Part 143: It's time for the biggest fight of our lives.

-Liber Ark-







We should have all the materials we need, but...
The real issue is that 'Orbal Shutdown Phenomenon' thing.
If we just take off, we'll drop like a stone again the instant we leave the city. Straight into the lake, this time!
Hmmm...At least without another big Zero Field thingy you will, yeah.
Shall we ask Professor Russell aboard the Arseille to help you?
We can use our radio while in the city, at least, so we'll contact them ourselves. Meanwhile, I'm guessing you're all going to continue looking for this 'Aureole' of yours.
That was the plan.
That was our whole reason for coming here in the first place.
Now that you mention it, you did talk about something like that. So you guys weren't looking for treasure, too?
Capua, please don't equate yourself with me. Ever.
In that case...Josette. Why don't you keep working with Joshua's team?
Huh?!
The lads and us two will be more than enough to get the Bobcat repaired. To be honest, I wanted you out there getting us information either way.
Ah, okay!
And with everything going on, having someone who can coordinate between the Arseille and the Bobcat would help.
It's a good plan.
Yeah, I agree. Besides, we need all the help we can get against the society. Josette's a great support. She'd be a big help in the coming battles.
...
Something wrong?
No, uh, it's just...
(Uh, Joshua. Is she serious?)
(Haha...As serious as you'll ever see her.)
(And there's the headache...)
Hey, wait, Capua. What's with that face?
Oh, nothing. Just total resignation that I'm at the command of an airhead.
How about I order you off the edge of the island, then?
Gyahaha! That settles that, I suppose!
We'll get started here, then. Josette. Careful out there, all right?
Yeah, I will be. You guys be careful too, okay? The society might attack you guys again. Call for help if they do, got it?
Haha! No worries!
We'll keep an eye out.






Just lookin' around a bit, is all. Already got all the photos we need of the ship and its surroundings. But it's still hard to wrap my head around all this bein' in the sky. Looks like this area's a park or somethin'. A lake up in the sky and the waterfall that feeds it...
Y'know what I see when I look at this? I see the cover of a special edition!



I think I'll take pictures of that neato waterfall first, like Nial said. And then, pictures of the elevator!
Or, I know! I'll ride it and see what other treasures it leads me to!



Helmsman Lux: Airships change direction by angling their thrust, you see. So tuning the engine is essentially like tuning the controls.
Clive: The flight engine's adjustments are a very delicate thing, so we'll have to have a talk with the helmsman. He's the one who'll be flying the ship, after all! In a sense, it's an even more harrowing and intense job than being a captain.



The problem is, just the one outrigger engine probably won't be enough for stable flight...We need to figure out if we can recover this, somehow.



Faye: We've got the gangway set up, too, so I'd better get back to the ship and start helping with the repairs proper. I'm sure everyone else is already busy hammering together new parts and tuning the orbments.



Once we get that huge piece out of the way, we can move on to other things. Well, time to roll up our sleeves and get to it...
Royal Guardsman Day: Looks like recovering this outrigger will be the final step. I hope we can get this repaired in time...



Once this is done, I can leave the rest to the Royal Guard, I think. It also sounds like we're hitting the best parts of exploring the city! It's about time we lived up to our names as bracers.



Royal Guardsman Bottoms: I'm sure repairs will go a lot more smoothly now.



Royal Guardsman Nederlander: Didn't get near enough sleep, buuuut I'd better get to my post...



I'm on board with that. No harm in having as many friends as we can up here. I'll see if I can think of any way I can help out with that. I suppose for now I can throw together some medical supplies for them and whatnot.



Thanks! You look like you're working pretty hard, Tita.
Uh-huh! I'm checking the lights! We've gone back to normal lighting, but it'd be bad if a short somewhere strains the engine.
I see. How are the repairs going, anyway?
Grandpa's started tuning the flight engine. Once he's done, we'll do a simulated lift-off test. Just a little bit more work and we can fly!
Holy crap, you guys are practically done already. After crashing like that, too!
Heehee! It won't be long now. I'm going to do my best to help out!



Mechanic Payton: It's easy to get depressed when you're surrounded by the dark all the time. Well! Now that we've got some lights, time to shake off the sad and get to work! If anything happens and you need help, stop by anytime!



If that ends up being the case, we'll simply take the flight engine from it and mount it inside the Arseille. It won't be optimal, but the flight field should be balanced enough to get us airborne, at least. I'm working on some alternative plans just in case.

