Ahhhh battle show down! I love this so much, the concept and the execution are just spot on. You take the focus on the lighthouse in the first half, and pull at the threads there, to weave this tale of a great protector, a mecha lighthouse, that goes considerably further than most to save people from the storm. The way you shift the meanings in the first half is fantastic, automation not of the lighthouse shining it's light, but of the piloting of La Sentinelle. The pilot of 9 years no longer needed, despite the bond between them. The strain of Hugo having to watch really helps add to the idea of a bond between, and then his sadness when autopilot works perfectly, only then facing the reality of no longer being needed. That really hit home, just amazing <3

_#sbi-skip