Part 64: The Satellite of Love

They headed to Sasha’s store to see if she could help with Cocona’s plan.



Sasha.
Ms. Cocona! Perfect! Please look. I've started to make a new reflection satellite!
Once finished, the absorption ratio will skyrocket up to 70%!
Really? I was actually going to talk to you about it.
Do you think it's possible to bring a torrent of Symphonic Power from Metafalica using the satellite?
In theory, yes. There's a Hymn I've been creating in my free time.
Maybe you could use it. Not as Song Magic, but as a mere vehicle of energy.
Sasha, you can even create Hymns now? That's crazy...

There was one slight issue, though.



As I said earlier, my currently technology caps it at 70%.
Can you go higher?
Well, the material the Symphonic Power reflection plate is made of has its limits. It's impossible with this.
I wish we could find better material. This is the limit of my ability.
I see. Better materials, eh?

Another issue interrupted them at this point.



Oh, not you again...
What's up? You're all together. Perfect! You guys seen Krusche?
Not today.
What happened? You two are inseparable.
Much to my dismay, we had a little fight. She's left without me.
Another lover's quarrel...
Are there any places she might go to?
Places... Hmm. Oh! I really hope she didn't go there alone!
You have an idea?
Yeah, below the Garvelt Bridge. Lower than Archia.
Why would she go there?
There's something very important to her in that place. Her very reason for fighting. I'm sure she's there!
That idiot. It's way too dangerous to go there by herself!
...Is it really that bad?
Yeah. It's a nest of broken, forgotten machines.
Broken... machines?
I can't just twiddle my thumbs here. Bye, guys!

Jack ran off like an idiot. He’s sort of well known for that. They decided to help him.



...I'm worried. Will they be okay?
...Below the Garvelt Bridge, right?
Yeah, why?
...Let's go there!
Yes!
Oh, hey! ...Boo. These folks are...
I'm worried too, Ms. Cocona.
Okay. Should we go as well?
Of course.

On the way to the bridge, Tyria was wondering exactly who Sasha was.



…So, who is that girl called Sasha?
She’s just an ordinary girl who’s a friend of Cocona’s.
An ordinary girl wouldn’t build an artificial satellite.
Plus, it seems like she’s only using everyday stuff for the materials of her crafts.
Yeah, she can even make Hymns… I haven’t thought about it, but she’s quite a wonder!
She is. Judging from our conversation with her…
She’ll surpass Kurogane as a scientist in three years or so. That’s kind of sad…
…Now I’m curious about Sasha.
Don’t throw my question back at me.

She was also concerned that everyone had spoken too soon when they agreed to help her.



…Do you have any regrets?
About saying that we’d go to the core of the planet with you?
Yes. Weren’t you just unable to resist saying such a heroic thing under those circumstances?
…I don’t blame you for not understanding, but couldn’t you misunderstand me in a nicer way?
But as time passes by, you may change your mind.
So, if you have second thoughts, I won’t hold it against you.
…
I owe you for saving Saki and Finnel.
Besides, you’re our friend now. We can’t let you go alone to such a dangerous place.
No matter what you say, I’ll never change my mind.
…Okay.
I’m very fortunate. I knew you would say that.

They managed to catch up with him at the entrance to Garvelt.



What're you guys doin' here!?
We're here to help find your partner.
If she's in such a place, we're worried about her, too.
You guys are serious? Wow, I can't believe it. You guys're like, super nice!
They're just gullible and naive.
You've caused us a lot of grief, but you saved us in Moocheriel. This is our way of paying you back!
Thanks, man!

Jack knew the way, but I understand it was still a tragically long and annoying walk.



Yep. Way down there, but the stairs are busted. There's no way to get through.
If you go up, though, there's an elevator. From there, you can go down. It's all so very Sphinx-like...

It turned out an elevator they’d found earlier was their destination.



Yeah, it's stopped. Lemme see...
Okay. It's up and running again.
How did you do that?
Krusche rigged this switch so nobody else can use it.
By the way, you said there was something important to her in this place. What is it?
...Her boyfriend's airship.
What? Her boyfriend!?
I thought you were her boyfriend.
It's...complicated.

Jack explained the situation to them.



