Part 33: TF System: Tower G

Before we head to Tower G, let's take care of three more Puzzle Boxes.

Puzzle Box #15
Music: How Long Will This Puzzle Box Continue



This puzzle is very close to TF System: Tower F, but we won't worry about that now. In order to get over here, we need to punch a boulder out of the way with Asgard.

Puzzle Box 15 is pretty easy, but it requires a lot of back and forth and looping around, so it takes awhile to complete.

For completing Puzzle Box 15, we get an Overdrive, one of Greg's alternate costumes!



Yeah, nothing new to see here.

Puzzle Box #16



Asgard has to punch a boulder to reach this puzzle, too.

For some reason, this puzzle doesn't hide the HUD during the initial pan over the area. The puzzle itself, like most of the puzzles in this game, isn't anything special.

For completing Puzzle Box 16, we get a Slide Suit, one of Chuck's alternate costumes!



Wow! Something we haven't seen before!

Puzzle Box #17



In order to reach this puzzle, we need to use Asgard to wade through a shallow river. There's also an optional dungeon in this area (the red dot right next to us on the map), but we can't do much there at the moment.

For completing Puzzle Box 17, we get a Wonder Booster, a great ARM Part for Dean.

Before continuing on to Tower G, there's one more thing I want to take care of.



Crimson Warrioress: The King of Angolmois, overlord of evil, has resurrected himself upon realizing his dark minions are being quelled.
The King of Angolmois...? Who's that?
Crimson Warrioress: He is a great demon lord, whose coming is said to bring disaster on a terrifying scale to our world. Normally, he would be in a dormant state, amassing his strength until the appointed time arrives... But he has awoken and is heading for this land, for the monsters he uses to leech the planet's power are growing fewer in number by the day.
Huh...I see. So we just need to beat him down, right?
Crimson Warrioress: Precisely. I'm glad you understand the situation so readily...but the quest is a harsh one indeed. The King of Angolmois is a fearsome presence, hiding away in his deep pit of darkness. It would be best to not challenge him without more power at hand.
Obtained Nose Hero!
Crimson Warrioress: To be able to offer you so little support... It is a painful disappointment... But please, I hope you can come through for me.

We can't quite take on the King of Angolmois just yet, but we'll get to him sooner or later.



The Nose Hero badge is marked with Ashley and Knight Blazer, and no, I don't know why it's called "Nose Hero".



Anyway, there's a boulder in this area, and Tower G is located behind it, along with the Sol Niger for Southwest Filgaia, and an interesting treasure chest...



A warding crown made of holly leaves. One of the holy artifacts said to have sealed the king of the monsters.

Interesting...

Music: With Faith and the Way of Justice



But we're still here, so I guess we still have some time left. It doesn't matter how close we cut it as long as we make it in time!

Once again, the tower's entrance room has nothing worth making note of, and a scene triggers when we attempt to continue to the next room.



Yeah, I guess. At this point it's just a title I don't really need. Besides, we're working for human independence from the Veruni, right? So it hardly makes sense to be part of a Veruni-controlled organization like that.
Dean, you've cooled off quite a bit yourself, haven't you?
Yeah... After all, what's really important is your own feelings. Whether I'm a Golem Hunter or not doesn't change my feelings - I can still go after golems. And because I did, now I've got Asgard! Right?
I'm not quite sure what that "Right?" is supposed to mean...but yeah, you do have a point.
Yes. Such feelings can eventually become a great power. So it's important that you hold onto them until then.
Avril, sometimes you surprise me with the depth of your words.
Hehe, not at all.
...I wish I could've met all of you sooner. Then maybe I could've saved Lucille...or even Mom and Dad...
No, that's not how it works. You needed the training that bein' a Golem Hunter gave you. Without that, you couldn't have protected even yourself, much less others. Protectin' people is hard work. First you gotta be able to take care of yourself, after all.
Then I guess I've still got a ways to go... I don't even have my Hunter's license anymore.
Because you threw it away - on your own decision, right? You gained strength workin' as a Golem Hunter, then discarded a title you no longer needed. Between strength of body and strength of will. I think you're quire capable of takin' care of yourself.
Then do you really think I can protect others, too?
Yeah - now that you can take care of yourself. So there's no need to blame yourself for what happened in the past. But next time you find someone to protect - do it right. Or it *will* be your fault.
...Yeah. I hope I can find somebody like that soon...

