Part 34: The Man Who Concludes

Part XXXIV: The Man Who Concludes



Well, when you're ready, time to enter the final dungeon and wrap this long story up. Don't worry, though: as soon as you regain control inside of Canaan, you can leave and run off to do what you want, especially resupply, if needed.











False paradise

Yeesh. So much for a Promised Land...

This sensation...

What's all that smoky stuff?

It gives me the creeps.

It's just miasma. Although it might even kill Milla and me if we linger too long.

What?!

That is one foul fog!

This miasma... Isn't it only supposed to be produced if soul purification stops?

Miasma is expelled as souls pass through the cycle of reincarnation. It's a toxin that eats away at souls.

Usually, Origin should be keeping it under control.

Great. And we're supposed to just hold our noses and charge through it?

Bisley already has.

By using Elle's power, no doubt.



Even though it's powerful, I doubt the Chromatus is going to help matters here. Might as well see what our options are here.



I see you noticed.

What we are seeing here is not real.







The orb reveals that section of bridge is, in fact, not there.

*gasp*

A trap by Chronos?

Yes, he's probably warping the space around us.

Creating tricks of light. Illusions to waylay us.

It's hard enough to see straight in this funhouse, let alone fight. Now what?

Muzet and I could charge forward and dispel Chronos' power. However...

We'd deplete our strength and be useless in the battle to come.

If each of the Four Great Spirits could shield one of us, we'd be able to move forward without weakening.

Good thinking, but...

*nod* Right. Only four of us could actually move on.



Oh boy. Well... First things first.



This cat must have had quite the journey to end up from a crazy cat lady's apartment to The Promised Land, the fabled Land of Canaan. There is also a kitty you can get from Kitty Dispatch.

But enough of this. Let's see the case everyone has to make for me taking them...

I'm with you to the ends of the earth, if that's what you wish.

Ludger, I'll stick with you until the very end!

I'm going with you--to the Great Spirit of Origin!

Gonna put met to work, huh? You can bet I'll get the job done! For Elle, too!

We have to save Elle! No matter what!

There's only one thing an old man fears: Getting left behind!

I'm all fired up and ready to roll! Let's do this!

Just in case you were thinking otherwise, here's a friendly reminder: You leave me behind, and I will end you.

Hm, difficult choices, all around. Though, I think Gaius goes without saying. I mean, you saw what he said.

Well, actually, before recording this part, I determined via a complicated coin flipping tournament whereby different characters played against each other to make my decision for me. It took me a while, but I eventually ended up with a party of Gaius, Milla, and Elize. It's a pretty good party, all-around. Note, however, that the final cutscenes once we reach the end of Canaan are considerably different in terms of dialogue depending on who is in your party / who you chose first. There are endless permutations, and I'm not nuts enough to record or know all the possible combinations. But, we have our party, and let's see our result.





The Four's saying, "Cats can come along for free".

Meow!





So, Canaan... What's the term for this dungeon? Oh yes, annoying as shit. Now, Tales games have kind of checkered history when it comes to final dungeons. Some games (like Phantasia and Abyss), have really good final dungeons, whereas other games (like both Symphonia games), have had not-so-great final dungeons. But the weirdest, I think, of all the final dungeons was Symphonia's, because literally the only thing you needed to do was defeat a really easy boss, get the key he drops, and open the final door. Exploring was entirely optional, but it still worked out, I think. Symphonia's end game was very odd, in general (I thought the anime's ending was superior in terms of not having so much padding that really didn't add anything in particular to the story. It's complicated, is what I'm saying).

Oh, and just to prove The Eternal Circle is real, you know who the production studio was behind the Symphonia anime? That's right. None other than ufotable, the very same ufotable that's been more or less the animating brains behind the entire Tales series since Xillia 1, which also includes another Tales anime: Tales of Zestiria the X. And that work continues with the latest Tales game, Berseria. Wheels within wheels.

Where was I? Oh yes, Canaan. Well, obviously two main gimmicks here: the fake bridges that vanish as soon as you get to them, and all the inky miasma making things a purple haze (not all in my brain), that makes it hard to see where you're going, and hard to dodge enemies. I won't make any excuses for this dungeon, because by no measure is it great or even fun (not even good music behind it. Abyss' final dungeon music was awesome), but let's just get out of here as soon as possible. The last sequence of the game is great.



With introductions out of the way, let's begin. From the initial landing (you can see where I started this area by way of the orange dot in the lower left corner of the radar), take this long, straight path underneath the rest of the walkways. It'll wind up...



You might notice there are other exits, but trust me, don't take 'em. You'll be in for a world of grief if you take any but this exit. The second area is even worse.



