Part 25: Final Chapter: Sacred Stone

It hasn't been that long a trip, really, and we're going to trudge it again. But before we can do that...



: Yes... Thank you for everything, Lyon. I’ll never forget the time I spent here.

: Do you think we’ll see each other again?

: Yes, of course. My brother and you and me. We are friends, after all. Aren’t we?

Hopefully, considering how much you harp over it.

: Eirika... Yep, you’re right.

: I hope your study of the Sacred Stones is fruitful. I know you’ll use the wisdom you glean to make your people happy.

: Thank you, Eirika. You know, you’re the only reason I was able to save that girl. There were times when I wanted to give up, to admit failure. But you were always there. You were always encouraging me to succeed. That’s what kept me going. I just thought of you.

: Lyon...

I'm assuming he means in the metaphorical sense, since Lyon saving a girl was news to Eirika until he mentioned it.

: Eirika... I...I’ve always...



: Lyon, what do you--

: I guess this is it, Eirika. Hope to see you again someday. I’m going to focus on my work and do my best until that day. My research will progress, and my discoveries will benefit us all. One day, I will be a prince worthy of you, and I will see you again.





: ...Eirika?

: Lyon...It is you, isn’t it, Lyon?!

: Yes...But I’m...I’m almost completely gone. Before I’m lost entirely, I want to apologize. I’m sorry, Eirika. This is all my fault. I was too weak...

: You’re not to blame, Lyon. It was the Demon King. He was controlling you...

: No, that’s not true, Eirika. When the Demon King reached into me from inside the Dark Stone...When he whispered he would see all my dreams and desires made true...I...I did not reject him. In the shadows of my heart, he saw jealousy...vanity...It was my weakness that put these emotions there, allowed them to thrive.

: Everyone has weaknesses, Lyon. You’re not the only one. I do. I’m sure my brother does...Don’t hate yourself for having these feelings, please.

: Thank you, Eirika. You were always...so kind. The Demon King will claim my flesh as a vessel for his resurrection. Before that can happen...I want you to kill me. I’m sorry, Eirika. I’m already-

: ...



: Are you done turning your failings into some sad epic of personal tragedy? It’s time we started then. I have a ritual to complete...and some nuisances to kill.

Say what you will about how generic the demon king is, but he does enjoy making fun of the silly drama.

: Shut your mouth. I won’t allow you to desecrate Lyon’s body any further. You will not return to this world. I will stop you myself if I must.

: Ah, is that so? And do you honestly think yourself capable, wench? You once prayed for this fool’s salvation. Can you bring yourself to kill him?

: I can and I will. I made a promise to Lyon, and I intend to honor it.



Right after we finish applying our last batch of stat boosting items. And goodness knows, Seth could use it.



What is it with bosses and jumping to the other end of the map in between transitions? Our objective is to whack Lyon down, and we've got the team for it. But first, let's check out some of the new additions to Team Evil.



Lyon's been doing some power leveling since we faced him a few chapters ago. That tome is going to make him problematic to face with anyone but our best troops.



Apparently the demon king also managed to rustle up some more dragons between last chapter and this one. They're exactly like Morva in how they work. What you see in damage is what you get, and unlike Myrrh, Wretched Air has a 2-panel reach.



These Doogs have three times the Mauthe, and I cannot, for the life of me, figure out how that name's supposed to be pronounced. The name is a reference to a mythical mastiff from Wales. I'm not much of an authority on dogs, but that doesn't look like a mastiff.

There are also upgraded spiders called Elder Baels, but they're not quite so interesting.



And I don't suppose I have to say that two of the gorgons surrounding Lyon have Shadowshot. It wouldn't be an endgame level in Fire Emblem if we didn't have some form of BS to look out for.



In harder difficulties (which is to say, Hard), I'd probably recommend punching through one side of the enemy lines instead of splitting up the forces. There's a particular gimmick we'll run into halfway through that's a bit of a problem to deal with when the enemies are actually intimidating.

Also, just looking at this formation, you may notice that I sent all the staff users up one side. That was kind of stupid too.



As can be seen, there is no real need for a thief on this map, since the game hands out keys very generously. Not that there's anything we especially need in those chests anyway.



Most of the enemies will sit tight until someone comes within range. This is a map that encourages you to go on the offensive.



Ephraim could use some defense, really, but speed is okay too.



So...Ivaldi.



How much do you suppose it cost the men of the cloth to set up their satellite defense network?

Ivaldi is actually quite light (heh), with a weight of 10. Moulder's amount of sheer bulk would have been wasted on it anyway.



Oh yeah, wait until after I give you an Energy Ring to start gaining strength. Real classy.



One advantage of fighting Draco Zombies is that you know exactly what you're going to get.



Horrible searing pain, that's what.



Funny thing though: Dracozombies qualify as flying things, so archers are pretty good for them.



And it doesn't matter how much damage they do when you can just drain it all back.



Well done, Moulder.



It is so nice to be at the end of the game. It means you can just unleash every bomb you have in your arsenal.



