Mother is not particularly gimmicky.
She’s certainly not as difficult as Aratron was, because she’s not tossing elements around all the time. She can teleport, and will absolutely get in your face. She sends out blue explosions and red dots (of harm) with the respective swords. She can also slash, and do some energy attacks. Over-all however, because she clearly didn’t study a whole lot of fighting, it’s not the roughest fight to encounter. It may not be possible to knock her down, but it’s not needed anyway. She also doesn't have a ton of HP, not as much as Aratron did, either.
Is this fight "fairly hum-drum" on purpose for part of the plot? No, she's not a push-over or anything, but is it this way to illustrate that Mother, the person, is not a super trained fighting type individual? Is that she faces you herself instead of say...spawning literal millions of platidorus 1 at a time until everyone dies of exahustion (She could do it, no need to eat or drink or rest on her part, she can float eternally in the air and just spit out a Platidorus every two minutes until everyone died) Also, could she not just evacuate all the oxygen from the round room? This wouldn't knock out a Cast but it'd sure whack Hitsugi or force a retreat. Is she supposed to be demonstrating 'not a usual big fighter' and 'fight them yourself because reasons' here?

If you can beat her
At 1500
She’ll stagger and sputter off energy where she stands. She laughs, and says that “the will of the people surpasses even I.” However, she won’t lose, for the sake of those who walked beside her, until she fulfills her desire, she can’t afford to stop. She gestures grandly, but red and black starts pouring out of her. This makes a huge, ghostly evil shape with glowing red eyes and energy hands. The shadow pulls her up as she faces away from it. Kohri thinks it will absorb Mother. Did it wait till her strength was waning before it would come? They speculate. (They are likely very correct) Mother stays stop it, she doesn’t wish for the destruction of all just…

This is likely a similar instance of what happened when the dark cloud thing tried to snag the “Aru Character” that Hitsugi was using at the start of all this mess. It’s also clear that it communicated with only Mother as it’s grabbing her with that “destruction of all” line. As an actual Falz-type entity or offshoot of PD, ‘destroying everything ever’ is always the goal.

Enga says what the hell is that and Xiera cuts in to answer hime with it’s a new reading, it’s a DF for sure. Enga wonders if Aru is really a Falz in there? (As in, did he turn all the way bad) Hitsugi concentrates and thinks that he may be inside. Aru himself confirms it, because now (presumably everyone?) can hear him. He says “big sis you can understand now that Mother is suffering too, she knows she was lonely, alone for so long.” (This may be to illustrate that now that he’s been absorbed, Aru understands more of where Mother is coming from / what she is feeling)  Hitsugi knows exactly how she feels. Save mother, that’s his final request, says Aru from inside the thing. Hitsugi scolds him against ‘final requests’. She came here with the intent and desire to save all, and save the world as a result. There’s nothing more to it, isn’t that right?!

You look at her in agreement. The power of mine is the power to save people, so just you wait, Aru, Mother!

Now you have to fight it.
It will summon its own version of Gettemhart’s falz-hands, but these are more female looking. They start off as orbs, which then extend wrists out from them to become hands. There are 4, and each is structured differently, and has a different attack. There are long finger ones that pinch, angel-winged one that summons ceiling-swords, thicker fingered one that will smash, etc.
They can stretch out the ‘wrist’ area to slash at you, summon energy  rays from the sky…and one…oddly looks like it will do the “Rock Paper Scissors” or “Ro Sham Bo” motions? It’s almost unmistakably that? But how would Mother have seen someone doing that? Why would she have a hand-thing make the motion as an attack? It’s very strange, and of course, nothing will ever explain it.

