Overview
Code:Realize ~Future Blessings~ is the first fandisc for Code:Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~ containing all the usual mainstays of a fandisc, side stories, alternative stories, and sequel stories. These stories bring back Cardia Beckford and the entire cast of Guardian of Rebirth to wrap up loose ends, give us the fanservice we deserve, and round out the popular side characters Herlock Sholmés and Finis with their own alternative routes. This fandisc contains one side story set during the common route of the original game, and the five short epilogue/sequels for the game’s original love interests as well. Only the two alternative routes contain choices and alternative endings, but these bad ends do not contain CGs. There are also cute short stories focused on Delacroix II that are unlocked as you complete each story. These are required reading to complete your CG gallery!
In summary, this fandisc contains the following stories:
- Lupin’s Gang, a side story with no choices set sometime during the common route of Guardian of Rebirth. This is a mafia-themed romp where Lupin and Co.’s teamwork and friendship shine.
- Finis Route, an alternative what-if scenario taking place right after the common route of Guardian of Rebirth. This takes Cardia into the heart of Twilight instead of into the arms of one of the love interests. This route contains choices and multiple endings.
- Herlock Sholmés Route, an alternate what-if scenario that also takes place right after the common route of the original game. This is a romantic route for fan-favorite detective Herlock Sholmés, and in addition delves into Van Helsing’s original story. This route also contains choices and multiple endings.
- White Rose, short epilogues directly following the good endings for each original love interest:
- Delly’s Room, very short stories revolving around Delacroix interacting with Cardia.
These routes do not contain choices and are quite short.
This article does not contain walkthroughs! Please check out Otome Kitten’s review for detailed walkthroughs.
Because this is a fandisc, spoilers for the original game will not be marked. Please proceed at your own risk.
My Musings
Fandiscs are always fun. Often more lighthearted and packed with fanservice making it worth the title, these celebrations of the original game are always enjoyable to play. I am in fact a fan, and I enjoy being serviced. Future Blessings was no exception, for the most part. The short sequels for each love interest were filled with all the flirting and kissing that I could ask for. And I ask for a lot. The side stories however, sometimes left a bit to be desired in my opinion.
I follow Otome Kitten’s route orders like it’s my religion, and did the same for this fandisc. Her recommended order had me do the side story, alternative routes, and finally the White Rose stories. While this was enjoyable, I almost wish I sprinkled the White Rose stories throughout between the longer routes that were decidedly lacking in romance. I encourage anyone looking to play this game to use their own discretion if they start feeling burnt-out and need a little kiss-kiss between stories!
Without further ado, let’s get into each story a bit deeper.
Lupin’s Gang
When I first played Guardian of Rebirth, I was a bit taken aback with how long the common route was. My previous otome game experience at the time more often had shorter common routes maxing at one or two chapters. Guardian of Rebirth took its time establishing the characters, their relationships, and conflicts. So this addition of even more to the common route in the fandisc was simultaneously a surprise and expected, expanding on each character’s established personality.
Because this story has to slot nicely between the common route and the love interest routes of Guardian of Rebirth, the plot is very self-contained without much mention of the story outside of itself. Twilight and other players are conveniently absent.
Lupin’s Gang takes us into the Steel London mafia scene, introducing new characters and their conflicts. Cardia gets a female friend in Shirley Gordon, the excitable daughter of mafia boss, Darius Gordon. Lupin’s Gang gets wrapped up in the dark dealings of rival gangs and sets out to thwart the plans of a sadistic mafioso, Avido Crudele. I did enjoy seeing Cardia run around a bit enjoying the city in a semblance of a normal female friendship, along with Lupin’s elaborate schemes to stop evil. However, Shirley and the other newly introduced characters weren’t very show-stopping and felt a bit cliche.
Spoilers for Lupin’s Gang
One aspect of Code:Realize that has always made me smirk is how reluctant they are to have our heroes engage in any real violence, with the notable exception of Saint-Germain. Van Helsing uses convenient rock salt rounds that obviously don’t cause any real injury, Victor’s concoctions will knock you out at best. While these choices do make sense for each character, I have to suspend some disbelief. The No-Kill Gordons are no exception. A mafia family dedicated to following the law and never engaging in lethal violence made me chuckle a bit, but you can’t expect our heroes to consort with ruthless criminals, can you? Only the most gentlemanly of criminals are allowed! Avido Crudele is the exact opposite, a murdering mafioso willing to allow swaths of London, and eventually Europe fall prey to life ending drugs to turn a profit. He is the direct cause of Shirley’s mother’s (and Darius’s wife’s) death so when he shows up in Steel London distributing drugs in the lower section of the city, they will not turn a blind eye.
