The official Dissidia 012 [Duodecim] website has been updated with more content.

New links on the main page lead to “Final Fantasy A Historical Compendium” (presently only has Final Fantasy I viewable), and both websites for Dissidia and Dissidia Universal Tuning, it also features a “What’s New” window. There is also a small icon to the left side of the site, which is features a beginners tutorial.

Site now features Story, Characters, System (disabled for now), Movie, Message (currently disabled) DLC, and Information sections.

The Character section features Kain Highwind, Lightning, Warrior of Light, and Garland. Interestingly 2D artwork is used for each character as per the original Dissidia website, instead of 3D renders which were used for the Universal Tuning site.

The movie section now features the longer trailer, which was previously shown in the closed private area at TGS 2010.

The DLC (Downloadable Content) section shows both Lightning’s Aya costume along with Cloud’s Kingdom Hearts I outfit (both 3D renders).

Below are translations for the two character profiles for Kain, and Lightning.

A knight, spear at the ready and clad in armor modelled on a dragon–
Kain Highwind

Though he keeps his feelings inside, he is a righteous and compassionate man. With his grace with a lance and mastery of aerial combat, he uses his high level of mobility to leave his opponents at his mercy.

Battle Concept
Position Maker

Free reign of the air puts him at an advantage over his foe. By using △ [Triangle] button to cancel the moment your guard is down post-attack, he can close the distance between him and his foe to bring the fight into close quarters.

A warrioress who bears a second name–
Lightning

Her harsh tounge and down-to-earth mindset can make her appear cold, but inside she is a kind-hearted person. Using a balanced mix of sword attacks and magic, she can change her fighting style in battle with her Paradigm Shift.

Battle Concept
“Paradigm Commander”

Making use of three separate roles, “Commando”, “Ravager”, and “Medic”, she can switch between long and short range attacks.
__________

Credits where credits are due:

On the Way to a Smile Audiobooks

Written by Kazushige Nojima
Original Translations, LH Yeung “Xcomp”
Narrated by Ryushikaze

Aerith - rinrin0rikuriku
Cloud - strykinglight
Tifa – Christina McBride / AnimazingGamerGirl
Barret - psylentknight
Sephiroth - RemovableAspirations
Cid – Twistedpuppet
Yuffie - Mizura
Vincent - danyetman
Red XIII/Nanaki – Joseph Vitaliano
Reeve – ConVito

(Temporary Note: This is NOT an April Fool’s Day joke).

Final Fantasy Seven’s love triangle debate has been raging for the better part of twelve years now, and caused no end of interfandom tensions. For those of you unfamiliar with the whole debacle, I first congratulate you on your luck in remaining free, and I next explain that it is the debate over which of Tifa or Aerith Cloud Strife loves. Many a year, and countless hypotheses have been spent trying to argue that Cloud and Tifa are not a couple despite all the best evidence, and that Cloud and Aerith have a relationship despite the latter’s unfortunate condition. For some time, the love triangle debate has been in what could aptly be described as its death throes. Today, hopefully, we can perform a mercy killing.

Just this morning, our translator Tres dias, who is translating the FFVIII keywords and character profiles, who co-wrote the Dissidia FAQ with Mako Eyes, and who has written a comprehensive FAQ on this subject, received the Final Fantasy 20th Anniversary Ultimania Scenario in the mail. He wanted me to be the one to make this post, and it is my honor to now provide you with his scans, and translations, of page 394 of the guidebook, on ‘For the one I love.’

The header to this section reads

Of direct interest to we fans of Final Fantasy Seven, however, are two images and their associated text, which we have provided, zoomed in on, so those playing at home can check our work.

First, is a picture discussing the Gold Saucer date. The text describing it reads

Secret date

At the Gold Saucer, Cloud receives an invitation from one of his companions. Who comes around with the invitation is dependent on Cloud’s behavior.

Nothing so amazing, no, all it tells us is that the date itself is up to player control, so no one version is ‘official,’ but the next section is not only what hopefully will make for a swift end to the LTD, but also confirms a scenario I have been arguing in favor of for quite a number of years.

As you can see, the image is of Cloud and Tifa’s night under the Highwind. That on a page entitled ‘for the one I love’ is very conclusive in its own right. The text, however, takes it a step further, and reads

The night before the final battle

Thanks to Tifa, Cloud regains himself, and before the final battle with Sephiroth, without using words, he confirms with her that their feelings match.

Read that again. ‘without using words, [Cloud] confirms with [Tifa] that their feelings match.’ So, not only can we unequivocally state that these matching feelings are those of love, but that these feelings of love are confirmed without words. In other words, physically. So, yes, there was almost certainly sex under the Highwind that night. I do not wish to bore everyone with a regurgitation of all the related materials, but this does confirm  that yes, Cloud and Tifa’s relationship past this point are that of lovers. And that, my friends, settles the Love Triangle. Even if you don’t want to believe it.

Also of note is that this page shows all the other ‘canon’ couples in the main parties, Ingus and Sara, Cecil and Rosa, Locke and Celes, Squall and Rinoa, Steiner and Beatrix, Zidane and Garnet, and Tidus and Yuna in their moments of revelation. So Cloud and Tifa are certainly in good company, hugging together underneath the Highwind along all the other canon couples of Final Fantasy.

One last thing, before I go. I have one thought, from Tres himself, that he asked me to relate to everyone. That thought is, “All that’s left to say is: Abandon ‘ship!” Wise words indeed, since that ship has been undeniably sunk, if you’ll pardon the pun, by canon.

UPDATE: If you wish to see the translation of the page as a whole, please follow this link to Tres’s translations of what the rest of this page says about revelation of romantic feelings in other games, and what the box in the lower right says about displays of non-romantic feelings.

To me, FFVII was something that left a great impression.

-Did you play FF7 when it first came out?
Sakurai: Absolutely. I was a gamer ever since the Famicon era, and I’ve played every FF game starting from I. VII was my favorite among those. Even if those polygons seem outdated now, the prospect of playing a game with such quality back then was like a dream. I was impressed by the impact it had. I rushed to buy it on the release day, and ever since then my life has been about playing FFVII.(laughs) I even bought a playstation just so I could play VII. I had to get a part time job in a game store to save up money.

-Did you play the FF games that came after VII?
Sakurai: No…since I had such an amazing experience with VII, I didn’t even touch VIII. After VII’s ending, I felt like everything was over, accompanied by a sense of loss. The last scene with Nanaki and his children looking over an overgrown Midgar was stuck in my head, and left me feeling sad and lonely. When I was playing the game, I had many fictional experiences, so it’s almost like an escape from reality. And I felt a bit sad that all of that was over. Plus, I played through the game wanting to see the end of this story, and when it really ended, it left me stunned for quite a while. I recovered by the time IX came out, of course, but still I never touched VIII.

-If you liked VII so much, then you must be quite happy when you were requested to do voice acting for Cloud?
Sakurai: Kingdom Hearts came before Advent Children, so the request for me at that time was for a character named ‘Cloud’ from a game called ‘Kingdom Hearts’. No visuals were given to me of this character, and all I had was the script. So I went to the recording site wondering what kind of character this ‘Cloud’ was, and it turns out to be Cloud.

-You only knew that it was Cloud from VII when you went to the recording?
Sakurai: Yes. “Eh? It’s that Cloud?” was my first reaction. I never even thought that I would possibly voice act for Cloud, and the shock was like being hit by something huge.(laughs) My hands holding the script were even shaking during the recording. And even when I played Kingdom Hearts, I kept getting weirdly excited at the thought of “Ohhh…it’s Cloud….that’s me…”

Voice acting for Cloud comes with great expectations and pressure

-So after that, you voiced Cloud in AC as well.
Sakurai: Recording for AC was different from KH since it didn’t have the surprise element KH had. I was informed about the story and its meanings beforehand. But since AC was a sequel to the popular VII and a high quality visual presentation, I felt a lot of pressure that I didn’t have during KH, and even fear as well. Some of my colleagues who were fans of FF knew about my role as Cloud in KH, and the men generally said “Heh…so you were Cloud.” while the women threatened to never forgive me if I didn’t do the role properly, giving me quite a lot of pressure.(laughs) Of course they were mostly joking, but from those comments I realized that a lot of people loved and treasured VII, so I can’t afford to perform anything less than my very best. And the response of my generation were generally the largest, since we played FF during our adolescent years, so it probably had a great impact on our views on life.

-I heard from seiyuus that play parts in other FF games that their colleagues’ expectations and responses were generally big as well.
Sakurai: It would certainly be so. The FF series already had a huge fanbase to begin with, and VII was exceptionally popular, so I really felt the expectations [of the fanbase]. What’s more, being told by the colleagues that they expect great things of you really gives you a different pressure than if a fan told you the same thing. Since they’re people who know first-hand the responsibility that comes with a performing arts career, their words strike deeper. Since I felt these expectations around me, I really wanted to know their impression of the finished product if they watched it. I wanted a response of some sort, be it positive or negative. But thankfully many people said “It fits perfectly.” or “Your voice fits his image.”, so I was pretty happy.

AC recording was as rigorous as doing sports

-How did you get started on the AC recording?
Sakurai: I first had to record the four lines used in the trailer shown at the 2003 Tokyo Game Show, but even those took up around one and a half hours to record. Mr. Nomura and and Mr.Shimizu from Tohokushinsha Film Corperation did the directing, but some of their requests were along the lines of “Mr. Sakurai, a tone nuance of about 4 grams lighter, please”, and really made me scratch my head. Just how are you supposed to represent ’4 grams lighter’, anyways? (laughs) Although they’re only 4 lines, [the trailer] was the first AC visuals shown, where VII characters move in realistic proportions, actually talk, and since no one knows what direction this sequel will take, I’m sure the impact they gave to the audience must be quite big. That’s why I took the time to record, paying extra attention to the details. Talking it over [with the directors] for long periods of time, changing both my tone and the lines in subtle ways, it was a period of trial and error.

-So your true work began after overcoming the challenge the trailer presented.
Sakurai: Starting back then, the AC recording was done across a period of 3 years, so when it ended I had the same feelings that I had when I finished VII – a bit lonely and sad that it came to an end. But actually, I had a lot of trouble during the recording. For example, Cloud gives off the image of being cool and silent. So when I say my lines with a held back tone, I don’t have a wide range of liberties I can take. But differences in emotion are still possible even with a tone like that, so I explored the possibilities and limits with the sound director in much detail. Later on, there was a day specifically dedicated to recording battle grunts and the such, and that was quite the hurdle.

-How was the recording like?
Sakurai: A day for the recording of sounds you make when you’re hit in battle, like ‘Ugh’, ‘Ku-’ or ‘Hah-!’. Sounds like that are made with sharp and sudden exhales, so when I did that continuously for around 6 hours, I ended up with a giant headache due to lack of oxygen.(laughs) Also, while we were shown the actual battle scene before the recording, Cloud & co. move in ways that ignore physics or common sense, so a lot of times it’s hard to tell what’s going on when the scene was being played in normal speed. So we had to watch it frame by frame, and most discussions consisted of “After he cuts his opponent, he dodges an attack, and another one after that, then he lands, and at the end he jumps. That’s a total of 2 seconds.” “In a mere 2 seconds? I can’t do this.” (laughs)

-True, the characters move pretty fast in battle.
Sakurai: Yeah. But if we put a sound to every movement it’ll make the characters look bad, so we take into account the flow of battle, and only add sounds to parts that make an impression. So our work progress looks like this: We watch the scene first, confirm the actions in frame-by-frame examination, then decide what direction we want to take with it after we start recording….rinse and repeat. I had to make “Hah!” and “Fu!” sounds again and again, and it was like doing rigorous sports.(laughs) Battle scenes are one of the highlights in AC, so I didn’t hold back and gave it my all. But I couldn’t really show that in my voice, since Cloud is a character who stays calm even in pinches, doesn’t freak out even when faced with a crisis, and is rarely bewildered. It’s easy to do roles where the character does sharp intakes of breath when in a pinch, or shows his pain as it is, but Cloud is someone who carefully analyzes the situation even when he’s wounded, and thinks calmly about his next course of action. It’s pretty hard to represent that.

