Nice work guys!
I like that Zodd was fighting on the front lines with the rest of the Apostles. I think the point of it is that he isn't acting like a "warrior," but just another one of Griffith's War Demons. If you look back, he hasn't really been doing his "own thing" since he showed up at the Tower of Conviction to bow to Griffith. He still wants to fight Skull Knight and Guts, but he has always been executing Griffith's orders since he first joined him. Based on the prophecy given to him by Sonia, I think the major conflict of his story is meant to be that of "beast vs warrior," and it will be interesting to see how Miura explores that conflict in the future.
As for Irvine's supposed absence, couldn't he have just been leading the company of archers which saved Mule? That was what I assumed anyway. We don't see Locus either, but he could possibly be leading a division of cavalry that will show up in the next episode (although I do like the idea of him being Griffith's right-hand man taking care of things in Falconia in his absence). And as for Rakshas, maybe he was given a temporary prison sentence for either his failure to kill Rickert (if he was ordered to do so) or his making a scene in the middle of the city. I don't imagine he would be let off easily for his reckless actions that could nearly have destroyed the trust Falconia now has in the Apostles.
The purpose of this switch from Guts and Casca to Griffith and the Band of the Falcon will likely be to set up the next major step of Griffith's plans, and I think we will get a glimpse of that within the next episode or so after we learn the true context of this battle/campaign. Afterwards, I expect Griffith's coronation will be the perfect time for a declaration to his new subjects in which he lays out the full scope of what he intends to do next (and I do think we will be getting the wedding and coronation).
If I could head into heavily speculative territory, then I would say that maybe this will be a declaration of war against astral creatures with the purpose of rebuilding human civilization. And if I'm feeling extra speculative, maybe this could eventually tie into Guts and Casca's story on Skellig as the island has to prepare for the looming threat of Falconia. Maybe even culminating in a battle between the Band of the Falcon and Elfhelm? I know this has been speculated before, but with this change in location combined with the way time flows on Skellig, I can see the possibility of it becoming more likely. It would be interesting to see Guts and the party assisting Casca in dealing with her trauma all the while knowing that the source of that trauma is on its way to Skellig and preparing for the coming battle. It would be an interesting conclusion to the Elf Island Chapter.
While we're on the subject of speculation, this sequence of episodes would probably be the best time for us to be granted some elaboration on what the deal is with the other God Hand after the Blast of the Astral World. Can they manifest themselves completely now, or do they still exist as a "large body of thought," only now capable of more directly interacting with the world? If the cherry tree on Skellig is indeed one of the last Spirit Trees in the world(if not the last), then it has to do something once it is burned down. And since it is protected by an entire island of magic users and the Elf Sovereign herself, you would think that this tree is a bit more special than the others (if it is a Spirit Tree of course).