Once each hand runs out of HP, it will shatter and disappear. Breaking all 4 will make the tall creature to droop its stance at the edge of the arena, and be able to be attacked. Only a central glowing point in the chest area is able to be attacked.
If you can defeat the hands enough, and hit the main body enough it’ll do a trick where it uses maybe a very strong version of Megiverse to drag you to the center, then puts up ‘DF-Double style’ castle walls with gates in a fake ‘room’ all around. Only one of the gates are open, and you have to run out through that one (finding it quickly) or she’ll make the whole center area explode in an attack. The hands aren’t active during this, so if you get out early, it’s free hits.

All the while the large creature will shoot off spinning lasers, and let loose rows of panels that flip/spin forward across the arena that you have to dodge.
She didn't HAVE to leave a gate open. Is that meant to represent that Mother wants to lose the battle because that will also make the Falz thing that's taken her over as well, to lose?

If you can beat it
at 1600
It will fall toward the arena, kind of leaning on it. Kohri asks did we stop her? Enga doesn’t think it’s over. Xiera says you bought time, so dealing with Arks, good job, isn’t that right Matoi? Now, suddenly, Matoi is somehow on the battlefield with everyone. (They certainly did shoe horn her in, almost like they forgot she existed entirely, up until this really obvious moment to just plunk her without an explanation of any sort) She calls "please Clarissa" as she races forward. Her weapon materializes and you join her as both of you dance, swing and twirl at the Mother-Creature at once while avoiding hands and attacks. Mother gets more of her hands back, and will attack or at least defend. (This is all a cut-scene)

Hitsugi calls for Ame no murikumo to lend me your power to save everyone and everything! Kohri blocks one hand, Enga blocks another, she charges up and gets ready to jump in, and with a huge chop she does it! All turns to white at her hit. So it’s you & Matoi vs hands & mother while Kohri and Enga block more hands letting Kohri use the magic sword to strike her down. However, this only gets rid of the giant white abstract entity form.

Mother, now looking human again, says “well done, the catalyst is saved, you saved Aru, and ripped away the elements of Falz, you did set us free.” She doesn’t look super happy about it. There’s only one thing left to be done, to slay her with the blade and everything will be how it should, and her eternal loneliness will finally end. Oh that’s right it was her desire, now she can finally…” she trails off. Hitsugi raises the sword and Mother closes her eyes.

Hitsugi hits her with the scabbard in the head. This knocks her down, and she says it hurt a lot, to which Hitsugi argues that was the point. “Mother, why did you invite all the lonely people to join MC?” She demands. Then, she admits she was lonly, Och and Phul were too, even Hagith and Bethor were too. Everyone was like that, everyone was lonely.

Mother says it was rational, to increase their dependence on her. But she was happy when she did, happy that someone who needed her existed. Mother’s like that too right, you don’t really need revenge any more, just acknowledgment. To say ‘I’m here’, and that someone would notice you. Mother laughs at it a bit, to create such an emotional story using nothing more than a guess.
But, Hitsugi has a proper reason...and actually a really good deduction. Were you able to deduce the same thing before she will tell you here? THIS is the intelligence level a real plot needs/a real good character ought to have on display.
“Xiera told us that Photons and Ether have the same origin, but here Photons are ether, specializing in communication, and tech to communicate with others, that’s because the origin of ether, Mother, because you desired connection more than anything else?”

Mother WAS connecting everybody. Like how the internet does, but she was basically super-multiplying it because ether did so much more than just replace your wifi.

Mother says "so what though, what would that even change? She just wanted to make them see, make those who declared her useless to see that she wasn’t and to acknowledge her. But her target no longer exists, no-matter how strong she looks or how much she shows off, her goal was impossible form the start."
She cries and sobs at this. Hitsugi says what’s wrong with finding a new goal? She wonders if it’s too late for her? Hitsugi reminds her she’s been asleep for a billion years, so how can you say ‘it’s too late’? Things take time, no matter what it is. What she’s really trying to say is don’t be in such a rush. She’s not saying forget what happened, and she’s still pissed at her, (due to attempted murder and all) and she still wants to get back at Kohri for cutting her down, but there were people who needed her and that’s a fact. But thanks to them, she was saved, her past self was saved and she’ll go home and think about it. So she should think about it too, and if she decides, she’ll help cut down the angry thoughts with her sword, so lets’ go home.

