Back in town, the three adventurers talk about Remedi and Mewt's departure as though they're on vacation. The Blue Mage is skeptical, but the Hunter concludes that things are kept secret. Marche decides to focus on the task at hand.
Marche takes a job to find mythril ore. Montblanc comments that it's difficult, but Marche says that it's a high-profile job that will be good for the clan if they succeed. After a moment, though, Marche then admits that he knows Doned will try to interfere, and wants to lure him out, knowing that it's pointless to simply ask Doned to meet with him. Montblanc is impressed with Marche's cunning, and Marche says that he no longer feels as worried about what he'll do with regards to going home.
Marche arrives, and some clanners come in, accusing him of trying to "steal" the ore. I'm not entirely sure why they think they have ownership of it, or whether Marche's job would constitute stealing it. Marche claims he's just trying to see whether there's any here (possibly a lie for the purpose of the ruse), and a Sage tells him that they bought information on him.
The enemies aren't particularly difficult, but one Red Mage with the Damage > MP is somewhat annoying. Essentially, as long as he has MP, it will absorb any damage that he takes. Unfortunately, there are two problems.
- If there's any MP at all, the damage will be absorbed, even if, for example, he has 100 HP and 5 MP and he takes 100 points of damage, he will survive with the same HP and no MP.
- All units regenerate 5 MP per turn. Essentially, this means that anyone with this ability deflects at least one attack per turn, regardless of how strong it is.
Of course, there are downsides to this.
- All the MP that's used to shield him can't be used for offensive spells, and when that's gone, his options are more limited, leaving an enemy with mediocre offensive ability.
- As a Reaction Ability, it's ineffective when your units strike with their own reaction abilities, or a few things that specifically ignore them(Greased Bolt) or don't trigger them (Last Breath, which kills instantly without doing damage).
- It's possible to bypass it with two consecutive strikes (Double Sword, Doubleshot), in which the first one removes the shield and the second does damage if both hit.
It's another one of the enemy delaying tactics, such as having a Soldier run away and use First Aid, or a Animist use Cuisine on himself for a full heal; it keeps them alive longer, but doesn't do all that much to help them defeat you. But it is quite annoying to deal with enemies like this, who tend to hang on for longer than they should.
Thankfully, this was nerfed in the sequel. First, any excess damage is sent to HP. For example, in the aforementioned scenario, the unit would lose all 5 of his MP and 95 of his HP, reducing him to near death. Secondly, units start with 0 MP, and slowly build it up over time. I didn't exactly like that change, since it did penalize spellcasters, but it does make Damage > MP a less annoying ability.
After you defeat the foes, Doned comes out again, fully aware of what Marche was trying to do. One has to wonder how Doned's getting the information to pass on to the people who want to collect the bounty on Marche and/or take what he's trying to get; does he hang around the pub, listening in on Marche taking requests?
Doned reiterates the things he can do here, such as running, and eventually participating in engagements (I'm a bit curious as to why Doned, even with his physical condition optimal, can't do so now; is he too young?). Marche suggests that he won't necessarily lose everything if he goes back, but Doned says Marche has everything, and wonders what more he could want.
Marche then stops Doned cold by saying that he doesn't want anything, and that only Doned had that luxury at home. Throughout his childhood, he's been neglected, while his parents had to take care of his brother, and time and time again, he has had to put his needs aside for Doned. It's something of a harsh point, but it is a needed reality check for Doned, helping him see everything he took for granted and understand his brother's perspective.
Marche tells Doned that he also enjoys being in Ivalice, and Doned concedes that it isn't real. Marche tells Doned that it's not his intention to take away what he has, as he'll do what he can to help Doned run in the real world, too. It's unclear how Marche could do that, or how Doned's condition both requires medicine and prevents him from walking, but it's sincere enough for Doned, who breaks down crying and apologizes to Marche.
