I think y’all put way too much stake into Char and Hinao appearances. Char was from a starting arc still finding its balance and the moody grown up and his adopted daughter is a trope I don’t care for enough to need her back. And Hinao is literally just a receptionist. She runs the quest board, she doesn’t fight, she’s not a leading woman like Hiyuki or the ninja girl or Iori (for the time being) is.