Let’s Blog: Ar Tonelico III – #22: EXEC_EP=NOVA/.

I went over and watched one of Master LL’s play videos on YouTube to decode the Hymmnos in today’s PV and discovered the video quality is vastly better. Maybe I should be using those instead. They aren’t ordered by number so nicely, though. :p

This entry covers the boss battle at the end of the Mebius Factory. Unfortunately, there are still a lot of cutscenes left to cover in the next entry.

Spoilers, as usual.

Once done clearing the huge backlog of talk topics with Saki, the PV proceeds to run through the second part of the Mebius Factory dungeon with no encounters as usual, the filthy cheater. It’s a bit of a maze with plenty of chests along the way to grab.

After going up a lot of elevators, the party will find their way to a machine that looks like a prime contender for wrecking havoc upon with Saki’s new Hymn. Finnel remarks it looks kind of scary, while Katena runs to the control panel to observe it. He tells Saki to begin singing, and she’s about to do so, when…

Mute arrives. She begrudges, “To be able to escape from all those robot soldiers… you guys really are something out of the ordinary, eh?” Aoto replies, “To keep coming back for more after we’ve beaten you so many times, you’re something out of the ordinary too.” Mute froths, “This place shall be your graveyard! This time, I’m gonna bash and smash and crash you to a pulp!” In the true fashion of shounen protagonists, Aoto states confidently, “There’s no way I’m dying here! Because I promised I’d return Saki to her hometown… to Arukia!”

Aoto shouts for Saki to continue her hymn while he fights Mute off. Saki clasps her hands as if in prayer, and…

Well, you should probably just watch the YouTube video.

Aoto and Tatsumi react with shock, but Katena says that the hymn is working; they just need to defend Saki until it finishes. You’re then launched into battle with Mute and her entourage, while EXEC_EP=NOVA/. continues playing in the background.

After the battle, Mute screams and collapses. Red warning lights flash, and a speaker announces “Was ki ra exec DitailWave Flea Pulse en khal nnoi”, which essentially just indicates the DFP activation was successful. Katena says it’s just a bit longer before the power reaches 100%, while Mute shouts “I can’t lose here!” Suddenly, a new arrival appears on the scene…

It’s Mute’s superior, whom we saw briefly way back in blog entry #2. She realizes DFP has been activated, and orders Mute to retreat. Mute addresses her as “General Akane”, and Finnel reacts with shock at this. Katena shouts that he’s activating DFP, and for everyone to grab onto something.

“Stop fighting, pleeeease!”

Clusternia’s airships proceed to fall out of the sky.

Mute has passed out, while a strange creature has appeared before Akane. The party is shocked by its appearance, while Akane says, “Kukurou…! Thank you for protecting me. I’m okay now…”

With those words, Kukurou transforms into a considerably less intimidating form. Finnel shouts, “Akane-chan!” and Akane finally seems to recognized her, surprised by her presence. Aoto asks if Finnel knows her. Akane politely introduces herself: “I am the Commander in Chief of the Clusternia Military, who has been tasked with subjugating the Great Fang. Please call me Akane.”

Aoto remarks, “…Commander in Chief…? This little girl…?” Akane ignores him, saying, “It’s been a while, Finnel.” Finnel attempts to begin explaining herself, but Akane interrupts “I do not need to hear your excuses. I have not the right to intervene in your course of action. However, I can interpret your companions’ action just now only as a declaration of war. If you continue to support them in the future, I do not intend to forgive you.”

Finnel again shouts “Akane-chan,” seeming pained, but one of Akane’s subordinates runs up and informs her there are too many casualities and they must fall back and abandon Jouteimon at once. Akane agrees, and asks her to find someone to carry Mute; “Ten of you should be sufficient.”

Akane begins to leave, but Finnel shouts for her to wait. She says that she doesn’t want to fight Akane. Akane replies, “You and I are not the same. Carry out your own duty. Shouldn’t you make up your own mind and do something of worth with what meager lifespan you have left?” Finnel is speechless, and Aoto interrupts, saying, “…Meager lifespan… What the hell do you mean by that?” Akane replies, “It is not something that I need explain to you,” irritating Aoto.

Akane continues, “Regardless of what you do, we shall know. So it would be best if you no longer involved yourself with any of this. If you do, it won’t be long before…” Aoto interrupts, “Quit flapping your mouth and get lost. I won’t let you interfere with Finnel!”, his patience at a limit. After staring at him briefly, Akane excuses herself and departs without another word.

Aoto asks if Finnel’s okay, and Finnel begins crying with gratitude. Hikari compliments Aoto on showing Akane who’s boss (I think I might’ve missed something in that conversation…), and Saki agrees it was really cool. Finnel recovers from her emotional breakdown in but a moment and glares at Saki for butting in. It seems there’s a rivalry developing.

Hikari says now that the enemy’s retreating, there’s no need to remain here; they should go somewhere else and plan their next move. They head down the elevator, while Katena remains with the DFP machine.

“Well, that was a splendid success. Now all that’s left is the proper cooldown…” he remarks. He turns and looks at the unconscious Mute, still lying nearby. “Still unconscious? Theoretically speaking, the possibility exists she will awaken momentarily, but… this is a chance for me to gather data!”, he decides, approaching.

Suddenly, Mute stirs. “Because of that pipsqueak, my honor was tarnished…!” she says, weeping. “But I won’t lose…! I definitely won’t lose again! Next time… next time…!” Katena asks if she is alright, and when Mute asks who he is, explains he is Katena, a researcher at the laboratory. Mute is surprised, seeming to recognize his name. Katena repeats, “Are you okay? Your face is awfully red… if you’re feeling ill, I can get you some medicine…”

Mute insists she is okay, and stands up, running away all of a sudden…

And I think the first flowering of the game’s most touching romance is a good place to stop. There’s five minutes left in the PV, but that goes well with the five minutes of cutscene in the next one before the player parks themselves in the inn to catch up with Saki’s item syntheses.

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