The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV/Story

This is a summary for the story of .
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Two weeks after the events in the Gral of Erebos, Erebonia prepares for war against Calvard for the assassination of Olivert Reise Arnor and attempted assassination of Eugent Reise Arnor III. The declaration of war and rapid mobilization surprises many. In Crossbell, Lloyd Bannings, Elie MacDowell and the Brights infiltrate Orchis Tower to extract intelligence, where they are met by Black Alberich, Mariabell Crois and Claire Rieveldt. After a brief fight, the three allow the group to leave, where they learn the true magnitude of the events in play.
Elsewhere, Juna Crawford, Kurt Vander and Altina Orion come to from their coma in a house. They learn this place is the hidden village of Eryn, governed by elder Roselia and the home of the Hexen Clan. Also in the village are Original Class VII and Randy Orlando, from whom they learn the whole story of their escape from the Gral, their separation from Musse, the situation surrounding Ash and how other students and collaborators managed to get away... except for, as everyone is painfully aware, Rean Schwarzer and Millium Orion.
Suddenly Juna remembers the exchange between Rean and Giliath Osborne. Following up on Kurt's deduction, Altina reveals that they are indeed father and son. Fueled by anger, Juna desperately calls out to Original Class VII to get their friends back. Inspired by their classmate, Kurt and Altina then also voice their will and resolution. As if they snapped back to their senses, Original Class VII also resolves to rescue Rean. Rather than each going their own way, Original and New Class VII are determined to overcome the hardships as one united Class VII in the face of this adversity.
The Pantagruel, the flagship of the Weissland Army, soars through Imperial airspace. On board are General Aurelia Le Guin, Brigadier General Wallace Bardias and the Azure Abyss, Vita Clotilde, awaiting the arrival of their leader who appears behind them: Duchess Mildine Juzalith de Cayenne. While she prepares for the turbulence to come she places her trust in her classmates and smiles quietly.
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8/2 | Original Class VII leaves Eryn to gather intelligence, while Randy remains behind and accompanies Juna, Kurt and Altina to the Saint-Gral Labyrinth, where Roselia has set up a strict rehabilitation course for them so that they can regain their former strength. Determined to catch up with the rest of Original Class VII, the three students enthusiastically engage in their training.
Making use of their Crafts and Brave Orders, they make their way to the end of the labyrinth. There Roselia awaits them. In order to pass today's trial, they have to fight Roselia and, with Randy's support, endure the true strength of the True Ancestor. After the trial, Roselia informs them they finished the first round of their trial. Initially surprised that there was more to come, the students are determined to see their training through.
That night, Randy and Roselia join the students in dipping into the . The warm water and great company does wonders for the mind and body so they feel refreshed to continue their training the next day.
8/7 | After several days of training in the Saint-Gral Labyrinth, Juna, Kurt and Altina learn about the s that have appeared throughout Erebonia. By sticking s into the ground of these areas, they might be able to locate the stronghold of the Gnomes - and with it, the place Rean might have been captured. Set on this method, Original and New Class VII set off to find the s. Before New Class VII's departure to the Sutherland Province, Roselia gives them their and a pendulum to make it out of Eryn.
After warping their way out of Eryn through the , they wind up in Isthmia Great Forest. They continue their trip out of the forest and eventually make it to Sutherland's provincial capital, Saint-Arkh. Using the temporary Bracer Guild in the apartment complex as their base, they start gathering information in Saint-Arkh's districts. The four are soon to notice the influence of the Great Twilight in the behaviour of soldiers and the conscription speed.
Upon returning to the guild branch, they meet their Thors Branch Campus schoolmate Kairi. Kairi tells them that he wound up in the area together with Tatiana and Pablo, and have been gathering information. In order to track down more clues regarding the s, they head to Parm to meet up with the other two students.
On their way, they find dark red Pleroma Grass growing on the former base they were stationed at during their first field exercises. In one corner of the field, they find the Panzer Soldat Juna piloted during the events at the Gral and, independently, it attacks the Magic Knight that emerged from the Pleroma Grass. According to Roselia, who contacts them after the battle, they became secondary contractors to Valimar during the Gral of Erebos incident, which may have inexplicably powered the Soldat. Reassured by this victory and with a new lead on the Pleroma, New Class VII resumes their trip.
