Part 54: Episode LIV: The Key of Darkness

Episode LIV: The Key of Darkness


Music: NDE - Near Death Experience



Now, where were we...?



Ah! Right! Fighting a floating pregnant zombie woman with a second head coming out of her... err... let's maybe not dwell on where that second head is coming from, eh?



Viscount "Enormous Ass" Rausan is a Fire elemental enemy with 3500 HP. He's kind of a total chump, just as you'd expect from a new villain that just got introduced about twenty minutes ago. Especially, since we neutered his major annoying factor before coming into the fight.



Yuri is going to keep up his punchman routine. Even though Rausan is Fire elemental and Yuri will do reduced damage, buffed fists Ifrit is still going to be the best bet for damage output. They really didn't balance the Fusions in this game very well.



That said, Yuri... Hmm... I don't know if punching a pregnant woman, even if it is a bizarre floating gender-swapped ghoul, twenty times in the stomach is a great look, my guy...



Halley's Aqua Blade is quite effective against Rausan and will have the best damage output this fight at around 225-250 HP of damage every turn. You know how uncomfortable a giant robe like that would be if it got soggy? Yeesh.

We just need to watch out for Halley's MP consumption. Kids these days don't know when they're gonna burn themselves out.



Alice is on healing duty as usual. But she can chip in with Blessed Light, especially early on in the fight, to grind off an extra 100 HP off the viscount here and there. We want to get our licks in early, because...





Rausan will cast Elder Sign which boosts his Special Defense Power by 30% which is gonna put a small damper on Halley's game plan, but not enough to make him stop spamming Aqua Blade every turn. It'll still do 200-230 damage and nothing else in his toolbox is going to do more than that.



Rausan has a small handful of attacks, such as a much more potent version of the hand bullets the other Friar Knight goons were rocking. His does between 50-120 damage, depending on if he wants to shoot a target once or three plus times.



So remember how we equipped everyone with defense again Silence? That seems to have sort of broken Rausan's AI. Rausan has a special version of his hand bullets that is just a Silence inflict attack that hurts a whole lot. The thing is, he is supposed to Silence a random target and then start using Blaze -- a full party Fire element attack that does a good 150 HP of damage to everyone. The thing is, his AI seems really upset it cannot Silence anyone, so he skips the Blaze part and just keeps targeting people with Silence bullets. Which makes this fight kind of a joke! I'm not going to complain.







In any event, Rausan goes down like the mid-boss chump he is in short order. RIP one of the more baffling human to monster transformations in the game. I mean, in a fight I'd probably give pause if someone transformed into a pregnant woman but... I'm not sure if the Vatican would be cool with that tactic, Mr. Friar Knight of the Inquisition.


Music: Results



For our efforts, we get the usual shower of EXP and Cash. Alice hit Level 35 which unlocks Arc, a spell that will make the next major boss battle MUCH easier. So that's some nice timing! Spoilers: It's a full party heal! We don't have to cripple Yuri into a support class any longer.



We also gained that wayward Spade Key. The creeping dread of backtracking washes upon the party.


Music: Castle of Silence



<swipes the air> Go back home to yer master. Idiot!
Whoever it was... whoever you were! Did we find out who this dweeb was...?
If you read the lore on that key he dropped, it says there.
Pfft... Yeah, I'll get right on top of digging into item description lore like a frikkin' nerd.
<frowns> _{I like item description lore...}



And with that, so passes Viscount Rausan. We hardly knew him. Literally. I really need to go through the mass grave of Character Portrait Worthy NPCs in Shadow Hearts and keep a tally of who has survived the longest and shortest lengths of time. I think Terry of Bistritz is still the forerunner with Master Xifa as runner-up.

Yuri turns around and kicks the door.



<looks the door over>
Alice, help me look for like a Judgment Ring prompt so I can kick this thing open.
A... what now?
Ya know, that spinny wheel deal where you hit the targets just the right amount you'll pull open a door or yank off a crank and stuff.
<bewildered look>
...You don't see those when doing that kinda thing, huh?
<concerned look>
<sigh> Maybe that'll go away too when Halley's mom stops using my head as a radio...

