Central Fiction Arcade Plot Discussion (spoilers)

[Mirage of Void]

What i'm interested in is how Es ended up there.

[kosmos badgirl]

7 minutes ago, Mirage of Void said:

What i'm interested in is how Es ended up there.

You and everyone.

[Mirage of Void]

Just now, kosmos badgirl said:

You and everyone.

Kind of makes you wonder if she actually ever got out of wherever she went in lost memories (aside from turning human) or if she ever got out of the boundary in Xblaze 1.

[MaximusMurkimus]

1 minute ago, Mirage of Void said:

Kind of makes you wonder if she actually ever got out of wherever she went in lost memories (aside from turning human) or if she ever got out of the boundary in Xblaze 1.

Doesn't the first XBlaze have Es sacrificing herself to remain in the Boundary? I'd assume she'd still be there somewhere.

[Zedar90]

So looking at what happened, Raquel used Phenomena  Intervention to warn Naoto, but looking at Izanami's reaction it seems like Raquel was outside the embryo.
And almost immediately Naoto was thrown to a place in Ikaruga, and when it happened he saw Es.

Now, I would guess it was Es that took Naoto away from Izanami for some reason. And does Raquel have the power to interfere with the embryo on her own? Could it be that Es was supporting Raquel's interference?
Too little known... Hope there are some answers in Act 3 and I doesn't have to wait for the console release...

[MaximusMurkimus]

As for Raquel, isn't she Rachel's "sister", created from the Embryo? I thought she was contradictory to Rachel's existence, but after learning that I don't see anything wrong with her.

[Calamitus]

She has no bones, huh.

[Luminos564]

1 hour ago, Volt said:

Man, what a mess.

There's an understatement of the decade right there. The plot hasn't so much taken a crazy turn as it instead dived head-first into it, while strapping bacon meat around its nether regions and singing the French national anthem...backwards. I feel like Mori at one point wrote a more straightforward plot, but then went out drinking with Kojima and decided to basically put the story through the shredder and then somehow weave something resembling a narrative from the freshly made confetti.

So I think we ought to compile a list of game changers we've gotten once we get the rest of the arcade up and translated (thank you Zedar and Sourenga). Personally, I think we need to hear about Haku-men, Celica, Kokonoe and maybe even Valkenhayn's runs before some of this stuff starts falling into place. The biggest problem with BB's arcade runs is that they're both canonical and also not at the same time. They're often a mere preview of the actual story that comes to consoles so I don't think Act 3 will resolve some of the plots but rather expand them.

I do find it somewhat funny in how the Nox Nyctores are suddenly uber important, where in the previous games they were more of an afterthought. Sure, they had a presence and all but this is the first time where there's a race/collect-a-thon being carried out by at least 3 parties for them all (Nine, Nu-13 and Arakune). And they each have a different purpose in mind:

-Nu-13 wants them so she can finally get inside Ragna's pants without problems have a "True Merge" with Ragna.
-Arakune apparently wants them so he can become a god. Insert your Flying Spaghetti Monster jokes here.
-Nine needs them for...probably tearing Amaterasu a new hole (not too sure if her reasons were explained or not).

If nothing else, the the climax of the story is coming. Whether it makes sense at the end or not though is a 50-50 toss-up.

[VermilionBird]

7 minutes ago, MaximusMurkimus said:

As for Raquel, isn't she Rachel's "sister", created from the Embryo?

Whether or not Raquel is actually Rachel's sister remains to be seen. Vampires aren't really vampires in this series.

I'd also like to point out something - Izanami being a Drive isn't something that could be seen as entirely new. Clavis was really an Illusionary Creature, which has an existence similar to being a Drive. Yeah, Izanami's case is more unique but I thought that'd be an interesting thing to point out.

[Shinhwa]

Do  you think the "True Merge" with Ragna will happen for Nu-13 though? I mean I don't think it will end well unless she has a change of heart or something.

[Tong]

4 minutes ago, Shinhwa said:

Do  you think the "True Merge" with Ragna will happen for Nu-13 though? I mean I don't think it will end well unless she has a change of heart or something.

Well, Mori is definitely not hyping Alpha-01 for nothing you see lol

[Luminos564]

3 minutes ago, Shinhwa said:

Do  you think the "True Merge" with Ragna will happen for Nu-13 though? I mean I don't think it will end well unless she has a change of heart or something.