After arriving in Parm, they discover that the Vander Training Hall has been confiscated by the army and turned into a conscription office. They meet up with Pablo, who had been waiting for them in order to exchange information. In order to meet up with Tatiana, they would have to make way to the Titus Gate on the southern border with Liberl.
At the Titus Gate, they find the 1st Armored Division that was until now in charge of protecting Heimdallr. They find not Tatiana, but Rean's peer Margarita Dresden inside the resting area of the fortress. She tells them Tatiana was determined to find the person from the same club as herself, which was enough information for Class VII to settle on their next destination: the forgotten village of Hamel.
On their way to the village ruins, they find Tatiana alongside a Hector Mark II Soldat. The path toward the village is riddled with Pleroma Grass and at the end, as expected, they find their classmate, Ash Carbide. Overcome with guilt and feeling unworthy of Class VII for starting a war, Ash's argument is refuted by his classmates, with Kurt's words snapping him back to this senses.
At that very moment, Ouroboros-deployed enhanced jaegers under command of Gilbert Stein show up, as they wish to speak with Ash over his shooting of the emperor. Ash pretends to go along, but knows that Gilbert will not honor his word, who already noted Randy as a troublesome opponent. Launching a "dirty" counter-attack, the group manages to defeat the jaegers, only for Zephyr's Rutger Claussell, Xeno and Leonidas to appear, as they wish to recruit Ash. Ash refuses their offer, prompting a fight between the two groups. Rutger calls his Divine Knight, Zector, but Juna and Ash are able to fend him off with their own Soldats. Soon after, Elliot, Fie and Sara arrive. Fie tells Rutger that will help Rean to the very end. All three Zephyr members are impressed with her growth and resolve, so they give them a break and leave. Gilbert and his jaegers leave soon after.
Afterwards, the find the pendulum reacting and conclude this is the area they have to place the . Randy decided to stay behind in the Sutherland Province with the students as Class VII, including Ash, makes their way back to Eryn Village through the Spirit Path.
8/9 | Back in Eryn, Class VII exchanges the information they have gathered so far in Roselia's atelier.
In absence of the emperor, the has taken provisional control of many regions; conscription continues and new recruits undergo training, making the upcoming war so much more real. All these events stem originally from the Great Twilight, sped up by Chancellor Osborne and Governor-General Rufus Albarea's diplomatic prowess and charismatic personality.
Through Ash they learn that Musse Egret, Aurelia Le Guin, and Vita Clotilde are plotting something against the government. Allowing themselves one day of respite, Class VII sets off the following morning for the Lamare Province, Musse's scheme still weighing on their mind.
8/10 | Travelling by the witches' monument once again, they arrive in the south of Avon Hills together with their Soldats. After concealing them, they cross the vast fields and wind up in the picturesque town of Milsante.
After asking around, they find fellow Branch Campus student Sidney at the local inn. He is currently gathering intel on Leeves, so Class VII heads in the opposite direction to Raquel.
Despite his disguise, many inhabitants of Raquel recognized Ash, and they expressed their relief over his safety. As New Class VII gathered information, they ran into another Branch Campus student, Maya. Gustaf and Sandy had travelled further north to gather information in their hometowns. Class VII found their pendant responding to the northern region as well, so they followed suit.
Halfway through the valley they run into Gustaf. His hometown, the mining village of Aragon, had been completely mobilized for the production of weaponry. Before heading in the direction of Alster, their next destination based on the information about the , they catch their breath at the lodge they ran into. Inside, they meet two women who looked to have come from Remiferia. For some reason they are in a hurry to leave by car. The manager of the lodge, however, informs the group that the two women previously stayed in Alster.
After a good rest, Class VII reaches the remote town of Alster. They meet up with fellow branch campus student Sandy, whose parents run the local inn. She informs them that Alster was the hometown of the now deceased hiding Prince Olivert and that his death made the mayor and villagers even more susceptible to the effects of the Great Twilight.
Class VII learns about the Pleroma Grass from the siblings Kai and Tilia and discovers a memo believed to be Musse’s in the local Streinrose Distillery. After putting together the information that they gathered, they decide to head to the northern Osgiliath Basin next. The pendulum reacts to the basin, which is referred to by the locals as the Forbidden Ground. In the centre, they find Musse and Aurelia standing in a field of dark red Pleroma Grass.
