Part 30: An Undying Dream (I) or, Roy Against The World

Chapter 22: An Undying Dream or, Roy Against The World

It's finally here. The final confrontation with Zephiel... and the chance to use the Binding Bld. _{No, I will not stop calling it that.} Are you excited? I am, and you should be, too.




Roy prepares to charge the castle to end the war, and to bring a long-awaited peace back to Elibe...

"Friends! Companions! I thank you for coming with me all this way. And now..."



"...you can all sit back and take a break. I'll handle this one."



Zephiel is hiding in a roofed building again. This time, however, he is not going to run away before we can fight him. And this time, fighting him is not an instant loss! Fancy that.



...I am sorry, Your Majesty.

What is the Eturian Army's next move?

They have captured the Shrine of Seals. They march this way.

Very well... Then we face them in the castle.

Yes, my king. My life is yours.

No. You cannot die here, Brunja. I have a task of grave importance for you.

...?

Idun! Where are you, Idun?



I will remain here and defend the castle against the Eturian Army. You must escape to safety and stay hidden until the battle is over.

As Your Highness wills.


Protect here as you would protect me.


Allow me to fight by your side!

That is something I cannot do.
...This will be a harsh battle, and Idun must survive. If she is lost... this entire struggle has been for nothing.

I must object, Your Majesty! I serve you and you alone...

Enough, Brunja! Your king orders you. The punishment for defiance is execution.





As you will... The world will be liberated as per Your Highness' command.

Good. Then my dream will be fulfilled.

Of course, Your Highness.

We'll see what that is about another time, I suppose. However, for the time being, we should probably pay more attention to what's going on outside.


I will not let you into the throne room!

That's a very brave generic hero.



Two of them, even!



In our corner... there is only Roy.



Lord Roy, Zephiel is in the throne room in the center of the castle. However, the entryway to the throne is blocked off by automatic defenses.

What can be done?

One of the captives said that at either end of the castle, there are some switches that can be manipulated to open the way.

That will be a long detour...

There is more. After hitting the switches, one must hold the Fire Emblem in front of the throne room to make it open.

I have the Fire Emblem with me. It sounds like I should go to the throne room while others handle the switches...

That would be the quickest way.

...But would a captive leak that kind of information so easily? Perhaps it's a trap...

I don't believe so. The captive said the switches are protected by Bern's ablest warriors. Even with this information, it will be no easy feat.

The enemy may be powerful, but we're not exactly slouches, either. I know we're up for the challenge! Victory will be ours!

That's a lot of words to say "this is an endboss level in a video game, go do video game things".



Of course, there is no one else to hit the switches. Roy must do it alone.



This guy has a Berserk staff. He's the only real obstacle.



Actually, he's not even that.

"Time to get my rage on!"



"...seriously?"



"BETTER!"



""



I think Bern bit of more than they can chew.



"I WILL SHOW YOU HOW TO BERSERKER!"



I guess it's good for you to let it all out every once in a while.



"THERE IS ONLY ROYSERKER!"



"EXP FOR THE EXP GOD!"



After a couple of rounds they spawn in another guy for Roy to kill.



Even after the berserker rage ends, our boy doesn't care much for the "ablest warriors" Bern has to offer. Look at this idiot! It's like a boss on a throne without a ranged weapon, except without the throne benefits! This guy could be wielding goddamn Armads and still be a chump.



Because the Binding Bld has a ranged attack! A really rad one, too.



Well, they're heroes, so EXP.



Roy doesn't care.



He does care about this, though.



...



Roy is too busy dealing with things that matter to bother hunting him down.



Like this guy, who has a sleep staff.



The heroes would rather engage him at close range. They fall like all the rest. I like most of the animation for this weapon, but the actual hit leaves something to be desired; I get that it looks cool to have it stuck in the enemy, but it feels like it lacks follow-through. We should be able to cut right through these guys!



We are not done!



I was going to spare you since you don't have a staff, but...



You are already EXP.



The critical hit effect for the Binding Bld adds some fire to the blade before the attack. It looks just about the same for both the regular and the ranged hit.



I love the smell of napalm in the morning.



No.



Yes.



Oh, look, they spawned another sleep staff sucker for me to murder!



Two down. Now there's only the gate left...



Staffman had one chance.



He blew it.



The fools guarding the gate don't do much better.



The Binding Bld is seriously ridiculous. I understand why they only gave you 20 charges of it initially...



This experience is insufficient! But it's all we're going to get, because the next order of business is to place Roy in front of the gate, and...



...finally face the person who started all this bullshit.

Hmph... It's laughable, really. A mere child making it so far.

It's laughable, really. A man with your facial hair calling Roy a child.

Zephiel... King of Bern...



...I wish to end the Age of Man.



Humans... are filthy and despicable creatures. They flock to the promise of power like hideous, hairless sheep, and they stab trusted allies while their backs are turned. I'm certain you have witnessed such acts in your travels.

......

Jealousy. Hatred. Greed. Friends and family are driven to murder one another by these petty emotions. Such emotions spawn fathers who would even kill their own brood.
As long as humans control, as long as humans dictate, as long as humans exist, their madness will never end.


You've become exactly that which you despise!

...Do you know how the Scouring ended?

The demon dragon was defeated by Hartmut...

Yes. It was history's greatest mistake. Mankind should not have won. After the humans' ill-gotten victory, they perverted this world into an ordurous cesspool of madness and evil. All through their illogical and contemptible emotions!

......

Mistakes cannot be left uncorrected. I will return the world to the dragons. I will liberate it from the gnarled grasp of man. The slate will be wiped clean. History will be rewritten. It is the only way to free the world from everlasting agony!

Is it true that you resurrected the demon dragon?

There is no need to answer that. You will know for yourself before long.

You said you intend to give the world to the dragons. How would rule by dragons be any different?

The dragons you have seen are weapons for battle. They have no self. They lack reprehensible emotions to drive them, unlike humans. The dragons' rule will be just and peaceful.

Such a world can't be a better alternative! Some humans may commit terrible atrocities, but it has always been other humans who have stopped them!

Your naivety amuses me.