Part 45: Update XLII - Featuring: A boss we killed two chapters ago

Update XLII - Featuring: A boss we killed two chapters ago

Music: Ladyin - Spiral Ruins


This floor just has the High Dragon.



There's a lot of broken segments to jump over.



That path leads to the dragon.



But I can still try to skip past it.





Figured as much.

Also there is clearly a cat hanging out with the High Dragon.



As a reward for their quick study, Team 3 can take care o-wait.



They didn't.



Oh my fucking god its just Mayhem.

I guess it's fossilized, so that would make it a High Dragon Mayhem Fossil...? Has it been lurking around here for the past 20,000 years...?



Jil and I will protect Lady Ulania and Lady Emel!

We will be counting on you, Unit 13! Sailas, you stay behind me, too!

Let me see what you've got, Unit 13...!



Pay no mind to the fact that Cladeon is quite literally the furthest possible point away from Ladyin. Gotta save those pennies somehow!

Video: VS Mayhem Fossil
Music: Battlefield - No. 7 Incursion




Mayhem Fossil gets the same intro animation as the original.





Vivian and GEORGE! set up.



Hold on, why is Thomas using an AOE move on a single enemy? Did I fumble an input?

No, actually, I did this for a very good reason:



See, what the game does absolutely nothing to mention is that the Burn on Volcano is... slightly different.

By which I mean that instead of cutting ATK/MAT/DEF/MDF by 10%, it cuts them by 30%. A 10% debuff is already extremely good in VFD, so tripling the cut makes Volcano absolutely absurd! And since I can combine Bomb Scatter and Destructive Sweep, Thomas will be nearly guaranteed to land it once everything is maxed out.



AI-wise, Mayhem Fossil is almost identical to Mayhem, however it has picked up a single new move in Silver Flash, and AOE attack that attempts to inflict Paralysis.



The power of Volcano's super Burn is already showing itself, with Mayhem's damage being dropped to a measly 25 against a squishy Mage.



I forgot I already did one for this, so have some more Bomb Scatter!



With all the focus on leveling Volcano, Thomas is just shy of maxing out Recover, so I push through the poison.



It was at this moment that I remembered that Mayhem will always use Imperial Wrath to clear any ailments on it.

Eh, the Burn was good while it lasted.



Just like Mayhem, Fossil sets up Dragon Action at the start of turn 3.



Also just like Mayhem, I immediately break it.



Volcano's Burn fails to land, and then Aiden sticks his, stopping Volcano from working until it falls off.



But that doesn't matter too much here.





Because come on now, it's Mayhem. We chumped this guy ages ago!





Music: Finish Them Off


Music: Ladyin - Spiral Ruins




Haha... Hahahaha! So this is the strength of humanity...! We're coming for you, Haze!

Hwahhh!?





And then some random cube thing!



It just rises out of the ground!

What is the matter, Sailas? Did you find something?





This place was the control center for our waterways. That device could have been used for that...

Can I have it!? Please, please, can I have it!?



U-Um...

You insolent fool! Step away from Lady Ulania!

Sailas... you're scaring her. Women don't like men who are too pushy, you know?

What do you plan on using that device for, Sailas?

Teeheehee~! To reseal Haze, obviously! Haze hasn't completely broken free from within its Dragonslayer prison, right? In that case, all we have to do is reverse the entropy flow from the outside and reseal it again. It's theoretically possible, but the seal is a very tricky thing to handle. Having said that, I could prove my theory with this device~!

I'm sorry, what?

Resealing it is pointless... All dragons... must die.

How does a waterway control device allow you to reverse entropy!?

Have you been disregarding the laws of thermodynamics, Ulania?





Emel walks off.



It is not a problem, Ms. Brijilt. These ruins belong to Eden. If there is something here that can help you, feel free to take it.

Yesss! That's what I like to hear~! I'm~! So~! Pumped~! Up~!









Seriously, this cat has just been hanging out with a High Dragon. It gives zero fucks.



With that, we can head to the next floor.





Ah, there she is.





And Aytel too!



Ah, there she is! Our mystery woman~!



My sister... Emel?

This girl must truly be...

Correct. She is my Hypnos counterpart... Aytel.

But... why is Commander Emel's sister in such a place...?

Do you want to know why?

I think I know why...



Do you really want to know?

Listen well, Aytel... He is no longer here. His soul was lost when Haze was sealed. And now Haze has returned. We will surely kill it this time, Aytel... Lend me your hand!

Takehaya. She's looking for Takehaya.

No... Stop, my sister... Why would you tell me such a lie...?

Takehaya, who was her love interest in 2020.



Takehaya, who was killed by the party in 7D1 for the Dragon Chronicle.

