Still wandering around Bryonia Island. We reach an old rope ladder, and apparently Fie and Rean are too worried about the fact that the rope is fraying for us to try to climb the ten feet down toward the old lodge. Come on, guys, seriously? That's what we're resorting to now? We find a mechanism for a monument that's already been activated, but it doesn't do anything here. I guess that's from CS3? Anyway, we find a Trial Chest for Laura and Fie, which is no problem for their Brave Orders and powers up Fie's as a result. We keep getting barred from fully exploring the island, which is lame.
Eventually we trigger a cutscene where all of Class VII doesn't think it can handle a few dragons, so Rean suggests unleashing his power as a Sacrifice. He thinks he can control it as long as they're around to keep him in check. It might negatively affect his body, but he'll still have full control of his mind. Apparently, this is something Rean will only be allowed to use when all of Class VII is together. How it works in battle is that Rean's crafts are improved for three turns but then he basically goes into a berserk state. There's a 30% chance of returning to normal each turn, but it can be undone with an item or art that removes all ailments. It's neat being able to access Rean's higher level crafts, but the 100 CP cost is kinda lame without some sort of CP raising accessory. I do have a few of them though, so I guess I can switch one of those over to him.
We're finally able to get to the lodge, and we get some cool banter about the field exercises from CS1 and visiting here in CS3 after meeting "Professor Lughman" with Millium being held captive. Eventually we reach the Sol Shrine, and they remind me that this shrine appeared because we activated those landmarks I found earlier combined with the power of Emma's pendant. It looks different inside than it did last time. Gaius says the spirit veins have been activated, likely because of these Rivalries. There isn't much to the place, and I can see on the map that there are two people at the end.
Naturally, it's Crow and Duvalie. He offers to launch straight into telling us everything he knows about the Rivalries. Juna has a great meta line when she's surprised that there's no warm-up monologue beforehand. Rean says he can feel a tension, not just inside of him but in the world itself. Simply put, the Rivalries are a struggle for power. They're deathmatches between Divine Knights, which is pretty much what I figured. Emma says she saw the parallels with what Vita was attempting in CS2. Celine says that the experiments Ouroboros conducted with the three Aions in CS3 was their attempt to see if the Rivalries could be artificially reproduced.
Crow says that Vita's been searching for ages for a way to keep the curse of the Great One in check. The previous clashes between Divine Knights have been exhibitions preparing the way for the real thing. Orbal technology brought humanity to the point where they could conceivably destroy the world with its weaponry, and that was apparently a condition to trigger the Rivalry of the Seven. It's not the cause of the world's end, but rather it's a result of it. Gaius says the world is like a crucible with the Great Twilight as the kindling and war as the bellows that stoke the flame. As the Divine Knights fight to the death, they melt into each other in these flames until the seven become one once again.
Crow decides there's no time like the present. Since the war hasn't officially started yet, they might be able to derail the Gnomes' plans by getting a head start on them. Once the Empire begins its attack on the Republic, Rean would have no choice but to engage in the Rivalries because of his role as the Sacrifice. Crow says he'd either go berserk or his memories would get sealed away, effectively transforming him into a mindless puppet. As such, Rean sees Crow's point and accepts his challenge to give himself a chance to succeed or fail on his own merit.
Duvalie says that the stage has to be properly set first, so I have to pick three allies to help. Crow says the circumstances are not perfect, but it's close enough for what they need to do. I decide to roll with Altina, Juna, and Kurt. This song is a banger, by the way. I focus on getting rid of Duvalie first since she has less HP, and Crow's Eye of Balor sucks balls since it has a chance of insta-KO. This fight wouldn't have been too bad without the constant need to revive party members! Either way, we eventually prevail and get a good bit of experience for it.
Now it's time for a Divine Knight battle, and we actually get to hear Ordine's voice, which is cool. I can't remember if we ever heard it before this, but still! Before the battle starts, Rean asks if the Rivalries is a battle between Divine Knights, what does that mean for the Awakeners? Rean doesn't know what'll happen to him since he's also a Sacrifice, but Crow is only alive because of the curse. In classic Crow fashion, he artfully sidesteps the question, but he says he's already dead anyway, so it wouldn't bother him if Rean put him out of his misery. In classic Rean fashion, he takes the time to reassure Crow that he'll always be his friend, rival, and member of Class VII before the fight starts. I bring along Sara as my partner for this one for the speed and strength boosts. I dunno what it is about Divine Knight battles, but they're just fun. I guess it's the atmosphere and the stakes attached.
After the fight, Ordine's essence gets absorbed into Valimar, and that means it's the end for Crow again, even though he technically wasn't wounded as badly as he was in CS2. Each Rivalry will bring us closer to the root of the curse. Crow apologizes for making Class VII go through this a second time, but at least he can live on through Rean this time. As a last request, he asks them to knock some sense into Angelica, but they refuse to give up on him. Rean won't let Crow take the easy way out and uses Valimar to reverse the flow of the mana back into Ordine because he won't be responsible for his death. Then they have a bromantic hug and even Millium tells Crow that they aren't quitters. I'm not sure what all this means for the Rivalries if the Divine Knights don't absorb each other, but whatever, Trails doesn't kill people off that easily!
Suddenly we skip ahead to Rean waking up in the lodge, and he's apparently been passed out for about six hours. Crow's in the bed next to his, and Kurt asks Emma what the heck happened there. She can only guess, but she thinks Valimar turned Ordine into a servant of sorts. It's not what the Dark Dragon did to those Calvardians in CS3, but it's more of a spiritual link, like what Emma has with Celine or Altina has with Claiomh Solais. It's basically a lord/retainer situation, and it extends to the Awakeners as well.
Even Crow is ready to, well, eat crow and accede to Rean's request to rejoin Class VII. To the victor go the spoils and all that. He's living on borrowed time as it is anyway with the Great Twilight. This hasn't changed his fate. It's only postponed it for a bit. Rean says that as long as Crow is still here, he won't give up on him. Just having him back with Class VII is good enough for now. Then Laura raises the obvious question of what Duvalie plans to do now, but she won't say anything other than she plans on going her own way. They call her out on the fact that she really has no one to turn to right now, and Crow invites her to join him. Laura says this doesn't have to be permanent, and Musse tempts her by saying Arianrhod will be involved in the Rivalries as well, so this is her chance to learn more about what she's up to. Duvalie reluctantly decides to join temporarily but makes sure we understand that we are not friends.