Musse indifferently reveals her background story, her actions up until that point and what she is planning to do next. The rest of Class VII, however, is having none of it.
The tense reunion was interrupted by Crown Prince Cedric Reise Arnor, Shirley Orlando, Ada Grant, Fritz and Michael Irving. They cross swords until Cedric summons Testa-Rossa, for which Class VII boards their Panzer Soldats. Their clash ends when Original Class VII and the Pantagruel make their appearance, forcing Cedric and cronies to withdraw.
Everyone looks how Juna drives the into the ground. Musse then decides to return to Class VII, entrusting the Weissland Army to Aurelia for the time being. With the students of New Class VII once again gathered, they take the Spirit Path back to Eryn.
8/13 | The following day, Original and New Class VII assemble in Roselia's atelier and report the good news. Five of the seven s have been pinned down by the s, leaving the Heimdallr Catacombs and the Crossbell Province to explore for the last two points. Both explorations will be difficult and Juna decides to take on the investigation of her hometown. With the rest of New Class VII following her lead, the allocation of the group members was decided. This time, however, they cannot use the teleportation stone and need to find another method to enter Crossbell. Alisa then has an idea, but informs the group that it'll take a day to make the necessary preparations, so they take the time to relax.
8/14 | On the day of departure, the group follows Alisa's instructions and heads to the open space just outside the village. With help from Emma, the Bobcat II and its crew, led by Alisa's acquaintance, Josette Capua, safely lands in Eryn.
After boarding, they pass through Eryn's warning system and head to Crossbell. On the way, they narrowly managed to avoid the air forces of the Imperial and Republic armies, which kept each other contained and locked in place. After landing, they make their way to Crossbell and end up in its East Street, where they decide to first rest up in Long Lao Tavern for the night.
The following morning, they examine the state of the city while they gather information on the . After learning interesting details about the Special Support Section and Government-General Security Force, the group convinces Juna to head to her home. She is relieved to find her mother and siblings unharmed, and the group also discovers Louise has taken up residence in her room. After a short conversation, Louise receives a mysterious email informing them to meet at Geofront Sector X. Despite being aware it may be a trap, the group decides to head there as the sender appears to be aware of their identity.
In the terminal room they find Epstein Foundation system engineer Jona Sacred and Arc en Ciel performer Sully Atraid. Together with these two SSS affiliates, they escape from patrolling archaisms by heading to the exit from the X Sector. Lying in wait for them was Heiyue's Cao Lee, but thanks to the unexpected help from Elie MacDowell and Estelle Bright, Class VII managed to escape the Geofront unscathed.
Using the old SSS office as their base, information obtained through Jona's hacking efforts revealed that Class VII should head to St. Ursula Medical College next. On their way, they stop by their old field exercise camp and run into Branch Campus student Freddy. He informs them of the whereabouts of the Panzer Soldat Musse was piloting in the Gral of Erebos. He also informs them about the Pleroma Grass before Class VII continues their way the medical college.
They arrive at the medical college and wander around, eventually stumbling upon fellow student Valerie. Nurse Cecile Neues guides them to the special ward, to the room of Emperor Eugent Reise Arnor III. From him they learn about the Black Records and the Curse. Contrary to Ash's expectations, he receives words of encouragement from the emperor.
After their visit to the medical college, they make their way to the wetlands where the Pleroma Grass is supposed to have manifested. The 's tight security leaves no opening, forcing the group to withdraw. They are then contacted by Branch Campus student Stark, who arranged for them a boat to Mishelam and with it, another entrance to Crossbell's wetlands.
Class VII arrives safely in Mishelam. Juna decides to go look for her father, Matthew, so the group helps her find him. They eventually run into each other by chance during a Mishy show, upon which Matthew gives her the key to the marshlands after being informed of the situation.
