I apologize for taking so much time to update. My classes have started again, so I don’t have quite as much time as I did in January. The time I do have is usually spent doing other things. However, now that this liveblog is back on my mind, I’ll try and update it more often.
Like I said last time, there’s one battle in the way of my destination. I have no choice but to enter it.
At the moment, my levels are as follows. Alph is level 34, Vivi and Kai are level 33, Theo, Cecille, and Mavi are level 32, and Nicolai, Mel, and Saki are level 31. Lucia is not with me, and I don’t remember her level. I’m not bringing in Alph this time, because he’s kind of overleveled. So I bring in Mel, Saki, Nicolai, Mavi, Cecille, Theo, Kai, and Vivi. This is my first time using Kai, so we’ll see what he’s like.
Ah yes, this map. I remember grinding here in my last playthrough a few times. It’s a sort of zigzagging stairway going up the map, with several human enemies scattered across the stairs. I start at the bottom.
Kai moves second. He has that deep, calm kind of voice that you’d expect from a stereotypical samurai. Well, lemme check out what he can do. He has some useful skills, including one that can attack 3 targets in a row and another that raises his speed. His movement stat is decent as well.
I’ve buffed a few of my guys for speed and defense. The closest guy gets taken out before he can attack. Vivi levels to 34. Her magic is doing a lot of damage to the warrior-type guys. Have I mentioned yet that Theo has a very useful skill that lets him attack units a square beyond his normal attack range?
Saki levels to 32. I’m actually starting to be attacked at this point, but the enemies aren’t posing much of a threat. Mavi actually manages to put someone to sleep, and levels to 33 for her trouble. Theo kills an archer and levels to 33. Kai still hasn’t managed to attack anyone yet…oh wait, he can flash drive someone. He’s quite good. Saki levels to 33 after killing another fighter guy. Vivi levels to 35. I really have to stop using her for now. The battle is almost over, just two guys left. Make that one – Kai just killed one. He levels to 34. Cecille levels to 33 after healing for the exp. Theo levels to 34 and learns a new skill.
Last one dies, and I win. My spoils are 5000 Rico, an FP-Fizzy, and three Vitae. I intermission with Saki. She says she’s not only useful for gathering information. She can do many things. My options are “Can you cook?” “Are you good at gambling?” and “Do you know ninjutsu?” As obvious at the answer to the last question will be, I still ask it. She says she’s surprised I knew about it. Her clan had a number of secret arts. But since she’s the last of her clan, there’s no one left to teach her. She gives me an FP-Max.
My path is now clear to move on to the next area. I save and continue. Lucia is there, saying how quiet it is. She’s lonely. She’s quiet for a moment, then loudly asks herself why she keeps thinking about him. She can fight alone. She’ll protect the planet alone. Suddenly, a voice in all caps says she will die alone. Gee, I wonder who it is?
Yup, it’s Iris. She says she was following us, and is going after Lucia because she left the group. It’s not that hard to kill a lone Witch. Lucia tells Iris not to underestimate her.
The scene cuts to the rest of the group, still out in the forest looking for Lucia. Suddenly, Claire shows up. She says she was worried because she knows that Alph and Lucia separated. She also senses that Lucia is nearby. Apparently there’s a statue of a saint there, and people go there to pray. But why would Lucia go there?
Claire says that Lucia and the Thunder Lapistier are near each other, so maybe she went to get it. Everyone else realizes that this is bad news, so we go off to help her. But first, the menu comes up. Strangely, I have the option to shop. Maybe there’s a merchant caravan out here or something? I dunno.
Well, anyway, I go into the store and buy some items. That’s all I’ll be buying for now, actually. Maybe I’ll come back here when I have more cash.
My options under “action” are to speak with Cecille, Claire, or Kai. I talk to Cecille first, which basically consists of “let’s go help Lucia now!” Despite that, this is a game, and Lucia won’t die if I talk to a few more people. I talk to Claire next. She doesn’t know why everyone is so worried, but there’s no time to explain. Kai’s conversation is brief and not worth repeating.
Anyway, I go to the map, save, and return to advance the story.
Lucia doesn’t appear to be doing well. She’s surprised that Iris is stronger than she is. All of a sudden, before Iris can do anything else, Alph runs in. Lucia asks how they found her, and Alph apologizes for leaving her. He says he was so surprised about Heath that he wasn’t thinking. Lucia tells him not to apologize. She was being mean to him, too.
