Pay the debt, get a call that we have the coordinates for Alt World #F18somethingorother. So I pop up the World Map and select the world, and we end up in the train station of an alternate Triglav. Vel decides then to call and tell us that we can't return until we've destroyed the Time Factor. Gee thanks for the heads up.
Jude and Leia decide to go get information, since what we're looking for in a Time Factor is a key difference from the Original World that resulted in all the other differences. We then hear one announced over the intercom: a train is departing for a place called Ascord, which doesn't exist in the Original World, so Alvin suggests the rest of us head there. I don't though, and go look around town first. This is why it sucks for anyone to watch me play video games, I tend to say screw the main story, I'm exploring/leveling/questing, bitch.
I get something for my trouble this time, though: a lot of people in town talking about the Greater Spirit of Light, Aska. Who wasn't seen or even mentioned in either game before now. Hmm.
I eventually board the train to Ascord, and find it to be a nice white and sterile laboratory. Before we can do too much exploring however, a voice behind us calls out Alvin by his real name "Alfred". It's Giland, Alvin's uncle and head of Arc Noah who was killed during the events of last game, so the older party members are naturally shocked, but Alvin recovers enough to play along. Seems Giland was able to get himself, Alvin, Alvin's mother and a few others back to Elenpios years ago-- the Shell hasn't fallen in this world-- and started this laboratory in order to harvest the solar power gleaned from the Spirit he brought back with him, Aska.
Giland isn't giving off any reactions that he's a Time Factor, so Alvin knocks him out and takes his building access cards, while the rest of the party wonders if Aska's the Time Factor instead.
After running around the dungeon, noting how well they're cultivating plants and food here, and making heavy use of Ludger's Corpse Shell in battle because it's fun, we arrive at the upper part of the dome where Aska is contained. Ludger shoots out the devices keeping it imprisoned, but Giland, having woke up and followed us, has started shooting at us from behind with a sawed off sword shotgun. Before we can really do anything about him, Aska breaks out and is all kinds of pissed, understandably. So boss battle /o/
Ugh, flying enemies in the game whyyyyy At least I have Elize to spam Dark Artes at it.
So the bird goes down for the moment, and Jude and Leia come running in, but Ludger doesn't get any Time Factor reactions from it, so the group is at a loss as to what next since our two biggest hints turned out to be wrong. Giland comes back shooting again, this time at Aska and not us, but the bullets just bounce off the Spirit and it gets up, ignores us too, and flies over to badly maul Giland. Once done, it addresses Ludger directly as Kresnik's descendant and warns him of something that Volt apparently was trying to, since there's a flashback. Dammit Spirits, don't use such long words I don't know. I feel like Elle whenever she complains about grown-up explanations.
Aska takes off, and Elize and Rowen decide to stay here and try to heal Giland. Alvin asks if there's any meaning to that, since this world and everything in it is going to disappear once they've done their job. Elize is shocked at Alvin's callousness, and Rowen retorts that it's for "Alvin's" sake; likely meaning the alternate Alvin. Our Alvin looks a little shamed now.
So we get Jude and Leia back in our party, and they tell us that they heard something about a long-haired Spirit being spotted on the Dimensional Hill, where the fabric of space between Rieze Maxia and Elempios is very thin and how the party traveled between the two worlds in the last game before the Shell fell. So we head there.
After exploring some of this Alt World, we start looking around the hilltop when suddenly anime cutscene! A black half-man half-animalistic dude shows up, and he's got long white hair, so he's probably the long haired Spirit we heard about. WHO'S VOICED BY ARCHER SO INSTA-BADASS.
Anyways, he addresses Ludger as Kresnik's descendant too, and generally seems pissed off at us, and really humans as a whole. Hum, this isn't something new. He also isn't fond of and sealed away "that woman who replaced Maxwell" aka Milla, so Jude naturally loses his shit. The Spirit aims to swat Jude away, but Alvin shoots at him before he can while demanding to know who he is except the dude catches each bullet between his fingers, and casually introduces himself as Chronos. SHOCKU
Elle still has no sense of self-preservation, as she runs out and asks about Canaan, which ruins Chronos' mood even further and we get another boss battle throw at us.
Holy, he is a hard motherfucker, so due to that and his mostly copied moveset, he is basically Dhaos 2.0. The fact that I only have two half-healers, Leia and Jude, instead of a full one in form of Elize and no Raise Dead might contribute to the rage I have for this fight.
