How strong is Archetype Earth (And Arcueid in general)?

This will be a short thread explaining the true depth of Archetype Earth's capabilities, and why she is the strongest Type we have seen in the franchise, as there is still confusion regarding her status among the ultimate ones.

First there is the general powerset that inferior beings like normal Arcueid possesses, which is important to set the standard for the scale AE operates at:

Top Tier True Ancestors capabilities:

So Arcueid, as we know, is a True Ancestor, beings created to act as Gaia's (the planet's) sense of touch. They serve as substitutes for the Types, entities that Gaia could not create on its own. As a result, True Ancestors are inherently backed by Gaia itself, which is a significant factor in their strength, especially considering that planets in the Type-Moon universe are sentient beings with the power to regulate and control the reality within their domain:

Nature, the earth, possesses a will. That is why it still exists and tries to stay beautiful. The problem isn't that we can't feel it. It's that the standard of what nature thinks is beautiful and the standard of what humans believe is beautiful are the same.

"An existence which the world created to sense for it. These are what we usually call spirits. They are a transcendental species existing on another plane different from the remaining spirits of animals in the present world. The True Ancestors are one type of these spirits. They are born with the purpose to punish humans, so they only see humans as evil. Much as we think vampires who prey upon humans are evil, they view humans who prey upon nature as evil." - Tsukihime - Near Side: Ciel's Route - 7/Bow in the Sky II

Each planet in the Type-Moon setting functions as a self-contained universe governed by its own physical laws. This is most clearly illustrated by ORT, a being from another planet. Simply by existing on Earth, ORT begins altering Gaia’s reality to match its alien order, fundamentally rewriting the laws of nature:

Explanation - Crystal Valley

Invasion by a horrifying but beautiful landscape.

While some magi and the 27 Ancestors control internal worlds called "Reality Marbles", the one that ORT has is on a completely different level.

ORT is a "visitor from another planet".

By just him (?) being there, the Earth is changing to the environment he lived in. That is, the rewriting of physical laws, a leaking of his "alien order/system".

If man is that which destroys the planet, then ORT is an invader that paints the earth world into an alien planet. - Character Material - ORT, page 070-071

While human magi may possess Reality Marbles, which temporarily overwrite natural laws within a limited space, ORT's presence itself is a planetary-scale reality marble; an invasive environment replacing Earth's with that of its origin. In essence, ORT carries the "laws of its homeworld" wherever it goes.

This concept is reinforced in Angel Notes, where Type-Venus points out that the common understanding of Gaia’s physical laws doesn't apply to beings from other planets, as concepts like death in the Earth's physical sense don't exist for them:

"Are you going to fight that?"

"Looks like it. The Knights are assembling too, and the military's eager to do it. They're aiming to at least change The Cross's curse. If that's it, then the possibility isn't zero."

"It's impossible. Everyone doesn't understand what an Aristoteles is. That isn't a life form on this planet. There is no chance of winning."

"How could that be? In reality, we have already defeated 3 Aristoteleses. If we have more fire power than them, it's not an unstoppable opponent."

"I don't know about that. They can't be judged by this planet's common sense. That's why even a concept of death doesn't exist for them. They won't stop until they achieved their objective." - Angel Notes

Our enemy were species that ruled over the alien branches of another planet, where out common sense doesn't apply. - Angel Notes

This proves that each Type or planetary being embodies its own set of governing principles, rendering Gaia’s standard logic, including death, inapplicable. Reality in the Type-Moon multiverse is therefore relative, with each celestial body possessing a unique ontological framework.

Because Gaia is sentient and in full control of its own metaphysical structure, it can also empower its agents, particularly the True Ancestors. Their abilities are enhanced not just biologically but ontologically, adjusted according to Gaia’s will. One of the key methods is by increasing their physical abilities without a fixed limit, allowing them to eventually surpass and overwhelm opponents:

It's not like Senpai moves with Arcueid's amazing speed. But she accurately deflects Arcueid's blazing attacks while standing on the ground. As a third person looking on, their strengths are equal. However, just like Senpai said, Arcueid's power seems limitless. No matter how amazing Senpai is, her power is not something that goes beyond a certain point. In contrast, Arcueid seems limitless. In the beginning, Senpai was overwhelming her, but Arcueid matches her quickly and is now easily surpassing her powers----Tsukihime - Near Side: Ciel's Route 6/Bow in the Sky I

This limitless power reflects Gaia’s direct intervention, an underlying system adjusting and reinforcing its protector as needed. True Ancestors aren’t merely strong; they are a living function of the planet, a phenomenon Gaia can escalate to meet threats.

