Well, here we are. We just drilled our way towards the core of the White Star, and the Hagane's getting all geared up to blow it to smithereens. Of course, this would be easier if we weren't standing face-to-face with Ingram and his R-Gun Rivale right now. Yep, it's time for round 2 against this thing, and no running away this time. There's the usual banter of how they'll defeat him this time, and they all reiterate their motivations to fight. Nice to see the Branstein brothers working in unison for once, as well, since it's been quite a while since they got along together. There's really little more to say for the characters here, since they already unified their wills against Ingram.
INGRAM: Then, come, chosen ones...show me your true power!
Nothing but Ingram and a few mooks.
One more Battle Mastery to go, and it's gonna be a nasty one — I'll really have to go all out to meet the 7 turn victory requirement. I have to admit, I really like the background music for this stage, of which the first 8 seconds or so are used as the “mission start” jingle for every mission. Except this time, it just continues playing.
There are a few HP/EN regen tiles on this map, but I doubt I'll be using them much, since my most powerful attacks are all melee. Gotta keep beating him to stay ahead of that regeneration.
Squeeze everyone down the middle corridor as fast as possible, but not before Russel gives my most Will-needing units a boost by using Rouse. It's hard to get it up fast enough on a stage with so few enemies, and especially the SRX needs all the Will it can get.
I equipped the R-1 with the Emblem and Medal so that Ryusei gets a +15 starting boost before he combines, which is a nice free bonus. Funny thing is, when you combine on this stage, Rai is about to disengage the R-3's T-Link connectors since he sees Aya's suffering quite a bit, but she insists that this is what her job is all about and she doesn't want to be a drag on Ryusei. Very well then.
Charging ahead, I'd love to stop and fight these enemies, but I'm having everyone go straight for Ingram, only allowing them to waste an attack on someone else if there's really no other option. Gotta get Ingram's EN down first, or my attacks will be wasted on his barrier, so I try to force him into using Axion Buster as much as possible. Not always with much success; when it hits, it hits hard, and a lucky shot instantly turns Kyosuke into powder. It's rare for me to lose a unit, but the Random Number God wills it so. Even against units like the Type-1 and Giganscudo it still does thousands of damage, but at least they can survive this.
I put Ryoto and Lune in position to have them constantly provide new ammo to the big hitters, and Russel's Valsion mops up some of the enemies. I don't use him much, but that Cross Smasher is really something in these cases. Finally Ingram is out of EN, and one Armor Breaker later it's time to start pounding with the big weapons.
This is one of those rare times I'll use Zeal since it's such a high-SP ability, but it's necessary to give the SRX three turns in one when combined with Enable. The end result is a vicious triple bludgeoning with TK Burst Slash, each hit good for about 20000 damage. And then the rest: Darkness Slash, Cosmo Nova, Colossal Blade, you name it. Not even close to finishing him, but at least his HP finally drops below 100000. The SRX almost bites it from all the counterattacks it receives on the next turn, but is saved by all the Defense Support from surrounding units. Such heroes!
This is all really power-draining, though, and after another turn of this I'm almost running on empty. No longer having the SP to cast things like Strike, some units have to go for uncertain hits, which fortunately manage to connect just fine. When I see his HP drop below 15000 I regain a bit of hope, knowing that I can do this, and I kept Irm in reserve to the end this turn to deal the finishing blow.
Enigmatic as usual, the dying Ingram laughs and congratulates us on a job well done, since this was the only way he could be free. In a sense, he was hoping he'd die. He explains that he's neither a human nor a Balmarian, but a physical husk created to carry out a single mission.
INGRAM: (I'm finally in control of myself. But, I won't live to enjoy it. I deserve nothing less. At least, I established my true self, even if it was for only a moment. I don't know how many other versions of me have been able to do so...we all seem to end up like this...)
Nice allusion to SRW's metaplot there. I assume he's referring to his appearance in Alpha where his fate was pretty much the same, although there he made more allusions to his role as a Time Diver. Kinda implied in the character, at any rate.
The team's pretty torn between hating and mourning him now, since they can see that he acted out of necessity, knowing he was a villain. There's not much time for sympathy, as the place suddenly starts falling apart now, but the Hagane refuses to let this chance pass and aims to destroy the core.
Back in outer space, the Hiryu detects a huge heat signature from inside the star, and notices the enemy troops have stopped moving. The Kurogane emerges intact, with Daitetsu reporting they've succeeded in destroying the core. Suddenly, another heat signature; the Hagane and Hiryu are hit by a surprise beam attack, and Levi Tolar emerges in her Judecca, accompanied by a legion of mechs. Or rather, it's unclear to what extent she's piloting Judecca and to what extent she's merged with it.
