Part 37: Finale 1 and 2

We're drawing near to the end of the game. I hope you've got all your weapons ready.



: It seems like we've made it.

: ...Thanks to Galagar.

: ...If this truly is the Hall of Emperors, then... Emperor Louis and his senators must be waiting here. And not expecting us. It looks like we couldn't all be warped here... We'll have to finish this on our own, and trust everyone back in Magnus to take care of things there.

: Right. We find everyone, and we end this era. We've come this far. If we show mercy now...

: I know. Let's do this. For Siegfried.

Yeah, who has time for mercy? It's not like we're heroes or anything.



No, this is not a chapter with a lot of reinforcements. We are literally just fighting five bosses, and that's it. To get the next Secret, we have to clear it in 11 turns, which is elementary with this team.





The big problem with the Senators is that our team is made up of physical powerhouses while they're all magicians. They can nuke us all they want, but we're going to whack them in return.





Viola and Apollo on the second level have a little more going for them, Apollo especially. We're going to have to wait until he switches to his Meteor tome before we can try going at him.



Uncapped stats? Pfft! what a poser! Emperor Louis is just another character with a special 1-2 range sword. After the absolute pain that was Galagar, he's just kind of disappointing. I mean, look at that speed cap. The only member of the party who'd actually be doubled is Kevin, and he can take it, easily.



Frankly, the entire endgame feels like they phoned it in, but let's not get too far ahead of ourselves.

Player Phase:



Enemy Phase:





: This can only mean my worst fear has come. My Generals are defeated, and our retreat, exposed. Then this... is our last stand. Father, mother, sister... It seems I did not have the strength to build the utopia I sought. But to my very last breath, I will seek it... Give me your strength, my family, for our very lineage is at stake.

Louis will say this the instant that your guys move. You remember how Galagar got that big speech with the party before the battle started? Well, this is all that Louis says before we encounter him. It's like he's the underling and Galagar was the big villain.



Viola is heavily hampered by Fimbulvetr, so much so that Ben can double her.



Not much to say about this theme. It's probably one of the least complicated songs in the game.



As bosses, each Senator gets a little spiel. They're not ENTIRELY throwaway villains.



So far so good.



We might as well get a jumpstart on taking down Apollo too.



: In the end, the Mage General was weak, and betrayed us. This is why Emperor Louis should never have taken me from my rightful position as the Mage General. But it's too late now. Indeed, you have found us... Yet every bone in my body says I must fight and cling to life, no matter how much fate yearns for my death!



I can't help but feel like I've seen Meteor somewhere else.



First turn, and we're already done with our first boss.



: You made me Senator... you... made me die... this miserable... pathetic... death...



That's a good level here.



For reasons soon to be evident, Shon's going alone against Marion.



: There is nothing left to be discussed, then. This is a fight to the death, and a clash of virtues. While traveling the world, I concluded that your kind... are the worst of all humanity, with the worst of qualities. And you, in return, think we are evil, for extinguishing you. This final battle, end as it may, is as simple as that.



You know, if you'd asked nicely, we might have been able to negotiate, but you've got to be all violent like this. You're going to regret it.



Odd...I was under the impression that siege tomes couldn't counterattack.



Still, since it's 3-10 range, Storm can whack him without worry.



: I should have... given up... my greed... long ago...



As a last level, this lacks something.



Berserk or no, Shon will still target Marion, since he's the closest enemy. He'll also use Silvans for certain, so there's really no difference between what he does and what I'd do.



We've got a completely uneventful hike to go in order to reach Louis, so let's get some potshots in while we're on the way.





: And so I finally meet the rebels that I incessantly tried to eliminate. No matter: I shall hand down your judgment personally.



Not from over there you won't.



We've got one last shot of Ray left, so we might as well use that too.



: You can only be the scoundrel known as Anakin.

: I'm honored that you know me before we even met, Emperor.

: Hmph... I should have had you killed with Siegfried.