In the next room, we climb up a pole, and then exit to Area 03.



This room is full of colored blocks suspended over a pit. There are also two plaques by the door we came in through.

*When all has been lost, only then shall the path be revealed.

*The traveler carried a fire in his heart, and the wind urged him onward. He dreamt of the still-distant sea as he traveled the boundless earth.

We need to cross the room, stepping on the blocks in the order of Red > Green > Blue > Yellow > Red. When we step off of a block and onto the another block of the correct color, the block we were on drops into the pit. We just have to cross to the exit and clear every block along the way.



In this room, we have to stomp on the switches to lower a platform. The switches only stay down for a short time, and if one of the switches is up, the platform rises. We just have to run back and forth between the switches until the platform hits the floor, then we can ride it up to the exit.



Another one of these rooms. This time we have to jump between blocks to keep the correct order. The next room contains a boss fight.



The Ghost Rider can cause Misery, gather everyone into one HEX, and attack for 1600 damage. He's not really a threat.



And smartly now!
You know, Chuck...if you were still a Golem Hunter, I'd probably be in the Guild's hands by now.
Heh heh... Now that you mention it, we did run into each other back when I was still an apprentice, didn't we?
All that golem crushin' was pretty stupid of me, I'll admit.
But it was to lure out Kartikeya, wasn't it? That's plenty good enough for a reason. They still talk of you like a criminal in the Guild, but who cares about a Veruni organization like that? Right, dean?
Yeah... Well, to be honest I still don't really know what to think. I mean, Nightburn used to be at the top of it, after all. It's thanks to his Class A license that we're able to ride the train freely, too.
Huh, I see. But I'll tell you, the Guild is really messed up on the inside.
Then why don't you fix it up?
That's a good idea. Once the wall between the races is gone, it'll probably have to be rebuilt anyway.
Hey, don't say things like that! You're making me think seriously about it...



Yeah, more of this.



In the next room, we stand on a platform that moves automatically. We just have to carefully avoid obstacles so we don't fall off.



H-hey! What'd you bring that up for?! Just when I'd almost forgotten it!
Dean... *sigh* Talk about reopening old wounds...
It's just that I've been thinking... I mean, Lucille was your childhood friend, right? I was just worried that you're running away from the Veruni that took her.
No! I'm not! I saw her feelings, and let her go! That's it! That smile I saw on her face as she left... She really trusts that Veruni. There was no place for me there...
...I'll ask once more. That's not running away, right?
No! That I'm certain of! Maybe before, I would've fallen into despair at being dumped like that. But right now, I'm trying to save humanity, for her sake too. If anything, I'm dealing with my feelings for her straight-on.
Well, if you say so...
Dean, you're not going to get anywhere if you can't understand things like that.
Well, how about you, then? Do you get any of this "love" stuff?
I can't believe I just heard that...



This room has two exits on the western wall, one at the top of the stairs and one at the bottom. We go through the lower door first.



In this room, we have to destroy these supports with the Power Shot, which causes a platform to drop.



The higher door lets us out onto the platform we dropped. If we had gone through that door first, we would have walked into thin air and dropped to the ground.



Next we come to a room with a save point, five plaques, and a single exit. We're going to ignore those plaques for now...



The exit in the previous room puts us at the bottom of a staircase. We're going to ignore that plaque and all those crystals and continue through an open door on the east wall.



After progressing through a couple of uninteresting rooms, we come to this dungeon's Sol Niger! We quickly purify it and return to the staircase.



Okay, this is a complicated puzzle. The plaque in this room reads:

*A young hero arose to bring justice to the corrupt king. The lords of the world stood before the king and his throne on high, but the hero did not waver, felling them one by one. At long last, the hero slew the king himself, and with his still-bloody sword, he carved open a path forward.

This plaque doesn't really tell us how to solve this puzzle, does it? The five plaques in the save point room give us a few more clues.