Chasing means that he left her first, right?
Yeah. He suddenly left on his airship without so much as a good-bye.
Ever since, she's been searching for him. In this world, she finally found his old airship.
It was empty... Luke was gone. In the abandoned ship were a ton of Archian documents.
So he went to the Archia Think Tank?
That's why you've been involved with them. You're trying to get to their confidential information.
Right, but the Archians insisted that they didn't know anyone named Luke.
So we were at a loss until we finally hacked into their database...and we found out...
...How he died.
...Oh, no...
Krusche freaked. It was rare to see her like that. I didn't know what to do.
We ended up getting in this big argument. I guess I was being a little childish...
But she can't sit there and dwell on her past memories of Luke. She's gotta move on. I can't stand her suffering.
You...
Let's go.
Y-yeah.

They headed down the elevator.



Is this the broken machine graveyard?
Yeah. When all machinery gets scrapped, they're brought here to get recycled into something useful again.
That facility is below us. So, the lower we go, the more dangerous it'll be. Uncontrollable robots may attack us.
They're completely indiscriminate. They'll attack all living things without exception.

Down at the bottom they found Krusche, who was in the process of being in trouble.

Video Record- “Guardian’s Revenge”

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Hey, isn't this it!?
Shit!
Krusche!



Having a fake arm is probably a plus sometimes. Though I understand it gets expensive.



Jack!? Why are they here!?
I told ya you were way too reckless.
...Yer the one who's reckless...
Then, let's call it even.
That arm...was my masterpiece. Yer gonna pay for that.
Don't worry, I'll pay off my debt to you. Even if it takes me 100 years...
If somethin' happens to you, who's gonna fix it up again...?
...Jack...
Hey, are you alright!?
For now, but...
I'm not so sure about the other party...

That Guardian from the Rinkernator was back for revenge. Or something. I’ve stopped trying to make sense of the chain of events here.



Boss Battle: MYU mk2
This guy works just the same way as the original. He’s got huge defense, a ton of health, and similar attacks. We don’t have a time limit this time, though, so as long as you don’t let your health sink too low you’ll be fine. If he starts casting make sure your vanguards are all at about 3k health, or his Ar Tonelico v1 will wipe your party out.

They scrapped it for good this time.

Video Record- “Saving the Day”

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Damn... Looks like you took the lion's share. If this arm wasn't broken, I would've handled it myself.
What's going on? Why are you all here?
For details, please consult your partner.
Jack...
...You idiot! You came here all by yourself? Into the lions' den!? Do you know how worried I was for you!?
...I'm sorry. We got into a fight, and I felt like being alone all of a sudden. Then...I wanted to see Luke.
...Krusche.
I know he died a long time ago, but I couldn't accept it. I wanted to believe that he was still alive.
So I came all the way down here... But, Luke wasn't here. And I thought I really was all alone...
...Sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at ya. I know how much you think about Luke.
That's why I came all the way here with you, but...I don't want you to show me that face anymore.
I don't want you to chase Luke's dead shadow all over the world.
...Please smile, Krusche. I'll always be by your side. I'll never let you be alone.
...Jack...
Well, I'm the one who's making you angry all the time. I guess I can't surpass your memories of Luke just yet.
...Not necessarily. But thank you, Jack.

Helping J&K ended up helping them quite a bit as well.



Well, now we've paid off our huge debt.
Yeah... Maybe I should even owe you some change.
I'm sorry, too. Sorry for getting you all in so much trouble.
I knew you guys were a troublesome duo from the beginning, so I was sort of prepared for it.
I'm glad you two were able to reconcile.
Oh, by the way, you were talking in front of Sasha's store. Did you finish all of your business there?
...That's right! Do you know about any materials that reflect symphonic power in the most efficient way?
Oh yeah, you guys are crap creators, too!
Hey, whattaya mean by crap creators!? We're engineers! Our stuff isn't shitty!
What about Glasteria Crystals. Their reflection rate is about 95%.
95!?
Where can we get that?

It turned out to be readily at hand.



Hey, are you sure? Isn't that full of your memories?
I'm sure. I can make new memories with you, Jack.
...Krusche.
...Are you sure it's alright to take it?
Yeah. If Luke comes back to life, I'll just apologize to him.
Message: You obtained Glass Coating.

