@Kayriel
An asspull in a story is an asspull because it is unearned and contrived, as much of this series has been with numerous major accomplishments and being dropped into the MC's lap unceremoniously. You may as well be arguing that we shouldn't even read stories because none of it is real and everything that happens is already decided. It's fiction from the start. The suspension of disbelief and engagement are affected by the quality of the storytelling and how much we are made to believe that the struggles and victories were earned and not simply handwaved away by the power of friendship or because the author wrote themselves into a corner by overhyping the stakes for dramatic effect, only to botch the landing by making the hero win for no reason, because the story has to continue anyways.
It's bad writing. Don't pretend otherwise.
An asspull in a story is an asspull because it is unearned and contrived, as much of this series has been with numerous major accomplishments and being dropped into the MC's lap unceremoniously. You may as well be arguing that we shouldn't even read stories because none of it is real and everything that happens is already decided. It's fiction from the start. The suspension of disbelief and engagement are affected by the quality of the storytelling and how much we are made to believe that the struggles and victories were earned and not simply handwaved away by the power of friendship or because the author wrote themselves into a corner by overhyping the stakes for dramatic effect, only to botch the landing by making the hero win for no reason, because the story has to continue anyways.
It's bad writing. Don't pretend otherwise.