Part 47: Update 45 – Defeat

Chapter 45 – Defeat



It's finally time. We could never have got this far without him, but it's finally time for Enrique to leave us. Unless, of course, we run into trouble on the way to Sailor's Island, but what are the chances of that?




Click for video!

Oh.



Air Pirate: It's...the ship that everyone's talking about! The Delphinus! The one that the Blue Rogue, Vyse, commands!

GAHAHAHA!!! So, Vyse...we meet again! This time, I have a little something special for you!



Wait, seriously? You have a wooden sailing ship. You use black powder cannons. What part of this seems like a good idea to you?



Heh...looks like they've done a little work on their own ship as well! Let's go test out their new defences for them!





This ship is equipped with nothing but the best stuff that stolen money can buy! It's the ultimate Black Pirate ship! Hahahaha!!!



The Blackbeard II has 15000hp.



He's not kidding about having some nice stuff though. The Hybrid Wax is Ilchymis in a can and is the only one in the game, whilst the Spherical Figure provides a gigantic boost to mdef for the ship and is also the only one in the game.





Poor Baltor. He doesn't even get the ship boss battle music.

The next time we meet, I will defeat you! You will rue the day that you crossed Baltor!!!

Good job, Vyse!

Seriously...that fool doesn't know when to give up...but at least he's not a quitter.

Not only do you have the Armada chasing you, Vyse...the Black Pirates are after you as well! You're quite popular...



Well, I'm glad my last battle on the Delphinus was a victorious one.

Enrique...

Hahaha...I'm sorry. Alright, Sailor's Island should be coming up soon. Vyse, let's go!





The game does a lot of teleporting you from cutscene to cutscene for a while now. The last video recording I made is a solid hour of almost uninterrupted cutscene. Naturally, I'll be splitting it up into more bitesized pieces for easy viewing.

I am the Prince of Valua. I must return home to warn everyone of Galcian's plans. Gregorio was willing to give his life for what he believed in. I must do the same.

Wait what.

You...all of you...taught me so much. About ships...about the sky...what it means to fight...



No, hold up a second. Go back to that bit about giving your life up.

I want to protect them...all of them! I want to build a country where the people don't have to live in fear. ...Please forgive me for leaving your side, but I've got to save Valua!



Auuugh, fine. We're coming up to the last few Swashbuckler choices in the game now, and the obvious choice here is “be careful”. Enrique isn't the type to rush into this without thinking it out beforehand, and he has enough to worry about already without airsickness.

Be careful out there! You better come back and visit us and Crescent Isle someday!

Sure. I'll be back to see you...and for Princess Moegi!

Enrique! Be careful!

If you don't come back and visit us, I'm coming after you!

Thank you, everyone! I'll never forget our travels together!





So long, Enrique. Believe me, if you don't come visit us, we'll be breaking into Valua again to see you.



The game at least lets you wander around Sailor's Island here, but as soon as you leave you're shuttled off into another cutscene.

…Enrique left us...and once we get back to Crescent Isle...Fina will leave us too...It...it kind of makes me not want to go home...Haha...what am I talking about? I'm sorry, Fina.

Aika...I will...miss you...

This is the first time in my life that I haven't been excited about sailing somewhere...

And then we get teleported to Crescent Isle.





Hey! Looks like they made it back alive after all!



Gilder...! And Clara? It's great to see you two! What's in the basket?

I just baked a bunch of pies! Come on! Let's eat while they're still warm!

Wow! Really?! Home-made pies? Clara, you're the best!

I'm glad you all made it back safely. And it looks like you got Fina's ship back. Does that mean you'll be returning to the Great Silver Shrine soon?

...Yes. Thank you, Gilder, for all that you've done for me.

Hahaha...you don't have to thank me, you guys did all the hard stuff. Well, Fina, it looks like you've completed your mission. You're going home a hero. Congratulations.

Thank you!

Well, since you're leaving us, we should throw you a going away party! Let's hear it for Fina!

Yeah!



And so night falls on the island, but up in the meeting room the party's just getting started.





Wow! It looks delicious! Clara, you're amazing!

Well, Fina, it looks like this is going to be a great party!



I...I started off not knowing anything about this world. But, thanks to all of you, I was one of the first to sail around it.

I remember...when you first got here, you didn't even know what it meant to buy stuff.

What? What kind of crazy place is she from?

I'm not lying. She said that they don't use gold at the Great Silver Shrine.

Wow...that's odd. I don't know if you guys are really advanced...or really behind!

It's not just gold that we don't have...flowers...animals...there are so many things that I've never seen until I came here. In my travels with all of you, I experienced so much. And, one more thing...I learned something very important while I was here.



And suddenly, it starts to make sense just how Ramirez went so far wrong.

They said that the people of this world were fools who just bickered amongst themselves and burned in the flames that they themselves set. But, I met so many caring people while I was here...I learned that even though some try to obtain their objectives through war...there are others that work together to try and bring peace. I learned so much...the memories that we've shared will be the most valuable treasures I'll ever have.

Well then! Tonight, we party until morning!!

Yeah!



Odd how Gilder isn't running for the hills as soon as he catches a glimpse of pink frill now. Makes me wonder just what went on with those two whilst we were exploring the unexplored.





I...don't know who's narrating this. I don't think it's any of the party members, so you know what?

As the memories resurfaced, it seemed as if there would be no end to the days they would spend travelling together. And then...





...Yes...tomorrow...I'll have to leave...I'll be alone...again.



I want...I want to stay here...with all of you. You all mean so much to me.

Oh, Fina...I...



Goddammit, this is the second time he's been interrupted in that exact line .



