surgeworks

27 - Finale Part I | Table of Contents | 29 - Finale Part III
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Alternate Title: Broken Records

Chris: This is it, everyone. The very last post of this spork involving actual gameplay on my part. Here we are, at the promised day, heading to the peak of Tartarus.

You ready to get to see the end of the game, Shinji?

Shinjiro: I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. Let’s see what Nyx looks like.

Tristram: Let’s do this thing.

Empyrea: Finally!

Chris: We head to floor 254, where the barrier was the last time we came here. Our selected party is Junpei, Akihiko, and Mitsuru.

Tristram: I was going to say I’m surprised you picked Junpei after all the trouble he’s caused us, but I have to admit I had no idea how absolutely broken he is once you get him to endgame levels. Still never using him even if I ever lose enough of my mind to play this game again though.

Empyrea: Never using Junpei. Ever.

Chris: Surprisingly, when the barrier comes down, it doesn’t lead to the peak, just more floors. However, Fuuka does sense Strega up ahead on the 258^th floor. Or rather, just one of them.

Shinjiro: These idiots apparently didn’t learn their lesson from the last two fights.

Chris: When we reach floor 258, we’re on the “lower plaza” and are given a group select with which to choose our party again, and decide on whom to take. We don’t change the selection before moving on. Fuuka tries to warn us that Strega are probably much more powerful than before.

Villainous Cancer: 34

You can say that all day, Atlus, but I know the truth. Besides, what’s your basis for this information, Fuuka? Desperation?

We head up to the “upper plaza”, and find Jin Shirato, aka Evil Nerd, waiting for us. He says we came after all, and Akihiko asks where ESJL is. We all know he’s the only important one. Jin says that he went on ahead, being destined for “greater things”.

...I repeat the question. What is his basis for this belief, Jin? We never do get that. Just like we never get the basis for why Ikutsuki thinks the Fall is good, neither do we get information on why Takaya would think it was good. Why? Because that’s not necessary, I guess. Just have them do so so that a villain can be present.

Villainous Cancer: 35

Tristram: Honestly I’ve been doing some serious thinking about how I’d make this game’s story better lately, and the best idea I’ve had so far is removing Strega from the game entirely. We don’t need human villains. The end of the world is coming and the Shadows are rampaging, if the story just focused on that and SEES trying to work out why and how to counter it, it’d be much stronger. It’s the same issue I have with the various Palace Rulers from P5 but on a much much higher level.

That’s right, Jin. I literally just said your very existence is a detriment to your own story and I bet every single person reading this will agree.

Empyrea: Not even the movie version saved them from being lackluster villains, so yeah, I agree. That idea of yours is also better, I’d say.

Chris: I do agree, and that’s why we have the count.

He says we seem to be serious about fighting Nyx. Yeah, unlike you two, we’re not all just talk. Fuuka demands to know how Jin knows about Nyx. Jin answers that he “pieced together the information Ikutsuki left behind”. He comments that, Ikutsuki being a lunatic, it didn’t all make sense. When asked about his connections to the man, Jin answers that they didn’t know much besides his name...and that he was one of the researchers who “created” them, aka forced their Personas into their heads.

Tristram: And if you had to keep Strega in the story, this reveal should be so much more important than it is. It just feels like a desperate attempt to tie to the two major human ‘antagonist’ forces into each other. Where’s the buildup? Where’s the pathos? Where’s the realization that the asshole who put us into this situation merrily experimented on kids?! Come on!

Chris: Mitsuru insists he just get out of the way, but he fully intends on standing in said way to keep us from interfering with Takaya’s wish.

…Takaya’s wish being? I didn’t pay that much attention to the cult stuff, but what is he hoping to do? Meet Nyx and get a signed autograph? Wait ‘til this guy finds out we’ve been “friends” with Nyx the whole time.

Villainous Cancer: 36

No, apparently that’s seriously it. Yukari asks if he doesn’t know that Nyx’s coming means the end of the world, and he says he does—but their lives are ending, so they want to see the rest of the world go kaput too before they die. Jesus. He then demands an end to the talk, and a start to the fight.

Does anyone expect this fight to be worth mentioning?

Tristram: Nope.

Empyrea: Not at all. But I always thought that’s the reason it’s even here in the first place. You know, just a warm-up before the final boss.

Chris: Uhhh…. He has a lot more skills, mid-level multi-target elementals and some single-target dyne-level spells. Status ailments and multi-target physicals. We take his health down to half with our first series of direct attacks, whereupon Akihiko criticals him (Jin talks some trash, but it’s too late—it’s All-Out Attack time). He’s dead at absurd speed.

Distressed, Jin demands we finish him off. Akihiko asks why he’s so far up Takaya’s ass, and he says we “wouldn’t understand”. It sounds gay, but then Jin goes into his background as a street child rounded up for Kirijo experiments. He, Chidori, and Takaya are the only three survivors out of a hundred from the experiment. Takaya “saved him” by giving him the advice to only live in the moment, not the past or future, which I suppose is helpful but not worth lifelong undying loyalty. I also don’t see how he could form such an attachment to Takaya over that but not Chidori despite spending ten years with her, too.

It’s all very rushed and sounds a lot like a hackneyed poor man’s version of “these villains are deeper than you thought! They’re not just mindlessly evil! They have friends!”

Villainous Cancer: 37

Tristram: Yawn. Sorry, too late to try and build any sympathy. Ikutsuki’s too ridiculously villainous and you’re just so boring and poorly written that it doesn’t work. If we found out about the experiments sooner, or maybe were shown Mitsuru and/or her father realizing that Grandpa Kirijo was going even further than they first thought, or something… I think they addressed this at least a little in the Arena games but if you think I’m going to play those bloody things…

Chris: It’s done very poorly. The antagonist of the day in that game, as I understand it, is Ikutsuki’s son and was also an experimentee. It is naturally part of an excuse plot to fuel the arena fighting combat.

Empyrea: I remember the first Q game adding Mitsuru having a fear of experimentation or something, which I always found odd. She never mentioned or gave any indication she’d been experimented on, and I doubt her father would’ve allowed that. Plus, in the answer, the head scientist seemed surprised she awakened at all.

And yes, I will continue to ignore the Arena games’ existence.

Chris: At any rate, it’s out of our hands: as if on cue, shadows are beginning to converge on us en masse. We gotta go, and Jin ain’t coming. Everybody reluctantly goes upstairs, giving Jin undue yet still underwhelming sympathy to go along with the scene.

As shadows converge on him, Jin takes out a bomb, talking to Takaya to fulfill his wish before blowing himself and the shadows up with a grenade.

DEATH IS INEVITABLE: 80

Up on the next plaza, we have another party selection. Again, we don’t change, because why should we? We head up onto the 259^th floor. Fuuka, scanning ahead, finds Takaya on the 262^nd.

When we get there, we have one last chance to change out our party, and surprisingly, only Junpei has anything to the tune of vengeance to say about Takaya, despite Mitsuru’s and Akihiko’s dear friend having been killed by him.

Empyrea: Chodori’s a love interest! Of course her death by his hands matters more! *sighs*

Shinjiro: They got bigger things to worry about. It ain’t like Takaya’s got enough wind in him to feel half of what Junpei really wants to dish out.

Chris: Fair and true.

We meet him up on the penultimate level, and Akihiko asks if Tartarus’ peak is just beyond here. Takaya confirms that it is, makes naught but a small comment about Jin, and encourages us in his ever-delightful tone to quit fighting and just enjoy the end of the world like idiots.

Villainous Cancer: 38

Yukari just voices my opinion and tells him to can it. ESJL whines about having his life stolen from him and being given a power he didn’t want, and learning that the future is a delusion. He spouts more bullshit—

Villainous Cancer: 39

—which Junpei calls him out on this time. Takaya smugly informs us that it’s not just him, it’s a lot of people that want Nyx to arrive. Fuuka responds that that’s just the cult and his dirty work, but he dismisses this: it’s the will of “all” people.

Tristram: Yup. Atlus just went there. Takaya’s supposedly been spouting nothing but truth this entire game (it is to laugh), and now he’s saying everyone is secretly suicidal. You can make of that what you want while I sit here fuming so hard they can feel it from Mars.

