Mathias

Mathias (マティウス) is the primary antagonist and leader of Arca in Tales of Innocence. She is the reincarnation of Maou, the darker self of the god Asras, who was betrayed by Inanna.

Masked Leader of Arca
Mathias first appears in Regnum, where she is pursuing Illia Animi. As she confronts Illia and Ruca Milda, Illia claims she does not know where the Manifest is located, but Mathias assures her that she will remember. When Ruca states that he is the reincarnation of Asras, Mathias laughs hysterically, which angers Ruca. Mathias leaves shortly thereafter, leaving Illia to explain to Ruca that Mathias attacked her village, leading a group known as Arca. She states that Mathias is pursuing her in order to discover where the Manifest is located. Subsequent mentions of Mathias describe her role in Arca, which is attempting to overthrow the Church.

Mathias's underlings Thitose Cxarma and Sian Tenebro confront the group on several occasions, with Thitose attempting to recruit Ruca and Sian attempting to locate the Manifest for Mathias. It is Thitose who reveals to Ruca that Mathias is the reincarnation of Maou, the masked ruler of Sensus whose private life was never exposed to the public. However, Ruca has no memory of Maou. Mathias remains mostly unseen throughout the story but is frequently mentioned. She makes an appearance again in Regnum, this time being assisted by Ricardo Soldato, who temporarily betrays the group. Mathias sends the group to Grigori Village, where they are imprisoned. Later, in Tenos, Mathias appears before the group after having overheard Albert Grandeioza confess that the Manifest is in Sky Castle, where she retreats, prompting the group to pursue her there.

Revelation and Death
At Sky Castle, Mathias explains that Inanna betrayed Asras and spurred the destruction of Devaloka. She then unmasks herself, revealing her identical appearance to Inanna—the hatred that Asras had toward Inanna after her betrayal manifesting within Maou and splitting the reincarnation process. Mathias states that Asras branded Inanna's face upon his dark reincarnation so that he would not forget his hatred for her. She explains that she and Ruca are both reincarnations of Maou Asras—two halves of the same soul. A flashback then depicts Asras preparing to activate the Manifest before being betrayed and stabbed by Inanna. Shortly afterward, Asras breaks Durandal, which Inanna used to stab him, and stabs her in return, killing her before dying himself. Mathias then beckons for a delusional Ruca to come with her, which prompts him to follow. Then, holding the Manifest in hand and joined by Thitose and Sian, Mathias claims she will destroy the "rotten" world so that there will be no more dispute.

This information shocks Sian, who realizes he has been manipulated by Mathias and attempts to attack her, which proves futile when she knocks him back. Mathias then plans to use Ruca in order to activate the Manifest, but Sian reminds her that, because they are essentially the same person, her plan will not work. Thitose then offers her life, but Mathias realizes this will not work because Asras never loved Sakuya, Thitose's past life. Mathias then instructs Ruca to sacrifice Illia to activate the Manifest, but he instead unleashes his power out of despair, causing what remains of Sky Castle to crumble. The group manages to escape, while Mathias and Thitose teleport away. At the Tower of Dawn, the group confronts Mathias a final time. There, she attempts to have Thitose kill her in order to activate the Manifest, but Thitose hesitates.

Fed up with Thitose's feelings and the group's pursuit of her, Mathias transforms into a Durandal-wielding chimera of Asras and Inanna, then engages the group in battle. After her defeat, she claims she will carry her grudge into her next life before dying. Thitose then stabs herself, claiming she will accompany Asras into the next life before dying on top of Mathias's body. In the restricted guild dungeon, it is possible to fight an optional boss that is merely a blackened version of Mathias's transformed appearance. The figure states that it is the embodiment of Mathias's hatred toward the world.

Appearance and Personality
In the original version of the game, Mathias wears a large suit of armor with a helmet that conceals her head. In the game's remake, however, Mathias receives an entirely different design. Her resemblance to Inanna is more recognizable through her figure, but she wears a mask to conceal her face. She bears small horns that resemble Asras's and carries a long staff, though she does not use it in battle. Her attire consists of a white hooded cloak with a red trim and pattern, as well as a black top underneath that partially exposes her breasts.

Mathias's personality is entirely shaped by Asras's hatred for Inanna after her betrayal. This hatred manifested itself within Maou, giving birth to an entirely separate reincarnation that resulted in Mathias's existence. Ruca is the reincarnation of Asras's "normal" self, hence why he has no memories of Maou, who is considered to be Asras's darker, emotionless self. In actuality, Maou possessed a great deal of emotion despite it being veiled, and this is reflected in Mathias's evil nature. Just as Maou wore a mask as the leader of Sensus, Mathias wears a mask as the leader of Arca—both being separate parts of their overall whole. This is why Mathias laughs hysterically at Ruca's claim to be Asras, as she is also Asras, having been born in a split reincarnation with Ruca.