Marche and Doned head back to the pub, and discuss how they still have no leads regarding Mewt. Doned wonders whether Ritz would know and where she might be, but Marche suggests that she's quite busy as a clanner. This is an apt observation, since you typically meet her while she's in the middle of another mission.
A Templar approaches, informing Marche that he has a message from Cid. Incidentally, there are two types of Bangaa. The first largely consists of merchants, clanners and criminals, who engage in Sssnake Talk, and use rougher and more informal language. The second consists of people like palace guards and jailers, who speak like normal people do, if somewhat more formally than most.
The Templar tells Marche that Cid has discovered that Mewt is in the Amber Valley, and he has headed to the Deti Plains. Doned says that the Deeti Plains is the most beautiful place in Ivalice, with an ancient palace, and suggests that Marche get going. Before Marche leaves, Doned tells his brother to take care, a touching show of support.
Marche reaches the Deti Plains, and fights some monsters, one last monster-only encounter. The terrain is somewhat inconvenient, since you spend much of the early battle clumped in the narrow ravine at the bottom left hand side of the arena.
Marche meets Cid, who asks him to go to the Siena Gorge for some amber, which he will use to make a powerful antilaw to nullify Llednar's invincibility (I'm curious as to how exactly it's powered by the laws). Marche is naturally concerned about the judgemaster himself using antilaws, but Cid is prepared to accept the consequences.
At that point, Ritz and Shara happened to overhear Marche's plans, and consider intercepting them.
The next mission begins when you enter the Siena Gorge, and you can see Ritz, Shara, and four Vieras standing on the other side of the bridge, ready for battle. Ritz can't help but find their circumstances funny, in a way, never having imagined Marche would be able to go this far. Marche arrives, and Ritz informs him that she can't let him proceed and won't back down. Marche resolutely says the same is true for him.
Marche's relationship with Ritz is an interesting barometer of his character arc. Previously, he'd hoped to rely on Ritz, and was disappointed when he learned that she wouldn't help him with getting home. Now, he's not only going forward without her help, but even actively opposing her to do so.
On Shara's first turn, she senses that Ritz is feeling conflicted about this, and offers to help stop Marche along with the others (although Mission 14's post-battle dialogue, in which Shara tries to convince Ritz Marche is concerned about her, does seem to indicate that for all her loyalty to Ritz, Shara is also on decent terms with Marche). Ritz appreciates Shara's concern, but insists on fighting her own battles.
On Ritz's first turn, Marche observes that Ritz has never wanted the world to go back to the way it was, but Ritz says that's not entirely true. She believes all games must have an end, but isn't ready for it to end just yet. This, along with the previous scene with Doned, nicely indicates that those opposed to Ivalice aren't entirely closed-minded regarding Marche's arguments, nor is he blind to their concerns.
The objective is to defeat Ritz, and this time, it's definitely advantageous to focus on her, given that one of her clanners is a Summoner with the ability to summon Phoenix, reviving units in a wide radius with full HP, and has several other offensive abilities. Interestingly enough, much of the fighting happens around the bridge, which nicely fits with Ritz's plan to keep you from getting through.
All in all, I'd call this possibly the best level in the game, as it's challenging without being difficult, and an appropriately dramatic confrontation between friends.
After Marche's victory, Ritz concedes defeat, promising to no longer interfere, but refusing to help. Marche asks her if she'll hate him if he reverts the world to normal, and she says no. She doesn't think that what he's doing is wrong, but merely wants to stay where she is.
After Marche leaves, Ritz is convinced that he'll succeed, as he's much stronger than before, and laments that she hasn't been able to change in the same way. Shara tells Ritz to make the most of what time they have left in Ivalice.
Soon afterward, Ambervale automatically appears in the northeast corner of the map, much like Bervenia Palace before it, and when you set foot on it, you will be asked if you want to save before the final mission begins. The end of the main storyline is at hand.
Next Installment: Marche heads to Ambervale for the final battle before he returns home.