More importantly, Gaia, as the source of the laws governing existence, allows True Ancestors to warp reality itself according to their will. This is exemplified through the Marble Phantasm, a manifestation of an alien world born from the imagination of elemental spirits:

③ The user directly connects and imposes their will on the world which creates an interference that transforms the world as they see fit (as they imagine). They make reality an illusion (something impossible in reality).

④ More specifically a marble phantasm is thought to be realized when a multitude of phenomena are interfered with probability-wise, forcibly invoking the impossible.

⑤ What can be materialized is not limited to material objects, anything can be created as long as it’s a possible result of an interference in the probability of (natural) phenomena.

⑥ In the world of Tsukihime, a Marble Phantasm is the materialization of a part of an alien world that exists on top of the normal world, the fantasy world born from the imagination of elemental spirits. Therefore, it is possible for regular humans to wander into a Marble Phantasm.

The effects of world transformation are not directly applied to the target. - Colorful MOON Tsukihime

This alien world shaped entirely by imagination is referenced once again here:

Also, it is assumed that in the world of Tsukihime there exists another world on top of the normal world, things like legendary lands and countries of eternal spring, products of the imagination of the fairies that rule over this alien world. Consequently, it is possible for humans to wander into them by accident. - Tsukihime Data Collection

This demonstrates that True Ancestors can manipulate Gaia’s reality, shaping the world to match their imagination; which, in their case, is not abstract fantasy, but a layer of reality defined by the thoughts and will of elemental spirits. This spirit-defined layer underlies and overrides the natural world humans live in.

Through Marble Phantasm, they impose that deeper layer onto localized space, rewriting the laws that govern it. Importantly, Marble Phantasm is explicitly stated not to be limited to material objects: it can replicate any phenomenon that could naturally occur on Earth, including those involving abstract forces like time, causality, and probability.

Thus, True Ancestors do not merely manipulate matter or energy; they can alter the logic that determines how phenomena arise in the first place. Rather than simply transforming one material into another or directing elemental forces, they are capable of editing the rules that govern interaction, change, and outcome.

If a phenomenon is even conceptually possible within Gaia’s system, no matter how improbable, Marble Phantasm can force it to occur as a certainty, or conversely suppress even likely events. As long as something is conceptually grounded and within Gaia’s domain, a True Ancestor can will it into reality.

The more restrained expressions of Marble Phantasm seen in Tsukihime and Kagetsu Tohya occur because True Ancestors often focus their will inward, suppressing their vampiric urges (such as the desire for blood), rather than outwardly manipulating reality to its fullest potential:

Each and every True Ancestor is burdened with the desire to drink the blood of the very humans they were meant to rule. And, in order to suppress that impulse, they consume their own willpower. Those that can change the state of the world merely be thinking are instead forced to use almost all of those “thoughts” to restrain themselves.- Tsukihime Dokuhan Plus Period

However, Archetype-Earth does not have this issue and can use Marble Phantasm to its fullest potential.

Marble Phantasm's primary limitation is that it can only manipulate phenomena tied to nature: it cannot directly target human lifeforms. However, this restriction is largely superficial. A True Ancestor can summon natural phenomena or rewrite environmental laws in ways that indirectly harm or kill humans, rendering the limitation functionally negligible.

More importantly, the most powerful True Ancestors, such as Altrouge Brunestud or Type-Moon, appear capable of transcending even this boundary. Their mastery of Marble Phantasm allows them to directly affect individuals, reducing them to phenomena within Gaia's conceptual layer.

This is clearly illustrated by the transformation of Zepia into Tatari following a contract with Altrouge:

He made a contract with Altrouge of the Crimson Moon entailing that he would turn into TATARI until the next Night of the Crimson Moon in 1000 years, but… - Melty Blood Official Strategy Guide

A member of the 27 Dead Apostle Ancestors. One who tried to embody eternity not as a living being, but as a phenomenon. Tatari. - Melty Blood Act Cadenza PS2 Manual

This implies that Altrouge, acting through a high-level Marble Phantasm or equivalent will-based mechanism, was able to convert a non-natural, individual entity into a persistent, recurring phenomenon. That is, she turned Zepia into a law-bound abstraction that reemerges under specific conditions: the materialization of collective human fear.

