Just What is an Edge Fencer, Anyway? Let's Play Summon Night Swordcraft Story 2!

And I almost forgot. Here's what the Fulgur Horn can make:


Or if you prefer weapons that are easier to carry, as an upgrade it adds 4 ATK, 3 DEF, and 12 DUR.


Now, we head to the Lightning fortress to see a robot about a teleporter. Apparently Gabe could smell we were coming. I guess Aera forgot to take a shower this morning?


Plot progression, go!


Nina pops up through the floor again. It seems she just can't stand bright places.


Tatiana's just prejudiced against the corporeally impaired. Stop being a bigot, Tats!

Like start the zombie apocalypse?


That's a big relief. Tatiana is also prejudiced against zombies. Damn undead, always taking our jobs!


She finally got the joke, "So a ghost, a zombie, and a priest walk into a bar..."


Tenkai Star brand! Running joke, or just run into the ground?


Ha ha, yuk it up, squirt. She kicked Orin's ass, she'll kick yours too! Don't think she won't!


Ok, Dinah. You're fired. Gabe, how'd you like to be Aera's Guardian Beast?

Her hair buns are actually the failed result of trying to give herself dog ears. Everyone files out and into the next room.


The conversation does not die, however.


Great! let's get a-teleportin'!


My suspicion: a dungeon! With monsters, treasure, and a boss.


And when has Aera let you down? Never! And she's not gonna start now!


Yeah, bet you didn't think of asking, did you?


Err...


Aww man, Aera lets us down again.

Sure, then when we teleport in the crater of an active volcano, we all instead of just some of us!


Figures. He was all right with it back at the house, but as soon as they come all the way out here he changes his mind.


Yeah, he's Aera's robot! He doesn't take orders from you!


Haha, sucks to be you!


Uh... that's good in theory, but...


Yeah, that little problem.


Sweet, you guys have internet?


Yes! This cutscene has been long enough, let's get on with it!


Next time on Just What is an Edge Fencer Anyway?: Into the unknown!

Also yes I noticed that I didn't give the spices to the woman.

Man, there's no way teleporting to an unknown place can be bad! Let's do this!

I'm still utterly confounded by the notion of not going to the options first thing. Especially in modern JRPGs, in which messing with the options constitutes 90% of the gameplay for the first few hours.

Well, yes, the first thing I do when I fire up a new game is go look at the options. But for some reason, I often forget to do it on subsequent playthroughs. I think my brain has me flagged as already having been to the options, or something.

Don't worry, it often takes me three or more trips to the options window in FF6 before I've remembered to set everything the way I want it.

And if you're wondering where an Edge Fencer hides a Daemon Edge, the answer is... a complete dump. Just look at this mess! There's no way this building is up to code.


And Graham was a paranoid bastard. To even get here you need to prove to Bruno you're an Edge Fencer, and then you have to go on a freaking scavenger hunt through an abandoned building that looks like it's about to fall apart.

Also, Aera asks where Bruno where Graham went with the sword, because she apparently didn't notice that there's only one door.


Man I am starting to be reminded of getting dicked around by the Craftlords.


Main screen turn on! I'm so sorry


It's you!


All your base are belong to us!


Take off every zig!


For great justice!

Alright, enough of that.


I hope Tatiana took my advice and brought some cards, or a book, or something.


I do feel bad for her, she basically got dicked around by Orin and Aera here. She fought tooth and nail to get to come along, and then she gets left behind anyway.

As Aera and Dinah head for the door, Bruno conspicuously fails to follow them.


Surprise! Not only do we have to run around a building that looks like it's about to collapse on top of us, but it's also crawling with robot guards!

Graham, you suck.


Man, you are the worst robot buddy ever.


Yeah, you know, if you came with us, you could just teleport us to safety if something happened.


So he's our useless cowardly robot buddy. Awesome. You guys should have voted for EXeLD. Then we'd have a cool robot buddy!


You can lead a horse to the ruined factory, but you can't make him fight monsters?


She says it like she has a choice in the matter. The only time she gets to leave Aera's side is at night!


This strange monument is one of several that explain the dungeon gimmicks. This one lets you know about conveyor belts, and to hit switches with your hammer to reverse the belts' direction. Now read that paragraph again 10 times, because it explains it in excruciating detail, over and over. And then Aera repeats it again at the end!


Seriously, this place is a total mess. The security robots are all still working, but there's no maintainence robots to keep the place from turning out like this?


And sure enough, conveyor belts! When you step onto one, you can't move, but you can change direction and use your tools.

Aww, they're so cute! These are the security robots? Whatever they're supposed to be, they're barely a speed bump and each go down in a single combo from my wind sword.


And here's the switches mentioned that you smack with a hammer to reverse the belts.


