Is this a legitimate Code Alpha?! What's our status?!
...What?! You do realize you're talking about the irreplaceable key to human history here?!
Stuffy Scientist: Y-yes, ma'am.
Stuffy Scientist: Y-yes...
I love Emille very much.
-----------------------
Part 59: Turismo
The awakening we had on September 9th was not a pleasant one. Even as Jeanne was attempting to wake us up somewhat gently...
Emille had acquired a pot and pan and was banging them together, making an awful racket.
How long are you people going to sleep?! Wake up! Now! Do your job! Get up!!
Oh, feeling excitable today, are we?
Ugh, fuck, I have a headache...
AAAAH I'M UP I'M UP
Ughhhhhhhhh
Quit your bellyaching and get up!
Anti-Dragon what?
Weapon! An-ti Dra-gon wea-pon! Do I need to say it slower for you? I told you I had a strategy in place, right? Well, this was it. It's important! Are you listening?!
Okay first off, good morning. Second, Emille?
What?!
People generally take orders better when you aren't screaming at them first thing out of bed. I know you're worried, but take a breath and chill for a second, okay? Four seconds in, four seconds out.
Ugh, fine.
Four seconds in, four seconds out.
Alright.
If the weapon comes to ruin, or a third party intercepts it, our means of properly battling Fomalhaut will be forever lost. Do you grasp the import of the matter?
Huh. What is it?
What?
What is the weapon? How does it alter our battle plan against Fomalhaut? These are fairly basic questions.
Emille took a deep breath in to stop herself from exploding again.
Suffice it to say I feel as though an extended explanation of the nature and application of this weapon would take time we don't have.
The Scaber's distortion hasn't fully cleared, so that area's liable to be perfect for Dragons... and SECT11 might butt their heads in, too. Right, the urgency makes sense, then. We do need to know what we're looking for, though.
It's in a large capsule with a glass lid, but I assure you, you'll know. If anyone would, loath as I am to admit it, it would be you, but everyone else will certainly have several questions that I can answer once you're back.
Makes sense to me. We'll head out within...
I looked over to see how close to ready everyone was.
Five minutes.
Good.
Alright, I'm ready.
Lemme slug this cup of coffee real quick.
sorry lemme just close my eyes for thirty more seconds
We waited thirty seconds.
Morning! I'm ready now!
------------------
You know, I have to appreciate the blunt honesty about not explaining things to us.
She's a charmer, ain't she?
An anti-Dragon weapon, huh... You don't think it's something Dragon-y itself, do you? Emille doesn't seem like she'd do that. For, you know, obvious reasons.
Probably not.
(...It couldn't be, right? Kozakura and Natsume tried, but...)
(at the very least, you know it's not citron, right?)
(Well, yeah, but if it's another go at the ATL Code—)
Sumie.
WHAT HI AAAA
Ah. Did I interrupt a conversation?
A little, but it's fine! It was really just internal speculation.
Alright. Just want to make sure you aren't too far in your own head.
Darling, I'm harmed. Do you truly believe I'd think so hard I wouldn't sniff out loot or something?
Stranger things have happened.
-------------------
Despite sharing the same appearance, the Hachioji Station Underground is in fact a unique area from the three in the first game, and will be our only trip into the Underground this game.
Remember, it's in a large capsule with a glass lid.
We remember!
dang do i love loot.
Is that a frozen antelope?
It's about to be dead meat!
You'll never guess how Snowglopes differ from the base Ragelopes!
There's a Dragon approaching! Be ready for it!
Right!
Shit! That hurt.
You good, babe?
Might need some help in a bit. Curse my lack of muscle mass.
you should burn it to blow off some steam
Great idea!
There it is! You remember how to deal with these, Koron?
Naturally. Let's go, partner.
Have a bit of help!
See? Thanks, Soothing Song, for the Fever.
Tch—! My eyes!
You hit the wrong thing, but you still hit. So it's a wash, I'd say.
Eh, clearing out the small fry's probably a good call.
Owww
Mio!
Channel that aggression over there, sweetheart.
Rock 'n Roll Out is the second-tier Order Action skill, which requires Fever 1. While it doesn't allow Mio to take an action, it selects from a pool of first-tier sills and rolls for that. The chance of getting a skill instead of a regular attack goes up as it levels up. I missed it here, so both of them just attack, but it's a good toy to have.
That's odd. I can't help but remember these ones being vulnerable to flame.
For some reason, some variations of Dragonflies in this game are vulnerable to Fire, and others aren't, even when they have the same model and name. Shruggo. IDK man.
Yeah! Nice work, team!
Well, these ones are as annoying as I remember.
These would've been nice to have a second ago.
Y'all need to get on my level.
But you don't really wear your goggles most of the time.
Yeah, but having them on my possession gives me Blind resist, you get me?
Much of the Scaber's territory had been scrubbed clean, but there were still reaches of the underground that glowed with its light.
Anything else in here?
heef heef
HEEF
Oh, hey! It's that one claw we picked up a while ago!
I musta sold it or something.
Well give it here, I want to use it.
The process of the planet reclaiming itself isn't a quick one.
...Hey, wait—Hold on! I'm detecting several lifesigns! Could it be a group of survivors? Hurry on, guys, I'll try and figure it out.
Well I sure hope it's survivors or else I'm gonna get mad.
Okay. Hoo. I'm psyching myself up.
Die!
Wow, you're really not looking forward to this, are you?
I don't like what I don't like!
Tonbo-kiri!
