Part 45: Episode 5: Part 1: The Victory of The Big Plunge.

Episode 5: Part 1: The Victory of The Big Plunge.


I was considering changing the thread title to something like... Let's All Bleed Together in The Way: Everyone Must Bleed, but... hm. Anyway.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEDcJcOKIY8
Here's our very ominous opening again...











We start in the hall. There's no save point here. This'll be important in a moment. Anyway, we go out and watch the last scene of Episode 4 again, except with a bit less camera panning.



So you think.







First pass isn't so bad!



Neither is the second.



You're an egomaniac.
Look who's talking.



I uh.... want to point out that this isn't even a Step 1 injury on Strata.


Also he does this with the Downpour Blade Art. He actually has a bunch we haven't seen, but apparently has a few empty slots too.




Uhm.... We've been hitting him harder than he's been hitting us...



"They will be chanting my name!"

I think I'm going to throw up.
Fourth Pass done...



Wave goodbye to the fans, Rhue!

I'm not going down on this pass or on the next.













AHHH FUCK

ANNOUNCER: What's this? Rhue is already down?
But that was much too quick!
The crowd starts... booing or hissing or something.

Burn him...


...



Rhue...

...

Don't worry about what happened out there. There wasn't really anything you could have done.
Wait wait, wait. Time Out, Traziun. We're going to rewind a bit.

So, this plunge with Strata is unwinnable. His plunge statistics are pretty far above ours, and his DT is at a frankly absurd level. Like 100 or some crap.

But lasting long enough is our goal. On the first attempt you saw there, I fell on the very last pass which sucks! I reload 4 more times and each time I have to sit through the opening credits and the camera panning around the arena. It's horrible. And two more times I fail on that last pass too. Those are all the times I get lucky with damage. Strata doing 25-30 damage is the norm and it means you can often lose on the 4th pass. But, after those few retries, I finally make it to the sixth pass intact.



Looks like you were wrong. How does it feel?

You may have avoided a shameful early defeat, but now I'm going to make you wish you had gone down on the sixth!

Pretty please, I'm begging you!

Burn you!
Anyway, if I recall correctly, this next pass is where you're forced to lose even if, miraculously, you had enough HP to survive whatever Strata did. I've heard early versions had Strata have a complete meltdown if you lasted even longer but I've never seen a trace of that, code or screenshot. If it was in the first public release I never lasted that long. Lasting the six passes is hard enough!



Lands... I've... I've lost...



We deserve a better reward than this!

ANNOUNCER: What an amazing bout!!!!
And here is your winner! STRAAAAAAATA!!!

And then, instead of saying 'nothing you could do' Traziun says this.




...

I realise that you're more upset over what this means for Cetsa, but don't be.
She's a pretty face with an ugly black heart.
She's a liar, Rhue.
And people who will lie will do almost anything.

Still, she has it. She has that pendant...

...

...

Flaming fires... (I wish you would let this go...)
I'll help you.



Shut up, you know you can't pull this thing off by yourself.
You're lucky I'm such a genius. With my brains, freeing Cetsa will be as easy as catching a red swiftfoot.

That's not very easy...

It was for me.

You arrogant prick...

*laughs*
I've got two plunges to win. Meet me back here afterwards. Till then.





Be careful. I know the Blood Lyn are near.

Yes, I know.

Why do they want you so badly?

Well, I'll tell you straight up. The Blood Lyn are after me because the Blana Sera and myself have personal issues with one another.

Personal issues?

Actually, it goes way beyond personal.
I'll explain it some other time. People will grow restless if I don't get out there.

Well then, get out there and drag some cham.
That's Unguided slang.

Huh?

Nevermind.

Later Rhue, don't do anything foolish now.



"I've got to bust Cetsa out somehow... But I think Traziun and I will need a little more help...
Who would help me?
I know, Sorya.
We're not good friends, but she's definitely not my enemy. Maybe she could be persuaded to help.
First things first though. I need to find her. Where would she be though?

I'm going to have to ask around.
We head out into the hall.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7YtvbiM1Hk



Not a bad showing, blue boy. Just not good enough.

What are you doing here?

Lyrra was a little worried about you. Wanted me to check to see if you were okay.

What?

Not like I was actually going to do it. I was planning on just walking in here, taking a leak and leaving.

I would expect no less from you.

Hey, I don't disappoint.

What I don't understand is why Lyrra would hang around with you at all.

Oh, that's easy.

Do tell.

She's trying to find her father, and I promised I'd help her do just that.

Not that I really care. But if he turns up, then good for her.

I'll tell you right now that he won't ever turn up.

Why is that, blue boy?

Because I killed him.

What?

When the Blue Scarves attacked Lyrra's fist, her father was mortally wounded.
When I came upon him he was in agonizing pain. He asked me to end him.
So I did.

That so?
I wonder how she'll take the news.

I wouldn't tell her. Apparently her mother is dead and she had a brother who got killed as well.
If she finds out her dad is dead, it might be too much for her to handle.
I don't think Rhue could handle finding out Serena is dead either, honestly.

It's almost enough to make me feel sorry for her.

Okay blue, I'll keep this a secret. I'm not a bad guy, you know.

Whatever.

This was quite an informative meeting. Let's do this again sometime, ey blue?

I'm Rhue of Landorin, and the next time we meet in battle you won't emerge.

Landorin? No way! And what's this about emerging? You don't think I'll emerge victorious?

Alive.
There's a long pause and then... Rhue leaves Strata behind.





Seems like we know what we'll be doing next update!

the end