Part 74: Update LXVI - Afternoon light

Update LXVI - Afternoon light

Music: Duel of Fate




Leo's words are disarming. It's true. Gawain, who is usually by his side, is nowhere to be seen.



And it is a credit to my brother that you have held out until the very end. Thank you for that. You have my gratitude.

It's hard to tell if he's agitated about his brother's death since he's thanking me... Could any normal person be so calm in this situation? It gives me the creeps to listen...



Prick.

While he said he believed me, he really just believed his childhood promise to his mother. ...But he must have been happier that way.

And to make matters worse, he knew full well about Julius's plan to kill himself!

If Leo's mother was the woman who Julius mentioned at the end, and the one who wished Leo well... Then he must have been happy when he died, remembering that face and that voice. At least I think so.







I told you not to manifest, Gawain.







...I apologize for his behavior. He holds no malice, so please try to forgive him.

Castigated by Leo, Gawain frowns and disappears. Not missing a beat, Leo continues.



I look forward to the unparalleled battle ahead of us, Hakuno.

He speaks with sportsmanship, but I can tell he doesn't think that he will lose. I'm still curious about one thing. Why is Leo participating in the Holy Grail War?



The Holy Grail will be effective in strengthening the Harway rule. Harway's management system is what keeps the world stable. The real world, that is. Neither strife nor poverty exist within its limited domain. Expanding the boundaries of that domain is top priority. Maybe some people will feel a bit stifled by the system... ...but it's for the greater good of humanity. We want the world to understand that.

I don't think Leo is lying. He truly believes he's performing a great service for humanity. He's self-righteous, but looking at his face, I am jealous of his self-confidence. It's better to forget doubts, like he has.

And there's the real tragedy behind Leo. Despite my jabs, the kid is charismatic as hell, and could probably work towards making things a lot better. But because he's been created as some form of twisted imitation of the Once and Future King, the only thing he can do is force the world into stagnation.

It makes a poetic parallel between Hakuno and Leo, really. Someone who started with nothing and will never stop pushing forward, against one who started with everything and will never let anything advance.

Music: School II




Time for the final dungeon of the game.

Music: Fourth Chimeric Lunar Sea - Second Floor


We've been to a seabed littered with broken ships, a shattered and ruined city, a fairy tale castle, two seascapes, and a jungle, all held underneath an impossibly vast digital sea.



But at the end of it all?



We finally make it out.



Fresh air and sunlight, for the very first time.



And some funky water orb.

Those water pillars are also running up, by the way.







Master, this is the final area. Let's give it our best!





He's a Knight of the Round Table, one of King Arthur's chosen— Gawain, the White Knight. I wonder if my abilities are a match for his...



We start at the very bottom, naturally.



view_map(); reveals a rather sprawling design.



The lower segments have these tiny floating water orbs that spew out cubes.



We get a nice view by the top left.



And a red chest!



Guarded by the ironically named Claustrophobia.



We get a new Mystic Code for our troubles.



The Staff of Rebuke is an upgrade to the Staff of Fortitude we got in Week 5.



mp_heal(32); costs twice as much as (16);, but only heals 50% more Servant MP.

That doesn't mean it's useless, mind you, as being able to cram more healing into my single Master move every turn makes it harder for Tamamo to run dry if I have to stop and heal her. There's an arguement to be made for both; mp_heal(16); is more Master MP efficient, while mp_heal(32); is more action efficient.

I'll be used the Staff of Rebuke for the rest of the game, either way.



I really do like the glowing abyss here.



The path south has a ramp leading up.



Which leads to a platform showing another ramp and a red chest.



The chest holds Taiga's item.



Heading down the side path leads to some loot.





And further down is two more chests and a Nephilim.







With that cleared up, we can head up the ramp.



But as we move down this small hallway...

Music: Fear


We get stopped.





I can sense that Leo has entered the Arena as well. His aura isn't malevolent like Julius's or sharp like Rin's. The pure, unclouded flow of his magic makes me think of the sun shining in a clear blue sky.



This cute girl will teach him a thing or two!