Mother says she’s persuasive, but she was born and raised this way. Aru offers his hand, and she says all she needed was to have connections. Hitsugi takes the same hand, and Mother is now content. She closes her eyes.

Really smart: Hitsugi figures out why Ether does what it does
Really stupid: Ancient entity didn’t know it could have more than 1 life goal. Teen tells it so.

At 1700
Kohri cheers for them. Enga says his stupid little sister finally did it. Aru runs up to him for a hug, which makes him surprised. He pats him saying a good little brother. So he hugs Kohri next, and she welcomes him back. Mother looks on as everyone talks. Mother says thanks to Hitsugi but she is interrupted in the worst way.

Ardem has stabbed her!
She bleeds blue beads of energy out of the middle where he has stabbed. He’s stabbed her with a gold and white sword. How did Ardem get in? How did nobody see him? Why has Matoi said and did nothing this entire time?
He says Mother’s role is finished for good, while Enga demands how he got here. Mother collapses as Ophiel cubes into the space as well. He apologizes but says it’s necessary for the evolution of mankind. Ardem claims to be grateful, thanks to Ether the Earth will move onto its next stage. And now, he’ll absorb her and become the foundation of the paradigm shift becoming one with her beloved Earth. "So won’t that be nice Mother?" With a flourish of his blade he stabs her in the upper torso, this kills her and makes her disappear. Was no one fast enough to stop him? They not only let him stab, but then they let him finish her off too as she lay dying.

He thanks everyone else present, though now he glows a bit. Without your cooperation, he doubts he’d of made it through all this…so his sincerest thanks. Hitsugi demands why he’d do it. He claims its to protect the earth. You were indeed all aware that she posed the gravest threat to the Earth…right? We had no choice but to kill her, that’s the natural decision for someone devoted to guiding the Earth, yes? Hitsugi tries to argue even so…
(This is debatable. Of course, Ardem would have ZERO knowledge of her heel-face turn that she has just made right here. For all he knows she was still the darker possessed out of control thing you basically just finished fighting.)

Enga says who’s the guy with you? Why bring him? Ophiel introduces himself as the apostle of Water, an Earth Guide member. Enga glares at him, having figured he was a spy for Earth Guide inside the Mother Cluster, but he messed up a lot of things for everyone. Kohri exclaims, but he claims it was only necessary to fulfill our goals. So, Ophiel was a Traitor to Mother Cluster the whole time. He could also be how Ardem got in, because Mother recognizes Cluster members / him cubing in might not have set off any alarms. However, their ability to 'sneak up and stab' without being seen is still too preposterous.

Ardem asks Enga to remember what he said when he invited him to EG. Enga actually does have the answer, which is “The Earth of today is stagnant.” Ardem says no innovations or evolution it is a world of consumption. We must lead the earth to a further evolution to a world restructuring. EG is those who will guide the earth if we don’t accomplish it there’s no future. He’s a chosen one so lend me your strength, Enga.

Enga thought it was a fancy speech but Ardem's face says it’s serious. You killed Mother and acquired her power, but do you seriously think that’s all it takes to change the world? He says of course, he’s changed it over and over for tens of thousands of years.
WELL WELL so he is actually super old? How does THAT work?
Hitsugi doubts him, rightfully so.
As he begins to explain, you see his imagination instead of the scene. It’s him speaking over a series of illustrations of himself, as he went through various eras, dressed for the times and acting like a person from that era.
There was an era he wrote many books. Then when something would be interpreted wrong, he’d change his name, and correct it. Speaking of bad experiences... the king of Britain was stubborn and controlling so he had to trick him a lot. He was in Japan too with demon fighting where he was a wizard. All of this is illustrated. First on a Greek Krater pot, then in stained glass, and in Japanese painting on canvas.