Alice and Yuri start discussing what to do next. Meanwhile, Halley wanders over to the convenient child sized vent grate next to the door.



What’s wrong?
<inspects grate> Looks like we can get in through here!

Halley kicks open the grate and crawls in.



Hey, Halley!!



Sorry, Yuri. Halley REALLY needs to find his mom right this instant. He doesn't have time for five minutes of backtracking and like two more random battles along the way.




Mom...?



<runs up to his mother> Mom?! It’s me!
…
Don’t you recognize me?
...
<shakes head> You’re kidding, right…? Mom? Please… Say something.
…
<stomps foot> No…!



<runs to door> Yuri! My mom… She’s…
Your mom? What’s happened to her?!
Mom…
<drools>



Is she alive? Dead? A gross tentacle hell beast? Hello? Helloooooo?
<kicks the door> Arrgh!! Damn!!
<turns to Yuri> We can’t open it by force! There must be a key somewhere. Let’s try to find it!



Yuri is a bit bulky, I could see him not being able to fit in this Newt Vent. But Alice? C'mon. You're thinner than Halley. You should be able to get in there no problem.



Welp. We did get that Spade Key and there is that locked Spade Key door several rooms back. Guess we need to backtrack halfway across the dungeon. Again.



As a side note, random battles are still in effect here even though we're down a man. So thanks for that, Halley.





In any case, we can now unlock that final lingering door in the second corridor with the Spade Key and pillage the contents of the room. In a chest near the back of the prison cell, we find...



That is a ridiculously evil ass key. That thing should have a faint aura of glowing malicious energy emanating from it at all times.

Meanwhile, back in the hidden basement...



You’re okay now. I’m here with you… I wanted to come sooner but nothing worked out.
I started a gang of orphans to get funds and then there was this evil doctor abducting kids and that was this whole THING...
Yuri and his friends helped me out this time. They’re weird but nice.
One of them is a vampire, which wigged me out a little... Another one is a spy that did threaten to shoot my friends for pickpocketing them, but I think she was just bluffing. I think...
They’re trustworthy. So, don’t worry…



<looks around confused>



Eat shit, nerd!



Roger Bacon and Arcane Olga warp into the room.



Wh-who are you?!

Halley picks himself back up.



<turns to Halley's mother> It appears that even an emotionless witch cannot forget the child she carried in her womb. Even after such torture, her human emotion has begun to awaken just a small bit.
Uh… Uh…
You see? It's not just ellipses anymore! Fantastic!
Bwah hah hah hah! How utterly delightful! You who sacrificed both mind and body to protect your magic powers, you actually wish to speak?!
<enters fighting stance> You! Don’t you dare touch my mom!

Halley powers up with shonen fighting spirit.



Ah. The same power as your mother? But it seems that you do not yet have the power to control it…
Those MP costs... Shameful...



Take that!




Ugh… Yuri…



You just COULDN'T wait ten more minutes to grab the key so we could do this together, huh?



Meanwhile, Yuri has discovered he and Alice can take a nap and get a full HP/MP refill if they feel so inclined. Halley will probably be fine getting Force Lightning blasted by Roger Bacon for a quick power nap. Beyond that, if you'll take a look at that chest with the Dungeon Key, you may notice a red shine. If we take another peak in that chest, we find...





The easiest Level 3 Fusion Gravestone to obtain in the whole game. And it's for our top boy, Inferno/Ifrit Fire elemental to boot. Yeah, we'll take that! It's the only freebie we'll get of those.





Anyway, time to backtrack to the dungeon and help out Halley. Before going forward, we're gonna want Yuri and Alice (Halley was already covered beforehand) with something that guards against the Poison status effect. It'll make our lives much easier in the future.



Hey, dingus. We got the door op—the HELL is going on in here?! We were gone for FIVE minutes!



So we finally have all members present, do we? I see that Rausan proved to be no match for you people.
...Who?
That sounds about right.
<notices Halley> Are you all right?!

Alice tries to walk up to Halley but Arcane Olga quickly darts over to the boy.



