Part 33: Stratum 2: Mirage Part 1

Though it is shocking to even contemplate, the Majin too have sacred grounds where they worship their gods. Defiling these grounds would be a sure way to draw the wrath of these creatures.
- excerpt, Legends of Besek, Vol I

Defilers

There’s just no end to this forest in sight.



I’m really getting worried about Logue now.

Video- “Mirage Lead In”

Click For Video

Hey, Logue. Have you heard Princess Lenarshe will be taking the Executive seat on the Council?
Yeah, I heard…
It’s hard for me to believe the King stepped down because of his health…
But now, when the Princess is married…
The royal line’ll continue…
Her Majesty is not the strongest person. We need to support her…
You’ve met the Princess, haven’t you?
Yeah. First, when I was still just a cadet…
And then when I was sworn in as Commander, she told me she still remembered me.
She’s honest and innocent… It’s no wonder everyone in the kingdom loves her.
But she’s really a lot more fragile on the inside than she ever lets on.
I see…
Logue, do you think I’ll be able to help her, when she takes the throne?
As long as you still need help from me, I don’t see how that’s possible.
Ha, you jerk! I don’t need help from you!
Yeah, yeah…

His ‘condition’ seems to be getting worse.



(Damn this place… It brings back old memories…)
Sir Logue… You don’t look well. Perhaps you should stay away from battle…
No need for that.
A-Alright, Sir…
???: (Hehehe… Logue…)
(Ugh… Dragon, is that you…?)
Umbra: (Why don’t you just relinquish your body to me…?)
(Never…)
Umbra: (You seem to have reached your limit. A pity. I could do so much more…)
(Be quiet!)
Umbra: (WHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Let me know when you want me to put you out of your misery!)

As if we didn’t have enough to worry about.

Video- “Mirage Part 1”

Click For Video with Commentary



Ally Team:
Our same old team of mercenaries. I have taken the Accelero buff I got last map and given it to Marie to give her some extra buffs she can exploit for exp.

Enemy Team:
We’re up against a diverse mix of Majin here, there are two Velox just like we saw late in Desert, two Aquamotes, three new Gladelashes, a Heefler, and a new Jade Sylph.



The newest Jade Sylph is really nasty. It’s got some powerful Air magic, Sleep magic, buffs, and can even release. Making things worse, it’s terribly resistant to every type of physical attack. Powerful Light and Dark spells are our best bet.



The stronger Gladelashes have gained a Slow Attack. They’re a bit less vulnerable to Fire and a bit more resistant to Wind, Earth, and Pierce. Still, 75% vulnerability makes it pretty clear what our best move is.

Deployment:



I’m set up to hook through the top part of the map first, because I want to clear through that area before I even meet the Jade Sylph or Heefler, who are the targets of our secondary objective.

Tactical Objectives:
- Capture the Heefler and Jade Sylph
- Everything else

Map:



Leave this place. It is sacred to us!
Sacred grounds…?

So I want to push at the Velox first and take the chest. It starts shooting Olifen as he comes up the stairs, Bleeding him and irritating me. Even worse, one of the Gladelashes got all pissed off and has started walking towards me slowly but surely. While the Gladelash is coming I want to get this Velox down, and I start with an Aero spell from Marie.



Princess? I aaate her.
No, I didn’t… Hahahahahaha!
You damned creature…!

Olifen joins the party on the Velox, taking it into the sort of health range where Marie can finish the job. It fires back, but doesn’t manage to Bleed him this time.



What…?
You are not. I can smell it.
Shut up!!!
Resist the natural order… and DIE!

Now Levatte’s about to explain our secondary objective.



Why should we bother with that?
We may be able to lure their master out, Commander.
If I’m not mistaken, this might just be the place!

I like Olifen’s reaction to his suggestion. Anyway this is a real pain because there’s a lot of Majin on this map that can release or will kill Bound Majin. Speaking of Bound Majin, Marie par-broils the Velox, letting me scoop it up. I shift Ares into the back to meet the incoming Gladelash while Logue, Olifen, and Marie thrust forward towards the first Aquamote. I grab the chest on the way, which contains a Sirloin, a decent healing item. Marie sizzles the Aquamote the way she does best. Meanwhile, the Gladelash comes up and engages Ares in the back.



