Part 56: The big, final, ultimate, super-duper intense battle royale!

Welcome back. Last time, we finally made our way to the Royal Capital, Grancel. It's a nice place. Even has a fisherman's guild. While there, we met up with the Senior Bracers, filled in Elnan (Grancel's receptionist) on Colonel Richard's coup, and got some troubling news; Duke Dunan is ruling the kingdom as the Queen's proxy, with Richard pulling his greasy strings. It's pretty troubling.

So let's go watch Martial Arts!





Yes. Two please.
Thank you, ma'am.

Lifa: Preliminaries are in progress right now, but the main event will last for three days, starting tomorrow. For which day would you like your ticket?

Uhh...?
Actually, we were hoping to catch the preliminary matches, if we could.

Lifa: Oh, all right then. They're already more than halfway finished, though. Will that be a problem?

Nope, no problem at all!

Lifa: Okay. Bad value, but hey, not my money!

We're paying you for tickets Lifa, not opinions

Lifa: That'll be 1000 mira.

Wow. That's a lot!
I had heard that there was some kind of discount for the birthday celebration...

Lifa: I'm sorry, sir. This year there have been some... complications...that have made it impossible for us to offer discounts.

Oh, okay. That's pretty sucky. But, what can you do? Let's see... 900, 950...



1000 Mira is less than chump change at this point in the game.

...That said, it can be surprisingly easy not to have it, since you haven't made any new money since you came to a wonderful new city full of ~stuff~ to buy. Fortunately, I do.

Lifa: Thank you very much. Here are your tickets.

Received two Grand Arena Tickets.

Lifa: The entrance to the arena is directly to your left. Show your tickets at the gate.



Receptionist: May I see your tickets?

Why not?

Handed over Grand Arena Tickets.

Receptionist: Thanks! Everything seems to be in order. You may enter at your discretion.









This is the entrance hall. Audience seats are on the second floor, apparently.
Let's take a look.







Yeah... There's some serious enthusiasm in the air. Judging by the number of competitors, this must be a major event.
I wonder how far the prelim rounds go.



Oh... Looks like they're starting up.
Well, let's go find ourselves a place to sit down.



Chairman's Voice: Border Patrol, 2nd Regiment team... Captain is 2nd Lieutenant Sammy.







I guess this one's a team outing. I could have sworn it was individual bouts only, though...

Chairman's voice: North side, red team... Bracer Guild, Grancel branch team... Captain is Kurt.

Hey, it's Carna's team!
Wow. We got here just in time to see them fight.







Referee: Both teams, go to your starting places.



Referee: Begin!





And now we get to see the Bracers and the Soldiers fight. The fight actually plays out just like a normal fight, just without any player interaction (and scripted). It's actually really cool, since they're short enough to not get boring, they allow some nice gameplay-story integration, and since everyone fights the same as they will when you fight them, you can use the chance to scout out enemy teams and see how they fight and what moves they have available to them. Just like in a real tournament!





We can quickly scout out each Bracer and see what their role in the team is. Grant and Anelace are the frontline, Carna snipes and casts, while Kurt acts as a white mage, buffing and healing.





The fight starts out somewhat evenly, although the Bracers dwarf the soldiers in HP. Still, damage wise, the soldiers are managing to keep pace. Good for them!







And then the bracers get serious. In Anelace's case, getting serious means doing her best Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star impression, which is why she's the best senior bracer.

This is why these fights are neat - doing 1500 damage a pop does way more for selling the impression that Anelace and crew are badasses than any dialogue could have.







Goooooo, Carna!!
That was a good match. The soldiers move well, but the bracers are better at working as a team.
Yeah! You could use their moves for teaching lessons!
Wow... I don't know what it is, but watching martial artists at work really gets me hyped up! I wish we had put off going to the castle! I'd have liked to see this from the beginning...
Ha ha... Yeah, I know how you feel. But part of being an adult is putting one's own feelings aside in favor of doing what needs to be done.
Hmph! Well, I like NOT being an adult, yet.

Chairman's Voice: Next up, we have the 8th preliminary match. First, would the remaining competitors step forward?



Chairman's Voice: Team Raven, captain is Belden.







Oh, yeah... It's that group from the warehouse district in Ruan. Ah, I see. The competition's open to the general public.
Ugh... They stick out like sore thumbs. They really don't deserve to be counted among professional soldiers and martial artists.

Chairman's Voice: North side, red team... From the neighboring Calvard Republic, appearing alone, is Zane.

Z-Zane?!
Another familiar face, eh? Small world.
But fighting alone is going to be a real handicap for him...
No kidding... He may be fighting a bunch of punks, but if they surround him, he's in real trouble.





Chairman's Voice: He fights at a considerable disadvantage, but his prodigious skill will make this match a sight to behold. We ask all in attendance to understand the arrangement.
Referee: This begins the 8th preliminary match. Both teams, go to your starting places.



Referee: Begin!







Welp. Nice try, Ravens. (Nice abs, Zane.)



The near-dead Ravens go in for another round of breaking their swords on Zane's face and abs. Then...





