Part 203: Mission 55 - Set Sail To an Endless Future - Part 2
Alright, now the mission really starts; before anything, let’s have a look at Inference and Scientia:
This thing hasn’t gotten any less intimidating since it first appeared: it’s got a shitload of HP by this game’s parameters (200k) and decent armor (1900) – again, the armor would probably be higher if it wasn’t set taking its 2L size into consideration.
Inference is a final boss worthy of the title, too, as every single one of his stats are through the roof easily rivaling or even surpassing our best pilots at their respective specialties (Akito and Gai at melee, Kira and Heero at Shooting, etc.).
It’s got a 30% EN Regen and, like any Database units, it’s immune to debuffs so there won’t be any Armor or Attack Power reductions to ease the trouble of dealing with it.
Also like the other Database units, Scientia is loaded with debuffs: both MAP and regular version of Salus Lumen apply Mobility Down and Sanctio Hasta, his strongest attack, applies Armor Down.
As expected, all his attacks are ridiculously powerful and that Sanctio Hasta WILL hurt anyone it touches (it’ll probably kill a real robot outright, unless you cared to boost its HP/Armor) and it’s got a massive +55% critical ratio which, when paired with Inference’s massive Skill stat, means he has a pretty good chance of doing more damage than expected.
Inference’s AI seems to prioritize the raw power of Sanctio Hasta over his MAP but, of course, you shouldn’t try your luck (its accuracy isn’t all that but Inference has Gunfight to boost it).
As for Pilot Skills, Inference takes a lot of tips from Applicant and then some:
- Counter
- Break Morale Limit
- Double Movement
- Prevail L9
- Infight L9
- Gunfight L9
- Support Attack L4
- Commander L4
Like Applicant, he is not above using his Double Movement to focus fire on a damaged unit but when you consider the damage his Sanctio Hasta does while also applying an Armor Down debuff, you’re looking at a potential 7-8k damage on any unprotected Super which means it’s quite possible to lose someone if you get unlucky and have that unit be ganged up by the mooks.
By the time Inference deploys, it’s unlikely that you’ll be ready with morale so Confuse is king while you quickly build it up – as always, if you can’t take him out in one turn, avoid tripping his Prevail too much.
Starting off, Suzuishi casts Confuse.
Golion steps to the side, damaging one of the remaining Opus and Gai Murakumo finishes it off.
Tetsuya gets Mazin Power running.
We’ll now work on one of the other Arm Arcus.
Good, good.
Akito takes another swing at it and that’s it for this turn.
Enemy Phase!
Kouji is attacked by a couple of Reus and the western Arm Arcus.
He summons Tsukumo to take the first hit before countering.
While Kouji managed to dodge the Arm Arcus, that second Reus did tag him and reduced his range.
Two Gais get attacked and punish their targets.
A couple of Stomas get clever and attack Heero from up close.
Eh, it’s fine.
What’s more important is that it got the Zero System running.
The last Stoma guns for Kazuma who dodges and responds in kind.
Inference picked a good target for his first attack – J’ll be able to handle that damage just fine.
We’ve seen his Salus Lumen before but let’s have a look at Sanctio Hasta.
Two for two, thanks.
: The G Crystal held as insurance against the Sol Masters...: Another thing you gained from Regulate's treachery!
: Genesic GaoGaiGar is a weapon of the courageous!: You wouldn't have been able to use it with your ignorance of the weight of life!: Instead, I'll use it to destroy your misguided mission!
Alright, that works.
Player Phase!
More morale is required so Kira takes some help from Athrun and finishes off a Stoma.
This gets Blade to Blasterize.
The mooks set themselves up for a nice MAP, too.
Valor wasn’t used but the important bit is that it weakened all mooks – Inference also took a wee bit of extra damage.
The Reus haven’t lined up for a chain-attack, so this’ll take a little longer.
With an assist from Genichirou, it goes down.
Orgun downs a Stoma while Hayato teams up with Sousuke to deal some big damage on the Reus that didn’t get MAP’d.
The kill makes Athrun get serious.
Akito better purge that Unit so we can use Double Gekigan Flare later.
Alright.
Another MAP, this one from Yumi.
She kills a pair of Stomas while also weakening three Reus.