Take the first left you can, follow the path, then turn left. Wait...



Screw it, I'm getting myself confused, even looking at my recording of it. Whatever, get yourself to looking at this path. Head left, then turn left again when you get a fork in the road. Keep heading straight at the bottom of the path, take the next two rights, to get here.



Go right to go up that ramp, then you a nice view of your eventual destination. Continuing on down a ramp, turn right next, then loop around to taking the next right, then you'll arrive right at the landing with the final save point of the game and the warp to the final area of Canaan. If there's another way to get through this hellhole, and there very well may be, I don't care. This is the path I know works.

When I was running through Canaan to get the alternate choices video, I must have gotten stuck in Canaan for about 20 minutes, running into dead end after dead end. It was so frustrating, lemme tell ya. Oh, and your party members will occasionally talk, but they don't have anything too interesting to say. Anyway, when all goodbyes are said, and all affairs are in order, the door to your destiny is right in front of you. I'll lead off with what Gaius has to say, right at the end of Canaan.

This world doesn't need a king who sits smugly atop his throne. I will put an end to this. For the sake of all who've been lost, and the sake of all who still live.

Let us ride to victory!



Huh...it's about time (technically, the chapter is *still* Brothers Forever). Anyway, don't worry about what happens after the ending. Once the credits have rolled, you'll get the chance to overwrite your data with clear data. That is, you'll basically be able to flag on whatever save file you're using that you've completed the game, and will be able to enjoy New Game+ to the fullest. If you use this last save point, put the clear data on that file, then you'll reload right here with the "Post-game" flag tripped.

Otherwise, this is The Point of No Return. Once you arrive, a cutscene will immediately start and you'll be locked into the final sequence. Also, it goes without saying the next series of videos, the remainder of the videos, are pro-watches. I mean, they're not only good videos, but it's the ending.












Chrono Tempest





Looks like I cut it pretty close.



You did well to make it this far.

Only took two thousand years.

Who is the girl?

One look at her face should tell you. She's a victim of your twisted little game.

Origin was only trying to provide humanity with the opportunity to grow... To evolve.

By ordering us to solve a puzzle and then hiding all the pieces?

He gave you the Key. The rest was up to you.

Right, and here I am.

Ah, but you have not opened the door yet, have you? If your young companion were to become a catalyst, humanity would fail the Trial.

Hmph. I've grown tired of this game.







Chronos breaks free, however, and...











Impressive. For a human.

By the way, I should mention Chronos is voiced Junichi Suwabe in the Japanese release. I only mention that because he voiced everyone's favorite red cloaked bowman / swordsman, and I do think those who have played and enjoyed Xillia 2 beyond its native land are poorer for not being able to hear his sweet, dulcet voice in their game.

Like I care what you think, spirit.



The Key of Kresnik. Is this your trump card?

Perhaps.



Ludger!





I suppose you thought you could win if you both attacked at once. A futile plan, as you can see.



There's only one way this is gonna go, but we should at least try to understand our enemy at the end of this adventure. Regardless of who wins, this story is going to end soon.

Because the Trial's outcome has never been in doubt. The only thing that is left for me now is to finish you off and rescue my friend from beyond the door.

If you're reading the subtitles, there's a second "is" after "left" that the voice actor, wisely, does not say. There has been some subtitle weirdness in the Tales series in the past, but the only one I can recall right now is some lines that differ in text / voice acting in Abyss.

Speaking of other Tales games, I'm enjoying a website these days called the Cutting Room Floor, which is basically a compilation of all the cut / hidden stuff in video games that never saw the light of day. There's some neat stuff in there, lemme tell you, and there's a particularly bizarre connection between this game and Symphonia that I learned from that website, that I'll go into at a more appropriate time.

What? Are you referring to Origin?

Origin granted humanity the chance to evolve and grow, despite the toll your soul-purification process had on his body. And yet you think nothing of your own toxic impurities, nor do you attempt to raise yourselves from the filth! I cannot bear to watch my friend's torment any longer! I'll put a stop to all of this and save him!

And is that what Origin wants, too?

That is none of your concern.

If Origin stops purifying souls, the miasma will flood the world.



The miasma will consume all human souls, reducing them to nothing more than inanimate objects for producing mana. Afterwards, I will simply seal away all the miasma. Then spirits will finally have the world to themselves.



Hmph, interesting.





You killed your own brother...to boost your strength?





Ah, the final Chronos battle. This is truly, in every sense, a final exam when it comes to Chronos. After the second fight, you should know what to expect from this guy. However, he's a little less dangerous this time, because his previous Mystic Arte, Bit Force, has been replaced by...





