Towa

Towa is the commonly accepted fandom name of the nameable protagonist of the original mobile game. Their name means "eternity", and was chosen partially due to its nature as a unisex name, as their gender was intentionally ambiguous to allow them to reflect the player. In a sense, the player themselves are the protagonist. Towa, as the player character, is responsible for issuing commands in battle (in addition to managing the Friends/items in your possession) and thereby advancing the game's plot from a gameplay perspective. Although they are thereby essential to the story, they are a silent protagonist and are never depicted directly speaking like normal characters, although they're demonstrably capable of doing so, with other characters openly and intimately interacting with them.

Appearance
Towa's appearance, including their age and gender, is largely unknown. It is however established that they wear a special amulet, which serves as an essential key item that is integral to the plot of the original Kemono Friends game.

Personality
Although the finer aspects of their character are difficult to define in the absence of proper spoken lines, other characters describe Towa as being a kind and warm person whose presence elicits a sense of comfort. A multitude of Friends remark that, for whatever reason, animals take a liking to them easily. Towa is also demonstrably brave and loyal, accompanying their party even through dangerous circumstances.

Towa is confirmed to love animals, possessing deep compassion and empathy for them, which is an element that repeatedly surfaces in the story (and naturally extends to Friends, which are themselves animals-turned-girl). In a key flashback sequence, they are even shown caring for an injured fox purely out of the kindness of their own heart, despite this being discouraged by other (nameless) humans around them and needing to do so in secret.

Role in the Plot
''For an entire summary of the game's story, in which Towa is featured in almost every scene, please read the relevant section on the game's main article. The following section focuses specifically on Towa's role in each chapter.''

Tutorial
The story opens with Towa experiencing a cryptic dream, wherein a mysterious voice tells them that they'll forget about them and the days they spent together. The voice goes on to tell the protagonist that they won't ever forget "their voice, their warmth, their smile" and their "kind and pure heart" even despite that, thanking them deeply. They conclude their message by assuring Towa that they'll be able to meet again someday before bidding them farewell, ending the dream sequence.

Towa comes back to their senses in the company of Mirai, who informs them that they've arrived in Japari Park by invitation, which is later revealed to have been at the behest of Japari Park's own Park Founder. Further details about Towa's background are not disclosed, including their age and gender, but they are a human who appears to be suffering from some degree of memory loss, not even understanding what Japari Park is to begin with. Seeing their confusion, Mirai takes this opportunity to explain the world of Kemono Friends to the amnesiac protagonist, but is interrupted promptly by Serval, who is fleeing from Celliens. In their panic, an amulet Towa is wearing begins to glow, powering up Serval -- a property that affects other Friends as well. With this power, Towa and Serval (with the help of a nearby Brown Bear as well) are able to defeat the attacking Celliens. Afterwards, Mirai is able to properly introduce Japari Park -- and the Friends who inhabit it -- to the protagonist, and thereby the player, who would usually be experiencing these things for the first time during this scene. She invites Towa to travel around the park with her and Serval, mentioning that the Park Founder believes for whatever reason that they possess a special ability to build friendships with the animals living there. Towa evidently accepts this proposal, and thus begins their adventure.

Chapter 1
As the adventure continues into the Grasslands Area of the Kyoshu Region, it becomes apparent -- unbeknownst to the protagonist and their companions -- that Silver Fox is following them for as-of-yet unrevealed reasons, although she expresses particular interest in their special amulet. Meanwhile, Mirai attempts to jog their memories of arriving at Japari Park by recalling the first time they met. She tells them that she originally went to visit Towa herself in the Japari Bus, asking them the series' tagline phrase of "Do you like animals?", a sudden question which apparently elicited them to get on the Japari Bus without a second thought. The Park Guide wonders if "somehow, they knew this day would come". The group continues on through Kyoshu's grasslands, with Mirai explaining the finer points of Japari Park and its Friends to Towa as evenly and professionally as she can, notwithstanding her own overflowing love for animals.