I eventually wear the sucker down enough to end the fight, but he seems right as rain once cutscenes are back. We're not so great though, which is accurate enough. Dhaos 2.0-- I mean, Chronos decides to be rid of us, and fires his Dhaoslaser, but we don't die because Julius, as Jude exclaims, has come and blocks it. It takes a lot out of him though, and as he falls to one knee, Elize and Rowen finally catch up with us. Chronos barely pays them any mind and fires another laser, but Ludger goes Corpse Shell, using his spear to block and turn the beam off to the side, where it ends up ripping through the weak time-space and creating a portal. Ludger grabs Julius and runs into it, Alvin says that running is how they win this time and grabs Elle who screams not to forget Lulu, and after Rowen and Elize jump in, Leia and Jude grab Lulu and follow before the portal closes up. Chronos just huffs.
We wake up on the Rieze Maxia side of this Alt World, in front of Milla's shrine. However, Elle, Alvin, Julius, Elize and Rowen aren't with us. Ludger freaks a little over Elle and Julius, but Leia says that she should be with Alvin and okay, and Jude suggests we head to Ni Akeria, a nearby village at the bottom of Maxwell's mountain, to see what we can find.
On the way we get blindsided by a group of monsters, and when Ludger tries to go Corpse Shell he finds that he can't. Leia panics for a moment, since if Ludger can't use the Corpse Shell, he can't destroy the Time Factor, and they can't go home. More monsters come and a very familiar voice that sends Jude into a BSOD yells at us to pay attention before a girl who is very clearly this Alt World's Milla jumps down and takes out all the monsters, though we can't see all her face. She snaps back at us that we shouldn't be out here if we can't take care of ourselves, and just heads down to the village on her own. Jude is shell shocked for a moment while Leia looks at him worriedly, and then we follow.
Our missing party members, Elle and Julius are all gathered at the entrance, but before we can greet each other, Elize sees the Alt Milla and naturally squeals out her name automatically. Alt Milla however, snaps at Elize not to talk to her like they're friends, she has no idea who us strangers are.
...I'm just going to call this Milla "Mira" to differentiate between the two Millas, okay.
Jude is a little heartbroken at this, and Mira just starts to walk away again but pauses when Lulu starts to whine, and kneels down to pet him and generally be good-natured before coaxing him to follow her along to her home where she can feed him. Elle runs after them of course, and we are all left staring after all this before ultimately deciding to chase down the impulsive 8 year old.
We find Elle and Lulu having lunch in Mira's home in the village, and Elle says that Mira's soup was amazing and that we're late. Choice to say either "It's not 'You're late'!" or "And to think, we were worried about you..."; I take the second, but Elle doesn't get the chance to reply because Mira has come back and yells at us for letting ourselves into someone else's home. Elle is wise on how to curb tsundere rage apparently though, and compliments her soup which cause Mira to fluster a little and say she didn't really put that much effort into it.
...Meanwhile, Original Milla manages to burn water. Hmm.
Sadly, before we can really talk to Mira, the door bangs open loudly due to Alt Musee busting in angrily-- who the older party members note seems to be blind... She snaps at Milla for making stinky human food when she knew she would be coming soon, and for having humans over. Compared to Original Musee who certainly has a helping of batshit bitch but learned to hide it with a nice act, this Musee doesn't even try. And to boot, the overbearing and unpleasant Mira we've seen up til now goes complete doormat: calling Musee Nee-san, apologizing to her, and even taking Musee smacking her around. While the party can do little but watch awkwardly. Musee gradually gets tired of this, and says she's so pissed that she's going to go pray behind the shrine, and tells Mira to kick us out while she's gone before flying off. Elle quietly says Mira's name, but Mira predictably snaps at us to get out.
However, Ludger got a Time Factor reading from Musee and when he goes to take Elle's hand, he very briefly goes Corpse Shell mode by accident, which causes Mira to freak out and run up to the shrine. We leave quickly too, and stand around town discussing what we should do-- Musee is the Time Factor, but it'll be tough fighting a Greater Spirit like her if Mira gets in the way. Elle says they can't fight Mira because she's her friend, and Ludger goes "...". I get control back to talk to the villagers about the sisters, and learn that Mira rid Rieze Maxia of Arc Noah and Jin at the age of 6 and lost her abilities as Maxwell/the presence of the Four Greater Spirits after that, Musee's condition deteriorated from then on and her personality got worse and worse, and that several kids see Musee abusing Mira but none of the villagers really have anything to do with either of them.
