Earning our JRPG black belt - Let's Play Legend of Legaia!

That's a good idea, actually; I'm not sure why I didn't think of it before. I'll start doing that.

In the meantime, the next update should be sometime tomorrow. It's another big one, so this post is partly to carry the thread to the next page. See you guys then!

Chapter 7: East Voz Forest

Hey, everybody, and welcome back. Before we head off for East Voz Forest, there's a few things to show off.



♪♪Brand of the Holy Knuckles (Ver. 2)♪♪

First, Theeder.













That's more damage than if Blue were to summon Gimard. What's more, Theeder hits everything in its line of fire, which could potentially be every enemy in the battle. It can also lower the target's INT at higher levels. It's a bit much to cast at 24 MP, but it's a pretty great spell nonetheless.



Second, since Umber has less Arts than everyone else at the moment, I gave him a freebie to help him catch up.



Here's Battering Ram, performed by inputting ← → ↓. It would seem that Umber is quite the talented dancer. (The video is at the end of the update; the first recording was strangely laggy.)







That battle was quite profitable, I'd say.



♪♪Barren Fields of Mist♪♪

Right, time to go.



East Voz Forest isn't too far away - I only got into one battle on the way there.



♪♪Brand of the Holy Knuckles (Ver. 2)♪♪

Speaking of which, there are a few new enemies in this area. The Gomboo is essentially a palette-swapped Gobu Gobu; not too big a deal. The Twin Tomb, on the other hand...

Is a bit more trouble. It can string four or five attacks together if it feels like it, and it can take a beating despite its thin appearance. They're also all over the goddamn place in East Voz, so you'll likely be fighting one every other battle.

Speaking of East Voz...



♪♪The Forest of Mystery♪♪

It is considerably greener than its western counterpart. It also gets its own theme music, to further differentiate the two.

*Not two steps into the place...*



Umber: I feel something... I feel Songi's presence! Songi is here!
*Umber turns to face the other two.*
Umber: Blue, Ruby, I need you two to promise me something! Even if Songi appears before you, don't fight him.
*Umber turns away from the two and hangs his head.*
Umber: I know this is asking a lot, but... *raises his head* If a Seru possesses his soul as you say, then I want to be the one to take care of him. {Nah, I understand; you've grown up with him, and Blue and Ruby barely know the guy. It's a bit more... personal for you.}



And hurry we shall.



We can't do anything about these weeds just yet, but we'll be back soon enough.



♪♪Brand of the Holy Knuckles (Ver. 2)♪♪

These are the other new enemies here. The Mushrin is a slightly upgraded version of the Mushroom enemies from Snowdrift Cave, except that they can poison rather than paralyze you.

The Gizam is the first Water Seru we've come across. Its height protects it from High attacks, and it has quite a bit of health besides. Not only that, it's also pretty rare; you might only run into a few during your visit here.







They can also use Water Column to totally ruin your day. They don't use the attack very often, but it hurts quite a bit.



Strangely enough, I was able to absorb the first Gizam I came across; in fact, I've had a rather easy time acquiring Seru during this playthrough. I don't think the chance of absorbing Seru is random, but I'll admit I don't understand the process; I'll try to find a FAQ or something that can go into more detail. In any case, I'll show this off later; we'll want to save our MP for an upcoming battle.



You can also run into Nightos here, if you weren't able to absorb one earlier.



♪♪The Forest of Mystery♪♪

This Healing Flower heals 800 HP. While this is considerably more than the Healing Leaves we have, they aren't being sold yet, so it's best to save this for an emergency.



Hmm... a fork, huh? Let's try heading east first.



Uh... alright, then.



Ruby: Umber, what's a Weed Hammer?
Umber: It's something used to break Crystal Grass and other types of hard grass.
Ruby: Oh.

Hm... let's test that out.

That's the best I could capture it. Something I can't show off in the screenshot is that when the grass shatters, it sounds like glass breaking. I made a short video to showcase it.

Crystal Grass is weird

I guess it's called Crystal Grass for a reason.



Backtracking to this previously inaccessible chest nets us a Guardian Water. I'll use it on Ruby.