So what he is basically saying is that he was pretending to be all these historical figures over and over again, like Greek philosophers and other things like Literally Merlin The Wizard in Camelot & King Arthur was somehow also real. Notice how he doesn’t explain at all HOW IS HE OLD and WHAT IS HE because he isn’t a human at all but looks just like one.

He waxes nostalgic with "Showing them how to deal with them, how to read the stars, oh how nostalgic". Earth then was so brilliant with people repeatedly evolving and growing. But what about now, aren’t you sad at this unchanging world? The super tech called Ether, although it was a great opportunity all it did was get used to extend previous tech. No change in mental state, no change in physical state, we were devolving. It’s very terrible, very alarming era, Enga, you agree right?

He says sorry he doesn’t understand and doesn’t want to. Kohri asks if its really King Arthur. Hitsugi agrees. She says the Japan one was Abe no Seimei and the rest are legends. Ardem confirms it saying she’s got extensive knowledge which is expected of Engas little sister. Enga just asks him what the hell is he?

*Abe no Seimei is absolutely the correct choice for the plot to make here. He was a well known astrologer to kings in Japan...but his 2nd most known-for thing is his very long and very healthy life free of major illness or injury. He also seemed to be known for tall hats but...less signifigant. His life was well documented (meaning you're gonna read about him in school) but he's also the subject of lots of legends/myths and folk-lore which is going to sprinkle it with interest. So this Ardem guy must have "played the character" for a really long time to create the 'long life guy'.
Is the plot offensive at all?
Saying that people like Socrates & Abe here didn't exist *at all* they were just some scrub villain playing masquerade--is that offensive? Of course King Arthur is fake, but Abe sure did exist irl--so is it offensive to claim he didn't?

Ardem Sacred, leader of EG and…suddenly, someone kicks him in the face!
He is able to repel Phaleg with his sword. He says good grief, and clones himself many times, but they are all phantasmal and she uses her fighting to best all of them, making them vanish. They clash, and he dusts himself off. He says long time Ives, and she says same.

She asks how many hundreds of years has it been since they’ve gone face to face.
He wonders how long. She reminds him that last time we met he was devoted to alchemy and she destroyed his whole work shop. He did forget, he was nostalgic for the time he was Paracelsus. Names don’t matter she says, opening her eyes just a bit.

He says good grief now that she’s here…there’s no way to convince all of you, so it can’t be helped, Ophiel, let’s just go.  Ophiel, who cubed out when nobody was looking, cubes in, and says certainly so, while Ardem takes out a portal card. Enga recognizes this. Ardem repeats that Earth is stagnant, if the people can’t be trusted to evolve and don’t choose the path, he’ll choose it for them. To guide the earth and carve a new history that’s the purpose of EG. He throws down the card and vanishes amongst its symbols. Enga rushes him, but can’t catch him. They vanish.

Enga is enraged, he didn’t help him for this BS!
Is he trying to play god, has he gone crazy? Phaleg does her mega-jump and vanishes.

The scene ends, the chapter ends.

Lots of action!
Only a little explanation.

Phaleg & Ardem are likely 2 of the same type of creature.
But what are they? Where did they come from?
Why are they both so hostile?
Ardem is completely wrong about the modern era stagnating, because if you look back at history AND if they’d bothered to write him right, it would be painfully obvious that the 1900 through, what…2022 or whenever they are is the fastest pace of any era ever. It went from horseback in 1900 to the literal MOON in 1960 and then by 2019 (or whenever) literal telepathing into video games and mind reading tablets. If he had lived through the centuries of the past where no one ever even left their own home town and stuff stayed that way for 100s of years…..his head ought to be spinning. Humanity has undergone the most absurd changes, leaps and advances in the ‘modern era’ than all before it.
Even to a 12 year old, it would be obvious that this is the case SO: is this bad writing OR is it meant to illustrate that Ardem is off his rocker saying false things or believing crazy stuff?

