Let’s Blog: Ar Tonelico III – #7: A Master is Out

So the guy doing the play videos on Nico, after initially running out of DP for Finnel’s Paradigm Shift, grinded 1500 DP, went back in a rage and cleared her cosmosphere levels 2-4. (Or maybe these PVs are out of order.) In actuality he probably wanted to witness a certain infamous event in her cosmosphere level 5…

I am not a Finnel fanatic so I’m not going to do all that Diving just yet, meaning I’m skipping PV#7 and the first portion of 8 for now. Instead, this entry heads straight onward to Fallen Heaven Road.

Spoilers, as usual.

Now that you’ve powered up Finnel, you can head to the next area on the World Map, Fallen Heaven Road. Upon entering, you’re plunged into a cutscene, the party hears the sound of fighting, and hurries onward to witness Hikari Gojyou, Saki and an unknown man trapped by Mute and her minions. Rufan shouts “Gengai-sama!”, revealing the identity of that unknown man. Without much chatter, your party plunges into the fray.

You battle Mute to the rousing tune of EXEC_CUTYPUMP/. This fight was long but fairly easy, with the power of Finnel’s Hymma and the 79 basic healing items I somehow acquired along the way. There’s no time lag for using items, so it’s incredibly easy to keep your party alive even when they’re taking a hefty amount of damage…

After the battle, Mute is shocked that she once again lost to a human. Aoto taunts her over her weakness, and after promising revenge, she makes herself scarce.

Tatsumi asks whether Hikaru and Saki made it to Fallen Heaven Peak, and they reply they were intercepted along the way. Gengai is introduced, and Aoto asks him if he’s okay after being attacked by Soma. Gengai replies that his injuries were nothing major, but Tatsumi swears that he’ll defeat Soma for what he did to his master. Finnel looks briefly shocked… Then the group notices that Rufan has disappeared. Gengai doesn’t seem concerned, though, and suggests they hurry onward to Fallen Heaven Peak.

Saki runs up to Aoto and privately thanks him for rescuing her, while Finnel looks on, seeming puzzled.

After this, you’re allowed to roam freely. If you head left, you’ll find a save point. Upon resting, Saki comes to Aoto’s room for a late-night chat, but it’s not a talk topic… instead, she wants Aoto to Dive into her. She’s heard about him diving into Finnel, and wants to strengthen her power so that she can be helpful as well. When Aoto hesitates, she worries that he prefers Finnel to her… but he explains that it’s because Diving is dangerous. He’s decided to return Saki to Arukia safely, and doesn’t want to do anything that could harm her.

Saki angrily replies that she isn’t a doll. She wants to become stronger and protect Aoto as well. If Aoto really doesn’t want to dive into her, she understands, but she doesn’t want him to hold back for her sake. Aoto finally agrees to do it, and says that they’ll become a superhero and heroine together (yes, literally.)

You can go back to Tokoshie Canopy and dive into her now if you wish, but I’ll wait and see when the PVs get around to it. Instead, I headed back right to continue through the area.

Halfway across a bridge up ahead, another cutscene appears. In the sky ahead, the party watches airships unloading their weaponry upon Fallen Heaven Peak… Gengai exhorts them to hurry.

Eventually, you’ll reach a stone staircase on the mountainside and view another cutscene. People are fleeing down the staircase. Gengai stops one to ask what the situation is, and the man only replies that it’s too late for Fallen Heaven Peak and they’ll be captured immediately if they go up there. Hikaru asks where they’re fleeing to, and another man comes down the steps. He says “There’s no escape! All we can do is volunteer to be purified!”

“Purified?” asks Saki. Hikaru explains that it’s the only way to escape Clusternia’s wrath… to become a human with no will of their own. In other words, a slave. Saki and Finnel are both shocked by this, while Aoto yells at the man for suggesting they voluntarily submit to such a fate. “Well, what else can we do?” he replies, and Aoto has no answer. He continues “At least if we submit, we’ll still be alive! The Reyvateils have promised to be merciful…”

Gengai says, “That’s nothing but a lie!” The man says “What are you going to do, then?” When Gengai is silent, he continues, “You can’t do anything either! In the end, they’ll just destroy you!” Tatsumi shouts at him for doubting the words of their leader who swore to protect Fallen Heaven Peak, and the man retorts to look at what’s happening to Fallen Heaven Peak right now. He and the other continue on their way, and the cutscene ends.

There’s another save point nearby. I saved here and rested to clear some talk topics, then stopped for the day.

Tags: ar tonelico, ar tonelico 3, gust, jrpg