I think all characters have voices that fit their image

-The most important battle scene is of course Cloud’s final showdown with Sephiroth, what are your thoughts on Sephiroth?
Sakurai: When I was playing through VII, I didn’t really have an impression of Sephiroth’s voice. Since you don’t really know what’s going on in his mind, and he had this sinister atmosphere about him. But when I heard Sephiroth’s voice from Mr. Morikawa for the first time, I thought, “Yes. This is it.” His voice is really scary.(laughs) You can feel that he’s something foreign, but it seems like he’s so above everything that he’s not really there…it almost gives me the feeling of being a but a small part, engulfed by Sephiroth’s huge presence…it’s a scary thought.

-What about your impressions on the other characters’ voices?
Sakurai: My personal favorite is Zack. Zack gives off a cheerful image, different from other SOLDIERS, so Suzumura’s Zack was perfect to me. Also, Maaya’s Aerith had an accepting, motherly and feminine feel to her. Almost makes me want to call her Mother.(laughs) Miss Itou fit well with Tifa’s activeness, and Barret’s bustling actions. I think everyone’s voices fit their images. And Vincent using that kind of voice…how cunning.(laughs)

-Speaking of which, you were invited to the Venice Film Festival, weren’t you?
Sakurai: Yes. It was an impressive place, truly a fantasy world. I was to stay at a grand hotel on Lido Island, the place the Film Festival was held at, but it was so grandiose that it felt imposing. I used very little of the spacious room I stayed in.(laughs) Since I was playing one of the major roles, I got bouquets from the hotel owners. And although AC was shown late in the night, I was grateful for the huge amount of people that came. Walking down the red carpet, drowning in the cheers of the audience, being asked for signatures…it was an invaluable experience.

I voiced Cloud with the differences between each compilation feature in mind

-What kind of character did you have in mind when voicing Cloud?
Sakurai: Simply put, whatever he does is picturesque, and his silence is more telling than when he actually speaks. He’s not a clear-cut hero, but still has some heroic characteristics in him. But his way of thinking is a bit negative, and he’s quite delicate in a sense. Even when aware of his fragility, he can’t seem to express it honestly, and he’s almost pitifully gentle, ending up bearing his burdens alone. So I keep in mind this ‘weakness above strength’.

-CC Cloud makes his appearance as a normal infantryman, different from AC or VII. What kind of differences did you go for in your voice acting?
Sakurai: During CC, Mr. Nomura sometimes called me ‘young Cloud’.(laughs) Compared to VII, his teenager side is brought out more in CC. Although he was introverted even back then, he didn’t close himself up as much as he did in VII. So I presented his tone and conversations in the image of a normal boy. In CC, the scene of Cloud screaming during the final climax – used in the TV commercial as well – left the biggest impression on me. Since this is a prequel to VII, people are playing the game with knowledge of the ending, but rediscovering Zack’s past and its mysteries brings out emotions all the more, and that’s how I managed that emotional scream at the end. I really poured my whole soul into it.

-Aside from CC, Cloud also appears in Dissidia and the Kingdom Hearts series. Are there any differences for those appearances in terms of voice acting?
Sakurai: There certainly are. For example, Dissidia is an action-oriented game, so it’s closer to in terms of atmosphere VII than the more serious and mature AC. I tried to bring out the feeling of throwing yourself into the midst of the battle. The same goes for Kingdom Hearts 2, it brings out more of VII’s image.

I want continue voice acting for Cloud in the future

-The Compilation’s newest addition, AC Complete, had lots of extra lines.
Sakurai: The other way around, we brought back parts that were purposely omitted. I redid the recording of Rufus’ conversation with Mr. Ohkawa. New scenes were added to the final battle against Sephiroth as well, so many that the whole battle leaves a different impression. Before this recording, I had done many different versions of Cloud such as the one in CC, so I was a bit worried that I might not be able to go back to AC Cloud. But the staff took the reins, and I managed without trouble. It might be an extravagant request, but I even thought to myself, “Please give me more lines.”. (laughs)

-Which means you still want to play Cloud’s part?
Sakurai: I’d definitely want to continue with that part. No, I don’t ‘want’ to continue, “Let’s just do this!” would be closer.(laughs) I don’t want to be satisfied with the present, I want to be ambitious and keep on saying “Let’s do more!”. I suppose what fans really dream of is a remake of VII. It’s going to be a big project, so I probably shouldn’t be putting it as simply as “Let’s just do this!”. Still, every time I meet any of the higher-ups of Square Enix, I voice my request.(laughs) I don’t care when, but it’s something I’d really like to see fulfilled. But I’d really be troubled if I was requested to do the role when I’m sixty-some. I want to do it before people think that Cloud has grown into an old man, at least.(laughs)

-Did you think about how you want to do a certain scene in a remake?
Sakurai: I haven’t given that any thought at all. When VII was released, games went from cartridges to CD-ROMs, CG cut scenes were implemented…it was a time of bewildering changes. Along with those changes, I think my sensibility has grown as well. If a remake is to be made, I think the feelings and desires of the people who lived through that time will gather, and I’d like to draw upon them, making [the remake] together with everyone. That’s why I haven’t given it any thought yet. To take it up a notch, I want to forget VII completely and do it with a fresh start.

-Counting from AC, you have been playing Cloud for over five years. What does Cloud mean to you?
Sakurai: He’s someone that really stands out, someone who took me to a lot of different worlds. I might be exaggerating a bit, but to me, Cloud seems like someone who really exists. He brings me a sense of reality in the fictional world of FF, helps me remember my past self and guides me to different places and times. He seems close but far away, seems far away- but on second thought, is close after all. I feel that kind of distance between him and me. Thinking back, I was one of VII fans myself, and to think that I’d be voicing Cloud…of course I’m happy, but even now I still find it hard to believe. Even though my relationship with the game is different now, my feelings as a fan remain unchanged – same as any one of the FF or Cloud fans reading this book. I want to forever treasure the things I’ve felt when I played FF as a child, so I’d like for everyone to hold on to their love for FF as well. If you do that, then a remake of VII might eventually find its way to you – be it years or decades later.

(2009/3/3 Recorded at Square Enix.)

Random info on Sakurai: He was 24 during 1997, with only one year in the seiyuu business, which explains why he has to take on random part-time jobs to get a playstation. Request for his voicing in KH probably came around 2001(which was the year he started getting a few major roles and less announcer or random person roles), so he’s been voicing Cloud across 7~8 years. AC voicing probably started around early 2002, since it took roughly 3 years for the entire voicing to be done. ACC might’ve begun around 2007~2008, considering the lesser amount of lines he had to voice.

EDIT: Hitoshura has now translated the interview completely. Not just key points anymore. Below is the actual dialogue that could be made out from the scan. Enjoy reading Tetsuya Nomura’s thoughts on Advent Children Complete! Big thanks to Hitoshura for squinting his eyes out for this!

– You get a very different impression compared with FFVII AC.

Nomura: Thank you. I’m glad to hear you say that.

– I thought the graphics have gotten more detailed, such as dust floating in the air or the texture of the character’s skin being more realistic.

Nomura: Well, those are the kind of effects we wanted to have originally. Now that we’ve switched media from DVD to BluRay Disk, we’re able to show these with HD video quality. So the video is clearer now.

– With the added scenes, are they scenes you couldn’t add in AC and ones you decided to add after AC was completed?

Nomura: Yeah. What we decided early on wasn’t so much addition, but mainly small changes. For the added scenes, those were thought up later along with the overall composition.

– Rufus’ dialogue has increased as well.

Nomura: That was needed to explain the world’s situation so it’s easy to understand. As a result, there was a lot of voice over added overall. On the other hand, there are scenes when the same voices are used but the video has been remade.

– Were there any troubles when recording the new scenes?

Nomura: Well, Cloud and Sephiroth are used to it now, so that went smoothly. However, for the child roles such as Marlene and Denzel, because their voices have changed they have all been recast and everything recorded again.

– Some of the background music is different as well.

Nomura: For the tracks in the main film, I had some of my own wishes, but those were the parts Nozue (co-director Takeshi Nozue) was especially insistent about. The parts he said he want to change have been changed. They’re not so much new tracks, as much as arrangements.

– The sound effects also sound great.

Nomura: All the sound effects have been replaced from the original. In addition, more depth has been added to the sound of Cloud attack Bahamut, and sounds added to the crowd scenes. I think the number of sounds in a scene is more than what was in the original. We’ve retouched even rather fine details.

***

– I’ve seen a lot of the added scenes, but which scenes did you particularly want to include?

Nomura: I personally requested that the portrayals of the children be increased. In the film, we’ve included scenes of Cloud is talking with children such as Marlene and Denzel. Because I wanted to show depth, like the mental changes in Cloud. [???] tried our best not to include heavy explanations, but this time we’ve made it easier to understand. In addition we’ve added dialogue which [???] FFVII, and there are parts where we’ve made it so you can more deeply [???] the story.

– Reno and Rude in particular have more appearances, and I think their changes stand out.

Nomura: Nojima (scenario writer Kazushige Nojima) seems to have found those two easy to write (laughs). There are sides of the story which only members of Shinra can tell, such as what’s going on in the world. Also, another reason was that we were concerned about the gaps and modified them. The scene in the first half where Kadaj beats up Reno and Rude and goes to Rufus is an example. This time, we’ve added a scene of Kadaj making his way into the building, and I think improved on those gaps. For the other scenes as well, we rewatched AC and while thinking about the gaps between scenes, made additions and modifications to work on the gaps.

– I see. It was already revealed in the trailer, but at the start a scene of Elena and Tseng being attacked at the Northern Crater as been added too, hasn’t it.

Nomura: I think a lot of people wanted to see the details of that scene. That’s an image of Kadaj’s gang recorded on a camera Elena is wearing. The scene of them getting clothed, I thought there’s probably people wondering why remnants would be wearing clothes, so it was added to show that.

– As well as the addition of new scenes, there are a lot of scenes which have been replaced.

Nomura: Time has passed since the original, and after envisioning seeing it in HD quality, we changed all the parts that seemed a bit lacking. Originally after AC was completed, Nozue and the others corrected all the bits that bothered them themselves. But it was too detailed, and I think maybe you couldn’t notice all of it (laughs).

– So it’s the fruits of the creator’s dedication. There were some unexpected additions as well.

Nomura: We’ve included some surprise scenes, and scenes to stimulate the audience’s imagination. After the release of AC, a lot of “Compilation of FFVII” titles have appeared, so there are parts made with encompassing all of those in mind.

– Definitely, there were scenes which hit home more if you’ve played Crisis Core. Were there any requests from Nojima, who is one of the key people behind the Compilation?