If you have time to complain, you have time to kill them!
I know!!!

And we take that advice to heart, burning the Aquamote to the ground. We then send Marie back towards the Gladelash to seal the deal on it. We have our other casters in a good position to pour magic down on the Gladelash and they combine their fire with Ares to drag it slowly down. Ares levels up from its parting shot, and it tries to run away. There’s no getting away from Marie, though, who turns it to ash. Logue and Olifen sit tight up top for now, because I don’t want them going up against an Aquamote and Velox without healing support.



What could be causing it…?
Levatte! Daydream later. Pay attention to the battle!
Y-Yes, Commander! S-Sorry, Sir!

Our support swings around to redeploy to the new front. Meanwhile, the Jade Sylph starts barraging Logue with Aero magic from below and the Aquamote with Aqua magic up top. Luckily I’ve got people to heal him now, so it’s no big deal. Olifen gets the party started on the Aquamote, who runs away after firing another spell off at Logue. Olifen gives it a chop, and Marie turns the heat up on it and levels up.



No new skills for Marie, we won’t really see much from her until level 20. She does get some attention for this, though. She catches an Aero II and then a Bleed Attack from the Velox.



Dammit!

We give the Velox a slash and a spell to take it down to low health. It shoots Marie again, and she’s not looking so good. She’s still alive, though, so we cure her Bleed and heal her back up. We then cut the Velox down to size with a Combo from Olifen and Ares. We quickly capture the Bound Majin to prevent them getting Released or killed, and engage the first of the two remaining Gladelashes. A chop followed by a Pyro III and it’s all over for the plant man, who is quickly captured by Ares. I start slowly wearing down Jade Sylph with melee attacks from Olifen and Malus spells from Stein while I get ready for the Heefler and last Gladelash to engage.



Be careful, everyone! There’s something out there!
Wahahaha…

Heefler joins the party by casting a Pyro II. This is actually what we really want it to do, if it wastes its magic early it can’t kill the Lapis Slyph with it later. Gladelash annoyingly Slows Ares, which is going to take her out of the fight for the rest of the map because something bad happens that makes me forget to cure it. Gladelash gets turned into a pile of ash in return, though I try to be fancy and miss Overkilling it. Jade Sylph gets weakened some more, and we manage to Fracture the Heefler. I shoot it with Irina, but she pays the ultimate price in return, getting slapped by the Jade Sylph and burned to the ground by the Heefler’s last Pyro II. Stein and Olifen keep up on the Jade Sylph, which I want to bring down low enough that I can guarantee it will be Overkilled by a Malus II from Marie, which is easily accomplished after a bit of Stein caster tanking the thing. Heefler hits Levatte for a terrifying one damage and because payback’s a bitch I crush it utterly with a Dusk Strike from Logue. Once they’re captured, the map’s over.

Battle Results:

Levels:
Marie 16->17
Ares 10->11

Majin:
Velox Lv 13 x 2
Aquamote Lv 13 x 2
Gladelash Lv 12 x 2
Jade Sylph Lv 14 x 1
Heefler Lv 14 x 1

Gold:
1300

I don’t know how Levatte knows all this stuff, but he was right again.



Hey, you alright?
Don’t worry about me…
If you say so…
Hey, guys! There’s something coming!
Hahahahahahaha!

And just like the thief had said, a snake with three heads was our enemy.



Are these the ones who dare to disturb our slumber…?
That’s right! And now we shall vanquish you!
These Falsin are indeed bold…
Destroy! Send them to the Netherworld!
Prepare to die, Majin!
May Holy Atona bless our swords with her might.
We shall vanquish all evil, in the name of Valdia!

Doesn’t matter how many heads it has, though. We’re still going to cut this thing down.
- operation record, Commander Olifen