Part 38: CH31: The Other Side

CH31: The Other Side



: So it turns out they went unconscious after being thrown through a scary dark void.




: Milla.
: Hey there.


: Milla and Jude were the last ones to wake up.
: Good morning.
: Hey, how are you feeling?
: I'm all right. But where are we?
: This is Balan's residence.
: Who's that?
: My cousin. You know, the one in Elympios? I could've sworn I mentioned him before.
: So that must mean...
: We made it to Elympios!
: Rise and shine. How're you feeling?
: Not bad.
: I'm fine. Balan, I presume?
: Yep. AKA, the guy who saved your butts.
Not that it was a dramatic rescue or anything. Running into you was pure luck. Feel free to shower me with gratitude, though.
: Uh, sure...
Hey, Balan? Don't we seem, you know, strange to you?
: Maybe a little bit.
: I'm surprised you recognized me. It's been twenty years.
: That's Uncle's gun, huh?
You should thank him for it.
: It's a little tricky thanking the dead.
: Oh, right. Good point.
Huh, where is it?


: Balan walked with a pronounced limp.
: Your cousin sure is interesting.
: He's an odd bird, even for Elympios.
: You looking at my leg?
: Ah, no...
: Jude.
: Ah, don't worry about it. Childhood mishap.
Calibration complete!
: Balan, stop.
: Why?
: Hey, that's...
: I didn't think folks from the other side would've seen one of these before.
: A spyrix!
: Hold your horses.
: Huh?
: Life'd be a drag without it. Literally.
: The spyrix enabled Balan to use his leg properly, nothing more.


: An aspyrixis is like a spyrix, but not quite.
: Oh, you're probably all starving.
Why don't you mosey around while I whip something up. It's your first time on this side, after all.
: So they went to explore the area.



Skit Video: Reunited


: Do I look like someone else?
: No. You're Milla, all right.
: And yourself? You seem different from last I saw you.
: Really?
: A little bit. Looks like you grew up without me.
: Could be. It doesn't change who I am though.
: Ha ha ha.
: Heh heh heh.
: It's good to see you again.
: Same to you.



Skit Video: Milla's Return


: Stop it, Teepo! Let go!
: No! It's what you get for making us worry!
: That's right. I want a hug too!
: Leave some room for me!
: Even you, Leia?
: Haha, no point trying to fight it.
: Fine. I surrender! I'm sorry for what I put you all through.
: That includes you, Alvin.
: Ah... I... That's really not necessary.
: No need to be coy or Milla won't let you into the group hug.
: What, you plan on joining in too?
: I don't mind.
: Very well, then!
: And, I'm out.






: You mean this?
Girl: Me and my grandma use them too!
: Really?
Grandma: My granddaughter and I both have a cardiovascular disease, and we've had medical spyrixes implanted to help with them.
Girl: I bet it hurt really bad when you put it on, huh?
: Yes... It did.
Girl: But you just have to bear the pain.
Cause without spyrix, we wouldn't be able to live normal lives!
: I... see...
: You're so brave for being so young.
: Yeah, totally.
Girl: My grandma always says that.
Grandma: Thanks to the advances in medical spyrix technology, we've been able to overcome our illnesses.
We'll never forget what Dr. Mathis did for us. May his soul rest in peace.
: Mathis?
: That's the same as your last name, Jude.
Grandma: Dr. Mathis is the one who created my spyrix.
But he died in a boat accident a long time ago.
: ......
: This whole time, I only saw spyrix as harmful.
I never considered it could actually help people.





Woman 1: It's all because of that Otherworld Reactor Plan thing, right? Honestly, what is the government doing?
I'm sure everything will turn out fine on Rieze-whatever without our help.
Old Woman: So you think we should just leave them be?
Woman 1: Hey, nobody said that.
We should pay their people fair compensation and promise to help them with their development.
Woman 2: Pay them with what, though? Our tax money? It's not like we're any better off.
Woman 1: Well, you'd hope the government thinks of something instead of digging into our pockets.
Either way, someone's gotta figure out this energy crisis or we'll all be gone in a few years.
Woman 2: I can't even worry that far ahead. I've got my hands full just worrying about today.
Old Woman: I guess you can't make everyone happy.
: Must be nice to be so self-absorbed.
: That's just how people are.
: I'd be much more scared of a society where people were afraid to speak their minds.
: Yeah, that's true.



Skit Video: Cousin Balan


: Really? I find him quite interesting.
: He's been that way since he was a kid. That's how I knew it was him right away.
: He's strange, but he's really nice!
: I know. Unlike me.
: Nobody's saying that.
: But watch yourself around him. He has quite a mean streak.
Do something embarrassing, and he won't ever forget it. He'll torment you with it till your dying day.
: Like what?
: If he told you half the dirt he had on me, I'd never be able to show my face around you again.
: After you tried to murder them?
: Ugh, just thinking about it makes my skin crawl.
: Heh heh. You guys seem really close.
: Well, I guess we were friends before he got all cynical.
: Oh...
: What's that? You jealous?
: Absolutely not!
: You don't know what you're talking about!