Nomura: ‘Request’ might be a bit strong, but there’s a scene added at the end. This was original the climactic scene from the ‘illusive 20 minute version’ Nojima wrote at the early stages.

***

– The battle scenes also felt different compared with when I saw AC.

Nomura: The composition of the battle scenes, with the exception of the final battle and highway scene, haven’t been changed. However, with the changes to the sound effects, and direction changes such as the characters getting injured or clothes getting dirty, they might come across differently. In particular the Bahamut battle, where as the battle goes on it gradually loses its armor. I hope people will look out for these.

– In the battle scenes that have already been revealed, Cloud was surrounded by a blue light, and was injured and bleeding.

Nomura: The blue light is a Limit Break (laughs). The reason for showing blood was because I thought that if there’s no blood, the “pain” doesn’t feel realistic.

[Illegible]

[???] you can’t feel that this is a cruel disease. The cruelness of this disease is also portrayed in the bonus OVA.

– What was the reason for having an animated short based on the Denzel chapter of the novel as a bonus this time?

Nomura: If you watch “Reminiscence of FFVII”, you’re able to get a good enough grasp on the story from FFVII to AC, but for Denzel or Geostigma it’s lacking. I thought it was needed to get a deeper understanding of that aspect.

***

– Is there anything left to do as far as AC goes?

Nomura: I really feel we’ve done everything we can.

– The Compilation of FFVII has come to a stop with this. Will there be a next Compilation title?

Nomura: We’ve got ideas. But, it’s come to a stop here. I don’t think anything will be happening for awhile.

– Do you want to make another film?

Nomura: I would like to. I and Nozue have a project we’re thinking of. But with the current situation around here that might be difficult.

[skipped non-AC questions]

[text partly obscured, little guesswork done]

– Finally, do you have a message to the people looking forward to AC Complete?

Nomura: At first, we were planning to just replace some of the visuals and release it. But while waiting for the BluRay Disk market to develop, we decided to add more scenes, so I think people have waited quite a while for it. It’s become something that even people who have already seen the original can enjoy, so please watch it. The BluRay market is going to continue to grow. I think it’s a shame if people haven’t had the chance to see HD quality video yet, so I hope they will take this opportunity to experience it.

Source: FFVII AC Reunion

Please note that while creating your character for the Multiplayer Mode, you have the option to be either male or female. However, for simplicity’s sake, throughout the script the player character will be referred to solely as “she.”

Event 7 – Let’s Play, Shall We?

*Screen fades to black and a young girl is seen looking very happy.*

*As the screen is being overtaken by the static noise, the girl is seen lying on the ground looking around for help.*

Young Girl:  Big sister…  It hurts…  H-help me…

_____

*The screen fades black again, and the scene returns to the Lobby. The officer has his back facing the player and it seems he is talking to someone.*

Officer:  What?  Yes yes, understood.

*Realizing the player is there, the officer turns around.*

Officer:  Err… um…

*The officer coughs, recollects himself and speaks again.*

Officer:  A m-message fr-from the great and the fearsome ones.  They have something for you.  They have summoned you…

Officer:  If there ar-aren’t any problems, they w-would like to have you participate in an up-upcoming mission…

Officer:  Seiger, P.S.!

*The Officer salutes after speaking in a timid attitude.*

_____

*Deepground SOLDIERs are getting attacked by Rosso.  One after another they fall. Rosso laughs as she sees this.*

Rosso:  Oh what a great reaction this is.  Haha…Hahahaha… AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

*The player is seen with Usher who are looking at Rosso from a place not too far away.*

Usher:  Rosso, the Crimson… the Blood stained, the Undead, the Genocide… one who is called by many names.

Usher:  She’s the worst you can possibly face in SOLDIER.  Yea, she’s also called The Worst Vermillion… [Vermillion is another word for red.]

Usher:  A SOLDIER whose body is almost immortal, and who is only drawing out mankind’s hidden potential…

Usher:  It’s probably because of that…  As you can see, that’s why she’s called “The Worst”.

*Usher shrugs his shoulders as he keeps his explanation going while keeping his eyes on Rosso.*

Usher:  Without caring about killing friends or foes… it’s not an easy way to die…  Her emotions are unstable because of the experiments.

Usher:  Only the moments when she is bathed in blood does she feels complete.  Even if that’s true, it’s not a problem in Deepground.

Usher:  The stronger she becomes, the stronger she will be, as long as she can prove herself, she is worthy of her existence…

*Rosso sense the player and Usher are near, she slowly turns around.*

Rosso:  Peek-a-boo, I see you…

*In the next moment, Rosso is gone from where she stood.  A thundering sound is heard and the screen fades black.*

*The screen shows the young girl again.  She falls before asking for help, and then Restrictor’s shadow is cast upon her.*

Young Girl:  Big sister…  It hurts…  He-help me…

*The noise comes in and the screen fades to black again.  When it clears, the camera focuses on the bridge.  The player, who received an attack earlier is seen having her back against a surface.*

*Usher is nowhere to be seen.  Instead, it’s Restrictor.*

Restrictor:  Hmph, the mission has ended. Looks like the people inside the research facility are quite pleased about this.

*Rosso stands with her back facing Restrictor.  She laughs, then turns around and attacks Restrictor.*

*Restrictor easily stops Rosso’s attack, holding an ornate short sword.*

Restrictor:  Huh, what do you intend to do?

Rosso:  Let’s play a bit, shall we…Restrictor!!!

*Restrictor takes off his mantle and prepares to fight Rosso.  He is seen wielding two of those sword like weapons.*

*The shorter sword that Restrictor holds pierces through Rosso’s abdomen, and she falls to the ground.*

*Resctrictor puts his foot on Rosso’s back and stares down at her.*

Restrictor:  Hmph, do you need help standing up?

Rosso:  Ku…Res…trictor!!!

*The screen fades black while the player watches Rosso and Restrictor from afar.*

Usher:  It’s time for you to go to sleep…

Event 8 – The Power of the Transparent

[Note: Shelke here is being referred to as "ｳｮﾌVFN" to which it is pronounced the same as "ｳFﾌVFN".  The former is "Styleless/Formless/Expressionless Shelke" whereas the latter is "Transparent/Colorless Shelke".  It’s an intended pun (as you can see in the later portion of this event).  So I will try to use words as close to its meaning as I can.  Also, please keep a note to yourself to include both meanings when the terms are mentioned.  Suggestions are appreciated and welcomed.]

*Just as before, as soon as the player engages into a conversation with the Officer, the screen will turn black with the young girl running and calling out to her big sister.*

Young Girl:  Big sisteeeer.

*The screen becomes filled with noise, the young girl falls down, and Restrictor appears.*

_____

*When the noise is gone, everything is back to the lobby.*

Officer:  Oh!  Th, that’s right…

*The Officer looks as though he is thinking about something.*

Officer:  There is a certain specification for the General class.  They want you to participate in an emergency mission.

Officer:  Anyway, for the sake of the Great Patricia’s reparation, they want you to secure the course of the specified location…

Officer:  It would be a great addition if you would grant us the pleasure of joining this mission.

Officer:  Seiger! P.S.!

*The Officer salutes.*

_____

*Shelke and Restrictor enters into what seems like a storage type of room.  [It’s basically the room in which Argento first talks Shelke in The Colorless and the Silver.]  Restrictor is seen without his mantle.*

Restrictor:  Hmph, let’s begin.

Shelke:  Yes.

*Shelke puts on her SND device and begins her net dive.*

Shelke:  Finished.

Restrictor:  Hmph, as always, you’re the only one capable of this impressive ability.  Is this a specialty of the Colorless that was born with a shape from a place that is formless?

Restrictor:  Hmm… Speaking of which, you haven’t participated in any field tests as of late.

Restrictor:  Isn’t this the place where your Mako levels are the highest?  Then show me the color [strength] of the Formless.

Restrictor:  Heh, kill that General over there.

*Restrictor points to the player that stands not too far away from them.*

Restrictor:  Heh, though you’re called the colorless, you are still branded with the name of a color after all.  That General should be nothing to you.

Restrictor:  That General over there, remember to have her struggle…

*Shelke looks towards the player with resolve.  However, she doesn’t look as though she’s fully occupied with it.*

Shelke:  How boring…

*In the next moment, Shelke is being kicked by Restrictor, before she falls on the ground.  Restrictor steps on her.*

Restrictor:  What…?  Was that a retort that I heard from you?

*Shelke displays a rebellious expression while Restrictor is stepping on her.  The player is surprised by what she sees.*

*The screen turns black again with the fallen young girl and Restrictor behind her.*

*When the scene clears again, the player aims her gun unconsciously at Restrictor.  Just as the player is about to shoot Restrictor, Restrictor moves with a rapid speed and pushes the player against the wall.*

Restrictor:  Who do you think you are, to aim a gun at me?  Heh, failure…

Shelke:  Let me do it.

*Shelke intervenes and interrupts the scene the moment when Restrictor is about to kill the player.*

Restrictor:  Huh?

Shelke:  You just want to test my strength right?

Restrictor:  …Hmph.

*Restrictor holds the player up with one hand and throws her towards Shelke.*

Restrictor:  Well then, let’s see what you can do…  The strength of the Transparent Tsviet…

*Shelke removes her weapons and looks down at the player.*

Shelke:  Stand up.  Resist a bit, just as Restrictor said…

*The player activates her Limit Break.  However, it is easily cancelled by Shelke’s ability.*

Shelke:  Skill Cancelled.

*Shelke’s eyes shines with orange lights.*

Shelke:  All your skills are useless against me.

Shelke:  From time to time, it is possible to change the path of the form.  Just like this…

*In the next moment, Shelke created 9 copies of herself and surrounds the player.  The player, unable to fend for herself is stabbed.  The player falls and the doubles fade back to the original (one of the 9).*

Shelke:  However, it takes a lot of MP.  I wouldn’t be able to use it without these facilities here that are filled with Mako.

_____

*The screen turns black, and it turns into a bright screen.  Este-D’s face is seen looking at the player.*

Este-D:  Ah, so you really are alive.

*The player sits up slowly and shakes her head a bit.  The player looks as though she cannot grasp the situation at hand.*

Este-D:  You were disposed of at the SOLDIERs’ waste.

Este-D:  Well, I was kinda looking for things to use in my experiment…  Ah, I mean, I found you when I was taking a walk.

Este-D:  Then there was a man that looks strange yet familiar who told me, “Here, take her, she’s still alive,” before he left.

Este-D:  So I thought maybe I could use…  No, what am I saying!  Anyway, that’s how I got you here.

*Este-D tries to cover their statements up.  At last, the player stands up and Este-D watches the player’s body as though she can’t believe it*

Este-D:  But really, to have all these stab wounds to the body and still be alive…  It’s really a miracle unless it was done on purpose.

Event 9 – Beyond the Bonds

Officer:  Wow… I, I see how it is!  You also made it to Tsviet.

Officer:  How impressive this is!  I almost forgot, you’ve been granted allowance for a certain mission

Officer:  Once you’ve become a Tsviet, it is possible for you to fight against the Immaculate Emperor.

Officer:  Since you have the permission, would you like to accept and participate?

*The player turns around and starts thinking.  Behind the player, the Officer is seen as though he wants to ask the player something.*

Officer:  Hmm?  Me?  Of, of course, I received it when I became a Tsviet, but…

*The player is confused, and then the Officer starts panicking and waving his hands trying to deceive the player.*

Officer:  Of course it’s frightening!  But at the end I survived by running from the beginning to the end.

