Part 49: The Burning Soul

Chapter 35: The Burning Soul

Thursday

Afternoon Cont.

Raksha was proving far more powerful than us. We couldn't even scratch the bastard. All hope seemed lost.

Feinne on Soul Nomad:

The scene after the fight with Raksha is my favorite scene in the game. I will explain later why I prefer it to some of the earlier awesome scenes in this sequence.

VIDEO




He always was the toughest one to crack.
Aren't you gonna ask me...?
What? To give me your body?
Well you'd never agree, so why bother?
Haha! You two aren't even totally fused! How could you ever hope to stand against me?
You know, if you'd just eaten the soul from the start, you'd be able to fight all-out like me.
So Levin's soul...?
Hehe. Have you ever tried the soul of an 8-year-old boy? It's delicious!
You monster!



Hah! They're not nearly as good as those hotpods!
But listen, we'll be fine if you can just grab ahold and use my power. So move it, already!
Haha, what's wrong? A lover's squabble? Come on Gig, have a little taste!

A voice rang out from the woods. I knew it was familiar.



It was all the people from the village! They'd come to help!



You look different.
How...?
We left shortly after Lady Layna.
We realized her presence had finally disappeared. But we didn't have time to mope.
You're still having trouble, huh? I guess Lady Layna never told you...
Told us what?



With my power, we can fracture his entire shell in one shot.
Once it's cracked, he's as good as dead. Even regular attacks can hurt him then.
But why didn't the hag tell us about this in the first place?
Unless your wills are acting as one, it's impossible. It's not something you can just decide to do.
And even if you pull it off, it's dangerous. It'll further solidify your fusion.
You'll only have one chance at it. Any more than that, and you're likely to destroy your own body.
We have to try.
Hey, that was quick... soulmate. Hehe.
Okay then, let's do it! So... what do we do?
Just let your souls come into contact.
Holding the same thought in your minds, turn your energy toward the final World Eater.
Same though? You mean just... Think of the same thing?



Hehehe... good enough.
Alright, kid, get ready!
Whooo!
Your ass is grass!

We unleashed our ultimate attack. No force could stand up to it.



It worked! Raskha's shell was cracking like an egg! All me. Well, 90%. You helped a little I guess.



That's right!
Mmm... well done.
We might not be as strong as you, but whatever power we have is yours.
Let's dominate the villagers.
Dammit! All of you... die!

Even with his sudden vulnerability, Raksha was no pushover. It would take all of our strength to defeat him, and even then his frenzied attacks took their toll on the villagers who'd come to help.





But in the end, we pulled through. Finally, it seemed, Raksha's reign of terror was over. But we were oh so wrong. Raksha had still more dirty tricks up his sleeve.



This is for you, Euphoria! Haaah!
Wait, look!

That son of a bitch Raksha decided to taunt Endorph.



I used Dio's soul retrieval and resurrection magic to bring her back.
If you care for her at all, don't move. Stay your wrath, and I'll spare her.
Grh...!
That's right, little doggy... stand right there.
Hyaaahhh!

Raksha fired a massive blast of flame at Endorph! He was nowhere to be seen.



Just kidding! Hahaha! You can't free a soul that doesn't even exist!
This is just a worthless dirt doll. But then, so was the original. Wouldn't you agree? Haha!
See? Without a soul, destroying it is a snap! Tada!
You know why? Because it was never alive to begin with. Do you understand yet?
No... Euphoria is alive! Her fire is not so easily extinguished!



Wh-why won't you die?!
I've already died once before. Even the black reaper is sick of me.
Hahaha. What are you talking about? Gig's the 'black reaper' around here!
You don't understand anything. You have no concept of the world around you.
So let me show you. Witness a power that transcends all worldly laws!



Feinne on Soul Nomad:

If you don't think this scene was as awesome as some of the earlier scenes in this sequence, I submit that you have yet to play Phantom Brave, which leaves you without the appreciation as the scene progresses as to how large of a mistake Raksha is making to anger Walnut the Brave. I won't explain much except that Burgundy is Walnut's special power in Phantom Brave, and it is at least in story terms potentially the most powerful attack in the entire NIS universe. Also, I'll just say that Walnut is one of the coolest characters in any of their games and you'll never convince me otherwise.

Endorph blazed with a power the likes of which I've never seen. I've never seen anything like it either. That attack was powerful enough to smash Raksha's soul to pieces, never mind his body. There's just a crater where Raksha stood, and no sign of Endorph.

Part of me says there's no hope, but another part of me says that there's no way Endorph is dead. Even if our paths never again cross, I'll always remember the strength of his burning soul.

I'm going to rest a bit. I'll write more when I meet up with the others. I'm still not sure what to tell them about what happened. I'll have to come up with something on the way back, I suppose. But not now.