The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC Part #146 - Hmmhmm...Your skill with a whip's certainly improved.

Part 146: Hmmhmm...Your skill with a whip's certainly improved.

-Axis Pillar-

quote:

Walter is unconscious, unable to move.

Are we sure we should just leave him lying here? No? Okay.

-Liber Ark-

Next up is Luciola.

Josette will happily throw down on any woman who makes her feel jealous or insecure, even if it's just about something minor like the ability to pull off an ensemble of beach towels and electrical tape.

But, in the end, he lost to me, bearer of the Taito Living Fist.

What matters is not disparity in power, but how power is used. This whole affair is making me, as a martial artist, look at how I'm using my own strength.

Sky Bandit Dino: We're doing what we can to fix this strut...I-I'm not sure just the two of us can lift it, to tell you the truth. But, don't worry! We'll lift it for you, your ladyship!
Sky Bandit Ryan: There's no way we're gonna lift this, man. Your ladyship, pleeeeeeease, say something to the boss!

I don't wanna hear any whining! Ain't you a man? Show some guts!
Sky Bandit Ryan: Your ladyyyyyshiiiip, pleeeeease, gimme a break!

I was just about to get on to the wing to fix it. The men are finally getting around to it.

The repairs look like they're going well! Hopefully the Bobcat'll be ready to roar again soon!

Leave it to us! We're going to give these repairs everything we have. The Bobcat will be running better than new by the time you return.

That flight control problem's all fixed now.

Nice job, Kyle. Even the pros have nothing on you!

Ah, the credit's all Professor Russell's. He's the one who pinpointed the issue. He didn't even have to look at it! We just told him what was going on over the radio and he figured out the problem right then and there. He's a hell of a guy, that's for sure. They don't call him one of the greatest orbal engineers in the world for show. Russell's got a mind like a steel trap. He doesn't even need to see the problem to know what's going on. Just tell him what's happening and he knows how to fix it.

Sky Bandit Lonnie: We've fixed the flight engine, and it's all thanks to the Arseille. Looks like it was worth helping each other out! Good thing they were at least a little useful. Would've sucked if we had to work together and they just ended up being dead weight.

Sky Bandit Aaron: The flight engine is fixed, and we're good to go. We'll make the Bobcat good as new. Just you wait!

And then Poms.

-Axis Pillar-

Ahaha! Pansies!

These puns go beyond mere in-game damage to cause physical pain in real life.

-The Fate of the Fairies-

Told you I could handle this!

OVER HERE, BOBCAT!

Thanks, guys!

-Axis Pillar-

Aww, are we done already?

*RINGGG*

-The Enforcers-

The Bewitching Bell...Hello, Luciola.

You actually got past Bleublanc and Walter. I honestly didn't think you could.
Oh already with the cheap insults?

Well done, everyone.

Luci, please keep your promise.

You said you'd explain what you said about Mr. Harvey when we met next.

Ah, yes. The reason I killed him.

Ngh...

So I did...

Hm. Scherazard, let me begin with a question. What kind of man was Harvey to you?

Wh-What sort of question is that?! I owed him my life for rescuing me from the streets! He was everything to me!

I always imagined, however, that my father would have to be someone like Harvey...

So...how?! HOW could you--

Yes...He was a kind, warm, gentle soul.

But you see...a circus cannot be kindness alone. Purely performing simply doesn't bring in enough mira. That income needs to be supplemented, be it with dirty deeds or having performers engage in...other lines of work.

But Harvey...Harvey insisted on keeping us going with honest money. So, instead, he dipped into his private funds, and then took on tremendous debt just to keep us going.

What?! But, I mean, Harvey never said anything about that or acted like it...

Hmmhmm. Despite his kind exterior, he had a will of iron. He ran up his debts here, there, and all across the continent...

And in the end, he decided to leave the troupe to save us from it all.

But...

His plan was to entrust the entire troupe to a wealthy acquaintance of his. If he remained troupe leader, it would only invite trouble for us as people came to collect his debts...In that case, it would be better to have someone he trusted watching over us...

That was how he explained it to me, that day.

But, no, but...why?

If he'd just told us, we could have helped him!

Oh, when he told me, I tried to convince him to stay. But he was...Harvey. Kind as he could be, he was also stubborn as a mule.

I still remember exactly what he told me. 'It's bad for a coward like me to stay with good people like all of you.'

...

So that's why you...you...

Yes, precisely. When he told me, I felt completely betrayed.

He gave us peace and happiness, and then he was going to leave us in the hands of someone we didn't know? 'If he's going to do that,' I thought, 'I wish he'd never given us his hand in the first place!'

And so...I killed him.

...Then...what about me?

