Part 32: Beginning of the End.

Not really much happened last time, only storming through Malduke, seeing the revival of Berserk, even if he didn't last long. For those of you that missed it, Berserk also appeared in the Ka Dingel update, right before the death of Boomerang. Presumably Berserk killed him.
Tonight, I will fight the final boss battles, and show the ending next update. This is going to differ from Azure's method of doing the bonus content before the final boss. I like to give the final boss a chance, and then curb-stomp them with the Infinity+1 Sword at the very end. This LP will do the very same.


Open the door, and tempt battle?
: Yes || No.


Past the door is this room which only appears in cutscenes. Zeikfried is standing on a platform...but there's no bridge to get there?


Zeikfried merely stares at Filgaia.
: I won't let you attack Filgaia.
: We killed Berserk! You're alone. What do you really think you can do?!
: Alone? Hahahahahahahahahaha!
: What's so funny!?


If we're too late, then why haven't you fired Malduke already?
: Do you see? Behind me, shining blue is Filgaia.


The cannon for Malduke extends to get ready to fire...something Zeikfried should have done ages ago.


: No!! This cannot be!!
: Ah, but it can!! Malduke is not just an artificial moon... It is a weapon of unimaginable power! Malduke is my trump card, forged by the very people of Filgaia herself! By Humans! By Elw! Pure power makes no distinctions... Not between Demon, Human, or Elw. This power... ...it should be used for destruction! That is the truth!!



And so begins the first of multiple battles. (That isn't a spoiler: this is a JRPG.)


I have Cecilia use Newton's Wrath on the entire party. Once again, Zeikfried begins the battle with Counter Stance, so I don't attack. Instead, I manually alter the order so that Cecilia goes first, then Jack uses a Force Carrot on Cecilia, giving her 100% FP, then Rudy uses a Heal Berry on himself just to get a cheap FP boost.


Next turn, Cecilia uses Brave Seal to skyrocket the boy's damage output.


This was from just Gun Claymore, with it's Tech Constant of 5. I never used Brave Seal much before, but holy shit how did I miss out on this?


Even Jack's pretty awesome with it, and I haven't even boosted his Reaction yet.


This is Zeikfried's new move, and should be familiar to anyone having played Wild ARMs 3: Negative Rainbow. The guide I'm using claims it deals all-elemental damage, but I think it just deals a random one because everyone has PS Dark Break equipped. Regardless, the game pops up a tutorial saying that to properly resist Negative Rainbow, you need to resist several elements. I'll agree with this...although it's a bit too late to tell us that!


I'd like to politely point out that Zeikfried has 11000 HP. I'm surprised the Overkill mechanic from FFX isn't used more often, but it makes it obvious just how much you crushed your enemy into the dust.



: Gwaaaaaaa! Body...can't...let...go... I...Zeik...fried...
We actually get some EXP and Gella here. Enough EXP for everyone to level up, but the Gella doesn't matter because I can't save or shop after this.


There's a roaring sound from all around. Something is moving.
: Who's controlling it?! Who else is here, other than Zeikfried?! It's aiming at Filgaia!!


The cannon charges up.
: Nothing can be gained through destruction! Why would you destroy our future?!
: All things flow with time... Some age... Some wither... Some break...



Zeikfried slowly stands up as purple miasma gathers from around and becomes an aura for him.
: ...Mmm... What is this...I'm feeling... ...it isn't like Zeikfried...
: Wait... This is not the Zeikfried we know!


A woman's laugh echoes out.
?: Beware of the power...Malduke... What is the power you are given? It is the power of destruction... Submit to my will... Bring my essence to Filgaia...


The cannon seems to be done charging, it's gone black.
: Please... Please stop this!



Slowly, darkness spreads over the surface of Filgaia.
: What are you after? To cloak our world in darkness? To destroy us all? Such pain, such sadness... And all for what? Please, let it end here...


The darkness spreads to the room itself.
?: Negative feelings become power, they fill me...my body... It feels so good...


Darkness has completely filled the room...and Zeikfried only gathers power from it.




: The future is life! It is beyond the light of the Teardrop. That is truth!
?: You say these things to the Godmother of Destruction! It means nothing!



And Mother has turned golden...
: Though I died once, I am revived through my son's flesh. I will destroy Filgaia.
: It's as if... He's a child in his mother's arms... Zeikfried is surrounded...
If you look closely, you actually can make out Zeikfried in there. He's constantly struggling in her embrace.
: No, she devoured him from the inside! She's using him as fuel for her revival! The one we fought, was Zeikfried, but not really... It was his mother!
: Mother and child together. Nothing is more beautiful than this... Well, you who are about to die... Show me your last struggle... Satisfy me...



Motherfried fights just like Mother, only except this time she has four Amadeus minions helping her. And you better be listening to the music here. Even if it is a repeat, it's still awesome.


Like before, the Amadeus use weak magical attacks with a chance of a status, or Hyperion Beam which is about twice as powerful. They're more like pests than anything else.



Motherfried actually uses Als-Magna this time, and it's a great thing I have Dark Breaks on. Like before, she's still very powerful on the Magic side, and hits everyone. Phatima's Miracle returns as well, and deals Light damage. She's also got a new move: Seyfert Microcosm. This might refer to Seyfert Galaxies which are theorized to contain supermassive black holes. It deals non-elemental damage, although I don't see it this battle.


I use the Newton's Wrath, Force Carrot, Brave Seal chain again, while using Rudy to heal the others with Mega Berries. I don't have many of them, but I might as well use them since I can't go to the Garden after this.



Directly afterwards, Rudy uses Ultima Arc Nova to deal massive damage to everyone, and wipe out those Amadeus minions.


