Crimson Order (
They are currently investigating the Cult of Diablos and Shadow Garden following the kidnapping of Second Princess Alexia Midgar. However, the Crimson Order has been unable to make satisfactory progress due to repeated failures in their assignments, leading to dire straits. As a result, the Order is now experiencing a significant shortage of personnel and support.
Eventually, the Cult managed to infiltrate the Crimson Order by planting a spy within their ranks. This spy fabricated evidence to falsely incriminate Shadow Garden for the Cult's past crimes, while dismissing the existence of the Cult as mere fantasy.
Overview[]
The Crimson Order operates as a special investigation unit. Despite being a newly formed and relatively small knight order, it is composed of trusted individuals. As an official military organization dedicated to internal security, their primary goal is to combat all threats to maintain order and peace within the Midgar Kingdom.
During its early days, the Crimson Order launched a kingdom-wide investigation into two shadow organizations: the Cult of Diablos, responsible for the kidnapping of Second Princess Alexia Midgar, and Shadow Garden, which had rescued Alexia, destroyed the Cult's hidden facility, and eliminated those within, including Zenon Griffey, the main perpetrator of the kidnapping.
However, the Crimson Order struggled to operate smoothly due to limited funds from the sudden establishment of the new order. Additionally, the Order faced several setbacks, losing support after the death of their best knight, Glen, shortly after he joined. The situation worsened with Princess Iris Midgar's public defeat at the Bushin Festival, further diminishing their credibility.
History[]
The Crimson Order was founded by Iris Midgar, the First Princess of Midgar Kingdom and the kingdom's strongest warrior. The Order consists of her trusted members, including Glen the "Lion Mane" and Marco Granger, who voluntarily joined the new Order.
Iris Midgar established the Crimson Order to combat forces threatening the Midgar Kingdom after the kidnapping of her younger sister, Alexia Midgar, by Zenon Griffey. Although Griffey was a respected figure, he was revealed to be the mastermind behind the kidnapping and a secret member of the Cult of Diablos. Iris founded the new Order due to her growing distrust of the existing Knight Order.
During that incident, Iris also encountered Alpha from the Shadow Garden organization. Unable to determine whether Shadow Garden was friend or foe, the Crimson Order pursued them with the same intensity as they did the Cult of Diablos.
Organization Strength and Influence[]
The Crimson Order is a powerful military organization in the Midgar Kingdom and has become a major force to be reckoned with. It comprises knights carefully selected from the Knight Order, initially recruiting only eight members, including Glen, the strongest knight who serves as the Vice-Commander. However, the true strength of the Crimson Order lies in its commander, First Princess Iris Midgar. Renowned as the strongest person in the kingdom, Iris is celebrated by the populace for her extraordinary achievements.
Despite being a newly formed order tasked with investigation and law enforcement, the Crimson Order's current influence is relatively weak, and it may struggle to survive for more than ten years without Iris's significant contributions, especially given its limited budget. Shortly after its founding, the Crimson Order experienced several failures that resulted in losing substantial support and casting doubt on Iris's ability to lead the organization effectively.
Membership[]
The Crimson Order was established as a special force comprising individuals personally chosen by Iris Midgar from the Knight Order. Its purpose was to combat and eliminate any malicious forces that posed a threat to the Midgar Kingdom. However, due to Iris's impulsive decision to create a new Order, the Crimson Order lacked sufficient resources needed to establish itself as a proper organization. Subsequently, efforts were made to collect funds and stockpile weapons to bolster its military strength.
During the failure of their first mission, Iris acknowledged that the Crimson Order had lost their strongest member shortly after his joining, leading to a significant loss of support from the Knight Order. With little hope of finding a replacement, rebuilding the Order seemed unlikely.
Chronology[]
Creation[]
Following the kidnapping of Second Princess Alexia, First Princess Iris Midgar convenes a private meeting with Glen and Marco Granger to discuss the current situation. They aim to establish a new special investigation unit after discovering the existence of secret organizations like the Cult of Diablos and Shadow Garden, with the goal of protecting and defending the kingdom from all threats.
