Woohoo, I just finished the update and the finale ends in spectacular fashion, once again leaving us with a sense of excitement and strong potential for what's to come.
This chapter delivered some seriously powerful content, filled with intense emotions, major twists, and big revelations. It added a lot of depth to the story and opened the door to plenty of new theories and speculation. I get the feeling that behind Sicae, MBIML, and probably other entries to come, a larger meta-plot is emerging, with the
Sovereigns or gods at the very center of it all.
I suspect that a struggle between these beings will determine the fate of the world in this universe and that the serum users were also conceived as a kind of weapon to face that kind of threat. Bonheur seems to hint at that in MBIML, when he’s in a cell being questioned by Aine. Still, the power of the serum corrupts and blinds, which inevitably leads to conflicts over control and influence, something that is especially apparent in Sicae.
Aside from serum users and test subjects, I have the impression that some characters are actually descendants of these Sovereigns. That probably includes our beloved silver-haired yandere, Nicole. She definitely gives off that energy, especially in the sex scene with Lance. She is fun, unpredictable, dangerous, but also probably crucial for what lies ahead in the story.
I also find myself wondering why Claire and her allies chose to erase Irene’s memory. She didn’t seem particularly dangerous to them, which suggests that something more is being hidden.
The reunion between Lance and Irene was incredibly moving, full of raw emotion, and deeply bittersweet. Everything that happens after that moment, up until the night with Nicole, is filled with confusion and sadness.
I felt a bit bad for Nicole too, but I still played that scene because it felt consistent with what was happening. Maybe it was selfish on Lance’s part, but it also came across as a very human way of coping with pain.
Nicole’s obsession, along with her yandere tendencies, is both disturbing and strangely thrilling. She is explosive in every possible way and hard to ignore.
The entire casino sequence was brilliant. It was a strong moment of action and intrigue. I do wish Lance had taken a more active role, but the whole setup and execution of the plan were really well done and enjoyable to follow.
And that ending was just incredible. NiiChan clearly loves to torture us emotionally when it comes to
Claire. What a tease ! x)
I actually like the presence of French in the title of the next chapter, "cocorico"
, even if the phrase sounds a bit awkward. It feels like a literal translation of "Behind the Mask" into "Derrière le masque", which doesn’t sound very natural in French.
We would normally say (more correct) "sous le masque", eg "faire tomber le/les masque(s)", "Bas les masques !" (theatric) , or even expressions like (more abstract/general) "sous/derrière les apparences" or "sous/derrière la façade" to convey that kind of idea in French.
Also, ending with the word "national" doesn’t really work in French, even if the intended meaning comes across clearly in the game. The term is indeed heavy and doesn’t make much sense.
If one insist on keeping a similar word in the title, even though I find it unnecessary and superfluous, I would rather suggest something like : "Sous/Derrière le masque de l’
État" (works better than "national" in the context), "Sous/Derrière le masque du
Gouvernement", "Le masque du gouvernement tombe" ou "le masque de l'État tombe", "Ce qui se cache sous le masque du gouvernement" (a bit lengthy), "Ce que cache le masque de l’État".
Overall, the concept of “state” and/or “government” works better than the term “national” unless it refers to the entire country in a more general and vague way, in which case the words "
Pays" and
"Nation" on their own are more appropriate in French.
