I'd be a hell of a lot more upset to see Alphinaud die than..... Basically anyone else in this game at this point. I get why people don't like him, because he's a kid that has way too much political and military power than he reasonably should only to mess it up spectacularly, but Alphi has OWNED it, has been doimg all he can to repent and to keep from repeating what he had done with the Crystal Braves. He's GROWING.

He's learned from his mistakes. He's more considerate of others. He INSISTS on standing beside you in combat, and has since become a far more powerful Arcanist because of it. Alphinaud at the end of Stormblood is an entirely better person than the one we met in A Realm Reborn.

So, seeing this obnoxious prick of a kid start to blossom into a hero of his own right beside me for so long DIE would HURT ME.