As one might expect with these types of character reveals, there are spoilers for the previous game that are openly discussed within this information.
Read on for the details.
Characters
Elise Schwarzer (voiced by Saori Gotou)
Age: 15
Weapon: Rapier
“If my brother is going to trudge on forward, then it’s my job as his sister to make sure his back is covered.”
Elise is what would be considered Rean’s younger sister in-law and is the oldest daughter in the Schwarzer family of barons. A tidy young woman with a calm disposition, she attends the same school as Princess Alfin, St. Astoria Girl’s Academy, where the two are close friends. In spite of their lack of blood relations, Elise’s affections for Rean run deeper than a typical sibling relationship. Indeed, after Rean lost his way, she paid him visits at the military academy all by herself and occasionally acted audaciously, all in an attempt to get him back on his feet. As the civil war heats up, Elise, sensing Rean’s sentiments towards Class VII, takes up the sword for him so he can be on the path that on which he should be.
Celine (voiced by Mai Aizawa)
“You were chosen by part of your ‘great power,’ you know.”
Celine is a black cat that Emma smuggled in when she first entered the military academy. An elegant creature sporting beautiful fur, for reasons unknown, she can speak in human tongues. In actuality, she isn’t Emma’s cat, but rather an overseer of sorts, one who appeared before Rean from time to time to test whether he had what it took to become a Riser for Knight Spirits. In the previous game, she and Rean hopped on board the Ashen Knight Spirit Valimar and engaged in a major fight with the Blue Knight Spirit Oldine, only to be utterly defeated by it. Sensing imminent danger, she ordered Valimar to withdraw from the battlefield against Rean’s wishes.
Terminology Review
Valimar, the Ashen Knight Spirit (voiced by Daisuke Matsubara)
Valimar is a manned weapon that was sealed under Thors Military Academy’s former school building. Thought to be made around the beginning of the Dark Age, its beautiful craftsmanship makes its design stand out in comparison to some of its contemporaries such as Orbal weapons and Ouroboros’ own puppet weapons. By forming an agreement with a Riser, it can exhibit power that far surpasses that of conventional Orbal weapons, but how many functions it has remains unknown, with more questions than answers surrounding it. Aside from Valimar, there are believed to be other variations like it such as the previously-mentioned Blue Knight Spirit Oldine.
Panzers
Panzers are a type of manned puppet weapon designed in secret by Reinford Industry Group’s Research and Development Group 5 based on an unknown person’s blueprints. Superb for both calvary purposes as well as more general uses, the Blue Knight Spirit Oldine was used as a reference point and measures seven meters tall. During the takeover of the imperial capital, the Panzers were put into use by the aristocrats’ forces as a trump card and subsequently managed to overwhelm the military’s main tank, Ahatsen. They then managed to render the armored division powerless in an instant, culminating in a major win for their opposition.
New Gameplay Systems
Knight Spirit Battles
When fighting against special enemies like Panzers, you’ll enter what’s called a “Knight Spirit Battle.” During such fights, you’ll have the opportunity to target specific parts on the enemy, such as their head or arms. Should you hit a weak point, there’s a high chance you’ll make them stagger, enabling you to perform a follow up attack. Conversely, if you hit an area that isn’t a weak point, the enemy may guard or even deal out a counter attack of their own. Additionally, you can attack by using Crafts that don’t require a specific body part to be targeted. One such example is “Zangetsu,” which raises the evasion counter to 100 percent until the next turn.
Partner System
By bringing aboard a partner to handle Valimar’s subsystems while Rean focuses on piloting the main body, you can access special commands such as “EX Arts,” “Charge,” and “Spirit Energy.” EX Arts are strong offensive Arts that Valimar can execute, with the specific options changing depending on who you’ve selected as your partner. Picking Sara as your partner, for instance, grants you Narukami, a lightning attack that also reduces the enemy’s attack power and speed for several turns. The Charge option, meanwhile, lets you restore EP by absorbing energy from the earth. Finally, Spirit Energy uses up that same EP, in turn restoring Valimar’s HP and CP.
Knight Spirit Summon
Valimar can be used in Sen no Kiseki II not only in Spirit Knight Battles, but also in normal ones as well. This is done by having Rean learn and subsequently use the “Spirit Knight Summon” Craft, which will then bring Valimar into the fray. While conditions are imposed upon its use such as a once-per-battle limit and a 200 CP cost, Valimar is naturally a powerful ally to bring to your side who can quickly do away with average enemies with its regular attacks. When used wisely, Valimar can offer great tactical options during combat.