Sakura (Brave Exvius)

Sakura (サクラ) is one of the main characters in Final Fantasy Brave Exvius introduced during the Mysidia chapter. Originally from the world of Paladia and the younger sister of Veritas of the Light she was a member of the Sworn Six of Paladia (then Eight Sworn) under the name Veritas of the Bolt (迅雷のヴェリアス, Jinrai no vueriasu lit. Velius of the Thunderstorm) and later became the founder of Magi Nation of Mysidia.

Appearance
Despite being well over 700 years old, Sakura looks like a young girl on her early 10s. She has long pink hair which he ties into twintails with white ribbons. She wears a white coat a reddish dress with a miniskirt, with white segment on her belly section. She wears long white boots with a brown covering in most of the leg.

Personality
Although her appearance would suggest a young defenseless girl, Sakura is wise as her true age would dictate. She is rather serious, no-nonsense and straight to the point, behaving with the authority that comes with her wisdom but without being overly patronizing, but rather keep things with the precise amount of mutual respect.

A rather logical individual she seems to believe that a bigger number of lives is worth more than a smaller amount and is apparently willing to make some sacrifices if needed, although she's not short-sighted so as to not consider both the greater and smaller good worth working for. She's also quick on her feet and can respond rapidly depending on the situation, making her a reliable ally.

Story
Sakura was an inhabitant of the world of Paladia, when the world fell into war, splitting into two factions, those who followed Hess and those who followed Aldore. Sakura was loyal to Aldore and under the identity of Veritas of the Bolts, served as one of the main lieutenants of the Aldore faction, along the rest of the Eight Sworn of Paladia.

At some point during the war, the Demon of Hess attempted an attack on the main base of the Aldore faction, causing Veritas of the Light, her sister to worry knowing that in her current condition Sakura would not be able to face the enemy.

Through some undisclosed way, she along the rest of her comrades, other inhabitants and locations from Paladia were transported into the world of Lapis. Both her and Raegen, deserted the Eight Sworn in favour of pursuing peaceful lives in Lapis, discarding their armors. This caused Light to resent her as a traitor to the point to not consider her a sibling anymore. She eventually founded the Magi Nation of Mysidia, a country for mages and the oldest civilization in Lapis, and guardian of the Crystal of Light.

Fully aware that her comrades would plot to destroy the Crystals, for the next centuries she would spread several false rumours about the location of the Crystals sparking a campaign of misinformation that would lead the Six Sworn astray for a long time.

Seemingly keeping contact with Raegen she would be aware of his son Rain as the adoptive son Lasswell and would keep track of them during their adventure.

After the defeat of Veritas of the Waters she encounter Veritas of the Dark in a path full of cherry blossoms and block his path with an illusion. She confronts Dark, believing him to be Raegen, to renounce from his desire for revenge and return to the peaceful life he was supposed to have pursued. Dark denies any such allegation and Sakura realizes another man has taken into her former comrade's mantle. She however remains confident he cannot defeat her, but he rejects her claims by showing the Sacred Ring of Paladia and unleashing an attack on her, but she manages to teleport away. Dark however is positive he will kill her during their next encounter.

Sakura is seen in Zoldaad being pursued by an angry dog and asking the party for help, making Jake to help her. He then attempts to flirt with her but she quickly rejects his advances by revealing her true age, leaving the party speechless, although Jake continues to try. Sakura reveals she knows the party as well as their goals and that she can answer all their questions if they pass her trial. She has them to escort her to Mysidia as her trial. Since the party wanted to go to Mysidia to protect the Crystal, they accept her offer and Sakura calling Rain by name, says she counts on him.

During the way Lasswell asks Sakura how she knows Rain's name, and she reveals she knows about Lasswell too. Lasswell then deduces she is a comrade of Raegen and thus will treat her with hospitality. Sakura is left impressed at his keen perception despite his (for her) young age.

As they further approach Mysidia a White Mage desperately calls for help as their town is being assaulted by monsters. Rain decides to help but Sakura tells him to reconsider, as he has more important goals to pursue. She continues onto saying that the Sworn Six seek to destroy the Crystals and if they succeed, the world will be destroyed, leaving the party flabbergasted. Sakura then encourages Rain to forsake the smaller good in favour of the greater good, but Rain, remaining true to himself, cannot bring himself to reject a plea for help and decides to take a detour with the party following.

The party succeeds in driving the monsters away but Sakura scolds him for his behaviour, saying that if the Veritas succeeded in destroying the Crystals the would world including that village would have been destroying, making his efforts of helping in vain and whether he does it purely to feel better about himself. Although Rain believes Sakura has a point, Rain however responds that even if they succeeded, he could just not approve of a world being built upon the sacrifice of others. She then asks if that's what he will always feel and if he then is fighting the Veritas putting their beliefs on front. He doesn't deny the possibility. Sakura then mutters to herself that people like Rain could be the ones needed to save the world and says to Raegen that his son has passed her test.