♪♪Brand of the Holy Knuckles (Ver. 2)♪♪

Awesome! Man, it's kind of ridiculous how easily I'm getting these; this is only the second time Ruby has defeated a Gizam.



♪♪The Forest of Mystery♪♪

Moving on, we continue through the forest. I think we're making good progress.



I don't remember if we ever have to use the Weed Hammer anywhere else, but it's pretty fun to shatter plants into tiny pieces.



This thing nullifies all venom attacks. I'll put it on Blue for now. Oh, something I didn't mention last update...



You can actually wear the Ra-Seru Egg as an accessory. It'll be pretty essential in a few minutes.



More side paths leading to treasure.



Sweet, a weapon for Umber! The Survival Club gives a pretty sizable boost to ATK.



This accessory increases the wearer's LDF by 20%. I'll put it on Umber since he has the lowest.





It would be a good idea to fully heal everyone before going further.



♪♪The Quiet Tree of Creation♪♪

Ruby: Look, everyone! It's the Genesis Tree!



*Ruby examines the tree some more before nodding.*
Ruby: Yeah!



*Umber walks over to the tree and examines it a bit.*
Umber: This Genesis Tree does seem different from the one in West Voz Forest. Did Songi find this Genesis Tree?
*Blue walks over to join the others.*
Umber: Or did the Genesis Tree mislead him into taking a wrong turn somewhere?
Meta: Blue! An evil presence draws near! Hurry! Let's revive the Genesis Tree! {Sounds good to me.}
*The music stops as Blue examines the Genesis Tree.*

♪♪Songi's First Appearance♪♪

Ah, crap.



Songi: How thoughtful of you to come all the way here to check up on me! I'm flattered!





Songi: But don't worry about me! I'm the picture of health -- physically and mentally!{I doubt that last part...} I may be wearing a Seru, but I haven't done anything stupid like let it control me!





Songi: Umber, you're no match for me now!
*Songi leaps to the ground.*



*Ruby starts to run towards Songi, but Umber puts his arm in front of her.*
Ruby: That's it! I'm gonna knock your block off, Songi! Let me at him!
Umber: Ruby, you promised to leave him to me, right?
*Ruby backs away. The camera rotates to only show Umber and Songi.*
Umber: Songi! You say you are not possessed by the Seru? You... You are not the Songi I know! You're nothing but a bloodthirsty beast! I don't know what happened to you, but you are obviously void of a human spirit.
*Umber takes a step forward.*
Umber: If you want to fight me that badly, then I'll fight you!



*Songi turns and spits on the ground. There's even a sound effect for this.*
Songi: You hopeless simpleton! You still don't understand the situation! Well I'll show you! I'll hammer it into that thick skull of yours!



Time to kick some-









Er... nevermind. So much for Umber fighting Songi by himself...



*Songi turns away.*
Songi: This is ridiculous! Absurd! You need more practice!
*Blue and Ruby run to Umber's side. Songi turns to face them.*
Songi: You're not even worth dirtying my hands over. I'll leave you to one of my cohorts! Have a nice, enjoyable, pleasant... death!

"Songi is a dick" count: 1

These... things... just rose out of the ground.



The question is, where the hell did he get them?



I guess we'll worry about that later. Time for a miniboss fight!



♪♪Brand of the Holy Knuckles (Ver. 2)♪♪

These things are assholes. They're actually an enemy not normally encountered for several hours, when we'd actually be able to deal with them. Right now, this might as well be a full-on boss battle.



This is a highly damaging attack, and one they like to open the battle with. It's a good idea to use Spirit as soon as the battle starts.





The only reason this isn't dealing almost 200 HPs worth of damage is because Ruby is using spirit and has the Ra-Seru Egg equipped.



Likewise, Umber is protected because Thunder happens to be his innate Element. Seriously, under normal circumstances, this attack hurts.







Of course, their most common (and most deadly) method of attack is simply to beat the shit out of you. One combo is enough to bring down close to two-thirds of a given character's health.



When not healing (which you will often be doing), your best bet is to combine Hyper and regular Arts into as long a combo as you can muster, keeping in mind that Low attacks won't work.



