Part 19: Update XIX - I'm just here to cause trouble for you! I hate you!
Update XIX - I'm just here to cause trouble for you! I hate you!
Video: Entering the Mines
Music: Resistance Line
Right... I don't imagine the Rebellion Army will let us sneak in easily.
Must be something important inside. Let's go!
Oh hi
Music: Chapter Title
Music: A Comrade's Predicament
Right off the bat, we got a trio of Ultra items.
And the dungeon's first Treasure Token.
Today's dungeon is a simple affair. Multiple floors, all centered on this elevator.
Stepping into B2F, we find an Anti-Lock, 1200z, and a DOA Protection FM.
To the south, we have two doors, alongside two Figure Tokens.
Plus another Treasure Token.
The furthest door has these rocks blocking off the path.
Even if there is a massive gap between them and the wall.
So all we can get from this room is another weapon for Spider.
On our way out, we meet a Mettaur Counter. It introduces a new enemy type that counters the last type of attack it was hit with, forcing you to alternate between C and S-type attacks to deal damage. On top of that, it has Electromagnetic Field and the new Shell Breaker Wave to debuff Armor and Shield.
The other door has a purple crystal and a Treasure Token trapped behind these boulders. How mysterious.
It also has these Batfighters. Unlike the Bat Bones way back at Lagrano, these guys won't bother Observing and will instantly go on the offensive with Cracking to inflict Berserk and Bite Energy to absorb 30% of the target's LE.
The Energy Capture Sub Weapon they hold heals for damage dealt, but why would you use WE on that when you have Cinnamon?
The other path in this room leads to an active Mechaniloid.
Meet the Rush Loader. They always come in packs of three, and use stronger attacks as their allies fall. If one is dead, the other two will use the hard hitting Frenzied Dash, and if there's only one left, it will use Explosive Dash to deal a fixed 800 damage while killing itself.
The Beam Wonder is a weapon for Marino that boosts EXP on a killing blow, much like Spider's Hearts, while the Unlock Limiter is a buff item that boosts all stats by 50% for three turns. This buff also stacks with Boost items, letting most people hit harder in their base form than in Hyper, but that also means not using the shiny super modes, so I won't use it.
I didn't know there were 「Booster Parts」 there. If you equip this, your dash power should increase! However...
Ooh, how nice! Let me try it on, X! A, Axl! Wait! No! If a normal Reploid equips it there's a chance it might go out of control! Only X, with his New Armor, can equip that! Darn. It’s no fair that only X can equip it. Oh... Hang on a minute... With your improved dash strength, perhaps you can shatter the rock on this floor! Indeed! A boulder should be easy work for you now! Now you can go to new areas! Continue on with your mission!
Yep, two rooms in and we have a solution to the rocks. These boulders only appear in this dungeon too, if memory serves, making all this just waste your time and force you to backtrack if you happened to pick this door last.
This is also the first and last mention of X's 'New Armor'. Just chalk it up to Light tech, Capcom, don't break out a new Proper Noun for this one thing.
The dash gets a different look now, at least.
Farewell rocks, you blocked my path for all of five minutes.
The purple crystal holds a Mini Motor for a damaged Mechaniloid.
Heading back to the other room, now that we can get past the rocks.
X's scarf is too cool to be obstructed by debris.
And our reward is one of each token.
Heading north, I get the sneaking suspicion that plot progression is past those boulders.
Heading through the first door, we find 800FME in a branching path.
We also find a Mettaurcure. Much like the Preon Nurse, the Mettaurcure revolves around healing and buffing their allies, but unlike a Nurse, a Mettaurcure left alone will spam Mattock Strike until it dies.
Also note the Generator in the drop list. At a 2% drop chance, this is the only way to get copies of it other than the guarenteed find from Gaudile Laboratory deployments.
I'll be back offscreen to grab a few after this Chapter.
Up ahead, we got rocks.
The rocks hide the obligatory set of Tank Parts.
The final path is blocked by this Mega Mantor. In hindsight, using that Mini Battery to get a Blowfish last time was a bad idea.
Past the other door, we got more rocks.
And a token.
Dead ahead, we got another token and a free Bat Bone.
Finally we have, you guessed it, one last token.
Honestly, it's kinda hard to get excited about loot when the majority of it is just tokens.
After breaking through the rocks by the far door, we got a terminal.
And that's everything to do on this floor.
A Tank Energy 100 as soon as we step off the elevator. What could it mean?
Video: Battle with Shadow
Music: Resistance Line
Hey Shadow, long time no see, it's only been five chapters since we've seen so much as a trace of you.
