Part 42: Part F - The Dragoon's Ordeal

Guess what this floor's theme is.



There's no mage with the group either. Oops.



One of the following floors has Magic Dragons. They love to Maelstrom the entire group down to single-digit HP and are just not worth fighting.



Kain's trial is next, but...



What is this?



Let me go alone.

Are you sure?

Don't worry about me. I'll be back.

Alright. We'll be searching other areas.

(No, you won't.)



Kain... Kain...!



Kain! Wake up!

Ugh...!



You're finally awake! What happened!?



I'm glad you're alright.

What's going on here? What's with all the noise?

A soldier was killed last night...



Rosa...? Why am I here?

We were worried about you, so we followed you here. We found you lying there, and the town's in turmoil. Something strange is going on...

I heard a soldier was killed last night... I don't know the details, but...

I think we should investigate.

Yeah, I agree.



A lance?



I saw the whole thing! It was the Grim Reaper! Death itself! I heard a noise, so I went back to the store. The back door was wide open. I stepped outside to see what was going on, and I saw a black shadow fly into the sky!

A black shadow?

It had a large scythe... It had to be the Grim Reaper!

Death...?

I know what I saw!



You think Kain did this? Did you forget he was also attacked!

That's not what I meant. But in this part of the world, Dragoons are the only ones that use lances...



Nothing yet.

I see... This town is in turmoil...but that will end soon! I will capture the one behind this!



Yes, sir!

Good! Make sure to question anyone suspicious you come across!

Yes, sir! Captain! I think we should ask Sir Cecil and his friends to assist us.

What?

If the suspect has been seen jumping from roof to roof, I think we should have Sir Kain's help. He's the only one who could chase the suspect. In case we can't catch him...

You want to depend on others to catch this murderer!?

N-No, sir! I just thought we could use the support...

The captain stares the outspoken soldier off to guard duty.



I would be grateful for your assistance. Will you lend us a hand?

Certainly. Kain was attacked as well. I'd like to see those who did this apprehended.

Yes. Let's get to the bottom of this and clear your name, Kain.

Yeah...



Thank you. Kain, go ahead and rest. I'll take Rosa to her house.

Alright.



(Rosa...)

Kain! It was...you!

(No! I'm not...)



(it was just a dream...)



(The weapon was obviously a lance from looking at the wounds... Maybe a weapons vendor...?)

The next day...



...Kain seems to have found a new souvenir.

This lance... It wasn't here last night...



CSI this ain't.



...?

Kain! There's been another murder!

What...!?

Who would do such a thing...?

How awful!



The weapons vendor was an important witness. This wasn't a random attack...



Kain? What's wrong?

I found this lance in my room...



It wasn't there before you went to bed? What's going on?

I don't know.

We should hand it over as evidence.

...Yeah.

Kain...

Kain hands the lance to a nearby soldier.



You too, Rosa!



The slumber party begins (no girls allowed!).



I hope nothing happens tonight...

That phrase always ends well. The next day...



Cecil...?



No. Why do you ask?

I was just wondering where she is. You should look around for more clues.

Alright.



That's not ominous at all.



Wonderful. No sign of Rosa, two dead people, and only Kain's grip is on the murder weapon. Time for a nap!



(Another...dream...)



Kain... have you seen Rosa?

No. You haven't found her?

Not yet.

What!?

Will you help me?

Of course!



Oh, there she is.

! Kain... Where's Cecil?

Let me help you...

Rosa!

Cecil!



PDA much? And in front of Kain? Awkward...

...

I knew you'd come!

Your mother is worried. I'll walk you home.



I'm sorry, Kain. I'm going to walk Rosa home. I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Alright.



Kain sleeps through the night...!?



It's fine.

Rosa, what happened?

I was sleeping when I heard someone calling my name. I was outside before I even realized it... I knew I was in trouble, and that's when... A man in black appeared from above... When I came to, I found myself where you found me. And Kain was standing right in front of me... I can't remember anything else. It felt like a dream...

