Part 114: We are the Demons

Entry 105: We are the Demons

Back in the first world, we were pursued by the Eternians every step of the way. How the tables have turned.



Our flying fortress traverses the dimensions, swooping in and effortlessly picking off Eternian troops before moving on in an all-consuming void of light.



We have confidence borne of knowing the locals depend on us, given the competence of their own defenses, such as this fellow, guarding the harbor while the ocean's rotted.



Our goal here in Eisenberg: the Black Blades.

I've received orders from the Lord Marshal. He's chosen to wage the final battle in Eternia.

Meaning...?

We're to abandon Eisenberg?

Aww, and after I worked so hard to make a name here?

......

I am to take back with me all troops who wish to pull out. That extends to the Black Blades, and the Swordbearers, too.

What do you know? Just like with Ancheim and Florem, the region's troubles were already ending before we arrived.



But we're going to say hello anyway, even though at this point it's just a distraction from the game's true enemies.

Aye aye, captain!

I have no doubt the Shieldbearers will catch wind of this. Expect the pursuit to be fierce!

Great! When's curtain call?

What effect does it have to take characters who seemed semi-serious in the first half of the game and make them ultimately inconsequential?



All these conflicts seemed so important at one point. Now...



Now the fish we'll have to fry in the main plot are much bigger than a simple civil war.



The party enters Starkfort right through the front, chatting with the guards along the way as usual.

~Meanwhile~



Again, it isn't as though the party's even accomplishing anything here. The Eternians are already leaving. We're just coming to harass them on the way to their ship.

So, how many troops are we taking back to Eternia?

Of the Black Blades, one hundred twenty-one, and of the Swordbearers, seventy-eight.

Out of the four thousand Swordbearers here, less than eighty elected to join us?

Why are we doing this? Revenge for past worlds?



Or are the party's actions only mindlessly echoing what was once relevant?

How our numbers have dwindled.

Perhaps it's their way of seeking forgiveness for worlds left in havoc by our misguided attempts to fix the chasm?



It may be unnecessary at this point, but for the party, it's more assuring than dealing with the crystals yet again.

He leads a force of some thirty thousand! And his officers Steiner and Neuer are each leading forces ten thousand men strong!

Gah! A total of fifty thousand!? That's ludicrous!

Seems the entire Shieldbearers force has come to see us off. I'd not expected them so soon.

Goodman leads an offense to distract from the party's sneak attack.



It works.

And do what, pray tell?

Deliver a parting farewell to the good Commander Goodman.

They have five hundred times your number!

You underestimate the Blades' prowess.



This is Kamiizumi's big chance to try out some Art of War stuff he read about once.

Besides, we needn't wipe them out. I aim only to buy the time to retreat.

Barbarossa, you've command till I return. Stay sharp--my student knows to seize any chance she's given.

Aye, Captain! Don't keep us waiting long!

I'm sure Goodman will see through Kamiizumi's strategy, whatever it is.



Haha ha ha... No but seriously, we'll be lucky if the Shieldbearers don't get themselves killed.



After Kamiizumi leaves, the hidden party continues watching...



...and prepares to strike.

Yessir, sir!





"Blend in with the locals" -- that's one of the big rules of being a ninja, right?

Welcome, daughter of the grand marshal! And you, Lady Vestal! Your crew is looking well.

A pity we're in the midst of a pullout. I fear we can't offer much in the way of hospitality.

Lucky for us, we're taking on just four instead of all five Black Blade leaders at once.



The major gimmick in this battle is, once you KO one of the other four, Kamiizumi joins in.



This means more characters to fight! Also more dialogue options to miss.



First Division of the Eternian Forces!

Till such time as our captain returns, you'll face me. Now fight, you scallywags!

Even with four instead of five, this is not a straightforward fight.



It's largely a battle of musicians due to importance of BP for damage dealers.



Praline doesn't obey normal laws of BP, so Slow World will majorly backfire here, while Hasten World is a big help.



On the damage front, Qada will use this attack regularly, based on damage dealt to him. Until it comes time to KO Qada, avoid damaging him.



In the case you do accidentally damage him, you can use a heal to bring down the damage of his attack.



Kairai to redirect bulk of damage to tanky characters is, as always, a great way to nullify single-target attackers.



...And lastly, Stillness is the most overpowered ability in the game.



Because Kamiizumi doesn't enter until one of the others is KO'd, he has no 1/10 line. The other 1/10 lines:

..................

Ohhh, rude! You big meanie!

Scarcely felt that one. Barely a scratch!

All five have lines at critical health. Qada's:



............!!

I don't think so, my little friends!

Everyone, all together now! A-one and a-two...!

Foolish child! Did you expect it to end so easily?

Finally, KO lines.



The first person to get KO'd will have Kamiizumi's entrance to the fight cut off any responses from others. For instance, normally this line would get a response from Barbarossa:

Exit, stage left! Know when to bow out, lass!

