We're really nearing the end, 15 years later...
My thoughts on the chapter:
Hak and Soo Won are the sword and the shield that are going to be awakened. Hak, of course, as the shield, has been protecting Yona all this time (including fulfilling Yona's mother's prophecy that he would always protect her).
Soo Won as the sword because he's not afraid to challenge the heavens (and this final arc is probably going to be about challenging fate).
For those who spoke about hating Soo Won, it's a conflicted feeling. It's hard to completely hate someone you once loved deeply. The betrayal changed everything. He hurt Hak and Yona permanently, and I don't believe they can ever be friends again, but Yona and Hak's journey of growth allows them to understand that the kingdom's well-being is more important than their own. It's difficult to hate Soo Won when his goal is the same as Yona's, but their paths are so different. As a king, the decisions Soo Won has made make him worthy of the throne. As a friend, they are unforgivable. And he understands that, regrets it, and suffers because of it. But there's no turning back, and I'm not sure if he would choose a different path if he could.
I imagine this will be a new, difficult arc of even more growth for Hak, who is already at his limit.
Happy to follow this story. I trust it in your hands, sensei Kusanagi.
