Snow Ashes Story Zone (灰雪姫の想区)
Once upon a time, somewhere... there lived a princess who was as clean as the white snow. However, no matter how beautiful the snow is, it gets trampled over the time, mixed with mud, until it gets dyed in black. The same was for her, who carried the name of Snow White. People do not simply remain innocent forever. There will be a time when they find out. The cruel, ruthless reality. "Mirror, Mirror." she asks to the "Magic Mirror". Whenever she had a question about something she wanted to know, the "Magic Mirror" was always there to answer. But, there was something important that Snow White didn't notice. The mirror is something that gives "reflection". Just like the figure reflected there, the answer that came from there was already "something" that existed inside her...
Opening narration (13-1-1)
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The party visits a Zone that is very similar to Snow White's, with the queen ruling it with an iron fist. It is also the home world of Tim and Luisa.
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Chapters
13-1-1: "Snow Ashes" Story Zone (“灰雪姫”の想区)
13-1-2: The City Under Opression (圧制下の街)
13-1-3: Counterattack Beacon (反撃の狼煙)
13-1-4: All in the Palm of the Witch (全ては魔女の掌中)
13-1-5: (とある語り部の弟)
13-2-1: Wilhelm Grimm (ヴィルヘルム・グリム)
13-2-2: The Beast (凶獣)
13-2-3: Carrier of Disaster (災いの運び手)
13-2-4: Inescapable Evil Hands (逃げられぬ魔手)
13-2-5: Pied Piper (パイドパイパー)
13-3-1: "Hameln"'s Past (“ハーメルン”の過去)
13-3-2: Now, to the Dwarf's House (いざ、こびとの家へ)
13-3-3: Snow Ashes' Past (灰雪姫の過去)
13-3-4: Mirror, Mirror (鏡よ鏡)
13-3-6: Commencing Counterattack Operation (反撃作戦開始)
13-3-7: A Bridge to Freedom (自由への架け橋)
13-3-8: Brother and Sister (兄妹)
13-3-9: Forbidden Truth (禁断の真実)
13-3-10: (きのうはあした)
13-3-11: Craked Mask (ひび割れる仮面)
13-3-12: Shattered Chain (砕かれた鎖)
Tropes appearing in this episode:
- Accidental Pervert: We get this gem in 13-3-9. Fortunately for Revol, Magic Mirror is too much of an Emotionless Girl to retaliate, and Elena and Zwerg do not seem to notice.Magic Mirror: Uh, do not touch my ass in the midst of the confusion.Revol: No, I didn't!?
- Arc Villain: The tyrannical Snow Ashes is set up as the main antagonist at first, but it is Morrigan and Chaos Pied Piper who are pulling the strings.
- The Bus Came Back: With the exception of Sir Morte, the cast of the event "Carrier of Disaster" makes a comeback. Nirvel and Carrier of Disaster are notable in that they weren't seen in any other episode or event ever since their introduction (save for a really brief cameo for Nirvel in the 1st anniversary event).
- Everyone Has Standards: Snow Ashes is baffled about how Deus Prometheus treats other poeple as nothing more than objects. Deus just shrugs her off.
- Fighting Your Friend: In 13-2-5, Chaos Pied Piper uses his flute to forcibly make Elena and Tim connect with Shadow Morgiana and Shadow Heinrich. The party is recluntant to fight them at first, until Shane says that persuasion will not work and they must debilitate them enough to disconnect them from the Shadows.
- Flashback Within a Flashback: In 13-1-1, Ex remembers Mother Goose saying that this Story Zone could be quite different from the actual Snow White Story Zone. Then in the flashback, Mother Goose vaguely remembers Shakespeare saying that even if both this Zone and Snow White's were the same, it's themes and messages will be twisted. Shane comments that's a pretty ominous thing to say.
- Innate Night Vision: In 13-3-9, Revol's group infiltrate the fortress through a dark tunnel, with Magic Mirror taking the lead. She explains that she can detect even the faintest traces of light that humans can't normally see.Zwerg: How convenient.
- Dehumanization: While most characters treat the human-looking Magic Miror as barely more than a living object, Deus Prometheus flat says out she is nothing more than a thing that must follow orders, no questions asked.Deus Prometheus: Do not refuse, Magic Mirror... You can't do that. You may have a will, but you are still only a thing. Unlike a human being, you cannot abandon your role. When you are asked a question, you have no choice but to answer. Now, fulfill your role...
- La Résistance: Jude leads one to take down Snow Ashes, and invites the party to join after witnessing them helping a kid from being captured by soldiers. They are wary at first, until Shane and Ex comment that the Jude they met in "Carrier of Disaster" was a trustworthy person. They accept to join so they could get some more intel.
- Make an Example of Them: At the end of 13-1-1, when a soldier reports to Chaos Pied Piper about the squad's defeat by the party, he orders and pressures the soldier to execute said squad to set an example of them. After the soldier leaves, the musician ponders if he should kill that one too, until he gets interrupted by Morrigan's arrival.
- Mistaken for Spies: The episode starts off with the party landing near a fortress, which does not go unnoticed by a bunch of guards. When Revol tries to explain them they are just travelers, the soldiers don't buy it and attack the party. They even intend to kill them to get a reward from Snow Ashes for their corpses.
- Not Himself: The Wilhelm Grimm from this Zone is not him, but a projection of the Magic Mirror that he gave Reina to summon Heroes, and the Magic Mirror from this world. And Luisa connected with this leftover to help the party around disguised as Wilhelm.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: After Carrier of Disaster is killed for good in 3-1-10, Nirvel attempts to run for it but Jude intervenes and knocks her out for her trouble.
- Stay in the Kitchen: The members of Jude's resistance movement are initially upset about involving women, until Jude tells them that the girls from the party are actually pretty tough.
- The Unfought: Nirvel spends most of her screen time antagonizing the party, but she still refuses to engage in combat. Instead, she lets her minions do the fighting.
- Villain: Exit, Stage Left: In 13-3-4, after the party defeats Nirvel's monsters, she summons a Werebat and escapes by riding on it.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Nirvel is never seen again after she gets knocked out by Jude. This is her last appearance.
- You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Downplayed. Once Luisa straight up tells Deus that she's no longer his puppet anymore, he retorts that she already fulfilled her role as Chaos Hecate to fight the party, and now she can do whatever she wants, which leaves Luisa surprised. Then Deus proceeds to mock her.Deus Prometheus: Or should I say... "That's horrible, Hecate! You betrayed me! What the fuck!" What, you wanted me to pretend to be hurt? How amusing... You still want me to care about you?Luisa: You... You son of a...!