Iris asked them to join the new Order she had prepared due to her growing distrust of the Knight Order. This distrust stemmed from learning that Zenon Griffey, a respected figure in the Midgar Kingdom with a distinguished reputation, was the mastermind behind her sister's kidnapping and a secret member of the Cult of Diablos. Additionally, there were reports of a confiscated warehouse containing evidence from the Cult's facilities being mysteriously burned down by unknown individuals, leaving all the gathered evidence destroyed.
Understanding the gravity of the situation, Glen and Marco agree to assist the princess in investigating both organizations and become the first members of her Order, which will be named the Crimson Order.[1] Princess Iris is currently in the process of recruiting trustworthy individuals but has only managed to enlist eight members so far due to their limited budget.
Midgar Academy Terrorist Attack[]
For their first assignment, Iris Midgar tasked Glen the "Lion Mane" and Marco Granger with protecting Sherry Barnett while she worked in her lab at Midgar Academy. Sherry was analyzing an artifact called the Eye of Avarice, which they had seized from a Cult facility.
Alexia Midgar decided to take a more active role in her kingdom's internal affairs by joining Iris's investigation. She asked her sister for help regarding the recent serial murders targeting citizens, allegedly perpetrated by individuals publicly believed to be from Shadow Garden and wants to find out about a mysterious man named Shadow. Iris readily accepted her sister's request for assistance in the investigation.
During a night patrol, Alexia encountered three imposters posing as members of Shadow Garden and narrowly escaped death until Shadow intervened to save her. Alexia cautioned Shadow against becoming an enemy of her kingdom, but her warning was met with cold indifference. Following this encounter, Alexia was placed on lockdown by her sister for her safety.[2]
Almost a week later, the Midgar Academy for Dark Knights came under siege by the "Children" from the Cult of Diablos, masquerading as members of Shadow Garden to falsely incriminate the opposing faction. During the attack, Rex killed Glen and severely wounded Marco.[3] However, Sherry managed to complete her research, allowing the Knights to enter the school and restore order. But it turns out, Shadow Garden rescued all the students who were being held hostage in the burning auditorium, saving them from harm along with the Academy's facilities.
With the failure of the Crimson Order's first mission and the unexpected loss of Glen shortly after joining, Princess Iris lost the majority of support from the Knight Order. Reflecting on this, Iris realizes that her Crimson Order has lost its strongest member and may struggle to rebuild, as finding a suitable replacement seems unlikely.
Sanctuary Infiltration[]
The Second Princess of the Midgar Kingdom, Alexia Midgar, visits the Sacred Land of Lindwurm as a VIP guest for the Goddess' Trial event. She also intends to investigate the dark rumors surrounding Archbishop Drake, including allegations of corruption, missing orphans, and his ties to the Holy Church of Divine Teachings. She undertakes this investigation alongside a member of the Crimson Order.[4]
Hearing the news of the Archbishop's death, Alexia goes to the cathedral and meets with Acting Archbishop Jack Nelson. She explains that she is there to investigate the previous Archbishop's death. Nelson responds that the Church will handle the investigation and that she will need to be reapproved to conduct her inquiry. He informs her that he has already sent a letter to King Klaus Midgar regarding the matter and encourages her to enjoy the "Goddess' Trial" event in the meantime.[5]
The "Goddess' Trial" event was progressing smoothly until the last challenger, a student from the Midgar Academy for Dark Knights, Cid Kagenou, was called out. To the audience's surprise, Shadow appeared instead. Nelson quickly ordered his men to gather the Church’s Paladins to surround Shadow. However, he was stunned to see that he hadn't activated any summons; instead, the ancient warrior known as Aurora, the Witch of Calamity, appeared. Shadow and Aurora faced each other and began clashing blades. Shadow swiftly closed the distance and managed to defeat her with ease, ending the match.[6]
Upon Shadow's victory, a shocked and irked Nelson tried to order his men to capture him when the barrier suddenly broke, and a magic door appeared in the middle of the arena. Startled, Nelson wondered if the magic door responded to Shadow and if he was worthy enough to pass through the Sanctuary. As the door began to open, he ordered the evacuation of the citizens and canceled the trial. Nelson then tried to order Alexia and the others to leave, but members of Shadow Garden, led by Alpha, appeared. Alpha asked the princesses to remain still until the door closed and then entered the door herself.