This is why saving your MP up until this point is important - you're going to need it. Besides the Healing Flower we picked up earlier, Vera is our most powerful source of healing, and it's going to get quite a workout in this battle.



It's highly advisable to focus your attacks on one Viguro at a time - dividing your allies' attacks will only drag out the battle.



These things can take a ton of punishment - they have about as much health as Caruban, from what I can tell.

Once you've taken down one of the Viguroes, the battle becomes significantly easier. It's worth noting that, being Thunder Seru, there's a chance you'll absorb one of them, but it isn't very likely.



Don't get too confident, however - just because there's only one Viguro doesn't mean it won't completely wreck your shit if you're not careful.





Hell yeah! Only on the team for one update and Umber's already taken down a miniboss. That's what I call awesome.



♪♪Songi's First Appearance♪♪

Songi: You're holding everyone down! As a fellow Biron monk, I'm ashamed! You were so bad, I was ashamed to even watch! {Come over here and say that, ya prick!} Oh, I've had enough! I'm going home! *turns away* Let's play together again another time, Umber... *turns to face everyone* If a wussy like you can manage to stay alive, that is! Ha, ha, ha!







"Songi is a dick" count: 2

You can expect that count to get rather high as this thread goes on, by the way.



♪♪The Quiet Tree of Creation♪♪

Ruby: I hate him!
Meta: But Songi's Seru, that definitely was a... Nevermind! We don't have time to talk! We have to revive the Genesis Tree! Hurry!

Okay... I guess we'll find out what Songi's Seru is later.



He feels a gentle warnth in the palm of his hand.





She feels a silent power in the palm of her hand.

♪♪The Awakening of the Tree of Creation♪♪













That's another one down.









Wait... what are the other Genesis Trees doing?







Ah, I see. Now we can actually get to the Mist Generator!

*Umber backs away a bit.*
Umber: It's a Ra-Seru!





I think I see where this is going.

Umber: Ra-Seru! Is it me you have chosen?
*Umber thinks for a few seconds.*
Umber: Very well! I submit myself to you! To defeat Songi, the villain who attacked Biron Monastery...





♪♪The Ra-Seru Speak♪♪







And thus we have our final Ra-Seru.



♪♪The Quiet Tree of Creation♪♪

This is relevant to my interests.

Umber: I feel it! I feel the strength in my arms! The Ra-Seru's strength! Blue! We must return to Biron Monastery! I fear for Master Zopu's safety!





*A quick fade to black later...*



♪♪We Are the Biran Priests♪♪

Zopu: Biron has been freed from the Mist. I thank you again. But, you, Master Teacher!
*Umber steps forward.*
Umber: Yes, sir!
*The camera slowly rotates closer.*



Zopu: As ruler of the Biron Order, I cannot forgive you. I hearby excommunicate you!
*Umber hangs his head in silence, then lowers to one knee.*
Umber: I understand. I was prepared for that.
Ruby: Zopu, what does "excommunication" mean?
Zopu: *pause*
*Umber stands.*
Umber: Ruby, it means I'm no longer welcome at Biron Monastery.
Ruby: What! That's not right! Umber didn't do anything bad! How can you kick him out after he fought so hard for us? Zopu, that's wrong!
Umber: Ruby, stop! Zopu is only doing what he must. Monks like me all take a vow to obey certain rules. I broke those rules, and so I cannot be a monk of Biron anymore.



Ruby: Blue and I won't ever turn our backs on you!

Oh hey, you're not a mindless monster anymore. Awesome!

Maya: And Ruby, and Master Teacher! You're all safe! I heard about what you did. That's really something! I'm so proud of you. I also heard that the Genesis Tree caused the thick Mist in the northwest valley to thin, revealing a strange castle.



Can't turn back now. Once we take care of the Mist Generator, you can travel back to Rim Elm in safety, and no one else in the region will have to worry anymore.

Blue: Of course!
Maya: I knew it! Brave son of Val! You are truly a native of Rim Elm. I'm so proud of you. You're so brave! I'll be in the kitchen, so come see me later!



