[Mesnick]

Wow, what an episode! Like the 10th, this is essentially one big fight scene, but so much happened during it. At the beginning, Houtarou showed off his friendship with the Chemies, but things quickly took a turn for the worse. We were right that Shiori joined the Abyssal Sisters of her own free will, but they clearly do not consider her an equal. Although, it is quite possible that Atropos can also easily get rid of Clotho and Lachesis, these two are just useful for now.
As for the Dread, he is sinister and threatening. Essentially, he combines the power of Valvarad and the creativity of Gotchard, and therefore easily defeats them both. Although, Hotaro still lasted noticeably longer.
The beatings are brutal and any attempt to resist is mercilessly interrupted. Now I understand what Atropos meant when she spoke of falling into the abyss of despair. But the light of hope has not yet gone out and the audience is made to understand that Sabimaru can be saved.
Also: Kugimiya just watched the battle without interfering? Well, at least it looks like he's ready to recognize Houtarou as worthy once he gets level ten power.
Also: I don't quite understand Spanner's claims at the end. After all, he himself took part in the fight and did not particularly distinguish himself. Or does he think he could have done a better job with the belt? But we weren’t really shown how and in what ways Valvarad is inferior to the Riders.
As for the awareness of mortality... Don't forget that Hotaro and other teenagers. It is at this age that one begins to understand what death is, its inevitability and, in some cases, that it can happen much earlier and completely unexpectedly. It can be unsettling, especially after a terrible beating. Also, as far as I remember, no one had died before Houtarou’s eyes. Even Clotho's thugs didn't show their worst sides in front of the alchemists. So nothing unusual.
P.S. I liked that Minato acted like a teacher, saying that children have no place in war, and let adult alchemists deal with the sisters. But the preview of the next episode shows that Kajiki will be involved in the capture of the UFO-X. I wonder if his memory will be erased again after this? Poor fellow!