And then Zane wipes them all with Aural Blast, his second S-Craft. It deals damage to all enemies in a medium radius.







Goooo, Zane! That'll show 'em what bracers are made of!!
Looks like I was worrying over nothing. His build, speed and technique make him a real force to be reckoned with.
For anyone else, though, I'd say four-on-one is insane.
Yeah... Seriously...

Chairman's Voice: The current match will mark the end of the preliminaries. Eight teams will be competing in the no-holds-barred matches. The competition opens tomorrow, and over three days, the ultimate champions will be decided. Now, we will hear some words from the tournament sponsor, Duke Dunan.





My dear ladies and gentlemen. I thank you for your efforts in today's fine matches. I regret that government affairs forced me to miss the first half of them...
...but I was here for the second half, and what I saw was an exciting and enjoyable display of technique and talent.
The distressing news of recent terrorist activities has had an unfortunate impact on Her Majesty's health...
But I ask that you take heart! She has entrusted her governmental duties to me, Dunan von Auslese, and I will do all that I can to live up to your expectations! Let us all remember the spirit and enthusiasm we feel during this competition, and recall it in the days ahead!
I hope you will all enjoy tomorrow's no-holds-barred battle royale!

Neat trick. Now do it again while drinking a glass of water, Richard.



He probably just memorized something written by the Intelligence Division staff.



The winner of the competition will not only receive a prize in mira, but will also get a special gift from me!
(Y-your Excellency... Are you certain that this is wise?)
(You be silent. This is a fine opportunity to show my generosity.)
This gift is to be...
A written invitation to a Royal Court dinner party at Grancel Castle, to be held in three days!
Sadly, Her Majesty's presence will be missed, but it will be attended by celebrated persons of great renown! Arrangements have been made for only the finest royal and noble cuisine to be served. I trust that this will serve as incentive for those competing to excel and advance!





Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
Yes... It would be ideal if Carna got that invitation. If they win the championship, they'll be allowed into the castle. It'll all be above-board. That could give her the chance to get that message to Her Majesty.
Or were you thinking something else?
No, that's it, but...I hate the idea of leaving someone else to deliver the professor's message... Beggars can't be choosers, I guess.
I'd have no objections. Shall we try to catch them in their waiting room before they leave the arena?
Sure. Let's see... Carna's team came out from the north gate, right?
Right. If they're still here, that's probably where we'll find them.

Sounds like a plan. Let's mosey!





Oh, hey guys.
Yo. You here to watch the fights?
Yes, and we had a chance to see yours. That was a great match.
Thanks. I'm glad to hear you say that. I don't get the sudden change to make it a team competition, though...
Yeah, me neither. It's weird.
But it's been okay so far. All of our members are in one piece. Master Zane must be worried, though...
Oh, you know Zane, too?
I don't know if I'd say that, but I know the name. He's a famous bracer in the Republic. People call him, [Zane the Immovable.]
He apparently came to Liberl specifically to be in this tournament. Then the promoters threw a wrench in the works and changed it from single to team competition.
And I'm betting that His Excellency's the one behind that idea. Either way, Master Zane still had no choice but to register as a one man team.
Ahh, okay...
Ugh. The duke is a pain in the ass no matter where he goes.
Ha ha. No argument there.
Still, this is going to make it hard for him to really show what he can do.
No kidding. It's too bad no one's around to fight beside him...



...Saaaay!



Well...



...Hmm.



??? Uh, what just happened? You all got this creepy, serious look...
No, we were just thinking... What would you say to teaming up with Zane in the later, no- holds-barred fights?
Well, I...



Hmm... Teaming up with him... Is that even allowed?
It's not HIS fault that the rules of the competition were changed at the last minute. If one of the core rules can be changed, then I think we've got some wiggle room.
There really are no other bracers available that we could ask. Scherazard's busy, and we haven't been able to contact Agate. Similar story for everyone else, really.
I don't think Cassius is even in the country.
Heh... If those two joined up, they'd probably be accused of cheating, on general principle.
Ha ha. Our chances of beating THAT team would be something like 10000:1.
Anyway, we should focus on what's ahead, rather than what-ifs. Find Zane before the day's out, and if he agrees to let you join him, you should still have plenty of time to register.
O-okay.
Oops... Listen to us go on. I hope you'll give this some serious thought, but for now, we have to go.
Bye-bye, newbies!
Heh heh... Here's hoping we see you in the ring.





That sure went from talking shop to something else entirely...



Heh heh...







That's IT! That's IT!! Now that's what I'm TALKING about!!
Oh, almighty Aidios! Thank you so much for your bountiful favor!
...
You're cracked.
Think about it! We can be in THE Martial Arts Competition!
And we can help Zane in the process! Not to mention, check out that awesome castle... AND be a part of the big, final, ultimate, super-duper intense battle royale!



There are no words

You, uh...you really want to do this that badly?
We haven't even entered yet, much less made it into the final match. It WOULD be nice to be able to handle the professor's request by ourselves, though. Assuming we even made it through, that is.
Yeah! And think of how awesome it would be to win!
Plus we can't just leave Zane twisting in the wind! Let's go find him and ask to join his team!





