02x19 - Revive, Broken City, Your Peace at an End

[bunniefuu]

After the Moonblades, I ascended my
Marsh Daggers, to be reborn into...

Ducusram
equipped.

Ducusram!

It's your big debut, guys!

Let's go!

Revive, Broken City, Your Peace At an End

Rust!

I'll hold off the ones on the right.

You handle the left!

Got it!

It's time!

R-Righty-o!

Magic Edge!

The main benefit of the Marsh
Daggers was how tough they were.

Rather than a standard upgrade, I had
Bilac ascend them, focusing on VIT.

VIT [Durability]

Now they're proper swords, each worthy
of the hands of a storybook hero...

Now, let's go, Ducusram!

Unbroken Light Dance!

Unbroken Light Dance

Unbroken Light Dance

They're not just tough.

They also negate the VIT reductions
from landing criticals.

With these, I can withstand prolonged battles!

Of course, against someone like you...

I probably won't need that much time!

Still, something seems off...

Seems like kind of a pushover for
a unique scenario boss, right?

Could it be...

There's a bigger boss waiting in the wings?

Could be.

Then again, the size of my party meant I
didn't have to deal with the fishmen horde.

Maybe things are just easier
when you're not rolling solo?

You damn monsters!

I'm gonna avenge my daddy!

Stude?

Huh? What are you doing over—

I thought you were leaving the battle to us!

I-I can fight too!

What the hell are you—

It ignored us to charge right at Stude?

Oh hell, of course!

This isn't a boss battle!

It's an escort mission!

Protect Stude!

An escort mission?

For Stude?

It was never just about
dealing with that huge horde!

I'm not gonna make it!

My stat debuffs are debilitating...

But with this equipment,

I can still hold my own!

What the...

Who is that?

Is that... Rei-shi?!

I thought we were dealing with
a new monster for a second...

Thanks a ton, Rei-shi!

You babysit Stude, okay?

B-Babysit?!

I said I was gonna fi—

Leave it to me!

Emul, Mold, Rust!

Their aggro's focused on Stude!

Stay alert!

Right!

Got it!

Indeed!

If it's an escort mission, then...

I gotta get moving...

And finish this quick!

Excuse me!

Sorry we're late!

We'll join the fight here, too!

What was that sensation?

It felt like time stopped for a second...

Lag?

It's like the blips you feel when a game's
trying to load a ton of data at once...

But I've never experienced lag
from SLF loading before...

Not even against that gigantic Overdress Golem.

Stude! I need you to get back!

The seas have grown more turbulent!

Oh no! We're gonna fall!

We can't fight like this!

It's taking everything we have
just to keep our balance!

This is bad! Very bad!

Gigantic arms that could
drag down entire islands...

Sunraku-san!

This is... This is...

This is Ctarnidd!

Th-The hell you say?!

Ctarnidd of the Abyss...

It's supposed to be an
ordinary unique scenario...

What's the unique monster doing here?!

Are we gonna have to fight it?

Does this scenario lead
right into the bonus one?!

Hang on a minute!

There's supposed to be some procedures
before you throw us into these things!

Bonus Unique Scenario
The Abyss Lies Above in a World Turning Upside-Down
Beginning now.

Hey...

Don't just do it without asking!

The ocean floor?

What the...

Forced unconsciousness? That's rare.

What's going on here?

Hey, Emul!

Guys! Where are you?!

Enemies and party members
are nowhere to be seen.

Same with Ctarnidd.

Can't exactly protect Stude now.

That's bad. I never even
dreamed this would happen.

To think we'd go right into a
potentially deadly bonus scenario...

Bringing Emul along was a huge mistake.

Where even am I, anyway?

Was I sucked into some undersea cave...

No, this is more like...

An undersea city?

Abyssal Capital Ruluiath

What the heck is going on here?

Either way...

Bonus Unique Scenario
The Abyss Lies Above
in a World Turning Upside-Down
Beginning now.

Looks like I found the Master of
the Abyss sooner than I thought.

