Even from only first impressions, it's easy enough to describe him if you were asked. Mysterious. Unnatural. Otherworldly. Ethereal. But they all point to the same thing: he's strange, he's alien, he's different. With his pale skin, white hair, oddly-colored and pupil-less eyes, along with a strange fascination with people and the ever-present sly smile on his face, he certainly seems suspicious enough. Add that to his tendency to speak cryptically and avoid straight answers, and it's really no wonder that most people react to him with apprehension. Perhaps some of his quirks could simply be brushed off as, well, quirks. But there has to be something more. And if you guessed that "something more" meant that he was inhuman...you would be absolutely correct.
No matter how human he may feel or act, his true form is that of the last Septentrione, Alcor.
All of the Septentriones, different as their appearances and powers may be, share one thing in common: they exist to destroy the world so it may be created anew according to the administrator's wishes. They are but mere tools of a greater will, which is that of the world's administrator, Polaris. Swords of the absolute. Tools of destruction. Some may even call them mindless monsters. The calamity they wreak is part of their programmed purpose as set by Polaris after all, so they do not and cannot feel otherwise.
Except for Alcor.
Out of all the Septentriones, Alcor is the only one who possesses a human form, and as a result, is the only one that is able to communicate with humans. Unlike the rest of his kind, he is the only Septentrione seemingly able to defy the programmed urge to destroy. The only one who wants to learn more about people, and feels actual guilt if he kills or hurts them in any way. The only one willing to risk his life for them, even in the face of erasure from Polaris. The only one willing to aid humans, from ancient times, to actively rebelling against his creator thousands of years later, which completely goes against the very purpose of his existence. And as proven by the end of his route (should the protagonist choose to take it), Alcor is also the only Septentrione willing to give up his physical existence for the foundation for a new world.
Simply put, he loves, and has always unconditionally loved, humanity. He loves people just as they are, with all their flaws and imperfections. Even though he has witnessed all the horrible things humans are capable of over the course of thousands of years, he also believes they are capable of wonderful things as well, and are filled with endless potential. In fact, it is this potential he tried to nurture by giving humans in ancient times anything they desired. What makes them happy? What is their purpose in life? Would they be happy if they were given their purposes in life? He wants to know the answers to all of those questions, and more. It is due to a mix of love and curiosity that he even taught humans (the Hotsuin family in particular) how to summon demons without the use of a program, and created Nicaea and the Demon Summoning App later so people could prevent their own deaths. In other words, he gave humans the tools to fight back against demons and the Septentriones, despite the fact that it meant they would fight back against him as well. And he's perfectly fine with that.
What he has learned about human beings has been done (both emotionally and physically) distantly, simply watching but never touching. Alcor, given his circumstances, is a bit emotionally stunted. Most of the time, he feels guilt, remorse, and more guilt, but he is also only capable of feeling small amounts of extreme emotions such as happiness and anger, though he may not know exactly what to call such feelings. Getting him truly angry is a very difficult task in itself, with his patience and lack of emotional understanding. When he speaks of humans and their interactions, he speaks as an curious and analytical observer looking into a different world which absolutely fascinates him. He constantly wonders about the potential of mankind, while simple things such as human greetings and blunt, honest answers can even make him laugh. For all his worldly knowledge, he easily misses jokes, references and lacks knowledge on how to act appropriately in certain situations. Case in point, he doesn't think that suddenly appearing and disappearing in the middle of conversations is inappropriate. Neither is eavesdropping, or forcefully dragging someone else (such as Daichi) off with him. Sometimes, he shows up behind people without warning or making any sound, which even startles the protagonist. As he himself puts it, he's rather careless about human customs. He does apologize afterwards if he thinks his actions are considered rude, though.
Despite his somewhat sinister outward appearance and mannerisms, Alcor truly has good intentions. During the party's first encounter with him, he strikes down one of Megrez's buds, and even tells the party how to defeat Megrez itself. Following that, he drops the protagonist a few hints on how to defeat Alioth as well, though he refrains from being straightforward about it, saying that he's only there to watch their liberty. He finds much more satisfaction in leading people on to the answer with hints instead of giving it directly. As a sort of guiding figure, he's there to nurture humanity's freedom and their choices, not coddle them. That's not to say he's the type of person to withhold important information all the time; he's actually rather forthcoming about it when certain people ask. Later, it's revealed that he was the one who gave humans fire, language, and art, so as to watch their potential blossom, and he tried to prevent/mitigate the damage from the invasion despite not being fully at fault for it. Nothing gives him more pleasure than assisting humanity and in fact, he might even say it's an honor for him. When he's concerned, he's genuinely concerned about others' wellbeings. "Are you all right? Why so worried? Is something troubling you?" He'll be the first to ask such questions, but he certainly won't be the first to answer them himself. In the end, he honestly just wants what's best for humanity, no matter which path the protagonist takes, but the problem is that he's not sure what the "best" is in the first place, and doesn't have a concrete sense of "right" and "wrong", to boot.
However, that's not to say he won't fight back or act when he has to. While he would very much prefer to come to a peaceful resolution or simply watch from afar most of the time, he understands fighting is necessary when there isn't enough time for long explanations and discussions. He isn't a total pacifist, and will definitely step in when he feels it's necessary. For instance, when he realized that Yamato intended to recreate the world into a meritocracy as he wished, instead of protecting humanity and its freedom, he actually attempted to trap him in Sapporo (and endangered many JP's officers' lives while being responsible for the death of at least two), where he would have died from Alioth. Was it drastic? Absolutely. Was it necessary? To him, yes, because it was for humanity's sake, and when it comes to humanity, he will not concede. Furthermore, when Yamato threatened to overload a Terminal with enough power to kill the entire party, he retaliated with a strong dance spell to stop him. With Ronaldo, when the man jumped him, he flung him off of himself with enough power to kill him. Granted, in both cases he arguably struck back in self-defense (the latter to protect himself as he was startled by the sudden attack, the former to protect everyone else), he felt guilty and lamented for them afterwards, but he also still felt that he could do nothing about their decisions to die. If he has to sic a demon on people (namely, JP's officers) to get to the Tsuutenkaku to test humanity's potential, or send one of his demon minions to brainwash someone, then so be it...though he'll try to prevent casualties and mitigate the damage as best he can. Additionally, if said demon steps out of line, he won't hesitate to berate or even threaten to destroy it. Once he has his mind set on something, he'll set out to complete it as well as he can, and if anyone gets in his way, he will use force to shatter their ideals, so to speak. Let it never be said that Alcor isn't capable of being downright ruthless and manipulative when he wants to be. ...He can only hope that it won't have to come to that.
Very much like his name, which means 'lost one' or 'friendless one' in Arabic, Alcor is actually rather alone. Ever since he started doubting Polaris, which led him to split from the administrator and the rest of the Septentriones, it is very likely that he has also never had a single, actual friend or someone he even considered a confidant during that timespan. Though he "teases" (for lack of a better word) that he thinks himself as a helpful friend of the protagonist from time to time, it's probably not wholehearted, given that he had to ask him if he actually was their friend. Instead of his true name, he gives them an alias (Al-Saiduq) since he doesn't think humans would trust him simply because of what he is, and would reject or blame him instead. It's also why he's genuinely surprised and touched by the fact that the party (and especially the protagonist) still believes in and trusts him even after Yamato revealed that he was a Septentrione and supposedly their enemy. When he does fully trust somebody, he'll risk everything for them, including his life, and can become rather protective of them. In a similar vein, he also harbors a sense of guilt about the world's disastrous situation, which is why he calls himself the Anguished One. In his view, if he had never helped nurture mankind's potential for freedom, humans would not have lost their desire to live, the world would not have become as "saturated", and then Polaris would not have made his judgment and deemed mankind as corrupted, leading to humanity's suffering and the world's deletion. This burden, along with his crisis of identity due to his split, has weighed him down for many years, and it is difficult for him to let go.
Adding to that, he has an odd sense of self-worth, or lack thereof. While he is fairly confident in his power, he is anything but when it comes to his worth and ability as a person, an individual with free will. He doesn't mind dying at the hands of the protagonist's party, because he believes that is the reason for his existence. When Yamato degrades him by calling him a monster or a creature, he doesn't even flinch, simply letting it all roll off his back. He doesn't understand why others would be upset that he died, because as far as he's concerned, to serve and die as Polaris' sword is why he exists in the first place. When he falls in battle, he does not comment on any pain whatsoever but instead apologizes for failing the protagonist, and in other routes, even goads him to "...defeat me. Defeat me and create the world you desire, Shining One!" As much as he loves the free will that humans have, he does not believe he himself has much of it unless the protagonist teaches him otherwise. In fact, that is what he loves about humanity, for they are bound by no rules and possess no duty to a higher being. The stars, as far as they are, still have to obey the rules, and as the companion star of Mizar, Alcor is no exception...or so he believes.
All in all, he is the Anguished One. Nothing more, nothing less.
