Shu: Are you really just a Reyvateil? You can't be a Third Generation
Mir: I never said I was a Third Generation, I'm a Pureblooded Beta-type.
Shu: What!? ...A Beta? The legendary one!?
Mir: I'm the last of the Pureblooded Beta-types that were created, oh, about 400 years ago. In certain areas, I can even surpass the skills of Reyvateil Origins like Frelia.
Shu: Wh-what!? How?
Mir: Plus, I destroyed the world once. But, it was a faraway world, so it doesn't even matter to you guys here.
Mir: I never said I was a Third Generation, I'm a Pureblooded Beta-type.
Shu: What!? ...A Beta? The legendary one!?
Mir: I'm the last of the Pureblooded Beta-types that were created, oh, about 400 years ago. In certain areas, I can even surpass the skills of Reyvateil Origins like Frelia.
Shu: Wh-what!? How?
Mir: Plus, I destroyed the world once. But, it was a faraway world, so it doesn't even matter to you guys here.
In the expansive world of EXA_PICO, behind the light-hearted visuals are serious tales with magnificent individuals weaving the narrative with their cunning and charisma.
All spoilers are unmarked. You Have Been Warned!
Surge Concerto prequel series
- Ciel nosurge: Renall Tartalka is the head of PLASMA and daughter of Tenmon's leader Revelt, who contrasts her monstrous father by using manipulation for the greater good. As Ion's only friend when she first arrived to Ra Ciela, Renall intends to use her to overthrow her father, allowing her be experimented on and betraying her when she attempts to escape, all the while being conflicted with guilt. When Ion was presented as an Empress candidate, Renall set her up to win, subtly leading her to danger so she can perform miracles. When Ion began breaking off from Tenmon, Renall acted as an enemy leading PLASMA, until she launched a coup d'etat on her father, taking over while he's arrested. When Revelt retaliates and dooms Ra Ciela, Renall atones for his actions by helping with the Grand Phoenix plan, assisting Ion and making sure the Soleil launches even if it meant being left behind. Returning in Ar Nosurge, Renall is brainwashed by the Other Player as a servant, but after being freed by Ion, she guides and lays out the Planet Regeneration Plan, even pretending to betray Nay and steals a song from the Other Player to stop them. Though dubious in action, Renall is truly fighting for a better future.
Ar Tonelico trilogy & related works
- Melody of Elemia:
- The Mother Virus, Mir Teiwaz Ar Tonelico was made to be a weapon as the most powerful Reyvateil, but after seeing them murder someone she loved, Mir went to war, driving humanity to brink of destruction before being sealed away by Shurelia and Tastalia. Resurfacing during the events of the game, Mir in her hundreds of year stasis prepared for the same acts that thwarted her before, overwhelming Platine and manipulating Bourd and Fals. Not short of back-up plans, Mir sent a virus disguised as a Teru name Ayatane to be a double agent to hijack Shurelia in case they managed to stop her, nearly victorious until being stopped by Shurelia's Heroic Sacrifice and later changing after Lyner showed he understand her anger. Returning in the 2nd game as an Anti-Hero under the name Jacqli, Mir used the Grand Bell to get the Heart of the Land for a plan to save the planet Ar Ciel, and later assists the heroes with her intelligence even outplays Infel in a quest to redeem herself from her sins as the Mother Virus. A respectable adversary later ally, Mir has cemented herself as one most impressive individuals in the series.
- Ayatane Michitaka first shows himself as a kind Teru warrior assigned to be Lyner's partner and Shurelia's protector but in actuality is a spy who would later find himself working for his own wishes. Ayatane is actually a Virus and Mir's son sent by his mother to get close and hijack Shurelia while eliminating those intending to use her. Gaining their trust after stopping Bourd and Falss and the Viruses, Ayatane unleashed his trap, successfully hijacking Shurelia for Mir, becoming her main enforcer in taking over the tower, even sabotaging their main weapon EXEC_CHRONICLE_KEY and nearly leading them to victory. However, while fighting Ayatane, he slowly regrets his decision growing fond of Lyner and his group, ultimately turning on his mother before working with Lyner to stop Mir, but making sure to spare her, becoming a vital role in the final battle before peacefully returning to his mother side satisfied with how it ended.
- Melody of Metafalica:
- Infel, the Original Maiden of Mio, was a brilliant scientist turned Fallen Heroine. The leading mind of the Infel Phira project, Infel, alongside Nenesha, were behind the designs and hymn of summoning Metafalica, though this failed due to humanity's selfishness, with Nenesha murdered by Raki and Infel wage war and won against Raki and the Goddess' army. Blamed for all the tragedies, Infel was isolated and fell into despair and formed a warped view on happiness. When she learned a way to reunite with Nenesha, Infel left her physical body and set-up EXEC_HIBERNATION so she could return, in the mean time residing inside Cloche's mind. Returning after the Sacred Army executed EXEC_HIBERNATION, Infel began planning with a revived Nenesha for "Sublimation", hijacking Frelia and Luca and mind-controlling Raki to eliminate any threats. When they are found out by Mir, the duo reveal their plan and made a bet with the heroes, if they can beat them they would allow them to try sing Metafalica, but if they lose they must submit to Sublimation. Losing Nenesha after the battle, Infel forfeited and allowed them to continue, using her final moments to support Cloche when she faltered, satisfied with her greatest legacy finally accomplished.