After some thievery, kidnapping, and carnival games our heroes don snazzy new outfits and board Crudele’s luxury ship to stop him once and for all. Each character gets a moment to shine in said new outfit with a CG to match. But I must say, does steampunk always require tiny hats? The amount of tiny hats in these outfits was off the charts!
Gordon and Crudele were a bit too cartoonish for my personal preference, acting as narrative foils to one another. Gordon is a moral mafia leader who has a gap personality brought on by his intense love and adoration for his daughter played for comedic effect. Shirley’s conflict revolved around her desire to kill Crudele to avenge her mother, directly clashing with the Gordon family’s philosophy. Crudele’s intense hatred for the Gordons is revealed to be caused by his own father’s demise due to the Gordon Family’s no-kill philosophy.
I didn’t dislike this story by any means, but none of the new characters really stuck with me in any way. I wasn’t left thinking or ruminating on this story very much, as everything wrapped up quickly and nicely. I enjoyed the reveals and how the gang took down Crudele in the end (as non-violently as possible!) but my final feelings on the story lay somewhere in the “okay” category.
But, that ending CG in the getaway car was a highlight for sure!
Finis Route
Ah, Finis. A fuck-ass haircut to rival my beloved Saint-Germain. Cardia’s estranged homunculus brother gets his own story! This takes place right after the common route and imagines a scenario where none of the love interests take after Cardia as she makes it back to Wales. The old, decrepit mansion waits for her along with her brother and the swaths of Twilight soldiers at his command.
Finis was always interesting in Guardian of Rebirth. Ruthlessly dedicated to Issac Beckford’s plan and functionally immortal, he acted as the main antagonist in Lupin’s original route. Cardia’s conflict around how to navigate her relationship with her brother was incredibly compelling in that route, most notably where she tries to convince him to take her hand after his plans were destroyed. Finis, as we know, chooses to fall to his death rather than accept her love.
I almost think the Finis Route made a better true route/reveal route than Lupin’s. I fully understood Issac’s plan and Finis’s motivations here in a way that I felt was lacking a bit for Lupin. A gripe I have with a lot of unlockable finale routes is that they can focus too much on wrapping everything up and not enough on the relationship with the love interest, and Lupin’s original route fell victim to this. I would’ve been fine without every single plot thread being quickly tied up in exchange for more intimate moments with Cardia and Lupin.
But that’s for another time! Finis is joined by Aleister and Nemo, with the latter being just as annoying as the first time around. Cardia grapples with exactly what she was made for, grasping for any sense that she is more than just a doll created for destruction.
Spoilers for Finis Route
A self-proclaimed soulless doll, Finis is initially wholly dedicated to Issac’s plans just as he was in Guardian of Rebirth. The moments where we see from his perspective really shine in this route. A perfect copy of Issac’s late son, Finis believes if he allows himself to become nothing but a tool and vessel for his father, he will finally receive the love he was denied. The scene where Issac woke up homunculus Finis, devastated to find out this copy did not recognize him, was extremely impactful as I read this story. Issac’s disdain for these failed versions of his son was believable and heartbreaking.
As time continues, Cardia’s five boyfriends find where she is and attempt to rescue her, but she refuses. She finds herself unable to abandon the pitiful Finis, despite the violent airs he puts on. We learn that there are hundreds of Finises, all connected sharing their experiences and memories, othering waking up when needed. This only cements Finis’s belief that he is only a doll, a viewpoint he tries to convince Cardia of as well. Cardia’s emotional strength and vulnerability eventually begins to break through as they’re attacked by a new Apostle of Idea, Hansel, who wants to prevent any other sad children from being in this world. Finish wonders who will love him if he doesn’t follow his father, to which Cardia emphatically states that she will, as his sister.
