VnC Chapter 35 thoughts under the cut (Spoilers! Please read the chapter first!)
I want to start off by saying that I think that it’s amazing how much Noe has grown, even just since when they first encountered Astolfo in Gevaudan. He’s able to admit to himself that yes, Vanitas was right, he was underestimating Astolfo because he viewed him as a child and thought he could talk things out like he did with Roland. Now, he’s able to fight Astolfo without holding himself back, and is treating his battle with Astolfo as he would any other opponent.
(Also, can I just say I love Vanitas’ assistance when they were going to use the Flash Grenade on Noe? I know it’s a bit of a trope to have that character who gets riled up by the mention of someone else, but hot damn does it work.)
The fight scene/sequence was spectacular - we got to see Noe’s thoughts as he battled and his misstep (quite literally, lol) as he didn’t expect that Astolfo’s weapon would have extra abilities like Roland’s did. (And, with that, it’s worth wondering, does Astolfo has some sort of other ability with his spear, like Roland’s Durandal with the electricity? Did Roland set the standard for what we’re going to expect with Chasseur weapons, or is he the exception?) We are also able to see that he’s acknowledging Astolfo’s strength and ability, and, we see him fall into his usual habit.
Attempting to talk things out with the opponent.
Admittedly, this time the attempt was most likely made out of genuine curiosity. He hasn’t had much interaction with the Chasseurs, or humans really since he was taken to Altus, and Astolfo by far is the most vicious vamp-hater. Not even Maria was as savage as he, and she was the strongest vampire hater when we were first introduced to the Chasseurs.
And ooh! We get a little more Astolfo back story. We knew from previous chapters that Astolfo had been marked by ~13 different vamps, the majority of whom he’s already exacted revenge on, but this chapter we get a little more insight to the situation. There was a young vampire that little Astolfo helped out (with a little sister behind him, it looks?) and maybe, through implications, helped out more than once. Considering how the vamp was depicted, by himself on his own panel in all black, it’s safe to guess that this particular vamp is probably the inciting one that led Astolfo into his hatred of vamps.
From there we hear a bit more of Astolfo tell Noe his reasoning for hating the vamps, and then Noe pins it back on him, asking him if that’s what he believes, or what the Church believes (which, in all fairness, Astolfo would have to believe to some extent.)
And then finally, we end the chapter on the chilling accusation of Noe calling out Astolfo on the fact that the Church was the one who originally created the beast of Gevaudan. Which, looking back on 34.5, the breadcrumbs are all there.