Along the way, Serval expresses particular interest in the amulet, asking about its origins. She quotes Towa's reply (presumably in their own words), saying, "I feel like I'm about to remember someone important, but it makes me a bit sad". Although she doesn't know what such a specific feeling could mean, she takes note of the amulet's scent, claiming that it's familiar to her for whatever reason and theorizing that maybe, someone she met before in Japari Park gave it to Towa and that someday they might be able to meet them.

As she chapter goes on and Serval and Caracal have their Cerval-caused misunderstanding (which is the central conflict of the chapter), Towa and Mirai accompany her as she clears it up, fighting Celliens along the way. This routine of solving conflicts whilst battling Celliens (which are often responsible for the conflict itself) becomes standard fare for the overwhelming majority of the chapters that follow, and due to Towa's largely passive role in these chapters, the details of the conflicts themselves will not be explained in depth.

As the party pursues Cerval in order to prove Serval's innocence in the aforementioned misunderstanding, Caracal comments during the chapter that somehow Towa's presence makes her feel strangely secure and comfortable, although she can't pinpoint exactly why. Later on, the fleeing Cerval is temporarily caught in a trap by Silver Fox, who claims she's done so "because it's her duty to save Towa", signaling to the player that she is at least stalking them with their best interests in mind. When Cerval is finally confronted and Serval's innocence is cleared (thereby restoring the usual state of her friendship), Caracal volunteers to join the party in thanks for Towa's help in solving their trouble, to the delight of Mirai, who is evidently pleased by how the adventure has gone so far. With their new friend in tow, the party pursues Cerval (worrying that she'll frame Serval of more wrongdoing) into a new region of Japari Park for the first of many times to come.

Chapter 2
Following Cerval into the forests of the An'in Region, Towa guides the party in battle to protect them from the Celliens they encounter along the way. Towa is the first to notice Toki's song when she's first discovered, although notably they are the only one to actually identify it as a song (with the other party members describing it as more akin to a monstrous demon noise). Upon meeting her and hearing of her problem -- namely, that her songs somehow attract the company of Celliens without fail -- the party resolves to help her cure her ailment so that she can sing freely.

As part of that process, they meet the "forest sages" Professor Konoha and Assistant Mimi, who agree to guide the party to a special tree (the Copaiba, the sap of which can apparently fix Toki's problem) on the condition that they may observe Towa's amulet, an item which they've taken great interest in, to the point of getting uncomfortably close to the protagonist in their "observations" (to Serval's protest). Meanwhile, Silver Fox comments on the weird situations Towa tends to find themselves in, wondering if it's their personality or some aspect of their physical condition which makes them so susceptible to them. As the chapter wears on and it becomes clear that Towa's motivation is decidedly to help Toki (much like the previous chapter with Serval), Silver Fox concludes that the protagonist simply cannot leave troubled animals alone.

Still observing the charm (and causing Caracal to wonder if the professor wants to steal it), Konoha points out that, from what she can tell, only Towa is able to make use of its power, a fact that had previously been a mystery to the reader. (She also claims that, in the event that she were to steal the charm, she'd steal the rest of Towa as well, which is again met with Serval's protest.) Although of interest, this concept is not elaborated on at this point.

Later, the protagonist party encounters Silver Fox directly whilst fleeing a group of angry Celliens during an unsuccessful attempt on her part to act as a decoy to facilitate their escape. Panicked that she's been sighted, she accidentally calls out Towa's name (thus revealing that she knows of them) before shouting "F-Forget it!" and running away. She chastises herself in private for this blunder, committing herself to playing decoy properly so that they can escape the rampaging Celliens.

