We stepped through the beam of light Fomalhaut's crest left behind.
Fomalhaut's domain had been constructed out of a bunch of space debris. Beneath us, above us, all around was a sea of stars—we stood high above the planet Earth.
Think any space travel programs can give us frequent flyer miles?
Hah! They'd better.
Oh, hey. You can reach up here?
It looks like we've got a solid connection!
Man, if nothing else, the view is amazing. We're using a direct link via satellite to reach you.
Good. You can watch us end the war, then.
I'll continue navigating for you until the end, everyone!
Man, the mood's really changed all of a sudden. I've got this excitement in my bones! We really might win this, huh?
c'mon, man, you expected any less?
As president of Murakumo, let me make an official declaration. Richter, Koron, Sumie, Youka, Mio, Orochi—this is our last battle! We're all praying for you!
No need to worry, Kirino. Let's go, everyone!
Stay on the paths, alright, everyone?
Ah, I see. So Fomalhaut's created paths through compacted cosmic matter?
Seems that way.
Wow, really rolling out the red carpet for us, huh?
I doubt that was his intention, but it is rather kind of him, isn't it?
Yeah, the view really is incredible. I... kinda wasn't able to really appreciate it last time.
Our planet is a beautiful place.
Grey Psyards are one of the local trash mobs up here. They're actually slightly less sturdy than their cousins from the Metro Ruins—with only 540 HP, they're hardly a problem.
Wall.
Making walls in his own house? Someone's desperate.
WAIT
Vortex Golems are sturdy physically, but have a weakness to Ice and a pathetically low MDEF stat. Much like any Golem, they have Earthquake, which hurts, but c'mon now, it's the last dungeon.
Oh, this'll be a good target for me to stretch out Abeyance a little with.
Pierce through, dragon's fang!/Sound the gong of victory/and ring in autumn! Hassō-orochi-zuki!
You notice she's doing the haiku thing again?
It's been a long time.
Serpent Thrust is the final Battou Stance skill. It exists. It deals damage. It's not Aerial and has no riders, so frankly I don't really know why you'd use it, seeing as if you want a single-target damaging skill you should be in Iai. Looks cool though
Can I keep it Koron can I keep it can I keep it
Just try not to let it break before we get home.
This is actually the second-best megaphone. It's actually slightly stronger physically than the Wildcat Mic, but weaker magically, and I believe I've made my feelings on that issue clear.
Huh. That's a new one, right?
Looks like it.
Everyone, be careful!
Blind Dragons are assholes. They're physically sturdy, with 5421 HP and a very high MDEF stat. They've got 50% resistances to Fire and Ice, though they're weak to Lightning and Aerial. They've got two separate nasty status ailments, the halving-damage Tensile Roll, and for some reason, a 100% crit rate on basic attacks.
Thanks, Richter!
Ugh! That's not pleasant...
Great. I was hoping we were done with this crap.
See? The Poison even ticks for 58 damage. Very mean!
Fuckin' barfbags. I'm sick of these assholes!
Hm. We are rather high up... One moment. I'm going to attempt something.
Link confirmed! Stand back, everyone!
Enacting "Heavenjack 2021"!
I've got a connection to the Dragon!
When did Richter get a laser satellite?!
Well, maybe if you hadn't gone off and taken another extended nap, you'd know these things.
Don't be offput by the low damage here, Blind Dragons have enormous MDEF. Heavenjack actually has a very solid 1050% damage multiplier and deals Aerial damage, but importantly, also has an *enormous* chance to inflict Hack, and the Hack it inflicts has a 30% action negation chance. It's a great tool for guaranteeing a Hack.
It's worked! We have an opening, everyone!
Its defenses are higher than its physical ability.
Nothing we can't handle!
Really, though. When did you get a laser satellite?
we went on a SEX quest
Oh! Masaki's SEX Skills.
Yeah, Sumie turned into Sakuya Izayoi, Youka has a pile bunker, I've achieved control over the timestream.
Your "Ten-chi Tachi" is one as well, yes, Orochi? I'm not certain I understand the principle behind it.
Basically, instead of directly striking the enemy, it slices past them to create a spatial distortion localized on them. Sheathing my blade again triggers the localized distortion to react by closing the gap, so physical space closes the distance while attempting to erase the matter within the distortion. You could say it slices through their bodies and injures them by deleting fragments of their internals.
You couldn't have figured this move out more than half an hour ago, and you've already got an explanation ready to go?
