Part 77

Chapter 64






On the way back to the save point before the last boss, the twins pick up Blizzaga and Curaga from the same battle, two very important spells that immediately improve their battle capabilities.



I decide to take down the Thunder Dragon. I don't die this time.




It's not much, but it helps.



Remember all the way back in Ceodore's Tale when I used one of the Hourglass items to stop the Thunder Dragon and beat it that way? Same principle here.

If I really wanted to, I could grind for whatever the fuck tail this guy drops, but I'd rather not.




Watching Rydia and Palom breaking over 6000 damage a spell never gets old.




There's no more save point cutscenes until Part Two, so enjoy the break.




Armored Fiends alternate between a strong attack and a hilariously weak Flamethrower.



They suck though because they're even more resilient than their grey counterparts and counter-attack magic with a powerful Beam attack. They're not worth the effort.



A nice mask with paralysis resistance. Nobody on our team can make use of it, though.



Gold and Bone Dragons also pop up around here.




I love Firaga.



Blaze, not so much.



Seriously, I really lucked out in escaping that one.



We also have Dark Sages, which already popped up in a chest during The Gathering, and Selene Guardians, which are awesome.





The guardians will petrify when confused, though amusingly they'll restore the enemy's HP first. Cute.




2/3 down. Also, Leonora picks up Confuse, which will be more welcome once Rydia finally finds a replacement for her Faerie Rod.



Also, Rydia learns Break, which works more often than you'd expect and targets multiple enemies. Seriously, you'd be surprised how many battles you can win with Break. I used it quite a bit while grinding.



There are two houses here, both mercifully with save points.

Speaking of which, this is the reason why I had you guys bring Rydia along.




My lord?








You remember Leviathan, right? Giant serpent, ate Rydia, powerful water attack, weak to lightning, and so on.

Of course, Palom doesn't have the one spell that can really destroy Leviathan since Firaga and Blizzaga don't do much, so once again he has to sit in the sidelines while Rydia does all the work.




The problem is that Leviathan has a ton of HP, so having only one real offensive character around makes for a slow battle. At least we have three healers.



Leviathan alternates between Blizzaga and Tidal Wave.



Won't be long before I hit that damage cap!





How cute, Leonora learned Drain.






You're back!
Please forgive me, Rydia. So many Eidolons forced into agony because I lacked the power to help them...
But it matters no more...now that you have returned!
I couldn't have done it without you, Rydia...my beloved daughter!
Thank you, my lord!
We cannot turn over our world to their whims a moment longer. From now on, my powers shall be with you forevermore.





If Rydia's not there, she doesn't get Leviathan. Since she is, we got Leviathan back and are close to rounding out our summons.




The Mystic Whip actually gives the same Intellect bonus as the Faerie Rod, despite being a whip. Not that Rydia actually needs physical offense, but it doesn't hurt.



Time to visit Asura.









Asura's... well, she's different.



She doesn't spam cure spells on herself. Hilariously, the only spell she casts on herself is Raise. This is a great thing, as otherwise I'd have to burn Lunar Curtains both on Asura and on my allies to bounce -aga spells back to her.

On the other hand, Asura still counters everything with physicals, so you'll have to do more of your own healing now.




Palom finally gets to contribute big damage to a boss battle, and thus at the last possible boss the team finally gets its rhythm. Having two nukers really makes life much easier.




...
It is I! Can you not see!?
!





Remember the days spent with our dear child!
Our...child?
Please, my queen! Open your eyes!



Leviathan goes off to hide while the battle continues as normal.




After burning the shit out of her, Asura finally regains her senses.





As a result, Palom finally snags Thundaga, Porom learns the ever-valuable Haste, and Leonora gets a little bit more versatility with the always-useful Blink.





Rydia...
Oh, thank goodness! You recognize me!
I am sorry, Rydia... Thanks to the will of you and my husband, I finally managed to escape the clutches of that evil girl.
I'm so happy to see you again!
I apologize, Rydia...



No... Don't blame yourself. You were only trying to do what was best for me. I understand that now.
Oh, Rydia... I've wanted to see you again so very much for so long.
Your Highness...
From now on, I shall always be together with you. Feel free to call upon me whenever you please.
Y-yes, my queen!





So that leaves Bahamut before Rydia completes her summon list.



The Minerva Bustier is a rather unique armor. It's female-exclusive and boosts Strength, Stamina, and Speed by 10 at the cost of reducing Intellect and Spirit. Pretty much custom-made for Luca.

Before I end the update, let's check the area a bit more.




Silver Dragons are pretty easy with enough firepower.



They also drop a ton of gil, which is awesome.



Not nearly as much as that Gold/Bone Dragon combo, though. That's a Dry Ether and an Ether right there. It'd be a great place to grind gil if, you know, money was actually a problem and there was anything worth buying.




Since we started the update learning spells, let's end the update with Leonora learning Osmose and Palom getting the pretty nifty Quake, where his natural talent means he's starting to out-pace Rydia in learning spells.

Next time, something finally happens. No, I'm serious.