At the conclusion of the chapter, Towa and their party are unable to avoid a direct confrontation with a very powerful Cellien, which they are ultimately able to defeat. Serval sustains an injury during this battle, to the chagrin of Toki, who feels responsible. In her sadness, she chooses to put her feelings into song form, and it's at this moment that Towa's amulet begins to shine again, imbuing her song with a healing magic that it did not possess previously and thereby healing Serval's wound. The party celebrates this revelation, with Mirai positing that this is perhaps thanks to the feelings between Toki and Towa in conjunct with the amulet's mysterious powers. Although it is a phenomenon that even the professor and her assistant, in all their wisdom, cannot understand, Toki is delighted by this concept and asks Towa if she can accompany them on their journey. They readily accept her, and the party presses on to the Sankai Region shortly thereafter.

Chapter 3
Towa and their party venture into the deserts of Sankai for this chapter, which is suffering from a worrying scarcity of water for unknown reasons. Along the way and trekking through the hot sands (so hot that at one point Serval asks to hide in Towa's shadow), the protagonists work together to help Rabi-Rabi find her friend Lulu, who has gone missing. As Mirai explains the connection between Toki's song and Towa's powers to Rabi-Rabi, she comments that somehow she feels that they're both an interesting and kindhearted person, a sentiment which Serval readily echoes. The nature of the relationship between Serval and Towa is brought up again later in the chapter, with Caracal and Mirai noting that ever since Serval met Towa, she's been bolder and braver than ever.

Despite directing the party in their various battles across the desert, Towa is featured less prominently for much of this chapter's dialogue, as the protagonists reunite Rabi-Rabi and Lulu and then confront (and defeat) the boss Cellien which is revealed to have been responsible for Sankai's drought. Towa is nevertheless credited for their efforts in solving the crisis by Rabi-Rabi in her diary. She also reflects on the nature of the "fake Serval" (in actuality, Cerval) that Lulu claimed to have encountered during the chapter, believing that somehow Towa will reveal the mystery of her nature. Additionally, Silver Fox had been following the party for much of the chapter, but laments by the time it's over that she wasn't actually able to do anything to protect Towa, resolving to try harder "next time". Pressing on, the heroes' party advances to the waterfront of Nakabe, hot on Cerval's trail.

Chapter 4
Towa, as always leading the way in battle, accompanies their friends on the journey through Nakabe, which takes a turn for the bizarre when Serval mysteriously loses her ability to speak in human words to the Cellien-borne "Gaogao Disease", and is again wrongfully accused of Cerval's apparent misdeeds (specifically, causing the disease that she herself contracted) by White Rhinoceros and her faithful servant, Black Rhinoceros. After resolving their misunderstanding, the party (now accompanied by the rhinoceroses) sets out to cure Serval's sudden illness and get to the bottom of its cause.

As they advance through the waterfront, searching for Cerval (whom they believe to have a connection with the disease's origin), the rhinoceroses point out that Serval is not being affected quite as drastically as in other cases they've seen previously. Moreover, they observe at this time that she's still been able to speak during battle against Celliens, leading Mirai to theorize that this is perhaps caused by Towa's amulet. As they get to the bottom of the mystery, wherein Toki is also afflicted with the disease (enabling her to sing wonderfully despite the loss of human words) and Cerval is temporarily captured, Silver Fox watches diligently from the shadows, ready to protect Towa. With that in mind, she prepares a homemade cure for the Gaogao Disease to help Serval and Toki, appearing before the party in a (totally ineffective) disguise to maintain her shadowy presence as Towa's protector. Silver Fox is able to pass the cure to the protagonists, but unfortunately is attacked by the boss Cellien of the region and knocked unconscious in the process, after which point she is identified properly by Mirai. Once Serval is cured thanks to her remedy, she observes that she smells a bit like the amulet's scent, as well.

Towa and their party then proceed into the snowy Hokkai Region, both to return the incapacitated Silver Fox to her home area and to follow Cerval's tracks as usual.