This version of Finis also plummets to the ground from the giant floating laboratory, in a scene reminiscent of the original game. I truly believed that this version would die, but was pleasantly surprised that he was picked up and nursed back to health by our boys. Hostile at first, this Finis is cut off from the others and enjoys the experience of being treated as a person that allowed Cardia to grow and realize even as a homunculus, she is a person deserving of love. A daring rescue and an end to Issac Beckford is brought on by the copies of his children he was planning to use to plunge the world into endless war. This brought everything full circle for me, creating an emotionally fulfilling ending for not only Finis but also Cardia. With all other copies of Finis gone, a final Finis and Cardia go back home to Wales to repair the old house and live as family for the first time in their lives.
Listen, I’m obsessed with romance. There’s a reason why I love and play so many Otome games. I didn’t go into this route expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. While the final CG seemed a little close for siblings, and Finis still has an absolutely fuck-ass haircut, I found myself loving him and his character in ways I never expected.
Herlock Sholmés Route
Finally, some kiss-kiss! I was pumped to start this story, desperately needing some romance that I was denied so far during my time in this game. Herlock Sholmés was a fan favorite, handsome, and mysterious in the original game. Always on Lupin’s tail attempting to stop the gentleman thief. To be honest, I didn’t think about him too much before. He was there, he had purple hair, and he hated Lupin. Much like Finis’s route, no one comes after Cardia when she leaves at the end of the common route. She wanders into moral danger and eventually to the home of… John Watson. Herlock Sholmés is actually a world-renowned detective… Sherlock Holmes. Yes, this is technically a spoiler.
Now this is my wheelhouse, middle and high school saw me read every Sherlock Holmes novel and short story. I am well familiar with his character and story. In this iteration, we pick up right after Holmes’s apparent death at Reichenbach Falls. Cardia, almost killed by Jack the Ripper, is saved by Watson and ends up in his care. This route deals quite heavily with Van Helsing’s original route with the true identity of Aleister and hidden strength. I did like that a lot, because I felt like the reveal of Aleister as Moriarty came out of absolutely nowhere in Van Helsings’ route. Watson was a very enjoyable new character, and seeing more sides to Sholmés was a lot of fun as well.
Spoilers for Herlock Sholmés Route
Safe from Jack the Ripper, Cardia learns about Watson’s wife and sees a picture of his wedding. She notices a man she recognizes in the picture, the titular Sholmés. Watson rebuffs this idea, insisting that his dear friend has sadly died. Cardia, much to my amusement, quickly guides Watson to “Sholmés’s” detective agency, conveniently located at 221b Baker Street, where they used to live together. I had to wonder just how Watson never came into contact with Sholmés before this. He was still acting as a detective, barely concealing his identity in the laziest possible way. Watson gives him a much deserved punch in the face.
Now being cared for by the duo, Cardia is met with acceptance and understanding when she reveals her poison. Sholmés is a bit silly at times, an endearing trait that other versions of Holmes are often lacking. Cardia volunteers to be bait in the capture of Jack the Ripper. Sholmés shows a more violent side at this point. Cardia confesses and explains her past to him, where she expresses her desire to be forgiven for accidentally killing in the past. Sholmés also confides that he’s killed before, taking away Watson’s precious person. He tells her that no one else can forgive her except those aggrieved, but when she’s ready to face them, he will stand beside her.
Enter Moriarity, or Aleister. They portrayed his obsession with Holmes very well here, giving us a view into how he sees Holmes as the only one to meet him mentally, the only one on the same playing field as himself. As Sholmés attempts to sneak out to confront him, having deduced he is behind Jack’s rampage, Watson and Cardia follow, putting themselves in the direct line of fire. We learn that Sholmés is the cause of Watson’s wife’s death, taking the toll of dead wives in this fandisc up to two. Sholmés ends up (purposefully) kidnapped by Moriarity in an attempt to confront him once and for all, and Watson and Cardia resolve to go drag his ass back home and smack some sense into him.