Don't confuse the issue with the facts!

I have no idea what this is supposed to mean, and I love it.

*groan* Would you settle down for two seconds, please?
Let's go back to the guild and report in to Elnan. He's also the one who's most likely to know where Zane is.







I hadn't said anything to you guys, since you're working on that request from the professor, but...
...thanks to the whim of His Excellency, we can handle both tasks at once.
Heh heh... Nice to see his selfishness work in our favor for once.

I like to imagine His Selfishness is Dunan's official title.

What do you think about participating in the Martial Arts Competition?
Well... I think there is merit in allowing a skill which is practiced to be used without restraint. And with two bracer teams participating, our chances of gaining access to the castle are doubled. You needn't even get the others involved until and unless you lose. Personally, I think it's a splendid idea!
Woohoo! That's my kind of encouragement!
So...any clue where we might be able to find Zane?
More often than not, he's in the bar down the street. Failing that, he stays at the Calvard Republic's embassy.
Gotcha. Makes sense, since that's where he's from.
The embassy is in the same block as the arena. We can stick our heads in the door at the bar along the way.
Okay!
Oh, by the way... Where are you two planning to stay while you're here?
Hmmm... Well, we could stay in a hotel...
If I'm not mistaken, the northern block holds the largest hotel in the entire kingdom.
Yes, the Hotel Roenbaum. If I may, allow us to cover the cost of your room. The Grancel branch can afford it.
Whoa, really?!
That's too much, honestly. We couldn't possibly...
I consider it a necessary expense in the course of completing the professor's request. I wish I could provide more...
Nah, just a room's good by me!

I could always use more...

Very well, then. We accept your offer.
I'll book your room, then. Just give your name at the front desk this evening, and someone will help you.





This plays as we stand in the doorstep for a while, listening.

Oh... Is that a piano...?
Yes. Not just a record, either. It sounds like someone's playing inside.
I've got a bad feeling about this...

Funny. I've got the best feeling about this





This, except without the sarcasm.

(Still, I always figured his talk of being a traveling musician was a bunch of hot air...)
(He's actually pretty good. I guess he really wasn't kidding, eh?)
(Yeah... I'm kind of in shock.)



The audience applauds.

...That was a little number I call, [Amber Amour.] It was, originally, a simple interlude in an opera whose name...doesn't matter.
I have infused it with the power of love and devotion... ...and invite you all to tip your ears and drink deep of that power.



*sigh*... Now I feel all dirty for letting the song get to me.
Nice to see you again, Olivier. What brings you to the royal city?
I could little resist the pull of this place; it drew me here as surely as the siren's fallen tears are swept from the rivers to the sea. So here I stand, my raven-topped highness, reunited with you at last!



That's enough out of you. If I have to be subjected to this, let's at least sit down for a minute. Acting all smug and dandy, totally oblivious to how tactless you are... *grumble* *grumble*
My dear Estelle... How I've missed that obstinate irritability you so thoroughly embody!



When did you get here?
Hmmm... About a month ago, I believe? After we parted company, Schera and I spent a short, yet blissful time in Rolent.
But alas, the overwhelming spirit of wanderlust that courses through my veins eventually got the better of me... 'Twas all I could do to pull away from weeping, darling Schera, to protect her from being swept away to this blazing...dazzling...wonder.
What amazes me is that you can actually say that with a straight face.
I'm betting that she drank you under the table every night until you finally decided to run off with your tail between your legs.
Ack...
And then you figured you'd try your luck at drinking with Aina, right?



Ah, but you didn't know about Aina, did you, Olivier? She's one of Schera's closest friends... Works the information desk at the Rolent branch. And as far as drinking goes, she's the only person I've ever seen who could outdo Schera.
...Ha ha ha. C-come now, dear Estelle...! I've never met this person you speak of...this [Aina.] Absolutely not.
You might want to try that again, only this time without your voice cracking.
Okay, Estelle... Enough teasing.
I'm sure it was a very trying time for him.
An affinity for spirits greater than even Schera... Hateful inebriation!



Uh...flashback much?
And so begins the Tale of Aina, Olivier's most tragic ballad.
*shudder* Indeed...
Anyway, you've come after completing your tour of the surrounding regions, I presume. Mayhap you've seen something of interest?
Well, we've seen a lot of stuff, but it's not easy to just sum up in a few words.
Besides, we're kind of looking for someone, so maybe we can catch up another time...
Oh-ho... And might I inquire as to whom it is you wish to find?
His name's Zane. He's here from the Calvard Republic to participate in the Martial Arts Competition. We know he spends a good amount of time in the local bars, so maybe you've met him...?
Ahh, yes! I recall him... Large as a bear, with a disposition not to match, thankfully. I have borne witness to his countenance on several occasions, but alas, today has yet to bear any sign of him.
So in other words, he hasn't been to the bar yet?
Odds are, he's at the Calvard Republic embassy, then.



Next time: Building our all-star team (plus Olivier.)