I see...

Wait... I constantly heard someone's voice...

Whose?

I don't know. Whoever it was was very sad...but it filled me with nostalgia...

...



Kain investigates...



(Where is he...? Where did he go?)



Awesome.



Oh, there it is. Wait-

ka22 ! The blood-soaked lance!



So it was you after all...

I didn't want to believe it...

Calm down! We don't know it was Sir Kain! We have no evidence!



I don't want to belive you were the one behind all this... However the weapon used in the attacks is in your room... I hate to do this, but will you come with us for some questioning later?

Later? Why not now? Two people are dead...

...Alright...

Please don't leave this room until the charges are dropped. You, soldier! Make sure to take the lance!

Nothing left to do but sleep...



(Wh-Who's there?)

(You still haven't figured it out? This is what you hoped for... Come... With your strength, it'll be easy to take out the guards...)

(I will not harm soldiers from Baron!)

(See? That wasn't so bad.)

(!)

(Come... Leave this place... Kill him.)



Kain was sleeping, so who killed this guard? It must be the killer!



Kain chases after the bad man.



Said murderer runs into Rosa's house. Uh oh.



Kain rushes in to help his friends. The killer sees him and runs right back outside past him.



It was a soldier all along!?



I knew you could help us! I apologize from the bottom of my heart for locking you up. Take him away!



I can't believe that soldier was behind all of this.

Nothing gets by Kain!

Except the murderer who just did. You were watching, Cecil.

Not that this incident is over, we should leave town tomorrow. It's late. Get some rest, Kain.

Well, that was anticlimac-



Oooooooh.

(It's not over yet... It's not over until he is dead. That man... Cecil...!)

(Cecil! He's in danger!) Cecil!



Cecil heads toward the Devil's Path, but why?



Kain follows him in...



...to Mount Ordeals!?

Cecil...

...



That's not Kain's reflection at all...



...Who are you!?

Who am I? You should know that better than anyone else. I am you. I am your desire. I am your true self. This the world I created for myself. Come! Now is the time to grant all your wishes!



Deep down, you have always wanted him out of the picture. You want him gone, away from you. Now is the chance to make that wish come true!



That murder-death-lance shows up yet again.



Kain's not a killer though.

Shut up!

You wish to deny who you really are?

I deny my weakness!

Then I shall become you. Desire is all humans' source of power!



This works just like the Dark Cecil fight. Don't attack him and you'll be fine. Unlike the Dark Cecil fight...



...this is a real boss.



You really don't want to screw this up. And you will your first few tries. Why is there so much terror going into this boss fight? Death means going through all those cutscenes again because there is no save point in the Trial itself! You have to redo the entire wall of text above!

Kain has to Jump to dodge Bahamut-ZERO's Mega Flare. The problem is he counters all physical attacks, so you're going to to need to not jump and heal at some point. Hope you still have a Lunar Curtain!

(This...This should be the end of everything... Right... Kain...?)



The Dragoon Gloves replace Kain's Jump Command with Double Jump. He deals triple damage on jumps now.

!? The blood-soaked lance is glowing!



This lance is ridiculously powerful, has the Wind Element, and sometimes follows-up with Tornado on the target. Combined with the gloves it's the most ridiculous and powerful upgrade for any character in the bonus dungeon.

...This is the way it should be... Right, Rosa? Right, Cecil?



...? How long... How long was I in there?

What are you talking about? You just went inside.

...I see...

What was past those doors?

...Nothing...Absolutely nothing...






As an aside...



Yes, this is a real choice. Choosing "yes" here gets Kain to turn Cecil into Swiss cheese.




Cecil!

Yes! This is the future you desire!

...

Do you see? No matter how much goodness you have, this monster is who you really are. I am you! Now and for all eternity... Hahaha! Mwahahaha!

The game then boots Kain out the entrance. This makes Kain's and Cecil's conversation a bit more awkward...

Next Time: