Quesada's Swan

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

Now off to the last stratum of this complicated earthpulse...

Rokurou double-checks about humans being born into malakhim "given the right [conditions]."

Rokurou: "Is that something that happens frequently?" Eizen doesn't know.

So it's probably rare that humans are reincarnated as malakhim.

Eizen thinks that Seres and Phi were born not out of chance, but by the high resonance of the Scarlet Night...

Eleanor: "Are you saying that Innominat made it happen on purpose?"

Eizen thinks that's an educated guess regarding their birth on Scarlet Night.

Rokurou: "If it wasn't chance it might've been destiny."

Eleanor's not too happy with Rokurou's guess, mentioning Velvet consuming Seres. Rokurou apologizes.

Rokurou: "But our fates intertwine, whether good or bad, whether we like it or not. That's what makes it destiny right?"

Looks like Eleanor's the only one that can get them out of their slumps...

We see Magilou's tear in space ahead!

The party now sees it too!

But, another flashback stops us!

---

Laphi: "Arthur, there's something I'd like to speak to you about. Alone." Oh no...

Laphi: "'Two souls possessing powerful resonance and free of malevolence. These must be sacrificed on the Scarlet Night.'"
Shepherd: "Ah, yes, the ceremony to resurrect Innominat. You read my book?"

So Laphi was making his copy through reading the Shepherd's annotated script...

Laphi: "You wrote that if Innominat is resurrected, we can make a world free of daemons."

Shepherd: "Seven years ago, a soul with strong resonance...my own unborn son...was sacrificed for that purpose. Now Innominat's resurrection is half-complete." Oh my god...

Laphi points out thanks to Phi's sacrifice, everyone can see daemons.

Shepherd: "That's the truth behind the Opening."

Laphi: "So, if one more person is sacrificed..." No...so he was the second sacrifice?

Laphi then asks the Shepherd...

The Shepherd looks away at this point.

....if he could be the sacrifice...oh my god...

I remember writing in the beginning of this game: Was Laphicet aware that he was going to be sacrificed? Yes, he was. Velvet reacts.

Shepherd: "Tell me, why do you think that birds fly?"
Laphi: "I think that birds fly because they must. Why else would they have wings if not to embrace the sky?" His answer is one of 'reason.'

Laphi: "I have wings too, weak as they are. That's why I must fly now!" Oh my god....

Now this was the real twist.

Laphi does have the 12 Year Sickness. Hence why he says he won't be alive when the next Scarlet Night comes...

So by this time, I'm guessing we might finish the game when the next Scarlet Night arrives.

Even the Shepherd's a bit in shock at what Laphi's saying.

Laphi confirms that he has the 12 Year Sickness.

Shepherd: (closes his eyes) "...So you know."

Laphi: "...I'm not afraid of being sick. But I don't want to be just a burden to everyone till I die..." no...

Shepherd: "Your wings are your will. And they are strong."

Velvet thinks they're lying.

Laphi tells him not to tell Velvet. Oh god...

Shepherd: "I promise."

Laphi: "I'll make a new world. A world where my sister can be happy." Except she's not!

---

Velvet claws at the flashback!

Velvet: "Don't talk to me about will! About wings! Both of you...Together, you...YOU BETRAYED ME!"

Now more flashbacks pop out...

Velvet tries to stop it.

Memories from three years ago, memories from Aball, memories from the Throne...

Velvet: "It's a lie! A dirty lie! All of it! It's all their lies! And I believed it!"

She keeps smashing every single memory away...

The monster drops down!

Now we fight the Chimera!

Rokurou: "What is this thing?"
Eleanor: "An amalgamation of multiple daemons?!"
Velvet: "It doesn't matter what it is!"

Reading from the guide, the best strategy is to attack it from the front! Attacking from the sides and back make it worse!

Now it unleashes its Wild Barrage, poking its mantis arms on the ground!

Eventually we take down the Chimera!

Velvet claws at the Chimera, who happens to be...Velvet!

Phi goes to her.

Phi: "Calm down, Velvet! This farce is just another one of Innominat's illusions!"

---

Then Innominat himself comes to the fray!

Innominat: "How callous. That 'farce' is the true face of my sister. She hates, resents, devours, and kills. She tramples people, cities, everything, living only by her emotions..."

Phi: "It's not like that!"

Innominat: "She knows. She knows if it's the truth."

Velvet falls...

Velvet: "Just think. Everything that I did was baseless, arrogant...And even so, I still..."

Innominat lays the truth on for her.

Velvet: "I devoured and killed so many..."
Innominat: "Without even knowing Arthur's true aims...and worse yet, you didn't even show true mercy to your own sister's reincarnation."

Lies! Seres asked her to eat her...

Innominat: "I still love you, Velvet. That's why I chose to become a sacrifice. For you, sister."

He's manipulating her too well here...

Innominat reveals his initial fear of dying.

Velvet: "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..."

Innominat asks her if she accepts all of her crimes. She does. Oh my god.

Velvet: "I hurt so many people, all for no reason. I am a monster." She tears up.

Innominat tells her to atone. He rises up.

Innominat: "Once I eat the two malevolences inside you, I'll fully awaken. Give them to me. Give me your hatred, your despair."

He starts preparing his long-awaited meal of malevolence.

Innominat: "If you do, I can cleanse this world of all its pain."

Velvet's getting sucked in...

Phi tries to stop her from getting inside Innominat's mouth...he grabs her daemon arm...

Eleanor's getting pulled in, but Rokurou pulls her from the vortex...

The other Chimera!Velvet is sucked into the disembodied mouth of Innominat...

---

Velvet: "Let me go...I have to go..."
Phi: "No!"
Velvet: "If you don't, you'll die too for no reason..."

Innominat also plans to eat Phi too...

Eizen pulls Phi's leg and tells him to tell Velvet "what she needs to hear!" He uses his arte to chain himself to the earth...

Phi: "Will you STOP WHINING!? No, I don't "understand"! You snap at people! You're scary! [...] But...you're also kind...and you're filled with life! I don't understand a single thing about you!"

And it's these moments are why I am a Tales fan... :')

Phi: "But you gave me a name, when I was a number! You gave me that compass! You taught me what it meant to be alive! That's why I care about you, Velvet! I'll protect you for my own sake! I don't care if you're malevolent! Or if it was pointless! If the world says if it was a mistake to love you, I'll fight the whole world! I don't care how much pain you feel! It doesn't matter! A world without you, Velvet... is the one thing I couldn't bear!"

Her arm opens up now...biting Phi's right arm!

Phi: "I don't care...Just...leave me the other one! I need it to clobber the jerk who made my Velvet cry!"

Velvet: "I loved them all...I loved Laphi, Celica, Arthur, everyone...To have it all stolen from me...Why them? Why not me? It hurt so much!"

Innominat's in shock at her despair vanishing...

The warp appears...

And Seres, or Celica, comes forth!

Seres: "A flame burns in my heart, too. A flame I cannot quench, no matter how hard I try. Just like you, Velvet."
Velvet: "I finally understand how you felt." Yes, Seres, or Celica, loved them.

Velvet: "But the only one I can fight for...is myself."
Seres: "That's good enough. That's proof that you are truly alive."

Her arm takes Seres's flame...

She charges at the rift...using her fiery arm at it and burning Innominat!