Yeah so these guys are flummoxed about the very idea of Attack Beat Dragonfly Slash.
Get 'em, girls!
Rock and Roll Out has a chance to activate the second step of Fever that goes up as it levels up.
I'll cut you down!
A big reason to at least get level 1 in as many skills as you can is so that you can increase your odds of Order Action working.
ah, the good ol' underground. roomy as always, ain't it? heef btw
It's a good thing we've had relatively low-threat missions to replenish our resources, isn't it?
I'll say.
There's a big one up ahead. You two ready?
Ah, this is one of those ones that does the rockslides. Hey, Mio, watch out for... ehhh, like about twenty, thirty seconds after it slams its tail.
What?
Ah, here we are. I can do this again!
Aww, I was hoping that'd hurt it more.
It's fine, it's fine.
Wrong move, you little shit!
OW OKAY THAT'S WHAT YOU MEANT
Watch out, please!
Not done yet! Get Chisa up, you three!
Phew, thanks!
Go, Chisa!
Burn!
Yeesh! What a rude guy!
Alright. Let's go.
AAAAHHH
I hate those things! I hate them! I—
Fervent Fangirl: Don't wake me up from this dream! Seriously, don't do it, I don't wanna!
Okay! Pull this string, then!
This is all that's in this side path, so we're returning to the split now.
On the way I find some White Jellies. They have very high physical defense but low magical defense, especially against fire.
Those things aren't white. I've been lied to.
Gee! How nice of the game to give us this green save point!
Oh, god damn it!
Lucy: Oh, good idea, Gary. Let's see. Probably two for the buff lady and the guy, but I figure that one kid's so tiny I can just shoot through her and hit someone else, so let's say seven.
Will: Hey, c'mon now. Always show your enemy the respect they're due. That's part of being a brave US soldier!
Gary: Heh heh. Always with the "brave soldier" talk, you get that from Shouji?
Lucy: Shouji also tells us to enjoy the battlefield.
Hey, you pieces of shit, you waiting for someone?
Gary: Oh, would you look at that? I'm gonna say six! One shot, one kill!
Will's the one in the center, the other two are Assault Soldiers. Will is the main enemy here with about 900 HP, but these guys aren't particularly special.
Really weird to see three CTs all buy FAMASes. I don't think that's how eco rounds go. Also, Will, why did you skimp on the helmet? Satsuki could one-tap you, man.
My knowledge of Counter-Strike is very rusty and also I only played CSGO for like a year at most, please forgive me if I misrepresented CT eco rounds, any Counter-Strike enthusiasts reading this LP.
For starters, you little fucker, I am an adult woman. I am not a child! You could see that if you looked at me! Mio! Help me kill that one!
You got it, boss!
Lucy: Ow! Fuck!
Gary: What's wrong? C'mon, that didn't hurt that bad!
Will: Can you two take this seriously? These guys aren't that weak.
Of his burst of bullets, a few grazed me, but I sliced another few out of the air.
Is that all you have, boy?!
Die!
Lucy: T-they got me!
Gary: Hey, Short Round, eat this!
Gary: Okay, maybe it'll take more bullets than that.
Shut your goddamn mouth already, you uppity little fuck!
Argh, shit! Richter!
On it!
Gary: Hey, what's the prissy German guy doing?
Oh, don't worry your pretty little head about it, sir.
Will: Did you even read the briefing, Gary?! He has medical nanomachines specialized in this kind of battlefield first aid!
Whoa, whoa, is that a—OW, BEANS
Both Will and the Soldiers have the same moves, Will is just sturdy enough to get to use them. Hand Grenade has a 40% chance to inflict Burn, which ain't nice.
Gary: Ugh, shit... I can't move?!
Mio goes down of her Burn, so I revive both of them.
Will: Shit, can't wait for backup... Alright, come on! I'll take you all on myself!
Will: Gah! You really can light your sword on fire, huh? Okay, fine!
Fuck! Shitttt
Please remain calm!
Okay, no, where the fuck was he carrying that thing? Was that just sitting behind him the entire time? Did these shitheads haul a goddamn rocket launcher all the way down here just to try to kill Unit 13?
Alright, you're all clear!
Will: Damn! A straight-on shot with a bazooka isn't even enough for these guys?!
Will you fall down already?!
Will: Ugh... damn...
Stay down. You should count yourselves lucky not to be dead.
You really do have to wonder if these idiots grasp that they're, independent of Sympathy's narrative, fighting the same people that killed a True Dragon. What were they expecting to happen, that their inexplicable rocket launcher would instantly gib multiple godslayers? I know Unit 13 is out of practice, but christ. Some primal survival instinct has to be screaming at them to quit being idiots and run the fuck away, at the very last after the first rocket didn't blow them up for good.
I know I'm questioning video game logic, but I'm treating 2020-II with the respect it deserves, IMO.
What happened to 'one shot, one kill,' you bunch of posers?! Cry about it!
The three troops ran off deeper into the caves.
If they're already past here, we need to hurry. If they get there before we do—
It'll spell disaster for all of us!
Ah, it felt good to ruin their days. I just wish I'd gotten to see the fear on those two's faces.
Next time, hopefully we, like... get the weapon back.
Don't worry, we trounced their asses, they're gonna be hurting real bad after doing that bizarre FAMAS + mix of body armor round. What're they gonna do, buy deagles and try to headshot us?
I don't know why I'm making these Counter-Strike references. The last time I seriously played CSGO was, like, 2016. Maybe 2017.
