So Mikaros is after the Barrier Stones to create a gate between the human and demon realms. As the poison in the Demon Realm is the one thing that connects it, linking them would cause trouble. Funny enough, it would create a united world, though I doubt Mikaros is doing that for peace. It’s still interesting that Azudra who used to be one of the most intimidating forces, has a much sillier persona. While Mikaros awakened from the Demon Realm, it was quite an ironic turn. Though it makes sense why he is unaffected by the snow, his abilities are very unlike those on the human side.
As much as it would be nice to believe in Shalamy, as soon as she approached the king, that is when she lost her mind. It seems the King took control of her to attack Asta. So the King very much has a presence and is alive, but how he works is still odd. Also, the fact that Raphael was outspoken when Shalamy was used makes me wonder if he truly cares for his daughter, or that might be reading too much into it. At the very least it seems she is the trigger for the awakening snow, which is a big reveal. Still, Asta getting captured happens at the worst time. Since this would be huge information for the demon side, it looks like them learning about that will be put on hold.
As Hyura fights Edil we see that he starts having a will of his own. It is very likely that under the king’s command he was able to find something worth fighting for. That is fighting, Hyura. Still, Mikaros is ensuring each of the Winged Soldiers is under his control. Even worse, the Awakened Humans have another phase. More than likely, phase 2 implies that they go berserk much like we saw with Helck. Of course the difference is that for these awakened soldiers it is forced, so they essentially become monsters with no minds of their own.
One thing to notice is Edil does not look like the others that were forced to awaken again. Perhaps it implies that there is a way to come back for him? Azudra going down is a huge blow, and Mikaros aims to take Helck out of the picture, which isn’t a surprise since he continues to get in the way of his plans.
It was interesting to learn that before Helck & Vermilio were transported, Mikaros was there trying to open a gate. That delay turns out to be quite crucial to getting in the way of Mikaros’s plans. Raphaed continues to be quite interesting because he doesn’t seem evil like Mikaros and you are left wondering what his goals are. We know he was a former hero. With the way he looks at Alicia and even how he states the facts as they are, it is rather interesting why he is working with Mikaros. The big mystery is what his motivation is.
In fact, his argument against Vermilio is very sound because Helck is suffering. Granted, part of it was his involvement, and given how Azudra used to be much more cruel, demons maybe used to be a lot worse than we see them now. At this point Helck is at a point when he is only bound to suffer more. Either him detaching himself or essentially losing his sanity are his only two options. It is clear Raphaed is very charismatic because he even gets Vermilio to understand what she missed. For Helck to kill his former allies is just plain cruel.
For Vermilio, she absolutely sympathized with Helck for all that he went through. What she missed was that she didn’t empathize with him and put herself in his shoes. What if she had to kill her allies? That would be unbearable for her. This is a huge moment for Vermilio because, to be quite frank, she doesn’t need to do this because Helck was already willing to help. Still, if Helck is an ally, she should also be looking for his best interests as well. How is Helck going to be in the human realm after killing his former allies? He would feel awful. Vermilio is willing to be that support for Helck to lean on because he shouldn’t have to continue to suffer like he has been. Is it possible? Well, it is hard to say. We know Edil regained some sanity for a short while. At the very least, the chances are not zero.