What about...Ah.

You and Harvey were the ones who gave ME peace and happiness, Luci. You filled me with a warmth I never knew, living in the slums.

But...Harvey died, and then you disappeared...

That...That's an even worse betrayal!

Hmmhmm...Yes, so it is.

Scherazard. You have every right to hate me. Wield your hate, and stand against me.

Yup! These damn things again!

If nothing else...if you cannot defeat me, you have no hope against the three who await above.

Show me, now, that you can break the spell of the Bewitching Bell!

-Fateful Confrontation-

This act has gotten stale...Chesty Larue.

_{Luciola never got a silly nickname}

Luciola's invisible friends will inflict Sleep or Confuse on every single attack now.

This fight is hectic enough that I decided Clock Up EX and Clock Down would be handy again.

I'll take out Zaqqum first, and then go to town with fullscreen arts.

Luciola's illusions are actually dangerous. Any attacks against her clones will be redirected to an ally. You can still tell the real Luciola apart if she has any active stat debuffs. She's also worth more XP and sepith on the enemy info display.

Jubokko is healed by weapons, but can still be AT-Delayed.

By the way, I highly recommend not letting Luciola survive an extra round just for the sake of seeing her strongest attack. Or at least make an effort to keep everyone healed up.

Witness the dance of the Bewitching Bell...

HELLFIRE!

This is not a huge problem, though.

-Silence-

You do, I think, have a right to go further up.

...Luci. I need to correct you on something.

Despite everything, I could never hate you. Even the fact that you left me, or this idea that you killed Harvey...

It doesn't anger me, it just...breaks my heart.

Schera...

Scherazard...you don't...?

But...I just can't believe it, you know?

That you'd kill Harvey over something like that...Even if it was a bad decision, it must have been hard for him, and he was only trying to look out for us...

...

Hmmhmmhmm. I suppose I can't really hide it, can I?

-In My Heart-

Hm?

There's...a little more to that story. As I said, Harvey was being a bit of a mule, as he could be. Stubborn and refusing to listen to my arguments...

So to try and persuade him, I...confessed something I'd felt but kept secret for a long time.

WH-WHAT?! Luci, you...and Harvey...?

I...I...see...

Yes, I imagine it's quite a shock to you. You always saw him as a father figure to the both of us. And...therein lay the problem. So did he.

He saw me as a daughter, and cared for me deeply as one. There was no way he could return my feelings. 'Don't get carried away in the moment. Find someone who suits you...'

All these years later, I still remember exactly how he refused me.

...

The refusal shocked me, of course, but even more than that, it...scared me. I feared that now he knew how I felt, he would do what he could to make sure I 'found someone who suited me.'

That he would leave me behind forever, and we would never see one another again. That I would have no choice but to 'move on'...

But...

The moment I realized that was a possiblity, something within me...snapped.

So that he could never 'leave' me...so that he'd be mine forever...

I gave in to the urges...and took his life with my own hands.

Luci...
The overarching theme of the Legend of Heroes series is that getting the hots for a foster relative only leads to a big bunch of trouble.

That was the very moment I realized the darkness inside of me. And, eventually, Ouroboros and the Grandmaster found me, and gave my inner darkness a purpose. And eventually, the path they set me on led me here.

Now I suppose...it leads to the end.

Wh--

*WHAP*

Gh!

Hmmhmm...Your skill with a whip's certainly improved. You were so clumsy with it when you started.

SCHERA!

I only need a moment to speak with her, if you don't mind.

But, but!

Luciola...you really...

Does this look like a time to be talking?! I'll pull you up! Just hold on!

Scherazard...listen. Even to this day, I don't actually regret killing him. But leaving you...leaving you was the worst thing I've ever done. I never forgave myself for it. I was always so afraid for what happened to that little girl I rescued from the streets...

But you've turned out better than either Harvey or I could have hoped for. You've found your way. And you're greater than either of us ever were.

Luci...please, I'm begging you...

Just finding that out has made coming to Liberl worth it. Honestly, part of me wanted you to sit in judgment over me...Hmhm...A little greedy of me, I suppose, hmmm?

Please, just HOLD ON!

Oh, and Schera, dear, remember: liquor is nice, but do try to moderate yourself, all right? Hmmhmmhmm...Goodbye...my darling little Schera.

_*RINGGG*

Schera...

Oh, no...

...It's all right.

Luci...always did love her theatrics. She'd never take a fall...she couldn't recover from. I'm sure that, someday...Someday, we'll meet again.

Um...Yeah, totally! I mean, she can do that crazy paper-magic-whatever and didn't I see her, like, teleport or something?! Yeah! I'm sure she'll be okay! Yeah...