Chapter 5
Venturing into a much harsher and more unforgiving climate in Hokkai, Towa and the group bravely press on, as Serval continues to wonder about Silver Fox's mysterious scent, reminiscent of the protagonist's special amulet. Taking the scent and her nature as Towa's mysterious protector into account, the party concludes that she must have something to do with them, but when she comes to her senses it appears she's lost all memory of who she is. Shortly thereafter they learn that the Hokkai Region contains special hot springs with "various effects", and with that in mind the party embarks on a brief detour from their usual Cerval-chasing routine to find a hot spring capable of restoring Silver Fox's memory. In doing so, Mirai tells Towa, they might just know more about why they were invited to Japari Park in the first place. (As a side note, in the midst of their hot spring search, Toki drags Towa away temporarily in search of a hot spring to improve the quality of one's singing voice, but this is apparently a fruitless gambit.)

Their search takes them from hot spring to hot spring, wherein Mirai takes the time out to give Towa an informative lecture on the nature of Celliens and the party once again encounters a docile and approachable Cerval, allowing her to tag along with their quest to restore Silver Fox's memory, a decision which Towa approves of. Together with Cerval, they enjoy a surprisingly relaxed quest through the Hokkai region's hot springs, even stopping for a snowball fight, in which the now-friendly Cellien targets Towa with her snowballs.

At one point the party happens upon a fountain, which Towa (along with Silver Fox and Serval) mistakes for a hot spring, to their cold embarrassment. This apparent miscalculation results in the protagonist losing consciousness temporarily, and during their brief blackout Towa experiences the same cryptic dream from the beginning of the story. When they come back to their senses (to the utter relief of a very worried Serval, who encouraged Towa to jump in), Lulu remarks that their amulet was glowing while they were passed out. Towa tells the others that they "had a strange dream", and Caracal wonders if it has some relation to the amulet.

It is thanks to this same fountain that Silver Fox's memories return to her as well (perhaps also a result of the amulet, or so Toki posits in her mind). With her memories restored and her cover already hopelessly blown, Silver Fox takes the time to explain her own background, revealing that she's been tasked with Towa's protection at the command of Oinari-sama, suggesting that the protagonist is a very important person indeed. When the party asks for Oinari-sama's whereabouts, Silver Fox answers that she's presently in Park Central, which Towa has never been to before. Serval begins to tell them all about it before questioning why, exactly, they've never been there before (considering it is the entrance to the entirety of Japari Park), although Mirai explains that this is because it's currently under blockade thanks to the Cellien invasion. As the conversation goes on and Silver Fox finishes explaining her background, Caracal asks why Towa in particular needs protection -- specifically, if it's Towa that's a special guest, or the amulet they possess. Silver Fox answers that she isn't sure, and that Oinari-sama did not elaborate on the duty she entrusted her with. All of this leads Serval to wonder if Oinari-sama could be the one who gave Towa their amulet in the first place, but before they can speak on the subject further, Cerval suddenly flees the scene and begins acting strangely, prompting the party to give chase.

Following a successful boss sequence in the snowy terrain, after which the party is able to temporarily bring Cerval back to her normal state (but unable to prevent her from escaping), Towa and company prepare to give chase as usual. This plan is supported by Silver Fox, who claims that Oinari-sama wants the protagonist "to know more about the park". As they're about to depart for the Hotoku Region, Passenger Pigeon suddenly approaches them with an invitation for Towa and their party to participate in a regional event called the "Sky Race".

Chapter 6
The group enters the bird-populated and mountainous Hotoku Region, and before long, they're caught up in the Sky Race they were invited to in the previous chapter. Due to the three-Friend nature of the racing format, the main group splits up, leaving White Rhinoceros and Serval with Towa and Mirai (although neither human is considered a participant). After unceremoniously inducting a protesting Silver Fox into the team due to her close proximity to the party (she maintains she was just watching from the shadows as ordered, as usual), Serval declares the team name "The Towas", contributing to a running gag of Serval being uncreative with naming things. As the race begins, Northern Goshawk expresses her surprise and interest that Towa has entered the competition after all, saying she's heard rumors about them. Toki comments that they've gotten rather famous, which the reader can assume to be a result of the adventures they've had up until this point. This is further corroborated by one of the race announcers, Superb Lyrebird, who mentions "rumors of them helping out in other areas" when introducing "The Towas" to the audience.