Er, sorry about that.

Zopu: Hmm. It was ten years ago, when that castle was built and the Mist flowed into this region. Unless we destroy that castle, the Mist will never go away and more tragedies will occur. I am sure of it. Blue, Ruby. I'm counting on your Ra-Seru. And you, too, Umber.
Umber: Yes, Master Zopu!
Zopu: Umber, I want you to take care of Songi! Even if it means wearing a Seru against the rules of Biron. You and Songi... You are two of my dearest pupils. Like my own flesh and blood! Umber, I'm counting on you to take care of Songi!
*Umber, overcome with emotion, is unable to say anything for a few moments.*
Umber: *monk-salute* Yes, sir!
*Maya leaves the room.*



Alright, new plan: go to the Mist Generator and find a way to destroy it. Can't be too hard, right?

But we'll save that for next time. In the meantime, here's Battering Ram in action. Keep those combos coming - the same max inputs as before apply.

Next time: the Drake Kingdom Mist Generator!

Oh... Oh GOD. He just unloaded an entire facial of Laser.

That's one way to look at it, I suppose. I actually had the same thought, but I wasn't going to say anything. I guess now I don't have to!

Anyway, I said way back in the first update that there's an opening movie that plays if you wait at the title screen for a few seconds. I've held off posting it until now because it basically spoils most of the game up until the latest update. Since we're past that now, here it is in all its early-3d goodness - for a certain definition of goodness, anyway.


I also included the music that plays during the cutscene, because holy crap it's good - it's probably one of the better themes in the game, actually. I don't remember if it plays anywhere else, though. As for the video itself, it's decent I guess, though the music easily makes it twice as good.

Er... nobody has anything else to add? All right, then. I'll just get on with the update. Fair warning - it's another big one. Might want a sandwich.

Chapter 8: The Drake Kingdom Mist Generator

♪♪We Are the Biran Priests♪♪

Before we set off for the Mist Generator, let's have one last round of talking.

In Zopu's room
Zopu: *pause* I see. Songi submitted to the Seru willingly. He took a shortcut in order to become stronger. How foolish... And Umber has also used a Seru. The times are changing. Perhaps old men like me cannot keep up. What a pity.

In the training hall
Monk: I see... What happened to Songi? Why did he kill his friends?
Monk: Yes, sir! This is the door to East Voz Forest. Did you forget something

In the upstairs hallway
Monk: Yes, sir! Thanks to you all, Biron Monastery is safe. I thank you.
Monk: Yes, sir! Maya is in the kitchen, lost in thought.
Monk: Yes, sir! Have you forgotten? This is a woman's bedroom!

In the main hall
Monk: Yes, sir! Many have died, and I want to train hard to make up for all of them.
Gate guard: I've been told that I, too, was possessed by those cursed Seru inside the Mist.

In the kitchen
Monk: Yes, sir! There are Biron monks all over the world. Search them out if you wish to learn to mortal fighting techniques of Biron. {Will do!}
Monk: Yes, sir! The monastery seems so deserted now. {Tell me about it...}
Kin: I see. I may be an old-timer, but I still know as many Arts as Master Teacher!
Woman: Blue, have you met Songi? {Unfortunately.} I see. I'm sure you must despise Songi. {Not yet. He is kind of a twat, though.}
Woman: I hear you are going to the northwest to destroy the source of the Mist.
Woman: Master Teacher, thanks to you, the Mist around us has lifted, but... Our hearts still seem to be enveloped by a heavy mist. It pains me so.

That takes care of everyone but Maya. Let's see what she has to say.



Maya: I wanted to give you this before you headed off to the Mist Generator.



Kickass! That's a few hundred G we won't have to spend.

Maya: Good luck, all of you. I'll be waiting here for your safe return. {Don't worry, we'll be back.}

Time to buy some equipment.



We don't have to buy the Battle Knife since Blue already has the highest ATK out of everyone, but he'll definitely want the Savior Clothes. We'll also want to fully equip Umber for the battle ahead; as such, I buy the Power Earring for him, as well as the Power Plate and Power Shoes on the next page. We can buy all that with the money acquired earlier from the Voz Forests, as well as selling the Elixirs we've picked up and one of the three Phoenixes we have.