: What?! It was you who...?

: I shall deliver the execution that Lahar failed to!

: ...I understand now... Then let's do this.



Do I have to say that Marion gets absolutely wasted by Shon?



: My hatred... shall never... extinguish...



That's basically it for Louis's ranged attack. The man is almost exactly Zephiel, except for the part where he doesn't have a staff that turns into a cool sword. He just has a sword, and it's stupid.



So let's just cut to the chase here.



Triple sun powerrrrrrr!



: ...was stronger... after all... With our mutual hatred... only one of us could survive... But it seems... that my family... is destined... to die... tragic deaths... like I am... now...

That's it from Louis. No post-battle dramatic speech for him. And for whatever reason, that really ticks me off. Emperor Louis is just as important as Galagar is, perhaps even more so, and he's basically being treated like just another boss, while Galagar got a giant dramatic sendoff and a bunch of moments to show off.

Still, like most bosses at this point, he has additional conversations. For instance, with Kelik...

: Emperor Louis...

: ...You're... Leon's...

: Where is Leon? He is not here.

: He left for the Tower of the Chosen not long ago. You'll never see your big brother again. Just like I will never see my sister again!

: No... my big brother died long ago. But you will see your sister in moments... Once I send you to the afterlife, Louis!

: Oh, how scary... I'd like to see you put so much as a scratch on me!

If Kelik had the opportunity, he would have been able to roll over Louis easily. Moving right along to Shon...

: You... you're the remnant of that wretched knight...

: In the name of that knight, I will stop you!

: A kid? Stop me? Don't make me laugh. I will not be stopped!

Similarly, Shon would have been able to put a mean gash into Louis as well, what with how low the Emperor's top speed is. And let's not even get into Frederick.

: Senator Frederick... I mean, former Senator Frederick... I can see it doesn't pain you to strike down your own blood.

: The people I am truly loyal to... are the ones that make up the country of Magnus.

: Have you forgotten, Frederick? The Emperor is its country! Without a strong rule, there is nothing but savages!

: Is that truly what you think of your own people? If so, then I made the right choice in joining this army. We made our own people suffer while pretending to protect them. Then, we made others across the continent suffer and hate us... All we have caused is more and more suffering. Our sins have compounded too long, and without profit!

: You coward! You speak with big words, but I see through the lies, and I will strike you down with them, Frederick!

Frederick would have been fast enough to only be struck once, and he can easily tank the damage.



The best part? Blazer doesn't even respect Louis enough to end the chapter with him. Instead, we still have to kill Nyros here.



: My life was forfeit the day I made enemies of humanity.



I don't know what Blazer was thinking with making Nyros a mere shaman. Ridiculous boosts can only get you so far when one of those boosts isn't speed.



: we kept our existence... as masterminds... hidden. But in the end... it seems we... could not escape... from justice...

And for killing all five of them in less than 11 turns, we get the next Secret.



Profound or psychotic? Take your pick.



: Emperor Louis is dead. Magnus is... stopped. There's no one left... All of our enemies... I can finally... breathe, can't I? Kelik?

: Yes, Anakin. You can rest easy. You and Shon did great.



I think you need to adjust your count, guys.

: Wait... no... This can't be happening... This is just like a short while ago, when we came here...

: My... body...

: No... could it be? A summoning warp? Only Galagar could do such a feat, but by now, he...

: Aaaaaaahhh!!!

: Shon!



And since that one was so short, let's try another.



Yeah, that whole "Shon!" thing doesn't really mean anything, as you can see.

: There's nothing at the bottom, and nothing at the top. We've defeated Magnus, and yet... still...

: We can't forget about Lahar, though. We still have one enemy left, and he may be here...



More Stellar Voice Acting! (continue until 0:36)



: I haven't forgotten anything, Leon!





: Oh? But aren't I a Magnian as well?

: Don't mock me, Leon!



And then they kinda just clash for a while.



