Part 31: Mission 9 (Rand) - The Day The World Ends
Mission 9 (Rand) - The Day the World Ends
Outside, Sirius is wondering what Pierre is doing as the enemy will be here soon. While they wait, Silvia asks him what his first combination felt like.
It was like... the coming of the New World, like greeting the dawn with his beloved at his side, surrounded by ten thousand white roses. It was a fragrant light, as though from some other-worldly paradise.
That’s what he felt when he first combined with Glenn and Reika. Silvia’s does a double take at the Reika bit and Sirius adds that that's the ultimate light that the Alicia family has always sought.
Perhaps it’s the light of Creation that will lead the world to a state of perfect harmony.
However, that second combination, with Apollo and Silvia was…frightening. That sort of combination was nothing but pure violence, certainly not the beautiful way a combination should be.
Silvia agrees with him, saying there’s no way he’s the Wings of the Sun – that’s Sirius, of course. Still, Sirius chides her not to speak of the Wings so lightly.
Apollo deploys, yelling at the two to quit sightseeing as the enemy’s coming.
There are more monsters than yesterday and Gainer notices that there seems to be a different enemy: Mythological Beasts, as Sirius calls it, which are also troops of the Fallen Angels.
Rand wants to know how the Fallen Angels are sending all these troops into his world, but all that matters to Apollo is kicking their asses and forcing Baron's whereabouts out of them. Silvia tells him to wait, asking where Pierre is and why he’s in the Vector Sol.
Apollo doesn’t really know as, when he realized what was going on, he was already here. The questioning is interrupted when Tifa murmurs about the “Beast of Darkness”.
Somehow, that name popped into her head when looking at Apollo.
With no other choice, Sirius orders Apollo into a formation where he won't be the Head (Codename: Beautiful Shape!).
Apollo doesn’t like it but he lets it go.
: Let’s go, both of you!
: Spiritual!
: Uh…: “Combination”!: Combination!
GO! AQUARION!!
: Oooooh!
: Aaaaaaah!
: UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!
: Aquarion! MARS!!Apollo is interested in seeing what the “stuck-up prince” can do and Sirius certainly doesn’t need Apollo to tell him that. Aboard the Iron Gear, Diana is still curious about the Machine Angel, still feeling like she knows the name from a very distant memory.
Fudou is hidden nearby, wondering how well Aquarion will fight this time.
Mission Objective: All enemies destroyed
Mission Failture: Iron Gear or Aquarion destroyed
Skill Point: Clear the mission by the end of turn 4
Once again, this Skill Point requires you to rush a bit, especially towards those new Xibalba Mythological Beasts on the farther corners of the map; spread out your power evenly, too, because it’s unlikely you’ll be able to bring people from one end of the map to the other in time.
And now that we can switch to Aquarion’s other forms, let’s take a quick look at them:
Aquarion Mars (Sirius, Apollo, Silvia)
Features:
- Element System
- Variable Form
- Sword Cut
Do keep in mind that, unlike the other two Aquarion forms, Mars isn’t immune to any type of status effects.
Aquarion Luna (Silvia, Sirius, Apollo)
Features:
- Element System
- Variable Form
- Pilot-Affecting Debuff Immunity
Problem is, it will not be long before Apollo becomes the king of sniping attacks and that pretty much takes away some of Luna’s utility.
Is it useable? Absolutely, especially since it will, eventually, learn an ammo-based ALL attack that’s pretty strong but Aquarion Luna’s by far my least used form.
Despite Sirius’ claims, we CAN switch to the Solar Aquarion but Apollo would be just out of range; for now, our better move would be to use Mars to get in some cheap damage on a nearby Cherubim.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MvU2xWNH9Y
Aye, that works.
Everyone else moves forward: Rand and Garrod will be accompanying Aquarion to the NE side while everyone else will move NW.
Enemy Phase!
Good thing it’s the Turn A taking point as these Cherubins prefer, for some reason, to snipe instead using their stronger claw attack.
: (Humans and Fallen Angels fought 12000 years ago…and it looks like a record of that fight has been saved inside the White Doll.): (But those Element people came from a different world… How can this be…?)
I didn’t think Loran would actually be hit but whatever.
Seems like Sirius’ target would rather tangle with Rand.
: Darling…what if daddy was attacked by a monster like this in another world… 
: What, do you really think a badass like him would be done in by these things?: Don’t think about stuff like that – just keep taking pictures of everything! We’ll have a lot to show the boss once we find him!
