Part 21: Chapter XX: The Chains of Fate

Well, generation two's final dungeon. The key thing here is to get some nice Darkness-based skills (Grand Cross, Blood Siphon, and Dark Matter, along with normal skills like Nightmare, Black Mist, and Dark Flame) and go to town. The vast majority of the enemies here are weak to Darkness, with only one (the Dark Master), able to absorb it. And even then, they don't show up until late in the dungeon, along the southern points and near the Event point, Global Conflagration.

But anyway, it's time for the final showdown against Danaos. Severed fate



I apologize...

You are nothing like your mother. You have inherited neither her beauty nor her wisdom. If it wasn't for you being born, she would've survived. Yes, I can find as many replacements for you as I need.

Father! For you, I've-

Don't you dare call me -father-! You are just the filthy offspring of a degenerate who used your mother and then left her to die. Your birth is what killed her. You should never have been born! You are the cause of all of this. Know that your life has no value and that you do not deserve to live!

No...

Now you see this piece of shit for what he is. Do you understand?

...

I will see to your end after I kill the rest.

Danaos, why are you doing this?

I want to destroy this old world that is beholden to the whims of the gods and create a new one. Creation has its foundations in destruction. Therefore, the power required to destroy was needed.

What will you do after you destroy the world? I do not believe that you will be able to create a new world using only the power of destruction.

A high elf... A child of the gods. You, who has never known hardship or deprivation, cannot even begin to understand.



Despite your bluster and posturing, I think you're losing your nerve.

And Fiona's life hasn't been nearly as idyllic as you want to believe.

And what will you do once you've resurrected Summerill and used him to destroy the world? Danaos, please think this over. Give up the artifact and join with me in atoning for our sins by making this world a better place for all.

You are the one who should be reconsidering their choices. Yumil, you and your brother were foolish, but useful. Much more so than that imbecile over there. It is for that reason that I am willing to allow you to continue living.

Danaos...

Then how about the rest of us? We did help out gathering all of the materials, after all.

If you wish, then it will be alright to let you live. As my obedient slaves.

What a deal. Danaos' slaves in a devastated hellscape ruled by Danaos and Summerill. Or just Summerill, given his penchant for staying on the same side.

We refuse. Your plans stop here. You should beg for the forgiveness of the gods for the numerous sins you've committed.

We will not allow you to resurrect Summerill. Even if it means giving up our lives.

As guardians...you should choose your words with more care! How dare the likes of you, who blindly obey the gods to the detriment of others, question me?! It is you guardians who are evil! When will you realize that you and your gods are a plague to this world?!

I am here because I have learned that very lesson. I am here to pay for my mistakes, as well as yours!

Being a guardian has very little to do with anything. For me, I'm here to fight for those who wish for the happiness and acceptance that was denied to me. That is all that's left to me.

Danaos... Though you've been corrupted by the artifact, it was my brother and I who allowed it to happen. I will atone for that sin myself. But first, I will stop you, Danaos!



I... I...will stop my father...! I feel that I should repay him for helping me survive and raising me up 'til now.

Trying to preserve your memories of him while they're still positive, huh? Whatever. Beats the hell out of my situation. I don't remember a damned thing about my father. Well, I guess having the memory of my time with these guys is more than enough.



To think you'd try to resurrect a creature such as Summerill is beyond mere foolishness. Being cast into the deepest pit in the world is far too good for one who'd deceive the gods. However... In this case, it is suitable. Especially as the world of the gods is far more luxurious than here. Now then...it is time for you to die.

All of you... Speaking as if you know anything... I will rend you to pieces and feed you to the demons myself!



Danaos...Danaos, Danaos, Danaos... He's a pretty damn hard fight. Besides the main course, you have to deal with two Goblin Mages, and the final Garvel of the game. Since Goblin Mages are pretty much the game's designated punching bag, obviously you want to take those guys to pieces as soon as possible. The reason you want someone who can Rare Steal (Mervina with Photon Raid can also group rare steal) is that Danaos has the game's second Divine Crest, and you want that puppy.

Danaos himself takes 25% more damage in Burst, but takes only 65% in Stun. He has a lot of HP, and his INT is through the roof. He'll be throwing out status effects like crazy, like Blindness and Paralysis. Every now and then, he'll use Deadly Dance, which has the most unfortunate side effect of frequently causing instant death. In addition, he's the first enemy of the game who has both physical and magical counterattacks. He's a real piece of work.



But for all his supposed intelligence, he has made an error all too many have made before: getting Weiss into critical. Something weird about the AI in this fight is that they *really* hate formation leaders. Eva has been KO'd twice, and both times she was the formation leader. While it's certainly not a guarantee, the AI goes after the formation leader like 8 times out of 10. However, this also means that the enemy elected not to go after Weiss.