Now, you might be wondering why the Battle Knife has stats for every character, rather than just Blue. You see, every character has a few weapons they're the best at using - knives, swords, and knuckles for Blue; claws and ferals (tonfas, basically) for Ruby; and clubs and axes for Umber. Using a weapon a character specializes in increases damage output, and shortens the input of their weapon hand, allowing for longer Art combos.

Characters aren't limited to their specialty, though - Blue, for instance, could equip Umber's Survival Club if he felt like it. The problem with that is that it has the opposite effect of equipping their specialty weapon - lowered damage and shorter combos. It's not something that comes up often, unless you absolutely have to upgrade your party's weapons but don't have the money, but it's something to keep in mind. Oh, and none of this applies to armor - each character has a type that only they can wear.



With that long-winded explanation out of the way, we can move on to items. We're pretty set, though; this is just to show Biron Monastery's item shop. The Jewels are accessories that increase defense against Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind attacks, respectively. We'll find all of these eventually, so there's no need to buy any of them, though it certainly doesn't hurt to do so if you somehow have the cash.



Yeah, I'd say we're covered on items - 18 Healing Leaves should be more than enough. I don't think there are any consequences for selling the Hunter Clothes, but I'll keep them anyway; sentimental value and all that.

There's just a few more things to take care of before setting off.



♪♪Brand of the Holy Knuckles♪♪

First, here's Gizam in action.

















It does decent enough damage, but the real advantage is that Gizam both hits all enemies and poisons them; plus, at higher levels, Gizam will potentially lower the enemies' AGL. Of course, at 28 MP it isn't feasible enough to use until we've reached higher levels, but it's something to keep in mind.

Also, Guillotine, learned by inputting ← ↑ ←. It's basically an uppercut square in the enemy's jaw.

Alright, we're good to go. Time to go destroy the Mist Generator!



♪♪Barren Fields of Mist♪♪

We'll be heading there through the mountain pass by West Voz Forest, since it's slightly shorter than the pass by Drake Castle.



There it is. Let's rock!



♪♪The Misty Nest♪♪





Damn, Zeto really doesn't mess around.

Ozma: That is where the Mist that engulfed Drake Kingdom comes from!
Terra: Now listen, Ruby. This castle has caverns deep underground. Deep inside them is a Mist Generator! That's where the Mist is coming from!



Terra: You're a good girl. That's right, Ruby. We have to destroy the Mist Generator!
Meta: Once we reach the Mist Generator, we can stop the Mist with our Ra-Seru powers. But this is a vital castle to the enemy, and will be heavily defended. Proceed with caution!
*Everyone nods.*

Alright, let's do this. Now, everyone keeps calling this place a castle...



But in practice it's more like a bunker...





With a large and confusing network of tunnels and passageways.



These weird-ass structures are all over the place here. Are they pipes? Part of the smokestacks above-ground? Random pillars? I honestly don't know.



Also here are all the Seru we've encountered so far, giving Umber a good chance to catch up to Blue and Ruby. There's also one new Seru here, the Zenoir seen here in the screenshot. These things are definitely the strangest Seru we've come across - it's basically a giant hand, with each of the fingers having its own face.



It also has a bunch of health, and they hit hard, too. Not only that, they're rather difficult to absorb.





And, of course, they have an attack that can totally ruin your day.

Off to a good start already.

I hope you like that music, by the way - it's going to be playing in this place nonstop, even in battles, until further notice. At least it's pretty good!



Well that was quick. This teaches Umber his first Hyper Art - Thunder Punch.









Yes, it is as awesome as it sounds. (The combination is → → ←, for the curious.)



Hooray! I'll show this off next time; we can't afford to waste MP here.



Heading west after obtaining some minor items to the east, we find a Fury Boost, which keeps the agility gauge extended for one battle. We'll be saving this for later.





This first floor is... really big, as you can see. We're close to the next area, though.



At last, we've reached the... elevator? That's the most high-tech thing we've seen the whole game.



