Utilizing the power of the editor itself to change the gameplay into something closer to classic RPGs, maybe closer to Live A Live, was definitely a twist I wasn't expecting but had a lot of good fun with. Every battle felt engaging in a way much different from traditional SRPGs. It was just satisfying seeing numbers fly and engaging in fast and violent battles. A stark contrast to the normally careful and calculated way I play SRPGs.
The method of grinding was fairly fulfilling too, watching the allied unit grab you treasure while you dealt with monsters was exciting in a way, and dealing with a horde of monsters kept the action going, though it did get quite repetitive very quickly. Due to the system, though, making it more interesting would be tough.
I really enjoyed the 'support' option here, as trading skills between Roland, the MC, and his friends felt very exciting, though it did lead to me breaking the game as Pursuit is an absolutely busted skill to have in a system like this, and when I gave it to my mage and archer, the game was essentially over. I utterly curbstomped the final boss, though it was still at least very satisfying to do so, so even though there was basically no difficulty once I got the right skills on the right members, it was fun all the same.
The story, however, was probably my personal highlight. You captured the theme well, the characters were all very likeable, and the twist at the end got me excited. There's nothing really exceptional or mindblowing here, but executed the story well enough that it got me interested. Having all that exposition at the end was a shock, and could have used some foreshadowing, but every tidbit, from Roland and Gwen's relationship to Perceus' stock in the events had good hooks that make the reader want to know more, which is a good thing. If this part ever got expanded upon in a larger scale creation, I'd be interested, absolutely. Your writing got a thumbs up from me.
Overall, this is probably my favourite submission so far. As of this writing, I have not yet played BTrain's submission or Tournament of Kings, but I think for me, your submission might still be my winner at the end of the day, as it's a very solid entry that just does not have many flaws. Good job.