Quesada's Swan | Tales of Berseria - Part 130: Final Breath Before the Plunge

We approach Medissa. She’s pondering over something.

Medissa: "Lord of Calamity, your schemes are your own business. But I won't stand by if Kamoana's fate is involved."

Velvet tells her that in order to stop her, she has to take care of her. Before Medissa could do that, Kamoana sneezes. No, it's Phi.

Medissa tells them to rest at the inn and hot spring.

Velvet asks Phi if she wants to come with her. Phi gets super-embarrassed. Here we go...

Phi blushes, and sneezes again.

Phi: "Aiiggh! Why do you do this to me?!"

Phi prefers to bathe alone.

As they walk into the inn, Magilou senses something! From the cave ahead!

Medissa notices, and Magilou says to her that she's going off on "a little errand."

Here we go...

Melchior's at the gates of the town.

Magilou: "Looks like you got our message."
Melchior: "You plan on awakening the four Empyreans...Surely you know the consequences. You know the chaos you will bring if you take that route."
Magilou: "Oh yeah, so much chaos. Innominat's amplified resonance will return to normal, the malakhim will gain free will...Many exorcists will lose their power to do whatever they do, and the Abbey will lose its means of control."
Melchior: "While the daemon threat will remain unchanged."
Magilou: "Not only that, but the elemental balance of this world will be thrown into turmoil for hundreds of years...it'll be quite a show."
Melchior: "All of civilization will regress."

He mentions all of the disasters that will happen once Mt. Killaraus erupts.

Magilou does have hope for the people.

Magilou: "'Gooo humans!' Right?"

Melchior: "Just what do you think humans are?"

Magilou recites humanity as such: "The wellspring of all malevolence. Thus must emotion be quelled and reason bring order to the world, until the day that humanity can repent and overcome their sins."

Melchior mentions that Innominat was summoned to bring such "order."

Magilou: "'We are the instruments of change, hated for our sacrifice. We are the shadow of the Shepherd who brings salvation.'"

Melchior closes his eyes.

Melchior: "...Will you not return to our side? You still seem to think of yourself as a Mayvin."
Magilou: "I can think of nothing more boring than your ideal world."
Melchior: "It is a world of purity."
Magilou: "A garden of fake flowers. Good for show and nothing else."

The debate continues! With Magilou angrily shouting that world of "order" is "twisted!"

Magilou: "Can a flower hold beauty if it does not wilt? Can a wolf be satisfied eating grass?! The thought makes me retch! As do those who wish for it, and those content to live in shackles!"

Behind her trolling bluster, she's a big believer in free will...

Magilou: "Some may look down and scoff at their foolishness, but their unwavering wills are proof that they're alive! If that's what you call 'evil', then I will live and die with evil as my mantra!"

The shot of that blooming flower in the cold, biting snow is a big symbol of that defiance.

Eizen: "Used to treating people as bugs, aren't you?"

Eizen and Rokurou enter.

Magilou tells them to hold off until tomorrow, until the entire party faces him at full strength...

Magilou: "Melchior Mayvin, I'll see you at the volcano."

Melchior accepts and walks away.

As he walks away, he sees the blooming flower. He pauses awhile. He stomps on it.

Magilou: "You haven't changed at all... master."

Another animated cutscene. We must be in the hot spring now...

This is the first time a Tales game featured a hot spring scene that was mandatory. But this takes place after the bath, at the inn.

Phi and Velvet have finished. Phi's still blushing...

She hands him the comb, and asks Phi to help with her hair.

Phi asks if she's sure. Yes.

As Phi is combing her hair, The malevolence is pouring out of her...she warns him to be careful, as she can't hold the malevolence.

Phi: "You know something, Velvet...your hair is really beautiful. You know...that power that I have...If I could master the Silver Flame...I might...be able to turn you back into a human..."
Velvet: "A human, huh? If we ever had a chance to start over, I'd love to cook for you every day."

She gloats about her quiches...awww...

Phi mentions that he'll do the wood chopping and get the water.

Phi: "I'm gonna get a lot taller soon! And I'm gonna get stronger too!"
Velvet: "Yes, you will. I know you will."

But for Velvet, she's already far gone into her mission...

Velvet ponders what happens next to the therions after Innominat's finished.

Velvet: "It's likely that they'll all die. I know it. I dug my own grave. But what about Kamoana and Medissa?" No...

Velvet: "More importantly, what about you, Phi? You are connected to him."

Velvet's shaking at the fear of her own destruction, but she knows she must finish her vengeance...

Velvet: "Even if it means I have to sacrifice everyone that I know...Even you who saved me. The Lord of Calamity isn't a demon lord...She's just a...selfish, horrible girl..."

But an honest one...

Phi: "I have something to confess. I...I don't like being called Phi. I really don't!"

Oh, Phi...

Velvet mentions her brother doesn't like being called his nickname either. The malevolence from her is gone...

Phi: "I'm sure that he did. Velvet, you really don't understand boys at all."
Velvet: "Yeah. You're right. I'm sorry."