Take a bet:
1. Mother isn’t really dead. The ‘water’ is still levitating, ether still works, Ardem probably did to her what she did to Aru.
2. Everything would collapse without her power still active.
3. 50/50 Aratron lived through the ESCA darker attack
4. Ardem’s plan involves murdering everyone who can’t control Ether

Shoe Horn:
Honk the shoe horn for Matoi then use it to lever her in!
It’s like the plot forgot she existed entirely. How the heck did she get there? Why wasn’t she there earlier? Why does she have no dialogue at all? Why even PUT her at this point? It doesn’t make sense for her to flop in and flourish around with your char vs. Mother-creature.
Adding her at that point is nonsensical/stupid. Just have Mary-Sue-Hitsugi clobber it like the Magical-Girl-Transformation she is while the other characters help her. Matoi is so pointless here, plus, she’s an active detriment to the plot because she HAS to be made inept and unable to stop Ardem from murdering Mother just willy nilly. That’s out of character for her, both as a person (She is nice and cares about people) and as a powerful Clarissa Title Holder (ability and speed to stop him)

Teen Time Plot:
Now you’re expected to believe the ancient entity didn’t know it couldn’t have more than one goal, but one teenager telling her ‘oh you can’ changes it’s whole view!
Is Mother really a 12 year old? No, seriously.
How long did she ‘live’ with the Photoners?
Aratron tells you he woke her up 12 years ago, so, she hasn’t been experiencing the Earth, people, culture, and whatever else for any MORE than 12 years. She slept for a kazillion (you’ll never know, it was interdimensional) but that means ‘wasn’t conscious/wasn’t thinking’, so it doesn’t count. Only her “life time” spent awake with Photoners and here on earth counts, so her ACTUAL age is probably pretty low. Probably mid 50s, tops, probably even lower. It depends on how long it took her to "Go Bad" after she was created, and then how long it took them to chuck her into the Subspace Dimension after that. Couldn't be more than 10 years or so probably. But it'd make actual sense to KNOW.

WHY did the Photoners get rid of her?
The plot previously in other episodes was mentioning all about how they accidentally formed the ‘new Xion’ with mass lots of negative emotions, evil, and badness in their hearts. They basically ruined her by being generally awful. Then, when they got this evil nasty water planet, they scape-goated somebody and flung it into “Subspace Dimension” to trap its vile power. That is literally the explanation the game gives you. She was just SO BAD there was nothing else to do, to save everyone from her wickedness.

Hitsugi's Sword:
It's likely very important to know that hits with the sword separate good from bad elements in whatever she's hitting. This is exceptionally useful.

It's an ok-enough chapter but it opens up more mysteries while not really closing any.

2028 4/24 at 1000
The Broken Evolution

The ‘throw a card down portal’ works. Ardem and Ophiel appear in his room out of the circle of ‘magic’ it creates on the floor. He says he was expecting Enga and everyone else to understand. Ophiel reassures him that he’s focused on the future of earth, it’s too difficult for those fools to understand. This makes Ardem mad now, and says he won’t tolerate insults toward Enga or the Arks. Without their cooperation, we couldn’t have even come this far, so you should appreciate them, he scolds. Ophiel apologizes and asks for forgiveness with a bow, so Ardem claims to understand.

Ophiel cubes out in a hurry, as one of Ardem’s guards rushes in, claiming that ARKS demand a response, and have given him a lot of trouble over it. They require a communication on Ardem’s latest actions. However, he tries to reassure the guard that there’s no need for a reply and that his silence to them communicates his will. Then, he asks how long it’s been since this guy has joined the EG. He knows his stuff, and responds with 10 years since you brought him here, and he’s been a guard for 3 years and 4 months as of right now.

