>>4104523It hurts twice as much because Hikari has, over the past 10 episodes, grown into her role as a frontline Witch. She has earned the respect of her superiors (Rossman) and her comrades (Kanno). The team has a rhythm and Hikari plays an important part in that rhythm.
But then Takami shows up, the Ace of Aces, and suddenly all of that progression is quashed. Hikari is back to being a tender recruit fit only for rear area duty. Her sister had seen nothing of Hikari's growth. She saw the little imouto, not the battle-proven Witch.
Hikari earned her spot on the 502nd. She paid for it with blood, sweat, tears, and results.