-Amber Amour-



Ship's Cook Casey: Looks like that self-proclaimed minstrel wasn't all hot air.



Royal Guardsman: The music's nice. Really relaxing!



Have you come to hear the sweet sound of Olivier Lenheim's lute?
Of all the...How can you be so casual at a time like THIS?
Heh. I thought I would offer peace and rest to those gathered here. I am prepared to join the expedition at any time, so fear not. Ah, a minstrel's duty is never finished!

-Liber Ark-



It seems they arrived here even before we did. They may have learned something useful about this floating city. I think it would be worthwhile to find the time to visit them.



We just received word from their ship a moment ago.
Oh, good, you got in touch.
Yes, it seems they're busy repairing their own ship.
To think we'd end up in the same circumstances in a place like this...The Goddess possesses a sense of irony, it seems. If I may be honest, I still cannot entirely accept the idea of working with them. But given our situation, it is unavoidable. I shall obey Her Highness in this.
Sensor Operator Echo: The lights are finally back on...Now we just need to repair the flight systems and re-tune the controls. Maybe we can get the Arseille back in the air somehow...
Comm. Officer Leon: This is the Arseille. Bobcat, please respond. I repeat, this is the Arseille. Bobcat, pl--


Comm. Officer Leon: Arseille to Bobcat, signal is crisp and clear! Good! Do you need any supplies? I repeat: Bobcat, are you in need of supplies, or...



Hopefully, that'll get the repairs done faster. Now I need to find something else to help with.



I'm just a liaison, but I'm going what I can to help! I mean, you saved my brothers. I don't want to owe you even more.
*sigh* I dunno whether to say you hate losing or just call you stubborn...
It still helps. Not all of us can remain here to help repair the ship, after all.
Oh...U-Um...
Y-Yeah! Leave it to me!






Uh-huh, just wanted to check on stuff. How's the ship?
Sky Bandit Dino: One of the struts is bent, but everything else is pretty much intact. It'll really depend on the internals, but sounds like it'll be fixed soon-ish.
Good. Keep it up!
Sky Bandit Dino: Your wish is my command! I'll do everything I can for her!
Josette! How are you? Doing all right?
No problems here! Looks like that might not be true with the repairs, though.
Yes, well, if we needed to get airborne, we could, but...The damage to the internals means we wouldn't get very far. Until we're done with the repairs here, we wouldn't be able to land even if we escaped.
I see...
Well, you need anything, give the word. I'll go 'excuse' myself with whatever we need from the Arseille.
Bwahaha! That's the baby sister I know and love! I'll be counting on you.
Listen up, Josette. You run into any trouble, you call us right away. I can still coax some life out of this old cat. We'll come running no matter where you are. See you, Josette. Stay safe.
Sky Bandit Ryan: Ahhhh, man! This is hopeless! It would've been easier if it'd just broken clean off! I have no idea how we'll fix a bend like this. Okay, how're we gonna go about repairing this thing? I need to talk to the boss about this...



Does the word 'Orpheus' mean anything to you guys?
What? Uh...
Wait, Orpheus...?
Why do you ask?
It came up a few times in the conversations the guards had. Seemed kind of meaningful, so it stuck out.
Oh, I see!
Hmmm...That is kinda curious.
(Wait...Maybe it's the...)



Yes. The train terminal in the factory district.
You think so, too, Joshua?
It makes perfect sense. The jaegers guarding the Glorious brig would definitely know the passcode on Factoria's tunnel gate, and also openly discuss it in front of prisoners.
I think I'm missing something here.

Ah, I see. Yeah, that does seem a little too coincidental. Worth a shot, at least, eh?
I think so!
Thanks, Kyle!
Let's go try it.




Sky Bandit Lonnie: Ah, yes, this is the Bobcat. We read you clearly, over. Arseille, how's it look on your end?


Sky Bandit Lonnie: Er, actually, Arseille, we've got a problem with our flight control system that we're unable to repair. We'd like to request advice from your ship's engineers. I repeat, we'd like to...



Sky Bandit Aaron: You guys were amazing back there! Your ladyship, you're our goddess! We'll put our noses to it and get the Bobcat fixed, you just wait and see.





I think we can figure this out given what we learned from Kyle. Use the Gospel, and let's try speaking the password.







Oh. I guess the guards really would blab the password to the Capuas. Thanks, Gilbert.



*GLURNK*










Zane and Joshua still don't have their last S-Crafts. Let's fix that.