That's fine. I'll generously overlook
his heavy-handed invitation.

But...

Ctarnidd of the Abyss...

There's gotta be a rule against
making beasts like that.

I'm supposed to tangle with that thing?

Sounds fun to me, Seven Colossi...

But first, I've gotta track
down Emul and the g*ng.

Where are you, Emul?!

That voice...

Someone must be nearby.

Who could it be?

Deep Abyss Moray

Are these the fishman zombies from before?

Now they're items for the taking.

Maybe I can stick 'em in the Inventoria?

Hey, I can!

I dunno why, but for now...

I'd like to get some info
on this underwater city.

A weathered city painted in pale cerulean.

A towering castle at its center.

Bet that's where I'll find Ctarnidd.

And the Bonus Unique Scenario that
triggered in the middle of a battle...

"The Abyss Lies Above in a
World Turning Upside-Down."

That lag we experienced just
before the scenario started...

It seemed like it triggered the second
Akitsuakane stepped on the ghost ship.

"Stude still alive plus all members on board
the Crying Innsman" is the trigger, maybe?

What's this? A counter?

Special Status
"Abyssal Time"

"Special status"...

That "Guiding Light" I got as a reward for the
Lycagon battle was also a "special status."

If this is a special gimmick
for bonus scenarios,

maybe that's what the level cap
in Wethermon's fight was, too.

Now it's a counter that ticks down...

Which means the Master of the Abyss has
invited me to his underwater realm,

and now I've got 170 hours—in other words,
a week—to bust up Ctarnidd's stronghold.

Not sure if that'll be too
much time or too little,

but they'll never expect you to
marathon seven days straight.

There's gotta be respawn sites or
save points you can log out from...

All the houses are sealed off, too...

And from the outside, at that.

Keeping the inhabitants trapped inside, maybe?

I've got a bad feeling about this.

I've gotta meet up with the others quick.

Emul and the other NPCs especially...

They don't come back if they're k*lled.

Hey! Anybody here?!

Emul!

I don't know the first thing
about what's going on,

so my only choice is looking around
while searching for my party.

Emul!

Was that a person?

A monster?

Rei-shi?!

No...

Wait, a tail?

Yeah, it's a monster!

I-It's a whole fish mob!

They're in the city too?!

Why are there so many?
This is too many, darn it!

And their equipment's gotten a boost
since the ghost ship fight, too!

Waning Mirror!

Go play with my afterimage!

Darn it, didn't work!

It couldn't absorb aggro from
so many targets for long!

Good thing they're stupid.

They're not even smart enough to
take different paths to find me.

If you just charge straight at your
target, you'll never catch me!

Shana-Oh Incarnate!

Gravity Zero Lv. 1!

Gravity Zero Lv. 1
Gravitational effects reduced when feet
are planted on walls or ceilings.

Activate!

Fishmen dumb enough to just chase
after you in a straight line

will inevitably end up clumped against the wall.

You could make a fish dumpling
out of 'em. A pretty rotten one.

Still, there's a ton of those things.

It's almost... familiar.

Cosmo Buster

That VR game sold under the tagline of

"Experience overwhelming despair
like you're there!"

Cosmo Buster.

The stage five mission was the worst of all.

The player is part of a force set to stay behind

and draw enemy aggro to allow
the allied forces to retreat.

It turns out the best way to beat it

is to exploit bugs to climb
up the walls and hide.

Sometimes, the way to win is not to engage.

I learned that lesson painfully well.

Memories are experience. Experience is power!

Y'know?

When the hell?!

There's monsters up here too?!

W-Wait, Birdian!

I'm not one of them!

He's talking?!

Is that the guy who was running before?

He does seem a bit different to the
rotten dumpling brigade down there.

An event NPC?

That wound...

Were they after you?

Hang on! They even climbed straight up!

Mobs that don't respect individual
rights are a scary thing.

Damn it...

Here.

H-Healing medicine?!

Drink it and run!

Let's make tracks!

