#ch193

[nagirambles]

Rambling about Fairies - Manga Chapter 193

Knightwalker's best in her arsenal being Ravelt is very ironic considering its role in Rave Master. It's quite literally about bonds, the whole representation of the nakamaship and love cultured through the entire story of Rave Master is represented by Ravelt, the sword that was forged just for Haru. And in Fairy Tail, it cameos as the best spear for the woman that just shot to kill Lily, one of her closest comrades, and never even acknowledged it afterward.

And you know, maybe that's the point. Her greatest blade is her pride in the authority and influence of Edolas' Royal Kingdom, so of course, the greatest spear formed by the finest bladesmith is her ultimate.

But it wasn't made for her, it represents nothing to her but wealth and influence. It is Ravelt, but without the love and hardship the Rave Master's cast went through to finally achieve it.

It's empty of any story and true importance, but she doesn't know that. It's just something she flaunts pridefully, with a smug grin.

In contrast, Armadura Fairy is an armour she's never taken out before. She wears it with a face locked stern, wearing it with her pride and humility as Titania, as a protector of the fairies.

It's gallant, girly, and almost looks sweet. It doesn't have the magical embellishments of Black Wing, Heavens Wheel, or anything-- it's also one of the less showy of her armours, cape aside. This is an armour that simply represents her heart as a member of Fairy Tail, and everything Fairy Tail means to her.

She doesn't even affirm that it's her strongest. And I just realized that it probably isn't. It probably wasn't meant to represent her strongest at all.

Right now, Scarlet isn't contesting strength. If she wanted greater attack, she'd use Clear Heart Armour and take out Benizakura for an iai match to the death like in TOH. But right now, she isn't fighting over which Erza is the strongest-- right now, she's fighting over ideologies.

They're disagreeing, not over who is more powerful, or whose magic is better-- they're disagreeing over the fact that they've raised their weapons against what each other held dear. It's a battle of pride.

That's why Scarlet is not saying that Fairy Armour is her strongest at all. Scarlet is fighting for all purposes to express her love for Fairy Tail, and Knightwalker simply misinterpreted it. because to Knightwalker, her loyalty to the Royalty is very much equivalent to power and prestige. While Scarlet is in Fairy Tail, not because it's the most powerful or well-known guild in the nation, but simply because it's the place that accepted her into their family, and it's her home.

That's what Armadura Fairy represents. Not power, but resolve. And Knightwalker's resolve was an empty shell in contrast to it.

[abybweisse]

Ch210, Spoiler: windmill and overlaid text

There's a comment on this post about Theo's reasoning for thinking this sewer leads to the river. He says something about a windmill, and some blades are shown here.

Blown up, it's much easier to see, because I didn't realize what I was looking at earlier. I figure it must be the same windmill shown on the cover of ch193, unless there's more than one on the property.

Honestly, it's probably the same one, even if there are others there.

I was discussing the spoilers on Discord, and a helpful member there -- I'll call them anon here -- did some research on drainage windmills in the UK while also trying to get a decent translation of what Theo says. Screenshot:

It's not powered by the water (of course), but it's using wind power to pump water (drainage).

Previously, I'd argued perhaps it's pumping water out of the river and through plumbing (very innovative and high-end for something like an orphanage) or to irrigate crops raised onsite -- to help feed staff and students, as well as provide some students with crop-raising skills. I could imagine Corgis learning this, perhaps even Mastiffs and Collies, but Pomeranians wouldn't receive such training.

But anon found good info about the use of windmills in eastern England:

The Broads and The Fens of East Anglia include Norfolk. I'm still having trouble understanding why this particular windmill would be at the river, unless it's pumping water from the surrounding land (and from buildings) and dumping it into the river. Ok, that makes sense, though I'm still not entirely sure how it's draining water from the land itself.

I don't know much about the physical geography of the area, so I did some very quick research of my own.

The river running through this orphanage is likely either one of these or -- even more likely -- one of their tributaries. Since they need a pump to drain the land more than what the river does on its own, they must be on very low-lying land in the county. Maybe parts of the land create pockets that retain water that must be continuously pumped out.

Which makes me wonder how long it might take to flood all the underground tunnels and chambers... if they destroyed the windmill. 🤔 Because the drain they find still appears to be underground, below the barn....