: This city sure is strange.
: Yeah, I feel like there's something missing.
: There's no nature.
: Indeed. I haven't spied a single blade of grass, let alone a tree.
: Is it because they're using spyrix?
: More likely because there aren't any spirits.
: Exactly. As the spirits became scarce, all signs of nature withered with them.
Elympios is in its death throes.
: So this world needs spirits.
: What was that?
: Alvin, what does that poster say?
: Support the Otherworld Reactor Plan! They were probably put up by a union of spyrix-using merchants.
: It sounds like they're really dependant on spyrix.
Old Man: You look like a deep-pocketed lot! Help us pull the plug on the Reactor Plan!
: Tell me, old-timer. Why do you need donations to stop the plan?
Old Man: Filing official protests with the government isn't free, you know!
: Pee-eww! Did you take a bath in booze today?
Old Man: What's the deal with this doll?
: Count me in. I want to stop the Otherworld Reactor Plan.
: Jude, wait.
Old Man: Heehee, thank you, lad! Thank you!
: I wonder how Gaius intends to stop the plan.
: With Muzét's power at his disposal, they could show up on this side at any moment.
: That's true.
: No point in moping around on an empty stomach. Balan should have that food ready by now.



Skit Video: Alvin's Homecoming


: This is your homeland, right Alvin?
: Yep. The source of the spyrix you hate so much.
: You don't sound too happy about it. Didn't you want to return here more than anything?
: Well, I thought I did.
: I wonder why I wanted to return to this doomed world?
: It is true that its spirits have withered and its plants and animals are disappearing. But Elympios isn't over yet.
: The people here brought this upon themselves by using spyrix.
: You aren't even the real Maxwell. Do you really intend to save humans like that?
: Yes. This is a human problem. And as you know, I'm quite fond of humans.
Whether I'm Maxwell or not is beside the point.
: Heh, I see. Glad to hear it.



Skit Video: While You Were Out
This skit and the next one are path-exclusive for Milla. Not making Feinne hunt them down.


: Hey, Milla--
: Oh, sorry.
: It's fine. Go ahead.
: No, after you. Mine can wait.
: Why is everyone behaving so strangely?
: A lot happened after you went away.
: It helped us a grow up a bit, but growing up certainly doesn't solve everything.
: I bet Alvin feels the same way.
: I see. You humans mature so quickly.
: Then again, what adult with an ounce of common sense would hunt down Maxwell and pick a fight with him?
: Well, the lack of common sense part...
: That's probably your influence, Milla.
: Heh heh. How dare you.



Skit Video: Milla's Intiution


: Why do you ask?
: Intuition.
: Your intuition is on the mark as ever. I only heard about it after the fact, though.
: Alvin tried to kill Jude, and he even shot Leia!
: It didn't seem to be one of his typical betrayals.
: It was his actions that led to your apparent death. That must have been quite a shock to him.
: That was probably true for Ivar too.
: They fought with Ivar too?
: We all did! He ran like a frightened bunny!
: We finished off Presa and Agria too!
Yeah so this is how you find out about the conclusion to those subplots if you take Milla's path.
: Though that, too, was a painful conclusion for Alvin and Leia.
: I see. Now I understand why everyone's changed so much.



: Heading out?
: I'm off to Helioborg. I hear the results of some new spyrix research just came in.
: Oh, right. You did say you were an engineer.
: Wah-hey, Balan-buddy! Where's our chow?
: I put together a real nice spread back in my apartment. Feel free to dig in.
: Thank you so much!
: If you don't mind me asking, where exactly did you find us?
: Hm?
: Out past Helioborg, where I'm heading now. You were sprawled at the foot of a hill on the other side of the complex.
: Thank you.
: No problem. Anyway, I'll see you guys later.



: So, what's everyone's plans from here on out?
If we head to that spot Balan mentioned, we might be able to get back to Rieze Maxia.
: Oh, I see. That's why you asked.
: Although, I'm not planning to leave until I find a way to help both Rieze Maxia and Elympios.
: Is there anyway we can help?
: Of course, I doubt I could figure things out alone.
Just having you here would be a huge morale boost.
: We mustn't underestimate the circumstance though. We must contend with spyrix devices, the Otherworld Reactor Plan, and even Gaius.
: That's why you want us all to decide for ourselves.
: Try to head back home or figure things out here, huh? Wow, that's tough.
: Hmm...
: I realized something once we landed on this side.
We can't eliminate spyrix from Elympios.
But we still need to get rid of the schism.
It's a real conundrum. I want to figure out what I can do about this.
: Well, you know I won't agree to anything that hurts my own people.
: But we need to find something to help the spirits as well.
: I have something to say.
If we can't eliminate spyrix, then I will take the extra effort to watch over and protect the birth of new spirits so their numbers stay intact.
: But, that means...
: Spirits are another part of nature's cycle, just like humans. I will find a way to support them both.
: You sure about this?
: I've thought long and hard about this.
Jude, if you're convinced that we can't get rid of spyrix, then I won't argue.
But we can't waste time debating this. We need to head to Helioborg.
: She's got a point. Any place working on spyrix research is probably involved in the Otherworld Reactor Plan.
: Can I get answers from everybody by the time we get there?
: Okay.
: ......
: Is my role to offer support, or is it to lead?