: Right!
It regenerated a bit of the previous damage but that more than covered it.
The last Cherubim Soldier decides to trade blows with Sirius but, from afar, he can only rely on his weakest attack.
The Xibalbas are standing still.
Player Phase!
Our people hear the Hypnosound once again, indicating a new enemy is coming: what descends is just another Cherubim Soldier, though, and Garrod isn’t worried at all.
Apollo decides to take the thing out and switches in. Sirius can’t stop him and Apollo closes in on the Cherubim, saying he’ll take it down in one punch!
It backfires, however, as the Cherubim easily dodges and counterattacks.
Apollo doesn’t understand what happened as he was sure he was going to hit.
Gain tries to provide some covering fire but not even one of his his incredibly accurate shots find their mark.
Gain’s sure every one of his shots were perfect, though, and realizes that this Cherubim seems different from the others.
That’d be because it’s being helped by Touma, who Otoha praises for being able to grant the Cherubim the beautiful power of the moon – we can see it but we cannot reach it.
Gauli figures there must be some trick behind all our misses but, even so, we can’t beat this thing as it is. Gainer thinks he could try with his OverSkill but, if that also fails, we might have no choice but to run away.
“Quit joking around! There’s no way I’m gonna run away from this freak!”, Apollo yells but Silvia asks what can we do if no attacks can hit it.
His plan is just to keep on punching – even if it seems useless, sooner or later, one of them will get through. Sirius thinks this is absurd and doesn’t even deserve to be called “plan”.
Apollo isn’t about to give up without trying and, nearby, Fudou thinks he’s quite close to the truth. Still, it’ll take more than spirit to win this…
We need to take the fight to these Xibalbas for now, so Loran leads the charge.
His bad luck with the RNG strikes again and he eats some decent damage…Doc, did you steal the luck I had stolen from you?!
Might as well have Gainer attack whatever’s in range.
: King Gainer’s movements are faster…! Is it because of Cotsett’s maintenance…?
: My senses are also sharper…! I can do this!
: (That’s strange…Gainer’s movements…they’re way too quick.)
I suppose that’ll cover the HP it would’ve regenerated.
And, as a bonus, Gainer learns Spirit which’ll increase the caster’s morale by 10 when used.
Now, we have to open the way for Rand to move forward so let’s see what Garrod can do against this Cherubim.
: …
: I dunno what’s up with these Fallen Angels but they’re scaring Tifa – that makes 'em my enemy!
I was hoping for a crit but I guess that’ll do.
Our best choice here, then, will be to switch Gain over and use his Hit & Away to move once the way is clear.
Silvia doesn’t like the situation – we’ll just get exhausted if we go on like this.
Apollo shouts back that if she gives up now, it's guaranteed she'll never hit.
: That’s right!
: There’s someone in that building?!: What are you doing?! Hurry up and find shelter!: Ridiculous! An amateur who cannot even hit the enemy is front of him is millennia away from worrying about others!
: Wha--!: Don’t be so inconsiderate! We don’t even know how we’re supposed to fight it!
: When you don’t know, you should just try. Like that young man is doing.
: Who are you, pops?!: …Time and distance are but mere illusions created by hesitating hearts. : Unless you can defeat that hesitation, there’ll be no chance of victory!: Hesitation…? I’m hesitating!?*Apollo charges after the strong Cherubim*
: I’m gonna save Baron! I ain't got time to hesitate!!
: Did it hit?!: Almost! It was very close!
: He’s…: Damn it! Why…why won’t it hit?!: The Moon is chipped…while one of your souls is lost, you will not succeed.: !: Do not hesitate…and do not be afraid! Someone who cannot break their own shell isn’t fit to fight!: Break your own shell…that’s…: …Apollo, forgive me. Those misses were caused by my own doubts.: Quit holding me back, ya dumbass prince!!
: Every man is a chipped crescent Moon… however, placing the shards together with one another forms a round Moon - a full Moon!: Someone who doesn’t understand that ALSO isn’t fit to fight!: !: We have to pool our strength together, Apollo! If we don’t…
: Urgh…!
: Ya moron, Apollo! You forced me off the Vector Sol for this?!: That’s…
: Don’t think you’re the only one who has lost friends!: Not just Silvia and Sirius but everyone else also has had to bear that burden! 
: Pierre was a soccer player…and, during a match, his entire team was taken by a Harvest Beast…: …
: Sirius! Silvia!: We have to become stronger and fight on…there’s no choice but to do it! Go, Apollo!!: Yeah! 