*The Officer looks suspicious with his hands shaking, grasping onto his baton.*

_____

*Scene cuts to the throne room inside the No. 0 Mako Reactor, where Weiss makes his appearance, restrained.*

*He sits on the throne unconscious, bound by a collar that is chained to his throne.  His hands, legs and arms appear to be shackled as well.  There seems to be some sort of device attached to the throne that is giving off a green electrical sparks…*

*Weiss wakes up, slowly standing*

*After he looks around he notices the restraints on him.  He then looks at Restrictor, who is standing in front of him.*

Weiss:  Restrictor, couldn’t you take these off of me?

Restrictor:  Heh, what if I wanted you to do this with a handicap?

Weiss:  Why don’t you try and see if I really need one?

Weiss:  What’s more, I want to try out my new swords…

*Weiss’ gaze falls upon the two swords that are pierced into the ground in front of the throne.  They’re the same Gunblades that he uses in Single Mode.*

Restrictor:  Heh, stop wasting time…  Let’s hurry up and be done with it.

*Restrictor holds up one of his hands towards Weiss and releases him.  All of the handcuffs and shackles fall off and Weiss walks ofrward and grabs the swords.*

Weiss:  Heh, well let’s begin.

Event 10 – “E” for Emperor

*Weiss looks down as he steps on the back of the fallen player.  Only using one of his swords, it looks as though he’s not showing his true strength.  He looks as though he has no intention to kill the player, and whispers to her so that Restrictor can’t hear him. *

Weiss:  I shall avenge you.

*He holds up the player with one hand and throws her away, facing Restrictor.*

Weiss:  Today’s addition went farther then usual…

Restrictor:  Heh, that’s because it’s becoming harder for people to become Tsviets…

Restrictor:  As for your next experiment, I’ve already got it prepared…

*Rosso and Azul enter the throne room with Restrictor’s signal.*

Restrictor:  As you wish, a handicapped match against fellow Tsviets.

*The camera turns back to the player, who awakes as she hears the voice of Shelke, who seems to come along with Rosso and Azul.*

Shelke:  You have the memories of a past before you came here, haven’t you?

*The player sits up a bit and looks up at Shelke.*

Shelke:  That man over there, do you remember him?

*Shelke points to Restrictor while talking.  The screen is filled with static, the young girl appears again, falling before she asks for help, and at the end Restrictor appears behind her.*

*The camera zooms in quickly on the player’s face as she remembers and then shows her with Shelke.  The player breathes heavily.*

Shelke:  Have you regained your memories?

Shelke:  In order to collect all the materials, Restrictor made use of all of his rights in Deepgrounnd.

Shelke:  Didn’t you have something that was taken away from you before you came here?

*Shelke continues her talking as she looks at the player who seems to be persuaded by her words.  The player stands up, and the focal point now shifts to Weiss.*

*Weiss draws his sword, provoking them with one of his hands.*

Weiss:  Relax, give me a break…

*Rosso and Azul rush at Weiss with a roar.  Weiss easily sends Azul flying and easily deflects Rosso’s attack before grabbing her arm to stop her movements.*

Weiss:  Eat this, Rosso.

*Weiss laughs fearlessly.  He sends Rosso’s body flying with a kick.  He has yet to use his weapons.*

Weiss:  Come, show me what you’ve got!  I haven’t even warmed up!

*Azul roars as his body emits the spectrum of cerulean, as does Rosso, whose body is emitting an aura of crimson.  Azul transforms into his bestial form and Rosso stands up.*

Rosso:  Weiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiss!!!

Weiss:  Come on… humor me.

*Both Rosso and Azul lunge at Weiss catching him between two attacks.  Rosso creates two clones of herslef and starts slashing at Weiss.  The situation turns into Azul and Rosso x3 versus Weiss.  Though receiving no damage from their attacks, Weiss finally unleashes one of his weapons and uses it to deflect their attacks.  He takes down Rosso with physical combat and defeats Azul with a slash.*

Weiss:  Haha, now what’s going on?  Are you guys sweating yet?!

*Weiss raises one of his hands and provokes them agaim.  Rosso and Azul stand up, they scream and lunge once again at Weiss.*

Weiss:  Hn.

*The 3 great powers clash together and the screen turns black.  Within the darkness, flashes of crimson, azure, and white can be seen combining.  Then the camera moves to the player, where she continues to watch the battle that takes place in front of her.  Shelke is gone from the player’s side and Usher is suddenly there.*

Usher:  Even with Weiss’s strength, they are still no match for Restrictor.

Usher:  That’s because it has nothing to do with their strength, but a restriction that has been put onto all the Deepground SOLDIERs.

Usher:  They all had a chip implanted into their brain stem when they were taken here…

Usher:  And that makes it impossible to stand up against any orders given by Restrictor.

Usher:  But you?  You can fight against him, to pull his leg and aim a gun at him…

*As though she understands the whole concept, the player’s gaze meets Usher’s as he keeps on talking.*

Usher:  Finish it.  Do what your feelings tell you to…

Usher:  When you have Argento’s permission, come back here.  Afterwards, do what must be done.

Event 11 – When the Scores are Settled

*Weiss nods at the player.*

Weiss:  Do it!

*The camera pulls back to reveal that Weiss is facing Restrictor and the player is standing behind Restrictor.  The player aims the gun barrel at Restrictor, but Restrictor disappears in a flash of light and reappears behind the player and knocks her down, grabbing her weapon.  The player falls and Restrictor aims the gun at the player.  As Weiss is watching, his face displays a fearless smile and releases his power.  Weiss’ body begins to glow white and the camera focuses on his fearless smile.*

Restrictor:  Wha..!?  You!?  Stop this!!

*As Restrictor notices what Weiss is doing, he panicks and raises one of his hands towards Weiss to try and stop him.  All of a sudden, Weiss’ movement is sealed, but not completely.  Weiss takes a stance against Restrictor as he tries to strike Restrictor with his sword.*

Weiss:  …Let me…Join you guys…too.  Mr. Restrictor.

*Weiss gazes at Restrictor with his confident smile, a look of challenge in his eyes.  The once fallen player now stands up and rushes towards Restrictor.*

Weiss:  Heh, you’ll be a goner if your restriction is this weak…

Restrictor:  Ku…

*Weiss’ body shines again, yet, Restrictor can’t get away as he is concentrating on the restriction on Weiss.*

Weiss:  Come now, it’s time!  Finish it!

Event 12 – The Finale of Tragedy

*Restrictor is kneeling on the floor after being attacked*

Restrictor:  Im, impossible…!  Don’t underestimate me!!!

*Restrictor stands up and he pierces the player with the short Gunblade. The player falls, and it looks as though Restrictor just won a pyrrhic victory. The camera changes to the first person view of the player, it looks down to the floor while still able to hear the conversation between Weiss and Restrictor.*

Weiss:  Hmph.

*Along with Weiss’ cold voice, a sound can be heard as though something has been stabbed.*

Restrictor:  Uragh!!!  Y, you…if you do this, the virus inside you will…

Weiss:  Stop talking nonsense.  Aren’t you the one who said, “death is always a possibility in Deepground”?

*The player starts to lose consciousness and the scene turns black.  As the scene goes dark, Weiss’ laughter can be heard along with Rosso and Azul’s.*

_____

*When the screen brightens again, the Tsviets are all gathered inside the throne room.  Weiss, Shelke, Azul, Rosso, Usher, and Argento all stand surrounding the player.*

Weiss:  Is she still usable?

*Weiss is looking and investigating the fallen player below him.  Shelke starts speaking as though the player no longer has any value to them. *

Shelke:  No, it appears that it can’t be done.  It seems that a large portion of the brain has been hindered after the long term engagement with the SND.

Shelke:  It’s only a matter of time before it’s completely destroyed.

Rosso:  Aww, but she worked so hard for us.  How disappointing.

Weiss:  Well then, find someone else who’s suitable to become the replacement.

Weiss:  Since no one knows what or who Restrictor really is [underneath all that armor].

[Note: This appears to be the Restrictor that we just saw was killed by Weiss.  When the player defeated the Restrictor, the Tsviets seemed to have had a plan to use the player as a way replace the defeated Restrictor.   Hence why 2 events earlier, Weiss said, "Today's addition went farther then usual." He meant his plan advanced more than he anticipated; however, Restrictor misunderstood it to mean the number of Tsviets and their quality that got to the throne room.]

Azul:  We’re going to have to look for another one?  How irritating.

*Azul shrugs and says it as though it’s bothersome.*

Weiss:  There’s nothing we can do…  Since only one out of a hundred can make it through here.

Rosso:  Under the principle that normal humans are not as strong as we are.

Weiss:  That’s just how it is.

Shelke:  What we are doing is quite simple…

Shelke:  Thanks to the “HJ Virus” we’ve used to hack inside Patricia, it appears as though we are able to breach their security.

Shelke:  Afterwards, we just need to choose a subject and inject this into her before they temper with her head.

*Shelke, while looking down at the player, talks about the matter lightly as though it doesn’t concern her.*

[Note: This is the reason why the player sees a lot of flashback with Restrictor.]

Weiss:  Hmph, Shelke, hurry up and find the next one.

*After giving out his orders, Weiss leaves, followed by Azul, Rosso, and Argento.  Shelke and Usher are still in the throne room, they both look down at the player. *

Shelke:  Well then, let’s disconnect the SND with this subject.

*In the next moment, Usher, who the player saw a moment ago, disappeared like the video cable has been pulled away.*

[Note: Usher is probably a 3D projection that Shelke created in order to guide the player to this point.]

Shelke:  That’s right, I’ll let you in on a secret…

*Shelke faces the player who is unconscious and speaks to her as though she just remembered something.*

Shelke:  You have no sister…

[Note: This is to say that Shelke replaced and fabricated the player’s memory with her own.]

*All of a sudden, the young girl that the player always sees overlaps with Shelke and disappears.*

*Shelke speaks as though she is making fun of the player.*

Shelke:  Well then, thank you for your hard work.  Take care…

*Shelke walks out of the room where Weiss and others did.  Afterwards, seeing the last of Shelke, the screen turns black and the staff roll plays.  This ends the Multiplayer Mode.*

[Ending Note: In short, it seems that the Tsviets developed a way to bypass some of the security measures placed on them.  By doing this, Shelke was able to find a Tsviet candidate, and via SND fabricate their memories as well as create the persona of Usher.  The Tsviets then guide the player through Deepground, all the while making sure the player would grow to hate Restrictor.  When the time came, they used the player as a pawn to help defeat Restrictor, and then intended that the player would replace him, donning his armor and what not.  Everything went according to plan except the last part, because thanks to the long time engagement to the SND, it looks as though the players mind had deteriorated and would soon be lost completely.]

Please note that while creating your character for the Multiplayer Mode, you have the option to be either male or female.  However, for simplicity’s sake, throughout the script the player character will be referred to solely as “she.”

Opening Movie – A SOLDIER’s Awaking

Deepground.

A secret facility that was built underneath Midgar…
Even in Shinra, there was only a few who know of its existence.

That place… it ignores and defies all morals, asking the question,
“To what extent will humans go to become stronger?”
The experiments and research has been undergoing for a long time……

Those who are being abducted and brought to this place……
Those who are injured and being transported to this place……
Those who were here as far back as one can remember……
Those who appeared in this place on a certain day all of a sudden……
Those who knew what that place is……
Those who didn’t know anything……

Various people are gathered there.

