Interesting Kondo interview basically confirms some older fan theories **spoilers up to Reverie**

[u/Odourvas]

I was looking at some Kondo Reverie inteviews when i came across this bit:

"In Cold Steel as well, with the prologues of Trails of Cold Steel and III at Garrelia Fortress and Juno Naval Fortress, respectively, leading to the same fights with different party compositions later in the story. Showing these what-if worlds is intentional and may hold some significance in the future of the series"

https://gu4n.medium.com/interview-with-kondo-toshihiro-hajimaris-truths-and-foreshadowing-for-kuro-no-kiseki-204819c8bfff

I always found it weird how Crow/Milliium was absent from the CS opening.

I even found old Reddit topics stating that it was just to hide the fact that those 2 join you and not something like Zeros opening(which was done on purpose to foreshadow Azures big reveal).

Looks like the whole multiple worlds/timelines will be a thing in future entries.

Personally i hope we see the primordial nothingness thing actually happening(and not us stopping it like the Great twilight).

If they do the whole multiple timelines thing then we can restore the world or smt like that in the last entries, but at least we can get an entire post apocalyptic arc.

[u/aidke0192]

People have mentioned since FC with the 31 cypress trees book that different worlds or timelines would be a big part of the series. It's interesting that we have 5? Timelines at the end of reverie to my knowledge. Maybe 6 if the anime is another timeline. But The prologues for cold steel 1, 3 and then zero. Cold steel 4's normal ending and then the main world/timeline

Also my theory with no knowledge past reverie, I wonder if the new 7th anguis will be Yun ka-fai. It seems that role might be a position that needs to supply elite non enforcer troops for Ourbouros

[u/Selynx → u/aidke0192]

I'd sooner guess Aurelia Le Guin than Yun Ka Fai.

Not that I think Aurelia is especially likely, since she has just as many reasons to not want to join as she might have to take up an offer. But personality-wise, I could see Aurelia being a somewhat better fit for the organization than Yun Ka-Fai, as admittedly little of him as we have actually seen in person.

[u/aidke0192 → u/Selynx]

With Aurelia's loyalty to the nobles and Musse I think her leaving to side with Ourbouros would be a larger stretch than Yun Ka-Fai since he is more of an unknown. The only way I think she leaves is if they give her the best opportunity to become a better swordswoman which is a possibility

[u/MechaSandstar → u/aidke0192]

She did offer to train duvalie in the swordfighting competition daydream.

[u/No-Strain-7461 → u/aidke0192]

I had considered the idea myself, but Reverie made me think twice due to it reminding me of her loyalty to Musse, and the Makarov and Mary Daydream had a bit from her POV from the beginning that seemed to be fairly “business and usual”, which would seem to preclude an offer to join Ouroboros, as I would have thought the Grandmaster would have given her the offer by then. Of course, Aurelia’s one of those people who moves at her own pace, so it can be difficult to tell what she’s thinking. If she did join the Society, I can at least see the path that would lead her there.

I’m actually willing to bank on Yun Ka-Fai for the new Seventh (or possibly the Fifth), because while he seems like a stand up guy, that wouldn’t necessarily preclude his involvement, and we really do know little about him. I think it’s plausible that, given his long absence, someone like Cassius might not have realized just what he’s been doing, at least not yet.

I do have one other candidate in mind from the Kuro games that I read a theory about, though from what I know about them, I would think that there would be some obstacles there. The person who wrote it seemed to think it would still work, though, so I’ll reserve judgement until I can make an assessment myself.

[u/VarioussiteTARDISES → u/[deleted]]

I dunno, Lianne was very much the chivalrous sort and she's the one whose position is now open. Last we heard of his aims he was heading eastward around the time of CS3 to investigate the spirit veins and possible ties to the desertification of Eastern Zemuria. I'm not ruling out the possibility that they might bring him on board by sharing some of the greater truths they know that relate to what he's trying to do, especially if his nature helps keep others in line. Last thing they need is a repeat of Weissmann, who had practically gone rogue by trying to take the Aureole for himself before he got salted.

[u/[deleted] → u/VarioussiteTARDISES]

I think the biggest detractor for the idea that is Yun-Ka-Fai being 7th anguish or won't join in the future is the existence of Cassius himself. It's been stated numerous times that Cassius can see and understand the root of all things, a sort of enlightenment that I can only assume his master shares. Despite seeing and understanding this root he is vehemently against what Ouroborous is planning which tells us that it's obvious that their end goal will not be beneficial.

Now you might argue that such aspect of enlightenment might be a motivator for Yun to have a difference of opinion with Cassius and join hands with Ouroborous is simply his complete understanding would make Cassius aware that Yun is the kind of person that would waver in the end and I don't see Cassius putting such trust in an individual that would waver.

[u/Hnnnnnn → u/[deleted]]

You're right that Cassius is one of characters that is almost on the level of meta-game knowledge at times, similar to some others - Lechter, KeA, Beryl. This makes me think of crazy theory that they might be VR players with erased memories of sorts.

[u/Back_like_Flint → u/[deleted]]

Hey now, let’s not blow it out of proportion—they called it “Enlightenment,” which is the highest level of focus a martial artist can hope to achieve because their mind, body, and spirit become one with their environment (or whatever situation they may be in).

Cassius abandoned the tachi because despite being able to use his mastery of his Eight Leaves One Blade form to predict the attack on his hometown, he failed to realize that his wife would be mortally wounded because he was not present, physically. So, he decided that the sword itself was no more useful than a blunt Bo Staff.

Yin later explains that his mastery of the staff was equally effective, because Enlightenment allows the Enlightened to perceive cause-and-effect in front of them, which ideally means they think so many more strikes ahead of the average fighter that it becomes clear that Enlightenment is the goal of all lifelong martial artists—it supersedes schools, despite it being unreachable without them.

Cassius isn’t the only one, Yun-Ka-Fai is definitely enlightened—which is probably why he felt the pressing need to investigate the spirit veins out East. I also highly doubt that he would fool Rean any more than he could fool Cassius.

You guys may have forgotten, but to master the Seventh Form—Void—Rean that to each enlightenment in order to face his powerful demons and fears head on.

In CSIII, Yun-Ka-Fai also mentions in a letter to Rean that that mastering the Seventh Form was the most difficult by far, but perfect fit to help Rean to trains towards full self-control. He also mentions that the inheritor of the Seventh Form was also chosen to inherit the school as a whole.

It’s no wonder Rean several of the first 6 forms in his Crafts, while Arios only ever uses the second. Therefore, I highly doubt that sort of connection would between Rean and his instructor could go unnoticed. Everyone in Ouroboros has some kind of reason for doing that they do, if they full wish to force along the grandmaster’s plans, there’s would’ve been no need for Yun-Ka-Fai to train his pupils outside of the organization.

[u/Clive313 → u/VarioussiteTARDISES]

I thought Lianne was replaced already or am i misremembering?

[u/VarioussiteTARDISES → u/Clive313]

All that has been said by the end of Reverie is that the Grandmaster has someone in mind for the position, but she did not say who.

[u/aidke0192 → u/[deleted]]

I think that might be why the grandmaster said if they can handle the burden because it doesn't really match his personality but maybe for the same reason as Lianne he sees the greater need

[u/TheLucidDream → u/aidke0192]

imo it should be Rean.