Ardem thinks about it and says 10 years is a moment compared to the life of a star. But, for people (he probably means humans) it’s a long time so thank you for serving me so well. He gets nervous and says he’s unworthy of praise like that, because of Ardem’s guidance we were all able to learn new strengths and new reason. He proclaims his body/strength is dedicated to him. Ardem says that’s a mistake, the guard's strength and his own are all for the Evolution of Earth. He asks about it, and Ardem will answer him with that Earth people must change to give birth to new ideas and resurrect the creation of the world which will bring paradise back. Humanity must evolve to fit the world, so to someone as faulty as himself, he thanks him for his service. Then, he materializes his magic sword, and it calls forth a strange symbol in the air. It’s green, round, and full of floral type loops. He uses the sword to send the symbol forward onto the guard.

It hits him, and vanishes, but causes ether cubes all around/across the man. This is bad for him somehow, as he yells and doubles over. As he flails more either cubes appear, and then suddenly, he vanishes in a cloud of light, and rematerializes as a suit of armor. The armor hovers in the air, holds a sword in one hand, and has white bendy/flapping wings with somewhat-feather textures. It flaps the wings slowly to hover & doesn’t seem to be in distress, however…
It suddenly can no longer flap, and falls to the ground. Then, it dissolves into ether cubes. Ophiel picks this moment to cube himself back in, and yells out ‘what happened’! and also…’what did you do’. Ardem will explain again (he sure isn’t adverse to explaining, which is a good change) that by sending in the Ether, he tried to embody the image of the evolution adapting to his body, by using Mother’s power. Since the evolutionary path should be correct…there’s no choice but to adjust the number of test subjects and also trials.

*So he actually thinks that humans should evolve into metal beasts? Into literal metal suits of armor? There is no such thing as even 1 metal animal, is this put here to prove he’s off his rocker? Is he trying to make what he thinks Angels look like, but failing at it? Did he accidentally turn him into that, and is just refusing to admit he's wrong?

Ophiel wonders at the forced evolution of the physical body…if you force it like that it will cause issues and the vessel won’t last. Ardem believes there are times when the vessels do survive he knows because he’s seen it over and over. In order for evolution to take place there must be sometimes sacrifices and it’s true of all things. Now, let’s be on our way, for the rebirth of the planet, he turns to him and seems determined. The scene ends.

Ophiel's character is quite on point here.
He cubes out so the guard won't see him in his Mother outfit. He thinks anyone who doesn't see things his way is 'a fool'. The thing he doesn't reveal though, is whether he agrees with what Ardem is doing, turning people into the armor suits. If he doesn't, he's hidden it well.

241 4/24 at 1300
Xiera has gathered everyone into her room as she sits on her chair. She says after Ardem withdrew we lost all contact with EG in Vegas. The other branches of EG though, contacted ARKS with inquiries of what happened. Because of this, we can reasonably assume the rest of EG didn’t know of Ardem’s intent. (And isn't following his plan) Hitsugi wonders what it is…and Kohri says he was talking about guiding evolution, but how could he plan to do such a thing? Enga gets mad, feeling everyone was used. But Phaleg appears!

Because the camera was never pointed juuuust right to reveal her & everyone was ignoring her standing there? Or was she genuinely supposed to have just materialized out of thin air? This isn’t made too clear--and it's important to know which one of these it was! CAN an interloper like that just ZAP into Xiera's room? Or was she there all along? Who invited her if so? How'd they get her there?

She somehow got onto the Xiera area. She says that Ardem always believes he’s right. From his point of view, she’s sure he’s not able to understand your all’s reasoning so that’s why he was trying to convince you. “Mother is an evil demon who tried to manipulate the Earth, why am I being criticized for killing it?” and “I’ll take her power and use it for the Earth, isn’t this the best outcome for Earth, the act of absolute justice?” Kohri hears her out, and asks if it means he’s going to do ‘evolution stuff’ using Mothers powers?

She says it’s his goal to return Earth to the paradise it once was. He’ll use Ether to recreate the world. She’s sure that the absence of God in modern times and the loss of that paradise are unforgivable to that man, who was banished from that paradise, he’s very determined.