Yes, the repeat is just as jarring in-game. It sounds so nice going into it, but then it just kind of goes downhill.



: Kelik, are you okay?

: I'm fine, Anakin! Worry about yourself! Now we know something is happening here. Keep moving up! Lahar must be ahead!

: What about you? I told you before...

: This isn't like last time, Anakin. I have to be the one to face Leon. Not as a Senator of Magnus, but as the friend of my friend. I'm going to protect my friends, take that sword of his, and avenge my best friend... all in this one fight. And this fight is mine alone!

: Well said, Kelik. I won't have any of you little ones getting in the way of my fun. I'll toy with Kelik a little more before I end his measly little life. You all are free to go up and stop Lahar, though--I don't care.

: Urgh... Kelik... You're so stubborn!

: Did you expect anything less at this point, Anakin?

: I guess I shouldn't have, but... you'd better catch up!

: Sorry, Anakin, I don't make promises. I already made one to Kain, and I've spent all this time... Trying to fulfill that one promise I made to him. The words I said to him before Leon struck him down!

: Then I'll make the promise! If you don't catch up with us, I promise I'll never forgive you!



If it was me, I'd just gang up on him and smash him into the dirt, but we've always got to do it the melodramatic way, don't we?



: Like you'd know anything of it. Why did you let him go?

: Up ahead is Lahar, just as you thought. At the top of this tower--the Tower of the Chosen--Lahar is... Well, let's just say he's conducting experiments. He's gained power even beyond the Mage General. Whether it's here or there, they're going to die.

: You're underestimating my friends. And you're underestimating me.

: Friends? And here I thought you were smart enough not to make any more of those. Didn't you learn your lesson before? The more friends you make, the more you suffer when they die!

: No... my friends made me stronger than I could have ever dreamed of. If you hadn't killed Kain, I may have never wanted to become strong. And if my friends weren't there to support me, I might have died already.

: That's an interesting story, but it's still just fiction! I trust no one, and I never have. And where has it gotten me? To the pinnacle of swordsmanship! Are you saying that with your companions holding you back, you can still gain the same kind of power that I have? That's bullshit, Kelik.

To quote Lanmark, that's total bogus.

: ...Hmph. Maybe so--even now, I don't completely trust them. But I know that they're trusting me, and that's enough. And this path that I've taken has made me strong as well.

: Then, let's have a little duel. Your path, versus my path. I'll destroy the very meaning in your pathetic existence, Kelik! You'll see just how much of a gap there is between our strength!

: I've been waiting for this day, Leon. I'm not holding anything back!



Would you guys just fight already?



A sword that only strikes at melee range? What a novelty.

In all seriousness, if you haven't maxed Kelik's level by this point, Leon's going to be an absolute pain to fight, since he's powerful and speedy enough to take down Kelik in two hits. Plus he's got a sizable crit chance on him, meaning that any combat round could end right there.



Oh yeah, and there's no prep screen, so if you didn't give Kelik a way to heal or the Iron Rune, you're essentially up a creek. The game gives you an out if you can't win the fight, but then you don't get the next Secret.



Vs. Ernst plays for the entirety of this fight, so let's hop right to it!



Interesting battle theme. There are some moments that I don't like, but it's good for the most part.



Oh yeah, MORE voice acting!

: Hmph. Then here I come.



As Miacis helpfully pointed out in the thread, Kelik's battle with Galagar would have had this bright flash right before it started as well. Why just Kelik? Because he's the developer's self-insert, of course.



Much like Shon's duel with Corben, you want to take the early advantage that the game gives you of Leon's short range. Every cheap shot helps.



Nothing remarkable about Leon's animations, aside from this frame and a couple others. He's otherwise just a swordmaster.



And now, just like Shon's fight, we run and start mainlining our Elixir.



See, if we have a source of healing, this fight becomes elementary. Leon and Kelik are just trading blows, and we can win a battle of attrition.