She demands immediate surrender, which of course isn't going to happen. However, everyone is curious what her ultimate motive behind all this was, and that's a question she's willing to answer.
In short, humans were introduced to EOT in order to let them develop and master new technologies, before they would be assimilated by the Aerogaters as weapons. The reason they wanted humans for this is because humans can adapt to new technologies in no time at all, and are a highly combat-oriented species.
Kyosuke correctly guesses there's something more to it than that, deducing that Levi intends to use the minds of the pilots as blueprints to mass-produce an entire army of clone soldiers. Well, question time's over, and since it's clear that there's not going to be any surrender, let's get to fighting!
Levi in her Judecca, a whole bunch of mooks, and the White Star as cover. Levi isn't too powerful, there's a lot of enemies to smash, my units have been fully recovered as if it were a new level, and the White Star provides massive terrain bonuses. Compared to the previous part, this is Valhalla. Also, Levi's theme is pretty cool.
None of my units are really at risk of dying at this point, I think, and grinding my way through a wall of 20000-HP units is a slow, but strangely enjoyable activity. I focus on one at a time because they have regeneration as well, and I use super moves more freely now due to constant EN regeneration.
Levi keeps shooting at my units and missing since her aim is totally crap, and even if it hits someone, it doesn't seem like it does too much damage to handle. She has pretty interesting conversations with some of the characters, and while I usually don't include full dialogues, I thought it would be a shame to leave them out, so I have appended them at the end of this update.
Once I have finished everyone else off I decide to start fighting her, but it doesn't seem like I'm making much of a dent in her the normal way.
I don't remember having this problem before, but because this is Hard mode she has so much HP/EN regen that I'm not decreasing her health at all without resorting to status effect missiles every few turns. Well then...most units have enough EN regen as it is, I'll just position Lune next to Ryoto to constant refill his Armor Breakers. Levi's attacks cost practically no energy, so that trick doesn't work this time, and I'll have to slowly grind her shield down with Energy Drain.
Whenever her EN reaches zero, I bring out my big units for a finishing move outburst, dealing as much damage as I can until she recovers. When her HP is halfway down, she congratulates the pilots on their skill so far, making Ryusei give her a sharp rebuttal that she's just like Ingram, except she doesn't know it.
In contrast to what Ingram mentioned, Levi still believes she's a Balmarian, but everyone has deduced by now that she's most likely a conditioned human with fake memories like the others.
This does not go over well, and she starts getting one of those psychic headaches. They continue trying to convince her she's being controlled by Judecca, but she's tripping balls at this point and it's clear the only way to end this and free Levi is by destroying Judecca.
Fortunately the second stage of the fight does not result in any power boosts for her as is common, but more of the same until her health reaches zero. In the end, despite the Armor Breakers and Energy Drains, I still had to tightly cluster my units around her to make maximum use of Offense Support to do enough damage. She is soundly defeated, but it doesn't seem like this is over yet. On Normal difficulty, it would be, but this time she laughs, mocking us for making a fatal error....
LEVI: *smirk* When Judecca and Neviim cease functioning...our safety device...will trigger...
KYOSUKE: Safety device? For what?
LEVI: If a sample race exceeds a certain level of power...in other words, when a race destroys Judecca...it is considered a threat to Balmar...and it is eradicated.
MASAKI: Eradicated!? Do you have something up your sleeve?
LEVI: Of course...the one, the only...the Adjudicator!
Now everyone comes to a sudden realization. Meteor 3 is actually a dormant weapon that the Aerogaters sent to Earth, which has now activated. With the destruction of Judecca, the White Star and Aerogater mechs have stopped moving, but immediately the Hagane receives a message that the entire fleet at Aidoneus Island has suddenly been wiped out. Seems like this battle's only just begun.
Boss dialogue
[Latooni]
LATOONI: Final target confirmed...
LEVI: You have aptitude and will be easy to condition...
LATOONI: I won't be used again! I don't want to be like you! I'm not a tool!
LEVI: A tool? *smirk* That's funny coming from a lifeless doll!
LATOONI: I recovered thanks to my friends! And you will too...!
[Irm]
IRM: I'd say yes to being your date, but not to being your weapon!
LEVI: Don't be afraid. We can bring out your maximum potential.
IRM: Why don't you come out of that machine? You're a pretty girl. With a little make-up...
LEVI: Silly man, I'll condition you not to joke like that.
IRM: Like I said, I won't be your weapon!
[Kusuha]
KUSUHA: Stop it! Don't you see what you're doing!?
LEVI: Ugh, you too...! Shooting me with your astute psychic powers!