Empyrea: And then they went on to discredit that. No, I’m never getting over it.

“Man cannot face death without first finding meaning in life. But the world has realized that any meaning in life was lost long ago… Nyx has come because humanity has cried out for her salvation.”

Chris:

1) More of this indecision. Do people yearn for death or avoid it? Pick one, Atlus.
2) Bullshit.

There’s just no way to make this a believable premise. You expect me to believe that humanity at large has lost the meaning of their lives and can’t face death and thus have any sort of capacity to call down a death god? Can we stop this farce already?

Shinjiro: *deadpan* No, you have to go the standard Atlus routine of having the protagonists admit that the villain is “right” about something they’re blatantly wrong about to the most remotely sane person, even though they’re still going to fight.

Chris: I hated that with Adachi, and I hate it here.

Empyrea: You and me both. Goodness. Ol’ Nyarly wasn’t that much better, but at least how he’s described make more sense. Speaking of, I believe the Arena games imply the bastard also has something to do with Nyx being called here? I’m not about to play the Arena games to verify that, but if it’s true, then yeah, they just shot themselves in the foot more than once.

Chris: Aigis admits there’s truth in what he says.

Tristram: SHUT UP AIGIS THIS IS NOT THE TIME. HE IS NOT RIGHT, THERE IS NOT ANY PROFOUND TRUTH IN HIS OMNICIDAL RAVINGS, JUST STOP TALKING.

Empyrea: This will be her entire thing in the Answer, too...

Chris: She muses on life and death, and Mitsuru criticizes Takaya for not knowing what a bond or a friend feels like. She sounds as much like Erza as she looks. He huffs at us, resolving to fight us, yelling about Nyx’s coming being moments away.

Well, that’s not a problem. It ain’t like it’ll take even half a minute to mow down Takaya.

But first, a point for his hammy evil laugh:

Villainous Cancer: 40

His skillset changes even less than Jin’s—a lot less in fact. He has Mahamaon and Mamudoon and swapped out Megido for Megidolaon. That’s it. Like Jin, he doesn’t get the chance to attack before we kill him.

Villainous Cancer: 42

Bad Game Design: 102

For his and Jin’s utterly pathetic performances.

Despite his failure, Takaya smiles from the ground. Like Jin, he tells us to kill him. Unlike with Jin, we have an option to do so or avoid it this time. Regardless of the answer we choose (and like with Ryoji, would there be any real doubt about our answer?), it gets a point:

DEATH IS INEVITABLE: 81

> Finish him off.
> Don’t do anything.

And, unlike with Ryoji, it doesn’t matter. They don’t let us—Mitsuru says there’s no honor in killing someone who can’t move. Thanks for giving me a choice at a critical moment in the game only to tell me no when I don’t choose the right one, Persona 3.

Bad Game Design: 103

Tristram: Come on. He’s a murderer for hire who actively craves death. Let us give it to him, don’t pretend there’s some kind of moral justice or something going on here! He murdered Shinji and tried to murder Ken you bet your ass I’m stabbing him!

Chris: This guy murdered your friend, Mitsuru. Just want you to think about that. You too, Akihiko. Neither of you have expressed the righteous anger I’d have expected from you. And it would be okay! Good people can still hate bad, awful, murdering bastards!

Empyrea: I’m fine with us not killing him, personally, much as I hate being given only the illusion of choice that plagues so many games. That said, I wish someone said it’s because they didn’t want to give him what he’s asking for and let him suffer even just a little before he finally bit the dust instead of, well, this. So yeah, I won’t kill him, but only because I’m petty enough to not do it at his request.

Chris: Checking Takaya’s body results in a message that he’s unconscious, while talking to our teammates results in various encouragement about the final battle. No use in dallying, let’s get on with it.

There’s another floor up ahead, to give us a chance to teleport down and save, before we find Tartarus’ peak, on the 264^th floor.

Before anyone can admire the view, Yukari and Fuuka spot something off with the moon: something’s coming down from it. She can sense it even without her Persona, saying that’s the first time that’s ever happened.

Ill Logic: 106

I guess Atlus just forgot about your debut, where you were able to sense and thus avoid the shadows in Arqa while lost.

