LogFAQs > #962856773

Yeah, other Tales games really don't encourage swapping like this. I use whoever I have the most fun controlling. Like I play a mean battlemage Tear in Abyss and have loads of fun with Leia in the Xillias. But those aside I tend to use the protagonists.

I get back where I was just fine, and take care of a chain encounter without any issues... well I do need one Life Bottle, but still. I wonder if anyone legitimately believed they were about to face the final boss in here, because there's no fucking way the game is going to end here lol

I enter the next cave and things change from very cold to very hot. We're inside the volcano itself... that's quite the adjustment. I go forward toward a lump in the middle of an area that turns out to be Shigure, drinking sake with his malak cat. Surprised they're killing him off so unceremoniously, and alone. I don't have Rokurou in my party - I couldn't tell WHAT that was. Rokurou for some reason gives his sword to Shigure, who recognizes the sword as Kurogane himself. I don't have an explanation for any of this. One, why does Rokurou trust his thug of a brother? Two, how did Shigure figure that out so fast? And three, why does Shigure give the blade right back? One would think that Shigure would expect Rokurou to uphold bushido here and Melchior would be like "lol no you're gonna kill him or you're fired."

I gotta say it... this Rokurou vs. Shigure duel was not set up that well. We had a couple scenes before but that was it. The one at the port way back. The fight in the Titania lobby. Rokurou explaining why he wants to beat Shigure. If they'd worked overtime to put in an actual flashback to when Rokurou lost to Shigure, I would have more eagerly been anticipating this. The game never gave me any reason to think of Shigure as anything more than "Rokurou's obstacle." All he does is get in the way.

Kitty was apparently restraining Shigure so he could improve via training. He tells Kitty to release his bindings and he enters SUPER SAIYAN MODE. Well, shit. I don't have that! I control Rokurou for this and, uh, it doesn't go well. Shigure slices and dices him like salad ingredients. His Mystic Arte is pretty freaking cool because it goes to him and Rokurou squaring off - for once it's legit plot integrated! It does do damage, but not much. This is the game incentivizing you to play as Rokurou here given how badly it goes when Rokurou is KOed. Which happens a lot. But hey, it's a fun fight, and afterward, there's a crazily well animated cutscene where the two cross blades... and Rokurou flings Shigure's Stornhowl into the sky so he can draw Kurogane's blade for the kill.
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/9/8/AAR0ZFAAC9Iq.jpg

This is EPIC. Like... THAT is how you kill off a bad guy. His dying wish is to let his kitty go free. I'd oblige on the condition that said kitty does not interfere with us. As he bleeds out, he:

1. Says he was planning of leaving the village because he had no interest in living the life of a chained dog
2. He wishes Artorius could smile, because then he'd be a lot happier... which is interesting. Is Artorius so apathetic toward everything that he wants everyone to feel that way? What a bastard.
3. Stops breathing, and Rokurou gives the word to let Velvet consume him. His blade found its mark.

Velvet tells Rokurou he can leave if he wants, but he still feels he owes her a debt (though he's more than paid it by now). Morgrim the Kitty wants to stay a little longer, because Shigure hated to be alone, and she appreciates him for letting her have free will. Shigure may have been working for the absolute scum that is Melchior, but he wasn't a bad guy at all. Note how I still acknowledge his humanity. Rokurou admits to Laphicet that he started the rumors that Shigure was planning a coup, so he could strike him down. Seems young Rokurou was the jealous type. I don't blame him. Having five older brothers will do that. He doesn't care about leadership of the clan - and he's a daemon so they wouldn't want him anyway - but he does care about beating his brother. Complex characterization here.

Eleanor is crying about the match, and Rokurou tells her it's nothing to cry about - samurai never wear emotions like Eleanor does, after all. This helps her realize that Shigure was having fun with the fight, and Eleanor realizes that Rokurou will have more matches like that when swordsmen train their butts off to kick his ass. He's also craving some yozakura animitsu, which is one of the most Japanese-sounding foods I can imagine. Paste and rice of some kind?

As Magilou complains about the heat, Melchior looks down upon us from the summit, taunting us with its arrogance. It also says that we need all four souls to awaken all four Empyreans, and that's the only way to prevent the volcano from erupting. I'd think this bastard would know. Magilou has one word for this: "Trap." She wants to lure him into the fire, because he's an ice mage. Velvet picks this of all times to ask Magilou her relation to Melchior, and Mags says her full name is Magillanica Lou Mayvin - Melchior's foster daughter and disciple. A light bulb goes off in Eleanor's head that Magilou... is a legate. But she was cast out because she was to Melchior what Velvet is to Artorius - a great comparison that everyone else can understand. Velvet doesn't care about Magilou wanting to settle her score. Velvet does what she wants, and Magilou does too. This is why this party is great.

Magilou complains about the heat again because she runs as warm as I do. I too heat up quickly and cool down slowly. This Hot-N-Cold sorta thing is either scorzing or freeching, whichever you want it to be. Velvet has gotten good at trolling Magilou back. The whole gang trolls her with food for... whatever reason. I'm hungry. At any rate, the Scarlet Night goes on forever, even as I return to Meirchio to take care of equipment management and replenish my empty stock of Life Bottles. This takes a while.

Seems chain encounters are much tougher than the Dire Foe. The latter is easy when chaining water and non-elemental attacks while constantly Break Souling to ensure Velvet doesn't die. That 1 HP thing REALLY comes in handy so long as you can keep your soul count up. And it seems like the Fire Doe is more susceptible to getting stunned or poisoned than before. I end at the midpoint of the volcano, getting back to where I started.