Titania: I am Titania, Queen of the Faeries. I should be above conflicts such as this, but it appears I have been shackled to this Sinclair Drake once again. Who does this human think he is, anyway? Apparently someone, as he has tamed virtually every demon in these lands. I shall put up with this insolence to provide healing and keep an eye on my husband. Nothing else. I expect to be compensated when this is over...
Time to fight Maya, the being whose illusions created the Schwartzwelt's mirror darkly of humanity. She's this game's Trick Boss; if you know the trick you'll steamroll her, if not you'll die. Repeatedly. Thankfully on both my playthroughs I went in knowing the trick. The trick is that you can only use Gun. Anything else and she instantly kills the demon (or unlucky spess mehreen) who sent it her way. Thankfully, she's also weak to Gun, which is why I was so adamant on Grand Tack for everyone. I brought Orcus, Asherah with Grand Tack, and Titania for healing. She has a couple interesting attacks, including one that doubles her agility (and from the beginning she seems, at least to me, to be the fastest boss in the game), so lob a Dekaja Stone if she does that. Other than that, just keep chucking tacks.
Norn: The balance has shifted... all that remains is Mem Aleph herself... and whatever's doing these things to time.
Drake: Am I ready? Up next is the big choice. I don't know if I'll be able to look myself in the mirror after making it...
The next and final sector is Horologium, the core of the Schwartzwelt, which takes the form of the primal, volcanic infant Earth.
Tiamat: Symbolizing the Great Mother's plan to start anew...
But before we can go there, important stuff needs to happen. First, the mysterious men call again. They reveal that Maya's illusion powers were clouding their judgment, but now they can reveal everything. They are the Three Wise Men, ancient spirits one with the Earth.
Drake: They're the same sort of being Mem Aleph is, just working for the other side, it looks like.
They reveal that there were other civilizations on Earth before humanity, but each time they despoiled the planet and the Schwartzwelt came to destroy them and reclaim it for nature. They, however, have a way out of this predicament. If the song of the angels is used to eliminate mankind's aggressive impulses, there would be no more need for a Schwartzwelt.
Fortuna: A tempting offer, I must admit. Oh, how strange. Even I can't tell where the winds of fate will take Sinclair Drake. He's an anomaly in things...
Suddenly, Louisa Faire arrives with her own pitch: the answer is not in giving up free will, but completely embracing it. A permanent return to the State of Nature would also preclude more Schwartzwelts.
Sui-ki: Now, that's something I can get be hind! Wait, that chick, could it be...? OH NO! Where are my manners...
Drake: Is she working for Mem Aleph?
Jimenez and Zelenin also depart the ship at this point, as they feel they need to serve their higher callings. They wish Drake well and hope he comes around to their side in the end...
Drake: Zelenin...
Nevertheless, the mission is still to eliminate Mem Aleph. And thankfully, there's an elevator leading right to her. I grind for sources for a bit here, and am also joined by some multicolored friends native to Eridanus...
Zouchouten: At last, we are called upon...
Koumokuten: ...to do our duty in this land.
Jikokuten: Sinclair Drake proved his worth last time...
Bishamonten: ...but we feel both he and ourselves have a higher calling this time.
Take the elevator down, and we run into... Commander Gore again! He's fully himself now, and takes Drake in to see Mem Aleph. Unfortunately, she's much too strong for him to even see at this point. So it's back to the Red Sprite we go!
Gore is welcomed home with open arms in a Tear Jerker of a scene. He reclaims his post as Commander of the mission, but says it's now time for Drake to make a decision. He proceeds to ask a series of questions that determine the future of the planet...
Drake: Okay, this is it. This was where it happened last time. I make the wrong choice and I screw everyone...
Mithras: He's quaking in his boots... Must be quite a burden for a human holding the fate of a planet in the palm of his hands...
Pixie: SCARYSCARYSCARY!
Kama: Hm hm hm...
Melchom: As long as you manage your money better, anything's fine by me.
Seraph: It begins. No, it ends...
Drake: My choice is...
To be continued.
