Part 38: You sure know how to keep a guy waitin'.

-Visions-





If you fell in there, the burns could kill you! It's scary...
The water is certainly dangerous, but I'm even more worried about the steam. The steam is harder to avoid...and just as hot and dangerous as the water.
Yeah...good point.
Looks like there's a pattern to when they blow. We'll have to time our movements carefully.
Okay! Follow me!



Kids! Pompey Pom Says: Don't play in scalding hot geysers. Wait for them to go dormant before you pass.





This cave is the natural habitat for a few monsters that seemed unique back on the surface. Faerie Epitaphs and Ya-Kahs are out in force.


















Ahaha! It looks like just the right temperature for a bath!
I must admit, after all our toils, a bath would feel very...very nice...
You got that right!
The water does look really good. Wouldn't hurt to dip our feet in, right?
Tch...Fine, go ahead. Just don't take too long.

Not without the bath bomb.





Anyone standing in the pool will slowly regain all their HP and CP.



-The Enforcers-



It's spread all over the ground...
Glowing veins of...N-No way...It can't be...
Man's Voice: Heh heh heh. You sure know how to keep a guy waitin'.
Hey...!



A man with sunglasses...!
And on the pole...Aw, hell. Another Gospel?



Sunglasses Man...I might have known.

I'll do what I can to make you feel nice and welcome.
You...You're one of Ouroboros' thugs, aren't you?!
Heh heh...



That's what they call me, at any rate.
Personally I'd stick with Sunglasses Man.
I knew it...Lemme guess, you're the one behind all those earthquakes, right?
C'mon, let's knock it off with the obvious and just get down to it. This 'pole' is a little trick the society's brains came up with to mess with septium veins. It normally just screws with the vein directly beneath it. You plug a Gospel into this thing, though, and you can cause a local earthquake or two. That's what I was asked to test.
You 'were' asked to...? Your tests are finished, then?
Yeah. Real shame, too. What I wanted to do was work up enough power to shatter buildings. Couldn't quite get it to hit with that much force, though.
Wait...B-B-But...If the buildings collapsed, all the people inside would get hurt!
Heh. You catch on quick, little girlie. Some of 'em would get crushed under the rubble, their arms and legs mashed into jelly, left screamin' like pigs...Others? They'd get quick deaths. Heads shattered like eggs, spillin' their brains out on the road for everyone to see. Heeey, I've got an idea! How about we do that to you instead? That blond head of yours looks pretty fragile to me.
AAAAAH! NO, GET AWAY!
You unbelievable son of a...
Aww, now what's with those faces? I've been doin' you all a favor. You see, I just think the dreary, soggy porridge of most people's lives needs a little 'spice.' Thrills and suspense, you know? The kind that leaves you in a cold sweat. Pushed to the point...where you could die at any second. C'mon...Don't tell me I don't have your heart poundin'!
Tch...What are you, some kind of psycho?
I get it now, though. You were luring us in here, weren't you?
Wha...?!
You allowed yourself to be seen all over the region. And Elmo's hot springs boiled over immediately after the earthquake at Leiston Fortress...
You were issuing a challenge to us, weren't you?
Oh, crap...
Heh. Well, close enough for bracer work, I guess. Enough talk.
Let's see what you're made of!

-Silence-

*snap*



-Pinch!!-



The heck are THOSE?!
These're some worms that live in this area...Apparently, when you stimulate the septium veins, they grow as huge as these guys here. Well, have fun, ladies.
Oh, what the heck is this?! You rotten little coward! Fight us fair and square!
Forget him! We need to take care of these things first!
Defend yourselves!

-Looming Threat-



These giant worms will zap somebody for minor damage.





It's vital that you only attack one worm at a time. Ignore all the others.













You might have noticed the major Wind weakness. If you brought Schera instead of Agate, just throw out as many Aerials or Lightnings as you can.





As long as you haven't damaged the worms, they'll spend most of the fight very slowly advancing on you without making any attacks.





Despite the damage increase, Beat Down 2 isn't a guaranteed one-shot. Watch for those crit bonuses, and stock up on Tomatrio Sandwiches to max Agate's CP before you strike.



You really don't want to spread damage around, or let the worms get any turns after you start laying into them. When any worm gets hurt, on their next turn they'll use a full-screen earthquake attack just like Titanic Roar.





And if you attacked all five because you've gotten into the habit of throwing AoEs on as many enemies as possible? You poor sap.







-The Enforcers-



*phew*
Those creatures were incredibly powerful...
Mmm. I mighta expected a bit much. I thought that fight would be a LITTLE less pathetic.
Pffft. Don't underestimate us, pal. We've killed monsters like that plenty of times.
Tch. Screw it. This is just sad. I didn't think you'd be THIS weak.
The hell...?!
I'm disappointed in YOU worms!









He tells me the Divine Blade isn't the only one in Liberl who might give me a run for my money, and THIS is what I get?
Gotta be...kidding me...
Well, nothin' for it, then. I'll just have to sweet talk the professor into letting me hunt old Fangboy. He'll be a little more exciting than this, at least.
Wha...?
H...Hold on!



You...disgusting sicko...Listen to me...If you mean Joshua when you say 'fangboy'...I...will...never...let...you...HURT HIM!
Estelle...
I'd give you props on taking my punch and still bein' able to stand...but give it up. I can see your knees buckling.
You really think I...care about that...? I'll find Joshua...I'll bring him home...
AND I WON'T LET SCUM LIKE YOU GET IN MY WAY!
Estelle...!



You're a martial artist...sort of. I hope you know what you're askin' for by pointin' that thing at me.
Of course I do...! If you think you can beat me...COME ON!
Heh heh heh. Nice.
Tell you what: I respect your guts. You'll die in one blow. I'll make it quick.
...
NOOOOOOO! ESTEEEEEEEEEELLE!
Estelle! RUN, DAMMIT!

-Silence-



Wha...?

-Challenger Invited-







Man's Voice: Heh! A perfect entrance, my friend!





I meant to come sooner, but work back home took longer than I expected...I'm glad to see I made it in time!
Geez...Did you have to wait till the last second, man?
Heh...heh heh heh...So YOU'RE the A-rank bracer Loewe mentioned?
Perfect. Been a while, Zane.
That's right...Walter.
I hardly expected to meet you here, of all places, though. I always knew you had the mind of a wolf, but tell me, when did you develop the heart and loyalty of a serpent?
Oh, that'd be right after we 'met' last. I've been having the time of my life since I joined the society, too.
You blind fool...
Do you even realize what you've done? What you're DOING?! It would break Master's heart to see--
Oh, spare me the righteous claptrap. You know better than anyone the path I've chosen.
You keep talkin' nonsense, and I WILL kill you. Got it?
...
I wonder...do you even know? Kilika's up there. In Zeiss.
What...?
She's been working there as the guild receptionist for the past two years. Before then, she was wandering the continent.
The hell...? Why bother coming to a backwater place like Liberl...?
What's she thinking?
I don't know either, to be honest.
But I do know that, even now, she wants to see you. Set aside this 'Ouroboros' madness, Walter. Go see--



I told you. Talk nonsense, I kill you.
Heh heh. Well, hey. Forget Kilika. You being here just made my year. This plan of the professor's is gonna be a whole lot of fun.





You ladies keep workin' on your kung fu until next time. See ya.