Chrono Cross Part #32 - Episode XXVIII: In Which Things Make a Switch...

Part 32: Episode XXVIII: In Which Things Make a Switch...

It seems the assumption the dragon statue generators were up in the floating loft were correct. General Viper and Lynx are also chilling out up here discussing ~~plans to defeat Porre~~ ~~bring peace and harmony to the land~~ ~~the nature of man's desire to seek conflict with his fellow man~~ when the hell Serge and company are going to show up.

"Then maybe you shouldn't have left the robot that piledrivers people and slime monsters in the way?"
"What fun would that be?"
"Probably slightly more fun than standing around in a dark room for a couple hours wait for us to show up, I'd think."
"He has a point... But..."

"I am rather sorry about that..."

Music: Between Life and Death

General Viper decides to go solo for this match against Team Serge. Or Lynx was busy coughing up a hairball and couldn't assist. In any case, the old leader of El Nido isn't really much of a challenge.

Viper tends to stick to physical attack combos. He can dish out around 2-4 hits in succession doing around 20-40 HP of damage a hit.

On top of that he has a couple of yellow innate techs to dish out at our party. The first of which is G-Force. G-Force begins with Viper leaping into the air and striking a dashing pose.

The he lunges forward, stabbing his victim squarely in the dick in the process. Chrono Cross enemies just cannot stand people's crotch region.

He also has the much less dick friendly Airforce attack, which simply hits everyone for some non-ball skewering yellow innate damage.

In all, Viper is a pushover and doesn't really require any strategy beyond just pounding him with physical attacks. At least he takes defeat like a champ. And hey, we're up to an even twenty stars now.

"But let us see how you do now. I shall give it my all..."

"I am afraid that just will not do, General. They already leveled up from battling you. I believe your time has ended."

Lynx teleports behind Viper and stabs him in the back for his trouble. Lynx is a cat man of principle and multi-form bosses will just not do.

"Oh, General. I murdered you in Radical Dreamers too. You really should have seen this coming sooner or later."
"Ugh... N-Nobody pl...ayed that g-game..."
"If you will not learn from the past, then you deserve this fate. Besides, I tossed a poison-tipped dagger at a person holding your daughter hostage and traveled with an entourage of monsters while claiming the end of the human world was nigh. Honestly, this could not have been telegraphed further. Need I burn down an orphanage in front of you for the notion I may have been untrustworthy to cross your mind?"
"!!!!"
"Heh. I suppose that would be a bit tactlessly unoriginal to repeat. In any case..."

"I appreciate your help, General. However, I no longer have any need for you. This fort shall serve as a fine grave marker for you and your dragoons. May you rest in peace."

"D-Damn...! Forgive...me......... Riddel....."

General Viper falls over dead...

"C'mon, Lynx!!! You're goin' down!"

"I applaud you, Kid, for refraining from blurting out ill-conceived feline pu-"
"Yer gonna need a lot more than nine lives when I'm through with yer arse!"
<sigh> "Never mind."

Music: Final Confrontation (Radical Dreamers)
Note: The usual boss battle theme plays here. Unfortunately, only a small handful of bosses get their own unique music in Chrono Cross and Lynx is not one of them. But, why waste a perfectly good boss battle theme?

Time for a rematch with our furry nemesis Lynx. Lynx hasn't gotten all that much more difficult since our last encounter with him way back in Viper Manor. His HP increased to 1000 and his physical attack strength has gone through the roof though.

Lynx has gained a few new tricks out of his magic bag. He now has a black innate Dash&Slash-esque move in GlideHook that can do anywhere from 70-100 HP of damage.

As I mentioned before, Lynx's big buff for this battle are his physical attacks which are ridiculously damaging. We're talking 50-75 HP per hit and he can do upward of a four blow combo in a single turn. But, on the bright side Lynx seems to really hate Serge's guts and focuses on him for most of the battle.

Speaking of Serge, Lynx has a rather bizarre ability in this battle to tap into Serge's element grid and use whatever elements are sitting in his arsenal. It doesn't deplete Serge's magic abilities if Lynx uses one of his spells. But, Lynx can bogard high level elements if they happened to be equipped on our silent hero. Conversely, he's kind of retarded about it and uses white innate magic that he's pretty crap with as well.

In any case, it's basically just a matter of keeping Serge healed while he pounds the fuck out of Lynx with white innate spells and physical attacks. Not really a difficult battle at all. But, buckle your safety belts. We're hitting a boat load of PLOT now that Lynx has been defeated.

But first, the 21st and final star level of Fort Dragonia and indeed the first act of the game. Knock back a shot.

"But do you really think your skills are superior to mine?"

"Sore loser!!!"

"Well, we kicked the crap out of your clone...shadow...thingies... And you yourself weren't much harder. So yeah... Pretty sure I do think that. Unless YOU are a clone shadow thing too. That would be really lame. Don't be that lame."

Lynx decides to teleport into the air and fly for the next part of his monologue.

"No... Not really... This isn't gonna be another friggin' 'you've got to get out there and do something with your life, Serge' speech, is it? Cuz my mom has given me that a dozen times. You're not my dad, furball. I don't need to hear it again from you!"

"Serge...!?"

"What has been the significance of your existence up until now?"

"Dude...I don't know... I'm 17... I hadn't really been contemplating the meaning of life, the universe, and everything. Hell, I'm lucky if I picked out what I want to wear when I get up in the morning tomorrow."

