Part 43: Episode XXVIII: In Which We Begin the Siege of Notspain! Again!

Episode XXVIII: In Which We Begin the Siege of Notspain! Again!



Welcome to the final chapter of the main ending path of Drakengard 3. It is time to finally return to where it all began in Imperial Notspain to take down One. Before we begin... Well, actually there is no between Chapter housekeeping with unattended to Accord's Requests as usual. All of the side missions in Chapter 4 require the use of chakrams. Even the development team knew nobody wanted to put up with that shit to unlock any additional weapons. So forget that noise! Onward!

Music: Descendus





We're going to mix things up this time by having a final campfire scene in The Land of Deserts before departing to Notspain's Cathedral City. I mean you cannot really camp out very successfully in the middle of a dense urban center. We're vagrants, not hobos. Regardless, now that our party is fully staffed with its final member in Cent, let's see how everyone is doing before we jump headlong into the final battle.



I personally enjoy the companionship. I find it... lively.
Lively? All it does is make us more likely to be spotted by some monster!
So long as Lady Zero is safe, nothing else matters.
Ohh, now I get it. You just wanna give Zero a few more meat-shields, huh? More disciples means more people for her to abuse. That how it is, freakshow?
.....
Pretend friendships make me sick.

Dito is chipper as always. Since Decadus at least seems to be sticking to his job, let's see how he is fairing.



I always knew it would.
Of course, my lady. Such things only you could have foreseen. I pray you enjoy a deep and restful sleep tonight. I shall remain by your side and guard you from whatever may occur.
Right. I'll do my best.
I am yours to command, my lady. I shall do anything you desire.

Decadus is alright when he's not getting off to the stupidest of things. On the other end of that spectrum, let's see how what Octa is up to next.



What's wrong? Nervous?
As shameful as it is to admit... But you know, my lady, doctors say a passionate night of log-jamming is the perfect cure for such ailments! Mmm?
Forget it.
Then give me three days, would you? I need 72 straight hours of self-pleasure before I'm ready for combat.
Nope. Not happening.
.....
Ready to go yet? Oh ho ho ho!

Always a class act, Octa. Last but... well his value hasn't really been assessed yet. But there's that Cent jerk and we may as well see how he is adjusting to Team Zero at the tail end of this murder roadtrip.



A fine, beautiful example of a man. I find my good looks often turn off the little people, but eh what can you do?
Can I punch him? Like, in the face?
Oh, yes! Speaking of punching... it's trivia time! You've heard the expression "turn the other cheek," yes? Weeell, it's not just an expression! Ohoho my, no. It actually comes from an ancient medical text concerning how to adjust jaw lines and bone structures!
...Uh, really?
Of course not. He's full of shit.
Come on, just one punch!
.....
Well? We ready for the big departure?

Cent lacks any weird sex hang-ups other than being a smug anime prettyboy. So instead occasionally pipes in with some asinine bullshit trivia to add to the party's banter. I don't even want to think about what complete nonsense he'll start teaching Mikhail on the side if left unattended. Speaking of which, let's see what's up with Mikhail and his patio cover sized tail.



Finally down to One.
So I guess you're gonna kill her now, huh?
You got a problem with that?
It's just that... we've killed a lot of people now, you know?
And?
Well, when I try to sleep, sometimes I... I can still hear them screaming. Do you, Zero? Do you hear them scream?
No, I don't.
Wow, Zero. You sure are strong...
.....
We're going to kill again...

Shall we?
Lady One's in the Cathedral City, which is protected by a strong defensive network. Thus, I believe an aerial invasion would be our best strategy.
Huh. Well, at least you're good for something.
But my lady, you already know that I'm of great use during these long, dark nights!
Heh.
So... we're fighting again?
Yep.
Okay... Hang on to me, Zero.

Alright let's head off to the end game. Before we begin, it's time for the final murder roadtrip update intermission. That is not to say it is the end of the narration zone. It may just... change... in future incarnations.



To conquer the enemy stronghold in the Cathedral City, Zero's group decided to stage an attack from the air.



But what they found waiting for them there... was none other than One herself. The final Intoner.

Verse 1: To the Skies
Music: Exvulsion - Battleground



Welp, welcome back to The Cathedral City, Capital of Notspain. A year or so later and it's still looking akin to Detroit. One has made little in the way of inner city infrastructure in the time since we last raided the city. I guess the twin towers take a few decades to eventually get constructed in time for Drakengard 1.



Our goal in town is immediately clear. One Intoner left and her name is One. Finish her and we're done. Simple enough of an objective. However there are a few obstacles in our way to throw down with the final of Zero's sisters.



Giant scissor wielding specters have taken to the skies to defend Imperial Notspain from Zero and Mikhail's assault. Sure, why not? We're given no context for why these guys are hanging out and taken up arms for One. Indeed, I don't think this enemy type even shows up ever again.

Specters are silly flying skeleton ghosts. I'm fairly certain they showed up in earlier titles in the series, perhaps under a different name. They may have wielded scissors in Drakengard 2 as well. I certainly do not care enough to dig through Drakengard 2 in order to confirm as much.



Specters attack by snapping their scissors causing horizontal or vertically oriented laser blasts. They'll do this two or three times before clocking out for the evening and going home. What? The Specters unionized a couple years back and Zero showed up just shy of their designated lunch hour.