At long last, they find the where the Pleroma Grass flourishes in abundance. Awaiting them are Campanella, Lechter Arundel and Sharon Kreuger, who has returned to Ouroboros. Lechter argues that there is no point in lamenting the loss of Millium and, together with Sharon and Campanella, he opens a relentless attack. After fending them off, two Sorge units arrive to repel the intruders, prompting the students to board their Panzer Soldats. Upon besting the two Sorge units, the Auric Knight El-Prado appears, piloted by Governor-General Rufus Albarea. The students are barely able to fight off El-Prado just Estelle, Joshua, Lloyd and Elie appear. Rufus and the others leave, confident that they would win in their next encounter.
Class VII thanks their back-up for the help, who in turn praise the students for their brave fight. After seeing them off, they take the Spirit Path back to Eryn. With the in place, their search for the s has come to an end.
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8/17 | With seven s found, they can at last start pinpointing the Black Workshop's specific location. Roselia says that her secret Hexen Clan technique can be sped up using the power of Renne and KeA, who have translocated alongside Class VII from Crossbell. It still takes time, however, and urges Original and New Class VII to rest up and prepare for what’s still to come.
Several hours later, the group comes together to learn the coordinates found by Roselia. The location of the Black Workshop is the located in the Lamare Province. With help from Eryn's witches, Original and New Class VII are transported through a Spirit Path that connects to the workshop. Their goal in these depths where even light cannot reach is to save their friend and instructor, Rean Schwarzer.
Rean is somehow able to sense their arrival and breaks free of his chains, but remains in a berserk state. Celine follows him out of concern; soon after, Crow and Duvalie appear to assist him. Rean rampages through the facility to look for Valimar.
Class VII splits in two groups and started their investigation of the workshop's interiors in order to locate Rean. The two teams are intercepted Red Rossweisse and Copper Georg, while Rean's group is intercepted McBurn, Ines and Ennea. Old Class VII stalls their adversaries while encouraging New Class VII to find Rean, while Crow and Duvalie stall McBurn, Ines and Ennea, allowing Rean to continue searching for Valimar.
New Class VII soon finds Rean, Valimar and the Sword of the End, but their pleas are unable to reach him. They challenge Rean and successfully defeat him, weakening him slightly. Fortunately, the wishes of all of Rean's friends, along with appeals from Millium and Valimar, reach Rean through their ARCUS II orbments, allowing him to break free of the curse, although he still retains his ogre appearance.
Suddenly Giliath Osborne, Black Alberich and Arianrhod show up. Although driven into a corner, Emma and Gaius deploy a teleportation portal on Rean’s signal, enabling Josette's Bobcat II and the Gralsritter’s Merkabah to descend into the workshop. Their force is further strengthened by Aurelia and Vita, among others, giving Rean and the others ample time to prepare their escape.
During their teleportation, Osborne announced the start of the Rivalry of the Seven and, in turn, Musse reveals the name of her operation: Mille Mirage. Having escaped from the workshop and the enemy's reinforcements, Class VII and friends find themselves up high in the sky, lit by the morning sun.
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8/19 | Rean, now clad in new, black garbs, catches up with his friends in Eryn. They first head to the Sol Shrine where Crow awaits them to learn about the Rivalries. After seeing off KeA and Renne, who decided to return to their respective families again, as well as Aurelia and Vita, Rean and his friends also leave Eryn.
After flying to Bryonia Island in Gaius' Merkabah, the group makes their way to the Sol Shrine where Crow and Duvalie await them. They learn about the purpose of the Rivalry of the Seven: it is a series of deathmatches between Divine Knights, with the Knight standing victorious at the end possessing the power of the Great One. As an Immortal, Crow would fade away and die if he is defeated. When Rean tells him to perish the thought, Crow insists that Rean, as the Sacrifice, must see the Rivalries through. Accepting that challenge, Rean and his friends clash agaisnt Crow and Duvalie, and when the shrine responds to their fighting spirit, the Ashen and Azure Knights engage in the first Rivalry. Rean and Valimar emerge victorious.
Crow begins to fade alongside Ordine due to being an Immortal, much to the group's horror. Rean and Valimar counter the energy transfer with their own, extending Crow's life until the Great Twilight ends. Seeing that Rean cares for him, Crow decides to join the group, while Duvalie also joins for the time being.
