Part 20: Crazy Driver

Update 20: Crazy Driver








Music: Mist Covered Town


Our goal is Mt. Letona to the east of the town of Ratayu. Unfortunately, we're going to have to get a key first. For now, let's see if there's anything worthwhile in the town proper.







Letter: Tomorrow I will send guards to retrieve you. Clear your mind, purify your body, and wait. Bon Saryu, Lord of Ratayu.


Huh? I don't really get what's going on with this, but it sounds creepy.





Viguro's upgraded form shows up here. Remember their original form back from West Voz? I managed to teach this spell to someone. Vahn actually wound up getting this one, thanks to...





My second Ivory Book! I love these things.









These shadows can make you endure a roulette. This has some potentially nasty effects, up to and including death. Fortunately there is a safe option and it's not terribly hard to time it to get that option, or at least time it so you don't get death.





Gotta love stat waters.

Now, in the throne room, we can meet the ruler of Ratayu...





Music: Saryu


Saryu? You're possessed by a Seru...How can you speak to us?

Saryu: I cannot understand difficult words...I give you the key to Letona. The Letona gate will let you reach the Genesis Tree. The Mist can be driven from Ratayu. Then I can be with my bride. I am pleased. I give you this West Ratayu Key, too.

All right! I didn't understand everything, but I got the part about the Genesis Tree!

I think he'll give us a key to reach the Mist Generator, if we revive the Genesis Tree. It sounds good, but something troubles me...

But Saryu said something about brides! Gala, let's help him!

Vahn, I will let you decide what to do.





Well, that's good, I guess. I wonder why he's able to think and speak? That's pretty unusual. Maybe he's just super strong willed or something.









Music: Mt. Letona


The Genesis Tree must be at the summit!

With a Genesis Tree, we can make our Ra-Seru stronger, too! Hurry, Vahn!

But what do those strange energy fluctuations mean? Could it be something evil?

Vahn! Gala! Let's hurry and go see the new Genesis Tree!

I hope the Genesis Tree is alright! Come! We must hurry to the summit, Vahn!







They're baaaaack!





This increases attack power by 20%. Noa grows ever stronger...





Oh hey, it's Mushura! This is my favorite Seru. Well, maybe second favorite. He's basically a giant spiky wheel, or perhaps a saw. I think it works.









This area isn't all that interesting, truth be told. It's basically a mashup of Mt. Rikuroa and the Voz Forests. There are a few path splits to treasures and all, but there's not anything special going on. Let's just move on to the summit.





There's something strange surrounding the Genesis Tree! What is this? I've never seen anything like it!

Vahn, this is weird! It's a spooky wall! Let me touch it...





Ouch! Vahn, it hurts! Don't touch it, everyone, it hurts!




Well, well. If it isn't my favorite group of idiots! Welcome back!





Music: Songi's Theme


I figured you simpletons would be coming, so I was waiting here for you. It took you long enough, you lazy dimwits!

Songi! Darn! So it was you who put up the force field!


Darn!


So you're not just a musclebound moron, are you? That's right! It was me! I put up the force field to keep you idiots from trying any of your foolish tricks! Ha ha ha! Well, do you want me to deactivate it?

Of course we do!

Well, then, fight me! Come at me! All three of you, at once! In the very unlikely event you defeat me, I'll deactivate the force field.







Music: My Name Is Songi


I know that power is important to you and all, but that shit's making you ugly, dude.





This Songi battle was probably my favorite boss as a kid (again, of the bosses I actually made it to as a kid). I'm not entirely sure why – I think he's one of the harder to predict bosses, and he doesn't charge any of his attacks, but for some reason he never struck me as especially difficult.

This attack can deal a good 800 damage, or more like 400 with Spirit. That's a pretty serious chunk off of anyone, especially Noa.





His hit all attack does more like 300-600 damage to everyone. Again, that's pretty bad, but it's still just low enough that Orb can keep up with it.





Meanwhile, Noa's picked up a few tricks of her own. She has reached her ninth and final command slot, allowing her to perform every Super Art she can. Super Tempest is basically Tempest Break with extra hits...





And Love You is...well...basically Tough Love with extra hits. It's still pretty cool for it's confuse effect, though, not that that matters in a boss fight.

By the way, there's another thing I can do with nine attack commands. I'm going to hold off on that for a little bit, though. There's an event coming up that seems more appropriate for it.





The good news is Songi didn't really use his specials very often, and his basic attack string is really not very strong. Because of this, I didn't even need to heal very often, and I could spend must turns focusing on offense or Spirit.





Also, I'm not sure about this, but it seems like Gala has a damage debuff against Songi (and vice versa?) It seems like they should do MORE damage to each other, doesn't it?





All told, he wasn't too hard.





I am impressed! Your Seru are strong, as well. Not bad!

Stop talking and deactivate the force field right now!

Well, a promise is a promise. Alright, I'll deactivate it. Watch and learn!


Songi touches the force field and it fizzles out.


There, you see? I am a person who keeps a promise. Now you are free to awaken the Genesis Tree. Use the Genesis Tree's power to drive away the Mist and make your Ra-Seru stronger! I eagerly await your next feat of bravery! So don't get yourselves killed! Farewell!


And he leaps off of the screen and out of our lives once again.





Music: The Genesis Tree

Music: Reviving A Genesis Tree













Vahn, Terra is strong again! And the Genesis Tree's power drove away the Mist down below.

The Mist must be gone from Ratayu. But the Genesis Tree's power is limited. Unless we destroy the Mist Generator, the Mist will cover Vidna where the windmills stopped.

Yeah, that's right. OK! Let's destroy the Mist Generator!

Vahn, let's climb down the mountain and head for the town below, Ratayu. If we can get the Gate of Ratayu opened, we can reach the Mist Generator.


Music: Mt Letona After Mist


Sounds like a plan! There's nothing new on the path back down, so I'll skip most of that, but why don't we have a look at our further transformed Ra-Seru friends?















Looking good! Now for the new magics we've learned.









Viguro is a potent hit-all Lightning spell, not unlike Freed and Gola Gola (but stronger). It also costs 64 MP, so...ouch. Gala can get four casts out of it, which isn't really very much, but it's still good for just nuking a mob you don't want to deal with. Also, Noa somehow managed to pick this up (in addition to Vahn) but Gala failed to learn it. How unusual.











Swordie is a pretty mediocre single-target wind attack. It's more expensive than I think it's really worth at 32 MP.











Mushura is an odd spell; it hits the target you select when it spawns, and then it starts driving around in some sort of figure eight sort of pattern doing damage to anything it hits. It's not especially powerful and you can probably get more damage for your MP out of straight hit-all attacks, but...I dunno, I just think Mushura's a lot of fun.