Deepground…… Shinra’s Dark Secret……

______

*Scene switches to a battlefield in DG, the camera has a shade of red on top of it. Dead SOLDIERs can be seen lying on the floor with weapons next to them. Then the camera travels further towards a remaining SOLDIER, but he falls and dies after he gets slashed by something.*

_____ 

*Scene switches to the Mako bath room, this time with a few more DG soldiers lying on the floor. An unknown figure who looks like Shelke walks in from the left corner of the screen towards the camera, while the person who is still conscious, and the screen, fades out.

_____ 

*Scene goes to someone’s memory.*

Little Girl:  Big sister, help me!!!

*A few DG Soldiers fire at an unknown object.  The camera switches to another scene with more DG Soldiers firing at something.  A few more shots are heard, accompanied by the little girl’s screams and the screen go dark and white noise.  A few quick shots of bright lights and the screen goes black again.*

_____

*Scene changes to somewhere inside DG with a core-like structure in the middle.  [Possibly someplace similar to Mako Reactor 0]*

Mysterious SOLDIER:  Welcome.  Do you know where you are?

*Camera zooms onto player’s character.*

Mysterious SOLDIER:  Heh, well anyway, this is Deepground, Shinra’s Dark Secret……  However, this place is fulfilling its sole purpose of creating the strongest forms of life possible…

*The mysterious SOLDIER notices the presence of another and he kneels with one of his leg on the floor to show his respect.  A man with black cape and mask comes into the screen.*

Restrictor:  Hah, a newcomer?

*Screen goes into the white static screen again, then flashes of a white screen with some blue neon glow before going back to normal.*

Restrictor:  Heh, it seems that you worked hard to survive, only to become a great specimen.

*The man in black walks away and the Unknown Male stands up.*

Mysterious SOLDIER:  That one over there is a Restrictor……  A unit that is not supposed to exist.  The lost force, SOLDIER’s 14th Unit.

*Camera zooms around DG as the mysterious SOLDIER is talking.*

Mysterious SOLDIER:  ……Do not try and fight those people.  They are the absolute existence in here.  No one can rival them.  Well… Perhaps the Tsviets……  But, that’s all I have to say.  What is left is for you to ask for instructions from the Instructor who stands next to the ranking board.  See you later then… that is if you can stay alive.

Opening – Intermission 1

Officer-East:  I am the one who is responsible for the level promotion exams.  If you want to raise your level, you need to pass through all the exams given by us, the officers.

*Then Officer-East goes into a thinking posture.*

Officer-East:  ……Is this the first time that I’ve met you?  No, in fact, before I bother remembering your face, there are many others who die before their face is worth remembering as well.  And then naturally, I’ve abandoned all effort in trying to remember them.  Let me know if there is anything wrong.

*Officer-East goes back to his normal posture again.*

Officer-East:  Well then, you’d probably know by now, in Deepground, strength is everything.  You have the right to keep on winning in order to prove your survival in Deepground, and that way, the roads will be opened for you.  That is the rule of this world.  It is good thing to know this from the start.

*Scene cuts as to another angle of Officer-East.*

Officer-East:  Then hurry up and complete the following battle three times.  We will know whether if you can go on and continue here from the results you get from your tests.  For everything, the “beginning” is essential.  First, go to “Beginners’ Battle” and fight, and then you will probably be used to how everything works around here.  If you’re not confident enough in yours skills yet, then try out the “Mission Mode” and train yourself from there.

*Scene cuts to a Terminal with a DGC Storm standing in front of it.*

Officer-East:  Go and head towards the battle entry from that terminal.  For a more detailed description, it is a good idea to talk to the DGC Storm standing next to it.

*Scene goes back to Officer-East.*

Officer-East:  Seiger!  P.S.!!

Opening – Intermission 2

Argento:  The thing that you will need here is strength.  What you are seeking for is a height that is far away.  [It's just a poetic way of saying you are reaching for the top, which lies very far away.]

*Then a higher class DG SOLDIER runs pass Argento’s left side.*

Argento:  Me? I am Argento.  The ones who are strong disguise themselves as the weakest, and in effect we are too weak for you to battle with. Therefore, being like this, my role is to watch and observe everything.

*Camera zooms out form Argento.*

Argento:  There is a reason to why I do not fight and yet I continue to exist; however, this is not the time to speak of this matter.  I shall ask you.  Does thou seek to be the strongest?

*Ok or Cancel.*

[Ok.]

Argento:  Very well.  Then during this time, I shall carefully show you the road towards becoming the strongest.  It is okay to forget this, however, until the day you’ve reached the far distant end of the road and meet with the Immaculate Emperor……

Event 1 – The Colorless and The Silver

Restrictor: Hn, have the Transparent and the Cerulean come with me. You too.

Argento: Hmm, understood.

_____ 

*Shelke is seen with her eyes closed sitting on a chair receiving a Mako Bath when Argento walks in.*

Argento: Shelke. Restrictor is calling. It’s the same lowly business as always.

Shelke: Understood.

*Shelke sits up.*

Shelke: … That person, why?

Argento: ……well, she has not grasped the things in the sea or the things in the mountains. Perhaps, if one polishes one’s skills, then maybe one can enter……

[Note: I am guessing this is a Japanese idiom saying something like... Having skills that allow one to retrieve treasures from the depths of the sea and the mountains. Another idea suggested by vilaeth is that, it's about the uncertainty whether if the player will carry out everything as planned and it's too early to say whether if one's performance will succeed.]

Shelke: Is that so… Still, this is how it will be from now on, no?

Argento: Yeah. This is probably the “beginning”……

Event 2 – The Risk of Triple S

*While Officer-East is talking to the player, he notices there are people coming. The camera then shows Azul, Shelke and Restrictor. Officer-East immediately kneels on one of his knees, but the player just stood there not knowing what to do. Officer-East nods to player and player proceeds to kneel. When the player kneels down, Officer-East starts to whisper to her.*

Officer-East: Tsviets……? Azul the Cerulean and Shelke the Transparent…… To come to a place like this…… Are they going to participate in a mission somewhere?

*The three walks pass Officer-East and player. Azul does not pay any attention to them, Shelke glances over, but when Restrictor passes in front of the player, she stands up.*

*The scene cuts to the fragmented memories of player and then back to present.*

Officer-East: H, hey!

*Officer-East drags her back to her knees again. When Restrictor is about to approach her, Shelke speaks up.*

Shelke: We don’t have time for this, correct?

*Restrictor turns to Shelke, then back to player.*

Restrictor: ……Hnn.

*The three walks away as Officer-East stands up.*

Officer-East: What were you thinking!? There are a countless number of Soldiers subjected to punishment because they ruined Restrictor’s mood.

*Player stands up.*

Officer-East: *sighs* That’s right, this is also the first time you’ve ever seen the Tsviets, isn’t it?

Officer-East: Tsviets, that’s the title for the strongest rank here. And above even that, only the most exceptional of Soldiers are assigned a “color”.  That’s what those two people from a moment ago are…  The one in the lead was “Azul, the Cerulean”.  Who knows how long it’s been since he was thrown down here, but he was promoted to Tsviets in almost no time. The researchers must be quite pleased.  His obsession with “power” is unusually high.  He’s the kind of Soldier that best symbolizes Deepground.

Officer-East:  And the one following him was “Shelke, the Transparent”.  She is special.  The color given to her isn’t a color at all.  Though, even I don’t know what that means…  She isn’t as young as she seems to be either.  She’s been in Tsviets since before I became a SOLDIER here.

Officer-East:  Additionally, there are other Soldiers that were assigned a “color.”  “Rosso, the Crimson.”  “Nero, the Sable.”  “Emperor Weiss, the Immaculate.”

Officer-East:  All three of them, within Deepground, have a risk rating of SSS (Triple S).  If you see them, I recommend you run away without giving it a second thought.

Event 3 – Azul and his Meal

*Two DG Soldiers walk past the player and Officer-East.*

Officer-East:  Those Soldiers became Tsviets earlier.  However, that is not to say that they have reached the top.

*The two DG SOLDIERS walks off the screen.*

Officer-East:  Also from now on, it shall be even more important to raise your level before you finish.  Not only must you become strong, but the number of enemies you will encounter shall increase as well……

_____

*Scene cuts to the two Tsviets we’ve seen earlier. They are on a lookout/mission.*

*Camera zooms out of them and Azul is seen on the cliff watching them.*

Azul:  Those people over there, can I eat them?

Shelke:  ……That is not a problem at all.

Azul:  What is their class?

Shelke:  Both of them are Tsviets.

*Azul grins and the screen fades black.  Then he is seen again jumping down from the cliff which startles the two Tsviets.*

Azul:  Fellow Tsviets, don’t you think it is time to let the killing begin?  URAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!

*Then the screen fades black again.*

_____

 *When the screen comes back again, the two Tsviets are lying on the ground.*

Azul:  You call these Tsviets with that kind of level?  How boring……  This just isn’t enough.  The next is……

*Azul walks away as the screen fades black again.*

Event 4 – Skills of Tsviet

Mysterious SOLDIER:  What?  You’re on this mission too?

*The Mysterious SOLDIER keeps talking as though nothing can interrupt him.*

Mysterious SOLDIER:  Oh, that’s right, you haven’t got my name yet.

Mysterious SOLDIER:  My name is Usher.  Nice to know you, as long as you’re alive.

*All of a sudden, the player grabs her forehead.*

_____

 *The screen changes to the scene where a young girl is seen, the same one in the Opening.*

Young Girl:  Wooow!  Big sister, did you really become a SOLDIER? If that’s the case, then we don’t have to be afraid anymore…

*After a cut-in with some noise on the screen, the young girl is seen on the ground.*

Young Girl:  Help, big sister…

*As the young girl tries to reach out her hand, Restrictor’s shadow can be seen behind her.*

_____

 *When the screen changes again, the player is back in the jungle. All of a sudden, the player is attacked (shot) by someone and falls.*

Restrictor:  Huh?  What’s this…?  Is this my prey?

*The screen turns black, this time it collides with the same image as the one before.  It seems as though Restrictor is the one who attacked the player.*

*Restrictor walks away and ignores the player.  Just as Restrictor is passing by, the player grabs Restrictor’s leg.  Restrictor sees this and kicks the player.*

Restrictor:  A failure?  Do you wish to be eliminated…?

*The moment when Restrictor is approaching the player, Azul leaps behind Restrictor ready to attack him*

*Restrictor turns back and blocks Azul’s attack with one hand.*

Restrictor:  Oh, so you’re still alive?  Is that what you are here to tell me?

*Azul continues to attack Restrictor.*

Restrictor:  HALT.

Azul:  Gurgh!

*Azul’s body is surrounded by light and can’t move.*

Restrictor:  Hmph, how boring.  Is this all you’ve got for being a Deepground SOLDIER, even one that is considered a Tsviet…

Restrictor:  While you are here, there is no point to raise your sword at me.

Restrictor:  Heh, very well then.  How many years has it been since it was put into you?  You’re the only successful case of the Metamorphose experiment.

Restrictor:  That power of yours, ShinRa…  No, it will be useful for the President.

Restrictor:  Keep on struggling and live.