Does this feel like a lot? It is a lot, and felt like a lot when I read through this route. Sholmés I assume had a crush/interest in Cardia for a while because I didn’t get much of a sense of him falling for her, or Cardia for him. For being so excited for kiss-kiss, there was a decided lack of kiss-kiss. On the way to rescue Sholmés, Van Helsing’s Hidden Strength is triggered, turning him into a killing machine. Watson stays behind to stop him. We have a grand confrontation. Moriarty triggers the horologium to attempt to drag Sholmés into the darkness with him, kills himself, leaving Sholmés frantic attempting to stop it from destroying Cardia and London. They succeed in finding the antidote, reconcile with Watson and imply that Sholmés killed his wife as she was also a victim of Hidden Strength. Cardia and Sholmés head back to Wales to confront Cardia’s past.
WHEW
I like this route more in hindsight as I revisit it. I like how Cardia’s past is dealt with and the marriage of the new content with the old story felt very natural. But as excited as I was for some romance finally, I felt like it was a bit lacking. It was all a bit too much shoved into a route that was too short to do everything justice. One fun fact is that this version of Sherlock Holmes comes from the Arsène Lupin stories by Maurice Leblanc. Arthur Conan Doyle didn’t want to lend Holmes’s likeness to the story, leading to the name Herlock Sholmès .
White Rose
The stories I’ve been waiting for. The follow ups. The epilogues. The fan service I so rightfully deserve! These delivered on my expectations even while being quite short to read through. I’ll be going through each story in the order I played them.
Saint-Germain
Ah, the love of my Code:Realize life. Saint-Germain was easily my favorite route in the original game, even though my first impression of him was horror at his haircut. His ruthlessness paired with the softness of being unable to fulfill his mission to kill Cardia stole my heart. What can I say, the conflict he went through and the vulnerability he showed made for the most compelling romance. I was even swooning that his original assassination attempt was meant to be as gentle and as painless as possible for Cardia because he couldn’t bear to kill her directly!
But that’s for another time. We are following the happy ending, with Cardia and Saint-Germain on a world tour to find a cure to her poison.
Spoilers for Saint-Germain’s Epilogue
We meet up with the pair on a ship with Saint-Germain stealing kisses much to Cardia’s horror and my elation. Though he’s now mortal, he risks the poison to give peaks to his beloved girl! We learn a bit more of Saint-Germain’s past, a slave tasked with building what I believe was the Tower of Babel. Faced with death, he becomes an Apostle of Idea. They follow the trail of a famous alchemist and fellow Apostle, Trismegistus, who came close to creating the philosopher’s stone. Sadly, this lab has been ransacked and doesn’t offer much help besides mention of an Emerald Tablet that held Trismegistus’s research into the horologium and philosopher’s stone. The pair then run into Lupin.
Here’s where Saint-Germain’s tumultuous personality comes back into frame, much to my delight. He begins to wonder if he wants Cardia to be cured. While he is now mortal, he still possesses incredible healing abilities. He’s the only one who can touch Cardia and be with her. Without this, would she still choose him?
Of course, but he needs to yell about how he’d never give Cardia to anyone else while Lupin provokes him in a deliciously dramatic scene. In a convenient turn of events, Lupin has the Emerald Tablet. Emerald itself is able to cure the poison! Slowly, the poison is safely removed from her body. This route ends with Saint-Germain proposing with an emerald ring.
Maybe I’m biased, but I also adored this route. There were a lot of layers to pull back in regards to Saint-Germain’s past and his insecurity. His love for Cardia and her love for him in return shone brightly throughout this story with the sprinkles of the angst and serious tone that made me love him in the first place. The CG of his proposal bops around in my head all the time, reminding me of my love for him and how bad I need to write some fan fiction. I even love his haircut now.
Victor Frankenstein
Sweet and loveable Victor was luckily able to cure Cardia’s poison at the end of the original game. Lucky bastard! Victor is such a good lover for Cardia, providing her with gentle support and adoration even if she was previously convinced he was her dad. That was weird.
We enter this route with a look into their blissful life together, smooching before work, eating meals together, and generally living peacefully.
Spoilers for Victor Frankenstein’s Epilogue
Enter the Apostles of Idea! I was, predictably, very excited to see them. Saint-Germain pleaded their case to Omnibus, but it wasn’t enough. Omnibus, the leader of Idea, is not convinced that Cardia’s poison will never return. She plants the idea in Victor and Cardia’s heads that as a homunculus, she might not have a normal life span. Some time in the future, Victor may die and her poison may return. In return for not killing Cardia, she offers Victor a place as an Apostle, and immortality to be with Cardia. But this comes at a price, he would be required to ruthlessly kill her order. The stakes felt high in this route, and I was glued to the screen in one sitting.