Throughout the race (which they are participating in using a modified Japari Bus), they encounter Celliens, which impede their progress as one might expect. Due to their delayed start, "The Towas" happen upon a downed Northern Goshawk, who has lost her ability to fly due to a Cellien stealing her Sparkle. Unwilling to simply leave her, they bring the hapless bird Friend along in hopes of helping her to reclaim her Sparkle and the all-important flight it afforded her. The Towas press onward into the race, battling Celliens and helping their fellow racers along the way. They also encounter a unique, flight-capable Cellien possessing wings (nicknamed by Silver Fox "Birdien"), which appears to have gained its wings by stealing Northern Goshawk's Sparkle. They later notice that Birdien is carrying Cerval on its back, making it clear that The Towas' real goal in the Sky Race is to defeat it. After Serval helps Northern Goshawk to regain the self-confidence that was stolen from her and Silver Fox enables her to reunite with her proper racing team, the various teams work together to defeat Birdien, although Cerval escapes to the next region in the process.

The award ceremony for the Sky Race is held after the battle with Birdien (although, understandably, Serval nearly forgets a race was going on to begin with at this point), and it's revealed that The Towas managed to cross the finish line shortly before defeating Birdien, earning them 2nd Place in the event. Suddenly, during the ceremony, Towa's amulet begins to shine again, causing them to experience a flashback from their own past wherein they took care of a small fox. From what little the flashback reveals, it appears that their efforts to do so were met with resistance by their family (or whomever they stayed with; it's not made clear), so they needed to do so in secret. Towa recalls this story to Mirai after having the flashback, who is responsible for bringing them back to their senses. The flashback evidently touches the heart of Serval, who starts to cry after hearing about it, claiming it's "nostalgic, somehow". Shortly after this scene, Towa and their party departs for the Gokoku Region in pursuit of Cerval.

Chapter 7
As the heroes' group proceeds into the temperate island that is the Gokoku Region, Serval ponders in her diary why, exactly, Towa's story affected her so deeply. She questions if maybe it reminded of her of something in the back of her mind, but digresses there, believing she'll "remember soon enough".

Their Gokoku explorations take them straight into an Arts Festival being held in the region, where Towa and the party meet a narwhal named Ikkaku. Ikkaku is concerned about Margay, an acquaintance of Caracal and Serval, whom she claims to be feeling down for some reason. Wondering what could be the matter, the heroes resolve to talk to her. On the way to find Margay, they happen upon Raccoon Dog, who is diligently practicing her calligraphy for the festival when the heroes arrive. She gets flustered and runs away when Serval asks to see what she's writing, but upon inspection of crumpled notes she left behind, it appears she was in the process of writing about how much she loves Towa, suggesting that their fame has grown to a level where they have their own secret admirers. (Towa has little to say on this subject.)

Shortly thereafter the party meets Margay and learns of her trouble, which is revealed to be that her movie script -- essential to her own entry to the Art Festival -- was stolen by a Cellien. What's more, Margay tells them, the culprit Cellien was apparently a strange, seemingly more powerful type of monster than the norm. The heroes commit themselves to helping her nevertheless. In their travels they happen upon the hair stylist Snow Sheep, who (after giving White Rhinoceros a fabulous new hairdo, albeit without invitation), gives them some information on the Cellien that Margay described. Before parting ways with the heroes, she asks for permission to style Towa's hair "next time" as well.