*Restrictor leaves, and the camera goes back to the player.  Usher is watching the player who uses the boulder to pull herself off the ground.*

Usher:  Yo, looks like you’re still doing very well after all that kicking.

Usher:  Didn’t I say he’s the absolute existence here?  You must be crazy to grab his leg.

Usher:  Soldiers are nothing but pebbles on the road; no one will see or pay close attention to them.  That’s why, there is no need to feel sad when they die, we simply throw them away and forget them…

*Azul is still frozen.*

Usher:  Well anyway…  Looks like this is a test mission of our strength as a Tsviet.

Usher:  We are his prey…

*Usher explains this while he is looking at Azul as though they’re done for.*

Usher:  Azul the Cerulean.  As you can see from his name, he’s been given a color, a top Tsviet.  The strongest soldier here.

Usher:  Even so, as long as there are Deepground SOLDIERs, it will never be good enough for Restrictor…

Usher:  Well, if we are lucky, we might get to live.  Good luck and god speed.

*With a light wave of his hand, Usher leaves.*

Event 5 – In the Presence of Darkness

[Note: It can also be "The Origin of Darkness" or "Underneath the Darkness" depending on the translation of the word.]

*The player stands outside of an opened door and is seen looking inside.*

*All of a sudden, Usher walks inside without the player realizing it, and starts talking to the player in a friendly manner.*

Usher:  Haha, isn’t this an unexpected fatal attraction?  Wasn’t it said that you stand before that darkness, watching it as well?

*The camera turns into the room and Nero is seen hanging and bound to a pillar.*

Usher:  Nero, Messenger of the Dark…  He is the one who gathers everything in darkness and releases it.

Usher:  And because he is very dangerous, they restrain him like this.

*The screen displays Grimoire and the researchers in the dark with distorted faces*

Usher:  This is from about a decade ago, from the research left by a scientist named Grimoire, who found that a lifeform was created by the stagnation of Lifestream.

Usher:  And those researchers who were here at that time believed it.  By experimenting with the stagnation, they took the substance and injected it into children who were about to be born.

*The screen displays Usher and the player again standing before Nero.*

Usher:  Of course, this was all done without an understanding of how it was going to turn out.  Don’t you think this is similar to the Jenova Project?

Usher:  Though they did a few hundred experiments, it looks like he’s the only one that was successful… 

*A screen showing Weiss, Azul, and Rosso*

Usher:  Well, more or less.  Those with their names attached to a color are probably more of them.  The only few successful cases that arose from their many failures.

*Then back to Usher, player, and Nero.*

Usher:  As for his mother, it seems that she was engulfed by Nero’s darkness when he was born.

Usher:  They say she was an excellent mother.  No doubt, about it, seeing as Nero shared the same mother as the Immaculate Emperor.

*In the dark Nero and Weiss stand back to back.*

Usher:  Black and white, the opposite amongst brothers.  The older brother has been given the title of Emperor, and his dominion remains as Deepground’s strongest Tsviet.

*The camera shows a scene with Weiss with his eyes closed, before he opens his eyes smirking, then the screen cuts to Mako Reactor 0.*

Usher:  Do you know?  Although the Immaculate Emperor Weiss is very strong, his power and strength is being controlled.

Usher:  Other than the times when there is an experiment going on, he is chained to his throne within the Reactor 0, which is in the center of Deepground. 

*The screen cuts to Restrictor.*

Usher:  Moreover, if the signal from Restrictor disappeared, a time limit virus within Weiss will be released, and he will only have three days ahead of him before he dies.

Usher:  How convenient it all seems…

*Usher shrugs, and moves his shoulders a bit to stretch. In the next second, the camera zooms into the room in a fast pace and the camera starts panning up on Nero.*

*Nero opens his eyes and he screams as though he is in pain.*

Nero:  AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!  BROTHER!!!

*Darkness seeping out from Nero covers the screen, and after everything turns into darkness, before a young girl is shown.*

Young Girl:  Big sister, if you become a SOLDIER, then you can protect us, right?

*A breaking noise and the screen changes to a girl who looks like she is running from something that is chasing her.*

Young Girl:  Big sister!!!

*The screen is filled with white noise again, and it turns black. When the screen returns the player is seen sitting on the floor and Usher is looking over the player.*

Usher:  Are you okay?  You don’t look so good.

Usher:  Well, there’s not much you can do after you’ve came into contact with darkness.

Usher:  His darkness will seep and infiltrate your soul.  It is said that he can make you feel death, and even recall memories you don’t want to be awakened.

Usher:  What did you see?

*Usher turns away from Nero to look at the player and the screen turns black.*

Event 6 – Real Yet Fake

Este-D:  Ah, you came at the right time.  Come here a bit and lend me your head.

*After Este-D says this, she suddenly hits the players head.  The player loses her consciousness and the screen fades to black.*

_____ 

*The camera moves to a monument that resembles some sort of ruins, where Rosso sits and looking like she’s bored.*

Rosso:  How boring…

*Rosso lets out a sigh, as Shelke approaches her.*

Shelke:  Rosso, people in the research facility are looking for you.

*Rosso doesn’t reply or made any gestures.*

Shelke:  Rosso?

*Rosso laughs all of a sudden and turns to Shelke.  Rosso rushes to Shelke and starts slashing at her.  Shelke looks as though she’s used to this.*

Shelke:  Again?

*Shelke lets out a sigh and in the next second, holds up her weapons.*

*The camera momentarily moves to the sky.*

*Rosso’s breathing can be heard, and the camera trails down from the sky to where the two people are.*

Rosso:  I’m tired of fighting with you.  Moreover, your body will weaken after using the Formless [Colorless] Mode, right?

Rosso:  Hey Shelke…

Shelke:  What is it?

Rosso:  Have you fought in any battles outside of Deepground?

Shelke:  No, because my body won’t allow me to fight for a long time.

Rosso:  Yeah, looks like it.  But didn’t you live outside before you came here?

Shelke:  Yes.

*The camera moves away from Shelke and zooms onto Rosso who is looking around at her surroundings.*

Rosso:  You know, I’ve seen this ever since I was born.

Rosso:  Sky made from projectory.  Real yet fake.

Rosso:  I want to go to the outside world, just once…  Why won’t they let me out?

*Shelke stands there, unable to answer Rosso’s question.*

*Dead bodies everywhere.  Throughout the ruins, there are a few 10-20 people who were killed by Rosso.*

Rosso:  Fine then.  I will kill every single one of them inside and get out of here.

*Rosso gives Shelke a strong look and leaves.*

*Afterwards, while Shelke is walking the dead body of a Deepground SOLDIER is rolling towards her.*

*Though the eyes are opened, the DGS looks like he’s dead.  The camera focuses on the dead body and slowly moving back to Shelke.*

*Shelke stops in front of it.  She holds out her hand and closes the eyes of the dead.  At the same time, the screen fades black and the view came back to the Lobby.*

_____ 

*The player is seen lying on the ground with Este-D looking down at the player.*

*The player regains consciousness and wakes up.*

Este-D:  Oh, so you’re awake.  Anyway, what did you see?

*The player slowly rises while holding his/her head.  Este-D seems to ask again.*

Este-D:  What did you see?  Can’t you hear me!  Answer!

*The player can’t answer.*

Este-D:  Dammit, this is supposed to be an experiment where I obtain data from an abandoned mind, is there really nothing at all!?

*Este-D leaves the player, looking disappointed as though she has given up.*

Este-D:  Well, I see that you can at least regain consciousness.  Others have their mind.  Oh, nevermind, it’s nothing.

*Este-D swings her hands as though she’s trying to deceive the player that nothing major happened and she leaves.*

Dirge of Cerberus Interview Part 1 – The Birth of DC

Yoshinori Kitase – Producer
Takayoshi Nakazato – Director
Tetsuya Nomura – Illustrator/Character Designer
Hiroki Chiba – Scenario

Please tell us what is involved through the course of making Vincent the main character in this game.

Kitase: I really like the original characters of FF7, and his name always made a presence in my mind. And this time, since we were thinking about wanting to make a gun action game, we decided on Vincent, who uses guns as his weapon of choice.

Nomura: I heard it from Kitase that he wanted to make a FPS (First Person Shooting) game, and that he wanted to use characters from the past FF series. And though within those characters in the past FF series, there were many suitable candidates; I have in mind that Vincent is the most suitable out of all of them, so I suggested it as well. There were others like Yuna, Barret, Irvine, basically, we’ve thought about all the past FF characters who used guns as their weapon of choice. However, with the release timing of AC and BC, as well as the mass depth and mysteries that are being covered [in AC and BC], it would be great if we can use Vincent as a way to smoothen [elaborate] the plot; and that’s what we thought about and it came true.

The genre that is called FPS, is not a really common thing [system] to the Japanese gamers. So during the development of this game, are there any uncertainties that are in mind?

Nakazato: When we made our press conference during the Square-Enix party, people who got to come into contact with this product were shocked. We realized [have in mind] that there were people who mainly play KH type genre of RPG, and the way they finish off an enemy is by approaching them up front to attack. However, in FPS, you can’t just run up to the enemy and assault them. So bearing in mind this experience, we realized the concept of FPS is not very well instilled in most gamers’ mind. Since we have this issue, we figured that we should include a Easy mode for people who just play pure RPG to understand and manage through this game.

Kitase: And to balance it out with the issue mentioned [by Nakazato], there was a dispute in terms of where the focal point should be, until the very end [of the production]. We didn’t want to make it into a first person POV, so we decided that at least we have to see Vincent from waist above, and able to see somewhere from his shoulders when the camera rotates. Though it is better if we want to make it like a real FPS and have the camera set around the height of the shoulders, there are still people who are new to the whole FPS concept and it is better to give them a full character view so that they can control the character easier. Moreover, when and how characters should be seen, and how it must not be seen on the screen, in certain instances, is quite difficult to manipulate.

[Basically, he is saying how hard it is to go from one view to another view without making the players having confusions as to exactly which one they should stick to, so they spent a lot of time debating and disputing this issue.]

Nakazato: Yes, to obtain a balance in that area was hard. Especially we don’t even know who is standing next to Vincent, and with considerable trouble [effort] about Vincent moving around, we have to make him look fascinating. And because we wanted to see it, so we added visual effects along with the mantle.

[He is saying how it is hard to present Vincent when he is in full view on the screen.]

This is about Vincent’s mantle. It seems that it’s the same mantle that is seen on Grimoire. What is the origin/concept of this mantle?

Kitase: Oh right. So when I was talking to Nomura about the design, I said, “Make something that people could see on the first sight that they are father and son.” From then on, it became a discussion about whether or not using the mantle is a good idea. Grimoire’s scarf somehow became Vincent’s turban [the hairband], it’s basically the same thing, but it’s worn in a different way. And that’s why we think that if we put something that can relate those two together, when people see it, they will go, “Oh! This is the father!”

Nomura: When I was asked to make a conceptual drawing about Grimoire Valentine, I was only then told on the spot that he is the father of Vincent, which made me quite shocked and surprised *laughs*. However, I am not exactly the person who is responsible for the making of Grimore Valentine [/I don't have the final call]. Instead, it was Nakaaki, the sub character and mechanic designer who drew the general appearance of Grimoire; but since [we have different styles] the look [on the face] is far different than Vincent’s, so Grimoire’s facial detail had to be redrawn by me. About his clothing, it’s basically what Kitase have said [so I won’t repeat the same speech again].