Mira ;;
Jude is still rather angsty about all this, so Rowen keeps him and Elize in Ni Akeria just in case Musee teleports back, while the rest of us head up to the shrine, and Mira is there in front dutifully waiting for her sister. She asks what we want now, but Leia's phone goes off and when she checks it, Mira freaks-- screaming that Jin and anyone connected to it is her enemy and throws a fireball at us, since like the Original Milla was, she was programmed with an innate hatred against Jin by Maxwell so she could do her job better.
Ludger blocks it and we get a choice: 'Fight her now' or 'Try to trick her'. I take the latter so Elle won't be sad, and Julius says Ludger's name warningly, but Alvin steps in and tells big brother that they've got this. He tells Mira we're not her enemy, but trying to help her and her sister. Mira says that's nonsense, but Ludger explains that a Time Factor has been changing Musee from the kind sister Mira knew into the horrible personality she has now. She thinks about this before asking if we can bring back how Musee used to be, and we can either outright lie "Yes" or say "It's your choice to believe us or not". I take the latter, and Mira lowers her sword before saying she'll cooperate with us to help her sister.
We shuffle up the mountainside behind the shrine while Mira continues to be a jerk and refuse to warm up to us and be friends. She does have a little soft spot for Elle though.
When we get to the peak, we can see Musee there at the edge and though some of her dialogue is cut off, she's clearly praying to the true Maxwell, saying she's finished her mission and asking to be let back into the Spirit World. Mira quietly says that Musee comes up here everyday, and Elle asks if Musee's talking to her and Mira's father, but Mira doesn't know. She says she'll go up first and distract Musee so Ludger can come up and do what he needs to.
Mira: ...Nee-san...? Musee: ! What are-- I've told you over and over to never come up here! Mira: But... why...? I'm just curious-- Musee: It's none of your business!! Get back to the village, now! Mira: ...Why. Why are you always-- always like this now, Nee-san?!
She shoots a fireball at Musee and yells at Ludger to move now, while Musee is stunned by the fire. However, Musee quickly waves the fire away, and holds her head in her hands, muttering madly.
Musee: ...Humans. Humans again... Always with the humans! You've... You've betrayed me!!
She goes black with red eyes like Alt Julius and Alt Rowen, and as Mira gasps that she really is a monster, Musee shoots a spell at her. Between the current shock and being conditioned to abuse, Mira just screams and cowers, unable to move away. Elle screams for and runs to Mira while Leia yells for Elle and runs for her... but Ludger beats them all, going Corpse Shell mode and blocking the spell completely. Having completely lost it, Musee just screams and Ludger rushes her and starts a boss battle.
She is a hard bitch, due to only having Leia for healing and the fact that she can use Mystic Artes BT I eventually kick her ass though, and we see her kneeling on the ground with Mira coming to her and trying to help her up. Musee slaps her hands away and starts strangling Mira, and we get a timed choice to either save Mira, which raises Mira's affection, or kill Musee right there. I go with the first, and Musee leaps back just in time to avoid Ludger's spear and then starts wailing on him, knocking his spear out of his hand and him to the ground. Before anyone can do anything, Musee is impaled from behind by Ludger's spear thanks to Mira, but Musee isn't done yet and back hands Mira to the ground again and turns on her once more, except she's jerked back as Ludger rips his spear out of her before impaling her again-- this time with the Time Factor skewered on the end, just before Mira's face.
... That was very bloody and intense for Namco, man.
The Time Factor breaks, strangely leaving a gold shiny gear behind this time, and Musee starts to turn to black dust. Mira watches all this and reaches out for her fading sister before fainting as the world shatters, and just before it's destroyed, Elle throws herself over Mira, hugging her tightly.
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everdistant) wrote2012-11-15 03:53 pm
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Jude and Leia decide to go get information, since what we're looking for in a Time Factor is a key difference from the Original World that resulted in all the other differences. We then hear one announced over the intercom: a train is departing for a place called Ascord, which doesn't exist in the Original World, so Alvin suggests the rest of us head there. I don't though, and go look around town first. This is why it sucks for anyone to watch me play video games, I tend to say screw the main story, I'm exploring/leveling/questing, bitch.