- Chester Lu Whinoah was once part of the peaceful Teru clan, but after the Grand Bell invaded his home, kidnapping his girlfriend and turning her into a tool for their I.P.D cultivation plans, he became jaded and worked with their rivals, the Sacred Army, to defeat them and achieve his twisted view of paradise. Due to his former ties with the Grand Bell as a scientist, Chester became a valuable source for the Sacred Army in their fight against them, becoming one of their leaders. After discovering Luca's the true Holy Maiden and having Amarie confirm it for him, he staged a coup, proclaiming Luca's inheritance to the public and gaining more leverage which ended with the fall of the Grand Bell after having the party eliminate Alfman. Now the ruling party, Chester and Targana unleash their EXEC_HIBERANTION in hopes of being with Sonya forever, but when that failed thanks to Targana's arrogance and Luca's courage, Chester loses his will to live, only for Amarie to bring him back from the edge and getting him to believe in and help the party create Metafalica, with his efforts valuable in achieving as his way for penance.
- Spica Neal the self-proclaimed "Queen of the Underworld" is a brilliant schemer as one of the world's best informant, blackmailer, and black marketer. Appearing in the first game, Spica seems like a normal shopkeeper but is secretly an informant and underground dealer helping Misha and Lyner. Encountering Mir one day, she befriended and joined her in her journey to Sol Marta for her own ambitions, even helping stabilize the Sacred Army, by masterminding a plan to empower Targana's image, while secretly having him and his group under her thumb, having them line her information web and pockets to fund her pharmacy to create powerful medicine so she can use them as test subjects and then use Mir's connection with the Grandbell to secure herself with both sides. Now in the second game having secured her position including keeping Mir in line with blackmail, she helps assist the party by synthesizing chemicals to help, and later on masterminds the creations of the Ultimate Weapons using Mir's writing all the while alluding to her more dubious acts behind close doors.
- Therapist Luca, the Luca of the 5th Level Cosmosphere, represents Luca's Dive Therapy skills and her ability to control and cultivate her clients to establish shallow relationships. Setting up her Cosmosphere not to access, when Witch Luca interferes and helps Croix get in her level, Therapist Luca ambushes the duo, capturing Witch Luca and using her as an ultimatum for Croix to play her game. Conjuring up a fake Cocona and Cloche and setting up a game, Croix wasn't aware she was using this to observe him, and depending on his choices, she tailored a particular method to sublimate him from going further which would've succeeded if it weren't for the intervention of Child Luca and when Croix was able to free Witch Luca and collapse this stratum, Therapist Luca attempts to appeal to Croix one last time. Warning him how suspicious Witch Luca is and that the future levels will be even more dangerous, she tells Croix that unless he's ready to risk his life and continue to love Luca, he should stop and whether he does or not, Luca ends satisfied with the result, either remaining friends or trusting Croix to help her.
- Demon Cloche is the owner of Cloche's 7th Level Cosmosphere and the embodiment of her self-destructive tendency and inner anarchy. Planning to collapse Cloche's mind to drive her into madness as her twisted way to save her from her pain and fear, Demon Cloche invaded the lower levels to help cause their destruction, taking the form of Luca to break her other sides by manipulating and exploiting their weaknesses. Seemingly winning after breaking Cloche's ego by revealing herself a part of Cloche, when Croix's hope end up restoring her other selves, Demon Cloche plans to torture and kill him as the final nail to destroy Cloche's psyche for good, only stopping when Croix manages to convince her to give him a chance to save Cloche. Though cruel, Demon Cloche is ultimately a twisted side who just wants to give her full self a sense of mercy even if it means using hellish methods.
- Knell of Ar Ciel:
- Soma the Will of Violence and Catastrophes is delegated by Ar Ciel to maintain the balance of nature, as a figure of death and destruction. Accompanying Ar Ru to the surface world as her bodyguard by occupying the body of Finnel, Soma found herself among the ranks of Clustania as an assassin, becoming Clustania's deadliest killer. Growing fond of Finnel, when she realized she was slowly dying and the only way to save her was to take her back to Harvestasha, she forced her by using her love for Aoto and then forcefully possesses her to make Cocona make a deal to save her. When Soma learned Harvestasha and Luphan were going to sacrifice Finnel to summon Ar Ru, Soma fully changes sides and fights to protect her, even going as far as to support Aoto in Finnel's Cosmosphere to free her from their influence. A Professional Killer, Soma will do whatever it takes to see her duty through and protect those she cares about.
- Ever since she was born, Akane was destined for greatness, becoming the Supreme Commander of the Clustania Army at the age of fifteen and led them to a new era. A cold and calculating woman, Akane is such a capable general that she seems unstoppable, invading most of humanity's lands, countering the Great Fangs, and capturing the party and her predecessor Richa by deactivating her nation's defenses to lure them to a trap. However underneath her iron mask is a principled woman and when she learned Harvestasha and Luphan were planning to sacrifice Finnel to create a twisted world, she turns on them and allies with her to restore the world, playing a vital role in resurrecting Tyria. Now the new leader of Clustania, Akane uses her nation's full support to assist the party and unite with the other nations to fix the mistakes Clustania made in the past.
- Ar Tonelico Encyclopedia 2: The original Ayatane Michitaka was a member of the prestigious Ayatane Clan in Sol Cluster dedicated to the family's goal of purging all of humanity for the Reyvatails and Ar Ciel. After his family took over the region, their next course of action was to restore Ar Ciel, requiring a Reyvateil from another region. Leading the search team, Ayatane saw the horrors of how the land treats Reyvateil, reaffirming his family's genocidal goals. Infiltrating Mir's experimental team and realizing Mir was the Reyvateil they were looking for, Ayatane worked to win her trust, while slowly getting her to turn on humans. During the day when Mir was forced into a life-threatening experiment, Ayatane revealed himself to save her. While fighting valiantly Ayatane ultimately failed to escape with Mir, and in his last moments apologized and asked her not to use her power for humanity, becoming the catalyst of Mir's vengeful crusade and causing the tragedies of the next 400 years.