The gun that Vincent uses is quite impressive and striking. Are there any specific designs or origins about Vincent’s gun, Cerberus?

Nakazato: Oh, there aren’t any bases. When Nomura who is responsible for character design brought me the conceptual drawings, Vincent is already seen with the gun. I saw it and said, “Oh, so this time it’s this type of gun.” *laughs*

Kitase: After all, since this is a Gun Action game, the gun he’s holding must be special in a way. Bearing that in mind, we decided that it should be somewhat different than the previous productions.

Nomura: If Cloud has his Buster Sword modified, and this time, it’s Vincent who is being the main character, I want to give him some sort of weapon to show this significance. Vincent used to be one of the Turks, and Turks are said to be Shinra’s dogs… However, Vincent is no longer [a personnel] working for Shinra, instead he is bound by his past, so it came to me that he has an image of being chained in some form. Also, with regards to Vincent’s diabolic image, while we are talking about the hell hound, Cerberus, we think that it is quite suitable for him. So when that image became concrete in my mind, I drew it out with 3 barrels to imply the idea of the 3 heads Cerberus has, and everything started to take its place. And what is left is the revolver [bullet chamber], there are three of them too. Even though it is said that in most occasion there can only a limited number of bullets coming out, in this game, I worked with an interesting idea, “If there are 3 barrels, there must be three revolvers.”

Dirge of Cerberus Interview Part 2 – Behind the Scene settings

Yoshinori Kitase – Producer
Takayoshi Nakazato – Director
Tetsuya Nomura – Illustrator/Character Designer
Hiroki Chiba – Scenario

Mr. Nomura, you are the one that is in charge of all the main character designs. Is there anything that you have to especially keep in mind?

Nomura: This time, I kept in mind that I have to draw a lot of people that represent the world of FF7. Therefore, I can’t just go and say, “I feel that this character should be like THIS!”, I have to consider the many factors these characters have on each other, whether or not they fit in together with each other. Though there are times that I work with Nakaaki and other new designers in this project, in terms of female clothing, they are given to female designers.

[It is said that the world of DC] seems to be much broader compared to the world of FF7.

Nomura: Yes, it seems so. Nakaaki and other members who were involved used to be the test players of FF7 a long time ago. A little input from them might be interesting. Since this is a spin off, I don’t think there is any way that we can do so.

[This is really confusing, but I think what Nomura is saying that, the way DC’s world seems to have a broader scope is that, he considered adding some new influence from the old testers of FF7, but at the same time, he put a control on the amount of new ideas that are being implemented in the story.]

So in a sense, can we say that Nomura is the one who does the design, while Nakaaki and the others put on the flesh and bones?

Nomura: Perhaps so. Take Shalua as an example, she was first drawn by Nakaaki, then it was given to female staff, and at the end of the process it was given to me and I added the finishing touch to it, so it’s basically a 3-step process.

Is there a certain expectation you want to see for characters who appeared in FF7 [but weren’t really clearly shown back then in conceptual art]?

Nomura: About Lucrecia, since the leftover [remaining] information for her in FF7 was not found, it was really hard to recreate her. So we relied on guidebooks’ tiny little portraits, and the many drawings that fans did of her. Then we look at Sephiroth, the son of Hojo and Lucrecia, of course he looks more like Lucrecia [than Hojo] *laughs*. Based on all these points, this is how we establish the current Lucrecia that you see in DC today.

The crystal object that Lucrecia has been sleeping throughout DC, is it possible that she could be alive?

Chiba: She is still alive. In FF7, she became an entity that possesses a body that won’t die [perish] “that easily,” so she was always inside the crystal. However, it is not to say that it is entirely impossible for her to come out of the crystal, as Lucrecia was just in a state of sealing herself inside. Furthermore, that crystal is a product of Lucrecia herself. However, those who have seen the ending will understand that words can be [properly] communicated to her.

Kitase: Though it is not certain whether or not it [Lucrecia’s feelings/words] can be transcended to Vincent, he constantly visits her place and talks to her. In DC, Lucrecia’s feelings can be passed through [understood] by Shelke [with SND], but the last tear that we see Lucrecia shedding is implying the undermined uncertainty, “Did it really get through?”

[Carried on from above] what exactly is the idea [strength] of this crystal? Was it based on the same principle for the coffin that Vincent slept in when he was in the Shinra mansion?

Chiba: It is being protected [guarded] by something that is much stronger. Since Vincent just wakes up and open the lid *laughs*.

[This question is asking about the strength of the crystal and how easy it could be broken open and accessed. Compared to Vincent’s coffin, it’s something that is much stronger and harder to break.]

About the character that “does not want to establish direct contact,” Reeve has this comment about this individual as “someone who wants to compensate for [the debt he owed to] the planet.” So is it possible that the person behind WRO’s funding is “him”?

Chiba: I think it must be him *laughs*.

Kitase: Since there is a similar dialogue that appeared in AC, please try to make a connection between that mysterious comment [and this one, the person (?)].

If there is really such a contributor as Reeve said, then Cid’s Airship units, after all are also funded by the same person?

Chiba: In the case of Cid, to say that he received the money directly from that person is a bit…well it wouldn’t really make sense because of his [Cid’s] personality, but I think it’s more of passing the money from Reeve to Cid. Whether or not Cid still has some [qualms (?)] about that person, it’s quite a delicate matter *laughs*.

What is the contributor doing as of now?

Kitase: Basically what he is doing in AC, and it’s going to extend for quite a while [meaning he will be doing the same thing in the future for quite a while]. For some reason or the other, since he still has this bad impression upon him, it is still not clear whether or not the reason of his support is [simply] just to help out.

Nomura: No matter what is going against the planet and how he wants to compensate, I think he is trying to establish some sort of profit as his primary goal. Even in DC, he says it’s for the sake of amending his debt to the planet and helped out financially, but I think I’m afraid [it’s just another way] he used to put his own goal forward.

Dirge of Cerberus Interview Part 3 – The Mysteries of Tsviet

Yoshinori Kitase – Producer
Takayoshi Nakazato – Director
Tetsuya Nomura – Illustrator/Character Designer
Hiroki Chiba – Scenario

Okay, the next question is, about the new characters, Tsviets, do they have a model that they are based on?

Chiba: I was thinking, since Vincent being the main character this time, along with characters like Yuffie, Cait Sith, Cloud, et al. from FF7, they needed some people to fight against. Keeping in mind that they are soldiers who are different from Sephiroth, and making a balance out of here and there, we came up with Vice, Nero, Rosso, Azul, and Shelke, while Nomura designed and shaped them.

Kitase: I told him and put this across – “Make it [this character] look [feel] like this.” For example, requests like: “Make Nero look like a psycho.”

Nomura: About Nero, I was being told, “Restrict him [for me]“. As I am not responsible for writing the scenario and background information for the characters, I was very loose [on the details] on the design of the characters. Though I have also received information about Nero, when I saw that it has “suppressing his own strength therefore binding his own hands,” I started to have funny ideas, because right after that, it says, “shoots things with his two hands” *laughs*. Moreover, the information also has “riding on a motorcycle” written on it. Does Nero really ride on the motorcycle without his hands on the steering control? *laughs* And that caused me quite some trouble, so I decided to give him a pair of wings with hands on it.

Why is it that Nero has to have his two arms restricted, not to mention that his face is being wrapped up with bandages?

Chiba: Throughout the years while he was in DG, he got used to not using his hands, got used to being in control, got used to being locked up, got used to being restricted. About his bandages, that person [Nero], seems to be the type that will leave [leak] something [here I assume it’s his darkness] wherever he goes, so the image of him needing something to keep it [his power] blocked came to place *laughs*. We also had this idea earlier that Nero’s mother got trapped into darkness when Nero was born. Basically everyone in Tsviet received some form of “adjustment” in DG one way or another, but what exactly is the thing that everyone was subjected to, when you enter the multiplayer mode, you shall find out.

In the Tsviet, everyone was given a name along with a color, why is it that Shelke is the only one labeled as “Colorless”? Is there some sort of meaning behind this?

Chiba: This will become clear once people have played the multiplayer mode. If people have gone through halfway of the multiplayer mode, Shelke’s secret will be understood.

Does Tsviet only consists of 5 people?

Chiba: “What if there are people who survived?” That is something that we do not know. Since Tsviet is a name given to those people in DG who are ranked as Elites, and those 5 people who survived through the last three years [FF7 to DC] are exceptionally stronger than normal warriors. In multiplayer mode, players can become Tsviets too.

It seems that Azul and Shalua made an appearance during BC. Is it possible that more DC characters are going to be seen in BC?

Kitase: As BC is heading towards its better state [in terms of the plot], I doubt that there will be any more links [with BC and DC]. However, since this whole project is a “living thing” under development, it is uncertain what will become of it.

This is about Weiss. Why is it that he was “sleeping” [throughout DC]?

Chiba: Actually, after the unification of DG, Weiss’s whereabouts became unknown. Nero, who kept this information from the rest of the DG and continued on ruling and controlling the rest of the DGs. And after that, it’s the background story… of how he met up with Hojo.

It seems that while Weiss is in a state of sleeping, it created a chance for Hojo, who is [supposed to be] dead to come into contact to him.

Chiba: Weiss is basically a character that contains all the special abilities [good stuff] of the DG soldiers. That is why he is able to use SND as Shelke used hers, and that is also how Hojo caught hold of him and used him in reverse.

Kitase: After the meteor disaster, the once broken network was being restored during the timeline of DC. The revival festival of Kalm is a celebration of the restoration of connection along with a chain of events. And with the successful hook up of the network, this leads to the incident of Hojo.

Nomura: In very early stages, we planned to have Weiss with cables stuck inside his body. And then draw him without wearing anything on his top half. We also planned to have these cables hooked up to a computer, which is used by Hojo.

You could take it [think] that the Omega that was created when Nero and Weiss become one is because of Hojo when Nero was being distracted. Omega is born from the pure Lifestream, so does that mean the Omega we see in DC is completely different form than the original Omega [that was described in Lucrecia’s reports]?

Chiba: It is a completely different object than the original Omega that was expected [to be born out of natural causes]. As a result of being a completely different object than its original form, you can also say that the way in which this artificial Omega was created [the reversal process] brings harm and devastation.

[This question is basically asking the difference between the real Omega and the artificial Omega that Hojo tried to replicate.]

Dirge of Cerberus Interview Part 4 – And then thereafter…

Yoshinori Kitase – Producer
Takayoshi Nakazato – Director
Tetsuya Nomura – Illustrator/Character Designer
Hiroki Chiba – Scenario

After the incident, we can see that Shelke is living with Tifa and people leading an ordinary life. It appears that she does not have to rely on Mako baths anymore. If that is true, could we please hear about the reason behind this?

Chiba: I was thinking if it could be her sister who might have been revived in the ending gave her the strength [to live on without Mako baths].

Kitase: When Omega was defeated, the thing [that resembles Mako-snow] that rained down was the Lifestream. It will be great if that person [Shalua] can wake up.

Chiba: We are going to elaborate more on that if there is a sequel. *laughs*

Nakazato: And I want to make her grow up a lot more [rapidly]. *laughs*

What kind of life is Shelke going to lead after the game [in the future]?

Nomura: I think she wants to be with Vincent. Though this is how it’s said, based on Vincent’s personality, I don’t think he will adhere [stay] with her. Even if she is unable to leave yet unable to stay, I feel that she will be in a relative distance around Vincent.

