On the subject of emotional manipulation, that is purposely using inflammatory language even after several people have kindly informed you why it's not appropriate regardless of your story interpretations. It's using words when the definition doesn't even work and failing to provide, at minimum, a definition that makes it the ideal word to use and instead saying "play the game lol".

It is arguing based on total conjecture that you have a timetable and a task list of everything that happened between Elpis and Final Days. We don't have a calendar nor do we have evidence Zodiark fans were capable or willing to change what would fuel their long term survival. Zodiark was a costly and regressive solution that went out of their control. It allowed for some amount of survival but denied evolution. It's unclear what effect an Aether devouring summon without an opposing element would have over time. Pointing to Zodiark's function on the Moon does not work as he is suspended in stasis.

If anything the game shows us in shorthand form Venat did tell them how to change and they didn't want to, not only pre tempering but certainly after.

Just acknowledge she gives reasons in thr trial about offerring choice and rendering mankind into a state that would allown them to take Meteion down (not just get to her but properly interact with dynamis). Saying Venat is bad actor because she lacks justification based on the abstraction or what she said in the trial is valid. Saying she's a bad actor because of theoreticals isn't helpful.

If you think the Ancient's were amazing and reasonable and had some arbitrary amount of time where they would counteract the Final Days and take Meteion down, it is valid but it is conjecture that can't be argued. It's a shield to hide behind when there are better ways to discredit Venat that simply have to do with her justification and how well it did or didn't go for you.