Alright, let's think for a second. The Mist didn't exist at all until ten years before the start of the game, where it just kind of randomly showed up and laid waste to most of civilization.



It's obviously artificial, as the place we're in proves, and for some reason it has no effect on humans or wildlife (though it does cause plantlife to slowly rot) - only Seru. Any Seru not attached to a human either goes completely crazy or dies outright, and those attached to humans turn them into mindless zombies.



Now we see that whoever or whatever created the Mist came from a rather advanced society - everything we've seen up to this point has barely been medieval-level. The question is, who would create such a destructive thing, and for what purpose?



It can't be Songi, since he's too young to have created the Mist, and even if he weren't he's only left the Biron Monastery recently. It might be Zeto, but something tells me he isn't; he probably would have told us if he were responsible, given what little of his personality we've seen. I guess we'll have to progress further before we can get any solid ideas.

That eastern passage leads to a Shield Elixir.



The barely seeable door here, meanwhile, has a Phoenix inside.



A fork, huh? Let's head south; northwest leads to a Medicine.



Hmm... let's head further south for now.



Awesome.



Heading east at the intersection leads to another passageway with a bunch of doors.



While looting the contents of the other rooms, this happens. Hooray!





These are the notable treasures of the side doors. The Burning Jewel will prove useful shortly.



Before going any farther from this Memory Statue, it is of vital importance that Umber has absorbed a Theeder before this point. Equipping him with the Burning Jewel and armor from the shop in Biron Monastery is also essential. Trust me on this, he's going to need all of it in a minute.



*The music stops.*



♪♪Songi's First Appearance♪♪

I'm not sure why the developers went with that title for Songi's theme, since this isn't the first or last time we'll be seeing him. But enough of that; on with the cutscene!





Songi: Umber! How forgetful you are! It is I who defeated you once before! Have you forgotten how much stronger than you I am?



Songi: Oh, how pitiful! Your extreme stupidity brings tears to my eyes!

Oh, you're done talking? Bring it on, asshole!





Boss Battle 2: Songi
♪♪My Name is Songi♪♪

Much like his boss theme (which is fuckin' awesome in my humble opinion), this fight with Songi is short but intense.



You see, Songi's capacity for damage is quite high - this is part of a 5-hit combo that can add up to upwards of 100 damage, assuming Umber doesn't block any hits. That's not his most damaging attack, however.







That honor goes to what is basically a flaming Hadouken that can take off almost half of Umber's health. He also uses it rather randomly; sometimes every other turn, sometimes twice in a row. You'll never really know when it's coming.

Due to all this, Songi can easily kill us in a few turns; either that or he'll lock us into a constant loop of healing ourselves until we run out of items, then kill us. Songi only has 1200 HP or so, but Umber can't deal enough damage with his Arts to kill him fast enough before the above happens.



So we aren't going to use Arts at all.



Instead, we're going to completely wreck Songi's shit with Theeder. The boost Theeder gets from Umber's innate Thunder element is such that three uses of it will destroy him before Songi even knows what the fuck.





Umber should be fast enough at this point to get his turns before Songi, so as long as he's at level 9 or 10 and has Theeder, you can defeat him before you have to worry about healing. Equipping the Burning Jewel will also help decrease the damage you receive from Hyper Wave, and any Defense-increasing accessories are also good to have.



♪♪Songi's First Appearance♪♪

Songi: I am pleased! After all, a weak rival is so boring. We both use Seru -- that makes us comrades. So let's call our little meeting today a draw.



*Songi lands on the platform.*
Songi: As a fellow Seru-user I'll tell you something you should know. The lord of this castle, Zeto, is waiting for you all by the Mist Generator. Umber, be very, very careful, if you value your life. *turns around* Don't lose to someone like Zeto. Farewell!
*Songi runs off as the music fades.*
Umber: Just what is that guy up to anyway?



♪♪The Misty Nest♪♪

Ruby: I don't like that Songi! I hate him! Next time he comes, I'll fight him too!



Umber: Now let's hurry! To the Mist Generator!

Sounds like a plan to me. Let's heal Umber and be on our way. Speaking of which...

