Ex Machina: Minerva

Ex Machina: Minerva (自動人形ミネルヴァ) is an Artificial Causality Phenomenon Weapon created by Kokonoe with the explicit purpose of protecting Celica A. Mercury. She is based off of the Nox Nyctores - Deus Machina: Nirvana and the Detonator - Fluctus Redactum: Ignis. She is the '''Embryo Storage Number. 03'''.

She debuted in BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma.

Personality
Like the other automatons, Minerva does not possess a voice module, and only Celica and Noel Vermillion can actually understand her. She apparently possesses a dry sense of humour and has a steadfast dedication to her mistress and keeping her safe. Minerva can be brash at times, attacking anyone she deems a threat to Celica, even if they have good intentions.

Ultimately, she understands what is necessary and is willing to sacrifice herself to save others, even if they are not her mistress.

Biography
Minerva was in development around the time of 2199, several years after Kokonoe obtained the blueprints for Ignis during the Phenomenon Weapon Dispossession Operation. In the February of 2200, she was created and put into an artificial reality with Celica A. Mercury - the two became quick friends inside this space and began training against copies of Lambda-11, Carl Clover, and Nirvana. They eventually stumbled across Relius Clover and Ignis, who they believed to be data copies but were an Observed reality. Kokonoe soon implemented herself in the program and battled against the duo to continue adjustments before deleting the world. In the real world, Kokonoe continued the adjustments on Minerva and asked her to protect Celica at all costs.

Chrono Phantasma
Kokonoe finally deployed Minerva in the real world to protect Celica when she was near the Kushinada's Lynchpin. Upon arriving, she blocked an attack from Nu-13 that had been aimed at Noel Vermillion; Minerva evacuated her wielder to the surface, the 5th Hierarchical City of Ibukido. There, Minerva helped take Celica inside of the Gigant: Take-Mikazuchi by following Ragna the Bloodedge. Upon watching Ragna defeat Nu inside the Nox, Minerva took Celica outside of it and to the surface. She watched as Izanami sent Ragna berserk and as Mu-12 and Jin Kisaragi fought against him.

Central Fiction
Minerva accompanied Celica before they were both taken inside the Embryo. Her memories were not affected by the intervention and nor were Celica’s. Through her wielder’s terrible sense of direction, they ended up in Bascule, in the 13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi and met Naoto Kurogane whom they ended up travelling with. Thanks to Celica, however, they eventually lost their newfound travelling companion in the 6th Hierarchical City of Yabiko. Minerva also gave her mistress some reassurance when she believed she had deeply upset Carl Clover.

Eventually, both Celica and Minerva found Ragna. Because of her mistresses’ terrible direction, Minerva was forced to lead the way for her so she would not end up lost. Under Kokonoe’s orders, she stopped Celica from leaving the building to find Ragna herself. Minerva accompanied Celica to Nine the Phantom's workshop, and witnessed Nine’s explanation of the world, the Prime Field War and why she created the Corpus Sepulcro: Requiem. Like everyone else, Minerva was teleported out of the area and to Celica A. Mercury’s Church, where she carried her mistress inside to a bed. She was made aware of Kokonoe’s plan to use herself to blow up the Requiem, and through Celica, said for them to leave it to her. She would later watch her mistress and only owner die.

Minerva was later with Noel and Ragna in the frozen space-time, sent there by Kokonoe. They were separated from Kagura Mutsuki, Jin, Tsubaki Yayoi, Hakumen and Rachel Alucard. She helped navigate the Embryo with Ragna and Noel, eventually sacrificing herself to destroy the Requiem – she promised them both that she would send Celica their regards in the next life.

Minerva
''The white automation with an IDEA Engine equipped. Its physical appearance resembles Nirvana -- and it was created by Kokonoe to protect Celica. It was built using data left behind by Nine and Relius.''

Relius mentions how 'well it's built' during one of their encounters.

Appearances in other Media

 * Minerva stars as a playable card in the mobile game Mabinogi Duel.

Trivia

 * In gameplay, Minerva is the one who takes damage instead of Celica and does the majority of the fighting. This is similar to Nago and Gii when Rachel is being used.
 * In BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma, Minerva's story sprite was quite literally a color swap of Nirvana's, but this was changed in BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma Extend where she received an entirely new model.