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Even from only first impressions, it's easy enough to describe him if you were asked. Mysterious. Unnatural. Otherworldly. Ethereal. But they all point to the same thing: he's strange, he's alien, he's different. With his pale skin, white hair, oddly-colored and pupil-less eyes, along with a strange fascination with people and the ever-present sly smile on his face, he certainly seems suspicious enough. Add that to his tendency to speak cryptically and avoid straight answers, and it's really no wonder that most people react to him with apprehension. Perhaps some of his quirks could simply be brushed off as, well, quirks. But there has to be something more. And if you guessed that "something more" meant that he was inhuman...you would be absolutely correct.
No matter how human he may feel or act, his true form is that of the last Septentrione, Alcor.
All of the Septentriones, different as their appearances and powers may be, share one thing in common: they exist to destroy the world so it may be created anew according to the administrator's wishes. They are but mere tools of a greater will, which is that of the world's administrator, Polaris. Swords of the absolute. Tools of destruction. Some may even call them mindless monsters. The calamity they wreak is part of their programmed purpose as set by Polaris after all, so they do not and cannot feel otherwise.
Except for Alcor.
Out of all the Septentriones, Alcor is the only one who possesses a human form, and as a result, is the only one that is able to communicate with humans. Unlike the rest of his kind, he is the only Septentrione seemingly able to defy the programmed urge to destroy. The only one who wants to learn more about people, and feels actual guilt if he kills or hurts them in any way. The only one willing to risk his life for them, even in the face of erasure from Polaris. The only one willing to aid humans, from ancient times, to actively rebelling against his creator thousands of years later, which completely goes against the very purpose of his existence. And as proven by the end of his route (should the protagonist choose to take it), Alcor is also the only Septentrione willing to give up his physical existence for the foundation for a new world.
Simply put, he loves, and has always unconditionally loved, humanity. He loves people just as they are, with all their flaws and imperfections. Even though he has witnessed all the horrible things humans are capable of over the course of thousands of years, he also believes they are capable of wonderful things as well, and are filled with endless potential. In fact, it is this potential he tried to nurture by giving humans in ancient times anything they desired. What makes them happy? What is their purpose in life? Would they be happy if they were given their purposes in life? He wants to know the answers to all of those questions, and more. It is due to a mix of love and curiosity that he even taught humans (the Hotsuin family in particular) how to summon demons without the use of a program, and created Nicaea and the Demon Summoning App later so people could prevent their own deaths. In other words, he gave humans the tools to fight back against demons and the Septentriones, despite the fact that it meant they would fight back against him as well. And he's perfectly fine with that.
What he has learned about human beings has been done (both emotionally and physically) distantly, simply watching but never touching. Alcor, given his circumstances, is a bit emotionally stunted. Most of the time, he feels guilt, remorse, and more guilt, but he is also only capable of feeling small amounts of extreme emotions such as happiness and anger, though he may not know exactly what to call such feelings. Getting him truly angry is a very difficult task in itself, with his patience and lack of emotional understanding. When he speaks of humans and their interactions, he speaks as an curious and analytical observer looking into a different world which absolutely fascinates him. He constantly wonders about the potential of mankind, while simple things such as human greetings and blunt, honest answers can even make him laugh. For all his worldly knowledge, he easily misses jokes, references and lacks knowledge on how to act appropriately in certain situations. Case in point, he doesn't think that suddenly appearing and disappearing in the middle of conversations is inappropriate. Neither is eavesdropping, or forcefully dragging someone else (such as Daichi) off with him. Sometimes, he shows up behind people without warning or making any sound, which even startles the protagonist. As he himself puts it, he's rather careless about human customs. He does apologize afterwards if he thinks his actions are considered rude, though.
Despite his somewhat sinister outward appearance and mannerisms, Alcor truly has good intentions. During the party's first encounter with him, he strikes down one of Megrez's buds, and even tells the party how to defeat Megrez itself. Following that, he drops the protagonist a few hints on how to defeat Alioth as well, though he refrains from being straightforward about it, saying that he's only there to watch their liberty. He finds much more satisfaction in leading people on to the answer with hints instead of giving it directly. As a sort of guiding figure, he's there to nurture humanity's freedom and their choices, not coddle them. That's not to say he's the type of person to withhold important information all the time; he's actually rather forthcoming about it when certain people ask. Later, it's revealed that he was the one who gave humans fire, language, and art, so as to watch their potential blossom, and he tried to prevent/mitigate the damage from the invasion despite not being fully at fault for it. Nothing gives him more pleasure than assisting humanity and in fact, he might even say it's an honor for him. When he's concerned, he's genuinely concerned about others' wellbeings. "Are you all right? Why so worried? Is something troubling you?" He'll be the first to ask such questions, but he certainly won't be the first to answer them himself. In the end, he honestly just wants what's best for humanity, no matter which path the protagonist takes, but the problem is that he's not sure what the "best" is in the first place, and doesn't have a concrete sense of "right" and "wrong", to boot.