I can't help but think this is a suggestion.


More small fry that fall quickly to the mighty wind sword.


Oh, hey, that looks more like a security robot. You think he wants to be friends? Spoiler: He does not.


Did I mention there were conveyer belts? It really doesn't seem very practical to have all these one-belts that change direction when a switch on the other side of the area is pressed. Can you imagine working here before it was abandoned? "Oh, I gotta take this report to Bob. I just need to take this conveyer here... oh, it's going the wrong way. I'll just get my hammer and hit the switch near Accounting..."


"Oh, Janet's looking pissed today, I'll just take the long route"


"Why can't they just lay down some regular floor so I could just walk to Bob's office? Or just shut off the conveyer?"


Anyway, some of the conveyers are lined wtih crates! So that gives you something to do while you're waiting to be conveyed to your destination. Also, a ridiculous number of them are filled with Light Metal Ore. Or as we like to call it, Aluminum. Unless you're British. Then it's Aluminium and you're silly. (Okay, this needs to stop. British English vs. American English is the lowest form of humor. Puns are way, way higher. Hee hee, "bugger")


Another familiar face!


His bestiary page; I just like the comment.


Splash takes off a nice chuck off of his whopping 1000 HP though.

Seriously, I found a TON of this stuff! This isn't even all of it. I think the total haul was 6 pieces across two floors.


Also: Secret destructible wall! You'd think with this place being as busted up as it is, there'd be weak walls all over the place, but I guess not!


Yay! (Not pictured: another chest with a stupid Anywhere Diary in it.)


[Guild]Aera: Ding 18!
[Guild]Orin: Gratz!
[Guild]Gabriel: Congratulations!
[Guild]Xeride: Way to go!
[Guild]Tatiana: Shut up nobody cares I hate you you're not my real sis
[Guild]Orin: Now go get your subjob!
[Guild]Aera: er... what?


Hey look another rare medal hidden in a secret rom!


Anyway, now that we've cleared all the treasure on this floor, let's see what's got Janet so pissed off.


One of these sentences is a lie! Can you guess which one?

Video: Vs. Grappler
So, naturally we have to fight it. It's a pretty easy fight if you've got enough AGI to jump over his head, because all his attacks give you enough time to hop behind him and hit him in the back a few times. Or cast a spell. Or do a little dance. You know, whatever you want. Also, I try out Enchant Aqua on a lark, and it gives a nice boost to Aera's damage for the last part of the fight!


Surprise! Jumping around fighting a huge multi-ton robot in a long-abandoned building is a bad idea!


And unfortunately for Aera, her guardian beast is a frail girl who relies on magic instead of getting regular exercise, so naturally she can't pull Aera back up. They both fall to their death. The end!

Next time on Just What is an Edge Fencer anyway?: The funeral! Also, giant robot! (Note: One of the above may not actually be in the game)

See? Everyone wanted awesome accidentally-on-purpose lesbian subtext instead of an awesome robot pal, but now look what we have. A bunch of flying robot cowards and an impending death.

I BLAME THIS ON YOU.

Oh look folks, Aera's thick skull absorbed most of the impact! It looks like she's ok! But what about Dinah?


Great going, Aera! All she ever asked of you was to protect her (and house her, and feed her, and cater to her every whim) and instead you get her killed! You're the worst master ever!


Oh, I guess Angel!Dinah is alright. Devil!Dinah's dead, though. Forever. Gone, we'll never see her again. EVER.


Ok I lied. But you've probably noticed by now that I do that a lot. For example...

This was a lie! I just skipped over the pictures while I was writing the update, because I'm absentminded like that!


See?


Anyway, since everyone's alive, we can just keep going as if we didn't almost die.


Dammit, where's a seed when you need one? Or a tree? Or a rusty sword, at least?


Not that this stops her from casting spells or anything.

Is this where I can make a weight joke?


Oh ho! What have we here? Some insight into the caring side Dinah hides away?


Looks like that's a yes!


Aww, I wanted to hear more about Dinah's secret crush on Aera.


But Dinah will none of that. None, I say!


But first, what's that, over there?


It's a giant robot!


It's... a giant robot!


It's a giant robot! Jeez, It's like you guys can't hear me.

Do you mind? We're trying to stare in awe at the giant robot! Maybe this one will actually do something useful!


Sorry, busy staring at the giant robot.


Yeah, that giant robot.


It's a- man, screw you guys. You just won't listen!.


Orin wastes no time getting to work trying to get into its circuits.


Orin prefers 'em feisty.


Come on now, what are the chances that an old robot in a ruined factory would be hostile?


Oh, right.


