Part 33: Chapter #18: Zulwarn Unleashed, Part 2 and Final Status Update

Chapter #18: Zulwarn Unleashed, Part 2



: He was not boasting in battle. It's at least as strong as Ultragunner.
: Zeira is correct. The resurrection of the Zulwarn ATAC makes out task much more difficult.
: And, hey, don't forget the Sharkings. It took everything we had just to beat two of the them. TWO ATACs, Bastion.
Well, hey, it could've been worse, we could have had to fight ten of them at once!
: And what about Sadira? I thought she banned the Sharkings! Has she turned against us?
: She would never betray us, Andrew. I fear that Faulkner has imprisoned her, or worse...



: Excuse me, sirs! Marquis Dionne has just arrived, and wishes to speak with you!
: Show him in at once.



: You are the legendary Dionne? Very well met, sir. I am Lord Alden of Hibernia.
: Well met, Lord Alden. So you are the man called the "Ice Wolf." I do admit to seeing the resemblance. It is good to see you here with Prince Bastion. He needs all of our support if he is to prevail in this struggle.
: So, Marquis, are you here to check up on me, or are you the bearer of bad news?
: Andrew, your skills in combat are rivaled only by your complete lack of social graces.
: Uh-oh...so the news is THAT bad?
: Unfortunately, Andrew is correct. Commander Galvas and myself joined our armies together and stormed into the southern half of the Empire...But we were immediately attacked by a new type of Imperial ATAC with enormous strength.
: Was this ATAC a model with swords on both hands? We have encountered them as well. They are called Sharkings, and as you noted, they are fearsome foes.
: You were able to defeat them? I am in awe that you were merely able to survive their assault. It took them only a few minutes to destroy a staggering number of our ATAC forces. Galvas, myself, and the surviving soldiers were forced to retreat to the royal capital.
: Mmmm. Not encouraging.
: Fortunately, they did not have enough manpower to pursue us after we fell back. They returned to the Imperial capital and are presumably still there.
: So we have reached a stalemate with Faulkner, neither of us able to make the winning move.
: Indeed.
: This means that our attack on the capital will be our last chance. If we don't defeat Faulkner now, we may never again have the strength to mount another offensive.
: You are correct, Bastion, and that is why I have come here. I wish to join you for the final assault.
: Thank you, Dionne. It will be an honor to fight alongside you. (The time for talk is at an end. There is nothing left but to strike Faulkner down, or perish at his hand. But can I defeat him in the Zulwarn ATAC? Can it truly be stronger than the Ultragunner? Have I already lost the war before it has even begun?)



