Time for another update! When we left off, we'd done almost all of the first half of the final dungeon in a single update. Now, let's finish that off in area 7-4: The Road to Darkness.
This place uses an actual new background, which shows a winding path toward a large crystal structure. The characters also remark that the ground makes it hard for them to walk, though this has no effect on gameplay.
The second screen contains some enemies to fight, including the ultimate golem. Fortunately, its backup is completely worthless, so I'm in minimal danger. Unfortunately, it's still got a useless Magna Rock as its item drop.
Nothing else interesting happens until the fourth screen, where Ein comments on how he can feel Malice's presence again. I, meanwhile, notice the last random chest in the game. I promptly savescum it for a bit, then get bored and just take the result I get. I'll be able to get the item I wanted by the time I actually need it.
Anyway, the next screen contains another major cutscene, so it's Script Mode time again.
- Cierra: We're finally here.
- Ein: The Maze of Shadows...
- Fia: We can do it, Ein!
- Malice: *chuckle* Where do you think you're going? Right through you. Why? Few can enter this sacred ground... Do you really think you're one of them?
- Ein: ...Malice!? (The camera pans up to show Malice, then an image of her brandishing Skadi appears.)
- Malice: Hmhmhm... So you came, Ein.
- Ein: I won't let you summon Seth! The Retribution is not the answer! Ein, I know the generic shonen lead style is to try to talk the villains out of their plot first, but that's not gonna work.
- Malice: Seth's resurrection is going just as planned... A few more souls, and it will be complete. Master Hector's ambition shall be realized.
- Serene: Are you insane!? How many will you sacrifice?
- Malice: All of them. Sprites exist solely for that purpose.
- Ein: The destruction of Riviera!? Metal Gear? Is that what the gods intended!? If that's what they want... then we don't need the gods!
- Malice: How delusional.
- Ein: No, the still dead gods would not have wished for such a thing! Because they're dead.
- Malice: What do you want from the gods? Power is not good or evil. The strong should rule. Wait, where did that social Darwinist bull come from? Angels will live in bliss under Master Hector.
- Ein: The Grim Angels are not Hector's soldiers. They are the executors of the gods' will!
- Malice: When you became a Grim Angel, you also swore that you'd be the blade of judgment.
- Ein: No, I only pledged my allegiance to the gods!
- Malice: Are you betraying us? What do you think he's been doing this whole game? You've allowed yourself to be swayed by the Sprites. Without Ursula's help, you don't stand a chance. Let's settle this, once and for all.
- Ein: Malice! Why do you side with Hector? Grim Angels are supposed to be...
- Malice: Supposed to be what? I owe everything to Master Hector... Do you know what I gave up to become a Grim Angel...?
All right, are you ready for this? Remember that the known Grim Angel sacrifices thus far are:
- Ein's wings, which are an actual physical set of limbs that were attached to his body and gave him a clear advantage.
- Ledah's emotions, which while nowhere near as valuable for a soldier (not to mention the sacrifice was poorly handled anyway), left him unable to react to anything in a meaningful way.
With that in mind, Malice had better have sacrificed something pretty damn impressive if she wants to sound like she's even in the same league as those.
You ready for this?
- Malice: My future!
...
...
...
...So, there you have it. Malice intends to sound like some sort of badass ultimate Grim Angel, and yet her sacrifice is something that gives her no advantage whatsoever. In fact, depending on how you look at it, she didn't actually lose anything.
Whatever. Let's just get on with it. I'm about ready to crush this loser like all the others anyway.
- Ein: ............ Copycat!
- Malice: That's right. I'm a true munchkin! I sacrificed my future to become a Grim Angel... I can't let that be in vain. I sacrificed time I could've spent doing something else to write this Let's Play. I can't let that be in vain.
- Ein: Malice, don't try to stop me! (Malice descends to the ground.)
- Malice: (The wound I received from Einherjar still burns.) But I didn't use Einherjar in that last fight! (I've yet to fully recover from that last batt.e... But I have to settle this now. There is no future for me... If that's the case, then I have nothing to lose.) This shall be the final battle, Ein. Your corpse will rot here for eternity! Now, that's actually pretty badass. Doesn't change your stupid munchkin sacrifice, though.
Ein: Malice...!
Boss battle: Malice
- HP: 3250/6500
- Strength: 98
- Magic: 106
- Agility: 20
- Vitality: 72
- Immune to ice
- Resists holy
- Vulnerable to fire
Now, Malice isn't actually any stronger than last time as such, but she's in Angel Awakening mode for the entire fight, which means that she has an actual chance to use the thing. However, you'll also note that she starts the battle at half health. This makes her significantly less dangerous than she should be, but you still have to be careful. She starts the battle off with her Break Out, Trier Noir, which is basically just a stronger version of Trier.
Now, I didn't bring Fia and Cierra to this fight, largely because that's what I did last time. I did, however, remember to use Lorelei this time, and it did decent damage. At any rate, there's a second reason I brought Lina and Serene this time around, and it's so that Serene could finish Malice off with an attack called No Mercy that has an effect called "Revenge". If the game isn't going to give that subplot the conclusion it deserves, then it falls to me to do it.
Results:
- Time to victory: 89
- Final attack level: 2
- Score for victory: 13600
This gets me an S-rank, and Malice's Diviner, Skadi. Ein can use it to perform the incredibly stupidly-named Misty Mist attack, which is an unblockable, unavoidable magic ice attack with a power of 464 (and, as you might expect, a chance to freeze its target).
- Malice: I knew it... Still... I... I cannot die here... (She disappears.)
- Ein: W-Wait, Malice!
With that annoyance dealt with, I can move on. Doing so takes me to the Maze of Shadows itself, which I'll cover next time.