Meanwhile, Epsilon subdued the Archbishop's guards and stated that the Archbishop would be coming with them inside the gate. Nelson refused and called his guard, Venom, to kill her. However, this attempt failed as Venom was swiftly cut down by Epsilon. She then asked the witnesses if they saw anything, to which they responded that they saw nothing, before apprehending the Archbishop.
Alexia and Rose Oriana entered the gateway alongside members of Alpha's squad, bringing the captured Nelson and the "hostage" Natsume Kafka with them, and found themselves in the Sanctuary. Inside the Sanctuary, Alexia learned the truth about the Three Heroes, Possession, and the Cult of Diablos's origins and true objective of perfecting the Tears of Diablos. Alpha then revealed Nelson's true affiliation as the 11th Seat of the Knights of Rounds. Nelson confirmed this by revealing himself as Nelson the Avaricious and attempted to separate them into groups.
Alexia witnessed the fight between Alpha and Delta against Nelson and his deluge of copies, part of the Sanctuary's defense system. She was stunned by Delta's brutal fighting style, resembling a berserker with no technique. When the defense system broke, Nelson was shocked to see hundreds of his copies defeated effortlessly. Alpha explained that even if he created a hundred copies, they all shared one brain, making it difficult for him to control them effectively.
Nelson then called for the statue of Olivier to come to life. As Olivier emerged, Epsilon's team joined Alpha, reporting that they had finished their investigation and could leave. Nelson was surprised, thinking they were retreating. However, Alpha clarified that their objective was to cut off the source of power and understand the Sanctuary's defenses, assuring him that they would return. Alexia then decided to escape from the Sanctuary along with Rose and Natsume.[7]
Once outside, the three witnessed Shadow's magic annihilate the Sanctuary and flood Lindwurm. Realizing they had been ignorant of the true battle despite learning about the connection between the recent events and the two organizations, Alexia, Rose, and Natsume formed an alliance. They swore to protect what they held dear by gathering and sharing information to learn as much as they could.[8]
Hearing the news of the Sanctuary being obliterated by Shadow, Princess Iris Midgar approached King Klaus Midgar, seeking to use the kingdom's authority to investigate the Holy Church. Despite reports of suspected collusion between the Holy Church of Divine Teachings and the Cult of Diablos, Klaus refused to take action, citing the lack of conclusive evidence to justify a long-term investigation. He maintained that the current facts were insufficient to warrant such measures.
Furthermore, with the approaching Bushin Festival and the many honored guests from abroad, King Klaus believed it was not the right time to antagonize the Church and cause undue turmoil. He also wanted to avoid upsetting his allies in the Oriana Kingdom, especially with an impending visit from their king, Raphael Geerk Oriana. Iris, determined to achieve results and prove her ability to stand up against the Divine Teachings, often found herself at odds with Klaus. Despite his frequent reminders of caution, he held high expectations for her capabilities.
After that, Iris sought every detail from Alexia, who had attended the Goddess' Trial event in Lindwurm as a guest. She wanted a thorough report on what Alexia had observed while in the Sanctuary. Alexia confirmed suspicions about the Holy Church of Divine Teachings, revealing that the murdered Archbishop Drake and his killer, Jack Nelson, both had ties to the Cult of Diablos.
Even though the evidence was covered up and the entrance to the Sanctuary could no longer be found, Alexia insisted that Iris investigate the Divine Teachings. She believed that there must be a significant organization behind it, capable of keeping a large facility like the Sanctuary secret from the public. Such secrecy would require immense power and influence, which Alexia found suspicious. She suggested that they could follow up on leads related to incidents in the capital as a pretense for their investigation into the Divine Teachings.
Despite Alexia's insistence, Iris revealed that she had already suggested investigating the Holy Church to their father, King Klaus Midgar. However, the King had forbidden them from taking any action or conducting further investigations due to political considerations. With the approaching Bushin Festival and the arrival of the Oriana Kingdom delegation, the King believed it was not the right time for the Midgar Kingdom to antagonize the Church or cause any undue turmoil. He wanted to avoid upsetting their allies and maintain a harmonious diplomatic relationship.
