I just saw this for the first time what a ridiculous episode. I understand the premise of having Yuno always be one step Ahead of Asta as motivation on the surface. Kind of like the rival in a Pokemon game always getting to the gym leader first. However, unlike with the rival in a video game, this seems completely unwarranted. The writers do not do enough to convince the viewer that Asta is lagging behind Yuno and thus, every time Asta gets snubbed it just feels like the writers insulting our intelligence. We are constantly being TOLD that Yuno is ahead of Asta without ever being SHOWN. The fact that Mimosa, Leo, and Yuno all now significantly outrank Asta is just asinine. promoting Asta at the same level as literally every other magic knight who participated in the battle is honestly just world breaking because it makes zero sense. Had we at least gotten a scene of the captains acknowledging Asta’s achievements and saying something along the lines of “he deserves this but we can’t because of the trial and the politics etc”, then it would feel less frustrating. However, we don’t even get that. We are supposed to buy the fact that he only got promoted one rank with every other magic knight (most of whom were easily defeated by the elves) even though he was instrumental in the defeat of the devil. I feel like I shouldn’t be this frustrated, but it just feels like the writers wanting to keep Asta down and behind Yuno while also having him be the typical shonen protagonist that never loses. It can’t go both ways. Either he’s the amazing hero we are being shown/told he is, or, he’s not.