Zetsuen no Tempest - ep23

Things don't immediately start with the final battle, even though everything is coming to a close soon. Instead there is a focus on each persons conflict about what going to happen or could happen. There is Hanamura that believe it is possible that when he takes out the tree of genesis, that it end up taking him out as well. Then to this end he has written a letter to be receive by his ex-girlfriend and wants Mahiro to give to her. However Mahiro tears it saying the if Hanamura dies their all down for anyways, and beside to Mahiro dieing is pointless. Then with Samon, he believes that if there ever was a time he was going to die it would be now. He feels this way because he believes that would be the only way for him to make a mends for all the death he cause in the name of future peace. Lastly you have Hakaze who is trouble by the fact that Yoshino is going to be join the operation. That she is troubled by the fact that if he gets himself into trouble there will be nothing that she could do to help him. It seems that to this end Yoshino has accept Aika's death, although to truly move on he must she the end resolute of her selfish decision.

Then as far as Mahiro's battle plan is quite interesting since up to this point all we've hear was goal. Nothing really about the plan it self. It seems that they are having Hakaze and Hanmura switch roles. The reason is that Kusaribe's magic doesn't work within the vicinity of the pillar. This would prove to be a problem if they remains as their original roles since to draw out the ships protecting the pillar Mai-hime would have to protect them. Although because they are in the sphere of influence of the pillar Hakaze can't get close. Having the switch roles is useful to another extent because it will allow for the Hanamura to slip away unnoticed because everyone else will be focus on what they perceive as the Mage of Exodus. While this act is being orchestrated, the job the others have is to capture to survey ship so that they can get them as far away from the pillar as possible because it is unclear what will happen when it is destroyed by Hanamura. Although things mostly go as planned but Yoshino and Mahiro didn't check if anyone had a gun on them. This end things with a bit of a twist when Yoshino is shot and we don't know of his fate. The question is what will this simple event change in everything that Mahiro has planned. There is also the question on if Hanamura will hesitate to do what he must to save Yoshino. Although from the preview it looks like the next episode is going to be the last.