Upon reaching Mysidia she reveals to the party that she founded the nation. Nichol sees that the inhabitants do not seem to notice the presence of strangers and Sakura reveals the nation is engrossed on their research and thus do not pay much interest to anything else. Lasswell asks Sakura to tell them the true and she wants to find a quiet place to talk, however she's forced to delay answers since Veritas of the Earth and her sister Veritas of the Light are attempting to attack the Crystal.

The party reaches at the Crystal Chamber and reveals it is the Light Crystal. Rain is confused believing Mysidia held the Ice Crystal, while the Falm Kingdom held the Lightning Crystal, but Nichol and Jake reveal conflicting information. Sakura then discloses her misinformation strategy which allowed her to protect the Light Crystal and misdirect her former comrades, while revealing that the Crystals of Ice and Lighting were long destroyed by other individuals. The group is then ambushed by Earth and Light, and Sakura greets her sister. Light merely responds by striking Sakura, leaving her surprised that Light has been able to increase her power. Light makes her intentions clear to the traitor that she will make Sakura suffer before killing her. The party tries to interfere but Earth uses a quaking attack and pushes them outside.

The party fights their way through and meet the two Veritas at the chamber. Earth is displeased at seeing the current Fina be too weak to fight and tries to force her into her true self and begins charging power. The party thinking it is an attack try to defend her but Light temporarily blinds the party allowing Earth to empower Fina, reverting her to Dark Fina. Angered, Dark Fina asks what Earth think he did, and he is unsatisfied with the way she greets him after 700 years. He continues to elaborate that she knows very well what he and she truly want, and she answers that a fight to the death. Sakura however believes they cannot afford to lose Fina so she seizes the chance to teleport herself and the party away, knowing they still have a chance with one more Crystal to protect, leaving Earth angered that Sakura would leave without fighting.

Able to escape from the Veritas the party analyses their situation. Dark Fina reveals that the other Fina is still alive in her mind but since the other Fina appears when Dark Fina is devoid of power, if things are left at present the other Fina is likely to disappear. The party asks if there is a way to save the other Fina but Dark Fina does not know. Sakura says there is a way but they need to go to the Magic Library first.

On the Magic Library, the party questions how many books are there and Sakura is confident that there is enough of a collection to make it impossible for any normal human to read in a lifetime. She opens a secret passage and is asked about the place. Sakura says the Library is not of this world and warns the party as the Library is full of monsters. They then fight a Byblos who has possessed the book they were looking for and succeed on retrieving it. Sakura has Dark Fina touch the book and concentrate on her memories from 700 years ago. The party's mind is sucked into Fina's Psyche. The party asks if they are in another world as they do not recognize their current location and Sakura tells them they are in Fina's Mind in a world of her memories, and that what they are seeing is the World of Paladia, from where the Eight Sworn of Paladia and Dark Fina, hail from. Lid is confused as she believes the group to be of six, but Sakura reassures her that it will become clear. Dark Fina feels nostalgic and warns the party to be careful as the current world is on war. Believing things could get difficult if she is seen with them, Dark Fina decides to vanish but ready to appear if they really need her.

As they explore the memory world, Rain is felt distraught about the fact of killing people with Nichol voicing discomfort that they are forced to kill in self-defense. Rain begins to think whether the Veritas are the "good guys" in this war, but Sakura is quick to respond that in war, there is not a cut clear rightful or wrong side.

After they defeat the Veritas of the Earth from the memory world, Sakura is forced to teleport the party from the memory world back into the real world as the barrier she placed cannot resist for too long as they are being surrounded by Kaiser Behemoths. Veritas of the Light appears and reveals her intentions to kill the party. Rain tries to plead with Light, now having seen their former selves as being good people and asks her why she feels so much resentment. Light responds that Raegen, their former comrade was (in her view) led astray by Rain's mother, Sophie, and that it hurt his treason over their cause and her own feelings was more than she could tolerate. Rain tries to ask further details but Light, full of rage attacks the party.

They manage to defeat her with her armor falling apart, Sakura then greets her sister, not seeing each other face to face, with the truth leaving the party in shock. Light shows her disgust at her younger sibling, thinking her unworthy of sharing a familial bond as she is a traitor to their cause and attempts to attack her, but she is too injured and her attack is easily blocked by Sakura, who tells her enraged sister to give up as she's too wounded to fight. Light scoffs at her wounds as being nothing in comparison to the humiliation she has endured. Rain asks Light about his mother and why she knows her. Light knowing Rain is Raegen's son, tells him that Raegen was the original Veritas of the Dark, but that he defected the group due to Sophia. The party is left confused as to how Veritas of the Dark can be a traitor but at the same time be the enemy fully dedicated his goals and think that the current Veritas of the Dark is another individual. They demand more answers from Light but she refuses to answer and prepares to unleash the magical power she's been accumulating. Dark Fina tries to stop her but surprisingly she cannot muster enough power, so Sakura is forced to act as they are engulfed in a massive magical explosion.