Part 36: Put me in, coach!

*ominous rumbling*

It sure is dark here...
Still, I guess you can't expect much in the way of light from a staircase leading to an underground waterway.
From what I've heard, this used to be an old ruin until the Bracer Guild repurposed it as a training area.
You might not be able to expect much light, but I would've preferred it to be a little cooler than this...
My ever-so fashionable attire is getting covered in sweat.
It IS pretty damn hot... That weird rumbling sound I can hear's been bugging me for a while, too...
Actually, I think we're almost at the end, so maybe it'll cool down in a second.



Did somebody ask for some light?



Well, it's no wonder we were feeling hot.
Call me an optimist, but I doubt this is how this place normally is.
Let's write this one off as our enemies' work.
I think that's a safe assumption to make.
Which means we're really going to need to proceed cautiously.

-Illusionary Blue Flowers-





The climate control has been turned up, but the Balstar Channel's floorplan is unchanged. Start by going to the right.











Flame Snails can take another turn immediately after dividing, so be careful if they're going right before any big turn bonuses.









Nighty night, pussycats. ❤



Just like in SC, you need to flip these levers and extend all the bridges...but you should flip them the wrong way first.











Don't forget to lower the magma level. It's not safe to wade in if it's too high.







Heat-Resistant Boots have a relatively large SPD bonus, so it might be worth keeping them even after you're all done playing 'the floor is lava.'



Anyone walking through lava without the boots will lose about ten percent of their HP every three or four seconds.



This damage won't drop anyone--they'll stay at 1 HP--so feel free to hang out in the lava as long as you want.



Oh, and look who's back.





Haha... My love I give to thee!















This upgrade increases the heal to 5,500 HP.









Loot alors!





That's it for the east side of the Channel. Now for the west.













We skipped that lesson. I think we spent that day learning what 'gourmandizing' means instead.





































Oops.









It's okay, just get it off your chest.





























Tier 4 quartz are starting to appear in the shops.



-Silence-



-Till the Night of Glory-



Anelace?!



It's another grimoire. Not the real thing. It's like she's completely lifeless.
Well, at least that means we don't need to hold back to avoid hurting her.
Let's do this!





Face an eel deal.





This grimoire doesn't have any nasty tricks like Doppel Kevin, although she can dish out respectable damage.













Now I'm wondering just how much sepith this cost me.









































-Illusionary Blue Flowers-





Whew... That wraps that up.
Sure does. Probably no prize for guessing who's in this sealing stone, either.
Let's head back to base and let her out.

-The Hermit's Garden-













H-Huh?
Is she...sleeping?



Zzz... Mmm...
Cuteness is...justice... Fortune favors the cute... Keep your friends close and...your plushies closer...
Heehee... Smart words from smart people...
I don't think anyone else in history has ever said any of those things. Especially that last bit.
She seems so happy, though...
Haha... Yeah, I'm not sure I can bring myself to wake her up.
In that case, I have a plan of my own.
I shall sleep alongside her, and together we shall reach the pearled gates of Elysium and cross into the paradise within.
If you're up for a nap, that could be arranged. I have a few tricks that could knock you out in no time.
I'msorrypleasedon'thurtme.
Heehee...
Hey, you tried!
Mm...
Seems she's finally woken up.



It's good to see you again, Anelace.
Umm... Good morning?
Have a nice dream? Sure sounded like you were.
...
Hmm... Tita, Joshua, and Kloe are going to be the pride of my collection... Buuut Julia and that girl over there are pretty cute, too...
...Huh?
What're you talking about...?
Oh, but Zin's like a big fluffy bear, so he's actually kinda nice... And Kevin's hair kinda reminds me of a sea urchin, and that's not so bad, either...
Heeheehee... I dunno who bought me all these new plushies, but they're the best.
...She thinks we're all life-sized stuffed toys.
Man, how drowsy do you have to be?