Waaaaaaait a minute.
So does she mean to imply that Eden was real and Ardem was literal Adam? Would that make her be Eve then? (No, she can’t stand him) Also the whole ‘god’ thing, which god? Christianity God? OR does she mean all this as a parable sort of story to what happened when these ‘supernatural beings’ arrived on Earth probably in what, the start of Ancient Egypt times? They don’t mention Neanderthals or cave paintings in their sepia time memories.

Enga calls her a demon, then demands answers about her relationship to him, and how she came to know so much? She stares him down through closed eyes for a while…but relents and says that they’re adversaries from the first and longest conflict in all of human history. She’d wanted to kill him before it got to this point but there were too many variables. Hitsugi asks if she’s really planning to kill him? She says it’s the only option, because unlike Mother, he doesn’t think anything he does is ever wrong, so he’ll never stop.
She is actually correct here. You could actually witness Mother not ‘wavering’, but really having to think things through, as well as her choice in minions and how she treated them. Ardem is as Phaleg says he is here.
 Do you understand? She opens her narrow eyes, asking that you’ll actually have to kill him? If you hesitated vs an enemy like me, can you really kill a former friend like him? Hitsugi reasonably says she’s not  powerful enough to decide who lives or who dies, she won’t lie about what she wants to do, she decided no matter the opponent she won’t budge. She’ll follow her plan, and her heart and do what’s right in the moment.

Phaleg asks even though he killed Mother, cut her down while she was reconciling, don’t you hate him for that? She’s not mature enough to say she doesn’t she’s pissed, and hates him but even then…she’s not going to stop him with killing, she’ll listen, try to understand him, and then stop him that way, because that’s what she wants to do. Phaleg gets very….quiet ragey at this, then calms and closes her eyes again. Phaleg turns away from everyone in the room, asks her name, gets it, and says to let’s end the discussion here. From now on though, we’re not allies we’re competition. She’ll try to kill him, you try to stop him, so let’s do our best! However, I hope we all survive and can battle eachother at full strength…

She then closely approaches your character which startles it away. She asks for an escort back to earth. She knows ARKS aren’t rude to send a visitor back without one. You can gloom and shake your head as ‘oh well’.

Now several scenes will take place simultaneously so watch the time stamp.

241 4/24 at 1320
Enga sits gloomily on the ARKS lobby bench by the shops. When Hitsugi approaches, he says what do you want you idiot sister. She tells him to scoot over, as she’s wanted to see what he looks like when he’s depressed. This is a more interesting statement than given credit, because SHE was most likely depressed for some time and this jackass never noticed nor acknowledged it. He claims he’s not, but that it’s just him suspecting things could go bad like this at some point.
She asks if he suspected Ardem was up to no good from the start?

Enga says he’d start saying weird things out of nowhere and had a spirituality that didn’t seem human. His charisma must be why he made up EG and captivated so many people. Hitsugi asks if he was captivated too? He won’t lie…he won’t say he’s different from her. The only diff was our group-- was MC or EG. He was trying to act an adult, but got pushed to his limits, he had no choice but to rely on Ardem.
She looks at him, so he says what’s with such a gaze. She says it’s not like him to be sincere like this, so he counters with unlike her, he doesn’t hold in all things till it explodes. She purposefully takes it wrong and says his 'holding in' statement was about Kohri. He says she’s becoming even more blissfully ignorant. But, just when we thought we were done, this happens, Earth is a reckless planet and the ARKS probably see us all as a nuisance. Even though ARKS was involved vs mother, it’s Earth’s own problem…but here we are, depending on them. She says he should depend on her too, because we’re family after all. So it goes both ways. He wont be selfish, and he’ll rely on the power of others, even ARKS. And her too! Now, they’ll do a high 5.