: (What am I going to do? How can I possibly win against such unholy strength? Oh, Father, if only you were here to guide me...!)
: You are quite clearly lost in the maze of your mind, Bastion. What thoughts have you so obviously distressed?
: It's about Faulkner. About we he said to me...
: Ah, yes. I was told of this by Zeira. How he said that the Ultragunner was no match for the Zulwarn.
: And the more I think about it, Dionne, the more I realize that he's right. I could feel the power of that ATAC as Faulkner stood and watched us battle through the Sharkings. And I knew I would be destroyed if he wielded that power against me. What can I do, Dionne? Train harder? Meditate? Pray to the gods for help? It seems hopeless now, as though all our efforts...and all our sacrifices...have been for naught. Perhaps you should lead us into the capital, Dionne. You have the strength and experience that I do not.
: Bastion, you are reacting in exactly the way Faulkner hoped you would. You are doubting yourself. Remember that ATACs respond to both our physical and our mental commands. With proper training, even a child can adequately control an ATAC.
Yeah, our child soldier initiative has paid some good dividends.
: The difference between an adequate ATAC pilot and a great one is purely a matter of mental strength. If you allow Faulkner to pollute your mind with doubt, of course he will defeat you! Believe in yourself, Bastion! Show the strength you have shown us all, and you are assured of triumph!
Espirit d'Corps! That's a plan that could never fail!
: Perhaps you're right, Dionne...
: Of course I'm right, Bastion. You will regain your confidence soon enough. I suggest you speak with Andrew to lighten your mood. You always has a tasteless joke or two at the ready. Or perhaps you need the company of a beautiful girl to...lift your spirits, so to speak?
Well, looks like Bastion's day is looking up after all!
: Marquis Dionne?! I can't believe that you just said that...
: Come now, Bastion! Do you know how long Andrew has been working for me? It was inevitable I would be corrupted by his influence!
: Ha, ha, ha! I think Andrew is starting to warp my fragile mind, as well!
: Hey, I'm the one who tells the jokes around here, awright?!
: Heh, heh, heh! As your employer, Andrew, I'm allowed to laugh at your expense whenever I desire!
: I haven't seen Andrew this flustered since the last time Reyna made fun of his sideburns!
: Oh, yeah? She's just jealous that the only place she can grow facial hair is her upper lip!
: Ha, ha, ha! Nice try, Andrew, but we all know how you REALLY feel about Reyna, you dog!
We do? Since when? I don't remember that happening!
: ... ... ... (Marquis Dionne is right. I cannot allow Faulkner to intimidate me. I have to keep my spirits high...And use the power of my positive thoughts to overwhelm the darkness of Faulkner's tortured mind. The more I think about destroying Faulkner's ATAC, the happier I get!) Is...is this the Imperial capital? My scanners don't detect anything. No ATACs...and no people. Perhaps Faulkner ordered an evacuation?
: Or maybe Faulkner sacrificed more Imperial citizens to get Zulwarn geared up for battle.
Well, on the plus side, if we win, we won't have to invest much in a counter-insurgency force...because everyone's dead and all.
: As horrific as I find that possibility, Zeira, we certainly cannot discount anything at this point.
: Let's find the Imperial castle. Surely someone will be THERE...
: Here we are, Bastion.
: These grounds are so massive, I can barely see the Imperial palace! And the castle itself is almost as large as the capital of the Kingdom!
: This could make finding Faulkner quite a challenge...
: Check your scanners, Bastion! It looks like he found US!

Status Check

The last shop shows up after Chapter #18. The only new thing it sells are amulets called "Family Jewels" that up all of your attributes by 1. They're nice, but expensive. At any rate, we now have all of the party members we're going to get, so I might as well show you where they are before the final two missions.



Bastion

Still the strongest ATAC on the team by a good margin. He's finally unlocked Soaring Dance, an attack that's useless 99% of the time because it costs 90 FP to use, so you'll either dizzy yourself, or be dizzied when an enemy attacks you next. That's a problem.



Reyna

Not a huge change since last time, and since she uses a water stone, the only attack she can use against Sharkings without getting ripped apart is Reyna's Trick, which costs 70 AP.



Devlin

He can do a fuckton of damage, but God help him if an enemy actually attacks him.



Barlow

Barlow can use Turbulence. That is the extent of his capabilities. No more needs be said.



Zeira

Zeira sucks at doing damage. He can use Turbulence. Therefore, that's all I'm going to let him do.



Andrew

Andrew has two things that make him incredibly valuable. He's really fast and can use Turbulence twice a turn, effectively letting him lock down any one enemy by himself, because the AI will always defend against a Turbulence, accruing 30 FP, and will always pass its next turn if it has 60 FP or over.



Nana

Nana, on the other hand, has different skills. She can absorb a lot of damage, and Terra Shock is reasonably effective at taking down enemies.



Alden

Alden can take a hit too, but he can't really deal much damage. Blizzard Break doesn't hit super-hard, and he can't really move and then use it, limiting his usefulness even further. Then again, being able to take a hit is a skill I'll need for this next mission.



Milea

Milea is here to use Turbulence, and that is as useful as is possible with her.



Dionne

New meat. Anyway, he is capable of doing, and, more importantly, taking a lot of damage. Still, he's....not exactly T.G. Cid when it comes to eleventh-hour characters. His special attack, Bursting Fire, does a huge amount of damage...if it hits, and enemies are going to avoid it if they can, which will typically leave it with a 55% or so chance of hitting. Worse, it costs him 80 FP, which means that if he doesn't kill the enemy he's targeting, or there's more than one enemy, he's going to get dizzied real quick.

Next Time: The Mission Everyone's Been Waiting For!