Part 131: Colosseo Purgatorio

It's not up for long, but this is something you could see briefly once in the FES attract video. It's not really a big deal, though.

This is bad... It's becoming unstable...
It should last a little longer, but we don't have much time.
If the fault extends to the door, we may not be able to leave even with the keys...
Tch... It's just one thing after another, isn't it?

Troubled



I mean... no one is seriously thinking about going back to the past, right?
......
Um... I've been thinking...



They never figured out the cause of death at the hospital, right...?
Well, that's...
Personally... I still think it's because he used all his power to accomplish that miracle.
In other words, we were saved because he gave up his life.



Ken-kun...
I'm with Ken.
We've all seen what kind of resolve it takes to face death...
That resolve, and what it brought about...
There's no way we can cancel that out on our own whims.
Even if it hurts, we have to deal with it and accept the present.
Yukari... What about you?
You're all about the here and now, right, Yuka-tan?
I mean, you say it all the time-- "You gotta look forward!"
I...



When I thought about how he protected us, I kept telling myself that I have to keep looking forward...
That's why I started going to cram school, and spending less time goofing off.
But... I can't lie to myself.



Yukari...
So... you're giving up? Are you saying you don't have the strength to face reality?
After all the things we've gone through, you're just gonna throw in the towel in the fight against yourself?



If you really thought something was that precious to you, you'd want to protect it no matter what.
Don't you understand!? We can go back and fix things!
Are you seriously just gonna let a chance like this go!?
Then I'll ask you this... If I said I wanted you to undo your father's death, would you do it?



Nothing in the past was a waste... You're just making excuses.
......
Hey... you keep mentioning "death"...
Are you saying the person who saved you all didn't just... leave?



What...? Why didn't you tell me before...?
Why...? But... you've never met him.
Anyway, what do the rest of you think?



But I definitely see what Akihiko-senpai is tryin' to say.
When you get down to it, though... I hate to say this, but I'm just too scared to do that battle over.
What's wrong with you!?
Are you saying you're scared to die, but it's okay if he does?
That's not what I said! I mean, have you really thought this through!?
Going back to before that battle means we'd have to fight Nyx again!



This is a pretty good point, honestly. While it's easy to be inclined to take Yukari's side here, Junpei raises an important wrinkle. If we really go back in time and that causes Nyx to win, what happens then?

It's the same thing! Either way, all it means is that you're just scared!
...And you two are no better.
All that talk about accepting the present is because when you get down to it, you only care about yourselves!



What!?
How can you say that!?
*sigh* There's no use going around and around like this. We're never gonna reach an agreement.
So if no one gives in... we'll have to settle this another way.
Another way...?
Yukari-chan... you don't mean--!?



That'll work too, right?
It's true that the eight keys will merge if they're brought together... even against their holders' wishes.
......
But if it comes to a fight... I'll protect my sister with everything I have.
These keys represent each of your strength of heart...



What do you mean?
You're only thinking of what's best for you...
The person with my sister's power died of unknown causes, didn't he?
Did any of you ever stop to think that maybe the same thing could happen to her!?
I came to protect her... but I...
I won't make another mistake. I'll do whatever it takes to save her!
Metis...
Aigis-san... Which door are you thinking about unlocking?
I...



And this makes it so much easier to side with Yukari again. Having Aigis be absurdly, ridiculously indecisive - despite supposedly being the protagonist and thus an alleged driving force - is kinda annoying.

Yukari's very clear about what she wants and is willing to do whatever it takes to get it. That helps a lot.

So you're just gonna run away? Again?



You got to hear his last words... You even made him a promise... But here you are, still running.
Why were you the one who inherited his power when you can't even make up your mind?
I'm sorry, but I'm not going to lose to someone like you!
Yukari-chan... Are you really going to fight...?
This decision hinges upon someone precious to us all... Our differences can't be settled with a compromise.
No matter what Aigis decides... we have no choice but to fight.
And I've... made my decision as well.



Senpai...
You're taking her side...? Are you serious?
......
Heh... I know you well enough to tell your mind's made up. All right.
Everyone...!
...It's decided, then.



If we fight there... no one can appeal the result.
Hey--!?

> The friendship has been split...

> How will you make your final decision...?

Living With Determination -Iwatodai Dorm-



I... I want to go back to the past. I want to save him...
So I'll get those keys no matter what!
...I can't go along with a gamble that big.
We fought alongside him for an entire year... I don't want all of that to go to waste.
So I ca't go back to the past... I won't hand over my key!
Guys, guys... if we keep fighting over the keys like this, something awful might happen to Aigis!
That's just an excuse to keep this from getting serious.
All Metis cares about is Aigis... How can we trust her?
Even if we did, we're supposed to just accept that taking this mysterious key will kill her? What a load of crap.
The time we spent with him means a lot to me, and I'm not letting anyone waltz in to undo it!
Will you guys just stop and think!?
Why are we fighting!? We've helped each other up 'till now every step of the way! What about that, huh?
You guys better talk this over, cause I ain't letting anyone use the key until we're all agreed on what to do.
And if anyone's a sore loser about it, I'll kick all your asses just to calm you down!
...That's enough.
We'll depart once Sister is prepared. Let me know when you're ready.

Just like the past few times, before we do anything else we'll take a brief trip into the Velvet Room...

The Poem For Everyone's Soul



I assume that your ordeal is not yet at an end... am I right?
If so, then the best thing for you would be to face your frustration.
Only by mastering yourself can you move forward without regrets.
This is what you must do to find the answer to life that waits for you...
It is the only way to reach the "end" that is in store...

Okay, now we're free to...

Living With Determination -Iwatodai Dorm-



Do something radical and new for The Answer and talk to other people!

...I've been skipping it before now for a reason. It's always just a half-assed recap of the previous scene and/or someone saying something like "Koromaru uses Fire skills! Use him against enemies weak to fire!" which is all very exciting I'm sure. That's not the case here.

Does that seem odd to you...?
I agree with Yukari on some points. Furthermore...
No matter what, we'll have to face you and Metis.
I won't concede... so there's no need to hold back.



When we fought Nyx... I couldn't move... all I could do was see his back...
I'm not going to let that be my last memory of him!
I'm going to take my chances... and I won't let anyone get in my way!



I've always relied on you, because I agree with what you said.
But if I take your side, the others will be my enemies... What am I supposed to do...?



But that's no reason to go back and change the past.
I think we should let his actions stand as they are, and worry more about getting out of this alive...
Aigis-san, you're teaming up with Metis-san, right?
Well, Akihiko-san seems to feel the same way as me.. so I'm planning on fighting alongside him.



I can't blame anyone for grabbing onto that hope.
But who would we be changing things for? Him, or us?
His death was no accident. He knew what we was doing.
That's why I can't let anyone undo the past...



...He'd never go along with something like that.
Even if our time's running out, we can't move on if no one's gonna back down.
I mean, this is a one-time deal... If you don't like the way things are going, what else are you gonna do!?
So we've gotta collect all the keys until everyone just calms down!

So, while on some level this can be seen as folks repeating their general motivations and ideals from the previous scene, it's still important enough to take a moment to go through because it's going to be relevant shortly.



For what it's worth, we currently cannot go back to the Desert of Doors. If we talk to Metis or try to enter the Desert, we get the same choice here.

Don't worry. I'll protect you, no matter what.
Once we leave here, I'll have everyone go separate ways.
You won't see the other teams until it's time for battle...
Are you ready?
I'm ready.
Then... follow me.

Silence



Where is everyone else?
They're fine... They've gone their separate ways, and they're waiting in different areas.
You see the big door up ahead?
There's an arena past that door. You'll be fighting them there.
......



But this is a real battle, and there will be consequences if they lose.
......
...Sister? Are you listening?
...Is there no way to avoid this?
Not as long as you have a key and they're after it.
But you promised me at the start that you wouldn't hurt my friends...
I haven't forgotten. But this involves your life...
I'll protect you. No matter what happens... I'll protect my sister.



I wondered why this place existed...
But now, I feel like this is what I was meant to do all along.
I can't explain why...

Between Doors



Welcome folks, to the Colosseo Purgatorio: the overly fancy way of saying the Coliseum of Purgatory. Unable to make a decision, we're stuck in limbo and need this to make a final choice.

Honestly, the symbolism here is so in your face and blatant that even I picked up on it the first time I did this. And I'm kinda stupid and bad at that.

Anyway, the Coliseum is weird in that it has a fixed camera angle despite being in a dungeon area. If we go left, we can find a door back to the Desert if you need to grind Metis up (why yes this IS why she's been glued to the party almost the entire time). If we go right...



We can enter a giant door. Walking across the red carpet, a sign of welcoming, to a large gate that looks like it leads to a very generic depiction of Paradise...

The First Round

Silence



The other thing about the Colosseo Purgatorio is that it's a bunch of really long cutscenes. They get longer as they go, even.

That Which Comes From The Darkness



also the coliseum is the area from the opening cutscene you might remember it

The arena itself looks like a gigantic clock face, but it's missing its hands. Time is uncertain, in part because we're stuck in one moment in day (March 31st) and in part because we're using this to determine our future. Do we stay in the present or return to the past? I told you, the symbolism here was obvious.

This is where you awakened...?



And since you remember the first scene, Akihiko and Ken being first is not a surprise.



......
I was hoping to go up against Mitsuru's team first, but... Oh well.



Fuuka-san...
Do you object to her acting as the mediator, and backing up both sides?
No! You can't make such a decision like that without me!
Helping both sides, encouraging my friends to fight each other... I won't do such a thing.
But with your ability--
There's no need to worry about us when we're about to go at it.



Her life could be at risk, right? So it's only fair that she gets a handicap with you.
Akihiko-senpai...
Let's get this over with.
Aigis-san... Have you decided what you'll do if you get all the keys?
I can't fight against...



god this is so blatant

Akihiko Sanada 「Hierophant Caesar」; Ken Amada 「Justice Kala-Nemi」

Heartful Cry
heartful cry is one of the better things in the answer so if you havent heard it give it a listen



If you don't take this seriously... You'll be hurt.



So, despite kinda ragging on it before, Aigis' indecisiveness is still very important to have for the protagonist here. This is functionally an anime battle, so despite being a miniboss rush, it's serving a secondary purpose.



There's the whole gameplay test thing for the player, sure, but the fight itself narratively is a super blatant clash of ideals like all real (shonen) anime fights.



With each team taking up a distinct possible outlook on the keys, it's rather in your face with it I think. They even tell you outright about it, for good measure.



Fundamentally, none of these fights are really all that difficult from a gameplay perspective but they're (mostly) not stuff you could just sleep through mindlessly either. Everyone has parts of their expected movesets, sure, but they also all have a bunch of new fun toys to hit you with.



I'd personally say this one is the most difficult, but a lot of that is because Ken has Diarahan and remembers to use it.



Ken's new moves are primarily all support based, between Elec Break, Karns, both Rebellion and Revolution...



And Ken even has Premonition, because hitting things is not allowed to be easy. Akihiko has Counterstrike which is a bizarre decision but whatever.



Like every fight against other Stand Persona users, they have little quips at 25%, 50% and 75% HP but they're all fairly generic.



Leaving those out doesn't really hinder much, honestly.



So, there's a few consistent trends for everyone here. They're all level 77, have 2000 HP and infinite SP (as far as I'm aware). Their weaknesses are neutral, they keep their expected elemental immunities and null Expel/Curse regardless. So, you know their resistances already, then.

Akihiko has 90 Strength, 78 Magic, 34 Endurance, 45 Agility and 44 Luck.
Ken has 75 Strength, 86 Magic, 43 Endurance, 42 Agility and 51 Luck.

Silence





So, uh, Ken and Akihiko just kinda explode in a way...



And are transported to these giant candelabra and become the giant flames.

What's happening...!?
I told you before... If they lose, there will be consequences.
They haven't died.



You can no longer avoid fighting...
No...
You knew this would happen... Is that why you brought us here?
What were you thinking!?
It's because... this must be my purpose here...
......



...We need to hurry, Sister.
...Don't call me Sister anymore.
Do you... hate me now?
......
...I'll still fulfill my promise.
No matter what, I will protect you... Sister.



> To revive your defeated friends, you must see the fight through to the end.

> You decided to return to the lounge.

End

The dorm is hella empty now, and there's like... nothing to do beyond returning to the Colosseo Purgatorio, so we'll do just that.

The Second Round

That Which Comes From The Darkness



*whimper*
Junpei-kun...! Koro-chan...!
Well... I guess I can see what's going on.
No matter who our opponent is, I won't let them have my Sister's... Aigis's key.
Heh, I know, I know. It's cool.
But y'know, no matter which way this turns out...



Then again, I don't think Yuka-tan's got it right either.
Even if we go back to before the final battle, if we're still squabbling like this...
I dunno, do you really see us being able to pull off a miracle and do things better than he could?
Me, I think this is somethin' we've gotta take care of on our own.
Junpei-kun...
I'm not as much of a hardass as Akihiko-san, but... I don't think we should mess with the past.
Still, some things you just can't work out by talking about 'em.



Right, little sis?
......
Junpei-san...
All righty then... Let's get it on!
You better not throw this fight!

Junpei Iori 「Magician Trismegistus」; Koromaru 「Strength Cerberus」

Heartful Cry



> Koromaru is fully prepared.



Junpei and Koromaru are a weird choice to come second. That implies that their position is to be considered more accurate and right than Ken and Akihiko...



Except that doesn't really make sense. By Junpei's own admission, he has less conviction than Akihiko.



While there is some degree of agreement with Aki and Ken, Junpei's real position is that he just wants the decision to be agreed upon by everyone.



But, uh, yeah anyway the fight? I personally think it's a lot easier than the previous one (that Abaddon and Chernoog exist makes it a non-issue), but at least the added skills mostly fit what we've seen them do before.



...Even if something as simple as Junpei getting Maragidyne at last is a wasted skill.



More interesting is that Koromaru gets Stagnant Air, which is peculiar but...



Junpei gets Tentarafoo.

Junpei. Gets. Tentarafoo.

This goes about as well for him as you'd expect! He even has Panic Boost for all the nothing it matters.



Junpei has a fun little wrinkle in his resists. He's neutral to Slash, but takes 50% damage from it. And by "fun" I mean he has Evade Slash and High Counter too so it's pointless but hey! He's also got 70 Strength, 82 Magic (...yes), 60 Endurance, 41 Agility and 32 Luck.

Koromaru likewise has a fun little wrinkle in his resists. He's neutral to Ice, but takes 150% damage from it. Whoops! He has 45 Strength, 82 Magic, 52 Endruance, 85 Agility and 48 Luck.

Silence



All of us... we were searching for the same thing...
Our bonds were so strong... And yet...
The next battle will be the last one...
If we win... there will be no one left who can take your key.
Is this... right?
I can't stand it any longer... This is wrong.



It scares me too, to think about dying...
But does that justify hurting the ones who are precious to you?
......
If this has to continue, I'm not going to be a part of it.
I'll end all this by giving my key to Yukari-san and Mitsuru-san.
No! You can't do that, or you'll--!
We don't know for sure whether or not that will happen.
And I won't accept your input on this. It's my decision.



I... had a premonition!

Living With Determination

I wasn't hiding who I am... I really don't know anything about myself.
About a month ago, I woke up here all alone...
You asked me about when I discovered my emotions, but I don't have any memories...
I only knew two things when I woke up.



And second... a strong premonition that if I didn't do something, that sister would die soon.
At first, I thought it would happen because of the Abyss of Time.
But that wasn't it...



The cost of my death...
The answer... to life...
I went to see you so I could save you, but I ended up causing the power to awaken...
That's why I made up my mind. I'd do anything to protect you.
Even... even if it meant you'd hate me for it...
You're all I have in the world...
Metis...
......



But I still can't hurt the people who gave me my heart.
Even if the end result of this power is death.
I don't want you to die!
......!
If you're not gonna give in... You still don't need to throw your life away...



I don't want you to die and leave me behind.
I'd rather give my life than be alone... That way, I can always stay with you.
What are you saying--



*sob*
Metis...



*sob*
I... thought I knew all too well the pain of being left behind...
You show me so many things that I had let myself forget...
Aigis...
Because our bonds are so strong, there's no solution to this where no one gets hurt...
There's no easy way out.
If I gave up without making a decision, I'd be running away from the pain my friends must still face.

Silence



I need to make a choice.
...I care about him as much as anyone else.
Fuuka-san, there's something I want you to hear.
Huh...?
You too, Metis.



> But the time has come when you are forced to face the truth, and make your choice...

> You decided to return to the lounge.

End

Much like before, we're gonna immediately turn right back around and go straight to the coliseum.

The Final Round

That Which Comes From The Darkness



......



Yukari-chan...
You know... I had a feeling a while back that something like this might happen.
......
There are four lit flames... This battle will determine which side gains the true key.
Well...? Have you made your choice?
Tell me that you didn't defeat the others without a clear objective...



There was something crucial that I hadn't known...
But my sister revealed it to me.
To care about someone dear to you, to strengthen the bonds of friendship...
That doesn't necessarily mean that the pain of living will stop.
Sister...
If something's precious, you don't want to lose it... If someone's dear, it's painful to part with them...



I, too, have something important...
That's why I'm willing to fight you two now.
Aigis...
......
*chuckle*
You sound like you're back to your usual self again.
Y'know, I have to say, you've been a little out of it lately...



But now... I'd say you've got more life in you than ever.
Yukari-san...
All the same... I can't give in, either.
I'm not gonna lose this battle... no matter what!

Yukari Takeba 「Lovers Isis」; Mitsuru Kirijo 「Empress Artemesia」

Heartful Cry



Show me your resolve!



So, obviously then, Yukari and Mitsuru coming last means that their ideals are the biggest obstacle for Aigis.



But, like, we already knew that and it makes the most sense anyway. It also gives it the framing that, despite ultimately being wrong, it's the one alternative the audience player is mostly likely to agree with.



Anyway, this fight is conceptually the mot difficult but in practice ends up firmly in the middle. Angelic Grace is a peculiarity, since it's Dodge Fire/Ice/Wind/Elec all rolled into one and we can only get it via the Book of Enoch (Metatron's Heart Item), and both Mitsuru and ukari have it.



Yukari's added skills are... weirdly, absurdly dumb and disappointing in contrast. She gets physical attacks. Because obviously Yukari needs that. And can totally use them well.



Actually, saying that, she kinda can. Yukari has 91 Strength, 70 Magic, 42 Endurance, 44 Agility and 41 Luck. No elemental curiosities though.

Mitsuru similarly has nothing odd with her resists. She has 74 Strength, 88 Magic, 45 Endurance, 41 Agility and 42 Luck. Both seemingly powerful on offense but lacking a bit in defense for balance.

Silence



I agree with you the most, so...





Since we've technically collected all eight keys, the torches begin to glow enabling us to actually use them.



Everyone!



It may sound strange to hear, but... I'm so glad that you're all safe.
......
So, what are you going to do with that key?
That was a nice speech back there, but you still haven't made a real decision, huh!?
Then give it to me...! Gimme that key!



It's no use... Only my sister can use the true key now.

Living With Determination



So, it's come up in the thread a few times but Yukari is absolutely the best character in The Answer. This scene right now demonstrates how and why perfectly.

......
I... I made a promise to him, too...
I promised that I'd try my best to change this world, so that people would stop wishing for the Fall...
It wasn't like yours... It was something I promised myself while I was holding his cold hand...
That's why I decided to put the past behind me, and look forward...
Yukari-san...



I wanna see him... I don't care about anything else! I just wanna see him again!
Yukari-san...
Yukari...
There's no way to truly put the past behind you. In the end, you only succeed in running from it.
It's painful to face, but if you don't, your wounds will never heal.



Eventually I'll forget all about him, or stop caring?
Like that's ever going to happen!
No one knows that better than us!
......
...You're right.
But... can't we be there for you, when things are at their worst?
...The way you were there for me last year?
Huh...?
That may not have been what you meant at the time...



That's why... when we lost him without being able to thank him, I swore deep down...
If something ever happened to make you suffer, I'd put my own feelings aside and stand with you.
Mitsuru... senpai...



You have use with you. Isn't that the whole point of forming such bonds?



Yukari-san... I understand your feelings.
Ever since I was born, I have spent all my time thinking about him...
So... I suggest we see it. To find out once and for all... what he left for us.

Silence



Without knowing that reason, I can't decide what is right.
That's why I would like to see the past again, before using this key.
To see the truth of what happened... the moment he used his power.
Huh...? Can we really do that?



You mean those doors that lead to the past?
But they all disappeared... There aren't any left.
The only way back to the past is the door to his room... and we know we don't want to use the key on that.
No... There's one more door!



The doors reflect the minds of those who enter them...
If our wish is strong enough, we should be able to use that door to look into the past.
I see... Good thinking.
How about it, everyone?
Sounds like it's worth a try.



I was just thinking... There's nothing left for me to do.
And... I'm sure none of you would want me along...
I did some horrible things to you...
Dude, what're you talking about?
We all got ourselves into this mess! You don't have to be so hard on yourself.
Don't you remember? I told you that I wouldn't leave you behind.
......!



Still, we're pretty lucky there's one door left.
It's a real lifesaver, huh?
......
Now that you mention it... That is strange...



If that door's purpose is to prepare for battle, it should have vanished once the battles were over.
Our fight afterward was just bickering between ourselves.
There's only one logical conclusion.
If that door's role is to allow us to prepare for battle, and it hasn't yet disappeared...



Our feelings are the reason for all of this...
And what Aigis proposed relates directly to the core of our pain.
We should probably expect to encounter something unknown.
......
Then... what now? Sh-Should we... find another plan?
If what Mitsuru-senpai says is true... we have to go.
...Right?



> You decided to head for the door leading to the past Paulownia Mall.



So, sure enough, this time the door doesn't lead us to the Mall. No, instead it brings us to...

Mistic



...the Desert of Doors. Huh.

What is this...!?



It does seem kinda odd that despite having to pass through the Desert to get back to the other door, they would not see this but.. it wouldn't have been here. It's pretty clear that this door spawning is relating to how the Abyss reacts to what you want when you open the other doors. It is ultimately just showing exactly what we wanted to see, after all.

I see the ordeal awaiting us was no mere speculation...
We should come back here once we've prepared for battle.
Heh, fine with me.
No matter what the truth is... We'll finally get to see it with our own eyes.

Silence



> The answers you've sought for so long wait beyond.

> You should take all possible measures before confronting it.

> You decided to return to the lounge.

End