241 4/24 at 1320 (So the same time as Hitsugi & Enga talk)
Xiera works at her floating screens, when Aru & Kohri come in. She says it’s unusual. Aru was walking around, but he came upon Enga & Hitsugi, but Kohri found him next, and she hugs him and explains that brother/sister conversations like that shouldn’t be interrupted so she’s wandered around with Aru as an outcast on the ship for a while.
Xiera says your char is out somewhere too, (It is with Phaleg taking her back to Earth) so that means she’s also an outcast. So let’s get along, fellow outcasts. Kohri takes the opportunity to ask a question…What is her stance, what is everyone in ARKS stance on our current situation? Aru asks her what she means. She explains that Aru and Mother are from the ARKS dimension, and so ARKS are involved. Xiera finishes it off with that ARKS have nothing to do with Ardem, and so is that a problem the planet should solve itself. So, what Kohri is getting at is that if ARKS will intervene here…

*This is and isn’t true. Ardem is now “super mother ardem” because he absorbed her. Her influence isn’t gone, he’s not normal / he’s not as if the ARKS dimension never got crossed by Mother.

Xiera confirms it’s as she says, if we try to interfere into the internal affairs of Earth, we don’t have enough ARKS nor reason to interfere, in fact. Kohri looks gloomy as she believes they won’t help. Xiera continues though, saying  this case is a result of Mother and of Aru, so ARKS lend their cooperation and support. She’s already made the calls, and got authorization from Ulc. Aru asks Kohri if she was worried you and the others wouldn’t help. She admits it. He says to don’t worry, your char and Xiera are friends, and friends always help when in need. Xiera says his straitforward views are easy and accurate. She explains that friends always help each other out, and you can count on us.
This is a very "grade school care bears friendship pals" way of going about things, and real politics of ships like this, plus hundreds of thousands of people don't work that way. "Oh wow one of our guys is friends with one person from planet X! Let's ALL our WHOLE population turn out cause that ONE friend! Care Bear Stare!" Xiera is leveling the speech down to Aru child levels here. Someone like Casra or even Xion might make a different decision.

She makes this about friendship and feelings, but there’s logic to it too. It’s pretty obvious that if Ardem really got ticking with all of Mother’s Platidorus & etc manifesting powers, Earth wouldn’t do too well. Also, with her absorbed by him…there’s a chance he’d conquer Earth then use Mother/remnant to bust into the ARKS dimension and make more trouble there. It’s an easy step to take, to see that stamping out a badguy while it’s isolated, and there’s a good opportunity to do it is a good step to take, regardless of friendship being magic.

Besides, she’s interested in earth tech and wants to know about PSO2 technology. Xiera becomes excitable at this, and flails a bit. If Earth could get into another dimension, ARKS should be able to do it too. Kohri whips out her PSP and says this is where PSO2 is. So Kohri will let Xiera who begs excitedly to borrow her PSP. Xiera looks at the coordinates, and makes it have a hover screen. She tilts excitedly and learns so much. Then, she sits again, hands it back, and says it’s the proper compensation for ARKS support.  Kohri feels the compensation is too lax. Xiera tells her it was a joke that’s ok to have fun with because the ARKS will always be there to assist.

But alarm bells go off, as ether is in the suburbs of Las Vegas. It’s more than that though, it’s going to cover the planet. But suddenly aru flails and says it feels wrong, what is something forcefully doing? Quick call everyone here we’ve got to stop it. He doubles over because whatever this is, is messing him up. Kohri worries over him as Xiera tends her screens for updates.

Notice how Xiera just puts on a show with the PSP and then magically understands everything...
While explaining exactly NOTHING AT ALL of the main mechanic of how any of this was supposed to work. This massive plot hole that's bigger than what, the entire plot? Continues to haunt things. How is the PSP puppeting the physical body without a brain in it that gets created when you start PSO2 on the PC? Where are the physical bodies coming from? How is Earth making them out of Ether? If Mother was making bodies and pushing them through, nothing should work now because she's 'temporarily dead' inside Ardem, just like Aru was inside of her.