And speaking of arse...



I wonder why we benched Artur in the first place.



The chest on the other side had a Master Seal, which is completely pointless to get with this crowd. Tana will eventually carry this over to L'Arachel, since she won whatever part of the stat booster vote wasn't "give everything to Seth!"



To be honest, Amelia's HP was probably not the best choice for drawing the other Dracozombie over.



Still, she returns fire with style.



Then these guys appear. That's the gimmick of this chapter. Whenever one team gets up to the pedestal where the Dracozombies start, a group of reinforcements spawns on the opposite side. That's why I recommend having everyone power through one side, other than just for the solidarity of the team.



Since you guys demanded that I give Seth even more health, I figured I'd disappoint you again. I think he's embarrassed about all this hype he's getting, and he's recommending you stop obsessing over him so much.

Or maybe he's just not that great.



Regardless, that's the major threat of this chapter finished.



Perhaps the solution is that it's the end of the game. Since they don't have to impress anyone anymore, many of our troops don't have to gain good levels to stay onboard.

Then again, if Seth's any indication, people will vote for someone who gets bad levels consistently regardless.



Ah, Moulder. Always the tanky magician.



The enemies who spawned, the Arch Mogalls, have Crimson Eye, which is very pretty.



Ineffective, but pretty.



Keep impressing, Josh.



It's nice to have a unit that becomes awesome 99% of the time. It keeps my self-esteem up.



And given this crowd, I need all the positive reinforcement I can get.



So you remember how I mentioned those Shadowshot ladies?



Yeah, that could have been bad.



The reinforcements on this end are Deathgoyles, spawning in at areas that'd be hard to reach for melee units.



Too bad we're all spellcasters and archers over here.



Nothing like opening your own vortex into space to defeat a single enemy. Sure, Gleipnir levels a small city every time you cast it, but that monster you bring it to bear against will be facing the wrath of 23 times 3 damage, plus Moulder's base magic. That's enough to turn most enemies into a splintery paste, even Dracozombies.



And Moulder comes close to capping his speed, meaning that, depending on the enemy, he could actually fire that thing twice. That's twice the collateral damage!



Yeah, nice try, buddy.



So all that's left now is Lyon's little entourage. Myrrh and L'Arachel gladly volunteer, drawing Shadowshot fire as they do so.



One of them is too fast and lucky to be hit, and the other one just flat out doesn't care.



I've been focusing a lot on L'Arachel's healing, but she's also quite the offensive powerhouse too. All those amazing levels have got to count for something.



A little weak on the health, admittedly, but that's not too much of an issue when she can just evade everything with grace and poise.



And Myrrh's just walking over everything because she's Myrrh. She's going to end her leveling with her Dragonstone in the 'teens in terms of uses.



Speaking of dodging, by the way, guess which goober got himself hit by long-range magic three freakin' times.



Some of the Gorgons try to take L'Arachel on directly. Their mistake.



Of course, now that we've gotten up to Lyon's little base here, three Wights will start coming in from the back.



Amelia's too busy to worry about that. She's chopping down spiders with her silly axe on a chain.



Maybe next time, I should try running her as a paladin.



L'Arachel is the light.



As I said, how implausible is that, precisely?

(1.96%, not counting the way the game rounds down hit chances)



No worries, though. We've got three staff guys on the field.



Clearing out the extra guys takes some time.



It's fairly rewarding though.



For instance, Myrrh just capped her strength and speed, as she tends to do.



And a shot of Fortify makes everyone ready to face...



The boss.



: Your corpse will make a perfect offering in my resurrection.



Yeah, yeah. Whatever.



Lyon's unique spell, Naglfar (gesundheit), is kind of perplexing to me. It's lightning, then a vortex, then lightning again. Couldn't he just stick with the lightning and skip the middle step entirely?



Fun fact: since Lyon's spellbook is weighing him down so much, I could turn him to stone here, easily. But I won't, since there's someone in particular who deserves the final shot at him.



: I will defeat the Demon King.

: Hah, do you really think your blade can hurt me? Cut me and see! If you can even hit me, that is.

Oh, she can hit you, and she can hurt you.



Got 'yer nose!

: Ha... Ha ha... HAAA HAHAHAHA!



Typical.



: Lyon!

: Be careful, Eirika!

: It’s all right. He’s Lyon. Lyon...

: Ei...Eirika?Is...that you?

: Yes, Lyon. It’s me.

: Eirika...You stopped me, didn’t you? I’m glad...

: Lyon...Lyon...

: Listen...Eirika...I never had the courage to tell you, but...



: Lyon...

: ...

Well, that's the end of it then.





: What?! This...

: Brother! Lyon’s body! It’s...



: My resurrection is at hand...Now, humans...Lament your fate. Weep for the dead. Despair for the living. Wail and tremble in grief. Grovel in awe and fear. I am returned.





: the...Demon King?

: Eirika.

: Brother...

: Don’t be afraid, Eirika. I’m here. Our friends are here. We have the Sacred Stone, and we have each other. We will not lose. We will defeat him.