Healing magic can be levelled up outside of battle! Either I completely forgot that this could happen or it never did before this playthrough. Either way, it's something to keep in mind.



Here's the Mettle Ring's effect. It's not much, but I'll put it on Ruby anyway; every little bit helps, after all.







Onward and downward!



This is the only floor where Gizams appear, so it's your last chance to get one before the end of the dungeon.



Finally; Umber's almost caught up with the others, now.



This last hallway slowly zooms in...



Until we reach this door. The Mist Generator must be just ahead!

*The music fades out as everyone heads through the door.*





It's impressive, I'll give them that.

Terra: The Mist Generator is a machine that creates Mist and a product of humans' evil desires.
Umber: Can we really destroy something that big?
Ozma: With our faith, Ra-Seru and humans can destroy this machine together!
Meta: This machine does not belong on earth! Let's go!
*Everyone begins running forward.*







♪♪Fight the Mist Generator Guardians♪♪

Zeto: You should have accepted the Mist obediently. Instead, you resist so foolishly. I, Zeto, will now put an end to your futile resistance!



Ruby: You did those horrible things to Terra the wolf!

Sounds like a plan. Charge!





Wait, what-





Boss Battle 3: Zeto
♪♪Disciples of the Mist♪♪

Okaaaaay, I guess his true form is that of a giant fucking crab monster.





Said giant crab monster is ridiculously powerful; if you aren't using Spirit or blocking his attacks, Zeto will happily claw, punch, and bite the crap out of you for tons of damage. Well, potentially, anyway; the number of times Zeto will physically attack you is kind of random. Sometimes you'll only get hit once, other times he'll hit you as much as five times.







Of course, sometimes he'll just shoot hell-bubbles out of his mouth that pretty much will poison whoever he's attacking if they're not wearing the Cure Amulet.

That's not his most damaging move, though.





This is basically a gigantic warning sign to have everyone use Spirit the turn after he does this. For the love of god, use Spirit. Otherwise...

There's a good chance this will kill everyone, or at least come close to it. If you have any Healing Blooms (and you should unless you've been wasting them), go ahead and use one after Zeto does this attack.

Since Zeto loves beating the shit out of us...











We'll just have to return the favor. Blue and Ruby should save their MP for healing purposes, but Umber is free to fire off a few shots of Theeder. Once he's run out of MP, Umber should join everyone else in kicking the crap out of Zeto with as long a combo as he and the others can muster. It's going to be a long fight - Zeto has somewhere around 5000 HP (either that or 5600, I'm not sure).



Healing is super important here. Don't take any chances; if it doesn't look like a character can survive the next turn, heal them as soon as you can.



You'll know you're close once your attacks start knocking Zeto down.



It was around that time that Zeto began spamming the hell out of Big Wave; the fucker used it four times in a row at this point. There's not a whole lot you can do if that happens, either; just pile on the damage and try to stay alive until Zeto decides to not use the same goddamn attack over and over.







Strangely enough, Umber dealt the finishing blow in both of my runs through this fight. He's turning into a badass, that's for sure.





Zeto: How could I lose to humans? Is it because of those Ra-Seru? Urggh... Those Ra-Seru, who don't even know the Mist's salvation! Forgive me, Prince Cort!

Wait, who the hell's Prince Cort? Is he the one behind the Mist?

I guess we'll find out later.



Hell yes, we're ready!

*Everyone nods.*
Meta: We must work as one! Attack!







So far so good...



FMV out of nowhere! Again!









Not quite as... explodey as I was expecting, but it'll do.



♪♪The Quiet Tree of Creation♪♪





And thus, the Drake Kingdom has been freed from the Mist!



Uh... what the hell's that thing in the pit? Whatever it is, Blue and co. don't seem to notice it.

Ruby: Terra, are you sad? I can tell that you're crying, Terra.
Terra: You're so kind, Ruby. But don't worry about me.
Ruby: But...