Amidst their travels in Gokoku, Fennec, a recurring side character of the main quest, briefly meets up with the protagonists' party, and seems particularly interested in chatting with Serval about her past memories (in reality, because it pertains to something she's investigating). It is at this point that the connection between Towa's story of taking care of a fox and Serval's earlier emotional reaction to it becomes clear. In the past, before she had become a Friend (and was thereby a regular serval cat), Serval's front leg had been fractured, but she was nursed back to health by a kind human. She remembers clearly having been in the hospital, but (to the surprise of both Fennec and Silver Fox, who evidently know more about this situation) cannot remember exactly what happened during her time in the animal hospital. As they try to encourage her to think harder about it, Towa's amulet suddenly glows, and Serval's memories of the situation -- and of Kemo Harmony -- are restored at last. Although the revelations of this scene do not concern Towa specifically, it is nonetheless thanks to their amulet's power that Serval was able to unlock that memory after it escaped her.

Following these revelations, the Art Festival-themed chapter continues, and Towa's party engages powerful, advanced "black Celliens" in battle all the while, even reclaiming Ikkaku's spear after it was temporarily stolen by them. The script is wrested away from Cellien clutches, too, but at a cost, as it has been ruined by the monsters which took it away. Margay, heartbroken by this revelation, falls into a terrible creative block, which Towa and friends immediately resolve to pull her out of. In order to do so, the party commits to acting as Margay's personal film crew for the remainder of the chapter, and Towa takes on the unglamorous (but perhaps aptest) role of stagehand. The filming takes them for an adventure featuring what they think to be a real life "ghost ship" (actually a vessel controlled by Cerval, who wants to play along with the script), and Margay's creative energy is steadily reignited by the unlikely production. Towa follows the actresses quietly in the background in their role as stagehand, witnessing a touching in-character (but also simultaneously sincere) friendship scene between Cerval and Serval at the film's climax. Due to the unseen-but-still-present power of the Cellien Queen, however, the happy ending is cut short by aggressive black Celliens, which Towa and company are forced to drive away. Cerval seemingly resists the Queen's attempts at influencing her actions during this sequence, but is unfortunately ensnared by Gokoku's boss Cellien in the process -- and then (after the boss's defeat) is spat out far, far away, in the direction of the Riukiu Region, where the party will need to pursue her to. After parting ways with the re-impassioned Director Margay, Towa's group travels to their next and penultimate destination with determination.

Chapter 8
The party's next destination is the tropical island region known of Riukiu, populated by Friends endemic to real-life Japan's own Ryukyu Islands. Towa, leading the way against Celliens as always, proceeds bravely with their friends into its tropical terrain, meeting the various Riukiu denizens -- including the powerful Shisa Friends -- who have already prepared a special island welcome for them, knowing in advance that they'd be coming. They also know the whereabouts of Cerval, who has fallen to one of Riukiu's islands, but tell the party that they are conducting an investigation to determine how to get around the black Celliens that showed up to guard her, imploring them to stay the night and relax in Riukiu until morning.

That night, Mirai and Towa stay up after the Friends have gone to sleep and have a one-on-one conversation, where Mirai tells the protagonist all about her friendship with Park Staff researcher Kako, whose influence on her she attributes to her decision to become a Park Guide in the first place. Kako, she explains, is a veritable "genius" but comes from a tragic background, suffering heavily on the inside due to losing her parents in her childhood. Mirai admits that she was looking forward to seeing her friend for the first time in a while once she got hired as a Park Guide, but the Cellien invasion prevented her from doing so. Shortly afterwards, and right on time, their conversation is interrupted by Celliens in the present moment, ending the scene abruptly before she can tell Towa more.