8/20 | Rean and friends depart from Bryonia Island to comb through western Erebonia for hints regarding the whereabouts of Towa, Princess Alfin, Elise and other missing friends. They aim to find their own, third path, siding with neither the government's Operation Jormungandr nor the Weissland Army’s Operation Mille Mirage.
When they wrap up their patrol, Rean and friends start tracking down eye witnesses reports regarding Thors affiliates and certain VIPs. They determine their next destination will be Ordis, which is kept under lockdown, and decide on a specific infiltration route for the next day’s strategy.
A team of seven, including Rean, disembark from the Merkabah at the and make their way on foot to Ordis, infiltrating the city under the pretense of being travelling soldiers looking to spend a day off before the war starts. After confirming that the Heimdallr Military Police's efforts kept the city safe, the team starts collecting information from the city's various blocks and learn that the royal kept under house arrest is Empress Priscilla Reise Arnor, and that Towa is with her. Crow smuggles the group into the mansion by using the city's underground sewers, having kept the key Vita gave him during his trial with Ordine.
After being held up by the , the Thors students and alumni residing in Ordis offer their help so Class VII can continue their pursuit. When they finally make it into the mansion, it’s the RMP trying to halt their progress. This time, it’s Patrick and friends taking over to hold off the opponents. Eventually, they reach the dining hall where the VIPs are being kept and where Claire Rieveldt and Red Rossweisse awaits them.
After the battle, Towa and the empress are safely released and Towa’s desperate plea allows Red Rossweisse to regain her old self as Angelica Rogner whereas Claire is allowed to leave. The empress decides to reside in the mansion for the time being as Rean and friends return to the Merkabah. They promise to soon meet up again with the Thors students and alumni that helped them as they head off to their next destination.
8/22 | With the Empress safe, Class VII decides to search for Alfin and catch a rumor that she might be in Saint-Arkh. Despite the increased security following the Ordis incident, they are able to infiltrate the city using the railway system. Upon gathering some intelligence from the locals, running into Elliot's sister Fiona and some members of Arc en Ciel, they head to the mansion and see Wilhelm Ballad dragged back into the estate by the Special Guard. Elliot soon gets an idea to put on a musical performance, with Fiona and Altina assisting. The plan is a success and Wilhelm's personal guard sneak the group into the estate.
Inside, Wilhelm is confronted by Class VII, revealing that Alfin was supposed to arrive with a student from Liberl, who they quickly recognize as Tita. Elliot deduces that his father is holding both of them at Dreknor Fortress. Seeing that the Fourth Armored Division will be aware of their presence, they are joined by Agate, who was looking for Tita, showing a strange device that he claims will allow them into the fortress.
Using Celine as a backup distraction, and the device made by Albert Russell, the group is able to infiltrate the fortress. They are soon contacted by Olaf Craig and Neithardt, who confirm that they have Alfin and Tita, and that they'll have to fight their way through to the command center, which is teemed with patrolling soldiers and archaisms. On the way, they run into and defeat Alan, before confronting Olaf and Neithardt, who wish to see their resolve. Following a brutal fight, Olaf and Neithardt concede.
8/25 | The group decides to return to the Branch Campus, which since has been occupied by the Main Campus, holding Elise and Tio captive inside. However, with the increased military presence around the capital, they are forced to take a long detour.
Upon arriving at Milsante, the group finds Tatiana, Sidney, Louise and Josette. The students inform them of an alternative route, but it has been overrun with monsters. Rean offers to clear the road of monsters while the three students gather the other class members. On the way to Leeves, the group also runs into Randy, who joins the group after confirming Tio is being held at the branch campus.
Due to the alternate route, the group is able to infiltrate Leeves, but finds the town empty. After checking the dormitories, they explore the town, where they find Jessica and Wayne inside Jingo's shop. Wayne reveals that Cedric and Shirley had left the day before, before Kurt gets a call on his ARCUS II. Ada, Fritz, Michael and Schmidt reveal that Elise and Tio are safe, but they will have to fight their way to Einhel Keep before hanging up.
The group then arrives at the Branch Campus, defeating a small group of academy students outside. Jessica and Wayne soon catch up and reveal that the other branch students are coming as backup. The two stay behind while the rest of the group advances, defeating numerous students and archaisms, alongside instructors Mary Altheim and Makarov, allowing them entry into Einhel Keep. Inside, Schmidt informs them that the academy students already cleared Level 5, so they'll be entering "Level X", the hardest level that they'll face.