"On that ominous day 10 years ago, the boundary of space and time was torn, and part of me, in fact, died..."

"Well, you're like a cat... You got insurance, don't you?"

We are tossed into yet another flashback to the ever confusing timeline of a decade or so ago...

"Did you play the wrong flashback or something...? I drowned when I was 7... The whole panther thing was when I was like 3..."

"This is because denying me is the same as erasing your very existence."

"..."
"But I just did defeat you. What are you even talking about? You don't even know, do you?!"
"Foolish young child. You actual believe there is a connection between gameplay and cutscenes. Let me shatter your delusions of grandeur."

"This guy's full of it!"

"Huh... We'll see about that. There are two sides to every coin. Life and death...... Love and hate...... They are all the same."

"What'd you say!? Talk some sense, will ya!"

"Really, guy. Stop spinning your wheels with flowery language to make yourself sound deep. That never works."

The Dragon's Tear, which has since been precariously placed on that pedestal we've been powering up the entire dungeon, decides to butt in with another FMV.

"Serge... Seeeeerge..."

"SEEEEEEEERGGGGGGGGEEEEEEEEEE!!!!"

"Give in Serge... Give in... Serge... Embrace it... Serge... Deep inside you... Embrace it..."

"Your inner furdom!"

"No... What are you talking about...? Furdom? That's not true... That's impossible!"

Serge's shadow transmogrifies into something not entirely human in appearance.

But, luckily he soon snaps out of it and returns to normal. Huh...that was weird. At least everything seems to be kosher now...

...or not.

"I know Lynx's speech is boring and makes no sense but it ain't THAT bad."

"..."

"LYNX!!! What have you done to Serge!? Serge! You alright!?"

"I'm just fine, Kid."

"..."

Oh, for FUCK SAKE!!!

"Now's your chance, Kid! Kill him!!!"

"Yeah... I know."

"Raaw..."
Oh god dammit... I dunno how to speak friggin' CAT!

So, thanks to magic plot device fuckery Serge and Lynx have swapped bodies and Silent Protagonist Lynx is tossed into a battle against his former comrades.

Lynx has been transferred Serge's element grid, but it'll basically do fuck all good. This battle is basically impossible until New Game +. After a single round of attacking...

...the party will relentlessly kick the living shit out of Lynx before he can lift another err...paw.

It actually is possible for Lynx to win this battle in New Game +. But, it really doesn't change the outcome much. Following the fight Kid will get back up and stab Lynx, issuing grievous Cutscene Damage™ and things will continue as normal.

"Y-Yeah..."

"Now finish him. What's wrong? Settle it once and for all."

"......"

"Here, hand me your dagger. I'll finish him off."

Serge relieves Kid of her dagger for no reason other than Serge's cumbersome swallow would be harder to render a FMV with...

"WAIT!!!"

"What, Kid? He's your foe, isn't he?"

"......"

"Really feeling like a third wheel watching all this..."

"......? What are you talking about, Kid...?"

"Not once did I ever mention Lucca's name to you, Serge..."

"......!!!"

"Good guess, perhaps?"

"No... Don't tell me you're...!?"

<sigh> "I would have though one with as crude a mouth as yourself would have provided exposition regarding your 'ever so tragic' back-story by this point. A miscalculation on my part, I admit."

You can just see the gears slowly grinding in Kid's Aussie head but not quite making a solid connection.

"Oh well, this is a less punctilious method than I would like to have dealt with you. But..."

Sheesh. Who could have seen that one coming...? I mean, that was really a surprise straight out of left field.

"What is the matter? No snappy comeback? No blurting out half-baked insults? Not even a 'cat got your tongue'? Not that it would be terribly appropriate at this venture. One thing I cannot overstate my elation in ridding myself of, to be sure."

"Oi... Crikey... Shrimp on...the b-barbie... Mate... Blargh..."

"QUIET!!!"

Leena gets a Hadoken for her trouble and crumples to the ground. Evil Serge can now do Hadokens... Huh, who knew?

"U-Ugh...! Y-You're Lynx...ain't ya!?"

"A keen observation, Kid. What part tipped you off...? Heh. No matter... Heh heh heh...! I'll send you to see Lucca."

Lynx, empowered with his new teenage human body, feels himself wracked with an unforeseen consequence...

Laziness.

Music: Facing (Radical Dreamers)
Note: This scene doesn't really have any music either. But Lynx got some swanky villain monologue tunes at the end of Radical Dreamers; which also have taken place in an ancient ruin and may or may not have featured Kid getting injured. I figure it's as good a place as any to include it.

"Heh heh heh... Excellent! The enmity is growing! The only thing pure in this world is enmity!"

<annoyed roar>
<sigh> "Speak using your nose more. Don't fret. You're no longer human. No need to fear an embarrassing nasally rasp in front of your women folk. Heh... Though, I wouldn't worry about that at the moment..."
"J...ack...a...sss...."
"Ah... That is better."

"Your services are no longer needed. Even your very existence is worthless.... Farewell, Serge."

Evil Serge steps over the assorted bodies taking dirt naps to nab the Dragon's Tear.

"The time has finally come for the Frozen Flame to awaken!!!"

Serge begins floating in the air... Serge can fly now in case you were wondering... All evil people in JRPGs can fly... Villainy is like helium only with more cackling.