Sakura (Brave Exvius)

Sakura is one of the main characters in Final Fantasy Brave Exvius. She first appears in the chapter entailing Mysidia.

Appearance
Sakura is over 700 years old but has the appearance of a young girl. She has long pink hair tied into twintails with white ribbons. She wears a white coat and a reddish dress with a miniskirt with a white segment on her midriff. She wears long white boots with a brown covering.

As Veritas of the Bolt, she wears a grayish, purple armor with a more purplish cape shaped in several strands. Her helmet has gold plates covering the majority of it, with two small horns. Curiously she appears of normal height, rather than of child-size while using it.

Personality
Although her appearance would suggest a young defenseless girl, Sakura is a wise and direct individual. She is serious, no-nonsense and straight-to-the-point, behaving with the authority that comes with her wisdom. She avoids being overly patronizing, and maintains mutual respect.

A logical individual, she believes more lives are worth more, and is willing to make sacrifices if needed. Yet, she's not short-sighted so as to not consider both the greater and smaller good worth working for. She's quick on her feet and can respond rapidly, making her a reliable ally.

Story
Sakura lived in 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 Bolt, 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.

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 favor of pursuing peaceful lives in Lapis, discarding their suits of armor. Light resented her as a traitor and no longer considered her a sibling. She founded the Magi Nation of Mysidia, a country for mages and the oldest civilization in Lapis, and guardian of the Crystal of Light.

Aware that her comrades would plot to destroy the Crystals, she spread several false rumors about their location, sparking a campaign of misinformation leading the Six Sworn astray for a long time. Keeping contact with Raegen, she would be aware of his son Rain and adopted son Lasswell, and would keep track of them during their adventure.

After the defeat of Veritas of the Waters, she encounters Veritas of the Dark and blocks his path with an illusion. She confronts Dark, believing him to be Raegen, to renounce his desire for revenge and ask him to return to the peaceful life he was supposed to have pursued. Dark denies any such allegation, and Sakura realizes another has taken her former comrade's mantle. She remains confident he cannot defeat her, but he shows the Sacred Ring of Paladia and unleashes an attack yet she teleports away.

In Zoldaad, Sakura is being pursued by an angry dog and asks the party for help. Jake attempts to flirt with her, but Sakura rejects his advances by revealing her true age: she is over 700 years old. The party is speechless, although Jake continues to try and flirt. Sakura reveals she knows the party as well as their goals and that she can answer all their questions if they escort her to Mysidia. Since the party wants to go to Mysidia to protect the Crystal, they accept.

Lasswell asks Sakura how she knows Rain, whom she had called by name. She reveals she knows about Lasswell too. Lasswell deduces she is a comrade of Raegen and thus will treat her with hospitality. As they approach Mysidia a White Mage 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 explains that the Sworn Six seek to destroy the Crystals, and if they succeed, the world will be destroyed. She encourages Rain to forsake the smaller good in favor of the greater good, but Rain, remaining true to himself, cannot bring himself to reject a plea for help, and takes a detour with the party following.

The party drives the monsters away, but Sakura scolds Rain, saying that if the Veritas destroy the Crystals the world, including that village, are destroyed, making his efforts in vain. Rain responds that even if they succeeded, he could not approve of a world built upon the sacrifice of others. Sakura believes that people like Rain could be the ones needed to save the world and says to Raegen that his son has passed her test.

In Mysidia,she reveals that she founded the nation. Veritas of the Earth and her sister, Veritas of the Light, attempt to attack the Crystal. The party reaches at the Crystal Chamber of the Light Crystal. Sakura discloses her misinformation strategy which allowed her to protect the Light Crystal and misdirect her former comrades, revealing that the Crystals of Ice and Lighting were long destroyed. The group is ambushed by Earth and Light, and Sakura greets her sister. Light strikes Sakura, leaving her surprised that Light has been growing her power. The party tries to interfere, but Earth uses a quaking attack and pushes them outside.

The party fights their way through and meets the two Veritas at the chamber. Earth is displeased at seeing the current Fina is too weak to fight and tries to force her into her true self and begins charging power. Sakura believes they cannot afford to lose Fina and seizes the chance to teleport herself and the party away, knowing they have a chance with one more Crystal to protect, leaving Earth angered that Sakura would leave without fighting.

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.

At the Magic Library Sakura opens a secret passage, saying the Library is not of this world, and warns the party it is full of monsters. After fighting a Byblos possessing a book, Sakura has Dark Fina touch it and concentrate on her memories from 700 years ago. The party's mind is sucked into Fina's Psyche and do not recognize their surroundings. Sakura explains they are in Fina's Mind in a world of her memories, 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 it will become clear. Dark Fina feels nostalgic and warns the party to be careful as the current world is at war. Believing things could get difficult if she is seen with them, Dark Fina decides to vanish, but is ready to appear if they need her.

As they explore the memory world, Rain is distraught about 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 claims that in war, there is not a cut clear right or wrong side.

After they defeat the Veritas of the Earth from the memory world, Sakura returns the party into the real world. Veritas of the Light appears and prepares to kill the party. Rain tries to plead, now having seen their former selves as being good people, and asks Light why she feels so much resentment. Light responds that Raegen, their former comrade was (in her view) was led astray by Rain's mother, Sophia. Rain tries to ask further details but Light, full of rage, attacks the party.

They defeat her with her armor falling apart. Sakura greets her sister, and Light shows her disgust, thinking her unworthy of sharing a familial bond as she is a traitor to their cause. Light attempts to attack Sakura, but she is too injured. 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 who defected due to Sophia. The party is left confused as to how Veritas of the Dark can be a traitor, yet be the enemy, and think that the current Veritas of the Dark is someone else. They demand more answers but Light refuses and prepares to unleash the magical power she's been accumulating. Dark Fina tries to stop her, but cannot muster enough power. Sakura is forced to act as they are engulfed in a magical explosion.