Part 41: Black Box (First Half)

Music: A Castle Entangled in Thorns



We find ourselves back where we first met Asgard.



Yeah... It's almost like we're being invited in.
Invited, huh... You mean, like a trap?
Wouldn't surprise me. There's no tellin' what's in there, so we'd better be careful-



Volsung?! Where are you?!
I await your arrival on the highest level of this facility, far above you.
Volsung! What are you trying to do?! Destroying Filgaia won't get you anywhere! Don't do meaningless things like that!
Oh, but that is exactly my desire. I wish to see all destroyed and returned to nothingness. It will not be long now before the Darkness Tear is charged to full power. I truly hope that you arrive before then, so that we can enjoy the fireworks together. Please try not to disappoint me. Well then, good luck.
...
Well, if that isn't the very definition of cold-blooded.
Yeah, but... Maybe it's just me, but he sounded almost sad... After all, he's lost the closest thing he had to friends... That must be lonely even for him.
That could be just another trick to get us off our guard, you know. He doesn't deserve any sympathy!
You truly are kind, aren't you, Rebecca... But as Chuck says, and sympathy for Volsung is misplaced. His true strength is greater than that of the Four Sentinels put together.
Heh...yeah, I guess he doesn't deserve our sympathy, does he?
Yesh, we'd better be careful.



Welcome to the final dungeon, Locus Solus: Black Box. There are Cordyceps and a Full Revive hidden in the rubble, and there's a save point and a shop box in this room as well.



We can also leave through this hole in the wall to access the Locus Solus overworld.



We're now on the northern side of the Locus Solus. There's nothing interesting to see here, but you can find 2 Cordyceps, an Ambrosia, and a Gella Card with the Search System. The Teleport Orb does not function here, so we can't return to the Mayflower or the Pilgrim's Cradle.

When we're done exploring, we go back inside and enter the door by the shop box.



This room has two sealed doors, three pressure switches, and four explosive crates. The stone blocks cannot be moved, they're just there to get in your way



All we have to do is freeze three crates and blow the fourth up, and then we're able to move the crates onto the switches, opening the door to the south.



There are two hallways of prison cells on the other side of the door. If we look in the cells we can find a Lucky Card, a Holy Berry, and a LS Amethyst P.



At the end of the second hallway, we hit a cracked stone wall. If Zelda has taught me anything, it's to use explosives on all cracked objects. The Power Shot breaks the wall, revealing a door.



This room has a pressure switch and a doorway that's blocked by a gate.



When we press the switch, the gate raises, but a door shuts behind it.



If we push a crate onto the switch, we can stand behind the raised gate and shoot the box.



The gate drops and the door opens, letting us proceed deeper into the dungeon.



Yes. He was born to a Veruni father and a human mother.
Then why is he so intent on destroying both races? He should know their feelings better than anybody.
That I do not know. But...given his unique position, he may have been influenced by the darker side of both societies.
The darker side, huh... Yeah, I guess I could see that.
Veruni looking down on humans, humans hating Veruni... Who knows - he may have ended up being treated badly by both sides.
Yeah, I guess he may have had things pretty tough after all...

Meanwhile...



...

Music: A Shallow Dream



Father...Mother... I...I don't think I can do it... ... No, I can't give up yet! Not until I've tried everything I can!
Ominous Voice: Heh heh heh... Indeed, it is still too early to give up...
Wh-who's there?!
Ominous Voice: I have waited long for this day...for the arrival of one who can at last fulfill my desires! I am the one who will give you power... You are the only one who can fathom my despair... The time has come... Take my power-!



Aaaaaaaaaah!



Ominous Voice: That is the power I have given you. I am the souls of those who attempted to destroy the wall between the Veruni and human races, as you have.

From this point on, Volsung's mouth animates when the Ominous Voice speaks.

What...? You mean other people have tried to do that too?
Ominous Voice: Yes... Many have tried, and failed. Many more will undoubtedly try, and fail as well.
Fail...? But-but I haven't given up yet!
Ominous Voice: Be honest with yourself. The harder you try, the greater will be the shock when you are betrayed. We, too, believed that the wall should be destroyed, must be destroyed, but all our efforts were in vain... A different approach must be taken in order to eliminate that wall.
A different approach...? What do you mean?
Ominous Voice: It is a simple matter. You need only view the matter from the opposite direction. Indeed, the only way left is to destroy the two races that have created the wall!
Wha - Are you crazy?! Then there wouldn't be anything left at all!
Ominous Voice: And what is wrong with that? Both races rejected us, did they not? What right to existence do they have? Even you have seen that they will never come to understand each other.
...
Ominous Voice: Admit your true feelings to yourself. There is no need for you to continue forcing such hopeless goals upon yourself. Recall your purpose for existence. There is only one path open to you!
...! Aaaaaah! D-don't...! Get...get out of my mind...!
Ominous Voice: Hah hah hah hah! Come, open your heart to me. Then I will show you true power!
Urrgh...! Aaaaaaaaaaah!



That was really dumb.

I swore that day to abandon both races to destruction. And yet... ...Why do I beckon them here? Could I be placing hope in them...? ... ...No, I lead them here only to reaffirm my own existence. Their destruction by my hand will be ample proof that my path is the correct one. It is no more than that...

Music: A Castle Entangled in Thorns



Aside from the door we came in through, there's a sealed door in this room, and an open door at the top of the nearby staircase.



The next hallway introduces a special mechanic for this dungeon.



When we get close to these floating objects, we're forced into a battle. We can avoid this by shooting the objects out of the air from a distance.



The next room is identical to the previous one, but we entered where the sealed door would have been. First we take the lower door.



There's a sealed door at the bottom of the stairs, which opens when we shoot the switch in the corner.



It leads back to the room with the boxes, so we can go back and save or shop if we want.



We return to the previous room and take the higher door.



Upon entering the next room, we're immediately forced into a boss battle.



Titanius is a really easy boss. He never deals more than 3000 damage at a time, and goes down really quickly when you blast him from the wind ley point.



Volsung?!
I am quite pleased to see that your strength is no less than I had hoped for.
You think you're so great...! Well, I'll show you just how strong we are - and it'll be way more than you're hoping for!
Heh heh, is that so? Then I am most certainly interested in seeing it. I do hope that you won't keep me waiting.
Just who does he think he is, anyway? C'mon, let's get up there and take care of him!



...Why must I continue to be concerned over those mere children? My desire will soon come to fruition. Everything is proceeding according to plan. What is the source of this concern? ... Or perhaps this is not concern, but-

And with that, we're about halfway through the dungeon. Tune in next time for the most tedious puzzle in the game!

The Art of Wild Arms



More art from the Development Material Collection.