However, that's not to say he won't fight back or act when he has to. While he would very much prefer to come to a peaceful resolution or simply watch from afar most of the time, he understands fighting is necessary when there isn't enough time for long explanations and discussions. He isn't a total pacifist, and will definitely step in when he feels it's necessary. For instance, when he realized that Yamato intended to recreate the world into a meritocracy as he wished, instead of protecting humanity and its freedom, he actually attempted to trap him in Sapporo (and endangered many JP's officers' lives while being responsible for the death of at least two), where he would have died from Alioth. Was it drastic? Absolutely. Was it necessary? To him, yes, because it was for humanity's sake, and when it comes to humanity, he will not concede. Furthermore, when Yamato threatened to overload a Terminal with enough power to kill the entire party, he retaliated with a strong dance spell to stop him. With Ronaldo, when the man jumped him, he flung him off of himself with enough power to kill him. Granted, in both cases he arguably struck back in self-defense (the latter to protect himself as he was startled by the sudden attack, the former to protect everyone else), he felt guilty and lamented for them afterwards, but he also still felt that he could do nothing about their decisions to die. If he has to sic a demon on people (namely, JP's officers) to get to the Tsuutenkaku to test humanity's potential, or send one of his demon minions to brainwash someone, then so be it...though he'll try to prevent casualties and mitigate the damage as best he can. Additionally, if said demon steps out of line, he won't hesitate to berate or even threaten to destroy it. Once he has his mind set on something, he'll set out to complete it as well as he can, and if anyone gets in his way, he will use force to shatter their ideals, so to speak. Let it never be said that Alcor isn't capable of being downright ruthless and manipulative when he wants to be. ...He can only hope that it won't have to come to that.
Very much like his name, which means 'lost one' or 'friendless one' in Arabic, Alcor is actually rather alone. Ever since he started doubting Polaris, which led him to split from the administrator and the rest of the Septentriones, it is very likely that he has also never had a single, actual friend or someone he even considered a confidant during that timespan. Though he "teases" (for lack of a better word) that he thinks himself as a helpful friend of the protagonist from time to time, it's probably not wholehearted, given that he had to ask him if he actually was their friend. Instead of his true name, he gives them an alias (Al-Saiduq) since he doesn't think humans would trust him simply because of what he is, and would reject or blame him instead. It's also why he's genuinely surprised and touched by the fact that the party (and especially the protagonist) still believes in and trusts him even after Yamato revealed that he was a Septentrione and supposedly their enemy. When he does fully trust somebody, he'll risk everything for them, including his life, and can become rather protective of them. In a similar vein, he also harbors a sense of guilt about the world's disastrous situation, which is why he calls himself the Anguished One. In his view, if he had never helped nurture mankind's potential for freedom, humans would not have lost their desire to live, the world would not have become as "saturated", and then Polaris would not have made his judgment and deemed mankind as corrupted, leading to humanity's suffering and the world's deletion. This burden, along with his crisis of identity due to his split, has weighed him down for many years, and it is difficult for him to let go.
Adding to that, he has an odd sense of self-worth, or lack thereof. While he is fairly confident in his power, he is anything but when it comes to his worth and ability as a person, an individual with free will. He doesn't mind dying at the hands of the protagonist's party, because he believes that is the reason for his existence. When Yamato degrades him by calling him a monster or a creature, he doesn't even flinch, simply letting it all roll off his back. He doesn't understand why others would be upset that he died, because as far as he's concerned, to serve and die as Polaris' sword is why he exists in the first place. When he falls in battle, he does not comment on any pain whatsoever but instead apologizes for failing the protagonist, and in other routes, even goads him to "...defeat me. Defeat me and create the world you desire, Shining One!" As much as he loves the free will that humans have, he does not believe he himself has much of it unless the protagonist teaches him otherwise. In fact, that is what he loves about humanity, for they are bound by no rules and possess no duty to a higher being. The stars, as far as they are, still have to obey the rules, and as the companion star of Mizar, Alcor is no exception...or so he believes.
All in all, he is the Anguished One. Nothing more, nothing less.