Part 64: Battle: Definitely The Final Map Of The Game (Part 2)

Definitely The Final Map Of The Game (Battle 2 of 2)

Alright, time for the final gauntlet. This part is extremely finicky if you don’t know just what you’re doing.



Due to the late promotion time, our favorite Scarlet Swordsman is a bit behind the other promoted units among our regular crew, so I’m letting him do some Arena grinding.



Meanwhile up top, ouch.



Malicia is going to be doing this a lot. Note that I’m keeping Sedgar with us, we’ll need him.



Barst and Ogma on these forts should make for a solid defensive barrier.



Would you cut that out!



Oops, Ogma can’t use ranged weapons.



But she can.

Barst advances on the Ballista. What happens has been censored for your delicate viewing eyes.



This was not though.



Now Ogma can take this guy down.



And it’s time for Rescue again to get Barst the hell outta there. Why?



REINFORCEMENTS FROM EVERY FORT IS WHY (They trigger as soon as someone enters this big ring area)



Stand firm, Ogma!





So this doesn’t look...great. But someone has to be able to hold all these guys off.



Not him.



The teenager mage should be able to survive this! Alternatively, I suppose a General with good Res could work, or you could pull back and let them come to you, though it’s tricky on Hard and above, given how many are mounted.




Some of the enemies are uncooperative, though. Poor Catria.



Imagine this happening on loop. Forever. That’s this turn.



More Magic. More. The cap is 30 for Sages, and I want to hit it.



This is all that remains after Maliciageddon 2015.



Now for some medical duty. The red area is Wolf’s attack area.



Send in the lure Catria.



SURPRISE MOTHERFUCKER HERE’S ALL THOSE REINFORCEMENTS, AGAIN



Still, most of them go for Malicia, because she has 6 Defense. They don’t know about Nosferatu.



They never will.



Still some coming though…



Your duty is complete, Catria, get the hell out.



Everybody back up so Wolf doesn’t kill himself.



(He missed)



Sedgar, go!



: Sedgar! What are you doing?! So you've chosen to betray Coyote?!

: No, it's not like that! This is for Coyote's own good! Something's wrong with Coyote. Even you must know that!

: That changes nothing! I will die at Coyote's side! I swore as much! Though all of you might betray us. Though I might be alone. I will not abandon him!

: Even though you disobey his heart?

: What do you mean!?

No, I’m with Wolf, what was that cheesy line, Sedgar?

: Wolf, do you remember what Coyote said to you, the day you became commander of the Wolfguard?

: …….!

A man of few words, and much punctuation.

: "If I should wander from the path of the righteous, please... lead me back onto it." That's what he said.

: I should never have forgotten. The words of Coyote himself... But, to tell me that time has come... That we must... That we must defeat Coyote...

: We have to remind Coyote of the day we swore allegiance to him. No matter how painful it may be... That is our only recourse. I never wanted to believe it would come to this...

: Enough, Sedgar! For goodness sake... It would have been better had I died at Adria Pass... I am the commander of the Wolfguard... The life that Coyote gave me... I will not waste it. Even if that should lead to Coyote's death...

Evidently I forgot to grab a shot of recruited Wolf’s stats, but they’re the same as they were a few screens ago. He is also completely terrible. Decent growths, but no room to use them and bases only slightly better than Sedgar’s. The whole Wolfguard is pretty much here for completionism’s sake, and they’re important for getting a bonus chapter.



Now for the generics.





Meanwhile back at the Arena…



About what you’d expect from a Swordmaster level.



Okay. Last call before we charge in on those ballista.



This one asshole is still around.



Catria prepares for a sneak attack.





Everybody’s getting shot by Ballista today.







That takes care of that one.





One left!



Might as well let Barst start on wearing down these Boss guards.



I was a little worried about this.



Also this. Thankfully there was no surprise Ballista owning.



Finally done with these.



Good weakening, Catria. R.I.P. Javelin.





Now it’s only Nerring.



So here’s an arena that almost went horribly wrong. He missed the next shot.



Oh yeah, these Bishops are still around. Sorry guys, Sirius needs EXP.





Dammit, I knew I’d mess up one of these crops.



That’s encouraging, though. Not bad.



Anyway, Nerring.



Fairly imposing boss, lots of defensive stats, but nothing you haven’t seen before.



Also Marth crits!




Keep that HP up.



Arena Healing gets Merric another good level.



Sirius cuts Nerring close to death…



And the Prince finishes him.





Okay Marth, I know you aren’t even close to your caps. That’s just a sad level.





Grabbed Minerva an Arena level too. Nice one.



And finally, that’s the end.





It’s Boah! You might remember him from that one bonus chapter! Or the prequel!


: Ngh... this is terrible... House Archanea must truly be cursed. As you know, two years ago...

Get ready for some PLOT.

: Hardin and Princess Nyna were wed. In order to restore Archanea to glory, a king was needed. There were but two suitable individuals: King Aurelis's younger brother, Duke Hardin, and you, Prince Marth of Altea... Princess Nyna begged me to wait just a while longer, but once I insisted of its absolute urgency... She said that it could not be you, for Princess Caeda would grieve. In the end, Hardin was our only choice...

So, in like, the first few pages of the thread, someone joked about how this entire game is sorta Boah’s fault? Here’s the rationale for that.

: Let me get this straight. I understand that Archanea could not be without a king. But Princess Nyna, she already...

: You speak of Sir Camus of Grust? The people must never know... 'Twould be heresy.

Also Camus is...dead? MIA? Shadow Dragon has him as an optional fight to get the Gradivus, but since Hardin got it back, I assumed that fight did happen. Either way, yeah, Nyna had a bit of a crush on him.

: The decision cost us dearly, but what choice did we have? It was for our country. On the bright side, Hardin was happy. In fact, the thought that he was to be Princess Nyna's husband pleased him greater than his ascension to the throne.

: I know of his feelings. I know that he would have given his life for Princess Nyna.



“She would never face him in the hallway.”

: It pained him greatly... He shut himself into his room, drinking away his sorrows, and saw no one. Spotting an opportune moment, as Hardin wallowed in heartbreak, Gharnef appeared. The despairing emperor's heart was gripped by the Darksphere in an instant. He completely changed as a person from then. I've made a terrible mistake, out of my concern for this kingdom. Please forgive me, Prince Marth...

: So that's how it is. ...And what of Princess Nyna? How is she now?

: Hardin handed Princess Nyna to Gharnef.



Wondering why all our old Cleric friends have disappeared? Sounds like Ol’ Gharnef wasn’t exactly happy with the resolution of the last game.

: Prince Marth, my end is nigh. I shall give you my tome and staff. Please save Princess Nyna. Even if Archanea's destruction cannot be undone... Make sure that she is safe…



And so, Boah joins poor Lorenz in the list of characters from the prequel who couldn’t be playable again for reasons of “dead”.



At least he left us his stuff.

And that’s the end of the chapter.



Next time we fight Hardin.



No, like, for real this time.

Update 37: Going Hardin The Paint