Tearmoon Empire: Volume 11

This book sees the conclusion of an arc, similar to vol. 2 and vol. 6 but much larger in scope because it wraps up the story from Bel's future. We've been with Bel since vol. 3. It feels like such a long journey with a lot of memories, but finally we get to see how the future Bel came from is shaped and influenced by Mia's actions.

Picking up where we left off, vol. 11 starts with the Matching of Steeds between Mia and Xiaolei. At this point, the book still has a lighthearted tone and pokes fun of Mia in the usual way, but Mia is telling the truth whenever she claims to be good at horseback riding. She really is good at it, even if most of the credits are given to Dongfeng who proves to be a lot sturdier than he appears. As you might have expected, Mia ends up winning the race even though she wasn't planning to. Once she's done uniting the 13 races of the Equestrian Kingdom, however... that's when the real confrontation starts.

While Mia is busy with the race, Citrina gets kidnapped by the Chaos Serpents. During her stay with them, we get to learn about what the Serpents actually are, what led Valentina to become their High Priestess, and why Aima's brother is assisting her. Again, it digs a bit deeper into Remno's history so that's nice to see. The conflict with Valentina is resolved in the most Mia-like way possible, but for now, we don't know much about what happened to her after. Or how this whole thing affects Remno. Maybe in future books?

Sadly, the encounter with the Serpents also results in the loss of a certain someone. The parting scene is really emotional with the sense of loss lingering for a long time, but it makes the wait even more worth it when she finally comes back to them in the distant future. I love the individual epilogues too, because we get to see the characters' thoughts and memories with her. Mia, as simple-minded as she may be, does a wonderful job securing that future. She's come a long way since the day she got guillotined, I feel weirdly proud seeing her growth. :')

It's not the end of the series yet though. At the very end of the book is a glimpse of what seems to be the beginning of a new arc, involving yet another girl who resembles Mia and Bel. I love Tearmoon Empire to bits, so I'll be waiting impatiently for vol. 12 next month.