Chrono Erosion. Since it's a directed energy weapon, the beam will only hit in the direction Chronos was facing before he launched it. That's good news for you, assuming, of course, that not everyone in your party was nicely lined up for him.



Aside from his new Mystic, you've seen (almost) everything he has to offer before. He will bring in some of his Bits to help him out, but unlike the second fight, they are not indestructible. You can take them out of the fight, and I would recommend you do so.

Some of his new additions are spells: Gravity Well, which is an arte Muzet can use, and Gravity Meteor, which drops several meteors from the sky onto a specific area, much like Meteor Swarm did in Tales games past, but not random. In any case, I interrupted him by accident on this playthrough, but in the alternate scene compilation, you can see the fight play out with a (mostly) different cast. You can see Gravity Meteor then.



And, of course, he has his ultimate trump card: negating every bit of damage you've done to him, while leaving your party in the same state as it was before. Now that just ain't sporting. Don't be like me and use the Chromatus for simple damage dealing. Chronos just has too much HP, and you need the Spear to beat this most potent of techniques.



He also has the power to make the moment eternal, which he can throw out any time he damn well pleases. Luckily, it only lasts a few seconds, and he's usually not particularly aggressive in those moments, especially if he runs off to cast something.

Finally (damn, he really does have a lot of techniques), he has a very short range attack that's just meant to push away anyone close to him. Quite clever, really. Oh, and his arcane arte is a version of Chronos Laser (called Chronos Beam) that only fires straight in front of him, instead of a sweeping laser. That's good for you.



That was...a mess. But that's a wrap...right?


If It's For You

Now, if you're thinking that Ludger's costume is a take on Milla's standard costume, you're right. We'll get to that in the post-game, but suffice to say, I really like this outfit.

Urgh... I won't accept this. You will not inflict agony upon Origin any longer!



You are a poor sport, Chronos.









That screenshot, that is, uh...that's something alright.



Don't bother. Your mastery of time and space is useless against the power of Origin's void.

That means the girl is...

Correct. The true Key of Kresnik.



This cannot b--

*shoves spear further in* Trial's over. Humanity wins!

Aaaaaaaaaggggh!





Hey, I mean, c'mon. We didn't come here to lecture her.

Oh, and while this choice doesn't raise Elle's affection, I should note that, on this main playthrough, I got Julius' special weapon from the mailbox. No Bisley or Elle, though. That kind of stuff is reserved for a second playthrough.

L-Ludger.

Your strategy hinged on the girl? You're a smaller man than I thought.

I did what was needed to defeat Chronos. At the very least, this tragedy will not be in vain. With my wish, I shall rob the spirits of their will, creating a world solely for humans.

Urgh!

Why would Origin grant such a selfish wish?!

Origin has no say in the matter. *twists spear again* The Trial itself is a spirit arte, spawned from the pact between the Progenitor Kresnik and the Great Spirit Origin. As long as the pact's conditions are met, Origin will be compelled to use his power.

Aaa-aaah!

Give it up. She's beyond saving now. Of course, you could always wish away her pain.

No. We have to get rid of the fractured dimensions.

Ah, yes. And Origin can grant only one wish from one person at a time. I suppose one way to save her would be for me or Ludger to turn into a catalyst before she does. That would be the millionth catalyst, the magic number, and all transformations in progress would be canceled. Of course, that also means humanity fails the Trial, and the world comes to a bitter end.

You put it like that... Seems we're at a standstill. A decision needs to be made soon, however.

Please, wish away the fractured dimensions, so that Ludger won't disappear.



We came here to save Elle. Bisley is just gonna have to step aside. However, I don't think he'll be doing that. Might as well give it a shot, though.

Think this through, Ludger. Your real daughter will be born in the world someday.

He's right... I'm just...a phony.



*gasp*

Ludger!





The right to make the wish is mine alone.



Don't worry about it, Ludger. I will work this out with Origin.

Can you even do that, Maxwell?

It's not a matter of whether you can or can't-It's whether you do or don't.

Hmph... You all are nothing more than the spirits' lapdogs.



Very similar to something Van said to Luke during Abyss' final act, interesting enough. The quote was something like "Step across all the corpses and find your way to my side. Asch and Luke." (I got that from a translated script, but I distinctly remember the localized line being similar). I've always really like that imagery.















The Ultimate Chromatus Bearer bears his fangs at last...

Bisley's chromatus!

Ready yourselves.

Ludger...





Oh man, we have our real final boss: Bisley Bakur. Bisley's one tough mutha, lemme tell ya. His primary attacks will come from his fists, as well as the occasional projectile attack. His attacks are extremely powerful and he'll chain a lot of them together. His Mystic Arte, Absolute Fist, gets demonstrated very quickly into this fight. There's nothing flashy about it, but it is the mother of all punches. It did 55k damage to Ludger, and it will instantly kill whoever is the target of it.

