Serpentine "The Mystic Mist"

Serpentine "The Mystic Mist" is a member of the ATEMS Knights in ATEMS appearing as a major antagonist in Azure Striker Gunvolt 3, the boss of the mission Phantom Mist, and one of the protagonists of its Epilogue ATEMS scenario. Her Septima is Phantom Mist, which allows her to create illusions out of fog, among other abilities. It seems she has a 6th sense that lets her see another's traumas, and well as hear "dark, grudgeful voices" around them.
==Website Description==
*This might be a mistranslation, as 工作活動 can refer to espionage instead.Weblio page on 工作活動
==Appearance==
Serpentine is a young woman with long, cyan hair that reaches her midsection, and matching eyes. She wears a necklace with diamond-shaped beads wrapped around her forehead, with a single feather at the center and a larger bead necklace around her neck. She also wears faint purple eyeshadow underneath her eyes. For Serpentine's outfit, she wears flat black heels, a full-piece bodysuit colored royal purple, with a dress of a darker shade overlaying it, and gaps cut at the thigh area. This is further overlaid with light brown strips of cloth, with the remaining strips tied into a large ribbon behind her back, and baggy sleeves of the same color. Serpentine also carries a staff that is almost as tall as herself.
When transformed, Serpentine gains black sclera with cyan irises, with her hair turning the same color and becoming broader and more triangle-shaped near the bottom. She now dons head armor that bears resemblance to a bamboo hat, black sleeves with long strips that reach down to her legs, large grey shoulder pads with white circles at their centers, and a segmented skirt with cyan highlights whose separate parts can extend to attack. Her boots, while normally not seen, are also longer, with a white and black color scheme. Her staff also gains small changes, such as spiked ends and a small glass cylinder.
===Gallery===
Main article: Serpentine "The Mystic Mist"/Gallery
gv3booklet16.jpg
== Personality ==
Serpentine is cold and snarky, offering biting words to both allies and enemies. Funny enough, this same attitude has earned her a small but devoted following amongst the more masochistically-inclined of ATEMS' rank-and-file.
She is especially disdainful of her fellow Knight Sistina, seeing her as intolerably obsessed with ZedΩ. Ironically, Serpentine herself bears a similar fixation, regarding Zed as hers to kill and no one else's.
However much she tries to deny it, Serpentine is in fact quite fond of Zed, as she feels flustered when Zed praises her in any way and is surprised that the young prince remembered all the details of her past prior to her assassination attempt, such as when she used to do fortune telling on the streets. She also very vividly remembers the day she carried out the plot. During Epilogue ATEMS she felt visibly hurt at the possibility that Zed did in fact not think much of her or her abilities, which turned out to be incorrect as she is a valued member of the ATEMS Knights.
Despite trying and failing to assassinate Zed, something the Golden Trillion finds thrilling as well, it is clear Serpentine's interests have changed over time as she still dutifully carries out Zed's orders while actively participating with the rest of the group.
==History==
=== Background ===
Serpentine was once a fortune teller. One day, ZedΩ saw her telling fortunes in a city he visited for a royal proceeding, and decided he would employ her the next time they met.
However, some time later, Serpentine had become a skilled assassin. Her Septima, Phantom Mist, manifested the traumas of her victims and allowed her to weaponize them. While she took pride in her skill as an assassin, she had become bitter after witnessing the hideous karma inflicted on her foes time and time again, and swore to kill herself if she were to fall in battle.
Eventually, Serpentine was assigned on a mission to eliminate ZedΩ. However, since ZedΩ had no traumas that she could use against him, she was at a severe disadvantage and was easily defeated. She attempts to end her own life in the face of defeat, but ZedΩ stopped her and demanded she join ATEMS. While initially reluctant, she soon accepted after ZedΩ invited her to try and kill him again, seeing it as his acknowledgement and desire for her talent, one she could only answer by giving her all in killing him. To that end, she has served as one of ATEMS' Knights, guarding her prey until her fangs are sharp enough to claim it.