Empyrea: And that was before she even awakened, too.

Chris: Without Nyx ever speaking and bearing zero resemblance to Ryoji Mochizuki whatsoever aside from swept-back hair, Yukari remembers that he is in fact Death, and calls him by name. Nyx, or rather Nyx Avatar, responds that that was his name for a time, but there’s no longer a point in making a distinction. Nyx Avatar brings up death, that s/he is Death, and that s/he is thus what people fear most and try to ignore.

DEATH IS INEVITABLE: 82

Yeah, if you’re seven years old and have yet to learn from your parents that death happens no matter what. Nyx Avatar asks us one last time if, despite knowing it’s fruitless, we still intend to fight. Of course, we respond yes, SEES choosing as one to face this head-on, despite being scared. We affirm this ourselves, and Nyx Avatar calls us forward, by name. *sigh*

For the first time in the game, Fuuka gives us a reason for our party being split, even in a time like this, when you’d think all eight people would be directed at Nyx: shadows are approaching from the lower floors. So, part of SEES has to go back and hold them off so the other half can fight Nyx without interruption.

Anyway, thus begins our final boss battle.

Welcome to a battle that is, despite all the crap I give this game, truly unforgettable. Listen and behold.

Tristram: In a series full of absolute bangers, this track is exceptionally good. You owe yourself the listen. The only track in the entire franchise that is better loved by the fandom is Rivers in the Desert from Persona 5, and it’s a very very close thing.

Empyrea: This track is one of all-time faves! And that’s even after fighting this boss underleveled, meaning my sister and I were stuck fighting this boss more than once and for an hour at a time.

It also has some really, really, good remixes and absolutely slaps in live performances, you’re welcome.

(Plus this last special one because this is a very real thing that exists in canon as of 2018 and I want to see Shinjiro’s reaction.)

Shinjiro: I got moves. But I’m also DLC in that game, so fuck that.

Empyrea: You can take that as a compliment? You’re popular enough that Atlus thought (correctly, at that) that people would shell out extra for you.

Chris: Welcome to the Nyx Avatar fight, famous for its fourteen goddamn lifebars. Not to worry, though: Nyx is a complex boss, but not a hard one. The fourteen phases are each related to the Arcana, and each has different strengths, moves, and vulnerabilities. All have 2000 health except the last, which has 6000. The first, the Fool, merely has Nyx vulnerable to everything and will just be “smiling arrogantly” on her turns. When this lifebar ends, Nyx will have something to say:

“The moment man devoured the fruit of knowledge, he sealed his fate… Entrusting his future to the cards, man clings to a dim hope. Yes, the Arcana is the means by which all is revealed.”

Arcana Believe It: 31

One for Fool and one for Magician. I could just give it the whole fourteen points now, but no, I want you to see how repetitive this gets in the game’s final bout of pointless obsession with the Arcana. The Fool Ends, and the Magician begins—Nyx Avatar will switch Arcana when her health is fully depleted, no matter whose turn it is. Each shift is preceded by the third line, “The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed”.

Tristram: It is extremely repetitive but I will give it credit for being the only time in the game where the Arcana are explained remotely properly.

Empyrea: I still find it hilarious that most of his quotes are quite inspirational even as he’s trying to kill us right here.

Chris: The Magician Arcana opens with this line:

“Attaining one’s dream requires a stern will and unfailing determination.”

Fairly straightforward, uses and is immune to fire attacks.

The Priestess Arcana uses and drains ice, and opens with this line:

“The silent voice within one’s heart whispers the most profound wisdom.”

Arcana Believe It: 32

I wish I could tell you more about these phases, but to tell the truth, we hack them down before they get a chance to attack. We are very, very over-leveled and over-equipped for this.

The Empress uses and drains wind, and opens with this line:

“Celebrate life’s grandeur… Its brilliance… Its magnificence…”

Arcana Believe It: 33

The Emperor uses and drains lightning, and opens with this line:

“Only courage in the face of doubt can lead one to the answer.”

Arcana Believe It: 34

The Hierophant Arcana is where things start to get a little bit different. Her standard nulls on light and dark have changed to repels, and she now nulls strikes, and will use physicals with Rebellion to try and get critical hits. It opens with this line:

“It is indeed a precious gift to understand the forces that guide oneself.”