Tatari, by definition, has no fixed form. It manifests based on shared anxiety, and persists even if its current embodiment is destroyed, as long as the conditions of its existence are fulfilled:

This feat demonstrates that Altrouge far surpasses ordinary True Ancestors in terms of reality-warping authority. While Marble Phantasm is undeniably powerful, it is constrained to manipulating natural phenomena and can only affect humans indirectly, such as by altering the environment or natural laws that surround them. What Altrouge accomplished, however, is categorically different. She not only directly influenced an individual (Zepia), but fundamentally rewrote his existence using human-centric abstractions like fear and rumors, which lie well outside the scope of nature-based phenomena.

Gaia encompasses ecosystems and instinct-driven lifeforms, but it does not originate or operate based on human consciousness, independent will, or social constructs. Concepts such as "fear" and especially "rumors" are not natural phenomena: they are byproducts of human cognition and society. Yet Altrouge took those intangible constructs and instantiated them as a persistent, naturally reoccurring phenomenon: Tatari, a law-bound embodiment of collective fear and urban legend that manifests under specific metaphysical conditions.

This clearly shows that Altrouge’s abilities transcend the limits of conventional Marble Phantasm. She does not merely manipulate nature: she alters the conceptual fabric of Gaia’s reality itself, reifying human psychological structures as natural phenomena subject to Gaia’s laws.

This level of influence suggests that Altrouge operates on a tier beyond ordinary True Ancestors. And given that Arcueid, at full power, is stated to rival her, it follows that she too possesses this caliber of authority. Both Altrouge and Arcueid are uniquely designated as True Ancestor royalty; a title reserved for those whose power approaches that of Crimson Moon, the progenitor of the True Ancestors. As noted:

“Another name for the organism that was used as the template for the True Ancestors. Also known as the Crimson Moon Brunestud.
After he vanished, individuals close to him in power started being honored with the title of Brunestud.
However, in the long history of the True Ancestors, only two have ever received the name.”
— Melty Blood Act Cadenza PS2 Manual

In fact, Arcueid is explicitly stated to equal Crimson Moon on her own:

Another name for the organism that was used as the template for the True Ancestors. Also known as the Crimson Moon Brunestud.

After he vanished, individuals close to him in power started being honored with the title of Brunestud.

However, in the long history of the True Ancestors, only two have ever received the name. - Melty Blood Act Cadenza PS2 Manual

This establishes that 100% Arcueid = Crimson Moon in terms of raw capability. Initially, Arcueid was created without the flaw of bloodlust; she didn’t even understand what it was until she consumed Roa’s blood:

This context is important for later statements that describe Arcueid as a "fragment" or an "equivalent but different" being from the Crimson Moon. These descriptions refer specifically to her state after being tainted by Roa, which compromised her potential as the ideal vessel for Crimson Moon.

Arcueid’s initial existence was that of a perfect weapon: emotionless, solitary, and defined entirely by function. She existed purely to exterminate Demon Lords, operating with absolute precision and without personal will. This made her the ideal candidate for Crimson Moon’s reincarnation; not just in power, but in metaphysical purity. She was a vessel free of external interference, perfectly suited to embody the will of a celestial body:

"She did not have any extra knowledge, or freedom beyond what was needed for her purpose. She only goes outside when her target is determined. She gets taught only the information needed to definitely destroy the enemy." 

No one is there. 

"After killing her target and when she returns to the castle, her taught knowledge is washed out and she is taken to sleep. Without knowing anything, nothing other than killing vampires." 

There's nothing. Such as the fun of speaking with someone else. The precious moments of seeing someone else and greeting them. She was excluded from all of it. 

"Her power was strong enough to defeat the fallen True Ancestors. ...... But, it's ironic. She was so powerful that she was shunned by the rest of the True Ancestors. Even while praising her as the princess, no one approached her. Even while giving her a castle, her world was only the dark basement. So there was nothing to give her any feelings." 

That's, almost enough to make me pity her for living. A parody of life. 

"She apparently had no words or even time of her own. --The True Ancestors treated her only as a weapon. A weapon has no need for extra functions, such as baking bread or doing laundry. If you're going to put on extra functions, you would put on something more fit for a weapon, right?" 