Enemy reinforcements soon deploy on both sides of the city.
The Master System is probably powering their production plants while fighting us – Shihomi says we need to focus on taking Inference down.
Yeah, adding another annoyance to the pile, this mission has endless reinforcements.
We still need some more morale, so Golion takes a Stoma down.
Gai Daigouji will attack the eastern Arm Arcus.
Alright.
Gaogaigar handles the other.
Ruri casts Confuse and the people that are good on morale turn his attention to Inference – Athrun starts.
Next in line is Blade, who had saved enough SP to afford casting Valor, with some help from Kazuma.
: The Tekkaman that escaped the Radam. And a Blaster...: You'll be enlightening to experiment on.
: You may know all about my power, but you don't know me!: I am Tekkaman Blade, and I will destroy you!
Much better.
More important for Kouji is to cast Iron Wall as his damage will already be good enough.
: I'd be glad to help if you just wanted to record things...: But I can't let you attack our Earth!: Such forthrightness...how lovely. Die.
Jeez…even with all that, Inference still did some decent damage.
Kazuma never needs to worry about SP.
: Kazuma Ardygun. I will make sure to erase you personally!
: Drop the act and come at me for real! I know from Ganymede that you're mad as hell under there!: Hmph. This time is different. This time...: What?: Once Scientia eradicates your planet, I will begin a new journey...: An endless journey into a future where this universe is eternal.
Inference’s Prevail is already acting up nicely.
We won’t be able to kill him on this turn, so I’m just gonna attack without wasting much SP.
: I've been paying close attention to this world's arts of war. In particular, mercenaries.
: And I suppose you think that means you know all about us.: Let me show you some things humans can do that you could never know...
Yeah, sure.
Can you do better, Sousuke? I’ll even throw some support from Rapier in there.
: Let's not waste time talking. I'll defeat you and take back Chidori.r: You know the Whispered? Well, I'm done with her. I'll dispose of her when I'm finished with you.: I won't let that happen! Chidori's rescue is my absolute highest priority!
Eh…a little bit better.
Once Scientia is brought below 50%, an event triggers.
: Not bad, Kazuma Ardygun…! And Neo-Wärter, too.: You’re giving Scientia the hardest fight it’s had in the past 3519 years!: Heh…you’re pretty good, too…! This thing really is my father’s creation but…: You act just like not-dad! You keep a calm face but your anger slips through every now and then!: Shut up!! You don’t understand anything about me and Applicant!: That’s it! That anger…I wanted to see what the real you was like!!: SHUT UP!! YOU’RE GOING TO PAY FOR THAT, YOU F***ER!! (Yes, the game did censor him like it did Mao)
: L-Lord Inference! How vulgar!!
: Calm down, Inference. Lest your overenthusiasm hamper your decision-making capabilities.: !: …: ………: You’re correct, Critic. I will do as you say.
: Inference…! You’re at a pivotal moment and you mustn’t-: Be quiet, Regulate. You no longer have the right to neither adjust nor speak to me.: I’m only…: Lady Regulate…: Come, Earthlings. Once I have exterminated you, I will carry out the mission of the Scribes of Knowledge.: Bring it, then! If that’s how it’s gonna be, Neo-Wärter is going to pummel you until you’re done!!
Both Tetsuya and J gang up on a Reus but it barely survives.
Heero downs a Stoma and triggers Kira’s SEED, though.
Enemy Phase!
The Nadesico is ganged up by a lot of units but I had Iron Wall cast beforehand: seven units attack it, Tetsuya’s Reus gets killed and a couple of Opus are weakened.
Speaking of Tetsuya, one of the new Opus attacks him and barely survives.
Meanwhile, Inference has decided to attack Golion with both his moves.
: Golion, the legacy of the Leo Culture. It's been 3,519 years since we crossed swords!
: I don't know how it ended then, but we're not going to lose now!: This is our duty as warriors of Golion, defender of the universe!
Golion also had Iron Wall cast!
Player Phase!
It’s Tomoru’s turn to contribute to the Confuse spam.
Now we’re really gonna turn our attention to Inference.
: We already have all the data on your machine's systems.