I was waiting to do something like that all this time, I just had to consciously figure it out first. Izumi helped, actually.
wait when
Oh, just a bit ago. Right before I started climbing up the tower. We sparred. I won.
An unsurprising result.
It appears this area is constructed radially about the beam of light.
What did you learn how to do, Koron?
I haven't done it yet.
is someone a little nervous now that she's an ordained nun
Shut up.
'yes, sumie, i love you, but you know who i love more? jesus christ'
When we get back to our house, I'm sleeping on the couch the night we get home.
Nononononono don't do that
Oh, hey! Wasn't this kind in Niara's domain, too?
Ugh.
It's the final dungeon. What, did you think we were getting out of here without one last showing from everyone's favorite* dragon type? Cannon Dragons are back, and while they're not nearly as sturdy relative to their offensive stats as they used to be, they're still solidly chunky with 5522 HP—and their offensive presence has taken a big buff.
I've gotten a disruption! We've got a chance to attack before it leaps!
Let's make the most of it!
You got it!
Bit over halfway there!
Watch out! It's shaken me off.
Ugh!
There's a neurotoxin in their breath as well! Watch out!
Madness Breath hurts a lot and can inflict 33-damage Poison, but it also has a much nastier chance to inflict Confusion—both this and their jumping attack have two riders simultaneously now.
Cut it out.
Begone!
There's that handled.
Hey, there's the entrance over there!
We appear to be across from it now.
Looks as though we'll have to head around through the center, though.
More Dragons to kill. I don't see the problem.
Oh, by the way, Koron. Just so you know, I do actually have wings in my draconic form, but I am bipedal, so I would be a jabberwock.
Good to know.
But you should still call me a dragon, please.
Understood.
Another blindfold guy.
No worries, I got this.
Oh, wow. How did you get that thing up here?
Stop! Stop throwing it around! It's a valuable piece of equipment!
A lost attempt here to demonstrate. Blind Dragons have Poison Breath, of course, but they also have a Sleep Breath—not only heavy damage, but Sleep. With Tensile Roll, they can survive long enough to give you both a heavy DOT and Sleep—enough to finish you off. Blind Dragons are rude creatures.
Loot to the left here.
White Jellies have been statted up to appear in the final dungeon, too.
This—
It's Hikasa's. Or more accurately, the Dragoness Mizuchi's.
What's this doing here?
Maybe all the space dust had some of her in it.
Can I keep this?
Go ahead. I don't want it.
This is the second-best weapon for Koron.
Heading north from here will get us to the next tier. Let's clear this one out first.
Another Saturner, is it?
We handled one on the way up here. It's no biggie.
Quite.
I have to blow a Candy Bar here to get through this guy...
...and an Earth Splitter.
The party's HP is still this low when we win. Because, again, all-target Poison and Sleep attacks, along with a buff to halve the damage you take? Not nice! Blind Dragons are assholes!
heef heef
Unfortunately I smell a guy over there with the loot.
You good over there, Richter?
I-I'm sorry! Um, oh dear! Where's my inhaler?! I think I'm having an attack!
Richter, you don't have an inhaler. You don't even have asthma.
Oh. Yes, sorry.
The Costume 634 is a class-agnostic armor with +57 DEF and +50 MDF. +50 MDF is a lot for any armor, so there's a few classes that could make an active case for using it over their ultimate one—like, it'd be -6 DEF for Orochi versus +18 MDF.
Here's our path up. Be ready, everyone. There's plenty more where that came from.
As we ascended the ramp of stardust, a voice pounded its way into our heads.
I had understood you to have sacrificed your heart for that pitiful blade of theirs. Do you mean to tell me I am nevertheless graced by VFD? What an honor.
My name is Orochi Hosokawa. And do you really think I'd miss this? This is my planet. Kicking you out is my party.
...Hm? What is this? Where is the despair, the writhing agony, the burning wrath, I felt within you? What has happened to you?
I'm human, Fomalhaut. I don't have any reason to despair over myself.
Ridiculous. What is this blather? Have you deluded yourself so that you mean to mock the order of things?
What good has the order of things ever done me?
Hear me, VFD. This universe is filled with tiny lives, all brought into existence by us. We spread the seeds of life across galaxies, granted sentience, nurtured civilizations. Do you mean to tell me you have forgotten your purpose, why it is we have done this?
Have you? Obviously, it was because we were searching for updog.
...
What is... updog?
Not much, what's up with you?
...