Anyway, they still need to survive the approaching (and armed and shooting) staff. I just saw the rest of the chapter, so I'm cutting this post a bit shorter than it would have been.

I will just quickly say that the text in black on the last page of the spoilers I posted earlier is, in fact, not part of the chapter but a text overlay from a reader on the hosting site it came from. There, a reader comments about the chapter being so short. As someone on Discord said, it could be that this ends up as the last chapter in its volume. It does seem fitting for an "at midnight" sort of chapter.

Ok, I'll post the full, untranslated, chapter soon.

[uwusayssnake]

Snake in ch.193, 194 & 195

[blackreapersreign]

Chapter 193, initial thoughts

Very much so based on this previous post.

So I was right that the test was a blood type test, first of all, and about "having the right aptitude" hmm. I continue to believe this is about having the rare blood types.

Because if they're in excellent health, then I'm thinking this can only be about the blood type. If not, something even more advanced, then?

I was also thinking, "Oh no problem, they will have the rare blood types and will be able to get in easily." Oops. I guess not.

Now about this...

I am still inclined to believe this is a trick test to show if they have the skills or any peculiar talents that could be polished to make them skilled servants, if you know what I mean.

Also a random thought I got while writing this, who could've made this test? Because two people come to my mind, real!Ciel or, maybe someone even more eccentric, Aleistor Chamber? I mean order of adorableness, what

Now what hasn't been sitting well with me since the last chapter and yet I still can't figure anything out about it...

Why is that place familiar? I'm absolutely certain this is a huge clue but... I'm clueless. Well.

That and the whole family thing, I feel like there's something important hidden in these two hints.

Any thoughts? Thank you for reading!

[phantom-17]

So now Doll is a bizarre doll, right?

[opbackgrounds]

Just last chapter Oda drew attention to Nami’s...evasive maneuvers

And yet her instinct here isn’t to dodge. It isn’t self-preservation. The potential loss of a foot would be a devastating loss for someone whose primary tactic is running away, but she gave it willingly and without regrets.  

[nagirambles]

Rambling about Fairies - Manga Chapter 193

It is incredibly powerful to me that in the Tower of Heaven flashback, the only way Erza could save everyone was to become a mage. To awaken her innate powers, and throw away her wishes of being a traditional witch to become a soldier that fights with her own magic. To achieve that, she's driven to the point of breaking down, and, sparing only a moment to mourn her lost innocence, she picks up her sword to lead the riot.

But in Edolas, the only way to save everyone from this riot, this disaster, this war, is to lose their magic. For Knightwalker to throw aside her pride, power, and security as a Knight, and become nothing but a young girl that can go on to embrace her femininity once again. And here, she screams and shouts, until finally, she, too, breaks to mourn the 'Erza' she could have been.

[nagirambles]

Rambling about Fairies - Manga Chapter 193

After the armour and spear is destroyed, they continue fighting, with their fists. It's always been a fight of ideologies and resolves-- and this time, they are truly fighting as Erza.

They are no longer fighting as Fairy Tail vs Royal Kingdom, they are simply Erza, disagreeing on how each other are living their lives. It's stopped being a matter of pride for their loyalties, and more of a personal vendetta.

Armour has always represented shields and facades for the character of "Erza". That's why the true battle only begins when they fight, not hiding behind their knighthood, but simply as two girls, struggling to survive.

It's violent, ugly, and full of shouting. Right now, it's two hearts clashing bare and uncovered, truly ripping each other apart in hopes of being seen as who they are and accepted. But neither of them can accept each other, so they keep screaming, even as their world falls apart around them.

At this moment, they don't care about anything but their disagreement with each other. They're laying their weaknesses, their vulnerabilities bare, stripping each other of the false and naive pride they've used to shell around their hearts for ages, hoping to make the other person wake up and accept this reality.

Knightwalker is what Scarlet would have been, if she remained in the Tower. She is what Sho, Millianna, and Wally had become, truly misled, believing they were doing what was justified and right and for the sake of the greater good. They truly believed that if they followed Jellal, they could help those that suffered and find luxury and stop suffering.

Scarlet sees that, and that's why, right now, she's fighting who she could have been, and that's why she fights, but never loses her temper. She retaliates, stern and genuine, but she's losing this mid-air brawl-- because she's being patient.

She sees her siblings in Knightwalker, and she would never truly hurt them.