Shadow is loving this shit. His face is permanently locked into that evil grin, even when he has lip flaps in his high quality model.
Shadow! You’re gonna pay for betraying us...
Well, X...
Shadow why are you talking? You should never just start blabbing about your endgame!
Supra-Force Metal?! What's that?!Metal Gear? The Patriots? Foxdie?
You know very well. It's an improved form of Force Metal that the Rebellion Army is studying to help all Reploids achieve their ideal! You government lackeys can't have it!He just spelled out everything about it! This is a story-focused game and they just dropped everything into our lap!
What is it that the Supra-Force Metal does, exactly? 
Take me on and see for yourselves!
I'll tear all of you to little pieces!Music: Final Battle
Shadow always opens the fight with Energy Charge.
Much like a Preon Pod, Shadow will follow up an Energy Charge with a strong attack, but will be knocked out of it if he takes 1,600 damage before his next turn.
No drop list means there's a phase change down the line, but I do want that Unlock Limiter. Not to use it, mind, but because there are a few FMG recipes that need it so it'd be nice to have a few.
Marino comes in to rob Shadow blind. I'm just eating the hit, not like he poses a threat after Rafflesian.
Take it like a man!
I assure you that having both girls in the front for this was completely unintentional.
Anyways, Pulverizer Cannon drops everyone's LE by 75%. Now, normally that would be incredibly threatening...
However, Cinnamon.
Shadow also has access to the weaker Fragmenting Cannon, dealing 50% damage to one target.
I haven't even hit him yet, I'm just stalling for Marino.
That's one. Note how no FS meter came up, even though there's nothing that would stop a Final Strike.
And that's two.
Now he can die.
Unlike his base form and X Fire, the Ultimate Armor doesn't get any major bonuses at 100%, so he can cut loose at any time.
The game is very much not balanced around having all this so early.
With that, we get a fade to black.
Music: The Rebellion's Fate
I'm stronger now. All due to the power of Supra-Force Metal! I swore allegiance to Epsilon for this!
That’s some ”ideal”! All you Mavericks care about is power! How dare you call the great Epsilon a Maverick! 
but I hope no longer.The odds of winning X over would be much higher if you didn't work with literal psychos.
It’s all ends here!
Oh hey what do you know, Zero came back. Do you think he snuck through the Resistance teleporter, or did he physically walk here?
Music: Courage - Strength - Success - Daring
Think you could beat me so easily? Shadow! I've got a big wad of payback just for you!
I'll tear all of you to little pieces!Music: Standby, Zero
For this fight, Zero gets pushed into slot 1, moving everyone in the party down a slot. This gets Cinnamon kicked out of the starting lineup.
Now he has a proper drop list. The Z Ichimonji is a weapon for Zero that has a chance of debuffing enemy armor, but cuts his damage to 40% in exchange.
His afterimages don't impress me, and he also doesn't have anything special in his steal list.
So I just delete him.
And so, Shadow showcases the power of Supra-Force Metal by dying in two hits.
How could this be!?Music: Boss Victory Jingle + Trajectory of Battle II
Hilariously, because Zero's intended to be out of the party for just a small bit, he doesn't get any level catch up like he did at Ulfat. This will leave him extremely underleveled compared to everyone else.
At the very least, the level gap will shrink over time as EXP needed for levels gets larger and larger.
Meanwhile, the best get better.
Music: Resistance Line
How did Shadow get up that fast!? With X pretty much looking right at him at that?
Watch out!
RIP Shadow, he betrayed us, made no appearances for like half the game, then died in the same room he reappeared in.
Music: Grief - Sympathy - Pity - Pain II
Guess I overdid it, huh?Bit hard to tell, but Spider's arm is actually damaged in this scene. The internals on one side are exposed, and his arm is constantly sparking.
I said I didn’t need your help! Yeah, I know. I heard you in the first place. Listen, there really isn't anything complicated about why X decided to make friends with a lowlife bounty hunter like me. It’s quite simple, really. Just like why I saved you.
But, now what? I guess we got to go check the lab. Okay Spider, you stay put with that arm. We'll check on you later.
Take me to the lab with you! Surely a group of Class S Hunters like yourselves can stand to have a little handicap along for the ride. And, like I said... I'm curious... About this stinkin' ”ideal" of theirs!
Zero offers his right hand for a handshake.
Then catches himself and offers his left. Zero will now be buddies with all the Giga City guys.
Not like it'll be that hard. Massimo, Marino, and Cinnamon have had all of, what, one voiced line across the three of them since Chapter 4?
Next time:
