Part 67: Chapter 27 - Addendum

Bonus Update: In which we fail (hypothetically)

As discussed, it is, in fact, not strictly necessary to prevail against the Black Knight. If you can't defeat him in time, or run away, some... different... things happen, which we will now cover.

First, since we're here, Ike has some unique failure speech if he dies:

Urggg... I... I'm... not... strong... enough...

... Good-bye.

...so that's nice and depressing.

Anyway.

During the battle, on the third turn, some reinforcements will enter the room.

Protect the Black Knight!

Do not interfere! This man is my prey! I need no assistance.

Oh! Then... uh... Hey, get that girl! Kill her before she flees!

Get out of here, Mist!

No!! I'm not leaving you! I can protect myself. I won't run away!

If Mist is either dead or escaped, then obviously the soldiers won't notice her and will instead just hang around waiting for the fight to end.

If you choose to run away, you'll see this:

Will you flee? How appropriate. Tuck tail and run, child of Gawain! It is what dogs do best, after all. I like how you tremble with fear at the realization that you are no match for me. It suits you.

Foul villain! I do not flee. I will never turn my back on you and run away! [he says, running away]

Then you'll see this, which is incidentally what you'll see if you run out of time:

Ike!

Is that you, Nasir? What are you doing here?

Ike, I'll take over from here. Hurry and leave this place.

You know I can't do that. Besides, the Black Knight can't be defeated--not without this blade.

Ike, I cannot allow you to die here. Please... take care of the girl, Ena.

Nasir... I didn't expect to see you here. What a fool.

... Aahh...... Ah! Nasir!

Uargh... Yet, that's not nearly enough...

Ike! The castle's collapsing!! Get out now!

What's this? It can't be... this entire castle... I... Ungh! I-I can't move! This c-can't be... happening...

... Ike. Now's your chance... Take... Ena. Take care of Ena!

Nasir!

Nasir...

---

So, yeah, a bit of a clusterfuck here. Some manner of shit goes down in that room, and everything collapses, thus removing the Black Knight from the plot, but denying Ike his victory, and also leaving you notably minus a Nasir.

Consequently, any subsequent lines of his will be handled by Ena. Notably:

...You saved me, didn't you? Why?

Because Nasir asked me to.

What? Where is he? I... I must speak to him!

Nasir is dead...

What?

He protected me and engaged the Black Knight. The castle fell around them both...

Is that... so... So, it wasn't a dream......

Just who... who were you to him? Why were you serving King Daein?

I am Ena... He... Nasir was my grandfather.

She does not elaborate on why she was serving Ashnard, although neither did Nasir, so that's nothing really lost.

In addition, besides one other major change that we'll discuss next chapter, losing the fight also changes the preface to the next chapter's opening narration:

The Black Knight, cold-blooded murderer of Ike's father, has disappeared within the collapsed castle. However, Nasir has been lost with him. In the end, he did not reveal the contents of his heart, but instead left another mystery with his enigmatic parting words. What was he trying to tell Ike? What did he hope to gain in this war? What was he searching for? With yet another memory to shoulder, Ike must fight on.

To clarify, "enigmatic parting words" is not referring to Nasir (who said, rather unambiguously, "take care of Ena"), but to the Black Knight, who said, among other things, "Yet, that's not nearly enough..."

It will also leave you with a terrible sense of emptiness, you bad gamer.