But since Praline is first to be downed, Barbarossa's line is replaced by Kamiizumi entering and saying:



Other exchanges if Kamiizumi's entrance doesn't get in the way are Kikyo and Praline:

..............................!

Kikyo, retreat! Retreat now!

Barbarossa and Qada:



All brawn and no brains. Clear the way, you oaf!

Qada and a bit of humanity from Kikyo:

Gaaah! I'll not die here... I'm pulling back!



In addition, everyone has a response to Kamiizumi getting KO'd, but only one person's line will trigger per battle.



Captain, it's time! You've done enough!

For example.

And of course on top of this, there are separate lines for getting KO'd with no one to respond:



Ha hah! I stand in awe of your battle skills!

To cap this battle off, there's one special line if you put in extra effort and down more than one Black Blade at once before Kamiizumi enters.



...So let's take down all four starting Black Blades with the same attack.



The field is empty. But just as the party's about to leave asterisk space...



This clever commander returns from evading an army.



Yes, you're down to all of one, including yourself. Pretty mild reaction to the party's attack, but we know how Kamiizumi is. He's a chill guy.



Eventually the party gets sick of playing around and lets the Black Blades escape, though according to D's Journal (entries below) the Eternians are actually cool and great and so powerful they just let us off easy.

All present and accounted for?

Aye, only two injured, against fifty thousand men. You're a tough old dog to be sure, Captain!

The enemy did not expect a counterattack. No sooner did we strike than they turned and fled.

Their casualties scarce outnumber our own. We did little more than sow a little chaos.



Somewhere off in the distance: Well, golly! Gosh darn!

Let's leave him to it. Set a course for home.

Are you sure, Captain? No parting words for your old student?

As I said, she's quick to seize a chance. We'll see her soon enough in Eternia.

Compared to the other divisions, the Black Blades seem fairly unchanged from previous worlds.



Barbarossa is hearty, Kikyo is quietly loyal, Praline is peppy, and Kamiizumi is his usual stoic self. Qada is probably also the same, just being kept occupied with less destructive activities at the moment.

What I think Kikyo means to say is, "Hurry up, you two!"

Heh hah har! Alright then, off we go!

Their evils, Qada aside, were always less absolute and more circumstantial, rooted in keeping the violence of the civil war going. Once redirected towards other activities, such as Praline singing on Grandship, they're fairly normal people.



With the Black Blades gone, talk in Hartschild points to the war ending soon. We leave Goodman to regain his dignity by sweeping things up.

Last target: Vampire Castle.



Speaking of plot and characters, look at this unhelpful nerd.



He exposited about his own background in the first world, but there's so much more he could tell us.

Instead he invites us to battle, again.



But once you enter combat, you get an unexpected visitor.

Sage... I trust you to contain yourself... Dreary as it is, I prefer my castle standing.

Both of these two know more than they're letting on in the main chapters, if the Finale's anything to go by.



...In theory, at least. Hm hm hm!

What!?

They've known about Airy from the start. They also knew about the multiple dimensions. Did each iteration of them get the same info from the angel? Hard to say, since they've avoided saying anything but the bare minimum to the party despite us being the apparent source of their big prophecy.



This battle may only be against the two, but it's still easy to die if you aren't prepared.

My strategy here ended up being stupidly simple: Blood Thirst to drain HP.



We got all these speeches about how these two old guys waited so long for the prophecy, dedicated everything to stopping it. Then the party finally showed up with Airy. And in the moment these two had prepared for for over a thousand years, they did nothing.



Scratch that: DeRosso told us he's bored and Yulyana attempted to pressure the girl who looked like the angel into a skimpy swimsuit.

Subsequent worlds went slightly better, but here we are, still fumbling around beating up a bunch of unrelated people instead of actually figuring out how to stop the Great Evil.

1/10 lines:

You wouldn't harm an old man, would you? Wait, you just did!

It will take far more than that to make me kneel!

Critical health lines:

Do not think you'll vanquish me with the likes of that!

How intriguing... You do not fail to amuse!

KO Yulyana first:



Welp, nothing for it but to run! Good luck handling the rest, Your Lordship! Hoo ho ho ho! *exits*

First he barges in, then he leaves early... Capricious as ever...

Followed by DeRosso:



Or start with DeRosso:



Oh? That was fast. Starting to show your age?

And end with Yulyana.



There is no followup scene, but on exiting to the world map:



It appears Braev has finished assembling his troops.

As you might expect, the battles this chapter took some time to compile, even with skipping a few KO lines. Massive props to GiftedACIII on Gamefaqs for putting together a handy list of how the Chapter 8 battle dialogues work. Sailor Nemesis's efforts have also been a big help throughout, and their guide is pretty darn thorough for anyone looking for help on their own playthrough.


Next: Braev's Grand Plan.

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Event Viewer
Sub-Scenario:
The Black Blades Muster
The Battle of Eisenberg
The Retreat from Eisenberg