Look at all these buildings! They're tall! Really tall!
Maybe so, but the city's still dead.

During the mission a couple of the disciples report in via telepathy. They can do that, apparently... I'm almost certain it never happens again after this particular mission.

Lady Zero?
Yeah?
How are things proceeding up there?
You mean besides the million and one assholes trying to kill us?
Ahh, yes. We feel much the same down here on the ground. This is Lady One's personal guard. The fiercer they attack, the closer we must be to our goal.
Good to know.







Speaking of Lady One...



One is taking a rather proactive approach to Zero's invasion and not fucking about taking her sibling head on with her own dragon. Alright then...



Gabriel vs. Michael Mikhail: Round 2 1! Fight!



Settle down. Such shouting doesn't become you, Sister. I can hear you fine.
You transformed your dragon into a daemon. Where's the disciple you used to summon that thing?
.....
...I have no disciple.
What?
Disciples are little more than tragic, pitiful tools. I have no need for such things.
Heh. Same old One with her same old bullshit.

Controlling a dragon without a disciple? What kind of trick is that?
Hey! It takes more than a trick to control a dragon! I bet One and her dragon are really close, too! Kinda like you and me, right, Zero? Best friends forever!
Heh. What they're bound by isn't friendship.



Sure enough, Gabriel's thick hide cannot be damage by Mikhail's fireballs. But like any good armored beast boss enemy, its mouth is an altogether different story. The first phase of the fight we just more or less need to ride out Gabriel's attacks while Zero and One converse for a bit.







After chasing around Zero for a few blocks, One and her sibling have a brief staring contest before the actual battle gets underway.



Not that it is much of a battle. Gabriel doesn't have a great deal of attacks at his disposal. He has a dummy shot fireball which he'll stop to charge and fire straight outward from his position on the screen. The charge time and the brief window before the shot making contact with Mikhail is the time to nail Gabriel's open mouth with some fire of our own.



Additionally, Gabriel can spin around and fling some of the laser sword piercing attached to his back. These come in a volley of four or five shots aimed vaguely at Mikhail's direction. A single stray fireball will shatter the laser swords making them the least threatening of Gabe's tricks.







Last but certainly not least, as with all Drakengard 3 bosses Gabriel comes equipped with his very own plasma cannon breath. As we quite well saw in the prologue's conclusion whilst disarming Zero and killing Michael. It is a wee bit less deadly in its in-game incarnation. There is ample charge time ripe for damaging the black dragon's weak point. And on top of that while Gabriel does have some control over the firing direction, it has a very slow tracking toward Mikhail for the whole eight seconds the laser lasts. Just hanging out in a corner when it fires and flying Mikhail around the perimeter of the screen to the opposite corner is more than enough to dodge the blast. Mikhail can also just spin-evade through it. Bet he wishes he could pull that trick in cutscenes.



The final thing worth mentioning in this battle is there is a two minute time limit. But you really need to be taking your sweet time to actually reach the limit. Once a minute and a half pass, the final 30 seconds will actually be timed. If that reaches zero, Mikhail will come to a dead end in the Cathedral City's urban planning. This results in an instant game over thanks to Gabriel blasting several nearby buildings on top of him and Zero. You'll have to take my word on that one. I tried to record it and the brief cutscene ran at about five frames a second and hard locked my PS3 the second time I tried to record it.





Following the battle, One is still hot on Zero's trail and not about to press START to skip a single thing before she defeats the traitorous Intoner.







Since the whole dragon duel thing wasn't going anywhere, Zero and One decide to exchange in a silly mid-air sword vs. steel hula-hoop battle. That too provides no clear victor in the fight. But it makes for good promo footage to hype up the main event later down the road.











Gabriel and Mikhail return to taking pot shots at one another, this time with Mikhail's fully evolved form landing a decisive Cutscene Level blow to his black dragon rival.



Gabriel is wounded and out of the game for this mission. But being an evil demon black dragon and all, he has one final trick to ward off Mikhail in order to retreat. One thing that will no doubt grant the dragon and its rider time to regroup for a counter attack even in the heat of this pitched battle.







A bunch of lousy goddamn wyverns! Mikhail can't abide a swarm of these fuckers living. He just can't!



That way! She took into that flock of wyverns! Stupid wyverns! Buncha low-class, job stealin' bastards! Lemme at 'em! I'll kill 'em all!!
...This wyvern thing of yours is really weird.



The remaining bit of this mission is just a full on clearing of the sky of any and all good for nothing peon wyvern degenerates and their ilk.



Buncha wyverns trying to kill me. How 'bout you?
Fantastic, thanks! There's blood EVERYWHERE! It's even in my EYES! YA HA HA HA HA!
Er... You know what? Good for you.
Zero! We're almost at the heart of the city!
Right. We'd better go by foot from here.



AND NO WYVERN BASTARDS LIVED TO SEE ANOTHER SUNRISE! JUST LIKE DRAKENGARD JESUS WOULD HAVE WANTED!!



Welp, Dito had a good time. Mikhail got to blow off some pent up dragon racism and murder a bunch of wyverns as well as punk a black dragon. All in all I'd say that was a fine start to our return tour of The Cathedral City. But we're just getting started here...








Video: Chapter 5 Verse 1 Highlight Reel



Gabriel Concept Art - If nothing, that's a pretty metal evil demon dragon. Certain better than that putz Legna.