"All they wanted of her was to be a superior killing machine. That's why she doesn't know anything. I don't mean something big like the meaning of life, but not even the small joy of just living normally." 

She was always so cheerful. Even trivial things made her so happy. So I thought she was always like that. ...... But I was horribly wrong. She really was---just enjoying those simple things. She must have enjoyed those things so much." - Tsukihime: Near Side - Arcueid's route

In contrast, while Altrouge possesses power relative to Crimson Moon, her energy is unstable. She is forced to seal away most of it and can only release her full strength in brief surges:

Mix of True Ancestor and Dead Apostle.
Can be called Arcueid's big sister. But her look is that of a 14 year old girl.
Usually, she has no special powers, and can't utilize Marble Phantasm.
But she can, like a magical girl, transform in two stages or something like that. - Kagetsu Tohya - 27 Dead Apostle Ancestors Series, ９／Altrouge Brunestud

Arcueid, however, had no such instability. She was a complete and harmonized construct, precisely calibrated to receive Crimson Moon’s will.

That changed when Roa corrupted her with the flaw of bloodlust. This altered Arcueid’s existential alignment and permanently diminished her authority. At full output, she is still immensely powerful; but now overwhelmed by vampiric instinct. Her scale remains intact, but her control does not. She is no longer the pure embodiment of Gaia’s will, but a being closer in nature to a Demon Lord: one who manipulates the system rather than transcending it.

In effect, she inherited the same flaw that disqualified all other True Ancestors from serving as Crimson Moon’s vessel: desire contaminating purpose. Though she retains overwhelming strength, she has lost the right to define reality. She is now a powerful, chaotic enforcer rather than a guiding principle.

By contrast, Archetype Earth remains the closest successor to Crimson Moon; not just in power, but in nature. She is a purer, untainted form of Arcueid, free from bloodlust, and embodies Gaia’s will on a conceptual level, not merely within operational limits. More importantly, her power exceeds that of the Crimson Moon.

This matters because there’s a widespread misconception that only Archetype Earth matches Type-Moon’s power; an idea that quickly falls apart under scrutiny. Her name alone implies a classification above “Type.” In truth, normal Arcueid already wielded Type-level power.

A commonly cited “proof” used to argue otherwise is this:

Arcueid’s Last Arc.
For just a second, it is possible to catch a glimpse of the vampire princess Arcueid’s true power. The phantom that appears behind her back is her original form. Its appearance, abilities, and very thoughts could be called the Crimson Moon.
The inspiration for this technique comes from Kagetsu Tohya. Specifically, the episode where Shiki strayed off into Arcueid’s dream and received proper retribution for killing her. Because of that, when this technique is used on Shiki it hits eighteen times. -MB Act Cadenza PS2 Manual - Shall We Play Around Some? [Technique]

However, this is a textbook example of selective reading, particularly among fans who overemphasize the status of the Ultimate Ones. The line states that Arcueid’s original form shares appearance, thoughts, and abilities with the Crimson Moon, because she was literally modeled after him, as her “blueprint.” Some focus solely on the term “abilities” and interpret it as a hard limit, ignoring the broader context.

But what’s being described here isn’t a limitation: it’s a functional similarity. Arcueid’s original form embodied the same celestial will, with comparable modality, authority, and metaphysical structure. Her actions, conceptual framework, and thought processes mirrored Crimson Moon’s, not because she was him, but because she was created in his image.

Originally, Arcueid existed in this state by default, before any additional personality traits developed. By the time of Melty Blood, however, she can no longer access this form due to the corruption introduced by bloodlust. The Last Arc merely reflects the state she once held, serving as a memory of her untainted self, not a true representation of her current power ceiling, but a pointer toward what is fully realized in Archetype Earth.

To further drive the point home, in Kagetsu Tohya, Shiki directly helps AE realize she is not the Crimson Moon and can actively reject his reincarnation:

In reality, Archetype Earth remains an independent entity. While Crimson Moon serves as the foundational template for her soul, she is free to develop uniquely if she chooses. This is partly because Arcueid is designed to embody Gaia’s will, meaning she is not inherently bound to accept Crimson Moon’s directive. Archetype herself acknowledges this distinction, as seen when she refers to her “father” as a separate being in Actress Again.