Well there is Relius being ever the creeper with Lamb-chops and wanting to use her as a substitute over Nu-13 for some..."purpose". I also at one point recall Ragna's Japanese VA (Tomokazu Sugita) tease during an interview or a Bururaji segment that at some point, certain characters will "combine". But take from that what you will. It's entirely possible that whatever happens also involves all 3 Murakumo ladies (Lamb-chops, Noel/Mu-12 and Nu-13) but who knows at this point.

[Mirage of Void]

I don't really understand why Es is here in the first place, is she part of the master unit now? Does she own it? Did she become amaterasu (not the unit)?

[Ogiga99]

Hello everyone. I'm new here but all this insane plot stuff has convinced me to finally join.

One thing I'd like to add is that there is a common misconception regarding Es. As of Lost: Memories Es is not inside the Boundary. Watashi (Nine) turned her into a normal human and sent her back to the XBlaze timeline, leaving the Embryo behind to automatically maintain the Phantom Field. So Es cannot be in anyway directly connected to the current Master Unit.

Another thing that's strange is that, as far as we know, the picture of Es is flat out impossible. Es never had both the Murakumo and the Azure Eyes from having the Embryo. Es only gets the Embryo after Touya starts wielding the Murakumo and Es only takes it back after becoming separate from the Embryo. I'm not sure what this means for how Es connects to the current events although I could definitely see them bringing her in since she is Nine's first and closest friend.

 

[Mirage of Void]

9 minutes ago, Ogiga99 said:

Hello everyone. I'm new here but all this insane plot stuff has convinced me to finally join.

One thing I'd like to add is that there is a common misconception regarding Es. As of Lost: Memories Es is not inside the Boundary. Watashi (Nine) turned her into a normal human and sent her back to the XBlaze timeline, leaving the Embryo behind to automatically maintain the Phantom Field. So Es cannot be in anyway directly connected to the current Master Unit.

Another thing that's strange is that, as far as we know, the picture of Es is flat out impossible. Es never had both the Murakumo and the Azure Eyes from having the Embryo. Es only gets the Embryo after Touya starts wielding the Murakumo and Es only takes it back after becoming separate from the Embryo. I'm not sure what this means for how Es connects to the current events although I could definitely see them bringing her in since she is Nine's first and closest friend.

 

Maybe it's some kind of memory version of her?

[Zedar90]

10 minutes ago, Mirage of Void said:

Maybe it's some kind of memory version of her?

As said, Es did never have Murakumo and two azure eyes at the same time, when she had got the embryo she dropped/left Murakumo behind and Touya used it for a while. When she returned she only had one azure eyes and Murakumo during one battle. Her clothes looks like it could be her code Embryo clothes without the jacket. It's not the lost memories though, those clothes didn't have a tie.

So there are more questions about Es other then why she is there. Who is this Es? Alternative(would hate that myself) or the same one from post Lost Memories?
How much different is her new human body exactly? Can she still store an embryo in her? If she can, why does she have a new one and how did she get it?

[Mirage of Void]

Just now, Zedar90 said:

As said, Es did never have Murakumo and two azure eyes at the same time, when she had got the embryo she dropped/left Murakumo behind and Touya used it for a while. When she returned she only had one azure eyes and Murakumo during one battle. Her clothes looks like it could be her code Embryo clothes without the jacket. It's not the lost memories though, those clothes didn't have a tie.

So there are more questions about Es other then why she is there. Who is this Es? Alternative(would hate that myself) or the same one from post Lost Memories?
How much different is her new human body exactly? Can she still store an embryo in her? If she can, why does she have a new one and how did she get it?

If she was human i'd reckon that she'd die at one point, maybe she returned to the master unit (or the boundary) if that happened?

[MaximusMurkimus]

This entire thing would've worked better as a create-your-own-adventure ordeal.

I would've brought in the Investigation Team to hit Izzy with the Myriad Truths and everyone would've lived happily ever after. Except for Celica, who got shoved into the Lynchpin as intended.

[Cries in Kusoge]

Hi everyone, I finally got around to making an account here....

Anyways, I have something of a theory surrounding all of this.

So, based on a) the amount of emphasis given to Naoto's arcade b) the knowledge that XBlaze is prior to BE, and c) the events of Naoto's arcade themselves, I think we can safely say that the current Embryo is Raquel

However, the issue that seems to be outstanding with that knowledge is that Es seems to have no relevance.

After a whole lot of grasping at straws, I can only think of two reasons that Es would potentially be needed/sent to a place of relevance in Act III:

1- Es' Murakumo can serve as a substitute for the 'True Murakumo' that Nine/Nu are trying to create. The fact that Nine experienced all of Es' memories, had/has full knowledge of said Murakumo, and named the Nox as such makes me think that might be possible. This may result in Ragna becoming something he actually has control over(?) or something along those lines were it fused with him.