And once again I horribly underestimated Maximum Risk. Mother only has 9600 HP. I probably could have taken her out with a Gatling Raid...but I just so wanted to get rid of those Amadeus fuckers first.


: My body fell into Filgaia, and became darkness... Darkness will always be here... What exists cannot escape destruction. The life of Filgaia, ends with me...
Motherfried withers away in the same way she did before, with a green aura and purple ooze everywhere. Zeikfried's still struggling, even to death. Motherfried also gives EXP...except I actually had to use a Gimel Coin on this fight (when the Amadeus focused on Rudy with his low Resistance to magic damage, which they deal) so I don't get any of that. Still, everyone fully heals which is the important bit.



Okay, maybe she doesn't die the same way. Good, now we know we finished her off. Poor Zeikfried probably got dragged to Hell with her.




The teardrop removes the darkness in Malduke...but it can't reach Filgaia.
: We have done our best... Was it all for nothing? Is this how it ends?
: No... I'm not letting it end here. We can't give up hope!
: We won't give up! We're not gonna lose everything!


: We have to fight to the last breath! If only a miracle can save us, then let's make the miracle happen!!



: What the... Such a warm light...
Jack and Rudy help as well, and the Teardrop shines brighter.
...this isn't going to end with a Spirit Bomb, is it?


: This voice... Sounding through my heart... Did the Guardians regain their power...?!
The Teardrop is the crystal of life... It is the symbol to lead and bind all the lights of life in one... We Guardians surround the shaman... And gather the power in the Teardrop to wipe out the darkness over Filgaia.



Suddenly light is generated from the Malduke cannon, and spreads to the Leyline satellites.
: The darkness...is being expelled... Did we...?
: The light of life is shining the future on Filgaia... Is this the power of Teardrop?
Yes... We, the Guardians, and Teardrop. The power of shaman and warriors...


The heart of Filgaia, and people who live there, how much it is hurt and ruined... But, we, the Guardians, found the future of Filgaia in the light of humanity. It will take time... As long as people keep their thoughts on Filgaia, destruction can be avoided. It is all about the feeling one creates. The power of will makes cannot into can. That power is called, 'miracle'... Humanity can exceed its own limits, shining beyond those limits is the power of miracle...


Looks like Jack finally found Absolute Power. Too bad it's a Deus Ex Machina.
: Humans...are the guardians of Filgaia?
Right now, not all humans have the light in their heart to make miracles. But some day... The light will fill the human heart and Filgaia will be restored... ...know this...
: Light in all the hearts... That must be a miracle.
: So, it hasn't ended...? It starts from here...




We get to run back to the exit now. Random Encounters are disabled, the Save Crystal is missing, and you can't use Gimel Coins. Curious...my trap senses are tingling. Also, it starts playing a song I don't recognize here...it wasn't put on the OST. Odd.


Welp, nothing left to do. Time to go back to Filgaia.



There's a strange staticy noise this time...


And things get blurry as the party looks around.


Uh-oh.



Incoming!


: I'm Zeik Tuvai!! I am reborn; death was only the beginning! Mother's revenge is mine. Subspace, between the heavens and Filgaia, is a good place for you to die. You will either be cut in half by my sword, or trapped in the ensuing explosion!


There's a dramatic zoom-in on Zeik Tuvai. Seems like he really took after his Mother.
: Your future will not be automatically illuminated by the light of life. You will have to fight for your future.


Zeik Tuvai's got some dangerous attacks. This is Ein Sof Owl, which I believe is Hebrew for "The Endless One", which references God...before it self-realized and created all of existance. Pretty deep stuff there for a non-elemental attack that hits everyone.
Post LP Note: Just something amusing. This isn't the only game to use this as the name of an attack.


And then there is the similar and weaker Zeik Impulse, which he could use before.


Negative Rainbow as well, this time confirming my "random-elemental" theory.


And he counterattacks everything with Glumzamber Nemesis, where he creates a mini-Glumzamber to throw at you.
You see...it is impossible to properly win this battle. Zeik Tuvai has infinite HP, and the battle ends after five rounds.


: The chaotic reverberations from battle will cause the unstable energy from the warp to explode, and blow us and space away! BWAHAHAHA!! You hope to escape, don't you? It's useless... You will not escape; I will not let you, while I still have the power! You can't run away! I will not die yet, I will kill all of my enemies first.










































End of update status:
NOTE: The door to the final bosses triggers a path of no return. All stats are frozen for now.
: Level 47
--ATK Bonus: 45 (Lv. 4)
--Bullets: 14 (Lv. 11)
: Level 49
: Level 48
Gella: 22472
Migrant Seals: 14
Ex. File Keys: 5/25
Fuck-Ups: 28

Version Differences:
Not a whole lot different. It's rather obvious that Zeikfried's struggling as Motherfried.
Zeik Tuvai has infinite HP.

A Saying A Day
: (September 10th) Today's saying is that curiosity killed the cat. Whenever my mom tells me not to look at something, I usually peek between my fingers. So far I haven't regretted it. Someday, though, curiosity may get me.
: (September 11th ) Today's saying is lie on firewood and lick a liver. This is a nice thing to do for drinkers. The cool feeling of fire wood, and the bitter taste of liver help them sober up.
: (September 12th) Today's saying is that where the water is clean, fish won't live. Humans live comfortably in an environment where physically and mentally it is a little dirty. If it's too clean, it feels sterile and we can't get comfortable. It makes us feel like guests and we're afraid of messing it up. As a result, the water's not too clear and people can live comfortably.
: (September 13th) Today's saying is, 'live by the sword, die by the sword.' This is understood literally. Hm....... So, cool. I wanna live and die by a saying, but how can I die by a saying? Maybe my original saying books will fall down on and kill me? I don't like that....... It would become a saying.

Next Time: