Last time, we left Ein and company in pursuit of Hector. Now, let's see if they can't stop him from gaining the power of Seth, shall we?
We enter area 7-8: Summit of the Gods. This place consists of purple triangles, and has exactly three screens to go through.
Now, since this is the very last area, there's absolutely no reason to ignore the stuff to examine. After all, there's nothing else left to spend TP on. So, I start looking around.
The first screen has Ein remarking that the flames around him don't feel hot. He then starts thinking that he's going nuts, before convincing himself to stay calm.
The second screen adds some unintelligible symbols to the background. Examining it, meanwhile, causes Ein to think about everything that's happened. This, of course, triggers a flashback to when he met each of the girls. When something like that happens, you just know you're near the end.
Moving forward takes us to the last screen of the game, so it's once again time for Script Mode.
Hector: I still need more souls for Seth's rebirth... Just a few more... (Ein enters the area.)
- Ein: Forget it, Hector! Your scheme ends here!!
- Hector: You still dare to defy me?
- Malice: Ein! I win! (She appears out of nowhere.)
- Ein: Malice!!
- Cierra: (appearing in front of Malice) What are you doing!? (An image appears, showing Malice grabbing Cierra by the upper arm.) Ahh!
- Malice: Master Hector! Use this Sprite's soul to revive Seth...!
- Hector: Well done, Malice.
- Ein: Cierra!
- Cierra: Ein...
- Malice: Complete the ritual! For the sake of Asgard! Take what is rightfully yours!
- Ein: Wha...!?
- Hector: Alright. This will be the dawn of a new era! (He warps back, then fires an orb of energy at Cierra and Malice.
- Cierra: Ugh...!
- Ein: Cierraaaa!!
- Malice: Fina...lly, my fu...ture... has... be...en re...deem...ed......... There's your ultimate abuse of ellipses. Also, see my earlier comment about Ein regrowing his wings. (She dies.)
- Ein: Cierra...
- Cierra: Ein......... Thanks... for... the adventure... I'mm glad... that we met...... Please... stay... just as you are... That is my last request... *giggle* You look so much more mature to me now......... I never told you this, but...... I... I think I...... *cough* *cough* Good...bye... (She dies.)
- Ein: Cierra! Nooooooo! Cierraaaaaa!!
That's right. As a final act against the player, Riviera kills off whichever girl had the highest affection with Ein. You know, the one who the player probably liked the most, and who was probably their primary killstick for the majority of the game?
To add insult to injury, it isn't even a very good death scene. You'll note, for instance, that Ein was the only one with any reaction to Cierra's death. And that his reaction almost entirely consists of "<CHARNAME>? Nooooooo! <CHARNAME>!"
- Hector: The final soul has been sacrificed... Now is the moment I have waited for... Seth's rebirth! (Seth, who appears to be a brown-skinned, pink-haired woman in a tiger-striped bodysuit, appears before Hector.)
- Ein: Seth... The Sprite of Death... You'll note that at absolutely no point before this was Seth ever called that. In fact, the game makes no effort to actually explain what she is or why she was sealed away.
- Seth: I wAnt poWEr... Great, you've summoned Torgo's long-lost sister. POWER POWER POWER! POWER POWER POWER POWER POWER POWER POWER POWER! (She does...something, and the screen shakes. It changes shape.)
- Hector: Behold! She is but a child... A wretched creature that innocently craves power!
- Ein: You killed Cierra for THIS!? Funnily enough, that's my reaction too. For different reasons, though.
- Hector: *chuckle*
- Ein: What's so funny!?
- Hector: Even a false angel had her uses. Wait, what?
- Ein: What!?
- Hector: Malice was not a true Grim Angel. She tried to become one, but failed.
- Ein: What do you mean!?
- Hector: She lacked the skill... So I fashioned a Diviner for her... It looked just like the real thing. I needed a pawn, you see. And she thought she was sacrificing her future! Muhahahahaha!
Well, there's the explanation for Malice's ridiculous munchkin sacrifice, but why do we need to talk about this? It has no relevance whatsoever to what's going on now!
My guess is that this is supposed to be portraying Hector as a Complete Monster, but all it really does is make him sound like a colossal douche. Which I suppose he is, but whatever.
- Hector: She actually believed she was a Grim Angel! I'm sure she was happy to be my puppet. Because otherwise, a failure such as her would have been completely useless.
- Rose: (Is he out of his mind!?"