Skit Video: Codename: Presa


: No. It was her alias as an Auj Oule spy.
: You and Presa were friends, right?
: When she fell, why didn't you call her by her real name?!
: Cause I forgot it. I can't be expected to remember every little thing.
: That's horrible.
: You really are a jerk!
: Why lie about forgetting her name?
: When Presa was a kid, she was abandoned by her family.
So she always hated the name they gave her.
: So that's why you--
: That's why nothing.
: When I couldn't grab her hand, I was everything they said and a whole lot worse.
: ......



Skit Video: Agria's Parting Blow
Another Milla-exclusive skit, referencing an event you can't see on Milla playthroughs.


: ......
: Leia's been really sad recently.
: Is it about Agria?
: She slapped Leia's hand away even though Leia was trying to save her.
: Why'd she have to be so cruel?!
: A little cruelty won't kill Leia.
: She must have struck some sort of nerve in Agria. Some part of herself that she just couldn't let go.
: Why are you taking Agria's side?
: I'm not taking her side. I just understand her, is all.
: I know what it's like to get trapped in a prison of one's own design.
: So what could we have done?
: If I knew the answer to that, I wouldn't have attacked you the way that I did.
: But I do know one thing. Leia didn't do anything wrong.
: Yeah.
: Obviously!





: Yup. This world turns by stealing energy from spirits.
Honestly it feels like this should come sooner, but it gets triggered after that cutscene it seems.
: Elympios has been doing that since ancient times. That's why it's rich in spirit fossils and little else.
: How can everyone be so calm about killing spirits?
With so many spirits gone, even nature is starting to disappear.
: Elympions don't know that spirits create nature, or even that they're alive to begin with.
All they know is that their primary energy source is drying up.
: Yet they're not doing anything about it?
: We've progressed this far by relying on spyrix. We can't remake our society overnight.
Could you immediately stop using spirit artes if someone told you to?
: No... I don't think we could.
Rieze Maxia couldn't exist without humans and spirits working together to cast spirit artes.
: Symbiotic coexistence, huh? Must be nice.
Maybe we mana lobe-less Elympions are simply destined for extinction.
: I do suspect that was the destiny Maxwell originally had in mind.
But I have no intention of adhering to destiny's plans.
: I envy your strength.
: If you have time for envy, you have time to act. With your actions, this situation can change.
: Change the entire world, huh? That's not really my style, but... maybe just this once.





: What's happening?
Man: Helioborg is under attack!
: What?!
Woman: You should turn around and leave. It's not safe here.
I just don't understand why anyone would attack the spyrix research center.
: Who's behind the attack?
Man: We have no idea.
The attackers were using calculatrics without spyrixes! How is that even possible?
: What's that?
: Spirit artes produced using spyrixes. If the attackers didn't need them, I think we know who they are.
: Sounds like Gaius is already making his move.
: Let's go. I want to make sure Balan is safe.



Skit Video: Alien Encounters


: Not so much shocking as terrifying. To us, it's as if you have supernatural powers.
: But in a lot of ways, it's spyrix technology that's more powerful.
: People fear what they cannot understand. That's why we're so quick to discriminate against other races and cultures.
: Alvin, were you scared when you first came to Rieze Maxia?
: I was. The people seemed like monsters to me.
: And how do you feel now?
: Now?
: Mask slipped there. Sloppy.
: Eh, you know. Some are good. Some aren't.
: I'm glad to hear that.
: Heh heh. It sounds like young men from Elympios start out quite naive.
: Hmph. And old men are condescending no matter which world they come from.



Skit Video: A Long Way Home


: Actually not that far. It's just, well, the Schism.
: Uh, it really isn't about distance. They're, like, separated by an impassable wall.
: Oh, I know! Rieze Maxia and Elympios are about as far apart from each other as... men and women are.
: An impassable wall? Does that mean we can never go home?
: I won't be able to see Driselle again?
: That's horrible!
: No, no! It'll be okay! After all, we're all together!
You have Milla, Jude, Rowen, and... even Alvin!
: You know they'll figure something out.
: That's true.
: You're here too, Leia!
: Yeah, but it's not like I'll be any help.
: That isn't true. When you're here, everyone's happier.
: Let's all go back to Rieze Maxia together!
: Okay. It's a promise.



Skit Video: Aifread's Legacy


: There are words appearing on it!
: "My name is Aifread. I am an explorer seeking a foreign world known as Rieze Maxia."
"When I depart for it, I will gather the treasures I have collected in my adventures on Elympios."
"And place them in arks near my hometown, as a gift to the next generation of adventurers."
: Huh. So Aifread was an Elympion.
: He must have found some way to cross the schism to Rieze Maxia.
: And then he never made it back to Elympios.
: Huh, never figured there'd be someone else besides you guys crazy enough to go running off to other worlds.
: Heh heh.
:Well, let's pay our respects to our predecessor, and help ourselves to his loot!



Ugh, .

Click here if you want to see Milla cosplay as Dhaos while Jude cosplays as Cress.