User blog:Retro7/Fairy Flush Reviews: The Burning Earth

Happy Thanksgiving to all the U.S resident. Chow down on the food then join more for a helping of early chapter Fairy Tail goodness.

Chapter 309: The Burning Earth

What Went Down:

Natsu begins his fight with the leader who quickly goes in for the kill. Pantherlily, Mira and Wendy likewise find themselves having trouble against their opponents. While over with Lucy's group, Uosuke reveals he can makes chasms with lava in them. Lucy and Yukino almost fall in but are saved by Arcadios who sacrifices himself to push them up...or he would've if Horogium hadn't managed to saved him at the last minute. Leo appears with Lucy's and Yukino's keys and the group, along with Natsu, prepare to battle for reals.

- Important Things of Note


 * Arcadios doesn't mind if they don't go through with the Eclipse plan
 * Lucy and Yukino have regained their keys and ready to fight

- My Thoughts

Ah kinda tricky to judge this one. On one hand, I'm glad the fights with the knights are speeding along nicely for the time being. Most of the focus went to Lucy's group in this chapter with Arcadios's sacrifice being the real highlight here. The dude waded through lava to the help the two. Just...damn. Even moreso when when he told the two they can make up their own minds if the Eclipse Plan. So yeah I suppose this means he has some common sense about what he wants to do. If it holds up later, we'll just have to see. The little bits with the other members wasn't too bad either, I don't mind if they have a little trouble especially against opponents who are going in for the kill like this. Draws some great tension to the combat.

But on the other hand, that flipping Deus Ex Machina with Horogium. Just ugh...it was bad enough when he did it in the Wendy fight, but here? AGAIN?! C'mon! This completely underminded Arcadios's moment. Wendy at least was a main character, we don't know much about this guy. Well okay, Hisui knows him and we need to connect the dots to the Eclipse plan mystery so I suppose that's a reason to keep him alive. But I'm just really hated that Mashima used that same trick again. Oh yeah and Leo coming for the rescue again without being summoned. Hooray, where the heck was he five minutes ago?

-Final Grade: C

Liked the straight-to-the-kill methods of the opponents and Arcadios's resolve and his willingness to give up on the Eclipse plan. But the Deus Ex Machina just took the wind out of it and left a bad taste in my mouth. It's not a bad chapter but I hate seeing Mashima fall back on old tricks. Still looking forward to the rest of the battles with the knights however. Just hope they have better resolutions.