: Zero? Unfortunately, it's not good enough.: Because as humans, we can change the future.
We’ll save the Valor usage to the multi-pilot people.
You’re up, Kira.
: Stop your attacks! I thought all you wanted was to record the Earth's civilization!: Knowledge has more weight when it's the only copy. I can't let your planet exist.: But don't worry. I'll safeguard its memory for the rest of eternity.
Hey, not bad at all.
Next!
: I suspect the fate of an Eviluder who has gained a heart but lost the meaning of battle is to wither away.: I had better hurry up and record the Earth-made solid armors, as well.
: This body is a gift from a proud warrior! I won't let you have it!
Nearly there.
Akito can’t call for a Gekigan Flare yet but he can set himself up for Gai Daigouji.
: So you're strong enough to control the work of the ancient solar system.
: That thing ruined my future.: But it made me stronger. Strong enough to fight anyone who wants to control OUR future.
I find it funny that this attack did more damage than Orgun and Kira – it says good things about Akito’s massive Melee stat.
Next in line is Prayer.
: You've journeyed all over space, so why don't you see how precious life is?: Oh, I know. At least, I know it has to end.: That's why I'm recording it, so it will live forever.
You can do better than that!
Give him what for, Yumi.
: A Tekkaman built independently of the Radam...: Interesting. I think I'll take one to study.
: That's no way to talk to a lady! I'll make you sorry you said that!
Alright, we can afford to diverge our focus a wee bit now.
Gai Murakumo moves forward a bit, setting himself up for Lowe, and takes a few jabs at the approaching mooks.
Also, that Opus surviving with 35 HP was bullshit.
Lowe certainly has the SP but it’s all good – he can keep it saved.
: You think you can force your way through anything with enough technology, huh?: Old man Un Nou taught me that there's nothing to a piece of tech without heart!: Heart? Then I have nothing to worry about. Your "Heart" is completely recorded in our archives.
Now we bust out the big guns.
I’m keeping a portion of Benkei’s SP saved for an emergency Bonds cast but he can still cast Valor.
: Heh... I was warned about this universe's Getter.
: He... knows something about Getter?: But this Getter hasn't awakened just yet.: It'll be some time before its end comes.
Good man.
Just in case, I’m gonna have Kouji contribute a bit more.
Alright.
Only one more attack before we wrap it up.
: You're full of bugs and you're not doing your job as a program. Time for a cleanup!: There's nothing wrong with me. In fact, I upgraded to Inference from Recorder.: So I can't let you stop me or our mission.
Heeey! We even got a crit there.
Gai can take the kill because why not?
Boosh!
Critic starts panicking, saying that our power exceeds expectations.
He tells Inference that they've got to escape, even if it means destroying the entire star in the process – they can retain functionality as long as Scientia endures.
Inference says nothing, and Critic frantically orders him to make a decision.
“YOU COMMAND?! So, the False Critic has finally shown his true colors!”, Inference says.
Right then, another tremor spreads through the area: just like the one that preceded Scientia’s appearance.
What could they be doing now?
A golden light emanates from the northern area, empty until now, and then we see it…
Final boss music!
Out comes a golden mech, even larger than Scientia.
It's called Sapientia, Inference's true trump card and Critic is aghast that such a thing exists when he wasn’t even consulted about it.
Of course he wasn’t – Inference made sure that it was built in secret; Critic doesn’t understand why he’d do that and Inference laughs that Critic is STILL taking him for a fool, hoping that he’ll believe anything he says.
Inference keeps laughing, saying that the False Critic has finally slipped and shown his real self to the whole world.
Inference also proceeds to criticize Critic, saying that his acting was so lousy that he had already figured out that he had developed emotions even before him.
As Recorder, before gaining his own emotions, he was being easily manipulated by Critic and is sure that he would’ve tried, eventually, to seize control for himself.
Critic huffs that, after 3000 years, Inference has finally figured him out; regardless, he has been a useful puppet for this whole time.
As Inference became aware, he started building Sapientia in secret.
However, with emotions, Inference could no longer ignore or deny all the atrocities that were committed in his name – those were the facts that were in his heart.
Now, he plans to take Critic out to at least get some closure on that!