They are given three days to decide what to do. Cardia would never want Victor to be responsible for ending even more lives after his discovery of the chemical weapon Zicterium. but Victor would do anything to stay with and protect Cardia. Saint-Germain confronts him, knowing how awful being an Apostle can be. In the end, he denies the offer, steadfast in his confidence that he would be able to nullify the poison if it ever returned and how they will find a way to live happily together regardless. Omnibus backs off, thank god, as much as I love the concept and story aspects of the Apostles of Idea, they are definitely antagonistic!
This story brought drama and I loved it. The tension was high but often cut with absolutely adorable moments between Victor and Cardia. Cardia wasn’t afraid to tease him either! Maybe he’s just too cute but I loved watching him squirm and blush. Their bond ended stronger than ever, with a ton of smoochy and romantic CGs for me to enjoy.
Abraham Van Helsing
I wanted to like him more than I did in Guardian of Rebirth. He was angsty, broody, and handsome. But that violent brooding and pushing Cardia away really just annoyed me. While by the end I was on the Van Helsing train, I was really looking forward to some fluff and fanservice for the pair. I got my wish! …mostly. We left off with Van Helsing free from his past, but Cardia not yet free from her poison. But happily, this is where we begin.
Spoilers for Abraham Van Helsing’s Epilogue
The beginning of this story was breathtaking. Van Helsing is rushing home, more agitated than we’ve ever seen him. Is Cardia in trouble? What’s happening? We enter the mansion to find Victor sitting next to Cardia. The next thing we know, Van Helsing is kissing her, desperately. Victor has cured her poison, and Van Helsing didn’t spend one more moment without touching his lover. I can’t get over how much I love the motion and desperation in this scene and CG. I love everything about it.
Sadly, the rest of the route just kind of annoyed me. Both Van Helsing and Cardia annoyed me. Van Helsing was overbearing, trying to give Cardia everything under the sun. Dresses, furniture, food, affection, everything she was denied in her past. But Cardia feels overwhelmed, thinking her beau has changed too much too quickly. Instead of talking to each other they avoid each other. I hated it. The solution is them apologizing to each other and having an honest conversation. I’m just glad it wasn’t a longer story that dragged it out more.
We did get some great CGs, including a nice boobie kiss, but the conflict in this route just annoyed me. I understand neither of them really know how to navigate a relationship or how to talk like normal people, but it didn’t click well for me. While I wouldn’t go so far as disliking it, as I got a lot of kiss-kiss, it’s my least favorite of the epilogues.
Impey Barbicane
Impey has always made me smile. His vocal adoration of Cardia from the start was endearing to me from the beginning. His route was my first in Guardians of Rebirth, as well. While I think his route in that game was a bit weak with a bad villain, his can-do attitude and optimism always made me smile. Her poison was momentarily gone in his route, but it unfortunately returned by the end. How will the lovers navigate this issue? Well, they’re a little focused on engineering and experimenting for their trip to the moon!
Spoilers for Impey Barbicane’s Epilogue
Impey is so funny. His interactions with the other love interests are so funny. I couldn’t stop smiling throughout this route, how Van Helsing left a gun for Cardia to use on Impey should he ever do anything improper. The two have shared one kiss before, and can’t get it out of their minds. Dare I say… they’re a little… aroused by the idea of kissing again. But this is a T-Rated game, let’s get back on track. They’re experimenting together, but sadly out of money, when they’re summoned by the Queen. She has a proposition for the pair! Help create a submarine that can reach the bottom of the ocean to show at the World’ Fair, and they’ll be paid handsomely. It’s a sweet deal, so they accept.
Victor is also on the project, with Cardia running support. Impey becomes quite fixated on how to create the bathysphere, which gives us a nice scene of Cardia accidentally finding him ruminating in the shower. She’s worried, but believes in him. The bathysphere is a success, with Cardia and Impey taking it to the ocean’s surface. In addition, Victor and Impey had been secretly creating a poison antidote! They’re finally able to kiss again. Cardia wraps her legs around Impey, thinking about how she can’t get close enough to him. Hey kids, it’s a T-rated game! This route ends with a wedding scene in the sky, a whimsical conclusion.
