Part 67: Update LXIV - Featuring: Dungeons and dragons

Update LXIV - Featuring: Dungeons and dragons

Music: The Daily Grind




Next on the list is...

Music: UE77 Tokyo


Kirino!

Music: Tokyo - Cascading Ordeals






The what.

After the Dragon Calamity of 2021, I was made to look over Murakumo's data and ultimately destroy it.



The what.

It was a project led by the Murakumo chief before me... The data should have been destroyed immediately, but... I couldn't do it. I saw potential there... It is near impossible to fully extinguish the fire within the mind of an innovator.

You what.

Like. Kirino Ayafumi. Two time Murakumo president. Literally helped save the world from two separate Dragon invasions. Looked at a project to create more dragons and said to himself, 'hmm, yeah that looks handy.'



I know what you mean...

Your empathy lessens the burden, but my decision was still a mistake.

~

Making dragons is horrible.

It feels somewhat nostalgic to be scolded again... No matter. I am here to separate myself from my disgraceful past.

~~

I kept the data under heavy security measures. However, when Murakumo was absorbed into ISDF, that data was seized. Using that research, they began their own project in developing artificial dragons. But... it didn't go as planned. The plan was scrapped, and the dragons destroyed. There was one dragon that managed to survive, though. That dragon is W-003. And so, I am going to defeat it. I'd like you to watch, Unit 13. If I fall here...



You plan to die...!?

I say I'm immortal, but I probably wouldn't be able to survive my body being torn apart.

~

Let's fight together!

No, this is my mistake. As the final chief of Murakumo, the blame lies with me... Kirino.

~~



So, like, how has a literal High Dragon been able to fly under the radar all this time?

It hasn't caused any trouble prior to the invasion? It didn't get picked up by our scanners when we were looking for all the High Dragons in Tokyo?





Look, for all the game tries to establish Blaster Raven as this super badass cyborg, the man has literally gotten his ass kicked every time he's been in a fight on screen.



So let's go save Kirino before he can do something stupid.



The dragon is at the very end of the Underground, natch.



So how does he fare?



Take a guess.







Take this! Blaster Final... Atta—



No.



Stand aside! I must...



This is a job for dragon hunters.

Both give the same response.

...! You are... dragon hunters...



Now, what dragon did the ISDF decide to create?

Video: VS Tiamat
Music: Battlefield - No. 7 Incursion




Oh, just fucking Tiamat, that's all! Only Fomalhaut's first High Dragon, no biggie!



Tiamat comes in with 7.1K LF, 5K below Hypnos.

Now, in 2020-II Tiamat was an absolute bastard of a boss, combining incredibly hard hitting moves and paralysis while players barely have any tools in their kit to try and deal with it.



This is not 2020-II.





Bite is just a repurposed normal attack animation from 2020-II. It's literally a normal attack that deals 1x damage.





Infuriatingly, Inoue misses out on a free React turn due to being outsped.



You all know what Valerie's here for.



Valerie still has a ways to go before she can catch up to GEORGE!, but that day will come eventually.



Since using EX gives priority, Aria is able to top off Valerie right this turn.



Oh hey I finally get a React turn.



...or not.





This should give me some more leeway.



He then proceeds to lose both his actions.



And then again next turn.





Hey, did you remember that Mage's support skill is a MAT buff?





Three times in a row.





He only got to use his normal attacks, but beyond that he keeps Dimensional Tear (Para chance nerfed from 99% to 55%), Crystal Breath, Dragon Fang, Typhoon Howl (damage buffed from 0.4x to 0.65x, Para chance buffed from 40% to 55%), and his telegraph move now gives 1.25x ATK/MAT for 2 turns.

Music: Finish Them Off


Music: Tokyo - Cascading Ordeals


Once again I have proven myself unfit to be a hero. It doesn't seem to suit me.



Fighters aren't the only heroes.

*shakes head*

...! That is true. Anyone can become a hero, as long as they do their best to help others.

~

Leave the rest to us!

*gestures*

...! You are very dependable. Maybe it's time I think about starting my retirement...

~~

A great burden has been lifted from my shoulders. Will you accept this as a token of my thanks?

You obtained 8,000 Az!

You obtained Dead Cut x1.

*sigh* Everything is all settled! Raven must take his leave now! Farewell, Blaster Kids!





And that makes five.



Music: UE77 Tokyo


We also never have to go back to the Underground ever again.



Music: The Daily Grind


Just need to take care of Yoritomo's quest and nab Vivian's EX Skill before we can finally move on to Chapter 6.





Are you feeling better?

Yes, it's no longer a problem. I'm sorry to have worried you.

~

Congrats on your recovery~!

T-Thank you... You're so easy going...

~~



I'm sorry, what.

Yuma defeated it back then, but it seems to have returned. It's not unheard of... This is an opponent that bested you once before, Unit 13. This is the perfect opportunity for you to see just how much you've grown. Furthermore... there is a private matter I wish to discuss with you. Well then, the High Dragon is at the Vermilion Tower. I'll meet you there.

They're literally just... having us go fight Spectus. No real plot reason, just here have a dragon.

...Mayhem, Mayhem Fossil, Trinnitro, Insomnia, Zero Blue, Tiamat, and now Spectus. Son of a bitch that makes seven High Dragons we have to fight, same as all the other 7th Dragon games.





Music: UE77 Tokyo




What's the Vermilion Tower?

Music: Tokyo - Cascading Ordeals


Oh, just... 2020's final dungeon.

This one doesn't even have the excuse of being an actual video game, the people of Japan just left this thing here for the past 80 years.



You know, devs, you've made it painfully clear that you're not afraid to recycle content.



Could you, like, reuse some songs from the 2020s? Please? We're literally about to move into endgame and you're still using the same songs from the tutorial dungeon.





And well... This is a special joint mission with ISDF. Hence, I want you to cut your navigator communications while we're in here.

*nods*



I appreciate that. Let's go.



The Vermilion Tower is weird.

Because, like, it is a side dungeon, so it can't have that many dragons in it. (19 compared to the 36 it had in 2020)

But it's still a final dungeon with the size to match, so you end up with a huge dungeon that's mostly empty.



Anyways.



Dragon.



Darkmorphs are the big brother of the Morph Dragons we saw in Ladyin. All their moves are the same, but Surprise Smash now has a 99% chance to inflict Blind, Ball Hop deals 1x damage instead of 1.1x with an 85% chance of Curse, and Pre-acceleration gives a 65% dodge buff.



However, GEORGE! exists, so all it can do is die.



Just north of that is a wall dragon.



Doom Lizards are Bloom Dragons that trade a Blind breath attack for a Null Action breath attack.



However, GEORGE! exists, so all it can do is die.









Also we got Deranged Deer and Evil Storms, both of which are upgraded forms of enemies we've seen in Seventh Encount. The Deer can hit someone with Confusion and Evil Storms are the same as the other ghosts.



Heading south from the Darkmorph Dragon.



Dragon.



GEORGE!.









There's an exit to the floor here. I double back to see if there's another path by the entrance-



Only to find out that I just forgot to map out a wall.



On the way back I run into this. The only thing it can do (if randoms were allowed to do anything) is hit you.











There's a two way split here.



South leads to a door.



Leading back to the other half of 1F.

...Oh god this is going to be such a pain to cover.

Next time: More dungeon crawling.