I thought it was more interesting that the Paragon (Ascian) told Ifrit to "spare us" if he ran into "godless blessed" ones.

Anyway, near the end of the 2.1 story Elidibus had some interesting things to say about the Echo:

Elidibus: "The gift grants you clarity; it grants you focus. With it, you may in time come to see us as we are, rather than this crude approximation."
Minfilia: "Lahabrea did not think so highly of the Echo."
Elidibus: "Lahabrea is wrong about a great many things. The Echo is indeed a gift─albeit one you have yet to master."
Minfilia: "And if we did?"
Elidibus: "There would be no strife between our peoples─for we would be of one mind."
I want to know what's so special about the Echo that once we have mastery over it will grant us such clarity that Elidibus thinks we will want to live in harmony with the Ascians. Will we see them as they truly are (the 1.0 images of them looking like a grim reaper of sorts) and we will be so fearful of them that we will submit to them and their God? (that hardly seems "of one mind") Is Hydaelyn something other than a benevolent deity?

Too many questions. The story still has a long way to go.