Part 96: Episode LXXII: In Which We Try the Murder Road Trip Thing One Last Time...

Episode LXXII: In Which We Try the Whole Murder Road Trip Thing One Last Time...



A single decision can change everything. So what do Zero's decisions mean for this world?

Music: Inquitus



Will they bring about salvation? Or destruction?



There is one last branch to follow, and it begins in the Land of Mountains.



For this final timeline, we are going way, way back and splitting off just after Chapter 1, where Five met her end. The murder road trip had only just begun here. But that doesn't mean things haven't changed substantially already. For instance...

Music: Descendus – Instrumental



...We already have a full party! Even if Dito is the only one who formally joined at this point back in the original timeline. Decadus has been fired from his position by Four. Octa decided to split much earlier from Dr. Animengele Three. And Cent and Two have once more parted ways on currently unclear terms.

As usually, let's take the time to see where everyone stands currently in this final altered series of unfortunate events.



Well, being free isn't really freedom, is it?
Wow. Deep. Sooo deep. My mind, it is blown!
Shut up before I kill you! Or better yet, just die on your own.
...Now, where were we? Oh, right. Me hanging with you and all that. Honestly, I don't really care why you're running around doing all this killing and whatnot. Personally, I'm having the time of my life here! I mean, watching you slash and maim and kill all these ugly bastards? It's like a five-star vacation in Hell! Seriously, I'm loving it. You're the best!
.....
I dunno if you can really keep up this slaughter, but I sure hope you can!

Well at least Dito is having a fun time. And Dito, I can almost certainly guarantee the slaughter will indeed continue because... you know that's kind of the entire game. We don't need any sudden genre shifts, thank you very much.



Get it on? Hey, you guys shouldn't fight! We all need to get along!
Oh ho ho! Worry not, dear dragon. Zero and I couldn't get along any better when it comes to this!
Tonight? Meeeeeeh, no. I gotta... wash my hair.
Hey, Zero! Let me play the get-it-on game too!
That's... not a good idea. <nervous laugh>
Why not?
Well, you see, you're a... I mean...
Drop it, Octa.
Aw, come on! I wanna know! If we're all friends and stuff, why can't I play the get-it-on game? Huh? Come on, let me! I bet I'd be real good at it!
No! And Octa's not playing tonight either.
But... the burning passion in my loins!
.....
Just remember, your dear Octa is ready for full deployment at a moment's notice!

Octa knock it off. Not in front of the big dumb dragon baby. C'mon man, I thought you had slight more sense than... Wait, what am I saying...? No you don't. Moving on.



I'm fine.
But... your eye...
I'm fine, so stop worrying. You're starting to piss me off.
Unnngh... Your words are... _{deliciously painful...}
.....
You flower has grown ever more beautiful. Frighteningly so...

I'm not sure if you've seen Zero's eye flower magic trick in this timeline or else that tune might change, dude. ...Well, actually no probably not. Well, then. Last we have Cent. Are you going to cut the brake lines and jump out of the back of the van again this time, guy?



What?
Well, they now serve you, Lady Zero, yeees? Which means they're gonna have to kill their own Intoners at some point...
Uuunnngh...
Oooh. Looks like I hit a nerve there.
What about your Intoner, Cent?
Lady Two? Mmmm... I'm afraid that's... my little secret!
God, I hate this guy. Can't we just kill him? Like, now? Please?
.....
I just can't help my devilishly sharp tongue... It cuts where it will, even amongst the company of good friends! So sorry! Ah ha ha ha!

In the previous two timelines we had Cent stick around Two until she died and then change sides immediately upon her death. We never really got anywhere with that because he became a bird three missions later. Then he had a weird spat where he wandered off and maybe pretended he didn't remember her until the reunited and he murdered half the disciples and everything was a mess. Then the last time he purposefully ran off from Two after her whole prologue spat and then stabbed her literally in the face.

We're not yet privy to what happened between those two this time around quite yet. But it may be a different outcome than the previous trio of relationships. But enough about that jerk. Chatting with our dumb baby frequently dying dragon will trigger the first mission here.



That's the plan.
But why? You really want their Intoner powers that bad? I mean, what are you gonna do with all that power, anyway?
I'm going to end it. I'm going to end it once and for all.
Zero...

Hey.
Huh? What is it?
I need to tell you something.
Uh oh. You sound serious.
I take it you've noticed your... cravings by now.
...Huh? Wh-What do you mean?
I know how you look at all of us. Intoners, I mean.
No! That's not true! I don't look like that at all!
Don't worry, it's fine. That's just how dragons are made.
But... but Zero, I... I...
Enough talk. It's time. The final battle awaits.

Nothing ominous at all about that line of questioning. Mikhail just likes rotten meat and most of Zero's sisters are awful people. Now then, let's get this final murder road trip on the road!

Verse 1: Purity Lost
Music: Wilderblades – Battleground



Branch D takes us way back to The Land of Mountains. Remember the last time we ventured into this remote East West European Midgardian dump? Well... Okay it was right back at the end of Five's Prologue the previous full update. But as far as Zero's exploits go, it's been about three chapters and as many alternate timelines back. Today's session of slaughter will be against the still ever loyal Four troops guarding the Land of Mountains on the approach to Lady Four's Fortress. Word has it she actually may be hanging out there this time around instead of dispensing a wild goose chase of justice across the entire region.