Game, set, and match.





Tekun's going to appreciate this.



: I made you this way... made you want to become strong. I should have known it would turn out like this.

: ......

: Stop hestitating you little coward!

: Now that isn't how you beg for your life, Leon.

: Don't... mock me! Every person I've ever fought, I've killed! Now that you've defeated me, it's only right you do the same!

: Wrong. I won, and I choose what to do as the victor. My path made me stronger. The stronger one can protect the choices they make. You lost, and have no right to dictate my actions.

: Urgh... Kelik! Then make your damn choice and begone!

: Leon... ten years ago, you killed my best friend. You failed as a brother and set me on the path of an avenger. You've killed countless lives to earn countless titles. "Senator of Magnus", "the Greatest Swordsman", "the Sword Emperor", and "my dastard brother". I think you've sealed your own fate, Leon.

I'm not sure that last title would really work for anyone else, honestly.

: Hahahahaha... Hahahahahahah!!! What a nice speech, Kelik. But I don't regret anything! Like everyone who cursed me before I killed them, I curse this world! And to the moment that I die, I won't feel anything!

: Yeah. I know.



So here's the last choice of the game. Do we or do we not kill Leon? We can choose to do so...



: I'm no saint either, so maybe I'll see you in hell. This isn't the end for me, though. Just for you. I still have a lot more I have to do with my life. So until then, brother.



But if you do that, you won't get the Secret. In order to get it, you have to spare him. So let's rewind a bit.



: I have nothing to gain from killing you--no satisfaction, no glory. You sitting there, in agony, with that look on your face... That's all I truly wanted.

: You... what, is killing me stooping too low for you? Even though you've killed everyone else to get here?!

: Don't flatter yourself, Leon. With that wounded body of yours, you'll never take another life. For you, making you live, but be unable to do what you live for, is a punishment far less merciful than death. Am I wrong?

: Ha... haha... You bastard... I didn't think you could be... this cruel, Kelik... To look at someone in the eye... and not have the power... To end their life... It's been a long time...

: Since you killed the last Sword Emperor, Leon. And now, I am the new one, but I don't need to kill you to take your sword and title away from you. To be honest, I care little for neither, as long as you don't have it. Like I said before: that look on your face is all the satisfaction I need.

: So you're just going to leave me here, then?

: No, I'll drag your unconscious body out of here when I'm done. So sit tight. I still have something else I have to do...



: I'll take mercy... on myself...



So in this case, Leon ends up killing himself instead.



Fascinating. But there's another ending as well.



It's not that difficult, really. All you have to do is charge Leon head-on, since he'll beat Kelik if he hits him twice.



: Don't worry, Kelik, I'm very merciful. I'll finish this before you have a chance to regret anything!

: Even if I die here, I don't regret anything. That just means I... wasn't strong enough...

: Damn straight you weren't! Your friends were holding you back, just like I said! But they're not here to save you now, are they?



Sadly, not voice-acted. Quite the oversight on Blazer's part.

: If you die here, you'll leave plenty of regrets. Or have you already forgotten the promise you made to me?

: Kain... Kain! I can hear you!

: And Leon's wrong, too. I'm your friend, but did I ever hold you back?

: No... never. To the day you died, you... You pushed me forward. And even since then...

: That's right. So I'll do everything I can to protect you one more time. But in return, take care of your new friends, Kelik. After this, you... Won't have me anymore.



You remember this trick from way back in Devisio? I bet you thought that it'd never show up again.



: I... I can't dissipate it... with my sword... Dammit, Kelik, you... weak... little... bastard...!



: I can't do anything on my own...! Kain, I... I'm sorry...

And then it moves on to the next chapter. The biggest consequence of losing to Leon is that you don't get Imperius, and I guess the Secret's good too. But now that Leon's dead in all the myriad ways, we only have Lahar to defeat.

Next Time: We face the true villain of The Last Promise, but not before we learn about his sappy backstory.