2- Es may have been given the Azure Eyes by the Embryo (assumedly Raquel) to serve as a substitute for Noel's(?). The only reason I really considered this possibility is because I can't see much purpose for needing two pairs, unless of course they aren't the same.

[Zedar90]

Valkenhayn
3 Naoto
6 Rachel
7 Azrael
8 Izanami

Valkenhayn is surprised that Naoto is in this world, but he asks Naoto if he knows where Rachel is. Naoto says that Valkenhayn haven changed, that before Valkenhayn tried to kill Clavis in the past.
Valkenhayn tells Naoto stop with meaningless chatter and just tell him, if Naoto doesn't he will get it out of him through force.
After the battle, Naoto says that Valkenhayn hasn't really changed one bit, and while Rachel might be dear to Valkenhayn, he should at least listen to what people are saying. And Valkenhayn tells Naoto that he knows that.

Valkenhayn finds Rachel and tells her to stop with her interference, but Rachel tells Valkenhayn that if he wants to stop her he has to do it by force.
After the battle, Valkenhayn says that hos duty is to fulfill Rachel's desire, and he'll cooperate with Rachel.

Against Azrael is the same as always, after the battle Azrael says that he had more fun then before, but it will end here for today.

Izanami says that Valkenhayn have come for the azure and grant his wish, but Valkenhayn says he doesn't need a new world. That he will get the azure and give it to Rachel.
After the battle, Izanami give Valkenhayn the azure, and says that with this perhaps he could call back Clavis.
Valkenhayn starts to get into the temptation a little, for a future where Rachel and Clavis wouldn't be gone, but the azure breaks.
Rachel comes and says that she doesn't mind since it's only a fragment of the azure.
And then she says the line from the first PV, that they have to go and that they don't have any time.

[Toxin45]

Good job so who's next

[Ogiga99]

1 hour ago, Mirage of Void said:

If she was human i'd reckon that she'd die at one point, maybe she returned to the master unit (or the boundary) if that happened?

Unlikely. Aside from touching it once and seeing the future Sechs was trying to create Es has no connection to the Master Unit. She also is completely separate from the Embryo so she would have no more reason to return to it then Hinata would.

 

34 minutes ago, Cries in Kusoge said:

Hi everyone, I finally got around to making an account here....

Anyways, I have something of a theory surrounding all of this.

So, based on a) the amount of emphasis given to Naoto's arcade b) the knowledge that XBlaze is prior to BE, and c) the events of Naoto's arcade themselves, I think we can safely say that the current Embryo is Raquel

However, the issue that seems to be outstanding with that knowledge is that Es seems to have no relevance.

After a whole lot of grasping at straws, I can only think of two reasons that Es would potentially be needed/sent to a place of relevance in Act III:

1- Es' Murakumo can serve as a substitute for the 'True Murakumo' that Nine/Nu are trying to create. The fact that Nine experienced all of Es' memories, had/has full knowledge of said Murakumo, and named the Nox as such makes me think that might be possible. This may result in Ragna becoming something he actually has control over(?) or something along those lines were it fused with him.

2- Es may have been given the Azure Eyes by the Embryo (assumedly Raquel) to serve as a substitute for Noel's(?). The only reason I really considered this possibility is because I can't see much purpose for needing two pairs, unless of course they aren't the same.

Es's Murakumo is a Legacy weapon sword, not a Murakumo Unit like Kiiro's or the Lux Sanctus so I doubt it works the same.

My guess for why she would appear would be to try and stop Nine. Es/Nobody was her closest friend and unlike Trinity or Kokonoe she hasnmt betrayed Nine. In the end of Lost: Memories Es and Watashi vow to see each other again which hints at her return. At the very least since Nine sincerely wished for Es to have a happy life it would throw a wrench in the whole "world only for Celica" thing.

[IsItWitty]

5 hours ago, Zedar90 said:

Ragna: What is going on...? Your drive is...

Wait.

Does Ragna recognize Naoto's Drive?

[Zedar90]

1 hour ago, IsItWitty said:

Wait.

Does Ragna recognize Naoto's Drive?

Seems like so, would probably know more what Ragna knows if Naoto didn't interrupt him.
Based on what Nine said in Act 1, Naoto has the same power as someone else. ("and that power... same nature? No, one can say it's the "same"")

[VermilionBird]

Maybe Nine recognises that he's using Bloodedge like Touya once did? Perhaps that's the power she recognises?