this is so messy. I love it

Unlike Natori, Diana and Lapis are too pure to consider an OT3 ending,

Too... pure? I don't follow.

Diana is still on the outside looking in and she shows this chapter that she's aware of that. She understands who Natori is actually looking at and realizes that Lapis shares those feelings.

Unfortunately, Lapis has her long held goals and seems to fear getting close to Natori in the process--probably worried about what she'll have to do and therefore can't fully commit, though it clearly eats at her.

As a result Diana intends to keep her unrequited feelings but I feel as though that's a losing battle and she seems aware of that. She's stuck between a rock and a hard place, so that's no fun for her either. I'm not sure how long she'll be able to keep this up, though because I doubt Natori will react well to Lapis distancing herself. I'm also glad things are getting moving because this plan of Lapis has been very slow going.

last edited at Oct 1, 2024 8:54AM

All I can say is...

Revenge is, and always will be, a pyrrhic victory with romance involved.

Lapis...you need to just accept the yuri.

Can we just get a OT3 out of this ??

Polyamory here is the biggest cope I've ever seen, this will be a proper old fashioned battle and I'm looking forward to it :P

Oof my heart. Why ya gotta keep twisting the blade by giving Dianna hope, author? Just put me out of my misery already.

It's not that easy to create the perfect future, but this was a step in the right direction, even if Lapis still hasn't given up on her plans.

God. Those last few pages hurt.

Why does Lapis have to let her go?

Is amazing how tight and well-written this series is, Neko Taoru has proven herself to be one of the best yuri writers and artists in the business. The pacing is just perfect not too slow but not too fast either and every single character has been given a great depth no matter how big or small their role is in the plot.

I think this chapter has further cemented Lapis and Natori as the end pairing while Diana hopefully gets together with someone else (ideally another girl but Gran has proved himself a nice enough fellow so). I think the ending shows a very interesting contrast between Lapis and Diana's the nature of their love for Natori. Diana is somewhat immature and her desire to give Natori up is clear not something that is entirely genuine but more of an obligation she felt while Lapis' is 100% selfless and genuine. She really thinks that the she will only end up hurting Natori if they stay together and this is why she believes she must let her go.

Is going to be very interesting to see how this will develop in the future, will Natori be able to change the plot enough for Lapis to drop her quest for vengeance? Or will Lapis decide to be selfish for once and keep her relationship with Natori and to hell with the consequences?

Oh, and I still think that Rubeus is gay for Gran.

We're keeping the triangle safe and sound with this one!!!

last edited at Oct 1, 2024 4:40PM

Why does Lapis have to let her go?

Because if her plan succeeds, she would have committed genocide, and she does not want any consequences of it (and there will be consequences) to fall upon Natori, regardless of the latter's own wishes.

I think this chapter has further cemented Lapis and Natori as the end pairing while Diana hopefully gets together with someone else (ideally another girl but Gran has proved himself a nice enough fellow so). I think the ending shows a very interesting contrast between Lapis and Diana's the nature of their love for Natori. Diana is somewhat immature and her desire to give Natori up is clear not something that is entirely genuine but more of an obligation she felt while Lapis' is 100% selfless and genuine. She really thinks that the she will only end up hurting Natori if they stay together and this is why she believes she must let her go.

I get you are talking about their relationship with Natori, but it just sounds odd to me to call someone who was planning to commit great atrocities against commoners "100% selfless and genuine". For the matter, "was" is the right word to use here, right? Right?

The selfless and genuine part I'm talking about is Lapis deciding to push away Natori when the time comes because she knows how much of a messed up person she is.

This story may have some clichéd beats but damn is it not well written. Those small actions or interactions that Lapis has around Natori are so well portrayed.

Soooo...this must be a pure coincidence but...

Am I the only one who thinks Lady Lapis and Diana vaguely, possibly, maybe resemble Shizuma and Nagisa from Strawberry Panic?

Or are my rose tinted glasses needing to be cleaned?

this is funny because i was thinking the exact same thing reading it. fortunately this story is way more skillfully written than strawpani lol

some really interesting theories in here, though. i'm not sure where the plot is leading rn but i'm along for the ride. diana is a good girl and i want her to be happy, but i'm a total sucker for lapis/natori. rooting for them 100%

I'm not sure why I'm very tepid about this resolution.

After thinking about it, the climax makes sense, but the villain himself isn't very interesting.

Who did Lapis originally want to kill, anyways? Like do you really need a full blown genocide instead of a handful of pokey pokies?

last edited at Oct 2, 2024 10:06AM

Who did Lapis originally want to kill, anyways? Like do you really need a full blown genocide instead of a handful of pokey pokies?

As of now it's framed as "killing all the commoners", so technically genocide (ethnic groups/nation) is a misnomer. Classicide (social class) would be more accurate.

That said we don't know yet what exactly drove her to that point, only lil bits and pieces that could just as likely be clues or misdirections

last edited at Oct 2, 2024 10:24AM

After thinking about it, the climax makes sense, but the villain himself isn't very interesting.

That is intentional. Rubeus wasn't supposed to be a villain, he got thrown into the role to try and keep the story from going off-rails from Natori's involvement.

A perfectly fair assessment, if one assumes the narrative is actively reshaping itself to resist alterations.

But I feel there's still room for the setting just having been richer in detail than it was presented in the game. In that case Rubeus was always unfettered in his efforts to support Gran along the path he thought was best for him, it just never took center stage because he never needed to directly intercede in the story as far as the viewpoint character could see.

Well, you have to remember that Rubeus was such a minor character that he didn't even have a portrait of his own when Natori played the game.

Lapis doesn't realize that Natori cannot be removed from the story, she is there solely to change history, her history.

Is this the first time we have seen Lapis fully crack?

Lapis doesn't realize that Natori cannot be removed from the story, she is there solely to change history, her history.

Is this the first time we have seen Lapis fully crack?

She did so with Natori in her bedroom a few chapters ago. When she held her, etc. Natori definitely makes her soften up.

last edited at Oct 2, 2024 4:26PM