Oh yeah, Graham's draconian policies should've meant that nobody could come to our rescue, if, for example, the floor caved in under us and plunged us to our deaths.

You know, hypothetically.


Man, if we look at this whole thing again with the benefit of hindsight, it's all screwed up. So Bruno will only teleport people who have clearance from the Edge Fencer. Tatiana and Orin stay behind so they don't get in Aera's way, but when Bruno stays behind at the entrance he says he can contact them if anything happens to Aera's life signs.

Note that she doesn't give them clearance to be teleported.

So something happens to Aera and Dinah, and Bruno calls up Xeride and is like, "hey man tell those meatbags over there that the meatbags over here are half-dead." And Xeride does, and Orin are like, "hey Bruno teleport us over there and let us save them" but Bruno's like "lol no you don't have clearance" so Xeride had to hack him so Aera and Dinah wouldn't die.

So if Aera had just let Orin and Tatiana teleport in the first place, we could have just skipped the whole bloody mess.

Great, so if we need to hack Bruno again tomorrow, we'll be SOL?


Maybe you'd understand him if you'd pick up a book once a century.


Aera's not that bright. Or maybe she was just unconscious longer than she thought.


See, Aera can't get anything done without Tatiana! Except that by the time she arrived, Aera was already awake...


Hey, you were totally ineffectual! But it's the thought that counts!


Well, maybe he was in a hurry! It takes a while to down an Iron Giant! Not that you would know, we don't have any evidence you know how to fight!

Thanks for visiting! We'll send you a postcard from the Daemon Edge! Don't worry, I'm sure you'll do something useful someday!


Anyway, they head back without having accomplished anything, and we take a closer look at the giant robot.

Well, try to, anyway. There's nothing to trigger, not even a single text box.


Heading to the right and up some steps takes up back to the floor above, where a healing point awaits. I head back to town for some repairin' and forgin'.


Yes. We found the sword in the ten seconds after you left before we followed you to the exit. Moron.


Hey look a new material! Also, a minor spoiler for the insightful.


Light Metal Ore can be made into balanced weapons. I rather like the grey-and-purple color scheme.


Also! Since I had like an aircraft carrier full of light ore, making the full set of weapons bumps up Aera's craftknight rank to "can upgrade weapons with two items!"

Like so!

Oops, hold on.

There we go.


Like so!

Now we've upgraded our awesome wind sword to an awesome windier sword! It makes bigger tornados happen when you hit something!


And the Beast King Crest makes for some Beast King weapons, of all things.


And we go back to the Ruined Factory to bigger-tornado some robots and maybe find that sword finally.


And then Aera falls down the same hole she fell down before. She just never learns!

Heading to the left of the enormous automaton is.. a locked door! What could be behind it? How can we open it? The questions are burning a hole in my brain! I won't be able to sleep until I found out!

Ok, there I go lying again.


Anyway, the way forward is off to the right of the mechanical collossus, past the stairs up.


And we're faced with a surplus of conveyer belts. Look at that! Who needs five conveyers all serving the same platform! It's this kind of wasteful spending that bankrupted this factory!


And they can't just make things simple, either. Whoever designed this floor must have been trying to make art instead of a space for people to actually navigate.


At least there's some sweet, sweet loot to blunt the trauma. Naturally, I stumble across the exit well before clearing the place out and have to go back and find it all.


And if we ever need to farm up more Fulgar Horns, these here Elebolts will drop them on occasion.


This is the only connecting walkway in the entire dungeon that is not a conveyer belt. Now they're just rubbing our face in the fact that they could have used these all over, but deliberately chose not to.


Another Rare Medal, and the chest there had a Rubstone.


Doot dee doo...


And Aera hit level 20 as we finish up the area.


It's another restore point, and another message from the Guy Who Explores Dungeons and Leaves Excessively Detailed Journal Entries About Dungeon Gimmicks.

That's kind of a long name. Let's just call him Moron McWritesalot.

Dur hur hur.


Whoa what happened here? I'd hate to meet whatever tore that guy apart. Spoiler: We don't!


She seems a little young for hot flashes.


Hmm. Magic floating sword, at the end of the dungeon which we know contains the Daemon Edge, causes hot flashes in nearby Edge Fencers? Must be a coincidence.


Well you're certainly not leaving it here after all this work.


All right! Let's take this thing to Goura's seal and make with the banishings.


Also, convenient psychic awakenings! Incidentally, the name of the sword will never come up, ever again in the entire game. So in addition to having the most useless transformation ever, the Edge Fencer is also blessed with the most useless psychic power ever!


See?

Oh come on! How did he even get here!? We had to jump through hoop after hoop , and he gets to just waltz in like he owns the place? Boo! Boooooooooo!


Well, okay, since you asked nicely.