Have you forgotten the mission entrusted to us by Hypnos!?

And who brought the party to him? Aytel herself! For the exact purpose of killing him!

Mission...? I care not for that...

So while Emel's suffering from Alien Hate Ghost, I dunno, Arthritis or something, Aytel has suddenly come down with Alien Love Ghost Dementia and has spent the past century looking for a man she should know is dead.

What!? Do you even understand what you're saying!?

My sister... The one I seek... He granted me a joy that could have lasted for time eternal... And yet now... all that remains is sadness. Will you continue...? Detesting dragons? Killing them?

Of course! My hatred for dragons will never run its course! Not until the last one is dead! I will never forgive them... Even if you won't help me... I'm going to keep killing them!









Music: Stops


Emel? You okay?





Oh no she's turning blue. That can't be good.

Lady Emel! Lady Emel! Please, get a hold of yourself! Oh, what should we do...?

Commander! What is happening to the commander!?

Looks like this in an emergency. We'd better get out of these ruins, now!

*nods*



Meanwhile...

Music: Kazan - Drowning in Petals, The Future


Things in Kazan look... different.





What...? What is happening here!?



Sailas... Do you know why Lady Emel is like this?

Hmm~... The Hypnos sisters exist as incarnations of a strong desire or thought. That girl Aytel's thoughts seemed to be faint... It was almost as if she was beginning to disappear... Since Aytel is Emel's counterpart, Aytel's disappearance might be disrupting their equilibrium...

But Sailas! What about this blue Dragonsbane!?

Even I don't know that, Jil~! I will have to research into all of these unexpected events...

You say that, but Eden's finest research facility in Preloma is already engulfed in Dragonsbane. Not even a halfway decent facility remains in Eden now...

...



Would you let me use your era's research facilities?

Th-That is correct! The scientific power of their era created that spatio-temporal... thing!

Unit 13, the speed and strength of the blue Dragonsbane's miasma is quite dangerous. Unlike normal Dragonsbane, this stuff can damage even you. At this rate, Eden will be gone before we get the chance to defeat Haze... Furthermore, Emel's status is quite worrying... In any case, we won't be able to continue on until I get the chance to research this blue Dragonsbane.

Please... help Lady Emel!

Opal... I understand the pain they feel. I cannot sit by and think of this as a minor issue. You must do something. Please...!

Opal nods.

Unit 13...!



Or what, I've already gone over the reasons you can't fire us. You can't dock Unit 13's pay either, because Nodens doesn't pay us to begin with!

Hmph... I guess we don't got much choice. Julietta's totally fawning over that four-eyes, anyways. Just hurry up and get your ass back here! Got it!?



I will take care of Lady Emel here in the guild hall. I'll be awaiting good news from you all.

Leave it to us! I will make Sailas figure this out, even if I have to slap his butt to speed him up!

Please don't~! My butt would explode if you hit it with your brutish strength, Jil~!

Hahaha! Then I suggest you finish your Dragonsbane research quickly if you want to avoid that fate!

Psh, you don't even have to tell me~! It won't be a problem with the technology from Unit 13's era!

Um... Lady Ulania. Even though it is in turmoil now, Eden is a nice place. The Federated States of Mylos, where Brijilt's from, and the Aizhen Empire, where I grew up... I will show them both to you once things have settled down.

Sorta sad how there's no one from Nevanplace in the group. Would have been interesting to see how they treat Emel after the whole 'shoving 1000 people into a soul-powered cannon to snipe Nyalasomeone' thing went down.

Thank you, Nagiri. We shall surely fulfill that promise, someday.



All of the red Dragonsbane in Kazan has turned blue.



And like Sailas said, walking in it now damages us, just like the good old days of 7D1.



It only deals 5 damage a tick, but unlike 7D1 we can't mow the lawn by walking over it, so the damage tiles are permanent.



Uber-Curious Girl: N—No... I just wanted to be their friend... *cough* *cough*

...Have you learned nothing from history, girl!? Even Mylos has learned their lesson by now!



Confident Huntsman: H-How are you weaklings fine right now!? I can barely breathe...!





Resolute Boy: Dammit... I won't forgive you dragons! Someday, I'm gonna beat all of you...!



Composed Man: Is this our punishment... for hunting dragons...?



Kazan Resident: *cough* *cough* I did not expect it to be... this painful...

~

Poor Boy: *cough* *cough* N-No... What should I do...? I don't even have money to see a doctor... *cough* I guess I'm fated to die here...



Female Huntsman: I let my guard down... To think I'd be defeated by something as simple as this... *cough*



We should check in on Emel before we head back.



...Oh that is a lot of Dragonsbane.







I'm sure she'll be fiiiiiiiiiine.

Next time: Emel is not fine.