Alph tells her that he’s made a decision. He wants to protect her home, and this world. And he’ll protect Lucia as well.
All of a sudden, we get a special picture. Lucia tells Alph to close his eyes, and she does too. Somehow, she can still see him. She asks what he sees, and he sees her too. He says she should smile for once, and she says she’ll smile when she feels like it. They agree to fight for the planet, and for each other. When the scene clears, Alph is wearing blue and white armor, and the game tells me he is now a “Rym Hero.” Claire remarks that he has awoken, and his dragon power has been realized. Theo remarks that their stones are shining. Theo gives Alph his, and the two stones become one. I then get a message that the two of them have learned the Shining Ray synergy. Um, OK. I never really used synergies in my last playthrough, mostly because I didn’t know how. I found out later that I have to have both of them near an enemy, and they both have to have their Flash gauges maxed.
Anyway, battle time. Alph and Lucia are required. Along with them, I also bring in Nicolai, Mel, Cecille, Mavi, Saki, and Theo.
My objective is, again, to protect Lucia, Oh great, that means that she can’t die.
The map is rather large, with several human enemies and Iris. Alph and Lucia are alone in the middle of the map. This means my first priority is to get them together with the rest of the group. Lucia is also a bit lower level than everyone else, so I’ll try to have her level a bit. Still have to be careful with her, though.
Anyway, Saki goes first, and I notice that her heart icon is half-full. Iris goes next, and her flash gauge is at two. Not good. I might have to have someone act as a meat shield and take her attack so that she only hits one of my guys. Not sure who will do that, though. I’ll figure it out.
Before I forget, I save. This battle might be a bit of a challenge, and I don’t want to have to watch that whole scene again if I fail.
Alph’s turn comes up fairly quickly. His flash drives have changed, and he has a new skill called Rym Shield that cancels the next three physical attacks on its target. I have him use it on Lucia, just to be safe.
Saki is killed very quickly after taking three attacks. Thankfully, Cecille moves next, so she brings her back right afterward. Mel heals Saki and levels to 33. Iris keeps moving forward. I hope she doesn’t catch up to Alph and Lucia. If she does, I’ll have to make sure it’s Alph she attacks and not Lucia. Mavi attacks a cleric and levels to 34.
Alph is a whole lot stronger, which is to be expected from a class change. I have him move a little closer to Iris, and move Lucia as far away as possible.
As I expected, Iris uses her flash drive on Alph. He survives.
Theo dies after being attacked several times. Alph dies next, even though Lucia healed him. Looks like I have a lot of resurrection to do. Then Cecille dies. Crap. Better get to it. I do have feathers, so I hope I’ll manage.
Dang. These knights are hard to kill. But I do manage to take out one of them. I also have revived Cecille, and manage to bring Alph back. Unfortunately, he and Saki are promptly killed, and Mel soon joins them. This will not be easy. Mavi dies next, leaving only three of my guys left. CRAP. Thankfully, Iris is almost dead. I bring back Mel with Cecille, but then Nicolai dies. I doubt I can make it, but I’ll keep trying. I bring back Alph, and Lucia is able to heal him. I bring Nicolai back. This is actually going reasonably well now. I have five guys out.
Make that four – Mel just died. And Nicolai. But I’m still holding my own. Or not. Several turns later, I’m very, very close to dying. Aaand, with that, Iris kills Cecille, leaving only Lucia left. Yeah, I’m screwed. I lose.
I start again with my battle save data. I’m not going to say much about how I do this time, not until I’m doing well.
A little while later, things actually are going pretty well. Until Lucia dies. I start over again. Lucia dies. I try AGAIN.
This time, things go pretty well. Lucia is hit by Iris’s special attack, but she does survive for now. And…aw, HELL. She gets killed again. Seriously, this is a pain in the ass. I’ll try one or two more times, but if that doesn’t do it, I’m cutting the entry short.
Guess what happens? Despite the fact that that time was going pretty well, Lucia is killed again. This sucks. Break time. Maybe next time I’ll pick new guys to fight with. I mean, I could try out Claire.
Well, I’ll save that for another time. I’m afraid this is all I’m willing to do for now.