They returned to Sasha with the Glasteria.



So, is the next satellite ready?
Yes, ma'am! But I think it'll take 2 or 3 more days to launch it. I'd like you to wait a little longer.
I would feel bad if I only waited. Do you want some help? ...Aoto can be your assistant.
Why me!?
She's right. Waiting around is just a waste of time. Can't we help you? We'll do anything for you, Sasha.
Really? Then, could you please make the reflection plate you brought in? Just synthesize the recipe on the card.
Yeah, but I never thought there'd be such a big difference in technology between our two worlds.
And I never thought we would have to rely on J&K technology.
Well, if you're ever in trouble, let us know. We can give you a hand at an excellent price.
Well, see ya!

They did a few things before making the plate, though. For one, Tyria had something extremely important to bring up with the Doctor.



T-Tyria! Why do you need to ask me such an outrageous question!?
I think you’re the type of guy who’s least suitable for fundoshi underwear. Why are you wearing them?
Are you a big fan of it?
Well, no, but fundoshi makes me feel strong.
Don’t you understand? It’s like, when it’s pressed tight, my mind gets tense and I’m ready to fight.
I don’t have “that” thing, so I don’t understand what it’s like to have “that” pressed so tightly.
Oh, right… You know those tight shirts that force you to straighten up your spine? It’s like that.
When you wear one of those, you feel tense and focused, right?
…I kind of understand now.
Oh, I’m glad to hear that.
So, can you give me some feedback?
…All I can remember is your fundoshi.
…
I think the name of the move should be Fundoshi 99.
Please use that name if you like.

Tyria of course knew all about Sol Ciel in principle.



Jack is from a place called Sol Ciel.
Yeah, it seems that way.
Tyria, have you been to Sol Ciel before?
Well, I used to live there.
My home country is Elemia, the capital of Sol Ciel.
There was another Reyvateil Origin, other than me, there.
Did you guys play a lot?
I only met her twice in my entire life.
But when I first met her, she piqued my interest.
The name of the researcher was…Eleno?
She seemed very happy with that researcher. I still can’t forget it.
Oh, then what about the second time?
…She looked exhausted. That was probably because the Tower connectors had started by then.
I wonder how she’s been doing…
Unlike you, she may be a decent administrator.
…If she is happy like before, I’d be glad.

I laughed so hard when he suggested she might be a decent administrator.



I kind of want a mechanical arm like Jack’s.
Aoto, that was so random. You’re not dissimilar to me.
Well, but it’s so cool! It’s got a gun!
The first fantasy of all guys is a drill! The second is a gun! The third is to transform!
It’s like a golden combination of the second and third fantasies!
…I guess things do change. Guys from 700 years ago wouldn’t fantasize about those things.
Back then, the second dream would be the string of a shamisen. The third would be the sword cane.
…Isn’t that fantasy ranking board a little biased?
Well, then what was the first?
A drill.
…Oh, I guess guys don’t really change over time.

They also ran into Akane again. She wanted to fight just like last time.

Video Record- “Aki 2”

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Sure. Anytime.
It was quite a bit of fun. If you don't mind, how about we have another sparring session?
After our fight, I realized my weaknesses and trained harder until now to defeat you.
I'm sorry to make you do this so many times, but... Will you face me?
Sure. The result will be the same no matter what, though.
Hmhmhmm. This time, you'll not be laughing at the end.

She certainly had put time into training between the fights.



Boss Battle: Akane and Kukuro
This is pretty much just like last time, except that they both hit harder and they both (especially Akane) have a LOT more health. You do start to see their defensive stats start to become more exaggerated here as well, Kukuro takes a lot more damage from things like Ultra Supermoves and Akane a lot more from Song Magic. You should still drop Akane first or both at the same time, though, because Akane can still end the fight instantly if you group up near her.

They were still able to overcome her, though.



I told you, didn't I? That's twice in a row.
Thank you very much, sir!
No, no. Thank you.
I will keep training harder from today on. Please cross swords with me again once I am stronger.
Sure. The champ will accept your challenge any time!
Message: Obtained item ?Legend Board?.
Extra Special Image 2 added to your album.

Next time, we’ll see things approach their climax.