Part 101: Death To Dreams
Nicolai is here, and thankfully NOT encased in magma. Just what is he in, though?
Weird.
Kato!
...Yuri. So you have finally arrived.
How ya doing? You okay?
You tell me. How do I LOOK? Hah! You're a tough cookie, alright.
The Apes teleport in. Hien and Raiden look a bit worse for wear as well.
Hah hahaha hahaha! You're too late!
Nicolai! That's no longer the Nicolai that you knew.
Hah hahaha hahaha. So, did you miss us? Very soon, the destruction of this world will begin.
Destruction?! Yes, that's right. Destruction. The Malice released in the world will soon destroy it. What are you going to do?
Waste him.
Be careful. His claws are poisoned with Malice. There's no antidote for that.
One scratch and that's it! Hahaha hahaha.
I got it!
It cannot be avoided. My soul has been revived! The age of mankind is coming to an end! Joy, sadness, desire...all of it is finished now. I will usher in a glorious new future!
Before you do, can I ask a favor?
What do you wish, human?
I wish you'd shove it! You know where.
.........
Nicolai/Astaroth gathers his power.
...
......
.........I always knew Nicolai was a giant pussy.
We now get to fight the possessed Nicolai in his new form of Neo Astaroth.
Well, I say new form, but it's basically just a slightly beefed-up Astaroth with the same skills as before.
Arc Barrier is essential for this fight.
Combo Attacks really help take off chunks of his health.
Neo Astaroth does have one nasty trick where he'll cast Cure Plus on himself when his health gets low. He only ever seems to do it once, though.
Karin gets in the last hit. It's quite apropos.
Unlike with Asmodeus, we're awarded the Astaroth Crest (Holy Resist, Bright Crest) directly.
Exorcism the Yuri way: punch it until it stops moving.
...uh...uh...Karin... Nicolai?
Suddenly, he lurches up.
Get back!
Yuri pushes Karin away.
And Nicolai activates the Mistletoe.
It seems Nicolai wasn't as near death as he was pretending to be.
Don't think you can escape the curse of the Mistletoe! Thanks to you, all my plans have been ruined!
Actually, wasn't it part of Nicolai's brilliant plan to get Yuri involved in the first place? If he'd just left him alone in Domremy, Nicolai probably would have been able to challenge Rasputin and claim the Russian throne by now.
I thought you'd...forgot that...! No! And now...you'll die for it!
Hey, what did the five fingers say to the face? Huh?
SMACK!
Yuri falls to the floor, unconscious.
Nicolai also falls, significantly less unconscious. He also notices one of Astaroth's broken-off claws.
He grabs it.
You'll die instead!
THUNK!
Nicolai seems surprised by something.
Oh. Oh, no.
Nicolai doesn't have a very good track record for impaling the people he was aiming at, does he?
As Kato catches Ouka, her visor drops to the ground.
Kato...
YOU SON OF A...!
GRAH!! AH!!
He grabs Nicolai by the forehead and lifts him into the air.
KARIIIN!!
She looks away.
With a grunt of effort, Kato caves in Nicolai's skull like an overripe melon.
His arms fall, limp, to his sides.
Kato tosses the body away.
He gently lowers Ouka to the ground.
...Master... O-Ouka...
Are you...hurt?
I...I'm fine.
I'm...so glad...
Her eyes close.
Ouka...!
She doesn't wake.
OOOOUKAAAAAAAA!!!!