The next day, the Riukiu Friends have completed their investigation, enabling Towa's party to prepare their amphibious assault on the island that Cerval fell to. Plans go slightly awry along the way, with Fennec and her partner Arai-san accidentally crashing the invasion and forcing them to make a brief stop on the island just before Cerval's. There, they meet up with the Shisas once again, who were lying in wait to act as decoys to the benefit of the heroes during their operation. They're amused by Fennec and Arai-san's appearance, saying that Towa just seems to be a person whom animals can form good connections with, leading to this kind of thing. Rather abruptly, though, they then tell Towa that if they can't stop Cerval from being used to activate Cell Harmony (which the Cellien Queen intends to use to bring about total Cellien domination) before she leaves the island, then they should probably leave Japari Park. Serval immediately objects, but the Shisas explain that it's mostly out of concern for their safety -- Park Central, they maintain, will be perilous to a point where it could put Towa in grave danger just to be there. Conflicted, Serval holds her tongue, evidently unsure of how to respond.

The Shisas also reveal the unfortunate reality that the working plan for stopping Cerval from being used in Cell Harmony (i.e. depriving her of the "Specialness" that gave her the form she has) would result in her death, an ethical dilemma which is covered in much greater depth in the corresponding chapter section of her character article. Towa does not have much to say on the subject, as it's largely Serval who needs to process the stressful decision-making for this, however the party ends up deciding to support whatever choice she makes either way despite initial doubts that Cerval could possibly be saved from her fate. Silver Fox maintains that she trusts Serval particularly because of the bond she's formed with Towa, believing in the miracles that the protagonist had provided for them time and time again.

By the chapter's end, ultimately Towa and the party is unable to find Cerval, who has already started moving to Park Central, where the Cellien Queen awaits her. It dawns upon the heroes more than ever at this point that their final battle is approaching and, keeping in mind the Shisas' words of caution, Mirai tells Towa that there's no pressure or expectation for them to accompany everyone to the final region and the dangers that lie within its borders. Ever the hero, Towa remains steadfast by their party's side.

Chapter 9
Acknowledging and affirming their bravery in making the decision to head to Park Central, the party thanks Towa for their ongoing companionship on the road to the final battle, pressing onward through the blockaded center of Japari Park's culture and activities. The different Friends of the group manage to have a bit of fun for themselves, admiring all the services and amenities that the now-closed Park Central has to offer, whilst acknowledging in sobriety that the all its excitement and life has been sucked away by the Celliens. Early into their expedition, Mirai receives the sudden and troubling news that her friend Kako -- whom she'd told Towa about in the previous chapter -- has been in a coma since the invasion. She is distraught, and the Friends of the party struggle to find the words with which to comfort her, turning to Towa instead (who also apparently does not know what to say). Before they can talk more about it, they encounter Cellien after Cellien, before finding Cerval herself, who is making her way steadily to the Queen's side. Unfortunately for the party, she enters the castle gates before they can reach her, and a powerful barrier erected by the Queen prevents them from pursuing her inside. When it seems that all hope is lost of stopping her from activating Cell Harmony, Professor Konoha and her assistant appear to the party with information about the barrier, informing them that seven powerful Celliens scattered amongst Park Central are maintaining it. Upon defeating all seven, they explain, it will dissolve and they will be able to enter freely. With no time to lose, the party's members decide to split up in different directions to handle the job in one coordinated, seven-way attack, leaving just Serval, Mirai and Towa waiting at the gates of Kemono Castle. They bid their separate farewells to Towa before departing.

After the seven missions conclude, the barrier dissolves as planned, and Towa's greatly-reduced party is now able to enter the castle at last. Before entering the game's "final dungeon", Serval confides her worries in the protagonist, namely her uncertainty of what the right thing to do when encountering Cerval will be. Notwithstanding her anxieties, however, she, Mirai and Towa prepare to approach the vile Cellien Queen in hopes of saving both Japari Park and their Cellien friend.

Chapter 10
Shortly after entering the castle, Towa's party happens upon both Cerval and Oinari-sama, the latter of which greets them warmly "at last", albeit lamenting the circumstances under which they are meeting. Oinari-sama has been maintaining the barrier to keep the Cellien Queen at bay for the entirety of the game thus far, but it's revealed that the Queen has been storing power to overcome it, waiting for the right moment to strike. With Cerval awaiting her supposed destiny, the villain at last chooses to shatter the barrier to the goddess Friend's dismay, enabling Cerval's free passage. The party immediately gives chase, and as they leave, Oinari-sama tells Towa and Serval that no matter how it plays out, "if it's them", they can save her. They advance to the face the Queen with these words of confidence in mind.