I get something for my trouble this time, though: a lot of people in town talking about the Greater Spirit of Light, Aska. Who wasn't seen or even mentioned in either game before now. Hmm.
I eventually board the train to Ascord, and find it to be a nice white and sterile laboratory. Before we can do too much exploring however, a voice behind us calls out Alvin by his real name "Alfred". It's Giland, Alvin's uncle and head of Arc Noah who was killed during the events of last game, so the older party members are naturally shocked, but Alvin recovers enough to play along. Seems Giland was able to get himself, Alvin, Alvin's mother and a few others back to Elenpios years ago-- the Shell hasn't fallen in this world-- and started this laboratory in order to harvest the solar power gleaned from the Spirit he brought back with him, Aska.
Giland isn't giving off any reactions that he's a Time Factor, so Alvin knocks him out and takes his building access cards, while the rest of the party wonders if Aska's the Time Factor instead.
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Ugh, flying enemies in the game whyyyyy At least I have Elize to spam Dark Artes at it.
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Aska takes off, and Elize and Rowen decide to stay here and try to heal Giland. Alvin asks if there's any meaning to that, since this world and everything in it is going to disappear once they've done their job. Elize is shocked at Alvin's callousness, and Rowen retorts that it's for "Alvin's" sake; likely meaning the alternate Alvin. Our Alvin looks a little shamed now.
So we get Jude and Leia back in our party, and they tell us that they heard something about a long-haired Spirit being spotted on the Dimensional Hill, where the fabric of space between Rieze Maxia and Elempios is very thin and how the party traveled between the two worlds in the last game before the Shell fell. So we head there.
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Anyways, he addresses Ludger as Kresnik's descendant too, and generally seems pissed off at us, and really humans as a whole. Hum, this isn't something new. He also isn't fond of and sealed away "that woman who replaced Maxwell" aka Milla, so Jude naturally loses his shit. The Spirit aims to swat Jude away, but Alvin shoots at him before he can while demanding to know who he is except the dude catches each bullet between his fingers, and casually introduces himself as Chronos. SHOCKU
Elle still has no sense of self-preservation, as she runs out and asks about Canaan, which ruins Chronos' mood even further and we get another boss battle throw at us.
Holy, he is a hard motherfucker, so due to that and his mostly copied moveset, he is basically Dhaos 2.0. The fact that I only have two half-healers, Leia and Jude, instead of a full one in form of Elize and no Raise Dead might contribute to the rage I have for this fight.
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Dhaoslaser, but we don't die because Julius, as Jude exclaims, has come and blocks it. It takes a lot out of him though, and as he falls to one knee, Elize and Rowen finally catch up with us. Chronos barely pays them any mind and fires another laser, but Ludger goes Corpse Shell, using his spear to block and turn the beam off to the side, where it ends up ripping through the weak time-space and creating a portal. Ludger grabs Julius and runs into it, Alvin says that running is how they win this time and grabs Elle who screams not to forget Lulu, and after Rowen and Elize jump in, Leia and Jude grab Lulu and follow before the portal closes up. Chronos just huffs.no subject
On the way we get blindsided by a group of monsters, and when Ludger tries to go Corpse Shell he finds that he can't. Leia panics for a moment, since if Ludger can't use the Corpse Shell, he can't destroy the Time Factor, and they can't go home. More monsters come and a very familiar voice that sends Jude into a BSOD yells at us to pay attention before a girl who is very clearly this Alt World's Milla jumps down and takes out all the monsters, though we can't see all her face. She snaps back at us that we shouldn't be out here if we can't take care of ourselves, and just heads down to the village on her own. Jude is shell shocked for a moment while Leia looks at him worriedly, and then we follow.
Our missing party members, Elle and Julius are all gathered at the entrance, but before we can greet each other, Elize sees the Alt Milla and naturally squeals out her name automatically. Alt Milla however, snaps at Elize not to talk to her like they're friends, she has no idea who us strangers are.
...I'm just going to call this Milla "Mira" to differentiate between the two Millas, okay.
Jude is a little heartbroken at this, and Mira just starts to walk away again but pauses when Lulu starts to whine, and kneels down to pet him and generally be good-natured before coaxing him to follow her along to her home where she can feed him. Elle runs after them of course, and we are all left staring after all this before ultimately deciding to chase down the impulsive 8 year old.
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...Meanwhile, Original Milla manages to burn water. Hmm.
