The Let's Play Archive

Shadow Hearts: Covenant

by The Dark Id

Part 123: Episode CXVII: Transience



Episode CXVII: Transience



There is technically one additional order of business we could see to back at the Queen's Garden now that we've completed the dungeon. But... No use fighting it anymore. Let's go rip off the Band-Aid on doing the really bad idea. Which means returning once more to Wales and Roger Bacon's home. Warning, things in this update are somewhat NSFW for naked ladies in Resident Evil stasis capsules.


Music: Spiritualization ~ Holy Land of God








Roger doesn't specify where the dark deed will take place. But do you remember in his basement there was a barred set of doors in the direction opposite the Bacon Jet's hangar? That's where we are heading. This actually took me a few minutes to find my first playthrough because hell if I looked down there or even headed in that direction before hitting the Bacon Jet and being whisked off to Russia.



So it's finally time.
I haven't got a good feeling about this.
I feel the same way. I mean, so far we've had nothing but failures when it comes to magic! If Yuri or Roger turns into a monster, I just couldn't take it...
......
Thanks, guys. This is really building up my confidence in this...
Worry not, friend. If you turn into an abominable form I will not hesitate to suplex you into submission with the full extent of my muscles!
I have no idea what is going on, do you?
Awroo... (No...)




Karin...
And if worst comes to worst, I'll do whatever I have to do.
<turns away and opens the door> I'm sorry to have to ask you guys, but if anything happens to Roger or me, don't hesitate to take us out.
If a silver-haired spider... plant lady thing comes skittering out. You should... probably take that out too.



Music: ENDS


:siren: VIDEO: CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE REST OF THE UPDATE'S CONTENT. YOU SHOULD WATCH THIS. :siren:




It's probably got to be a bit of a bummer for Karin to have a crush on the protagonist and hear he's decided to just go resurrect his old girlfriend before even considering you in the running.





Look at that...
Well, let's get started. Hm?
Okay...

Some time later.



That's not like... orphan goop or anything, right?
...What?
You didn't have to melt down a buncha orphans or anything crazy to make that gunk, right?
No, it's just a complex alchemical compound of my own making.
Cuz last time I saw someone try this they had a big cauldron of orphan goop.
...Oh. Heavens. I forgot I wrote the resurrection magic spell in the Émigré Manuscript copy wrong on purpose. Mostly as a joke.
That was a lot of dead kids, Roger.
Let's not fret about that right now. I must concentrate.




Roger fiddles with assorted mechanical devices and the machine whirls into action causing the entire basement to shake.





?!



......
......
......
...Is it supposed to do something?
Give it time. You cannot rush these sorts of dark arts and super science.






?!



Alice?!
<holds Yuri back>
......


Music: Serious Mood ~ Unrest




Now begins the secret of the Émigré Manuscript.
So this is what Kato did too?
Not quite... Kato created Ouka by using her hair follicles to make a clone.
Hair follicles...?
Hair strands.
Uhh... where did Kato get those from? She's been dead for over a year.
Let us... not dwell... on that information...
...Yeah... Good idea...




He merely used the Émigré to manipulate time and force the nucleus to grow more rapidly than normal. That's why Ouka doesn't have any of Yoshiko Kawashima's memories. She was born as a completely separate individual.
So... what about Alice?!



She's exactly the same Alice that you knew. Her memories and emotions are just as they were at the time she died. When she wakes up, she'll feel just as though she had a nice, long sleep. Hm.
You can't be serious?
There will likely be some early confusion. What with over a year passed. The world engulfed in a war. Another end of the world threat looming. And she will be naked in a tube.
N-naked...?
......
...Wait, she's not going to have gigantic boobs and a butt like Ouka, right?
As I said, it will be the exact same Alice. Proportions and all.
OK.
She wasn't lacking in those departments, as I recall, anyhow.
......




Yes, but the experiment isn't a success yet.
......
This is just a vessel for her soul to enter. The magic happens from this point on. The real trick is going to be... calling her soul back into this body. To this point, not a single wizard has been able to do it. This will be the true test. We may even give birth to a monster, or we might even become monsters ourselves.
Some wild stuff may go down, my friend. The last time I saw someone attempt this it needed divine intervention to stop it.
All right, once we start there's no going back.
...Fine.
<nods>



<activates the machine>



Auronus. Auronus!




NEW Music: Transcience ~ The Miracle




<waves hands toward the vessel> Auronus! Auronus!



Auronus! Auronus. Auronus...
......





Auronus! Auronus!!
......



...By the wheels of the Cherubim, take this soul beyond the Gates of Time!



?!
Oh shit!
What do you mean oh shit?!
It's a good oh shit!
Oh. OK.
...I think.
You think?!




......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
<coughs>
......
They should get some chairs down here.
<nods>
Mhm.




?!











Thus Alice begins growing back the rest of her body. It would be somewhat awkward to resurrect her as only an upper torso.



This all seems promising.



Fuck!



The crystal!
Oh SHIT!
Is that a good "oh shit" or a bad "oh shit"?!
Bad!!






I'm going to go out on a limb and saying the stasis capsule cracking, the entire lab turning red, and falling apart is not indicative of this going very well.



<frantically begins operating the machinery controls> Aaah! Oh, dear! Oh my! Oh!
<glares at Alice's vessel> ......



Karin falls to her knees and begins crying as she can just innately sense things going poorly. The machinery going haywire loudly the next room over isn't a good sign either.





The Alice vessel's skin flaking off in gross chunks? Also, not a good sign in my professional practitioner of the dark magick arts opinion.



Even Yuri can tell this probably isn't ending well.





Yeah... when your soul vessel's recreated body's torso splits in half that's kind of a deal-breaker in a successful ritual department.



Her soul... isn't returning... <dismayed sigh>







Evil-looking goop that looks like the biomass slime from Parasite Eve begins oozing from the base of the cracked capsule and shlopping up towards Neo Alice's remains.







But fear not. This is CGI Yuri who can just call forth one-time-use powers in these higher budget cutscene and use his special eyes to dispel the evil malice goop from Alice's remains.



Welp...



......
......
......
......
......
......



Yuri...








NEW Music: ALICE (Piano Arrangement)






A-A-Alice...?!



<smiles and nods> I love you...



I-I love you too...



It took well over a decade for video game technology to catch up with Yuri Hyuga's big ugly crying tech in this scene.









Yuri might need a minute here.



That's... amazing...



<sobs>



Well... we resurrected Alice Elliot for all of thirty seconds. But on the plus side, she didn't turn into a nightmare creature and immediately try to kill everyone in the greater Aberystwyth region. So that's a win, right?

...

...Right?






Alice and Yuri Concept Art - It was a bit colder in the concept art zone.




Video: Episode 117 Highlight Reel
(You should definitely watch this.)