[Elestia]

Originally Posted by Sol Falling

The real Yuu switched places with STR and went to the otherworld. We already know this because the Yuu we've been seeing in the real world doesn't exist (as a normal human: she has no shadow, people don't remember her, etc.).

In the flashback in this episode, at the very end, (human) Yuu specifically said to Saya "there's no world more painful than this" and then made Saya agree to promise to protect her. Yuu then proceeded to unlock Saya's "other self". It is completely clear that the original, human Yuu went to live in the otherworld, and that that Yuu is the only one who Saya cares about--Saya doesn't really care about STR (the non-human Yuu currently in the real world) at all.

That makes sense, although if it isn't from the horses mouth directly I'm a little skeptical still. I'm a bit wary why Strength decided to approach Mato as her childhood friend.

Originally Posted by Sol Falling

I've just said that Saya does not deliberate target people close to Mato. She targets anyone who has an exploitable trauma or pain. Yomi in particular already had a strong/highly-developed otherworld persona. It was simply obvious for Saya to target her.

And you don't find odd that the people with "exploitable trauma or pain" all happen to have close relationships with Mato? You know, the one person Saya is trying not to put mental strain on, lest IBRS awakens. We have Kagari through an extention of Yomi, Yomi herself, and Kohata. All these people have put an unbelievable amount on stress on Mato.

Originally Posted by Sol Falling

The middle school girls in this show are not particularly more fragile than normal ones are. Saya just happens to be deliberately trolling them, saying shit like "you're the laughingstock of the school" or "nobody would care if you died" when she's supposed to be in the trusted position of a guidance counsellor. Kagari is the one exception who went crazy by herself; Yomi and Kohata would've been fine without Saya's intervention. The point is, most people, including Mato, would not normally undergo enough pain to unlock something like IBRS without any trolling from Saya.

Normal ones? What normal ones? We're being beaten over the head with unstable, hysterical, crazy, psychotic, disturbed, unhinged, mental, insane, demented, and deranged people from the get go of this show. It's the entire reason why Saya is the middle school counselor.

Going by that trend makes it hard to take anything the show gives us seriously and more of trying to pull some sort of response out of the audience. Given that Yomi has gone completely bonkers by the end of the fifth episode, it wasn't surprising when Mato started to show signs of depression, frustration, desperation and even despair. I mean, she find that no one remembers Yuu her childhood friend and Saya does a 180 turn in her personality (from Mato's view) and tries to pretend strangle her, which you left out in your reply. All these unexplainable things and personal issues she is facing at home and at school act as destabilizing agents for Mato's sanity. For god's sake Yomi made a bracelet out of her own hair and then proceeded to paint this disturbing picture of Mato. To top things off Mato freaking bitchslapped kagari when she said "Yomi's heart broke" in a monotone voice. And now you say that Mato isn't at risk even with all this? Instead, you are telling me that Saya is too stupid to see the dangers of Mato's psyche descending into madness and awakening IBRS. Nope, since "The emotional traumas of people around Mato aren't enough to significantly harm her." from your point of view. That is just silly.

Originally Posted by Sol Falling

I don't remember that quote. It has generally been said that people's otherself personas shoulder their pain, not that they fight against it. They basically absorb it (and get stronger in the process). No explanation has been given yet for why the otherworld personas fight each other, or what BRS is really doing. "Fighting against grief" doesn't make sense because when BRS kills an otherworld persona, it destroys the other person's grief, not Mato's.

Here it is.

And again, whoever Mato meets or knows BRS will fight against, since they all causing Mato grief. Saya sending in Dead Master and Kohata against BRS happens because Saya sent Dead Master and Kohata against BRS. BRS isn't destroying the world, she is destroying whatever Mato is facing thanks to Saya. If they showed BRS killing anyone else that Mato hasn't met or is an acquaintance of then I would think differently, but that is not the case.

Here, let me break it down for you in the very first episode from BRS's world.

1) BRS is lying on the jagged spike tower.
2) Jagged spike tower starts to grow and multiply.
3) We see BGS eyes at the bottom of the giant hole.
4) We see BRS getting attacked by BGS with her ridiculous giant-sizeed sword.

And again later on in the episode with Chariot at 13:49:

1) We see BRS wandering aimlessly around
2) She noticed a green stream of lights flowing on the ground
3) She follows it
4) Sudden burst of light
5) She gets dragged into Chariots world
6) She gets fucking streamrolled by Chariot while exploring.

Originally Posted by Sol Falling

STR and Saya basically said that BRS has the potential to destroy the other world. That was this episode. This is the basis for believing that BRS somehow intends to do so. It's also the reason we have been given thus far for why Saya wants to defeat her.

Correction, only Saya said that. If Yuu thought the same she wouldn't have awakened IBRS. Also, relevant. Stop sending the world to be destroyed then, if you don't want the world to be destroyed.

Originally Posted by Sol Falling

Well, you will have to wait until we get a clearer idea of STR/real-world Yuu's motivations to figure out why she did that then. Awakening IBRS had nothing to do with Saya's actual plan. In this episode, Saya very clearly showed that she was angry with STR/real-world Yuu's actions.

And again, if that is true then Saya should choose targets not close to Mato or, you know, have the trusted school counselor pretend strangle her if she didn't want to put more emotional strain on Mato and run the risk of BRS awakening for the above reasons.