Xenogears Part #124 - Episode CXXI: Frenemies

Part 124: Episode CXXI: Frenemies

Episode CXXI: Frenemies

I hear that if you say a variation of “power” three times in front of a mirror, Grahf will appear.

Music: Omen

It’s not in the budget to have Fei wallow in self-pity for another three chapters. So our old mysterious masked mentor, Wiseman, appears in the narration void to give a monologue amounting to barely coherent stoner logic. Well...better than nothing...

"Oh, it's you... I... I wasn't able to beat Grahf... I didn't stand a chance against him... It was obvious from the start."

“It was impossible to try to defeat a monster machine like that to begin with... And... Elly... Why was she so damn foolish...? I implicitly told her not to come... I told her to run away... She had to have known it was a trap."

”Has anything really indicated she was a particularly bright bulb prior to this...?”
“Well... I dunno... The other people I mostly hang out with are a pirate as smart as a box of rocks and a genius doctor. She seemed...well, not that dumb at least... Reasonably competent even.”

"...Hmm... Yes, you won't be able to defeat him like that... As long as you continue fighting with that kind of an attitude, that is."

"...?"

“Weren't you depending far too much on the power of your machine? ...Not to mention that new 'Id Power' you're now able to control! What is Grahf's source of power? His machine? His technique? His experience? I do not think so... It is his feelings. His heart, his feelings, are dominated by his resentment and his hatred of this world. That hatred is his source of power. Your feelings weren't focused enough to fight off Grahf. That is why you could not win. Your feelings must be in the right place. That is strength."

”...”
“...Wha?”

"I'm not surprised you lost...seeing as you do not understand the true meaning of strength..."

"Wiseman..."

"That young lady... The only thing in her heart was her desire to save you all. She set aside her fear and piloted that machine."

”...And she got her ass kicked, barely beat two mid-bosses, and was kidnapped. I...I’m still not following...”

"It was because she had such strong feelings that you are all still alive... That is what I think. Of course you have been defeated. However, that doesn't mean it's over."

”So... I should rush into an unwinnable situation but feel really strongly about it...and hope it’s one of those rare boss battles that you can lose and continue...? You...are not a very good mysterious masked mentor...”

"How do you plan on responding to her feelings? It is now your turn to save her... is it not?"

"..."

"Well, what are you going to do? ...Fei..."

Wiseman fades away...

”Ergh... Wait... I know the answer to this one...”

Fei stands up and looks toward the sky...

”...”
“...”
“...Narrate my way back to her.”

In order to save Elly, we began to search desperately for her whereabouts... And two weeks later, we found her.

”Yeesh. Two weeks? Disc 1 lasted barely over a month total...”

Using the data obtained from Razael and his own nanomachine technology, Krelian had begun the construction of god's ark, 'Merkava'. Its completion was imminent.

Apparently he hired an AMAZING construction contracting crew.

To prevent its activation, and to rescue Elly... we headed for Merkava!

On the way there we run into the Elements. We’re not going to fight them or anything. G-Elements was the final battle against ‘em. Indeed, Dominia is the only one to ever get a speaking role again. But everyone on stage for another short play before we fly into the giant mountain sized UFO that Krelian built in half a month.

"Don't get any wrong ideas there. We are here to help our Commander. Miang and Krelian have been manipulating his emotions for the sole purpose of eliminating the Emperor. We simply want to free the commander from those bonds so that he may be saved! It's neither for the sake of the world... nor for the sake of your girlfriend, Elhaym!"

”Ugh... I’m going to have to fight Ramsus again, aren’t I...?”

"We have no intentions of fighting on the same side as you!"

*shakes head* "...Fine. You have your own battles to fight, and we have ours... Let's leave it at that. But... if things get out of hand, you head back. We'll handle it."

"Hmph... We'll make you eat those words... You wait and see!"

*Weltall-2 makes jerking off motion*

We entered inside of Merkava and, while fighting back units of weapons that self-regenerated through the use of nanomachines, we headed for the central core...

And then... Once again, Ramsus appeared before us.

Umm...spoilers narrator Fei. That doesn’t happen yet!

Welp, we pretty much never see all the Elements again outside one more appearance. And they have a shit load of concept art. So here’s a whole mess of it for the road.