<laughs>
Now, then, Yuri. You are wondering why in the world I am here, are you not?
Not really. It's just evil wizard crap I won't understand.
Very well, heh heh heh… I shall explain.
…
<starts pacing the room> To fulfill my dreams, I’ve been doing research into a deeply secret and arcane form of magic. When that is done, I’ll be able to cleanse the world of its filth and help usher in a new age.
What the hell is the difference between that and Dehuai’s plot?! You’re just another nutty magician!
No sense of right and wrong with ANY of you magic clowns!
<shakes head> Your problem is that you think too concretely. You must approach reality in a more flexible way. Heh heh. Do not lump my dreams together with that child’s play Dehuai was engaged in. Now, then…

Bacon turns to Halley's mother.



<clenches fist> Are you nuts? It’s Halley’s mom, for crying out loud!!
I... I think... We've never actually met and huh...
<glances at Halley> They kinda look nothing alike, but... That's PROBABLY his mom!
Well, yes, that is one correct answer. But her true value does not lie in such a mundane dimension. She is necessary to my goal of bringing forth a new Eden. She is the beacon to an approaching god. If Alice is the Key of Light, embodying positive magic, then she is the Key of Darkness.
This is way too complicated! So what you’re saying is she’s the Key to unlocking your magic, right?
And Alice is probably some other key. And you need them both to summon some magic crap, yeah? Is that it?
<shakes head and shrugs> In a word, yes.
You could have said that right from the beginning, dummy!
You're just doing a bigger version of Dehuai's magic crap but using like 5000 more words to make it sound impressive. But you end up just sounding like a bigger dick than Dehuai.



...
......
_{Fuck this...}





Oww... I... didn't even s-say... anything...
<turns to Halley> Well, I suppose play time is over. Take that!

Roger Bacon uses his Force Lightning to make an electric pyramid of pain over Halley. The boy does not enjoy it.





Halley's mother flops off the table.



Straightjacketed Woman starts squirming toward Halley. Bacon walks over and steps on her.



She can bear the pain in her own body, but she cannot bear the pain of her beloved son! A fatal weakness!
Uh… Uh…
M-mom…

Roger steps off her and walks away to begin another monologue.



Bwah hah hah hah!!

Yuri picks himself back up.



<turns around> I am amazed that you still have the strength to stand, monster!
Oh yeah? Then you’ll really be impressed when I smash you to pieces.
Listening to your sappy rambling gave me my second wind.
<narrows eyes> Indeed...
I-I'm OK too. <climbs to her feet>
<laughs> How amusing. I shall accept your challenge.



The entire room flashes white several times. Everyone seems very confused.




Music: Tanjou



Ahhh! So you have finally opened your eyes?! You are ready to obey me?! Koudelka Iasant!!
Yuri, thank you for coming. It means a lot to me.
Sorry for the headaches. I've been having... a time...
Now is not the time for you to die…

Yuri stands up.



I’ll go now with this man. You go and meet an old man in Wales…
A VERY old man... Looks like a shriveled up raisin. You'll know him when you see him.
And, please… take good care of my Halley.
All right, then. In exchange for the lives of this rabble, you are now mine!
<turns to Olga> Olga! I’ll leave you to clean up here!
That is not what we agreed to.
<looks over Arcane Olga> Yuri. Kill this one extra hard, if you could.
Heh. On it.

Roger Bacon and Koudelka Iasant teleport away. Halley finally gets up from getting owned for the last two scenes straight.



Mom!!

Halley runs toward them but they teleport away before he can reach them. Arcane Olga steps forward to challenge the party.



<enters fighting stance> I’ll never forgive you for what you’ve done!
Granny, you ain't leaving this room. There hasn't been one of Bacon's lackeys that have made it more than three rounds with us.
Bawahaha. The rule of threes is just an old superstition! Besides, I've only fought you once before!
You fought me the one time too.



...
......
...Shit.





Tune in next time for the final battle with Arcane Olga as Koudelka 2 Shadow Hearts continues!






Video: Rausan Boss Battle