stop the war, but will they be able to? They are separated by a pedway, which is broken apart by a robot called the Builder, controlled by Handigal. Ririha goes ahead to where his father is, while Yaona and Kaina find another way to catch up with her. Will she be able to reach her destination when war is raging?
Ririha keeps moving forward until the Builder attacks on purpose. Handigal wants to let Hallesora see his daughter die, but his plan fails. She is still alive, even though she feels exhausted and hopeless. In a desperate moment, she calls out the sage, and a floating green light appears in front of her. It is the same light she saw in Episode 2, which catches my attention. I want to see what it does.
The light moves toward the battlefield. It then extends upward to block the Builder. At this point, I feel like the light, which is called Ascender, symbolizes a protector. The background music matches the scene when the light extends to the sky. It creates a sense of awe, hope, and courage to overcome the challenges. The people of Atland are amazed at what they see. Some pray, hoping the Ascender will protect them and the country from being destroyed.
The origins of the Builder are interesting. It leaves room for imagination about the source of the object. It creates a sense of curiosity about the civilizations of the past. Based on Amerote’s dialogue with Orinoga, the Builder was a remnant at the time of the sage. This suggests that civilization was once a highly developed society. What happened? How did it fall into the hands of Handigal? The episode does not provide any background on the past event, which would be interesting to know. This goes the same about the Ascender, the ruler of the Snow Sea, as the Valgahian know.
Despite this, the Ascender’s demise is disappointing. I thought the outcome would be that the creature, as Amerote calls it, would triumph over the Builder. The Valgahians are afraid and shocked when they see it because of the rumors they heard. Only Handigal is not scared. He does not care what it is. If things get in his way, he is going to destroy them, and he did. The Builder, operated by him, strikes the creature with full force. At this moment, I thought the Ascender would stand still and release power to defeat the robot, but no. It shattered into the Snow Sea, changing the feeling from joy to shock.
Mulnota’s and Hallesora’s characters do not convey that they are in the middle of the war. One reason is that their facial expression does not show whether they are worried or not. Even though their dialogue reveals the status of the war and what they need to do, it does connect to their emotions. Another reason is their small role in this episode. It does reveal much about their emotional state. During their dialogue, the scene shifts its focus more to a part of the castle than on their sentiment.
Overall, this episode is enjoyable to watch, even though the Ascender’s result and the character emotion are not impressive. A new, small piece of information makes the plot more interesting. It reveals that there is a background story about society in the past before the existence of the Valgahia, Snow Sea, and Canopy. It also suggests that it involves legends, advanced technology, and the connection of the giant spire tree. The cliffhanger sparks interest in what will happen next since the war is not over and Ririha is still trying to get to his father.
Rating: 6.8/10
| Characters, Season 1 Episode 10 | Cast |
| Kaina | Yoshimasa Hosoya |
| Amerote | Maaya Sakamoto |
| Ririha | Rie Takahashi |
| Ngapoge | Tomokazu Sugita |
| Yaona | Ayumu Murase |
| Noze | |
| Handagil | Nobuyuki Hiyama |
| Chiru | |
| Hallesora | Kenyu Horiuchi |
| Orinoga | Katsuyuki Konishi |
| Mulnota | Sayaka Ohara |
