A fight of sensation. A show of horror. An event without mercy. A result in domination. Clown sought to drown out Sister Ivry within the anguish of his nightmare but little did he know that the waves of exaltation cascading onto the shores of his psyche embodied an ocean too overwhelming for his hollow desires of torment to deprave. This was a game with one victor and it wasn’t the player who cast the nightmare that pretended to defile. Domination resided within the exponent of punishment. The embodiment of which reflected Sister. She unleashed her reckoning and embraced her role as avatar of subversion and agent of the abyss. Retribution against the Nightmare transpired through mental submission and with it the defeat of Clown followed.
It was undeniably a spicy chapter but within the expressions of horror and torment, the varying aspect defining the Shining Stars against the Dark Stars evidenced itself. Focus kept being put on the lacking functionality and version of the Shining Stars generation but a key element to strength an individual possesses was grossly overlooked and misrepresented. The equation of victory within the systems of the Dark Stars failed to account for one of the most valuable aspects to any definition of strength. And that is the power being weak renders. Success and victory isn’t a one step process. It is continuously being built upon stones of failings and ruefulness. But within that void negativity, a light of momentum arises from the core of ones being inspiring them to move forward. Resilience isn’t just a word that underlines success but it is rather the shadow that sustains the resolve of the individual. And as is with life, it isn’t just a canvas of light. What makes the overall illustration beautiful are the shades of colour that contrast, conflict and compliment the overall image being presented. The Four Shining Stars have experienced the joys of life, the pain of suffering and the regret of their actions. It is through this perspective and experience that they are able to overcome the walls embodied by the Dark Stars who possess advanced systems and upgraded functionality.
In this particular case with Sister Ivry bound, it makes complete sense why her defense against the mental torment ongoing was so resistant against its effect. When Sister was first introduced during the Guilst arc, she just escaped from a confinement (thanks to Homura and Weisz) that lasted 10 years. What Clown is putting Sister through isn’t something new. Sister has been entrapped within a state of powerlessness before and even had her power drained and exploited before. You can bet that the prolonged state of submission by Sister is something she never wanted to experience again. And through such a failing, growth toward resisting against such a situation in the future likely became a focal point to her. So now when Clown attempts to torture Sister with his hollow attempts at a nightmare, Sister has the constitution to endure it and counter it.
Dom Sister is such a mood. I won’t lie, part of me entered into a submissive state ready to be dominated by Sister. The punishment Clown suffered conveyed with it an element of pleasure. The session didn’t resort to bodily mutilating Clown but rather primarily edging him closer and closer toward the abyss until all he could do is embrace it. When Sister takes on such a role it is hard not to react in a manner that allows her domination to wash over you. Sinking into an abyss deep inside an uncharacterised unknown is obviously terrifying yet within that ambivalence is an irresistible curiosity. To explore the boundaries of the undiscovered it is hard not to be at the very least piqued. Life certainly is fascinating.
What I suspect will happen regarding the Shining Stars and the Dark Stars going forward is the history between the two groups to be eventually further explored and for the Shining Stars to take on the role of saving the Dark Stars from the shackles of Ziggy. It is interesting that Shiki wasn’t able to experience a bit of Clown’s past but considering the flow of the relations and the match-ups, Sister and Clown most likely shared a past together. Curious though how Clown’s has been left unexplored. I wonder why? Regardless, I am extremely satisfied with how the battles against the Dark Stars turned out. I have been desperately championing the Shining Stars to be the opponents of the Dark Stars since a while back and having such an outcome result is incredibly gratifying. What would have been more perfect is if Witch was present but I still suspect she will return later when saving the Dark Stars become a focal plot point. Love this chapter. Looking forward to the next one!
Enjoyment level: 9/10
12Dimension 
July 26, 2022 at 1:51 am
Lol this chapter was awesome. Great analysis of what made all of the Shining Stars come above the Dark Stars – in the end, the humanity they embody weights a lot in the way they view life; perhaps being able to see both sides of the coins (machine/human) is what makes the girls so strong.