Way to crush a girl's dreams, guys!
Well, sorry for being a human being...
I can't believe that's your first reaction to everything you've just been told...
Ahaha. Sorry! I'll hop into serious mode now.
I'm having a heck of a time processing the situation, but I DO know you're not lying.
Besides, the proof that this is all real is right in front of my eyes. Only the real Tita can be THAT irresistibly cute!
Hahaha...
Well, just as long as you get it.
So, what are you going to do? Would you be up for helping us investigate?
Put me in, coach! I wouldn't be much of a bracer if I wasn't willing to do anything in the face of a crisis like this!
Especially if it's true something's happened to Le Locle.
There might be other bracers there who've ended up in the same situation as me, and no way I'm turning my back on them!
That's certainly a possibility...
O-Other bracers? Really?
That's a good point... We know quite a few of them, too.
Well, we've overcome one ordeal, but that still means we have two left on our plates.
This is only the hors d'oeuvres of the ordeals.
And you know the drill--now that we've done the first, let's go back to the fourth plane and see what's changed.
Right.
Let the fun begin anew.



I scream, you scream, we all scream for unbridled katana rampages.

Anelace's new Whirlwind Dance craft yanks enemies towards her position, doing no damage but setting up vicious AoEs for the rest of the team.

She can do a lot of what Zin can do now--pulling enemies into tight groups, buffing herself for major damage in melee--although she still can't block cannon shells with her face like he can.



She should definitely get that Carnelia Bracelet and probably keep it forever, because it negates the DEF penalty from Petal Dance.







Say...Ries? Cheer up, okay? I... Umm... I can't pretend to know exactly what you're angry about... but I still think it would be better to try and make up than staying angry.
I'm sure Kevin cares about you, even if he doesn't always show it.
Hey, you!
You DO know Ries is, like, really mad, right? Dunno what you did to make her that way, but you obviously did SOMETHING.
So you better apologize!
(I would if she'd even give me the chance...)
Huh, really? That doesn't match up with what I've heard, though... Weren't you so worried about him that you collapsed after finding out he was okay not that long ago?
P-Please. I did no such thing.
Hmm? Are you s-u-u-u-r-e about that?
(It didn't take Anelace long to get a handle on her personality...)
So this is the famous Ries, huh?
She's so cuuute.
Ries is one of those types who just can't be honest with herself, huh?
Well, it's her lucky day, because Doctor Anelace knows exactly how to deal with people like her.
Please don't get anyone killed.



We should keep up with our investigation as quickly as we can. If you need anything from me, let me know. I'm always happy to lend a hand.
The guild has facilities in both Calvard and Erebonia, and yet it's Le Locle that's been recreated here. There's got to be some kind of meaning to that choice.
Leman State is far from Liberl, which makes me curious why it's Le Locle that was recreated here and not anywhere else...
Could the Lord of Phantasma be intentionally recreating places that're connected to our group in some way?
The Lord of Phantasma is nothing if not frugal.
It's clear from everything they've said and done so far that our foes have thoroughly researched all of us.
And yet recreating a place from outside Liberl was certainly not something I expected them to do... Just who is the Lord of Phantasma, anyway?
It doesn't make sense to me. The more they do, the more I can't fathom what it is they want.
Or who they are...



Oh, my! My, my, my! Whatever for?
Have you finally decided you cannot contain your burning passion for me locked within that rugged heart of yours a moment longer?
No, idiot. I just need to check up on how you're doing.
As well as how you were doing before we were drawn in here.
Don't go getting too carried away, Olivier.



So truthfully, it's actually nice to have some time to sit and relax once in a while.
...Does the possibility of 'doing some work' not occur to you?
Be sure to work Mueller to the bone in my place, my wonderful friends. He knows how to make himself useful.



This is far too roundabout a plan of attack even for him.
I can't be so sure that Ouroboros isn't, however...
Well, I can't disagree that this doesn't feel like something he would do.
Not least because if he wanted to harm you, he had plenty of chances to do so in Heimdallr.
Greetings! How fares the investigation?
If you find anything out, do come and let me know. I'm ever so curious.
We must find a way out of here as soon as possible.
Who knows what's happening in the outside world while we're here?