KUSUHA: It was like that for me and the people around you...! Nobody wanted this war!
LEVI: What are you saying!? This war is my will! A war to condition you into a weapon!
KUSUHA: Once you escape that mech, you will know the truth!
[Ryusei]
RYUSEI: Tenzan, Atad, Galuin, and Ingram...they were all controlled by Judecca...and you?
LEVI: Don't be ridiculous. I am Levi Tolar, core of Judecca and ruler of Neviim!
RYUSEI: Then, I'll destroy Judecca and stop the White Star!
[Rai]
LEVI: If you insist to fight, I must kill you here!
RAI: Until now, I've been searching for a place to die...
LEVI: *smirk* Then, you've found it.
RAI: ...No. I have a home to protect, full of people I love. I will not fail them! This isn't my place to die!!
[Masaki]
LEVI: The Elemental Lord...another power we're uneasy about...but, it will be a powerful weapon once we obtain it.
MASAKI: Powerful weapon, huh? You know how you'll end up when you crave such a thing...especially being controlled by someone else!
LEVI: You make me laugh.
MASAKI: Then show me that you have your own will! You're being played by that mech!
LEVI: Wh-What...!?
MASAKI: I'm right, aren't I? Then...I'll sever the evil chaining you to that monstrosity!!
[Tasuku]
TASUKU: Heheh! This is the gamble of the century!!
LEVI: You can't win with just luck; my power is absolute.
TASUKU: That may be so, but I've still got an ace up my sleeve!!
LEVI: Petty tricks are futile...!
TASUKU: Not this one! It's gonna change your life!
[Viletta]
LEVI: Ingram's puppet! I won't condition you, I'll just kill you!
VILETTA: I'm going to release you like I released Ingram. That's the mission he gave me to carry out...!
[Leona]
LEONA: Commander Maier, Lt. Col. Lily, and Chief Julia...I will carry out the mission you've given me!
LEVI: Talking to the dead will take you to the netherworld.
LEONA: I've given my life up once...I have no regrets! In the name of the Garsteins...I will defeat you!
[Kyosuke]
LEVI: Ingram had his eye on you...but you are now a threat...
KYOSUKE: Don't waste your breath. The bets have been placed. We have our cards!
LEVI: Then, show me your hand...!
KYOSUKE: Alright. But remember, no refunds!
[Elzam]
ELZAM: Commander Bian, Father, my comrades...they all died for this moment. I won't allow their sacrifices to be in vain!
LEVI: Then come with me to Balmar. Serve us as a soldier in our army.
ELZAM: I refuse.
LEVI: Do you not value your life?
ELZAM: Like my father, I know where I'll die.
LEVI: *smirk* Then, you've found your place to die...
ELZAM: Sorry, but I don't plan on seeing my wife yet.
LEVI: What...?
ELZAM: Cattleya wished to die by my hands, in order to save the colonists. Her death must stand for ultimate victory! Once again, I shall pull the trigger with my own hands! Here we go, Trombe! Time to charge!
[Gilliam]
GILLIAM: Now then, will the future turn out as I predicted...?
LEVI: This feeling...are you concealing your power?
GILLIAM: Even without such powers, your future is clear...everyone here can see it!
[Aya]
LEVI: This woman tuned into my...
AYA: Without a doubt, you must be...
LEVI: This psychic energy is annoying! Get out of my mind!
AYA: Stop! You're making a big mistake!
LEVI: Do you think you can beat me with your weak psychic energy?
AYA: Weak? Well, that it may be...but I don't need psychic power to stop you! All I need is the power to pull the trigger! I will free you from that machine and your sad destiny...!
[Sanger]
SANGER: .....
LEVI: I sense your power; it's different from what we seek...it's primitive and contains unknown power...and peril.
SANGER: You shouldn't measure others by your own scale.
LEVI: Do you think you can defeat me with just your strength?
SANGER: Enough!
LEVI: What...!?
SANGER: I am Sanger Zonvolt! The sword that smites evil! You will be defeated by my Colossal Blade!
[Ryoto]
LEVI: I can sense your fear...don't worry, it'll be over soon.
RYOTO: Fear? The only thing I fear is dying in vain! That's why I'll fight until the day I die!
[Lune]
LEVI: A realization of self...interesting, humanity in a weapon.
LUNE: Everyone's wishes and desires are inside my Valsion!
LEVI: Human emotion that doesn't generate power is meaningless.
LUNE: So you say! But...I'll show you how much power it can generate!!
[Russel]
RUSSEL: I came here to fight!
LEVI: You make my heart melt, but do you have what it takes?
RUSSEL: I haven't been covering Lt. Katina's back for nothing! And compared to her orders, this battle will be easy!
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