Terra: But we musn't rest yet! We still have to destroy those who created these infernal machines! {I assume that by "destroy" you mean "beat the shit out of".}
Ozma: There are also people in other areas still suffering in the horrible Mist!
Terra: Resting now is the same as giving up!
*Everyone nods.*



Time to head back to the monastery, I su-





I couldn't get a quick enough shot, but that was definitely a Ra-Seru Egg. What the hell is going on here...?

*A quick fade to black later...*



♪♪We Are the Biran Priests♪♪

Zopu: There must also be a Mist Generator in the north, which is still enveloped in the Mist. Honorable Umber!



Zopu: I see. Well, then, Umber! I want you to go after Songi. That Seru on Songi's arm... Obviously it is not a Ra-Seru. And I cannot help but suspect the influence of some evil presence, Zeto perhaps. Fighting the Mist also means tracking down Songi.
*Ruby runs into the room.*
Ruby: Zopu! Umber! Maya says she will return to Rim Elm!



♪♪Mei♪♪

Ruby: Maya, you're going back alone? I can go with you.
Maya: Thank you, Ruby. But the Mist Generator has been destroyed. I'll be alright. Come visit me in Rim Elm sometime. We'll have fun talking together again.
Ruby: *nods* OK!



What's there to be ashamed of? There haven't been any negative side effects to using one, and it turns Blue into a badass besides.

Blue: Thank you. I'll do my best!
Maya: Blue, you're a brave man, and I'll be sure to tell Mei and Val how brave you are! Well, it makes me sad to watch people walk away from me. So I'll leave ahead of you. Goodbye, everyone.
Ruby: Goodbye, Maya.
Zopu: Yes, good luck to you.
Umber: Have a safe journey.
*Maya turns, gives one last look at everyone, and leaves the room. The music fades out.*



♪♪We Are the Bairon Militan Priests♪♪

Umber: Blue, to the north of Drake Kingdom, people are suffering because of the Mist. But we can save them.



Let's rock!

Blue: Follow me, everyone!
Umber: That's the spirit! Blue, you're the leader! We're all counting on you!
Ruby: Blue, you're the greatest!



Er... thanks, I think.

Zopu: The north Sebucus Islands and the Karisto Kingdom, I know not how they fare...



Well we'll certainly try. Not today, though; this update is gigantic enough as it is. The same combo limits as before apply this time - six inputs per combo for Blue and Ruby, and five for Umber. I'll see you all next update!

Next time: Journeying to the Sebucus Islands!

How does absorbing a seru for spells work? Is there a command, does the person who deals the killing blow have a chance to absorb the monster, or is it something else?

That would be it. You can't use magic on it, either; it has to be a physical attack. Again, though, I'm not sure how the odds of absorption are calculated; I have yet to find anything on it.

When I played the game long ago I think I always tried to make the final blow in my combo the ra-seru arm when trying to absorb a seru. I have no idea if that actually increased the odds or not, but I made a point of doing it anyway.

Combos:

LRUDU
LLLRRR
RRRLLL
LRLRLR

Is there any rhyme or reason to the combo system? Is there a pattern that emerges for each / any character or does it just boil down to throwing out a bunch of random combinations and hoping you get lucky?

A little bit of both, honestly. The Hyper Arts, for example, always start and end with the same inputs - meaning Blue's, for instance, will always start with → and end with ←. Similarly, many characters' Arts are almost exactly the same with one arrow changed - like Umber's Back Punch (← → ←) and Guillotine (← ↑ ←). Some characters even share combos verbatim, like Umber's Back Punch and Blue's Hyper Elbow.

On the other hand, it's a bit of trial and error to learn Arts in the first place. Once you've learned a few, though, you can work from there and usually get favorable results.

Ugh, trying to get a decent recording of the upcoming boss is proving to be a bit of a pain in the ass. To those of you who've played this game before - yes, that one. Don't you dare spoil it for everyone else, though! They're going to get a fucking treat - a delicious, brutal, deadly treat.

In any case, the next update should be ready by tomorrow. Would you guys mind bringing the thread to a new page in the meantime? The next update is another big one.

Sure thing, bud. You're doing great so far!

Fantastic LP so far! This is about as far as I ever got in the game myself, looking forward to seeing what I missed.