Critic tries to stop him by saying that, if Inference destroys Scientia, he’ll be destroying himself as well; plus, he adds that this isn't what his father, Applicant, would have wanted.
Inference yells at him to shut up, saying that he’s sick of Critic using Applicant as a way to control him!
What’s more, he calls the False Critic not only a sleazebag but also a fool – Inference is the Master System of the Scribes of Knowledge and he’s long since transferred himself into Sapientia!
Critic is the only program left inhabiting Scientia and Inference commands him to get prepare himself!
: Take this as my gift for your trip to the underworld! The power of my ultimate masterpiece, Sapientia, will annihilate you!!: AAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!
: Farewell, Critic. I will carry out the mission of the Scribes of Knowledge by myself…!: Lord Inference…
: What just happened here?! That program has just given us the advantage!
: But Inference’s tone of voice…this will be a problem…: Does he also…have a heart?
: That’s it, Sousuke!: Chidori!
: Kaname!: This guy’s heart is the same as a human’s!: When his father, Applicant, fell in battle, he felt sadness and anger!: Father? What do you mean?! : Lord Inference…! As I thought, Lord Inference is the same as me!: We were both created by Lord Applicant, so we thought of him as our Papa!: Shut up, you! You’re embarrassing me with all your nonstop talking!
: N-no…the way he spoke now…!
: Dad created Regulate in the image of our mother…in that case, Inference would be…
: My big brother…?!: I... sure, maybe he's like me now, but I never tried to put up that cool act he does!: Yes, you did.
: That’s right! While you were Kite, you acted just like that! : Really, he tried to act cool but most times it blew up in his face!
: That’s it. Usually, when that happened, he would start going frantic around us and we would just smile and nod.: Urgh…this isn’t the time to open that old wound…!: I dare say that this was Captain Bless’ doing…: He kept a portion of Kazuma’s personality inside Inference’s intellect and it seems that it’s being drawn out and affecting Inference’s own personality.: But going by what he's like now, it seems like he's picked up some things from the real Kazuma.: When you hold it in like that, once it comes out you can't take it back.: So, you mean this guy is becoming another me?!: HAHAHAHAHA, Kazuma! Once you get used to it, these emotions actually feel pretty good!: Like any human, I can laugh, I can be angered, I can be saddened – I am truly alive!: That’s right and, in that case, you should stop fighting!: Chidori…: Don't you understand?! All this fighting will accomplish is destroying your entire heart!: …However, that doesn’t matter.: Inference…!: The archiving of knowledge is the wish of both my father and the people of the 5th Planet! I cannot turn my back on it!: I will take all information and memories of this universe and carry it into the next!: You damn idiot! Sure, memories are important but the way you’re doing it isn’t right!: It’s one thing to simply create records of things! But to do that, you’re taking away the lives of those that you recorded in the first place!: Kazuma! You would try to break my father’s wish?!
: It doesn’t matter if it’s your father – wrong is still wrong! : Also, it doesn’t matter if you’re another me; I’m not gonna let you do evil stuff like that!: Interesting! We’ll have a mirror match, one hundred and fifty million years in the making!: Guys! This guy may have been manipulated until now but we must still stop him!: We feel the same way, Kazuma!: This world…we will not allow it to end.: No matter what happened millions of years ago, this universe isn’t going to die just yet!: Until that day comes, people should be able to live their lives to the fullest!: If you think we’re gonna let you have our lives just like that, you have another thing coming!: So we will stop you; this is our…this is Neo-Wärter’s mission!: Hold on, Chidori. I’m coming…!: For the sake of all life in the universe…: For everyone to keep on living!: And also, for our own sake!: The Database will be stopped! It all depends on it!: That’s it, just like that!: You’re more than welcome to attack my Sapientia! My soul is on fire!!: Let’s go, Inference! Like my father once did to me, I will teach you in his place!: The terror of space, the weakness of the individual…and the importance of life!!Only one more part to go – next time, we finish everything (until the new game+ missions); before we end this update, though, there’s one more thing:
: Fumofu, fumo, fumoffu!: Hm...: Mofu, fumofumo, fumo!: I understand what you're asking, but I can't do it.: And your charm is quite dangerous in itself. I will eradicate you after I record it.See you all soon!