Your order doesn't have anything worthwhile for me. I have a dream—the 'will' to coexist with these humans. All you are is the mountain I've got to climb before I can reach it.
Fomalhaut went silent.
Did... did you just prank him?
He's all hot air. If you don't take him seriously, what's he going to do? We've beaten worse than this guy.
I think the operative term there was you, not him.
Hehe.
...Ew.
Lips.
Terrible creatures.
Ew.
There's loot equidistant but there's a Dragon to the left.
You've been really practising that headbutt, huh?
I try.
Why the radial design, anyhow?
It was probably most convenient to craft out of this space debris.
This one's running away.
I think it might just not have noticed us yet, actually.
I mean to be fair, what are these guys gonna do? Kiss us?
Don't say that please
This area's circular path is complete, so you can circle around here either way.
Oh, shit. Two blind ones.
Crisis averted!
Getting a Carnage Strike here let me get the one-round, thankfully.
I go more defensive here, having Youka use Breath Render to try and power through the Breaths. It winds up working.
By the way, the party's hit level 70. The postgame in this one is much less leveling up happy than the first game's, so this is the last 10-level barrier we'll be breaking.
Everyone alright?
Doing just fine.
Okay, that's the path up. But what if we went and got loot instead?
Would that make you happy?
It really would.
A number of enemies get level-buffed to show up here. Death Beetles are another.
The neurotoxin is concentrated there! Are you two alright?
Gimme a ffffuckin' shecond
Madness Meteor is guaranteed to inflict both statuses, so a non-interrupted Cannon Dragon can be really scary. Luckily, we have Trash Pickup. God, I love Richter.
Begone!
Hm. 'Hoshime'? Sorry. You look like a fine blade, but I've got this one right here. We'll keep it, though.
Maybe I can hand you off to the woman who kept Tomoegozen for a while.
Hoshime is the second-best katana. It's actually only 4 points weaker, but that's still 4 points that Abeyance is better.
According to the best readings we can get, you should be about halfway up now, everyone.
This planet has rotted. Niara's failure left it to ripen further, and while this corruption persists, while these beings live, it rots and rots and rots.
Oh, are we feeling chatty again?
A world such as this belongs to none other than myself. I cannot understand why you would desire it, yet not to devour it.
There's more to this world than rot and despair, Fomalhaut.
Cloaked within that rot as you are, can you truly speak to such?
The people of Earth possess an indomitable will. To fight, to coexist, to live.
And you believe you possess this 'will' as well? Ridiculous. You, as much as any True Dragon, are an agent of evolution.
Which one of us is VFD, again?
...
Oh, right. It's me. I think I might know what I'm talking about.
Before, in your eyes, I saw the desire to devour me. What is this I see now?
You couldn't understand if you tried.
Everyone still alright?
Going great! I'm hyped up.
We're alright as well.
Man, babe, I didn't think you had that in you. You finally sound like a hero.
Ahaha. Do I? I'm probably not what that woman envisioned, at any rate.
Based on the patterns thus far, the ramp is likely to be at the west end of this floor.
Man, I can't wait until we never have to deal with these damn walls again.
Aww, be nice, Mama. They have to do something to stop us.
Do they?
Any input, Sumie?
Ehhhh, not for any particular reason but let's go this way.
Hm. It seems the Dragons are concentrated on the lower half of this floor.
Youka's third-best weapon.
Ahh, a volunteer. Wanna see if we can knock you off the platform?
Honestly not sure why I keep using Hammerhead here other than it being funny.
...that's a good reason actually. I guess it is the best damaging skill on D-Depth 1, but it's also really funny.
10 left.
This floor's a big one.
Whoa whoa, another wall?
Fomalhaut's taking this seriously.
A predictable fate is suffered by this Cannon Dragon at the hands—er, head, of Youka.
Another one, huh? You don't stand a chance!
The fact that Demon Dragons drop Miracle Aeros is greatly appreciated. I like those.
loot to the bottom
man, fomalhaut, you have so many gifts for me.
Where did he get these bentos, anyhow?
Beats me. Maybe he was hungry.
Y'know, guys, maybe you wouldn't take so much damage if you didn't use Energized Tail.
Two more incoming!
Youka, let's take them both out in one fell swoop!
If you would!
Ten-chi Tachi!
Later, assholes!
Nice work, you guys!
Your destructive force is a wonder to behold.
GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE INTO THE PACK YOU GO
Next time, the counter hits 0—and the gong rings out on Unit 13's decisive battle.
