Part 51: The Weight of Dreams

As per usual, we can have a chat with others before the Arena battles.











After all, wherever we are, we have to keep on fighting. For losers, there is only despair. I must keep on winning... forever.
Because that's the only way Kushina and I can be together.
I think we're gonna see each other again.

Ya think so, Vieg?

Does that mean you think we're going to win?
Who knows? Guess we'll find out soon enough.
Yorath... He's hard to figure out, but I believe I have a chance of winning.
In my estimation, he and I are basically equal, so the key will be our partners. Between Cyllis and Kushina, I'd say Kushina has the advantage.
We WILL win. We must.













...That's right. Because I don't want Ayuta to die.
I'd protect Ayuta no matter what, even it meant havin' to take every single precious life in the world.
I guess, for you, love trumps everythin'.
Your hands are shaking. You've never fought people before, only monsters, right?
If I make it back from this round, I don't know if I'll be able to face little Ohm again...
But my mind's made up. My path is set.
Huh. Women sure are... strong.

Well, that was interesting, onwards to Yorath and Cyllis.













Wait, what?

Is yours a family of warriors?
Something like that. My children and I cannot escape our fate. It is the path I chose myself...
But I have been thinking lately.
Is it really true? Was it really the best choice? Is she really right?
Perhaps my children suffered the whole time...
Are my children and hers really all that different?
Cyllis... That's enough.
I... I apologise.
But little Ohm was truly magnificent. My thinking changed a bit after seeing him.
Such a hard, difficult thing... but somehow beautiful and true, as well.
Of course, the crossing of something good with something good results in something better. That is only natural.



Right, Piu-Piu it is then.









I guess he's talking about his past as a scientist being partially responsible for this whole Ark Arena mess...

Well, he does have some new equipment for us at the moment...









And one last visit to the bedroom...





Finally, there is nothing else left to do...





























What!? We can't do that!
I've been watchin' your swordplay lately, and I've been itchin' to test ya out.
When I heard we'd be facin' off, I thought, now's my chance! Ye're the only one worthy of being my opponent.
Just think about it! A battle where one millimetre, a single second, decides victory or defeat.
You're crazy, Olgar!
What about our families? I thought you had a plan!
...Ya've changed.
Ya used to be like a beast, a killer that constantly needed a fresh supply of meat.
That's why I took ya under my wing.
Ya can't rely on other people to save ya. And ya can't go cryin' to yer womenfolk, either.
But I changed because of all of you! I don't have any regrets, either!
C'mon. It's a simple contest to see who's stronger. Whoever's left standin' at the end--you or me--is the winner.



Fight it is then, I guess. Luckily it's a pretty easy one.



Just normal attacks do decent damage to him.



His accuracy is not that great, so he'll often miss.

And so it goes until we are interrupted by a cutscene.













If ya fight me for real, what? Ya'd beat me?
Poor boy. Ye're delusional.
Don't underestimate me too much, Olgar.
Oh, I dunno. I think maybe I overestimated ya. I have to say, I'm disappointed.
Ya've changed, and ya "don't have any regrets"? Ya've grown weak, my friend, is all.
Weak? True, you're very good. But I don't feel like there's such a big difference between us anymore, not like there used to be.
Listen to ya talk.











And soon enough we do.

















But Olgar attacks the executioner...



















And we go straight into another battle, this time against the executioner! Luckily we get fully healed in between so it's not too bad.















This one can be just a touch hard, depending on your level. At our level, we can do about 400-500 HP damage to him, while he does about 600-800 to us. Considering our max HP, this obviously means no pair attacks as we can't afford both characters to be out of action at the same time. Instead the character with the higher HP will attack, while the other will use the turn to heal, thus keeping the pressure on.









And so the battle continues. Apart from normal attacks, it also has one other move which reduces both characters' HP to 1; this is not too bad, you just need to spend a turn healing everybody--but be careful that your characters are faster than him, otherwise one will be dead in next turn which is much bigger of a problem!



In any case, soon we are done here.

We'll see what happened to those two later, for now let's check out the outcome of the fight in the other Arena...



Well then. Guess Cyllis and Yorath won, it seems.





































































Uh, is this what they normally call "An ominous Save Game prompt"?

Or, in the words of Luke Skywalker, "I have a bad feeling about this" kind of thing?

* * *

In the meantime, then, please join me in saying goodbye to Ayuta and Kushina...



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