| abstract | - Ashley Winchester (Japanese: アシュレー・ウィンチェスター) is, effectively, the main character of the Wild Arms 2 game. At the beginning of the game, he is an orphan who lost his parents in a previous war and is taken in by Marina Irington in the town of Meria. He begins his adventuring career as a soldier under the service of Meria's king. Ashley's first mission is to rescue Tony Stark from the Withered Ruins from a pair of would-be kidnappers. He successfully frees the child, but the ancient monster Kalivos is freed in the process. Disobeying orders, Ashley destroys Kalivos in order to save Tim, his kidnappers, and the other soldiers in the dungeon. Though disciplined, Ashley is actually promoted to a special Musketeer unit called 'ARMS'. At the initiation ceremony, however, a demon gate is opened, transforming all in attendance (including Ashley) into monsters. Ashley survives by making contact with Argetlahm, the blade of the Sword Magess, and the power of the demon possessing him is barely kept in check. From then on, Ashley can call on the demon's power, in the form of Knight Blazer, but doing so risks Ashley's very soul. Ashley's story centers heavily on the conflicting nature of being a 'hero' as well as his emerging relationship with Marina. Though conflicted, his resolve and maturity makes him the leader of the reformed ARMS adventuring group and his struggle with the demon within him, Lord Blazer provides the main plot of the game.
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