: You’re right, Brother!





: It’s time. We have to use the final Sacred Stone. We must use its power against the Demon King, as in the stories of old!

: You must listen to me, Eirika. The stories are true; the stone does hold the power to stop the Demon King. However, the source of its power is human will, the desire for peace within our hearts.

: In our hearts?

: Yes, that’s right. We need not pray for the Sacred Stones to aid us now. No, we need only focus ourselves and concentrate on a better future.

Well, that's convenient.

: I understand, L’Arachel. Listen, everyone. I can never repay you for all you’ve done so far. Now, please, one last time...Lend me your strength. To defeat the Demon King! To restore peace to our lands! To take the peace we all dream of and make it real!





: There must be something that I can do!

: We can't let our guard down.

: Please, let everyone come through this unscathed...

: This may be my last battle. I'll hold nothing back.



: Fighting's all well and good, but where's all the treasure?



: Oh, that's the Demon King, isn't it? Yes, I've read all about him.



: ...Prince Lyon.



: We've got to do what we can, right?

: We're with you all the way, Prince Ephraim!





: Bah... I am in NO way inferior to this so-called Demon King.

: Never stop fighting. Never...

: Don't tense up! You'll fight better if you're relaxed.

: My blade will cut deep.



: Gwah ha ha! Same goes for me!

: Hm... Can my magic prevail?

: I'll show you all what my magic can do.

: Defeat the foe. Nothing else matters.

: Come on... You can't be serious!

: We must be steel blades with which to pierce the enemy.

: That's the heart of the darkness I've studied? It can't be...

: I will show you honour and valour of the Frelian Pegasus Knights.



Jeez, you all sound like chapters from a self-help booklet.

Normally, I find the whole "let's give everyone in your party something vaguely heroic to say for the final battle" thing to be kind of trite, and I still do in this case, but at least they tried to give a story reason for it this time, where we're apparently powering up the Sacred Stone with hope and courage or whatever.



: I will not suffer imprisonment again. How? You possess only one... Do not fool yourselves. You cannot fully imprison me... I will grind that wretched rock and your accursed bones to powder!





Nope.

: There!

: We did it. The Demon King’s soul has been bound once more. But, Eirika, it’s not over yet. The Demon King’s soul rages against its prison. We must return it to its proper place--and quickly. But first, we must defeat the Demon King’s soulless body!

: That thing?

: Uh-huh...The real battle’s just beginning. Our ancestors paid dearly for their victory. A mountain of corpses...It’s written the Demon King was surrounded by the dead before he finally fell.

: We’re all prepared to do what must be done.

: I have no desire to make any more heartbreaking sacrifices. I promised we would all return safely, and return safely we shall!



I don't see why they're making such a big deal about it. The Demon King Fomortiis is really kind of easy.



I mean, yeah, he looks imposing at first, what with those stats, but it's all about mechanics.



He's got three weapons at his disposal. The first one is a long-range attack called Demon Light that can strike someone 3 spaces away, so even Longbow users, if they could even pierce his hide, would be susceptible to it. Pretty nasty, but as you can see, it doesn't even do as much damage as the dragon we fought last chapter.



Notice, by the way, that his health bar is suddenly visible. Fomortiis has 120 HP in total, and Ephraim can easily whack down his health in a few rounds.





Especially when assisted by Eirika, who's also close enough to reach him.





And L'Arachel just heals back whatever damage was done.



On the first turn, so far as I can tell, he'll always summon in random enemies. This can range from the deadly Dracozombie to the completely pointless Entombed.



Then he'll use his second weapon: Nightmare. It's only single-use, but it puts everyone within a three-space radius to sleep. Notice that he can move, by the way. The Demon King does that. Kind of a jerk move, really.



That's easily countered, however, by the Latona staff, which cures all status ailments and HP of every allied unit on the map. If you've had a dedicated staff user at this point, Nightmare is a non-issue. Unless the staff user is asleep too. That might be a problem.



His final and deadliest attack is a freakin' right hook, powerful enough to Mike Tyson most people to death in a single blow. Too bad that he only does it after summoning useless minions.



The problem with monsters in this game isn't the variety. There are quite a few of them, and they're all interesting in their own ways.



The problem is effective weaponry. The game gives you too much of it. The Sacred Twins are just dumped onto your lap at regular intervals, and you don't have to do anything to get them.



What this means is that monsters are immediately at a disadvantage in this fight. You're pulling out high numbers against them that they couldn't hope to match.



I'm not against getting effective weaponry, per se, but you ought to have to work for it.



Fire Emblem 7 gave you a bunch of cool weapons at the end of the game, but to get them, you had to pry them out of the hands of some really nasty baddies who were using them against you.



In that way, you had the challenge that matched the reward. If you beat up the high-powered enemies, you got the weapons. While here, you got the weapons for free.



Enough ranting. It's time to finish this, and I think that it's appropriate that Myrrh wins the game for us.



That's for Morva.



As the big baddie fades into dust like the cliched RPG villain he is...

Next Time: The end?