As preparations are made for the summit of the three countries to decide on the course of action, I am treated to some really cool and truly original scenes with Asch returning to the manor.
The hero, his "evil twin", and their parents, all alive and hanging out, albeit awkwardly? This defies all the cliches! All of them. And both Luke and Asch denounce the stupid idea of heroically sacrificing themselves! What a stunning defiance of JRPG tradition.
...and not 5 minutes later, Asch seems to be on his way to kill himself after all, with the replicas being the Seventh Fonon sacrifice, as expected. Dang!