Lady Four must remain safe.
I won't let that wench lay a finger on her.
Protect Lady Four with your lives!
Don't let Zero inside Lady Four's citadel!
The citadel up ahead, eh? Thanks for the directions, chump.
Dammit! Kill that woman!
Lady Four stays with us!
It's just Four, Four, Four all day with you idiots, isn't it? I can't believe you fall for that cutsey act of hers.
Jesus, look at that flower!
She's a demon... A demon I tell you!
Don't you dare stain Lady Four with that rotten flower of yours!
If you're that infatuated with Four, I'll make sure you die together!





Tut-tut, Zero. We cannot even leave this initial combat arena until we murder every last man and I don't care how many inter-dimensional alternate timeline shenanigans are going down. You know that fact very well by now, missy.



Beyond the first batch of soldiers we come upon a challenging golem for the first time in a while... I mean as far as Zero is concerned she just had an end boss golem trio boss rumble but... Man all these DLC asides and alternate timelines are starting to get to me too...



Not happening!
Oh ho ho! Unable to fully perform, eh? Sometimes old-timers have that problem with their man-bananas!
Gah! Shut up already! If your man-banana's so tough, why don't you fight with it, huh?
Unnnnnngh...
And you! Freakshow! Stop imagining it!





Poor golems opted out of the tier mid-boss upgrade plan in favor of that lackluster Branch C fiasco. It was not the best group decision on their part seeing as they were introduced Chapter 4 and have not upgraded a bit in the last four chapters plus whatever timesink the player chose to spend grinding out the last weapons. But alas, such is democracy.



Are you all right, my lady? You appear fatigued.
Forget about it. I'm fine.
Hmm... I wager the magic within your flower is growing stronger. If I had to guess, I'd say the blossom is absorbing your—
Let's go!



Lady Zero does a good job of hiding it... But something is rotten with that flower of hers.
It's not rotten! It's as beautiful as the dawn!
Ho ho! You misunderstand. I mean only that it is... suspicious. Perhaps there's more to it than meets the eye, mmm?
Oooh! Riiight. Now I get it.
You do?
Ha ha ha! Of course! She's worried her little accessory will go out of style!
Er... right.

You may notice the soldiers flipping through the air spraying high pressure bodily fluids all over now have a golden trim to their armor. Branch D has refitted all the Intoner infantry to their final upgraded form. Which is just to say they have higher stats but are identically to the same mooks Zero has been cutting down by the hundred ever since the prologue.





While we're on the subject of stat augmented enemies for the final branch, up ahead we cross paths with the Titan Lord – the final upgrade to the titan mid-boss. He's done away with his fancy red highlights and bowtie to his outfit and gone with an all-black ensemble like he's Titan Noob Saibot. As far as new abilities... Well, did I mention it has beefier stats...? Oh. Yes... I did... Umm...



You know... Endurance is key to surviving a battle such as this. I, of course, will be fine, what with my perfect body and all... Nooot to mention my... ravishing good looks!
The hell do looks have to do with anything?
Anything? Looks have to do with EVERYTHING! Don't blame me just because you're ugly as sin.
What'd you say!?
Leave it, Dito! Concentrate on the battle!
I swear to everything that's holy, I will kill that man.

I like that Dito constantly wants to kill Cent because he's annoyed by his dumb antics. But challenging his anime pretty boy status is enough to actually piss Dito off severely. There are some lines you just don't cross, Cent.





Oh right. Titan Lords can apply gold pine resin to their swords to beef up their attack power with electrical powers. That's new! Other than the charge up animation, there are no new attacks to go along with it. And honestly they're just completely opening themselves up to getting pulverized. And the power up gets canceled if Zero inflicts enough damage to stun the titan lord or even get it to flinch.





Alas, even the lord of titans ultimately finds itself on its back spread eagle before Zero's might.



It's the accursed Intoner! Run!
You... shall not be forgiven, Zero!
All that befell our poor Lady Four was your fault, demon.

The final stretch of the garrison takes us through a derelict mine. Well really, the stage passed through a couple of mines on the path. But they were just full of sand ogres and nobody wants to hang around those unsavory characters any longer than necessary. I don't even remember the last time we've seen a regular ass ogre, for that matter. They're like the inverse of trolls where the standard variety shows up all of once or twice and then it's upgraded special edition models for days there on out.



Seriously? What exactly were you expecting? You're traveling with ZERO! She's like a murder machine.
I suppose it has been one massacre after another... Ungh...
Tucker down there, tiger.
That was not a moan of pleasure!
.....
What will Lady Zero do once the Intoners are no more?
How would I know? And why would I care? Right now, there's lots of killin' goin' on, and that's all I really need.





Oh don't worry, Dito old buddy. Like I said before. If there's one thing Drakengard will never ever lack, it is the killing department ever failing to meet its triple digits in casualty stat output any given hour.



Four's up ahead. Let's go.



And so the path to Four's Citadel presents itself and brings the mission conclusion along with it. Tune in next time for a warm family reunion with that weird sibling we stopped inviting to family functions because she keeps making lame excuses like “got killed off screen” and being a no-show. That is just plain rude behavior.








Video: Branch D Verse 1 Intro and Campfire Scene


Video: Branch D Verse 1 Highlight Reel