===Azure Striker Gunvolt 3===
====Phantom Mist (Forest)====
After successfully infiltrating the country, Serpentine leads ATEMS troops in search of a Binding Brand, succeeding in taking it from a forested shrine. Shortly afterwards, she is confronted by Kirin and Gunvolt, with Kirin demanding that she return it due to its importance to the country. Serpentine considers that another reason to take it, saying it's laughable when Kirin doesn't understand.
Although Serpentine is confident she could simply flee and shake them off, she decides to test out some of the brand's power instead, transforming and engaging the duo in battle. Much to Kirin and GV's confusion, the Dragon Saviors appear to attack and berate them, with it quickly being realized that Serpentine is creating solid phantoms out of fog by reading their memories. Although the fight ends with Kirin and GV victorious, Serpentine is warped away with the binding brand by one of ZedΩ's feathers.
====Karma (Sunrise Palace 2)====
Serpentine appears again to stop GV and Kirin when the Dragon Saviors storm the Sunrise Palace, initially harrying the two using projections of Jota, Viper, Zonda, and Tenjian, with Apollo also confronting phantoms based on his past elsewhere. Proclaiming that ZedΩ is her prey to kill, she explains her plan to acquire GV's memories of the Adepts he fought, allowing her to create an army of Adept copies using Phantom Mist to take down ZedΩ. She is eventually bested, however, and the duo moves further into the palace.
Serpentine's last appearance is in the True Ending. Following negotiations with Sumeragi to end the Moebius incident without further conflict, ATEMS leaves peacefully to handle the Primal Dragon outbreaks in their home country.
====Epilogue ATEMS====
As ZedΩ proceeds through Downtown Christmas, Serpentine mentions the distribution of the Azure Spirits.
==Powers and Abilities==
Serpentine is a powerful Adept possessing the Phantom Mist Septima, granting her solid illusion creation, possible mist body transformation, and levitation. Usage of the Binding Brand enhances or grants some of those abilities while also giving her a more combat capable form. Furthermore, she seems to possess a strong sixth sense that grants her deep insight into the pasts of others, allowing her to craft phantoms based on the memories of a person. These phantoms are capable of replicating a wide variety of powers, and with enough time she can even create near perfect replicas. As one of the ATEMS Knights, Serpentine has command over a significant portion of the organization's armed forces.
It seems that in addition to her Septima, Serpentine might be skilled in non-Septimal mystic arts and uses them in combat. Her khakkara throwing skill is described as using mystic power (仙力), and during her Mystic Mandala skill characters seemingly from the Siddhaṃ script surround her, much like when Kirin shifts to Gunvolt in battle.
Serpentine seems to be skilled at Fortune Telling, having made a living out of it beforehand.
===Boss Battle Skills===
Skill 	Description
Haze Walk(ヘイズウォーク) 	Serpentine merges with the surrounding mist and moves to a blind spot. During this, Serpentine will become intangible and cannot deal contact damage to the player, and the player will be unable to hit her with anything but a Lock-on Flashfield after previously tagging her. However, during this technique, illusions of B.B, Shiron, Apollo, and Cayman will appear and do certain attacks, slightly altered from each of their own boss fights. These illusions can be interrupted by being destroyed, but that takes attention away from Serpentine's movements and does not give any kudos. Serpentine will start by only making one illusion at a time, but will make two at a time in the second phase onward.
The attacks are as follows:
* BB flies across the room in a U-shaped arc.
* BB flies diagonally up from the floor to a wall, before flying straight across to the other wall.
* Shiron shoots out three pairs of lasers from two orbs; one pair outwards, one pair right below the orbs, and one pair directly below Shiron.
* Shiron teleports throughout the room three times.
* Apollo drops down from the ceiling to the floor before dashing across the room.
* Apollo throws a dagger at a wall, from which a trash ball arcs out. The trash ball can be destroyed by attacking it.
* Cayman jumps above the player before smashing down.
* Cayman charges across the room, engulfed in flames.