-Aiming for the Future-





See this squid? This squid is your buddy.



























Spikes.







Doesn't seem very useful with only 2 Space and Mirage points on the Emerald and Wind Gems, not to mention all the guaranteed impede crafts floating around.

















Nikes.







-The Fate of the Fairies-



That's a lot of calamari.



I will...run no more.
HYAAAAAAH!





READY?! PHANTOM RAID!!!





(YELLING)



(SEVERE YELLING)



WRATH OF GENBU!!!





(yelling subsides)





That must be jam, 'cause jelly don't have a chance to drop your DEF.









-Liber Ark-





Hey! This is...
Estelle, look!









I knew it was large from a distance, but...
When you get close to it, the sheer size of it overwhelms you.
Hey, Joshua. The others are in there, aren't they?
Almost certainly.
I would be willing to bet that this tower originally served as, effectively, the Ark's 'city hall.' I would imagine there's information about the Aureole inside as well.
But you can't fight city hall! What do we do now?!
I see...
So how do we do this, you think? Go straight in?
Hm...If the Enforcers are inside, we're in for the hardest fights of our entire lives. We should probably return to the Arseille first and make sure we are absolutely, completely prepared.
I'd also like to tell Julia what we've discovered.
Yeah, good idea.
Let's find the nearest rail station, then.




No, I don't know why the Axis Pillar's main emergency evacuation route leads to a random park and not the city's main landing port in Factoria or a similar facility.













Now this? Classic Weissmann. There's no mistaking it.





...
How ridiculous.
Very...cute.
Yeah, if anyone was ever in need of a butt kicking, it's him.
Joshua, don't let him get to you, okay?
Don't worry. I won't.
More importantly, we now know that all the Enforcers--Loewe included--are inside. It's time for the biggest fight of our lives.
Bring it on!







Now we can easily go everywhere, from Calmare to the Axis Pillar!
*pheeeew* That was a bit of work.





Joshua had the right idea about reporting in. Make sure you get back to the bridge of the Arseille before you access the Axis.







How's the expedition going?
Yeah, um...



Yes, we're just about ready to begin our investigation of the Axis Pillar.
So we were right, that tower is the central administrative facility for the entire city.
It must be where the Aureole is stored...and the enemy must be there as well.
Very well, then.
I will join your investigation, if you'll have me.
Er, what?
I want to get a picture of the situation with my own eyes.
Besides...it sounds like the Axis Pillar allows them to manipulate city functions as they wish.
As skilled as you've all become, I think you could use all the help you can get against that.
But, Julia, what about the Arseille's repairs?
Don't worry, Your Highness. Most of the serious work is complete.
I've already ordered the flight engine test. With that, the professor and the crew can manage what little remains, I think.
Well, okay...
I sure won't say no to the extra help! Glad to have you, Julia!
On that note, then, allow me to accompany you as well.
Oh?
Major Vander?
The perimeter here is as secure as we can reasonably make it. Realistically, there's very little left for me to do here.
A soldier should go where his skills are most needed. Don't you agree?
Hmmmmmm, I see.
You'd feel a bit lonely with Julia leaving, my friend. Her prowess does shine like the sun. I understand. You may pursue your heart!
Just who do you think I came along for in the first place, you idiot?
Regardless. The offer stands. I will gladly help you if you need it.
We'll keep that in mind!
Thank you, Captain, Major.

Once you're in sight of the home stretch, Julia Schwarz and Mueller Vander will join the party.







Julia specializes in Dieterich, Hundsfeld, and poker. Her stats are well-balanced; her base DEF and HP are superior to Estelle's, but her ATS is a bit lower. She uses the same one-handed light swords as Kloe--naturally, since she's the one who taught Kloe how to use them.

Julia's crafts:
Lanzenreiter: Melee impede.
Mirageberg: Max Guard for Julia.



She also gets a slightly better setup for high-tier arts than Estelle.



Mueller specializes in Ingolstadt, Lignitzer, and anger management. He's a melee powerhouse like Agate, and uses Agate's line of two-handed greatswords.

Mueller's crafts:
Ragna Bind: Ranged attack that pulls the target towards Mueller.
Hound Gale: Melee AoE.
Blade Dancer: Melee attack with 20% chance to Confuse.
Mirage Edge: Ranged impede.



His ATS is about as good as Julia's, but his orbment suuucks.

We've finally reached the Liber Ark's nerve center. Next time, our pillage of the Pillar will begin.