Hey, we already beat this guy once!

Video: Vs. Black Swordsman
Hey, haven't we seen that sword before? Yeah, breaking his weapon will get you a Beast King Crest, but as usual that takes too long. Don't worry, it's not too much longer before we get a decent way to deal DUR damage. Anyway, I don't have much to talk about for this fight, because I pretty much just stumbled my way through it. Maybe I should have used Drill Special to make it easy? He's unpredictable and pretty fast, so you have to keep on your toes.


Giving up already? You know, with this sword we can thwart all your plans, right?


Oh, this is one of those "I could crush you right now, but I don't feel like it" moments. Well, Ryouga actually does seem to care about Aera. He's always trying to get us to give up, but doesn't want to hurt her if he doesn't have to.

Well that bummed her out. I guess it wasn't just a bad luck that caused her to lose the match against Ryouga that started this whole mess.


That's some cool looking decoration.


This time I actually remember I have Escape! Now if this actually worked like you'd expect an escape spell to, i.e. to take you outside the dungeon, we'd be screwed. We have no idea where the Ruined Factory is, and our way out is via Bruno, who's hiding in a freakin' closet. And after exploring the entire factory, there aren't any doors to the outside. So we'd be stuck out there and completely lost.


But since this is a video game, it doesn't work like that, instead taking us to Bruno's closet.


Awww man, is she gonna get all emo on us, just cuz Ryouga's got godlike power and could crush her like a bug?


Yeah, it doesn't matter if Ryouga can curbstomp her, if we reseal Goura we win! It's kinda like capture the flag! Only the flag is a sword and the base is a big shrine with a demon trapped inside.


Woo! Party time! Everyone congratulates the super-awesome savior of EarthLindbaum!


Heck yeah! The game's winding down! Final dungeon, final boss, here we come!


OH FOR FU-well I guess I kinda expected that. Same damn stunt they pulled in the first game.

Also, where there's a thunder dungeon, there's a fire dungeon... and a water dungeon, and a wind dungeon...


...Just input a password! Damn useless robot.


Seriously, Graham, would it have been that bad to let us teleport right to the damn swords? We could be done with all this in like twenty minutes instead of half a week.


Yeah, geez, we had to fight two bosses, fell through the floor, and GIANT ROBOT.


WINK, WINK, NUDGE NUDGE!


Yeah, not even a peep from Passeau today. I wonder what she was up to this whole time?

*BAMF*

Heh, Lynn wants to see Aera's sword.


Oh god the double entredres!


What the heck is it forged out of, plutonium?


Awesome! Not only is there only one person who can actually use the swords, but they can't even do that without help from a third party. Ryouga doesn't even have to hurt Aera, he can just kill Blair and Orin and we're just as screwed.


So we need to wait until we find three more swords... great.


We'll just leave it with Amariss. Oops, wrong game


In her closet! Under her bed! Under Tatiana's bed! In Lynn's bed! Mmmm, in Lynn's bed....

....

Oops, lost my train of thought there. Sorry.


Seriously, what we be the point of hiding it if we just up and told everyone where it was?


Wooo! Nighttime!


Wait... did she...?


Oh god. I was not making a suggestion when I said that!


Well, Aera does have a point.... but it's no less stupid.


See, Dinah knows it's stupid. She can only throw up her arms in exasperation.


And that's the end of day 5. Next time on JWIAEFA?: "What...? Oh, yeah... I'm the only one..."

It's a Gundam!!!!!1!

Well, okay, technically the head looks more like an Orbital Frame from Zone of Enders, but then I don't get the Cartoon Network Gundam Wing dub reference...

It's EXeLD's bro, and he wants the ten bucks you borrowed from him.

Shit! Listen, man, tell him I'm not here. Tell him I... died in a car accident! Yeah! Oh god maybe I can escape out the back door.




Secretive? Legendary? Childish? ...Swordy?


Yeah, she totally is.


Yeah, this is JRPG. Never Give Up? Check.


Power of Friendship? Check.


Moment of Crippling Self-Doubt? Check.


Doesn't Want To Fight? Check. I'm not suddenly browsing TVtropes again, am I?


Wait, what? Holy shit, she really is a devil!


Ouch. Thanks for the vote of confidence!


Oh. I get it now. She's just lazy.


Or... not?

Girls are confusing.

"So don't commit to anything or make any promises!"


Hey, just what genre do think this is? Quitting is not an option!


Ah, there she is. About time she showed up.


Aww, that's sweet.


Isn't that the opposite of what Dinah said?


So it was all reverse psychology?


So Dinah tells Aera to give up, she'll never have the willpower to succeed, etc., and that makes her really happy?

...Is Aera a masochist?


Well, all's well that ends well(?).