BOOM! In a tiny blaze of fire, Makai Chef Mugen, the Gourmet Ogre Jin, and the Big Eye Fuu wander into Zetta's ever-changing castle. Only they really know why they're here, because they came without any money. Zetta orders them to sit and wait in the warehouse until they've received enough experience-through-osmosis training to fight with the rest of the team.
Stage 6-4: Fallen Salome
Similarly to the previous battle, this one takes place on a vary narrow path. A few enemy outposts and castles line the area, with samurai guarding them. Apparently, there is something Salome doesn't want anybody getting near. Or, it could just be another level without any significance. Who knows?The samurai guards come out to give Zetta's trespassing brigade a warning beating. Zetta's team has little choice but to respond in kind, but also being careful of friendly fire. After the Samurai are defeated, only a captain in the wind-generating WarCry 01 and an unseen-until-now Demon Soldier remain. The Captain tries to demolish one of her own buildings (which had been hijacked by the heroes in all of the confusion), but is ultimately done in with a tag-team effort by a few of Steve's best hand-picked troops.
Stage 6-5: Salome's Compensation
After a pair of closed-road battles, the gang feels glad to be back in an open-field battle again...or so they think. After they clear the road of Shadows, the next area spawns in a location out of their reach. Luckily, they are able to gather enough points needed to clear the stage without any problems, so they pack up their things and go to...Stage 6-6: Tragic Salome
...a dead-end forest, where apparently Raiden has set a trap for them."This guy again?" says Meredith. "I thought we had beaten him already."
"It is strange," replies Kashiwa. "I was expecting a cutscene of some sort to herald this upcoming battle."
"Lo, how the once-mighty have fallen," Astral interjects.
"Cutscene or no cutscene," says Steve, "we're still going to take these guys down! Right, guys?"
"Right!" they all respond...at least the ones with voices do.
Raiden's metal monstrosities rev up their weapons for a fierce battle. Morrigan, predictably, is the first to fall as the enemy's LEXs close in on them. Astral and Tessa also fall prey to the monsters' Ark Fire. Steve, Meredith, Kashiwa, Woody, and Ryuunosuke are able to hold out long enough for the enemy to run out of firepower, allowing them to mount a small comeback. Kashiwa survives an assassination attempt, and stays as far back as she can so that she doesn't get shot at again while the rest of them go after Raiden's troops.
"If you're asking me to be impressed," says Raiden, "you're sadly mistaken. You can approach me slowly, or rush as quickly as possible. It matters not, for you will be destroyed no matter what you do."
"Don't you mean 'killed'?" asks Meredith.
The remaining four fighters hit Raiden with their most powerful attacks, but he manages to survive with less than 10% of his HP.
"Is that the best you've got?" he bellows. "You should have spent more time training. Now is the moment of your death! Farewell."
Raiden tosses his thunder drum into the air, which forms a ring of lightning that wraps around his body and circles him like a hula hoop, zapping Zetta's power part for massive damage. Steve and Meredith are badly battered, but neither falls.
"Can't say it's been nice knowing you," Steve says as he plunges his sword in Raiden's back.
Alex appears before Zetta, impressed that he was actually able to kill Raiden. "You may be rotten to the core," he says, "but you know your stuff."
Zetta takes offense to Alex's backhanded compliment. "How dare you! I'm not rotten!"
Alex powers up and prepares to attack Zetta while the two of them are face to face. Trenia's cat wanders in and mumbles something to Alex, and Alex suddenly says that he has to retreat. Zetta is left in the dark as to what's going on. All Alex says before leaving is "You'll know soon enough. Laterz!"
Six netherworlds conquered, and just two to go.
Among the many rewards for taking down Raiden, Zetta's crew has acquired its first non-Gear Metal LEX vehicle: a Justice Gear!