Even without much drama or conflict, this route was nice. Impey is so nice. I like him a lot just for the levity he brings and his sincerity. He’s always willing to express his feelings for Cardia, and brings her out of her shell. Though the more dramatic routes take my titles as favorites, Impey’s lighthearted nature is a welcome change of pace.
Arsène Lupin
It’s finally time to round out this list of men with the gentleman thief and poster boy. I’ve hashed out some of my feelings on Lupin’s original route above when I discussed Finis, but to recap I always felt like his romantic development was pushed to the side in favor of tying off every thread of plot. Of no fault of his own, it made me not like Lupin’s route as much. I also found that one of his sprites makes it seem like he doesn’t have any teeth. I’m sorry, Lupin. But with Issac’s plan stopped, Cardia without poison, and the couple now married, it’s time to see how married life is for the two of them.
Spoilers for Arsène Lupin’s Epilogue
I was surprised that they got married at the end of the first game. Wedding scenes are usually reserved for fandiscs such as this. I was curious how exactly this would play out with them already married. I was honestly baffled that they didn’t yet share a bedroom, but Lupin’s explanation of the thrill of often stealing into Cardia’s room at night to make her heart pound felt very in character. Plus the CG of them in bed together was excellent. But now it’s Lupin’s turn for his heart to pound! Cardia wants to make him fall even harder for her, and enlists some help to do so. After discussing her woes with others, they attempt to create heart pounding scenarios, including a fake raid by the now defunct Twilight.
The most successful plan involves Cardia going out on a date with Impey and Saint-Germain, causing Lupin to tail behind them, pouting the whole time. It was adorable. This route really had a good balance of romantic moments between Cardia and Lupin, while also showing sweet moments of friendship between the others. Lupin couldn’t possibly love his beloved wife any more than he already does, obviously! Lupin takes Cardia to the royal archives to read Issac’s journal that was seized by the crown. This gives us a look into Issac before, a loving family man driven to madness by the loss of his family. While Cardia is only a copy of his daughter, she was created with her real genetic material. It’s interesting to hear her talk about the real Cardia vs herself. Afterwards, they affirm their love for each other on top of the walls of Steel London, a sight her father wished for Cardia to one day enjoy.
By the end of this story, I was finally able to really enjoy Lupin. I felt his love for Cardia and his personality brightly throughout this route. While there wasn’t much conflict in this route either, the gentle daily life was very pleasant to experience. I absolutely adored every time Lupin referred to Cardia as his wife, as well. Alongside the kissing and almost spicy bed CG, The CG of the original Beckford family was very melancholic but I think it humanized Issac a lot more. I often feel burnt out by the time I get to the unlockable/true/reveal route, but this story let me fall in love with Lupin.
Delly’s Room
As you complete each story, you unlock a short story about Cardia and Delly’s interactions in the mansion. I believe these also take place in the common route, if the timeline is something you’re concerned about. These were very short and unlocked the last few CGs for me. Each one was adorable, showing an even softer side of Delly and how he cares for Cardia in his own way. Even if she almost dies from eating a cookie he made, we get an excellent glimpse into his future as the Vampire King.
Final Thoughts
This is only the second fandisc I’ve ever played after CollarxMalice: Unlimited (I don’t consider Piofiore: Episodio 1926 a fandisc, It’s a sequel!) and while I think CollarxMalice has a better fandisc, I did truly enjoy playing this one as well. As a 28 year old lady, I’d like a little more suggestive scenes between the characters, but I was very pleased with the levels of romance and fanservice. The steampunk outfits are always kind of silly to me but the setting is very believable overall, just as it was in the first game. It wasn’t as dramatic and high stakes, but I wouldn’t want a fandisc to be. The side stories and alternate routes may have left something to be desired for me personally, but the White Rose epilogues made everything worth it. Code:Realize ~Future Blessings~ is a must play for anyone who enjoyed Guardian of Rebirth to get a real sense of closure for many of the original routes! Though it’s not next on the docket, I’m looking forward to playing Wintertide Miracles in the future.
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