I know this was a long digression, but it was needed because a certain segment of the fanbase insists on placing the Ultimate Ones at the absolute top of the Type-Moon hierarchy, despite the fact that these entities have been repeatedly defeated in every work they appear in. Consider this: why does Crimson Moon need to reincarnate at all? Because he fears death, and Zelretch literally defeated him before he could complete his plans.

To summarize, Archetype Earth is currently the most suitable vessel for Crimson Moon’s reincarnation only because normal Arcueid has been compromised. However, in terms of raw power, she is fundamentally superior to Crimson Moon; and more importantly, she isn’t even obligated to accept him in the first place. Her true directive is to serve as the conceptual actualization of Gaia, not as a host for a dying celestial being.

Thus, the power hierarchy breaks down as follows:

Archetype Earth > Pre-Roa Arcueid = Crimson Moon > Red Arcueid ≈ Demon Lords / unrestricted True Ancestors

This makes Pre-Roa Arcueid’s power level all the more notable when considering the Crimson Moon’s legendary clash with Zelretch. Crimson Moon was only defeated due to his lack of understanding regarding human outliers, individuals capable of transcending their species' limits through anomalous powers such as True Magic.

Also note is that magic doesn’t follow the rules of magecraft, a big reason Crimson Moon lost to Zelretch is due to not fully grasping this. - Colorful MOON Tsukihime

Had Type-Moon been more cautious, it’s likely he could have defeated Zelretch. And even when he won, Zelretch was left permanently weakened by their encounter.

This is significant because Zelretch’s Second Magic grants him dominion over time, allowing him to perform feats ranging from basic time travel and time reversal to rewriting entire historical events, among other capabilities:

When mimicked by Aoko through the True Nature of her Fifth Magic, the Second Magic reveals even more abstract potential. This includes sending attacks to different points in time, jumping between segments of the time axis, and overlapping different versions of the user. It can also delay someone's death into the distant future or apply future experiences to the present:

These abilities demonstrate that the Second Magic does more than simply manipulate time. It can replace, swap, or alter temporal events entirely, granting the user the power to freely edit a person’s abilities or parameters by replacing them with an alternate version that developed differently. It can also select a particular future and apply it to the present to override it, or replicate phenomena by editing and manifesting the necessary conditions.

In other words, the Second it's not merely about controlling time but fundamentally redefining temporal causality and identity.

Thus, the fact that Full Power Arcueid is comparable to a being that nearly overcame Zelretch, the wielder of such power, speaks volumes about her position at the apex of Gaia’s hierarchy.

So in this section, we’ve established that Arcueid, at full power, prior to her corruption by Roa, could directly manipulate the reality governed by Gaia, including the abstract laws of physics and nature. This level of authority is indirectly reflected in Altrouge’s creation of Tatari. Moreover, Arcueid is capable of defeating Zelretch in combat, despite his mastery of the Second Magic, which grants dominion over time and access to alternate histories and outcomes. Notably, even after her degradation into Red Arcueid, where she lost much of her original purity and conceptual authority, she can still use Marble Phantasm, a technique that manipulates probability itself by drawing from Gaia’s hidden, imaginative layer shaped by fantasy and possibility.

But Archetype Earth herself goes even further than any of this:

Archetype Earth's capabilities:

Archetype is the guiding principle of Arcueid's existence:

Deep beneath her conscious mind lies a guiding principle known as the “Crimson Moon,” which very rarely expresses itself through her surface personality. This is the true identity of the vaguely self-important Arcueid that appeared when Shiki invaded Arcueid’s dream (inKagetsu Tohya), and who confronted the 27 Dead Apostle Ancestors (in Melty Blood) - Tsukihime Doukan Plus Period- Arcueid Brunestud[Person/True Ancestor]

In Melty Blood Actress Again, Ciel theorizes that Archetype is the result of Arcueid awakening her Origin:

”I’ve heard that among magi, there are those who have reached the archetype of existence. This is called "Origin Awakening." It seems you’ve forcibly forced your way into something akin to that.” - Melty Blood Actress Again - Archetype Earth Route

However, Archetype denies this, stating she has always been one with Arcueid since her birth and simply has longer intervals between awakenings:

"Nothing like that. We were originally one entity.I simply have a longer interval between awakenings.Compared to you crawling on the surface, my standard of life is too vast." - Melty Blood Actress Again - Archetype Earth Route

Archetype: Earth, as her name implies, is the foundational blueprint of Arcueid’s being, deeper and more essential than her conscious self. She represents the purest and most powerful expression of Arcueid, one that surpasses even her 100% full power state.

