Annotated 4-12
One thing to remember when constructing fight scenes is that the element of the unexpected counts for a lot. I feel like readers might’ve expected Taro to betray the heroes to the crew, but actually getting the upper hand on them in a straight-up fight is probably not how you thought this would go.
Note that Taro is standing mostly out of the highest concentration of “light air” in the last panel. His little spark-striking with Byron here is still a gamble, but he was much less likely to end up burned.
Although that’s relative. The flammability on display here means that “light air” is definitely not helium. Hydrogen works better, though as Phil pointed out, it’s so reactive that the next panel could’ve just been “AND THEN KABOOM EVERYBODY IN THE ENTIRE CHAPTER DIED.” Still, nobody’s going to have any better language for what this element is than “light air,” so I’m comfortable leaving its exact chemical composition ambiguous.
Why does it look like the light air is heavier than regular air? (Gravy coughing while Byron’s not). Is the airship flying upside down?
Taro will offhandedly explain why Gravedust’s lungs are having more difficulty than Byron’s later in the chapter.
I came to this series late, and always thought this arc was a lead up to the immortal line later on:
” I know this is weird, but this has come up before: None of you happen to be the secret evil mastermind of this whole thing, right?”
Hahaha. Do you happen to recall where that was? Even if unintended, it totally fits. And now I want to reread it.
I don’t check the webcomic much anymore, but I still love coming back every few weeks just to see a page I forgot about and be like “Oh yea I remember this…sorta” lol