*The first to stand before the youthful hero was the ruler of the skies, a golen eagle holding the power of the eternal flame. The hero felled the eagle with a single slice of his sword, and the eternal flame was suddenly no more.
*The next to appear was the lord of the seas, a gargantuan turtle with an adamantine shell. The hero hammered away at that shell, once, twice, thrice. Unable to withstand the immense power, the shell shattered and the enemy was defeated.
*The demon emperor and his consort emerged from a purple mist, the third of the king's minions to come before the valiant hero. They brought the full power of the demons to bear, but the hero was stronger. He dispatched the emperor with one powerful swing, his consort with the next, and the demons vanished as quickly as they had appeared.
*Beyond the fallen demons waited the master of ice, a silver wolf with razor-sharp fangs that glistened in the light. But the hero would not be stopped, and the flame of his determination burnt the wolf's twin heads to cinders.
*At last, the hero faced the king himself, the absolute ruler of the world. He unsheathed the sword he had received at the beginning of his journey, then resolutely started forward, grasping its hilt in both hands. He sliced off the king's arms with two swift blows, then dispatched the king's legs, and struck a solid blow to his torso. With a strike to his back, the king finally began to fall, and the hero's final thrust spelled the end of his reign of terror.



Alright, we need to do a few things in this room, in a specific order.

First, we have to shoot the yellow crystal with the Freeze Ray. "The hero felled the eagle with a single slice of his sword, and the eternal flame was suddenly no more."

Second, we have to shoot the blue crystal three times with the Power Shot. "The hero hammered away at that shell, once, twice, thrice."

Third, we have to shoot the purple crystal twice with the Power Shot. "He dispatched the emperor with one powerful swing, his consort with the next"

Fourth, we have to shoot the white crystal twice with the Fire Bullet. "the flame of his determination burnt the wolf's twin heads to cinders."

Finally, we must shoot the red crystal five times with the Standard Bullet, which opens the door at the top of the stairs.



Oh no! A boss!



This guy is a serious pushover. He can attack for 1500 damage, or 2200 damage, and he does nothing else.

Meanwhile, in Twelbit...

Music: You're So Close Yet So Far Away



I wonder when Lady Diana will return... Why won't Master Fereydoon say anything...? ...I wonder what Chuck's up to. Come to think of it, I haven't seen him since that time I let him in to see Lady Diana. ... What'll happen to me? Will they let me stay on in the mansion? Or...



Now we get to ride another platform through obstacles, but this time we have to jump over stuff as well. The boss of this tower awaits us in the next room!

Music: Fereydoon RYGS_5013 (: Appearance)



You...! You're-!
Ah...Lucille's friends, I believe? Lady Diana approved of you as well... As much as I would like to let you go, however, my orders are to eliminated any who enter this room.

Fereydoon lowers his mask.

Come...!
Wait! You know that the TF System will kill all humans, right? What about Lucille, then?! Are you going to let her die?!
...I am a soldier. My orders take priority over all other concerns. If you won't attack, then I will!
Grrr... I can't believe you! Dean!
I know! We can't afford to hesitate! Let's take care of him!

Boss: Fereydoon
Music: Fereydoon RYGS_5013 (: Battle)



Fereydoon probably gave me the most trouble of the Four Sentinels. His basic attack deals about 1200 damage, and he can use Stone Bullet for about 1600 damage.



Of course, Fereydoon also has a preparation attack. He'll use Concentrating... and then he'll follow it up with Laser Silouette on his next turn.

Laser Silouette was one of Lady Harken's attacks in the original Wild Arms and Alter Code F, and Jack could learn it as a Fast Draw technique in Alter Code F, as well.



Laser Siloutte is an instant death attack, rather than an attack that deals silly amounts of damage, so Lifesaver and Holy Grails should work on it.



Fereydoon can heal himself, too.

I kept Avril on the earth ley point to protect her from his attacks while simultaneously keeping him off of it, and hammered at him with Blast from the wind ley point.

Music: Fereydoon RYGS_5013 (: Appearance)



No! You're much stronger than this! I let Lucille go with you because I saw how much stronger you were when we fought. I knew I could never beat you. You weren't as weak as this! Are you trying to make me regret losing Lucille to you?!
...So you're Chuck? Lucille's told me a lot about you.
...She has? What did she say...?
She said that she used to be very fond of you. But that you ran away from her... ...and that left her afraid to fall in love with anyone.
...! Heh, heh heh... So I ended up hurting Lucille after all... It's all because I'm so weak... I'm the worst... ...