Why is this important? Because Archetype is not only superior to both Full Power Arcueid and the Crimson Moon, but she also embodies the core concepts behind her existence: she is Gaia’s "sense of touch" and was originally designed to be the vessel for the Crimson Moon. Initially, she mistook herself for the Crimson Moon itself, but through her interactions with Shiki in Kagetsu Tohya, she came to recognize her individuality. By the time of Melty Blood, she fully affirms her distinct identity. This progression shows that Archetype is defined not just by her power, but by the fundamental role she was created to fulfill.

While she ultimately rejects her role as the Crimson Moon’s reincarnation vessel, she fully realizes her identity as Gaia’s touch, a being who directly interfaces with the will of the planet. In Melty Blood: Actress Again, she even demonstrates this divine authority by halting Gaia’s rotation, an act that underscores her unparalleled connection to the planet’s very foundation.

This confirms that, instead of merely being an extension of a planet's will like the other Ultimate Ones, Archetype Earth is superior to Gaia’s existence, capable of commanding it uncontested.

What does this mean in terms of reality warping capabilities?

It means Archetype Earth is not restricted by the natural laws that govern Gaia. Rather than being a product of the planet, she embodies the archetypal essence of what a celestial body can be; a metaphysical blueprint not confined to any single planetary framework. While most Types can impose the systems of their homeworld onto a foreign reality (carrying their own "laws" with them), Archetype Earth is the system: the defining principle of what a world can become. This grants her a level of conceptual flexibility and dominion far beyond that of any conventional Type or her standard Arcueid personality.

This places her above even ORT, who, as noted above, is capable of rewriting foreign realities to match the system of laws of Mercury:

Explanation - Crystal Valley

Invasion by a horrifying but beautiful landscape.

While some magi and the 27 Ancestors control internal worlds called "Reality Marbles", the one that ORT has is on a completely different level.

ORT is a "visitor from another planet".

By just him (?) being there, the Earth is changing to the environment he lived in. That is, the rewriting of physical laws, a leaking of his "alien order/system".

If man is that which destroys the planet, then ORT is an invader that paints the earth world into an alien planet. - Character Material - ORT, page 070-071

However, even ORT’s influence is bound to the laws of its own planet: a system from elsewhere. It imposes its native structure onto Earth, but it cannot transcend the idea of “a system.” ORT is rewriting, not re-defining.

Archetype Earth, by contrast, doesn’t just override laws: she generates them. Because she is the planetary archetype itself, she can reshape, overwrite, or create entirely new existential frameworks tailored to any reality she targets. She can mirror, distort, or completely recreate the underlying logic of a world, making her not just more powerful than ORT, but categorically superior. Where ORT paints over an existing canvas, Archetype is the canvas, the paint, and the very idea of painting.

Furthermore, Archetype Earth also lacks the concept of death, as Ryougi Shiki noted:

This is a small digression, but it should be noted that, when Archetype Earth says, "you came to bestow death on that which cannot die," she is acknowledging that Ryougi Shiki’s unique variation of the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception transcends conventional death. Instead of enacting a phenomenon tied to physical flaws, Ryougi’s eyes target the very meaning or identity of a thing. This allows her to kill even abstract, formless concepts that were never meant to "die," such as Araya Souren’s infinite loop of possibilities:

“Sure, you didn’t make a mistake. For you as a Magus, this is the best solution. But, what if the assumption itself is a mistake? You isolated Shiki? Not in a room somewhere in this apartment complex, but you isolated her in this apartment complex itself? A Bounded Field that achieves spacial isolation is already on the level of Magic. It’s a miracle that only a Bounded Field expert like you could create.

“Those who are trapped by the sealed space of a Mobius Ring can never get out from the inside. A closed world that’s enclosed by walls that can’t be destroyed by physical impacts, it’s a cage that’s impossible to escape from. You slapped Shiki in there, which gave you peace of mind. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Surely Ryougi Shiki, who saw death, was an unusual existence. However, there were many people in the world who had the ability to kill people. If it were just about killing living creatures, there was no way to beat the various modern weapons that civilization has produced.