In Hard mode, Serpentine will begin the fight by making two illusions at a time. In phase two onwards, the illusions may use new attacks:
* BB sends out 4 wing bits towards the player at once. Any that reach the floor erupt into ghostly hands reaching towards the ceiling. The wing bits can be deflected by Kirin's slashes or GV's Flashfield.
* Shiron rotates four orbs in a vertical oval shape around his position.
* Apollo dashes across the ceiling, and then 4 small trash bits arc out from the ceiling. Those can be destroyed by Kirin's slashes or GV's Flashfield.
* Cayman stomps the floor, sending out two fast moving explosions one after the other across the room.
Hidden Punisher(ヒドゥンパニッシャー) 	Serpentine suddenly appears at her current position and slashes. She may slash to her side or downwards.
In Hard Mode, Serpentine sends out a slash wave to her side when slashing horizontally, or she may move to the top part of the room and slash downwards, sending out four slash waves.
Mysterious Disc(ミステリアスディスク) 	Serpentine, hidden within her bamboo hat, moves diagonally across the room, before rolling across the floor and popping out to strike near one of the walls.
In Hard Mode, Serpentine instead pops out and strikes near the player's position.
Shining of Khakkara(シャイニングオブカッカラ) 	Serpentine imbues her khakkara with mystic power, transforming it into a light arrow and throwing it like a javelin. The khakkara, upon hitting the floor, erupts into a pillar of energy which blocks attacks and damages the player. The khakkara can be hit back at her, stunning her and causing her to fall to the floor.
In Hard Mode, the khakkara sends out six waves of energy outwards upon impact. If it's deflected, Serpentine will also be stunned for a shorter period of time.
Genocide Tentacles(ジェノサイドテンタクル) 	Serpentine starts using this attack in battle phase two. She, while haze walking, attempts to take position above the player before dropping down with her bladed skirt extended around her.
In Hard Mode, Serpentine slides across the floor for a bit in the direction she was going when she drops down.
Mystic Mandala(ミスティックマンダーラ) 	Serpentine's special skill. She surrounds herself with a magic circle which makes her invincible for a short while and begins chanting. While this is happening, six mist clones of Serpentine appear around the room. They can be attacked and destroyed. Serpentine also shoots out three orbs of energy at the player.
After some time, Serpentine and any clones that weren't destroyed line up at the top of the room. The clones then drop down to the floor in pairs, before Serpentine herself drops down and sends a wave of energy across the floor. The clones then erupt into pillars of energy that stop any attacks and damage the player.
In Hard Mode, the mist clones shift positions once while Serpentine is readying the attack. She will also shoot out two volleys of two orbs. Then, before Serpentine drops down, she sends out three energy waves at the player's position.
==Boss Battle Voices==
===Japanese===
Event 	Translated 	Romaji 	Japanese
Transform 	All worldly things are impermanent. 	Shogyou mujou 	諸行無常
Start 	The fog will delude you. 	Kiri de madou ga ii 	霧で惑うがいい
Start (Rematch) 	This is where your quest ends at! 	Koko wa anta gata no shuuchakuten desu! 	ここはアンタ方の終着点です！
Haze Walk 	There you are! 	Soko desu ka! 	そこですか！
Haze Walk 	What do you think of these? 	Kore wa dou deshou? 	これはどうでしょう？
Haze Walk 	How scary! 	Kowai, kowai 	怖い、怖い
Shining of Khakkhara	Destroy! 	Messe yo! 	滅せよ！
Genocide Tentacles 	Tear to pieces! 	Kiri sake! 	切り裂け！
Mystic Mandala 	Let’s use witchcraft!Mystic Mandala! (...) Get ready! Rest in peace! What a blunder!	Kijutsu wo mochi imashou!Misutikku Mandaara! Matei, yatei...Kakugo shite kudase. Namusan! Osomatsu!	奇術を用いましょう！ミスティックマンダーラ！まてい、やてい... (?) 