: Silvia, Sirius…! Please, gimme a hand!!
: Yes!: Apollo, don’t just hit the Cherubim Soldier! Strike through with all you’ve got, aiming beyond it and beyond the clouds – beyond the very sky!!: I’ll hit it with…everything I have! RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!
: Now, the Moon is full!!
*The Cherubim starts retreating.*
: He’s running away!
: Then, we’ll run him down! No matter where he goes!!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JH_-8t61RII
: Heh…
: They did it!
: Sirius…: We did it! We did it, brother, Apollo!: It’s too soon to celebrate, Silvia!: That guy’s still alive!
: It regenerated…!
: Tch…this monster is a real pain to deal with!: Bring it! Time to pay him back for screwing around with us!!Ohohohoho, yessss! Solar Aquarion’s Infinity Punch is so much fun: it’s got big power and HUGE range (1-14)!
Pair this with the Element System and Attack Again, and Apollo turns into a sniping, double attacking machine!
I’ll show this off in a bit but, for now, we switch to Aquarion Luna to move towards the NE group and, hopefully, take out the big bad Cherubim in a counter.
Back with the NW posse, Jiron is hard at work.
: We've even got things like these showing up because of those warps!
: What the hell is happening to our world?! 
With a healthy dosage of Focus, he dodges the counter.
Enemy Phase!
Gainer and Garrod each get attacked by a Cherubim but no kills are made.
Uh oh, here come the Xibalbas.
Alright, that works.
Shame that it couldn’t be Rand up front but…
Anything helps, I guess.
Aha! Our dodgy friend took the bait and I’ll introduce him to Aquarion Luna’s new strongest attack!
: Amazing! So this is what combining as the head feels like?: Yo, stupid princess! This ain’t the time to get all giddy – hurry up and fight!: I know! You don’t need to tell me that!: Silvia, Aquarion Luna excels at long-range attacks. Make good use of that skill during battle!: Yes, brother!: Oi... why does he get special treatment?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1oHGc3LYD0
Player Phase!
First things first, Aquarion has taken a bit of a pummeling so I have Apollo cast Guts to heal that up.
Now, let’s have him aim halfway across the map and Double Attack that Cherubim!
: Let us go, my friends!: W-what’s up with him…?! It’s like he’s a completely different person!: Are the memories of his past life manifesting themselves…?!: If so…could he really be Apollonius?!
Mwahahahahaha!
Following that, Rand does his thing and leaves his Xibalba barely alive.
Garrod can handle the rest.
Boom.
With Strike as a safety net, Elchi takes out the last Cherubim while Loran’s squad falls just short of killing another Xibalba.
We still one turn left for the Skill Point, so let’s shift our focus onto the full health one.
Heh…I had forgotten that these Xibalbas extend all the way from the ground to reach an airborne target.
Jiron does his thing and both mooks are ready to be taken out next turn.
Enemy Phase!
The healthier one does the smart move and attacks Gainer, barely surviving, but the other is wrecked by Loran.
Player Phase!
Artillery fire, Elchi!
Done and done.
: I was worried for a moment there but we pulled it off…
: You did it, Apollo!: !: What’s wrong, Apollo?: Do not lose your focus, Celianne…! It comes!
: Such Mythological Power…! Has a Fallen Angel entered the battlefield in person?!*Beep, beep.*
: The White Doll is reacting to it, too!: It's true! The White Doll has recognized it as a Fallen Angel!*Photon Mat noise.*
: Urk! King Gainer is absorbing my consciousness again…?!: What’s going on?!
: Too weak…You’re far too weak, Wings…: Who is it?!: It came from that Cherubim Soldier?!: …: Since when did you become so weak…? Where did that strong, beautiful man go…?: That voice…Touma?!*Apollo moves towards Touma*
: …
: What’s that?!: What’s happening with those two?!
: No…: Aah…cold…it’s so c-cold…: W-what…?! My soul feels like it's being drawn into endless darkness…!: Ah…Aaah…AAAAH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
: Wings… Light…the light that we seek…: Light…: The most powerful light, that betrayed us and destroyed the world…: !
: Awaken, Wings of the Sun. The only man whom I’ve ever loved…: And feel the new cycle of destruction and creation that’s beginning in a distant world…: Th-that’s--! 
Sorry but I’m gonna have to pull a cliffhanger here!
See you all later!