The group is able to reach the end, where they find Michael and Class I waiting for them, the latter of which have been honing their strength on Cryptids and Magic Knights. Class VII triumphs over Class I in a close battle. Alfin is reunited with Elise, while the branch and academy students start to get along with each other. Rean and friends depart from the campus while the branch/academy students, Mary, Makarov and Schmidt depart on the Derfflinger, as the fight will have attracted the Imperial Defense Force. Both groups are able to leave just as they arrive.
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8/31 Matthew is able to reserve Mishelam Wonderland for a single day so Rean, his friends, and other allies are able to relax and enjoy themselves before the war begins. As a safety precaution, an invisible barrier is deployed in case the enemy attempts to attack, even though it's made clear they don't intend to do so. Rean is encouraged to spend his time with the others.
After spending his time with his friends and allies, Rean heads to Cassius and successfully completes the trial of the Divine Blade, showing mastery over the Seventh Form: Void. He has yet to pick a suffix to go along with it.
Rean also obtains an orbmail from Claire and confronts her outside in the wetlands, who tries to get him to kill her as she is ridden with guilt over Millium's death. Rean refuses to kill her, just as Millium suddenly appears. Millium's presence and resolve restore Claire's will, informing them that she'll be waiting for them at Tuatha de Danann tomorrow. During this time, Olivert also proposes to Scherazard, who accepts.
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9/1 | At 12 o'clock, at both Operation Jormungandr and Operation Mille Mirage unleash their enormous firepower. After confirming the war had officially started, Prince Olivert declares the start of his Operation Shining Steel as well. All five teams, under command of Estelle Bright, Lloyd Bannings, Angelica Rogner, Duvalie, and General Aurelia Le Guin respectively take control of the Salt Pales. After the barrier is destroyed through their efforts, Class VII is finally able to infiltrate the Tuatha de Danann. All members of Original and New Class VII prepare themselves for their final mission.
Many trials await them: confrontations with familiar faces, now driven away by the collaborative efforts of Class VII. Rean also triumphs over his Rivalries against Cedric and Rufus. After defeating McBurn, the group manages to reach Osborne in the fortress' core. Rean, finally acknowledging Osborne as his father after having come this far, is now ready to confront his final challenge together with his companions, despite Alberich's warning to Osborne that the stage isn't set yet.
The time had finally come for the Final Rivalry between the Ebon and the Ashen one: father and son cross swords in a pale darkness. Rean ultimately prevails against Osborne, with Valimar absorbing Ishmelga, inheriting the curse, corrupting itself and Rean. Rean ultimately decides to head to space to remove Ishmelga's influence for good, but Franz suddenly appears and reminds Rean to use what he learned from the Holy Beast.
With the support of his friends and allies, Rean successfully purges Ishmelga from him and Valimar using Argres's Earthen Prison. Ishmelga soon appears as an incomplete Great One called Ishmelga-Loge, but the assault teams are soon teleported in for support. Following a brutal battle, Ishmelga-Loge is destroyed, but Ishmelga flees into another dimension as a thought-form; Rean soon pursues and destroys it after a brief confrontation.
With Ishmelga's death, the Curse soon fades. The group celebrates their victory, but with the end of the Great Twilight, Crow and Millium begin to fade away. Franz appears once more, and with the Divine Knights and Roselia, use the Sacrament Programs of both the Fire and Earth Sept-Terrions to revive them. He later has a short conversation with Alisa and Sharon, before informing Rean to bring the sword to the Black Workshop as he fades away. The Divine Knights follow suit shortly afterwards.
A ceasefire is announced following a single day of war. Once the political fallout had been dealt with, Rean and the others head to the Black Workshop, where they discover that Franz had built a spare body from Millium, away from Alberich's eyes. Emma, Celine and Roselia successfully transfer Millium's soul from the sword to the spare body. Millium awakes to find her friends surrounding her, completely bewildered as she notices Rean and asks him what happened. Olivert soon declares his marriage to Scherazard, with numerous people attending, including New and Old Class VII.
== See also ==
* Game's Main Page
* Technical Information
* Image Gallery