You...you could have saved Lucille. I thought you would - but you can't do anything like this!
What?
You're just like I used to be! Betraying Lucille, hurting her! I can't leave Lucille to someone like that! Fight me! For Lucille!
Fair enough. I'll show you just how much stronger I am. Prepare yourself!

The Duel With Fereydoon
Music: Fereydoon RYGS_5013 (: Battle)


(I forgot to Analyze Fereydoon during this battle. Sorry.)

As usual, Fereydoon loses his instant death attack, and has much less HP.



I used Shut Out to keep Fereydoon off of the earth ley point. Afterwards, I move off the earth ley point and use Protect on my own HEX.



From there, I used Hi-Vortex for awhile, but then I realized that Chuck's basic attack actually did more damage, so I started using that.

When Fereydoon's HP drops to 50%...



Perhaps...I was weaker than I had believed...but I have no choice but to accept it...

After this, we pretty much just exchanged blows, and I renewed Shut Out and Protect when they ran out. Eventually, I finished him off.



So what are you hesitating for?! With that kind of attitude, there's no way you can beat me!
...Nothing distracts me! I...I'm a soldier! I serve my leader faithfully! I take pride in carrying out my orders! I have no doubts at all!
You take pride in serving a leader who'd kill his own people with the tear of darkness?!
...!
Can't you see that's crazy? Don't you think for a minute about who you risk your life for?! Think about Lucille, and Lady Diana - the people who care about you! They want you to live!
Lucille... Lady Diana...!
Think for a moment about the people around you! You're not the only one in this world!
...I don't need you to tell me that!
Try stepping out from behind that mask a little! Show the world what you really believe! If you don't, I'll just have to tear the damn thing off by force!

Music: Words of Memories Riding on the Wind



...! Is that all?! You're stronger than that!
Heh... I suppose I might as well just let it end here. I'm tired... Tired of dealing with the gap between my identity as a soldier and my own feelings.
You fool... You were willing to give up Lucille to keep that pride, weren't you? Don't throw it away so easily.
...
...That's just a sign of how uncertain you are, isn't it? Then I've got a request to make of you...because I know you understand how I feel. I won't tell you to decide right away...but try to understand Lucille's feelings as well.

Chuck turns away from Fereydoon and returns to the party.

...I lost both of my parents a number of years ago. They were great people...far too good to show any weaknesses to a son who took pride in being a soldier. And I never guessed... Never found out they had been affected by the VR factor... I failed to protect them...
...
All those I care for disappear from around me...
Heh heh... That sure sounds familiar.
Even Lady Diana... If only I had not encouraged her to return to the Locus Solus...

Chuck turns back to face Fereydoon.

But that's not your fault, is it? Volsung's the one who deserves hate for that.
No... I am at fault for not preventing Volsung from taking such action. I was closest to him, and yet...
I know, but...!
...But Lucille told me-



If you're not convinced, then protect me. If you succeed in doing so, that will be proof enough, won't it?



It was a shock stronger than any ARM, going straight to the heart of my weakness...
...Then there's only one thing left to do. Resolve yourself to protect her - no matter what.
But...I am one of the Four Sentinels of the Veruni radical movement. How can I...
It's not easy to protect somebody, you know? You have to stay alive yourself, after all. You have to protect yourself, and then protect them on top of that. It's tough. It's tough - but doesn't it give you strength, knowing that you have somebody to protect? Doesn't it make you happy?
...
You have somebody like that. I'm envious, to be honest.

Chuck turns back to the group.

...You okay, Chuck?
Yeah. I've done my job here.
You can get stronger, you know. Just like I got stronger with the help of everybody here. If you do, I won't have even a chance of matching you. Have confidence in yourself, Fereydoon.
...



In Persian mythology, Fereydun worked together with Kaveh to defeat the tyrant Zahhāk. In Wild Arms 5, Fereydoon is allied with an evil tyrant, as opposed to fighting against him.

We grab the elemental circuit and take the warp out of here.

Next up: the fourth tower!

The Art of Wild Arms