Part 48: The Final Battle

Update 48: The Final Battle







Let's step back in time a bit to make the final battle a bit more dramatic, shall we?





For whatever reason, when you land on the save point platform, the paths forward and back both vanish. You have to jump on these two blobs in quick succession to make them reappear.





I feel a breeze! There's a breeze coming from over there! Ah...waaaaaa!

What's wrong, Noa? What are you shouting about?







The tunnel fills with Juggerfluid and our heroes are swept along with it...





Are you alright, Gala? Please don't let go!

I'm trying, but...my hands...I can't get a good grip...We're slipping...















Noa approaches the flesh sac in the center of the room.


Noa! Where do you think you're going on your own? Vahn, we have to follow Noa!





Music: Cort's Theme


My b-brother...He's alive...

Just as Songi said – Cort has fused with Juggernaut and is still alive. But...How horrifying. How bizarre. He couldn't be human anymore.

No! Stop! Stop it!





Turn back into a person again! Why did you do it? You're my brother! You're supposed to be human!

I'm a human! I know about love! I'm a human! I hate being alone! It's good to be human! So Cort, be human again!

...Hu-man?

Cort!

Human? Humans are weak. Humans are dirty. I gave up being human to become a mighty being. I am a being that transcends humans! Even the Seru! A perfect entity! A perfect entity! Perfect entity!


Cort begins to thrash around inside the sac.


Humans are imperfect. I will use all my powers to destroy them!





Who interferes?

It's me, Noa!

Noa? Who is Noa? I know no Noa!





Even as a horrible inhuman monster, Cort still has immaculate PSX era hair.







Cort fires a burst of energy at his sister...





Cort...

I sense the presence of humans! Weak, dirty humans! I do not need humans! I must destroy the humans here!













Music: The Last Boss


It's time for the very last battle of the game against Cort himself. Curiously, Cort has an elemental icon (“Evil”, which only he and Juggernaut possess) although I'm not sure it actually makes any of our team stronger or weaker against him.





Vahn has the Mettle Goblet, Mei's Pendant, and another accessory I forget about because it literally doesn't matter. His job is to spam Hyper Arts constantly and never run out of AP because the Mettle Goblet is fantastic like that.





Noa has the Mettle Gem and some power/art boosters. Her job is to alternate between Spirit and Hyper/Miracle Art spam.





Gala has his usual healer setup of Defender Chain, Magic Grail, and Spirit Jewel (-25% MP cost). Actually, there's a better version of the Spirit Jewel that I could have gotten from fishing but getting the Water Egg was quite enough for me and the Spirit Jewel is sufficient anyways.





Cort himself is very...ehh. His standard attacks generally do something around 1000-1500 damage, which is honestly not that significant. Gala can heal that right up with no trouble. This is what Cort does the majority of the time.







Meanwhile, Vahn and Noa are taking pretty sizable chunks of health away from him with their attacks.





Cort has two super attacks. The first one he has to charge up for, so everyone has to Spirit next turn.









Perfectly manageable.

His other special does NOT require charging, but is still a pretty rare attack...











This is the only really dangerous thing Cort can do. It's slightly weaker than Final Crisis, but since it doesn't require charging he can blindside you with it. Gala can just barely survive this at full health without Spiriting.

Fortunately, he uses the attack rarely enough that it's not really a problem to heal back up from it, and as I said Gala can survive it and then get the others back on their feet. So all told, this fight is...I mean, it's not easy, but it's a pretty big step down from Songi. Personally, I consider the Songi battle to be the real gameplay climax of the game, with this being more of a plot extension. The hardest thing about this fight really is that you might be low on resources if you haven't been managing them well on your way here (since Jugger Elm is huge) but the Magic Grail kind of makes that a non-issue.









- -


Meanwhile, at level 99...





I decided to see how well Noa would fare in her berserk mode, while Vahn and Gala's roles remain largely the same.





Vahn can still lay on some serious hurt every round with Fire Blow + Burning Flare.









Laaaaaaame.

I'm not sure, but I think Juggernaut actually gets a damage debuff against Cort (since they're the only two Evil element things in the whole game).





Final Crisis and Doomsday are kind of vaguely threatening to Noa since she can't Spirit while enraged, but she's got plenty of HP to handle it.







Oh yeah.





Cort goes for one final super attack.





Noa doesn't let him.





- -



























Music: Silence


Noa, I know how you must feel.

We all did the best we could.





Hari did the best he could, but I think Noaru Valley is done for. The age of Seru...Our era is over.





We are now just a part of the collective memory known as history.





It's a little sad, isn't it?







Terra, don't leave me alone! Don't leave me!

Noa, your parents were killed by Seru. Yet, you want to be with me, a Seru? And besides, you're not alone. You have Vahn and Gala.

Ozma, we have experienced life and death together. How can you leave me now?

Oh, Gala, has your dependence on me caused you to forget your own abilities?



Vahn...your heart is so full of warmth.













Music: Noa's Dream


Together, we humans and Seru were stronger even than ancient Tieg himself.

We are now heading beyond the twilight. But do not forget this: Humans and Seru are both born of Tieg, and are one. They have lived through the same era.

It is time for humans to create their own futures.
















Music: Juggernaut Clears Away
























































Music: Rim Elm Rebuilt


Elder: ...and brought to humankind a new world of true peace, completely free of the Mist. Children of Rim Elm! Be proud of Vahn, whose home is our village!





Be careful.





I have a Soren take me all the way here, only to find that the biggest hero, Vahn, is about to leave!





Correct. I am Usha, veritable warehouse of knowledge. Well, never mind that. Vahn, I want you to tell me why you are leaving.





We're almost there! Join me next time as we explore our four choices and bring this LP to an end.