After a failed gambit by Mirai to reason with the Queen, it becomes apparent to all involved that battle is the only answer. The Cellien Queen, sporting an impressive slew of minions, proves to be the heroes' toughest-ever foe, but what appears to be a hopeless fight swings gradually in favor of the Towa and friends, with the absent party members returning in the nick of time to help turn the tide of the confrontation and Cerval breaking free from the Cellien Queen's control, becoming a Friend with her very own Sparkle. The newly-reborn Cerval addresses Towa confidently and directly prior to becoming a playable Friend on the roster, joining forces with them for the final battle as it rages on. As the party gears up to take the fight directly to the Queen, Serval discreetly asks Towa on the side if she should "apologize for involving them" in something so dangerous, even if it's a bit late to be asking that. Despite her hesitation, she goes on to thank them one more time for being there, saying that their presence alone gives her -- and Cerval, too -- the confidence that she can prevail.

Following a two-phase fight to the finish, the Cellien Queen is defeated and its attempts at invoking Cell Harmony are blocked by the positive energy of the Friends of Japari Park, leading to a total victory for Towa and their party. As the curtain falls on the final battle, Oinari-sama appears to congratulate the heroes for their success, finally giving the protagonist some explanation as to why she had Silver Fox follow them. She tells Towa that she sensed that one in possession of the "Kemono Amulet" had appeared, and tasked Silver Fox with ensuring their safety. Oinari-sama requests that Towa show her the amulet so she can see "which beast led them to this place", but is evidently surprised to learn that there are no crests to indicate that a previous divine Friend had blessed it. Serval interjects, saying that she doesn't need to worry about things like that, with the assessment that she, Towa and the other heroes were "just protecting what they love", a simplistic explanation which Oinari-sama appears to accept. Then, as a token of her gratitude, she engraves her own crest on the amulet, imbuing it with her power and assuring Towa that "a much greater force will keep them safe". Afterwards, Serval gives Towa yet more thanks, saying how it's a great thing that they both found something important to take care of (probably referring to Cerval in her own case). Shortly afterwards, the scene in Kemono Castle comes to a close, and Towa's party exists triumphantly into the Japari Park that they saved from the brink of destruction.

The following scene depicts a longer diary entry from Mirai, where she reflects on the current state of the recovering Japari Park, now on the road to being properly reopened. In her writing, she mentions that the animals of the Park have by and large taken to calling Towa "Park Director", a gesture which she surmises to reflect their wishes that somehow they will become the new director of Japari Park. And indeed, she writes, this much is necessary for the park to reopen. Mirai concludes the entry by saying that she feels Towa would be an appropriate pick for the job, herself.

Later, in Park Central, the protagonist's party has again gathered, evidently planning on going on another adventure as a group (this time, with Cerval voluntarily in tow). As they wait for Towa to show up, Caracal asks Serval if she remembered to tell them when and where the meet-up was happening, which she seems to have forgotten to do indeed. Before she runs off to find Towa and correct her mistake, Caracal suggests that she get some food on the way, knowing that neither she nor Towa has eaten yet. The idea is to her liking, and she brings fresh Japari Buns with her before finding the protagonist by themselves in a familiar setting.

With a sunset as their backdrop, eating Japari Buns together, Serval reflects upon the adventures she shared with Towa. She looks back fondly on the friendships they made, the memories that led to them, and the journey all around the Park where it all took place. Even with so much to look back on, though, Serval asserts to Towa that there are still many Friends in Japari Park that they haven't met yet. Fastening her eyes on the future, she addresses Towa once more, urging them -- and promising them in turn -- to always explore together from now on. With that, they depart, closing out the scene, and the main story along with it.