Although on the whole, I'd say he rolled with it pretty well.

What was that!?



Vyse! Vyse! It's an emergency! It's the Armada! They're here!!!

The Armada?!





Oh dear. I think we'd better get to the Delphinus as quickly as -



Oh. Oh dear.



Vyse! Look out!



Vyse performs a pretty nifty backflip to get out of the way of these lunatics. It's been a while since he pulled off any acrobatic stunts like that.



Valuan Soldier: We would have asked you to surrender, but we decided that it would be more fun to kill you.





Fighty time! These guys are pretty hard to make out, which is appropriate seeing as they're called Umbra – Latin for Shadow. They're also complete assholes. They can cast Sylensis, which would be a problem if I ever used magic, but more importantly they have a special attack named Death Strike. It does exactly what it says on the tin – attacks a character with an added effect of instant death. I hate, hate, hate these little bastards, but thankfully I have two accessories that provide immunity to Death by now.



FUUUUUCK YOOOOOOU GUUUUUUUUYS!



Come on man, Enrique left literally just now. You know, blonde guy? Neat little purple hat? Ring any bells?

If you must know...





Ramirez!

A patrol ship spotted the Delphinus when you came to Dangral...and they followed you back here. But I have no interest in you or any of your crew...there is another purpose for my...visit. I am here for the Crystals. Hand them over, now. If you hand them over peacefully, I will call off my troops. If not, we will bombard your pitiful island until you are all dead.



Remember how in Nasrad the right choice was to surrender in the face of certain death? Not this time.

Did you think we'd just hand them over?! You'll have to kill us!

Nothing would make me happier. Now...you will die.





Alright, time for the grand showdown! This time Ramirez is backed by two Umbras. As in any boss with minions, taking them out is first priority, doubly so when they instant death attacks. It's actually a lot easier now that there's only two of them, because Aika can confuse one with her delicious vanilla lollipop to shut it down. Once those are dealt with we can begin to pick away at Ramirez.

Here's the problem though: Ramirez is invincible. You can't win this fight. This fight here and the slightly questionable Swashbuckler choice before it is really the only point of the game I'd say is anything less than brilliantly designed, and the problem is this: If he didn't have infinite health I could easily beat Ramirez here, as could most players on their first run. In fact, the first time I played through this game I spent a long time in this fight trying to find some way to damage him because it just doesn't feel like an unwinnable fight. It feels, in fact, more like throwing the fight by deliberately not healing yourself than it does being overwhelmed by a vastly superior opponent.



Sadly, the only way out is to take a dive.





At last, all of the Crystals are mine!

Ramirez, wait! Why...? Why are you doing this?

Fina...the people of this world don't deserve to live. Like you, I was sent here to gather the Crystals. Shortly after I arrived, I discovered the Valuan Empire was also searching for the them. They were relentless. I knew they would eventually find them. After Valua's forces retrieved the Crystals, I was going to steal them and return to the Shrine.









Lord Galcian was swayed neither by flattery nor gold. He also had little faith in the people of this world. Only one thing mattered to hime...that was power. Lord Galcian convinced me that this world needed a single ruler. One who could slaughter the weak and lead the strong. He showed me the meaning of true power. The one who holds all the power can end lives, destroy cities, and change the world.



I swore an oath. I would lay down my sword and my life for Lord Galcian. We now hold all of the crystals. With these, a power greater than the Gigas will be brought back to this world. Now all of you will bow before him.



It doesn't matter which option you choose here, your buckle will remain firmly unswashed. I just went with the one that seemed most Vyse-like.

you're a fool to underestimate us. Do you think we'll just let you get away with this?

Fools...what can you do without the Moon Crystals? You don't even know their true purpose...

What are you talking about?!

The power to call down the Rains of Destruction lies hidden within them. Fina...you knew that it was our people that called down the Rains of Destruction, did you not?



And suddenly everything gets so much more complicated.

We were not sent here to prevent the Gigas from being revived. We were sent here so the Elders could unearth the Lost Continent of Soltis.



It also neatly explains a few questions that should have been bugging you for a while now, like why the Gigas are so weak compared to the likes of the Delphinus, and why we couldn't just throw the Crystals overboard.

But, now I work for Lord Galcian. Together, we will raise the Lost Continent, and with it, unleash the Rains of Destruction ourselves.

I don't know what you mean by Lost Continent, but aren't you people forgetting something? You only have five of the Crystals. The battle isn't over until you have all six!

You are correct...but, you don't know about the sixth Crystal...the Silver Crystal...





What the?!

In...his hand? The Silver Crystal?!



Fina!!



All Silvites are born with a piece of the Silver Crystal within them. In other words...the Silver Crystal contains our life force. Only through death, can the Crystal be retrieved from our bodies. Unlike Teodora, we are not interested in Fina's knowledge of the ancients...we are interested in the Crystal within her body! Fina, you shall give me the sixth Crystal...





Who thought this was a good idea? “We have created an object of unimaginable destructive power! Let's give it to everybody!”

He's killing Fina!!!

Fina!

Come, Fina...give your life to Lord Galcian!



Boom. _{The fire behind Ramirez is an explosion}







Hang on! We got you covered!

...Pests...nevertheless, I got what I came for. I can get the Silver Crystal anytime I please.

Fina!!!





He's dangling from a cable! Shoot the damn airship! Shoot it!



Oh, he will. In spades.



Still love how passive-aggressive those messages are.

The cutscene just keeps on rolling, but this update is about long enough already. Next time, we have our work cut out for us to rebuild our home, reclaim all five Moon Crystals and find someone who doesn't want to destroy the world with them. See you then!

Video List
Exposition Overload