That’s right. What makes Ryougi Shiki’s nature so different from Magi like them, was definitely not something like that. Her real nature is the ultimate nothingness that kills things that can’t be killed, even formless concepts.

“The thing that causes death.” That is the ability of Ryougi Shiki.

No weapon could interfere with a sealed world where the space was chained together infinitely with no exit. Because it had no shape, physical weapons that can only interact with physical objects couldn’t clash with it. But, Ryougi Shiki’s power was precisely one that targeted such formless things.

Then..?

“Yes, if you wanted to imprison Shiki, you should’ve trapped her in a box made of concrete.

If Shiki only had the physical strength of a young lady, all you had to do was simply prepare a hidden room enclosed by iron walls. But Araya Souren. You are a Magus, therefore you treat Magecraft as an absolute. Closing off space is meaningless. You used something ambiguous like that, but she can easily cut through that thing.” - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

No weapon could interfere with a sealed world where the space was chained together infinitely with no exit. Because it had no shape, physical weapons that can only interact with physical objects couldn’t clash with it. But, Ryougi Shiki’s power was precisely one that targeted such formless things. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

He had sufficient awareness to understand how she escaped the imprisoned space. Last night, the young lady had lost consciousness after several of her ribs were shattered by the Magus’s blow.

She had just recently awakened within the closed space, in the boundary set between the walls of the apartment complex. Within that impossible space she slashed through the impossible wall.

Infinity is not 「 」. For infinity to remain infinite, the finite has to be defined. Without the finite there cannot exist infinity. Because things have an end, we can observe the thing called infinity.

Ryougi Shiki had been cast into infinity, she saw the impossible finite and cut through it.

Of course, there is no finite inside of the infinite. You can’t slash through what doesn’t exist, so escape from such a cage is impossible. But, if there is no finite then there is no infinite. Whether finite walls exist or not, an endless world holds no meaning before Ryougi Shiki.

If there really is no finite, then it’s not infinite but 「 」. If the finite can be comprehended, Shiki could detect and slash through it.

... The black hole that should have been absolute was just a small dark room to his opponent. The Magus felt ashamed of himself. - Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5 Kara no Kyoukai Chapter 5

Since infinity is a distinct concept defined by its opposition to the finite, it is considered a flaw. This flaw enables Ryougi to kill it, as her MEoDP doesn’t merely enact Death as a phenomenon but brings about the very death of possibility in the face of perfection (" "). This perfection harmonizes all possible things to the point that not even language can properly define it, making any definition or distinct identity a flawed approximation. Infinity, despite being endless, is bound by its duality with the finite, and without the finite, it has no meaning.

Similarly, Archetype Earth’s lack of a concept of Death is bound by duality, as it is opposed to vulnerability. However, this is not directly relevant to the topic. I mention it mainly to show that Archetype can die due to a very specific ability that only Ryougi possesses, which does not diminish AE’s lack of a concept of death.

The key point is that AE cannot truly die in the conventional sense, as the concept of death doesn’t apply to her existence. She is the very source of a celestial body/reality, and thus exists as long as reality itself is possible. The only way to "kill" her would be to either specifically target her existence (something only Ryougi can do) or destroy her physical body through some specialized means. In the latter case, she would be forced to leave reality as a disembodied consciousness, waiting for new conditions to allow her to actualize herself again.

TL;DR: Archetype Earth embodies the foundational idea of a celestial body: a self-contained, sentient reality that defines and governs its own natural laws. This grants her the ability to manifest and manipulate all possible configurations of space, time, and causality that can exist within creation. Even beings below her, such as Arcueid, Crimson Moon, Zelretch, and ORT, can manipulate Gaia’s natural laws beyond the material realm, alter timelines and parallel worlds, create abstract phenomena, and rewrite physical laws. However, Archetype Earth surpasses them by being the source of such systems, not merely their user.

She lacks the concept of death, making her unkillable unless an attacker can target the pure metaphysical idea of her existence (e.g., via Ryougi Shiki’s Mystic Eyes of Death Perception), or exploit the flawed, material aspect of her physical body, which, while vastly powerful, may still possess vulnerabilities to specialized powers.

However, it's important to note that she absolutely isn't the strongest Type-Moon character like wankers claim. She is definitely in the top 5, but she is surpassed by Ryougi Shiki, Araya Souren, God's Word and probably Kirie Fujou. What's funny is that her fanboys don't actually even know how powerful she truly is, lmao.