Highlights

Witness the tragic demise of Rose's squad in The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic, shaking viewers with its brutal reality.
Rose's past trauma shapes her present as she shifts focus to saving lives, forming the Rescue Team to protect soldiers.
Aul's sacrifice for Rose leaves a permanent scar, leading to the completion of the Rescue Team in the upcoming arc.

Warning: The following contains spoilers for The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic, Episode 9, "The End and The Beginning," now streaming on Crunchyroll.

The previous episode of The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic delved into the events of five years prior, revealing the fate of Rose’s previous squad. The current episode has completed this two-episode arc, and that too, with a sorrowful conclusion. The demise of Rose’s squad was eventual, but the brutality of it all is something that has thrown viewers for a loop.

However, the purpose of the episode wasn’t just to showcase the unnerving demise of the entire squad. Instead, it shed light on the events that triggered a significant shift in Rose’s disposition, something that is all too apparent in her current persona. This change runs deeper than a mere personality switch, as it is apparent in the way she has formed her current Rescue Squad.

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These worlds have proven to be the most difficult to survive in; each series' protagonist faces a formidable challenge.

Fighting the Undead Demons

In the flashback depicting the events of five years prior, Rose and her squad had to go up against Nero Argence and his demonic followers. While the battle initially seemed in favor of the humans, things quickly went south after Nero revealed the power of his curse. His powers put his fallen demons into a trance-like state, where they almost became immune to magic and regained all their strength.

With this replenished strength, the demons were able to take on Rose’s squad members by surprise, killing them off one-by-one. However, this power came at a cost, as the demons killed themselves in the process. The entire ordeal was rather horrific, yet it showcased the depravity of the demons and their intent of stopping at nothing to achieve their end goal.

The Fallen Soldiers

The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic Fallen Soldiers

Despite initially having the upper hand, Rose’s followers quickly fall victim to the demon’s undead antics. The show vividly depicted the brutal death of each member, giving the entire scene a sense of realism. The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic went an extra mile by depicting the gory details of their deaths, giving the episode an extremely grim tone.

With each fallen soldier, Rose’s focus waned, something that Nero took full advantage of. By striking her with his magic dissipating cursed blade, Rose’s healing was entirely nullified, meaning she couldn’t save her wounded subordinates. The last of her men fell, all while begging her to heal them with her healing magic. Rose desperately watched on in horror, failing to come to the aid of her dying subordinates.

Aul’s Sacrifice For Rose

With Rose distraught, Nero tried to strike her down, yet she was saved at the very last moment by her Deputy Commander, Aul. The sight of Aul’s lifeless body sent Rose into a bloodrage, which led to Nero almost dying at the hands of the vengeful healer.

I don't... regret what I did. It was an honor... to have fought for you.

Aul's loss was surely the most profound for Rose, as she sacrificed herself to save Rose's life. Rose desperately tried to save her subordinate, but Nero's magic dissipating curse barred her from saving Aul's life. Her last words are sure to have been engraved in her heart, leaving a permanent scar that can never be healed.

How Rose's Past Shaped Her Present

The trauma of losing one's entire unit right before their very eyes is unimaginable, yet Rose had to power through the sight of her comrades helplessly falling to their deaths. This incident changed her entire outlook on life, and it becomes apparent in the way she has dealt with her new Rescue Team.

Rose Talking to Usato in The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic

The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic Defies Another Common Isekai Trope

By deviating from the usual escapist fantasies of Isekai anime, the series has defied another one of this genre's formulaic tropes.

Rose trained her original unit to fight, but that led to their eventual demise on the battlefield. To prevent such an atrocity from occurring again, Rose pivoted to an entirely new direction. Instead of training her men to fight, Rose taught them to survive and save everyone around them from the clutches of death. Her shift in perspective is what gave birth to the Rescue Team, as Rose began to focus more on saving soldiers rather than killing more demons.

The Formation of the Rescue Team

The Rescue Team's formation is a direct result of this incident, as seeing her own healing fail at the last moment made her realize the need for a unit dedicated to saving lives. With this idea, Rose planned on recruiting five men and two healers, intending to create a healing sanctuary behind the front lines. However, there was one missing piece in her plan — another healer like her that could heal the wounded on the battlefield.

You are the healer with all the qualities I've been looking for. You've managed to do things that only I've been able to. You'll survive. I'm sure of it.

With Usato joining their ranks, the Rescue Team that Rose had initially imagined has finally been completed. With the two-episode flashback arc over, fans have more insight into the motives of both sides, adding depth to the imminent war. The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic's narrative is about to get bumpy, especially with the Demon Lord's invasion being right around the corner.