Part 49: Episode 25 - Test Your Might

Episode 25 - Test Your Might

Welcome back. We've had quite enough of this talking crap. Let's go ruffle the Youth League's feathers.




I went to your concert! It was spectacular! I was so moved!
Thanks to you, we should be able to resolve our conflicts with New Yevon peacefully.
The guys who went to the concert have been going around pushing for a truce.
That's great!
Sadly, there are a great many League members who don't know what to do with their energy. It may sound odd, but they're unhappy about losing the chance to fight.
They are so ready to blow up. But Commander Lucil thought of this great idea. Like, what if everybody blew off some steam with a battle tournament?



Ooh, an affiliation branch. We haven't had one of these in a little while.


But if people affiliated with Yevon were to take part, the tournament might get out of hand.
Well, we're not really allied with Yevon.
Some of the other troops just don't understand that.
Well, I guess we're not gonna change their minds. Let's go, Yunie.
Yeah, you're right.
My apologies.

Ironically, the Yevon path is the one where you don't get to pick a fight with the Youth League. How disappointing.




Why can't they just pair us off with the not-stupid troops? I wanna hit something.

We can, however, get Episode Complete on this path, even though we can't fight. All we have to do is make it to the elevator.


If we had fought a war with New Yevon, it would have torn Spira in two. And…I might not be talking to you right now. The fact is, there are still League members who want war. But I'll stop them-alone if I have to. I don't want what happened a thousand years ago to happen again. No, thank you! Just you watch, Lady Yuna! I won't let you down!



I don't care if you let me down, Yaibal, I just want you to come down! Let me on the elevator so I can beat up your friends!

You know, that was pretty studly.



I just know it.




You think Yaibal can stop them alone? I didn't think he knew how to tie his own bootlaces.
The people you touched with your song will be the ones who change Spira.


Okay, that was disappointing. So what's it like on the League side?


Yunie! Maybe we should enter!
That would be so cool! Yaibal's handling registration, so if you're competing, talk to him.



Now that's more like it.


Step forward if you are confident in your skill.


I will never forget the day I was allowed to challenge Lady Yuna!
Very well. All units, take your positions!




The tournament is a seven-round battle, and wouldn't you know it, Yaibal's butt is first on our spanking list. Our objective is to reach the elevator at the end of Mushroom Rock Road.





I decided to have some fun multiclassing this time around, and play with my fancy new equipment, even though I'm a little underleveled to do this brainlessly. There's a lot of physical damage thrown around in this mission, so a Songstress will be nice to have.



Yaibal's a pretty standard League warrior, but he'll occasionally apologize and toss a grenade at us. My healing can keep up with it easily, though.



The second group has two mages who like to cast annoying status spells.



Third group is all physicals and no challenge.




The Slashers in the fourth group throw grenades that cause darkness, which I foolishly cured with Esuna, which brought me out of Berserk and slowed down the battle. Sometimes I forget Items exist.

The next three fights happen without a break, but I remember to fill up my MP.



Four Veterans ganged up on Rikku before she could set up Protect, but Yuna's Evade and Counter helped get the battle back under control.







Elma is a jerk again. With a better Mighty Guard than we get, elemental spells, status spells, MP stealing, and two flavors of status grenade, this is a fight that usually takes more preparation than I gave it. I got really lucky when Yuna got confused, because she thankfully didn't kill my healers before I could turn it around.


Elma, you, too, fought well. Learn from this defeat. Who will be next?

Nobody takes her up on it.


Well I guess we're done.


Me? Lady Yuna, if I may?
I'd be honored.





Lucil is, as you would expect, a tough opponent, but suffers from being outnumbered. Her attacks are decently powerful, and she likes to use spell gems that bypass Reflect, which is what the Tetra Bracelet is for.




Lucil also has a Doomtouch ability, and Doom is one of those status effects that you can only prevent with a Ribbon. Since I only have one, and I don't feel like messing with grid gates, I just let it go. What do I care? Full-Life is free now.

Video: The Tournament


Thank you, Lady Yuna. It was a good match.




Note that the battle rewards were being suspended through this whole mission. Everybody gains two levels from those seven battles.

So what do we get for, um, helping?


It concerns the Youth League…and Spira's future.

We get to see Lucil's leadership skills at work. She brings everyone back to headquarters, and lets us listen as she delivers an important speech.


With Sin's defeat, we had lost not only our mortal enemy, but also our purpose in life. I, too, felt lost. I did not know what direction to take, where to channel my energy. It was Meyvn Nooj who guided our lost generation to a new purpose: to uncover Spira's true past.


What caused Meyvn Nooj to change? That is not for us to know. Nonetheless, under Nooj's leadership, we finally found a way to apply our strength. But look at us now! The power we hoped to use for good has intoxicated us all. Even Nooj. The Youth League is in danger of becoming a mindless band of thugs that know only violence. A power that destroys rather than creates. Without meaning. No better than Sin.


Because Spira's past is the foundation for its future. Our power exists so that we may cut a new road, to a new age. An age where children will never have to lift a sword!



A speech so riveting, even Paine is moved to applaud.


Commander Lucil makes Brother look like a pretty sad leader.
Could he have changed that much?

We're not done with Lucil just yet, though.



Heading back to their camp, we can finally enter the headquarters tent.


Understood!
Elma, you and your men will patrol the Highroad. Only, be sure to avoid stirring up New Yevon.
I'm on it!

You seem pretty busy.
Oooh! Must be fun to fire off orders like that now that you're the meyvn and all.
Well, I'm only the acting leader.
Acting leader?
That's right. There is only one man fit to be the meyvn. Ah, before I forget... This is for you, Lady Yuna. I hope that it will help you understand Nooj a little better.



Yet another hard-to-find sphere, this one is exclusive to the League side.


With Lucil running a tight ship, maybe the Youth League will finally start behaving itself.
Let's keep Nooj's whereabouts to ourselves. Otherwise the entire Youth League will jump in after him.




Not ill. Broken. My body is half-machina. I'm kept alive beyond my time. Calling me "unsent" would only be half wrong.
I haven't heard you talk like that for quite a while.
Even now, there is something inside me that craves death. Could it be my flesh wants freedom? Or maybe the cold machina inside it wants company...


Sir!
Something wrong with a leader that seeks death?
Were you not the meyvn, I would knock some sense into you.
It's quite absurd, really. I profess to seek Spira's true nature...



Video: Nooj's Sphere

Looks like Nooj was pretty miserable while he was possessed. Although he looked pretty miserable before being possessed too. Anyway, that's three of four.


Next time; E tuh'd drehg cu, Tim.