It is time to see just what kind of power the man who slew the divine can muster against that same might.





All hail the victory of the forces of light. Evil has suffered a humiliating defeat this day, and Summerill shall never rise again.

Honestly, that's just the way things seem to be going with Weiss this playthrough. Rile just tears enemies limb from limb, and I was especially lucky this time, since Danaos didn't really have any time to dig in with EX Skills, or devastate my team with his Original Skills. I was a smidgen worried Danaos' incredibly high evasion would resist most of my physical strikes, but Weiss' formation bonus and Hunter more than punched through that. As a note, I included Danaos' second Original Skill for posterity in the battle video. It uh, hurts. His first Original Skill, called Gust Drive or something, is just Carnage Devour without the added part where he floats into the air and slams some sort of energy ball down.



M-My arm...! My artifact!

Finally, with this it's all over, right?

You... With all of that power at your disposal, why do you think to revive a god? Your father Weiss was a servant of the gods until despair overcame him and he killed one of them.

You... How do you know about that?

*Chuckle* Before I grew to hate and despise them, I sacrificed everything and dedicated myself to their service. Just like your father. However, despite all that I gave up for them and no matter how hard I prayed, not once did they ever do anything to reward my faith in them. With that said, I asked myself what I could do to take things into my own hands? If I were to become a god in my own right, I could perform the miracles the current gods have denied us!

Are you about done, yet? Then die.



Mervina...take up that...artifact...and...revive...Summer...ill...



Unfortunately for you, that's not going to happen.

What...do you...?!

Dad, what're you doing?!

This will ensure that no one else can just pick it up. I should be able to carry it safely, right?

Yep. Jainus is going to be taking possession of Danaos' artifact. No spiffy new abilities, though. Actually using the damn thing would have untold consequences, so Jainus is just going to be holding on to it.

Why did I get stuck with an idiot father?!

And with this, the artifact is now mine.

You...!

Sorry, but as I don't believe in miracles I have no intention of wasting time trying to perform any.

Mervina...kill...him... Take the artifact... The...artifact...



And with that, Danaos meets his end, never understanding why Mervina switched sides in the first place.

Father... In your last moments, why couldn't you think of me as your daughter...and call me such...

Did you want to be with him?

...I don't know... Maybe, I...

Damn, the two of you are seriously freaking annoying. Why waste time trying to create a whole new world when you can just change the one you live in?

Change...the world?

You couldn't stand beside that bastard. That's why you're still here. Give up on recreating the world.

All right, we should be going now.

...



So, the second generation is for all intents and purposes over. However, we still have one last round of commissions. First is a batch of the bodies of 8 Liliuems, 3 Ravanas, and 3 Galeasses. Next batch is 12 Angels, 2 Dark Masters, 3 Freyas, and 1 Mucrane. By going through Calicai, you should have fulfilled a number of those. However, the Mucrane is a rare encounter in the southern areas of the volcano. Shouldn't take you too long to find it.

Ending the generation, you shouldn't have any open commissions. Now that Mervina is on our team, there's a number of scenes with her in town, as well as a handful of other scenes. The one directly plot-related one is in the Warrior's Soul. If you'll recall the second bonus video last update, he wanted us to bring the artifact back to have him destroy it. That is not exactly what happened...



You... What are you doing?!

Well...I mean... This was the only way to transport it safely...

You... Do you know what you've done?!

Y-You don't need to shout at me like that. I was pretty sure that it wouldn't come off. But even if I can't get it off, it still can be destroyed, right? You should still be able to do so, or am I totally wrong?

Gah, what you've done goes beyond stupidity. I can't destroy this artifact.

You can't destroy it? What do you mean?

I mean exactly what I just said.

That really doesn't inspire much confidence, especially coming from you, of all people. I guess it's safe to say that GIdeon was far more skilled than you.

Who knows? It's not like we can be compared to each other anymore.

What can we do now?

I'm not saying that it can't be destroyed. However, it's not something I can do now. In order to destroy that artifact, I will need -Calinou's Hammer-.

Again, going back to the first game. The party, getting annoyed by all the demons coming after Winfield's Bracelet of the Covenant, and wanting a way to prevent Summerill from regaining his power should the forces of darkness retrieve it, wanted a way to destroy the Bracelet itself. They were made aware, however, something so powerful cannot be destroyed by anything other than Calinou's Hammer.

Then all you need to do is make that Calinou's Hammer real quick, yeah?

Don't be so quick to display your ignorance. Calinou's Hammer is an artifact in its own right. It's not something that can be turned out on a moment's notice.

But you can make it, right?

Well, yeah... However, I do not have the materials required to do so.

Then we will go out and gather them for you.



What do you mean by impossible?

To make that artifact will require the use of rainbow shards.

I'm sure we can convince Ordine to arrange for us to have a few more of them. I mean, she and I are friends after all.

Really, how can you still be stupid at your age?

No, it'd be impossible for anyone to obtain them. There are a finite number that can exist at once. It'll be a hundred years or more until they can be obtained again. Once formed, there will never be any more until the current rainbow shards are lost or consumed. And don't ask me why, okay? I don't have a clue.

Does that mean that Jainus has to stay as he is?

Yeah.

Well, that won't be a problem. I doubt my idiot father would abuse the artifact's power.

Wait a sec... Actually, you're spot on, so it's hard to argue with you.

...

So it seems like it's a non-issue, then.

You idiot! It's not that simple. While the artifact will give you incredible powers, it will drain your life in return for its gifts. Once his life force has been consumed, the wielder of the artifact will turn into a demon. In fact, you're probably feeling that very thing happening to you as we speak.

...

No... Then, what should we do?! Like this, Jainus will...

All that anyone can do now is bet on his strength of will. If the power of the artifact is somehow limited and contained, he'll be able to live that much longer. And as long as it is in his possession, he will stop aging. If his arm is cut off, he will immediately be freed from the influence of the artifact, but... Whether he'd actually be able to survive something like that is a question only the gods can answer.

You idiot! Why did you have to do something so stupid?!

Jude, stop it.

Don't tell me what to do, Schwarz.

Jeez, it's like we've suddenly switched roles. There's nothing we can do about it now, so there's no use yelling about it, is there?

...

Jainus, should the time come, either me or my kid will stop you using this sword.



Shit!

Jude, wait!

Great, what a wonderfully pointless irritation you've added to the mix.

Everyone shuffles out...

You aren't going to leave with them?

Anything I say now would be counter-productive. More importantly... Seeing the look on your face when you asked us to bring the artifact to you, I decided right then that there was no way in hell I was going to hand it over to you... Turns out I made the right decision, huh?

...

Gordon, can I ask something?

What?

How were you planning on destroying the artifact? You said yourself that only Calinou's Hammer was capable of such a thing.

It's none of your concern.

No, it is most definitely my concern. I am the owner of this artifact, after all. Tell me, how can it be destroyed?

... Knowing won't do you any good, but if it'll satisfy your curiosity, then I'll tell you.

Thanks.

In order to destroy the artifact-

Although it's nearly a half hour long, the scenes with Fiona and Mervina in Domicil's Great Tree are a couple of really nice scenes. The Fiona one gets covered normally, and then one final scene with Vanessa.



What makes you come here when something bad happens?

This thing has been here forever, or at least it's been here since before the town was founded. That's not the only reason; there's just something special about it. I don't think anyone could forget seeing it. Even if it were to fall into decay, its existence wouldn't be forgotten until everyone who saw it died. But maybe those who come here do so for the opposite reason. They might come here to have it remember that they once lived, that they were a part of the world. I bet that the others who come here are like me and have no confidence in themselves.

You might be right about that. Like you, I will eventually... Maybe that's why I often find myself drawn here. You know, Weiss told me something very similar to what you just did. He said that as long as well remembered him and the others, they'd stay alive in our hearts and minds forever.

Will I ever be free from that asshole...?

I see... You still resent Weiss, don't you...?

It'd be a lie if I said I didn't, but children can't choose their parents, after all. I have no choice but to accept things as they are, right? Well, things haven't been as bad as I thought they'd be. I've been able to do pretty much whatever I wanted. Of course, that's the reason why I turned out to be such a jerk, so I have no one to blame but myself. I've been living for myself; never considering the feelings of others, seeing women merely as things. But if I can summon the courage to face my mistakes and somehow make amends, do you think I have a shot at redemption at all?

I believe that is entirely up to you. I know that everything that you've done was done for the sake of us and others. You may have pushed things a little far a great many times, but you've never really crossed the line.

Maybe... I don't know. The only thing that I've really learned from this whole debacle is that the god or whatever was either unwilling or unable to face his faults or change his ways, leaving he, she, or it no other alternative but to blow the world to hell.



I won't forget you. Neither will the others.

So that I will live on forever...just like my dad and my mom...? Thank you...Fiona.

I have to thank you as well, Schwarz. You taught me, in your own way, how precious life can be...and so many other things as well. You used to be so tiny... You've grown so much...