覚悟して下せ. 南無三! お粗末！
2nd Phase Down 	Ridiculous! 	Bakana! 	馬鹿な！
Defeated 	So this is as far as I've come! 	Koko made desu ka! 	ここまでですか！
Defeted (Rematch) 	This can't be! 	Konna hazu de wa...! 	こんなはずでは…！
Post Defeat 	I got a bit too carried away! 	Sukoshi asobi sugimashita ne! 	少し遊び過ぎましたね…！
===English===
Event 	Voice
Transform 	Dust to dust.
Start 	I prefer the cover of mist.
Start (Rematch) 	This will be your final destination!
Haze Walk 	So scary...
Haze Walk 	Is this to your taste?
Haze Walk 	Hahahahaha....
Hidden Punisher 	Over here, maybe?
Hidden Punisher 	How about there?
Hidden Punisher 	Hah!
Shining of Khakkhara 	I'll slaughter you!
Deflected Shining of Khakkara	Aah! Uhu... uh...wha? Insolent whelps!
Genocide Tentacles 	Tear them to pieces!
Mystic Mandala 	Time for my secret art! Mystic Mandala!
Gya~te...gya~te...prepare your souls! Farewell! It is done...
1st Phase Down 	Wha...?!
2nd Phase Down 	This can't be!
Defeated 	Gyah?! Is this all I could do?!
Defeated (Rematch) 	Gah! This can't be happening!
Post defeat 	Oops, I played around too long...
==Special Skill Chants==
Mystic Mandala:
==Designer Comments==
Source: Dengeki Online interview about Gunvolt 3 character design and illustration
==Musical Themes==
(C) = Composer
(A) = Arranger
Title 	Context 	Musicians 	Audio
Veil of Mist(狭霧に身を潜め, Hide Within the Mist) 	Forest stage theme	Hiroyuki Sato (C) 	
Veil of Mist -Roar-(狭霧に身を潜め ーー, Hide Within the Mist -Roar-) 	Gunvolt version 	Hiroyuki Sato (C)Hiroaki Sano (A)	
==Trivia==
*Serpentine's design motifs are the Major Arcana IX, The Hermit, and the water elemental spirits known as Undines.Concept art labels her "Hermit" (隠者) and "Undine" (ウンディーネ). This matches the Arcana theme of most Gunvolt 3 characters, and elemental spirits theme of the ATEMS Knights. Her transformed design is also based on jellyfish.
*Serpentine is named after serpentine belts, matching the car-based naming of most Gunvolt 3 characters.Former localization director Matt Papa confirms Serpentine, Prado, and likely Sistina have car-based names in his Azure Striker Gunvolt 10th anniversary stream
*In her original design concept, Serpentine's Arcana motif was going to be The Lovers and she'd be a Charm (魅了) Adept, a poison user who creates zombies, with another motif being Cupid's arrows. This early design also took inspiration from Melting Love from the video game Lobotomy Corporation.
**The design also resembled Elise's armed form, similar to BB's early armed concept resembling Jota's and Cayman's two concepts resembling Carrera and Jota. The significance of this is unknown, as none of the notes for their artwork mention those characters (although the notes about zombies do mention how GV1 and GV2 had their own stages like that).
*As a monk who wields a khakkara, summons phantoms of characters, and invokes the siddham script for certain techniques, Serpentine has some similarities to Kirin.
*Serpentine and Stella are the only Adepts whose hair and eye colors both remain unchanged in their Armed forms.
==References==
*Gunvolt News Channel Episode 46, Serpentine's debut stream featuring her Japanese voice actor Shizuka Ishigami. At 37:22, the harem part is brought up and gets a fair amount of reactions from both the stream hosts, guests, and chat not long after.
*4gamer.net article about Serpentine
==Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 Navigation==
Category:Adept
Category:Female Characters
Category:Azure Striker Gunvolt 3
Category:ASG3 Characters
Category:ASG3 Bosses
Category:Antagonists
Category:Protagonists
Category:Characters
Category:ATEMS
Category:Image Pulse