Iris explained to Alexia that they needed either clear evidence or the strength to handle any national crisis effectively. She proposed a strategy: if she won the upcoming Bushin Festival tournament again and became this year's champion, it would garner her more backing and support from the people. This success would also serve as a powerful way to draw further support from the Knight Order, especially given the prestige of successive wins at the festival.
Winning an international tournament for Midgar would not only bring honor but also strengthen the rank of the Crimson Order. With the support of the kingdom's citizens and a strong position in political power, their father would be more inclined to listen to his daughters. The palace would find it hard to ignore their influence. When Alexia expressed concern about the potential involvement of the Cult of Diablos or Shadow Garden in the Festival, given their track record of acting at major events, Iris expressed confidence in her sword skills.[9][10]
Bushin Festival Tournament[]
There has been significant criticism of the Royal Bushin method due to its questionable credibility, especially from its main proponents like Zenon Griffey. Griffey's reputation has been tarnished by his actions, leading to scandals that have disgraced the Royal Bushin method.
Fearing for the kingdom's future, Iris Midgar decides to enter the tournament and aims to become a recurring champion, winning the Bushin Festival. Her goal is to restore the good name of the kingdom's fighting technique, which she has been working hard to contribute to. By doing so, she hopes to restore public faith in her kingdom's knights order and the royal family. Iris believes that her victory will assure the kingdom's confidence in both her strength and their security, leading to increased public support.
During the Bushin Festival tournament, Iris won numerous matches until she faced an utterly humiliating defeat against Mundane Mann in the semifinal match. Following this, Mundane revealed his true identity as Shadow and rescued Rose Oriana, aiding the fugitive princess in escaping from the stadium arena.
Upon seeing the true identity of the person who helped Rose escape was the leader of Shadow Garden, Iris became furious. When Beatrix began to fight Shadow, Iris decided to join the War Goddess in her confrontation against Shadow.
Novel/Manga[]
Iris Midgar, despite being beaten earlier in her match against Shadow as Mundane Mann, suddenly decides to join the fight when she sees that Beatrix is overwhelmed by the leader of Shadow Garden. Iris is determined not to let him walk away after ruining the event. She suggests sacrificing herself to stop him while the Goddess cuts him down.
This plan backfired, as not even their combined efforts could stop Shadow, who ultimately defeated them. Wounded, Iris asked why he didn't kill them, to which he responded that he only kills his enemies. As he departed, he reminded her not to lose sight of her "true enemies". Immediately afterward, Shadow vanished in a halo of light, leaving a clear sky behind him.
Iris was initially confused by his response, especially after suffering a humiliating defeat in front of the public. Her feelings of anger and hatred towards Shadow grew stronger, leading her to conclude that he was not just an enemy of her kingdom but a threat to the entire world.
Anime[]
In the midst of their battle, Iris Midgar arrives and expresses her intention to join the fight against Shadow. She wields an artifact mithril sword adorned with ancient runes, surprising him. However, he finds her reliance on what he perceives as a crutch amusing, which annoys Iris. She channels her frustration into the blade, causing it to erupt in a large burst of fire magic as she swings it at Shadow.
Shadow effortlessly dodges Iris's attack, commenting on the visual spectacle it creates. He blocks Beatrix's attacks and continues the fight. Iris joins forces with Beatrix to combat Shadow, and their battle leads them through the city. They manage to push him towards a construction site on a building.
At the site, Shadow stumbles upon a pair of crowbars and uses them to block both Iris and Beatrix's attacks. He notes that crowbars indeed have potential as weapons. The fight escalates as they move on top of a moving train and then onto the water, continuing until they reach the clock tower.
Iris, recognizing Shadow as an incredibly powerful opponent, tells Beatrix that she is willing to immobilize him at any cost, even if it means sacrificing her own life. She launches a series of sword strikes at Shadow before releasing her weapon and attempting to grab him. However, Shadow counters by delivering a powerful knee strike to her chin.
