Yes, transforming the wand into levitating pincers was absolutely imperative, for reasons such as aura farming, aura farming, and aura farming.
I think Gheer's integration into the group was slightly too fast. I'm fine with Gheer's switch-up since his mindset was mostly broken last chapter, but Belator was surprisingly chill. I guess it makes some sense because he really trusts Raloud's judgement, but he really should have no reason to trust Gheer this much himself.
Speaking of Belator: I'm not sure how to feel about the fact that he was completely stomped by Gheer yet recovered this quickly.
Hopefully Gheer and Raloud will be utilized to their fullest as characters in future chapters, because this arc was a lot of setup. I better see a good redemption arc.
Anyways, we are now back on the main plotline with Quovelta's first appearance! I'm excited to see what the next few chapters bring. They look really cool.