- Hector: The gods... The Grim Angels... Who needs them? I have no interest in the traditions of old. Nor do I have any use for a world such as Riviera... Didn't you need Riviera to get the souls to summon Seth? (He turns to Seth and blasts her with some sort of energy, as shown in a full-screen image. This music
starts playing.) I shall become an omnipotent god, and I will forge a new world!
- Ein: Hector! This is insane! It's unforgivable! You're a disgrace to Asgard.
- Hector: Who are you to judge me?
- Ein: I'm a Grim Angel... It's my duty to pass judgment! I was going to say this, but Ein beat me to it. Oh well. Now, you and Seth shall pay for your sins! Again, what did Seth do?
- Hector: What are you babbling about? You think you can win? Once I've merged with Seth, you don't stand a chance!
- Rose: (What!?)
- Seth: ......ughhhhh! (Hector fuses with Seth, becoming Seth-Rah, some sort of...androgynous gray thing with two purple wings, one of which is just bones.)
- Seth-Rah: *chuckle* THIS POWER... IT'S EXACTLY AS I IMAGINED... Yes, Seth-Rah talks in ALLCAPS.
- Ein: Hector!
- Seth-Rah: HECTOR NO LONGER EXISTS. I AM SETH-RAH... I AM THE NEW BEGINNING. MY POWER IS ABSOLUTE! I SHALL RETURN YOU TO DUST!
Ein: The enemy is strong. Be careful!
Boss battle: Seth-Rah
- HP: 12500
- Strength: 80
- Magic: 99
- Agility: 15
- Vitality: 78
- Resists all elements.
- Vulnerable to holy.
By the power of bold letters, I demand that you listen to the final boss music!
Unfortunately, Seth-Rah is not a very threatening final boss. It can hit you with its weapon (Longinus, which I used way back when), it can change to physical mode (which reverses its weaknesses), and its Break Out is called Ragnarok and does significant damage (though not nearly enough for an attack that claims to end the world at you.) Its physical mode uses the same Break Out, but based on Strength instead of Magic and called Armageddon.
Anyway, since this is the final battle and all, I'm going to do a complete play-by-play of the thing. It's the least I can do, really.
I brought Serene and Fia into this battle. For items I carry Einherjar, the Rosier, Silvia for fighting physical mode if it comes to that, and Fanelia because it's time to show that off.
- Round 1: Serene opens by stabbing Seth-Rah with the Rosier.
- Round 2: Fia also uses the Rosier.
- Round 3: Seth-Rah uses its Eternal Darkness attack on Fia for 160 damage and poison.
- Round 4: Ein uses Fanelia. It shoots 8 laser beams at Seth-Rah, each one doing 999 damage. 5 hit for a total of 4995 damage.
- Round 5: Fia stabs with the Rosier again.
- Round 6: Serene uses the Rosier.
- Round 7: Seth-Rah uses Ragnarok, hitting the party for a total of 14 hits and 1025 damage.
- Round 8: Fia uses the Rosier again.
- Round 9: Serene also uses the Rosier, bringing Seth-Rah to 3427 HP.
- Round 10: Ein unleashes Disaresta (Yes, Fanelia does have a ridiculous cooldown time. Why do you ask?) The attack does a total of 4530 damage, killing Seth-Rah.
The angelic plume shall be the knife of justice.
Results:
- Time to victory: 81
- Final attack level: Execution
- Score for victory: 22800
This, of course, is an S-rank, which grants me Longinus. This is the trigger for it replacing the Rosier at Heaven's Gate, actually.
- Seth-Rah: ARRRRGH...! WHO ARE YOU...? A certified badass, of course.
- Ein: I am Ein. It is my duty to pass judgment on you, as I have done on countless demons. When I became a Grim Angel, I gained more than just Einherjar for my wings... In Riviera, I found friends, as well as the courage to do what's right! This world doesn't need an absolute god! And it doesn't need the Retribution! Yeah! Go Ein!
- Seth-Rah: I... WAS... TOO WEAK... An apt assessment, to be sure. Awakened Malice had higher stats than you, for crying out loud! I SEE, NOW, YOUR TRUE POWER... THE STRENGTH OF YOUR WILL... MY EXISTENCE WAS BRIEF... SO BE IT...
With that, Seth-Rah dies, and I get my results screen.
- Turns taken: 59 (Rank A)
- Items left: 15 (Rank A)
- Pleased: 2 (Rank B)
- Score: 1172300
- Starting TP next chapter (which doesn't matter): 5
The ending gets its own post.