Her look in ordinary clothing [the one she wears at the ending] is quite shocking [astonishing].

Nomura: I was thinking, “Am I going to use that ?” Although I was being told to draw the ordinary clothing, since I was thinking if it will be good to get something out during the scene of reminisce. Lastly, while having tea at 7th Heaven, although she came out [shrewdly] looking as a Soldier and said “Hey” [meaning she didn’t feel comfortable to wear the DG uniform in front of Cloud and people], it seems that at the end she wants to reserve it [DG clothing].

[Here it’s basically saying how Shelke wants to save her DG clothing even though she doesn’t belong to DG anymore.]

It is said that her clothing is based on a concept of “something cute”, is this true?

Nomura: Nope, rather, I was aiming for the “ordinary girl” look, and I just followed that idea and drew. At the end, I just wanted to show that she returned to being someone who she really is.

Please tell us the character(s) that you are fond of in DC.

Nakazato: I like Azul [very much]. When Chiba was writing the scenario for me, to the stage where we decide on the voice actors, I felt that this is the way [the image] that Azul should be.

[He’s saying that everything matches Azul perfectly from head to toe.]

Chiba: Since I am the key [as in the most important/critical person] to the making of the scenario, I have to say I like Shelke after all. In terms of her expression, the way her face is portrayed is in tremendous detail. “Move towards this way a little bit” and “This time stay like this”, they really did a rather fine job of making her.

[He is saying how her movements are so delicate and the way that they made her expressions are done with a lot of details.]

Nomura: It’s probably Rosso. Though we are speak of characters that are not originally in FF7, and there are also quite a few members in coming from Tsviet, Rosso is probably [of all the Tsviet] on quite a different line [level] when I drew it. I think Rosso is definitely one of the unique creations that I have out of all the characters I have drawn.

Kitase: After all, I think Reeve was quite amusing *laughs*. In the first reunion [of Reeve and Vincent in DC], we didn’t think about making a human copy or anything interesting for him. Though we didn’t intend to have that scene in the script, I tried and said, “Let’s do it.” From then on, we have setup a character profile for him. Although it wasn’t an openhearted laugh [joke], we want to see a “Wow, this guy’s amusing” actions expressed by Reeve. And since in the previous production [FF7] we weren’t sure what kind of person Reeve is, we imagined that he’s someone that doesn’t have a lot of people following [in contact with] him. Therefore, this time around, we revamped his position in DC. During the production of DC, we were also in the middle of AC’s production. When I heard Nomura ask, “Is Reeve going to make an appearance in AC?” I said, “Only his voice, but not himself.” And since I liked the idea, I did what I like [I went ahead and made it come true in DC]. And since the overall story of DC is quite heavy [serious], we thought about Yuffie and pondered if she can become a character for some comical relief.

Dirge of Cerberus Interview Part 5 – Collaboration with Gackt

Yoshinori Kitase – Producer
Takayoshi Nakazato – Director
Tetsuya Nomura – Illustrator/Character Designer
Hiroki Chiba – Scenario

Please let us know what aims made you decide on collaborating with Gackt.

Nakazato: Though we have a lot of candidates when we were deciding who we should get [to sing the theme song], at the end we wanted to aim for someone who can make a huge impact. Then we thought, “It would be great to have the person who sings this theme song match and represent the image of Dirge of Cerberus.” At the end it became a favor that we asked from Gackt.

Nomura: Though that’s how it is for the songs, we have actually been thinking if he should do some voice acting on another compilation title. But since it couldn’t come true over there [the other compilation title], it became something like “Why don’t we try this on DC and have a theme song instead.” Although there are many female artists’ images that can represent the female characters of the FF series, after the talk about wanting to have a male artist, Gackt, who was one of the candidates, was being suggested. It became a thing which I feel is the most suitable towards the world setting of DC. Not only is he someone who [closely] sticks to my own world setting; to a certain extent in the world of FF7, it is also has a meaning of a thing that is being finished. Though it is not sure whether or not that side [Gackt] has experienced uncertainty, he accepted and agreed willingly [upon our request].

Not only responsible for singing the theme song, but also appearing in the FMV, are these all decided at the same time when [you made the decision to collaborate with Gackt]?

Kitase: While we were going ahead and [making sure that we go along as we have planned earlier in the talk] trying to get Gackt to sing the theme song, and since he is going to appear in the promotion video as a character, we were thinking about having Gackt do some voice acting, “Wouldn’t it be interesting if we can hear his voice too?” The atmosphere of Gackt and our image of the characters in the FF series are quite similar, so I felt why don’t we let him make an appearance in the state as it is? We also considered [about how we will be able to make] this piece interesting if Gackt didn’t only make a voice contribution, but also appear in person.

We heard Gackt also gave some suggestions on [G’s clothing] design. What kind of suggestions did he give?

Kitase: For example, when Nomura was in the middle of designing the clothes, we were wondering if the coloring should be white or black, we also have many other variations in mind. But at the end, Gackt chose red.

Nomura: In the beginning there were black, white, and red. Even though I say black, Kitase says white, we still decided that it’s better if we respect the wish of whatever the wearer’s choice is.

Upon the completion of the design, is there such a thing like “I want to create something [with an image] like this”?

Nomura: Since that costume was planned to have a theme of “One-wing,” according to the design, it will become a coat that has feathers wrapped around the patches [squares and tiles] section. It’s basically a design where the whole body is almost wrapped with feathers. [Could we say that] after we incorporated his [Gackt’s] ideas, it somehow became his design as well? And what is left is that, since it was not finished at the time, we just drew it as an unfinished design.

[He is saying how there were certain things that were decided before they consulted Gackt’s idea, and after they consulted Gackt, it was still a very basic concept which they were not really certain about. It only became a confirmed design when it was at the last stage of the production.]

Kitase: Though at the very beginning when the prototype of the clothing design was out, there were going to be black belts with the images of wing[s] hanging fully from the design, we listened to the ideas about the length and balance of the decorations given by Gackt, since he will be the one wearing this costume in action. There were many instances and things that happened when he tried to put the costume on but he couldn’t move. *laughs* And since this time, he will be appearing with a CG character at the same time, we’ve paid special attention to the design [overall impression] of how he looks afterward wearing the costume, so that we could make sure the head and body balance are the same for both Gackt and Vice [the CG character].

It feels that the theme song [Redemption] and [Longing] matches the theme [of DC] quite well. What kind of request was made to Gackt when he was composing these songs?

Kitase: About the ending song, our request in the beginning was to make it a ballad. We knew that Gackt has a lot of wonderful ballads [amongst his songs], so when we first got together and talked it over, we requested the same type of ballad that Gackt has been doing. In the middle of the production, Gackt was saying [suggesting] aside, “How about making it sound like this?”, and that’s how Redemption came to be.

Nomura: Since I have been thinking for a while to have a song as intensive as this, I passed it with no objection and accepted it.

Chiba: I wanted to see [and bring out] the game scenario and game play no matter what, and when I saw Gackt’s image, I said to myself “This is it!” and that essentially became how I feel.

Nakazato: Before Gackt [started on something], we sent him all the related information including the ending sequence to him, we asked him to compose a song that can express the things that happened in that scene. When we have to master-up [final touch up] this game, Gackt’s Live [the song] became extensively heavy [recording], and we didn’t have enough time to spare and play the scene all over again. However, as more staff personnel are moving over to the Hakata site, we [finally] get to have a chance to check over the whole video.

Elena: “Tseng!”

Elena’s POV moves to the right.
Yazoo is standing at the left, Loz at the right, and Kadaj in the middle.
They’re naked from the waist up, and their outfits begin to form starting at their abdomen and going up (looks little black particles making them?)

Kadaj: “You are going to give her back.”

(Seems like they’re talking about Jenova’s head)

Reno piloting the helicopter.

Zack and Cloud in the wastelands around Midgar, riding in the back of the truck (like CC, etc.)

Zack: “Stop somewhere behind a rock, old man. Cloud, we’re getting off.”

(Scene from the Replay video?)

Denzel breaking a fire hydrant with a pipe in Edge.
He hits it once, then lifts the pipe over his head, spins it around and hit it again (like Cloud’s victory pose).
High pressured water shots out and hits the monster.

Yazoo and Loz escaping on the highway, chasing after Cloud (around evening time, middle of the film).
Reno(‘s finger) pushing a switch for a machine gun, as he follows them in a Shinra helicopter.

Yazoo and Loz, riding side by side, get closer together.
Loz puts his left foot on Yazoo’s bike, lifts it above his head, turns it around, and sets it down in the opposite direction (!).

Tifa fighting monsters in front of the Meteor monument.

Tifa: “They just don’t give up!”
Denzel: “Tifa!”

Vs. Bahamut.
Tifa, Cait Sith&Nanaki, Cid, Barret, Yuffie and Vincent battle scene.
Tifa and Cait Sith&Nanaki is new footage (Cid too?).
Cait Sith shielding his eyes from the force of Bahamut’s Flare (new).
Barret firing his gun arm, Yuffie running vertically up a steel frame, and Vincent shooting in front of him. All scenes from original AC.
Tifa getting knocked back by the blast from Bahamut’s Flare.
She scraps against the floor, starting with her left elbow (maybe the scene just before she loses consciousness in AC).

Cloud and a black-winded Sephiroth clashing swords (the one used in the FFVII Potion advert).

Another Tifa battle scene (I think?).
She kicks a monster up into the air.

Cloud takes one of the swords out of the Fusion Sword and throws it at a monster to save Denzel? (not sure)

Denzel: “Cloud!”

Shot of Rude’s back (camera slightly to the side) while he’s talking as he looks out of the window.
(Healin? Seventh Heaven?)

Rude: “Atonement is the duty of those who survive.”

Reno, laying on a bed (?) with his hands behind his head.

Reno: “The world was almost done for. Thanks to Shinra.”

In the rubble of Midgar Denzel, covered in mud, has a mobile phone to his ear (Cloud Black, with Cloudy Wolf strap!) then is about to throw it away, but suddenly his eye catches the screen and his hand stops.
He has a long bar in his hand.
Denzel stares at the phone.
(Scene from the past?)

Healin Lodge.
Conversation between Cloud and Rufus inside.

Rufus: “And if Kadaj’s goal is to prepare for an imminent occasion?”
Cloud: “Prepare?”
Rufus: “Sephiroth’s resurrection.”
(“Sephiroth’s” and “resurrection” are two different shots of Rufus)

Cloud, crouched in front of the Buster Sword on top of the hill, in pain from Geostigma.
Sephiroth’s voice is heard.

Sephiroth: “Cloud, you’re a puppet.”

Another scene of the bike chase with Yazoo and Loz, and Reno and Rude’s helicopter.
Rude opens the side door of the helicopter, and fires a large rocket launcher (?).
The shell hits the road just behind Yazoo and Loz.
A rather large part of the highway collapses (!).

In the helicopter, profile shot of Reno’s face smiling.
Yazoo, on his bike, flies up towards the helicopter.

The last battle, in the Shinra Building vicinity.
Sephiroth aims for Cloud from the air.
Cloud and Sephiroth clashing swords inside the ruined Shinra Building.
As he counterattacks, Cloud is surrounded by a blue aura.

The song playing wasn’t Tenrai – Divinity, but the AC arrangement of J-E-N-O-V-A!

Source: http://shienabent.jugem.jp/?eid=1697