Sadly, before we can really talk to Mira, the door bangs open loudly due to Alt Musee busting in angrily-- who the older party members note seems to be blind... She snaps at Milla for making stinky human food when she knew she would be coming soon, and for having humans over. Compared to Original Musee who certainly has a helping of batshit bitch but learned to hide it with a nice act, this Musee doesn't even try. And to boot, the overbearing and unpleasant Mira we've seen up til now goes complete doormat: calling Musee Nee-san, apologizing to her, and even taking Musee smacking her around. While the party can do little but watch awkwardly. Musee gradually gets tired of this, and says she's so pissed that she's going to go pray behind the shrine, and tells Mira to kick us out while she's gone before flying off. Elle quietly says Mira's name, but Mira predictably snaps at us to get out.
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Mira ;;
Jude is still rather angsty about all this, so Rowen keeps him and Elize in Ni Akeria just in case Musee teleports back, while the rest of us head up to the shrine, and Mira is there in front dutifully waiting for her sister. She asks what we want now, but Leia's phone goes off and when she checks it, Mira freaks-- screaming that Jin and anyone connected to it is her enemy and throws a fireball at us, since like the Original Milla was, she was programmed with an innate hatred against Jin by Maxwell so she could do her job better.
Ludger blocks it and we get a choice: 'Fight her now' or 'Try to trick her'. I take the latter so Elle won't be sad, and Julius says Ludger's name warningly, but Alvin steps in and tells big brother that they've got this. He tells Mira we're not her enemy, but trying to help her and her sister. Mira says that's nonsense, but Ludger explains that a Time Factor has been changing Musee from the kind sister Mira knew into the horrible personality she has now. She thinks about this before asking if we can bring back how Musee used to be, and we can either outright lie "Yes" or say "It's your choice to believe us or not". I take the latter, and Mira lowers her sword before saying she'll cooperate with us to help her sister.
And I finally get my main back into my party! \o/
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When we get to the peak, we can see Musee there at the edge and though some of her dialogue is cut off, she's clearly praying to the true Maxwell, saying she's finished her mission and asking to be let back into the Spirit World. Mira quietly says that Musee comes up here everyday, and Elle asks if Musee's talking to her and Mira's father, but Mira doesn't know. She says she'll go up first and distract Musee so Ludger can come up and do what he needs to.
Mira: ...Nee-san...?
Musee: ! What are-- I've told you over and over to never come up here!
Mira: But... why...? I'm just curious--
Musee: It's none of your business!! Get back to the village, now!
Mira: ...Why. Why are you always-- always like this now, Nee-san?!
She shoots a fireball at Musee and yells at Ludger to move now, while Musee is stunned by the fire. However, Musee quickly waves the fire away, and holds her head in her hands, muttering madly.
Musee: ...Humans. Humans again... Always with the humans! You've... You've betrayed me!!
She goes black with red eyes like Alt Julius and Alt Rowen, and as Mira gasps that she really is a monster, Musee shoots a spell at her. Between the current shock and being conditioned to abuse, Mira just screams and cowers, unable to move away. Elle screams for and runs to Mira while Leia yells for Elle and runs for her... but Ludger beats them all, going Corpse Shell mode and blocking the spell completely. Having completely lost it, Musee just screams and Ludger rushes her and starts a boss battle.
She is a hard bitch, due to only having Leia for healing and the fact that she can use Mystic Artes BT I eventually kick her ass though, and we see her kneeling on the ground with Mira coming to her and trying to help her up. Musee slaps her hands away and starts strangling Mira, and we get a timed choice to either save Mira, which raises Mira's affection, or kill Musee right there. I go with the first, and Musee leaps back just in time to avoid Ludger's spear and then starts wailing on him, knocking his spear out of his hand and him to the ground. Before anyone can do anything, Musee is impaled from behind by Ludger's spear thanks to Mira, but Musee isn't done yet and back hands Mira to the ground again and turns on her once more, except she's jerked back as Ludger rips his spear out of her before impaling her again-- this time with the Time Factor skewered on the end, just before Mira's face.
... That was very bloody and intense for Namco, man.
The Time Factor breaks, strangely leaving a gold shiny gear behind this time, and Musee starts to turn to black dust. Mira watches all this and reaches out for her fading sister before fainting as the world shatters, and just before it's destroyed, Elle throws herself over Mira, hugging her tightly.