Still working my way through all these scenes. Most of the stuff is the other character thanking Rean for being Rean. And Rean being Rean, he deflects as if he really had nothing to do with it and heaps all the praise onto the other character. It's a bit formulaic at this point of the series, but I do enjoy Rean's tendency to try to find the good in others. Altina's and Ash's were particularly good though. They stood out a bit from the others. I thought it was interesting that Juna, Altina, and Alfin just invite you straight out, while you have to choose the others as Rean.
I'm scoping out these accessories, too, to figure out which ones are the best. I never cast arts with Rean, so I'm less likely to want the ones that boost those, but they'd be really good if I had made him a magic user! There are a couple that boost CP gained even over the Gladiator Belt and a couple that nullify all ailments in addition to boosting some stats, so I'm keeping an eye on those. Juna's seems pretty darn great, too!
There were only a couple of characters I couldn't max out by this point, but I wonder if I could get them there if I use them for multiple attractions. I can't tell how much each attraction boosts affection ratings. The only ones I'm missing are Musse, Celine, and Duvalie. The last one is lamentable, but I can live without the other two.
After finishing the ferris wheel at long last, I go to the Castle of Mirrors next, where there are only six options this time! I really hope Beryl turns out to be something special instead of just someone with clairvoyance that no one can explain. I think it would make things more fun in the long run. Regardless, the different fortunes turn out to be pretty neat. I think Sara's and Crow's were my favorite of this bunch. Next up is the Horror Coaster, which is another "anyone can do this" one, but thankfully, there's really nothing unique about the experience for each person and I have zero desire to play this mini-game over a dozen times, so moving on!
So now we'll move on to the cocktail mixing one. There are seven options for this one. It's a bit simplistic, but I did enjoy seeing what each character came up with here. Then we've got the sparklers, which also has seven options. And with all that out of the way, it's time to start moving things forward. In this round, I picked Altina, Laura, and Sara.
Heading back to Cassius, he tells Rean he has a letter for him from Ka-Fai. He says that Rean has reached the end of the Eight Leaves style, and he's going to serve as a stand-in for Ka-Fai as a final test. The letter says that Rean has to "conquer himself" in order to advance to the next level. Cassius pulls out a sword, which is a bit of a shock! It's not his personal sword, but it belongs to Alan Richard, who I'd forgotten was an Eight Leaves practitioner at all! Cassius says he will soon be changing his form into what Rean fears most deeply...which means he should just stay Cassius. That fight against him in Trails the 3rd was the most nerve-wracking experience in the series for me, and this might be no different...! Rean plans to demonstrate his mastery of the Seventh Form, which is the Void (X-Death would be proud). Then they repeat a form of the Persona mantra of "He is I, and I am him."
Naturally, the form Cassius takes is that of Punished Rean. I have to use all of his S-Crafts to prove my mastery of them all, and it unlocks a new S-Craft, which is pretty friggin' sweet. It's basically just a storyline fight, but it was pretty cool. Upon winning the duel, Cassius reads a scroll that says Rean has been granted the title of Divine Blade and is now permitted to take on disciples of his own. He tells Rean he will be Ka-Fai's final direct disciple, and he accepts that responsibility. Then we see all of Class VII was watching from afar, and naturally, their first order of business is to give him a new nickname. I actually kind of like Millium's suggestion of Divine Blade of Zero to go with the Seventh Form, and it kind of pairs with her being the Sword of the End.
Now it's time to see what's changed. Now Makarov and Mary are hanging out, and they finally commit to being together forever, so that was nice. Then it looks like Thomas has moved on to a new bromance, this time the one between Toval and Michael. Schmidt is looking over Franz Reinford's notebook from when he was a disciple. After watching our duel, Aurelia is fired up and challenges Bardias to a duel as well. Neithardt and Fiona are enjoying a nice dinner together. Anton finally reunites with Sharon and...doesn't totally screw it up, which is the biggest shocker of the series thus far. And he's so happy about it that he gives me an extra ticket, aw yeah. Vincent is still struggling with his feelings for Margarita, and Mint finally reunites with the rest of the Wind Orchestra. Olivert is reunited with Mueller, and their interactions are still great.
Now it's time to spend the rest of my tickets. I have just enough tickets to spend on all the romance options, looks like! After all that's done and I'm ready to move on, I get an orbmail from Claire to meet her in the wetlands. First thing Rean asks is what's with the new outfit, and Claire says it's a uniform for the Knights of Blood and Iron. Now that Operation Jormungandr has started, there's no need for the RMP, it seems. Claire apologizes for not being able to change and draws her gun on him, but Rean calls her bluff and says he hasn't given up on her yet.
Claire can't handle the idea that none of them hate her because she clearly hates herself for what she's done and what she's doing, but then Millium shows up. She says that she's still an Ironblood, so she's gotta look out for Claire. She's convinced that she and Rean will be able to get through to them. Claire and Lechter, maybe, but the others I'm not so sure about...! Claire promises she won't show any mercy next time they meet, but she says it with a smile on her face. It seems like meeting Claire here was optional, so I wonder what changes down the line if you ignore her message. It's kinda crazy how Millium has been better in the short bursts she's appeared in this game than she was in the three previous games (well, aside from taking Altina's place at the end of CS3 anyway, that's definitely her best moment)!
After ending the free time, Rean heads to the wharf and happens to overhear a conversation between Olivert and Schera. I notice in the list of all the people Olivert says have supported him, Cedric is conspicuously absent from it...! Then he proposes to Schera and I assume she says yes, but we don't hear her response! Now it's time for Rean's choice! I wasn't expecting Rean to teacher-zone Juna, that was great. Alfin's was honestly kind of cute. I'd be okay with her being the canon over Alisa, at least! But after watching Alisa's scene, it feels pretty clear what they want the canon couple to be! Altina's VA absolutely nailed her scene. Fie's "Get a clue" line delivery was excellent, too, and we learn her birthday is August 31st! Sara's was all right, really nothing special. Emma's was cute, but there can only be one. There's always only been one, and that's Laura.