Speaking of size, you're way too little to be my mom. But your size doesn't change the fact that you are, Fiona. I guess I can safely leave the rest to you.

You can count on us. So...

Don't worry; I'll keep fighting right up until the end just like you, Fiona.

Good...

And that's not even the most event this update. The penultimate scene of the second generation with Vanessa is probably my favorite in the game. To cherish those you love

What are you doing out here?



Stop being such a spineless wimp, unless of course you -want- to die. You need to pull yourself together. Your death would really screw things up for me.

You wouldn't be able to seal the power of the god?

Exactly.

No matter what we do, we'll always be slaves to Eva's whims, huh? Doesn't that frustrate you at all?

Frustration...? I haven't felt frustration in many a moon.

I find that impossible to believe, especially coming from an arrogant berk like you. We're both going to wind up dead anyway, so why not fight her?

You may be thinking "berk" is just a misspelling of "jerk", but you'd be wrong. Apparently it's British slang for a fool or a dope, a slur along those lines. Sometimes the localization team makes weird choices.

If I could choose how I'll die I would, regardless of everything that's been forced on me. But I don't even get that luxury.

You never know. It may be just all in your head.

I wish that was the case. I can actually feel it churning inside me... The power of Eva's precious god trying to break free. If I lose control, I can easily imagine this power obliterating the world just as it would do to me. Although it'd make things a hell of a lot easier on me. I might even be freed from all of this pain should it happen... But that'll never happen, will it? I know that it's my duty to be the Spirit Vessel and be sealed away, and unless I go through with it all, the world will come to an end.

You're...you're scared, aren't you? That you'll cease to be -you- once you're sealed... And that you carry the power that could destroy the world...

Scared?! Of course I'm scared! If I fail in my mission, the power inside me will destroy the world. But if I succeed, my existence will be wiped from the universe, like it was supposed to be since the moment--no, even before I was born. And if it's all true, then why was I shat out into the world in the first place? Just to be a sacrifice? I shouldn't even be here, but I've been fighting just to live. Why, if I'm going to vanish in the end? What's the point...?! Goddamn it all...!



You should've just been honest with me from the start. Seriously, why the drama? There's no shame in trying to comfort one another if it'll help us heal... Also, what's so bad about learning that neither of us is alone...? The power inside of me cost my family and my home.



I mean, look at that smile. You can't hate her, right?

I'm probably the only one who feels this way, but... I will protect those around me from harm, no matter what. If it means my life so be it, because there is nothing more painful than to lose those you love. But then again, don't you feel the same? Don't you want to protect Fiona, Jude, Jainus, and even Eva...? Aren't they your family? Aren't they the reason you're trying to come to terms with your cursed fate?

...

So I will accept that I have this power...and that I was responsible for the death of my family. So, please let me protect them together...people you and I both love...



Fiona's affection takes a hit, but Li Ra-Lua's affection goes up, Vanessa hits max affection, and even Eva's goes up. Though, I suspect she has reached a slightly different conclusion from Schwarz's tone than the way Vanessa took it...

*Giggle* ...That's so like you. I don't entirely dislike your stubbornness, you know.

It's not like I'm trying to win you over or anything.

Of course not. I was just telling you how I felt, but ignore it if it makes you feel better.

Go right on ahead. I just hope you won't regret volunteering to be a Maiden of the Pillar later.

I've already wasted enough time on regrets...



Is that so? Then do whatever makes you happy.

I will.

That scene is just so sweet. Speaking personally, there are few simple joys in life greater than making a girl smile and / or laugh. Vanessa was just so happy in this scene to be able to tell someone how she's felt for a long time now. She loves her fellow Pillars, who have to bear the same weight and responsibility she does and have always been with her. She loves Schwarz, who has to sacrifice so much and has always lived with the pain he never knew his mother or father.

But more importantly, she loves everyone in the group. They've gone on so many journeys together and accepted her and all her baggage. She's lashed out at Schwarz and Eva harshly, but they've always been with her and fought alongside her. She's worked together with everyone to bury her past and begin building a future she can believe in. She started as the most hate-filled member of the party, but now she is full of nothing but love.

And that makes me more than you can believe. It's been a nice 180 from the start of the generation, right? Schwarz complaining bitterly and full of resentment toward everything, but most especially Weiss, and now he's in a completely different spot.

Well, that's the end of Schwarz's adventure. Normally I wouldn't bother with the generation's hot spring scene, but let's send the girls out on a high note, and there's nothing horrible in it. The location Duke gives you is near Aegisthus' Gaja Portal. A relaxing prelude to the end...