R-Right!

I do not know who you are, but thank you!

No sweat!

Didn't think I'd run into an
NPC before a fellow player...

But this is a total event flag!

Can't just let that get away!

Plus, he might be my ticket to
learning more about this area.

And that'll help me find Emul and the others!

Your voice...

You're the one who shouted out before, yes?

I'd advise you to keep your voice down.

They seek out enemies primarily
through their eyes and ears.

If you are not careful,
they will swarm you en masse!

Wait, is it my fault you got hurt?!

Do not let it trouble you.
It was a simple mistake.

Either way, I'd love to have
a proper conversation...

I am Araba.

Araba.

I will repay you someday, unfamiliar Birdian!

But first, we must find safety!

You got it.

I'm Sunraku. Nice to meet you!

By the way, I'm not a Birdian.
I'm a normal human.

This is a mask!

What? Looking like that?!

I did wonder about your lack of feathers...

Well, we gave the zombie fish horde the slip...

But why were they attacking
a fellow fishman like you?

How dare you?!

I am a proud merman.

Merman
Araba

Do not confuse me with those pale imitations.

Imagine if I called you a common field bird!

Seriously, I'm not one of those Birdian guys.

Save Zone
Updates Your Respawn Point
Logging Out Allowed

Still, seems like any building you can
get into once you've shaken off the mob

functions as kind of safe zone.

But you've got seven days
to explore this huge town.

You'd need a system like that in place.

Save complete.

Now, I've got a few questions, if I may...

Let's see. First, about this city—

Wait.

I hear singing.

Oh, no! Mermaids?!

Mermaids?

Hey, they're mermaids, but they're flying!

We gotta check this out!

Don't be ridiculous!

It's already begun!

We have to get out of—

Araba?

Th-Their human-looking upper bodies...

Th-They're bait to lower the enemy's guard...

Mere camouflage!

Once they catch you, they use their song to—

Hey, you okay?!

It's a debuffing song.

So they're monsters too?

Still, Araba ends up in a lot of scrapes
for such a tough-looking guy, huh?

If they're using debuffs, I guess
this is a job for me and my Scar.

Mermesis Bagroon

Okay, I get it.

Those pretty faces of yours...

If I didn't know better, I'd definitely
assume you were NPCs and let my guard down.

Just so you know, I don't hold back
for good looks, male or female.

I'll k*ll anyone equally.

Your debuffs don't work on me, either,

and even if you're flying...

It won't save you at all!

Gravity Zero! Shana-Oh Incarnate!

Hell yeah! Fleet Float to
get her on the rebound!

You thought I was just dodging
and let your guard down!

Yowch!

Sunraku

That dealt more damage than I expected!

Fighting in the air is hard to control.

Better heal up first.

No HP Recovered

Uh?

Uh?

Damn it! I forgot!

My Fool Arcanum means recovery
items don't always work!

Fine, whatever.

I don't need healing to take you down!

Araba?

Come at me, you dirty fish...

if you wish to be torn apart
by the teeth of Araba!

Still mere fish in the end.

Hey, that's a real wild man fighting style.

I had you pegged all wrong.

And the way you comported
yourself in the air...

You truly are a Birdian, are you not?

Would you drop that already?!

I fear I lost my friend in this city.

[Friend = Weapon]

That was merely a last resort.

You did not, by chance, see a single-bladed
sword of this size on your way here?

It was a fine blade,
crafted by a dwarven master...

Nah, didn't see it.

I see.

I was attacked by the fishmob pretty much
the minute I landed on the sea floor here.

"The sea floor"?

I see. If you've only just arrived,
of course you wouldn't know...

What you see up there is
not a ceiling made of rock.

That is the sea floor.

And here, at our feet...

Far below us is the sea's surface,
and the sky lies beyond.

Hang on. I'm not sure I'm following here...

The sea floor is above us? The surface is below?

Abyssal Capital Ruluiath is infused with the
Master of the Abyss's power of inversion.

In other words...

an inverted city!