He offers her the comb.

Phi: "It's okay. I forgive you."

She looks away. She thinks she doesn't deserve it...

She takes the comb.

Velvet: "Thank you, Laphicet."

Meanwhile, Eleanor stands before their room and then, walks away.

Magilou, Rokurou, and Eizen are back from their meeting with Melchior.

Velvet and Laphicet are ready.

Magilou: "Dry up. Break time's over. The legates have arrived!"

Outside, the Scarlet Night is in full bloom...

Magilou teases Velvet a bit about her nerves.

Rokurou has his sights on Shigure.

Velvet asks where Kurogane is. He's the sword on Rokurou's back now.

Velvet puts up a small smile, and tells Eizen that Melchior is her target.

Eizen: "But at the very least, you're gonna let me watch."

Velvet: "Magilou. You do whatever you want. Go all out there."

She orders Benwick, when the time is right, to return to the Van Eltia.

Kamoana imitates Benwick's pose. Hee...

Laphicet smiles at Velvet.

Laphicet: "Let's go."

Velvet: "Eleanor. Keep Laphicet safe. Please." She smiles at her.
Eleanor: "I will. Worry not."

Velvet: "Let's move! We go to kill the exorcist legates, and engulf this world in the flames of chaos!"

The party walks slowly to the cave leading to the way to the volcano.

Kamoana waves to us goodbye!

I check up on everyone before ending today's session.

First, Grimoirh. What part of the tome did she read that shocked her?

Grim apologizes for not being of much help.

Grimoirh explains Innominat's requirements to gain full power, which we learned from the Shepherd in the island prison, is eight types of malevolence.

Grimoirh: "Specifically, [the Shepherd] needs despair, hatred, greed, conceit (pride), lust, obsession (envy), cowardice, and selfishness." But Velvet already has the malevolence of selfishness in her...

Magilou thinks Velvet has hatred, and Kamoana is greed.

Velvet continues the therion-sin analogies: Medissa is conceit, Teresa (or Dis) is lust (that one I got right), while Orthrus, she thinks, is obsession.

Laphicet: "And cowardice for Griffin...that leaves the rhinostagros with selfishness."

Though, Velvet also had despair...

Grimoirh: "Eight types of malevolence and only seven therions... It definitely doesn't add up. Whatever the case, it seems obtaining this eighth malevolence is the final obstacle before Innominat's full awakening."

Magilou figures it out too. So the Shepherd planned to make Velvet hate, and then fall into despair. That manipulative jerk...

Laphicet: "And he used her brother to do it..." Yeah, that is definitely cold.

But as Velvet adds, the Abbey has no use to fully awaken Innominat anymore.

Magilou wonders if a new therion is reborn now that Teresa's gone...but they didn't bother with a new therion. They just needed the malevolence of despair.

The suppression is probably another plan to create despair amongst the populace.

Magilou and Velvet leave.

Grim has more stuff on her mind as well.

Grimoirh: "...It comes down to the very idea of quality where malevolence is concerned."

She states that quality = purity.

Grimoirh: "That would mean therions pick out and devour this 'pure malevolence.' But malevolence...is impure [by definition]. Therefore, for some person or creature to become a therion...they need to be responsive to a purity of impurity." Or undistilled malevolence. In Velvet's case, it's raw, primal hatred.

Grim mentions a certain someone who could be a candidate for such a "pure" malevolence. Who?

Dyle's still weeping in respect and awe for Kurogane.

A pirate tells us about another Class 4 Zone. It's flooded with spellcasters, walls, and fairies...

He also mentions that the pirates "hated their backs" or something like that.

He tells us to "watch [our] backs."

Medissa and Kamoana are talking. Kamoana knows Medissa's afraid...

Medissa tells her about her fears, calling it a secret between them.

Medissa: "Velvet and her friends left to go fight one last battle. It's a really important fight...for you, for me, and for everyone in the whole wide world...and right now, nobody knows how it'll go, or what will happen afterward..."

Medissa goes on to mention that she's praying to Innominat for Kamoana's safety, but she mentions him to Kamoana as the "god [...] who'd take away the feelings of those who prayed to him."

Kamoana thinks that that god will get lonely if they don't get those prayers, calling such a god "silly."

Kamoana: "Something big is about to happen, and you're worried cause you have no one to depend on. Don't worry, I'm right here with you, Medissa! And so are Dyle and Orthie and Russ...and even the [beetle]! So you're not alone!" Don't forget Griffin, Benwick, and the pirates!

Medissa thanks her for cheering her up. "Better than a god," indeed.

Kamoana mentions that Mahina will rescue her if she's ever in danger...

Medissa: "Your mother will protect you, I promise."

I feel so sad inside now...

Eleanor: "Oh, Kamoana, Medissa...surely there's some way we can save Kamoana and the others..."
Velvet: "Couldn't tell you."
Eleanor: "I just feel like I have to do something...for Kamoana..."

Kamoana wonders to Medissa if the crew will get a "souvenir," but she would rather see them come back safe and sound...