Isn't it reckless to head into battle? Still, it will help to see Gawain in action.



Yes, my lord!

Watch out, it's the pretty boy duo.



Caster has a fair point. I should position myself for attack.

We're not allowed to get the Trigger just yet.



—There he is. When we reach where a passageway empties into an open space, Leo appears at the other end. I exchange a quick glance with Caster before we jump out in front of Leo. To his credit, Leo doesn't react, other than smiling like he just ran into a friend.

Seriously, what is with the giant orb?



Nice to meet you, Caster. I look forward to fighting you from the bottom of my heart.





Gawain is a bit of a jerk, if you couldn't already tell.

It's all right, Gawain. Though... I feel enticed. How odd. Please accept her challenge, as I would like to have a taste of my opponent's power.

-As you command.



At Leo's signal, Gawain readies his sword. He somehow looks more hulking when he does so.





That's a joke of course. Fox ears aren't my cup of tea.

Wha...! I-I thought this guy was an uptight snob, but he actually said something not horrible?

Be silent. The way of the knight is obedience. My sword belongs to my king, and I draw it for him alone. This holy sword and my body are vessels for the will of my king.



—A holy sword. Gawain, one of the best-known Knights of the Round Table, holds the sister sword to Excalibur. Its name is...



Galatine, actually. The game makes this typo a few times.

No way! I always thought it was some stuffy old sword, but does it have real sun in the handle?!

Yes. There is a fragment of the sun dwelling in the Galatine, as evil can only be purged with flame.



This blade— ...and this body as well.





Music: Duel - Unauthorized Battle








There's probably another duel after this, and then the Elimination Battle! I'll be able to stop dying all the time!

Music: Fear


Please get stronger before our next fight. Otherwise our battle will be meaningless to me.



Leo disappears in the Arena. He was so much more powerful than I imagined. And yet, he still seemed to believe that I was holding back. —The next fight? If there is a next time, of course. I'll be better prepared next time... If there is a next time. ...A sharp pain rises from the wound I took from Gawain's longsword. It burns like a red-hot rod being pushed into me. Like the sun itself burning through my flesh... I'm crushed under waves and waves of pain. My vision fades... —and never returns.



Music: Duel - Unauthorized Battle


Other than that, this is just a normal duel.



Buuuuuut he sorta takes zero damage from everything, just like Li Shuwen. While the implication with Li was that you were unable to land a hit thanks to his invisibility, Gawain is just that strong.



Divine Aegis is a Luck buff.



While Siege Perilous adds Skill Seal to his Guards.

As you might imagine, locking out Tamamo's Skills would utterly cripple her, but again, that would require me to use something other than a Skill on an unknown move in the first place.



Three rounds of nothing later.



And we're done.

Music: Fear


-As you command.

I have the SE.RA.PH's intervention to thank for my life, I believe. There isn't a single scratch on Gawain's silver armor, but Caster is struggling for breath.

Today was fun, Hakuno. I look forward to engaging you in combat again.



With a smile, Leo disappears off into the Arena.



He really is as powerful as the sun.

—It was too much. I, as well as Caster, have overcome a lot of powerful enemies, but it's beyond us to make even a scratch on Gawain's armor. Just four days remain before the Elimination Battle. I wonder if we can really close the gap in ability before then? There must be something we can do. If we don't find a solution, I won't be able to reach the Holy Grail—



Music: Fourth Chimeric Lunar Sea - Second Floor


Level 2 completely fills out his Key Word tab.





...hey, did you notice how the sun is shining bright on this floor?

I think we might be in trouble.




Unless we eliminate that, we'll just be repeating the same battle over and over. Recklessness won't bring about change. Unfortunately, I have to think up a plan.

The upper half of the floor is blocked off while Leo is around, so we can't get the Trigger today.



So all I can do is head back.



Music: School III


This is just my animal intuition speaking, but I'm sure he's got some trick to that invulnerability. We'll win if we can discover his secret in the next four days. The power of love is on our side!



Next time: The pure essence of Nasuverse conflicts.