Simultaneously, Beatrix finishes charging her attack technique and moves to strike Shadow as he is distracted by Iris. She aims to knock his sword aside and incapacitate him. However, Shadow swiftly dodges Beatrix's attack, seizing the opportunity to grab and slam her over Iris before stomping on both of them.
Despite Iris's warning that every knight in the city would be mobilized against him, Shadow laughs maniacally and reveals that he has no intention of running. Instead, he activates his power, engulfing most of the city. He declares that playtime is over and begins casting his devastating "I am Atomic" attack.
As the attack begins to take shape, Iris and Beatrix are left stunned by the extent of Shadow's power. However, just as the attack is about to reach its climax, Shadow abruptly stops and leaves without completing it. Overwhelmed by the events, Iris drops to her knees and cries in frustration and despair.
The incident with Shadow left Iris deeply introspective, realizing that her swordsmanship was inexperienced and feeling responsible for the kingdom's disappointment due to her defeat in front of the public. This realization plunged her into a state of pessimism. Determined to improve and seek redemption, she dedicated herself to intense training sessions focused on defeating both Shadow and Alpha.
However, Alexia grew concerned about Iris's desperation, noticing her erratic behavior and appearance. She worried that Iris's intense drive for revenge might lead her down a dangerous path.
Great Trading Company Conflict[]
The Academy Disappearances[]
It's revealed that during the new term at the Midgar Academy for Dark Knights, the Crimson Order appointed Adder as Glen's successor, naming him Vice-Commander. However, unbeknownst to the others, Adder is actually a spy working for the Cult of Diablos. His infiltration into the Crimson Order was part of a plan to manipulate Iris.
Adder's manipulation involved feeding Iris false evidence and misleading her about Shadow Garden, portraying them as the true villains behind past events that were actually orchestrated by the Cult of Diablos. With this manipulated information, Iris changed her perspective, no longer believing in the existence of the Cult and instead viewing Shadow Garden as the source of chaos and evil. She became fixated on taking down Shadow and Shadow Garden, convinced that they were her "true enemy." This manipulation ultimately turned Iris into an unwitting puppet of the Cult.
Bloody Midgar Serial Murder Terror[]
Equipment and Artifacts[]
As a newly formed organization, the Crimson Order has already lacked in funds, weapons equipment, and only possessed one Artifact.
Known Members[]
Originally, there were only eight total members who had joined in the organization.[2] In Volume 5, it is unveiled that although there are additional members in the Crimson Order, many of them appear to lack courage or resolve.[11] Meanwhile, members of the Cult of Diablos infiltrate to manipulate Princess Iris. With Adder as a key player, they fabricate false evidence, attributing past world evils to Shadow Garden instead.
- Iris Midgar (Founding Commander)
- Glen of the "Lion Mane" (1st Vice-Commander; Deceased)
- Adder (2nd Vice-Commander/Cult infiltrator)
- Marco Granger (Senior Knight)
- Alexia Midgar (External Staff)
Trivia[]
- Crimson Order members wearing red cloaks is likely due to Iris's notable crimson red hair.
- Claire Kagenou is one of the few students that Iris wants to recruit, after she graduates from the Midgar Academy for Dark Knights.[12]
- Even though Iris had recently built this Order for almost half a year, the Crimson Order has been losing public support from mishaps and failings regarding to their pursuit of Shadow.
- With Adder already taking over the Crimson Order by manipulating Princess Iris, the order is effectively becoming an asset to the Cult.
References[]
- ↑ Episode 5
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Volume 1 Chapter 4: The Two Sides of the Shadow Garden?!
- ↑ Volume 1 Chapter 6: The Scene Where Terrorists Take Over the School
- ↑ Episode 10
- ↑ Episode 11
- ↑ Volume 2 Chapter 1: Fun Times at the Goddess's Trial!
- ↑ Volume 2 Chapter 2: Investigating the Sanctuary!
- ↑ Volume 2 Chapter 3: When Things Get Boring, It's Time for Explosives!
- ↑ Episode 19
- ↑ Episode 14
- ↑ Volume 1 Chapter 1: Claire’s Back, and Her Symptoms Are Worse Than Ever!
- ↑ Volume 2 Chapter 7: Showing Off a Smidgen of My Strength!