All right, time to enter area 4-3: Carnea District. This place is a bit...special, and you'll see why soon enough.
No sooner do we enter than the path behind us floods, preventing us from returning (the area transition does a good enough job, but whatever). Cierra estimates that it will take 50 turns for the area to be fully flooded, putting me on a definite timer. Every so often, Rose'll announce the remaining time, but I honestly have no idea what happens if you run out.
Anyway, before heading onward I pick up a book floating in the water. The book identifies itself as the Lala Sutra, proving that repeated syllables make anything sound stupid. It comes with 1500 free points, too. Cierra notes that the book is written on some sort of special paper and thus is still legible despite being totally waterlogged.
I then move on to the next screen, where I find a chest containing the Burning Sun scythe, which replaces my old worn-out Ogre Blade (incidentally, this area is the only place you can get an Estoc from a random chest, so I'd be worried about that if I didn't get one last chapter). Mastering it gives me this:
Ein:
- Burning Sun: Quake Flash: Level 1, 1-hit physical non-elemental attack, power of 242, low accuracy, unblockable
Lina:
- Burning Sun: Chaotic Flare: Level 1, 1-hit magic fire-elemental attack, power of 180, low accuracy, unavoidable
Serene:
- Burning Sun: Serene Inferno: Level 3, 5-hit physical fire-elemental attack, power of 102, does extra damage to humanoids, last 2 attacks hit all enemies near the target
I'm pretty sure that my characters are nearly strong enough to fight the final boss by now, outside of their HP. Anyway, in defiance of Ein's quite sensible suggestion that I head to higher ground, I move east for a bit. After killing some mooks with Cierra's Ra Til...Holy Blast, I encounter a locked door made out of something called "anbisium". I can't unlock it, but I can examine a big red button on the floor. The button is so obviously the door switch that it isn't even funny, but I'll need to leave someone behind to open the door. This will produce an affection drop for whoever steps on it because obviously BMI is more important than opening the big door with treasure behind it, and Lina's too light to work the switch. Since I'm going for Cierra's ending that leaves just Fia and Serene, and they each find something if I leave them. I leave Serene (who gets a lower affection drop and is probably just upset I'm leaving her out), and she tries to cheat by flying. Once she's done, I head onward.
The next screen contains three treasure chests, but two of them are totally empty and just serve to waste my time. The only one that has anything in it is the one that costs no TP to examine, which contains a Rusty Key and 1500 points.
There's one more room on this little detour, which contains some imps threatening an Undine. After I announce my intent to save her (and get a global affection boost for my trouble) I have to fight them. The fight consists of a weak chapter 1 imp, a level-appropriate imp, and an extra-strong imp from the next area (who proves useless because I force him to focus on Lina, who resists everything he has). I finish with Disaresta just because, and return to Serene to find that she got bored and killed something to pass the time, getting a Black Scythe (next scythe level) for her trouble. I replace my old useless Harpie Talon and master my new toy for these Over Skills:
Ein:
- Black Scythe: Schwartz Flash: Level 1, 1-hit physical non-elemental attack, power of 320, low accuracy, unblockable
Lina:
- Black Scythe: Immortal Pain: Level 1, 1-hit magic non-elemental attack, power of 237, low accuracy, unavoidable
Serene:
- Black Scythe: Serene Absolute: Level 3, 6-hit physical non-elemental attack, power of 122, effective against humanoids, last attack hits nearby enemies
With that out of the way, I get back to my actual goal for this area and take the high ground. I promptly run into some mooks to smash. They are promptly introduced to my good friend Disaresta, who is quite pleased to meet them and replenish my Power Wrists. I then unlock the door in the area with the key we found before, and move onward.
As I enter, the water level increases again, preventing me from backtracking. I am then given the choice of either going to high ground or moving east, but first I examine something shiny in the water. It turns out to be a reflection of something in a nearby window, which Cierra elects to send Rose (who she still knows as Gateau, mind you) through. I agree to the plan for an affection boost and a Mana Wisp (which comes with the usual stat boosts and 3000 points). I then head east, because you really should expect to be rewarded for stuff like that by now.
I am promptly almost shot, though I dodge the arrows for 2500 points. We then head east and fight the archers who attacked me. I intentionally fail the S-rank for an Arbalest (crossbow, Lina can use it) that I replace my Flame Whip with. I then automatically receive a treasure chest with a 40-shot Elfin Bow in it (a 15-shot variety was the S-rank prize, which is why I avoided it). I replace my Lightning Bow and master the new weapon for these attacks:
Ein:
- Elfin Bow: Rising Arrow: Level 1, 1-hit physical non-elemental attack, power of 203
Fia:
- Elfin Bow: Piercing Arrow: Level 2, 3-hit physical non-elemental attack, power of 117, effective against flying enemies
Lina:
- Elfin Bow: Voltage Raid: Level 3, 5-hit physical lightning-elemental attack, power of 124, effective against flying enemies
Cierra:
- Elfin Bow: Thunder Shot: Level 1, 3-hit magic lightning-elemental attack, power of 90
I then examine a door in the area and find the Crystal Key, along with 1500 points that I'm running out of things to say about. With that done, I go back and continue upward.
The next screen has another random chest, which had an Estoc with a decent number of uses on it inside. It also has another door. As you might expect, the Crystal Key opens this one, granting me passage to the tenth and final screen of this area.
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, the kids from before are discussing their plans for Ein. They intend to send a golem after me, but unfortunately, the instructions get blown away. The red one mentions that the golem is already active, though.
Back with the main party, we encounter a wyrm, and not just any wyrm—this is another of those annoying "wind" worms that blow you away. I use Lina and Serene and attack it with Power Wrist-boosted 1-hit attacks to avoid that fate (the Arbalest is especially good, as it does extra damage to flying enemies). After S-ranking it, I'm one Wyrm Wing richer (it replaces the Arbalest), so I master that for this:
Serene:
- Wyrm Wing: Wind Hazard: Level 2, 1-hit physical non-elemental attack for 35% of the target's HP, unavoidable
With that done, I try to leave, and I'm promptly confronted with a command minigame to catch a flying piece of paper. I'm given 2000 points and the Golem Manual our stage antagonists lost. This will come in handy later on.
Anyway, I think that's enough for now, so I'll stop here. Tune in next time, when the team fights a bad comedy routine and finds one character's ultimate weapon!