So how do you fight such a monster? Well, the time-tested strategy of baiting him into an attack, side-stepping around, then punishing him works very well. However, you have to be fast. Bisley's not like Jude's AI. If he doesn't connect with an attack, he typically won't launch anymore. That brief window where he flubs his first attack and you have a chance to hit him while he's attacking / readjusting.

Oh, the song here also deserves mention: Following One's Own Purpose



He also has this, End Bringer (he has a lot of shit he can throw at you, surprisingly enough). His only group attack involves him throwing a spear into the air, and it'll crash down in multiple parts to inflict little damage, but the all-important stagger. Bisley's fists DO hurt.





When he falls to critically low HP levels (~45,000 out of just under 500k HP on Hard), he'll automatically throw out Absolute Fist and deliver a KO punch on Ludger. This isn't good...


Song 4 U

Don't get cocky. *spots Julius' watch on the floor after Ludger dropped it* So you used Julius' soul to build the bridge.

You really killed glasses guy?

With one poor decision, you instantly made everyone's death meaningless. Your brother's death. Your own death.







Daddy's pocketwatch!



Ludger!

Even her death.







Ludger!

Elle!

Curse you two!









So you made a pact with the watch itself.





Ah, the final final battle. You always start off in Chromatus Level 4, the final rank, but once you return to normal gameplay, the fight is much like the previous one. Just enjoy that burst of adreneline you'll get from a remix of the OP theme playing, and continue to hammer away at him. Just so it's appropriate, I wouldn't advise activating the Chromatus at any point in this fight, unless you absolutely must. You'll see why.

Actually, now that it's the final boss, let's talk final boss music. The Tales series has a long tradition of good final boss themes, but some personal standouts to me include Finish the Promise from Abyss, Battle for a Future to Believe In from Xillia 1, and, more recently, Chaotic Calamity That's One With A God from Zestiria, and I would be in grave error if I didn't throw a big shoutout to the theme of the "true" form of Zestiria's final boss, Chaotic Calamity That's One With A God -Awakening-, which is really the ultimate in "You're in trouble now, tough guy" final boss themes.

Xillia 2 joins this proud tradition. The name of the final boss theme for this game is If It's For You -Song 4 U-, which is where I got the title of this thread from.






















The Trial's Verdict



Ludger... Hey.







Damn you, Ludger!

Behind you!



I wouldn't use the chromatus again if I were you. When you make a direct pact like that, you then run the risk of degenerating and becoming a divergence catalyst yourself. Considering the sheer power at your disposal, you would transform in the blink of an eye. Heh... Well, I never expected that you would surpass me.





But that is exactly what makes humans so interesting.



We never do what's expected. *begins walking toward the large machine* You want my wish, Origin? Let me tell you my own personal wish. To take this fist...and punch you all to oblivion!





Bisley Bakur. May your soul rest in peace.

A man who gave his life to fulfill his duty.

Hey... I'm so glad that...that you all came to find me. You too.











It's finally open... No, Bisley. NOW humanity wins.

There's nothing to fear. If it comes to it, I'll handle things.

Yeah...





The Great Spirit Origin.

The one and only. I am very pleased to meet you, King Gaius.

You know about me?

Of course I do. You see, the souls tell me everything. They're sort of like my little birds.

You seem quite curious about humans.

Perhaps. But not as much as you, Maxwell.

I suppose this is our first meeting, but we have a little time for pleasantries. We have a request.

To rid the fractured dimensions and continue soul purification.

Precisely. I would be willing to help if you think you're at your limit.

Even if that meant endless torment?

Even so.

You really do love humans, don't you?

Milla, wait!

Enough! You would force Origin to continue the purification? I refuse to stand idly by as you continue to torment him with your corruption.



Thank you, Chronos. Your concern for me has consumed you for far too long.

You musn't burden yourself over me. You must make the humans accountable and have them pay for their crimes.

*chuckles*

What's so funny?

Well, you just showed the most human thing about you. It reminds me of why I love humans.

Wh-What?

I hereby grant these representatives of humanity the right to make one wish. Ludger and Elle. For overcoming the Trial and opening the door, the wish is yours.

Me and Ludger?

Yes. Wish for anything, but you must decide together. I could even undo your transformation into a catalyst.

No, you can't do that. We have to wish away the fractured dimensions.



"That would be the millionth catalyst, the magic number, and all transformations in progress would be canceled."





...




Update 34 alternate scene compilation
Update 34 victory compilation