Arcana Believe It: 35

The Lovers Arcana puts the repels back down to nulls and now nulls wind, uses ailment attacks with a tendency towards charm, and opens thusly:

“There is both joy and wonder in coming to understand another.”

Arcana Believe It: 36

The Chariot Arcana nulls all physicals and will use charged physicals to attack, including God’s Hand. It opens like so:

“One of life’s greatest blessings is the freedom to pursue one’s goals.”

Arcana Believe It: 37

The Justice Arcana nulls both fire and ice, repels light, and will use light-based instant kills. It opens like so:

“To find the one true path, one must seek guidance amidst uncertainty.”

Arcana Believe It: 38

Man, if only I’d had better luck finding my OTP.

Shinjiro: *choking* Did those words seriously just come out of your mouth?! Don’t kill the atmosphere!

Chris: The Hermit Arcana by contrast nulls wind and lightning, repels darkness, and will use darkness-based instant kills along with Tetrakarn and Makarakarn and some ailments. It opens with this:

“It requires great courage to look at oneself honestly, and forge one’s own path…”

Arcana Believe It: 39

The Fortune Arcana nulls all magic and will use all magic, and will begin targeting weaknesses with its elementals. It opens with this:

“Alongside time exists fate, the bearer of cruelty.”

Arcana Believe It: 40

The Strength Arcana is back to nulling all physicals and using high-powered and charged physical attacks like Deathbound. It opens with:

“Only with strength can one endure suffering and torment.”

Arcana Believe It: 41

The Hanged Man Arcana doesn’t null anything except light and dark, and uses high-tier darkness instant kills along with Almighty attacks like Megidola and Megidolaon. It opens with:

“In the face of disaster lies opportunity for renewal.”

Arcana Believe It: 42

Oh, buddy, I’m gonna go off on that in particular when I get done with you.

Then finally, the Death Arcana and the last health bar. It opens with a repeat of the first verse before it gets its proper line.

“The moment man devoured the fruit of knowledge, he sealed his fate… Entrusting his future to the cards, man clings to a dim hope. Yet, the Arcana is the means by which all is revealed… Beyond the beaten path lies the absolute end. It matters not who you are… Death awaits you.”

Arcana Believe It: 44

Tristram: And then it balls it all up at the very end! Death in the Arcana is, as I’ve said before, not literal death. It is a metaphorical death, the moment of self-discovery where you either find the strength to leave behind your harmful beliefs and the negative aspects of yourself, or you fail and stay as you are forever in stagnation. It is change! Arrrrrrrrrrrgh!

Empyrea: And it’s not like Atlus doesn’t understand this, either. But ehh, they have to stick the game’s theme.

Chris: The extra point is for Fuuka chiming in to tell us so, even though we can see and hear and infer that yes, this is the true Arcana of Nyx. Her Death Arcana has greatly increased stats, won’t beat around the bush with low-powered spells like the other Arcana will, and has some more complex programming to make it harder. Trash talk occurs at 80% health:

“You cannot avoid death. To live is to die; they are one in the same…”

DEATH IS INEVITABLE: 83

Thus begins its first use of Moonless Gown.

This shield will repel everything thrown at it for three turns—even Almighty attacks, which makes it unique—for increased damage. As if you couldn’t tell with your eyes, Fuuka is there to warn you that yeah, that big glowing shield is weird and we should probably hold attacks for now.

Empyrea: *chuckles* That made more sense back when the party were run by AIs. A little. Heavens help you if Moonless Gown comes up in the middle of your allies’ turns. Someone is definitely going to die.

Chris: When it comes down, we rush her, but she just activates it again immediately thereafter. This sort of tactic continues throughout the rest of the fight until she’s on her last sliver of health. At this point, she activates the famed attack, Night Queen.

This one rains down hellacious (or it would be, were we not twenty levels higher than her) Almighty damage on us and will inflict a random ailment on anyone it hits. There are two big dangers here: one, charm is of course a disaster waiting to happen and the last thing you want is one of your team members fully healing the boss. Two, rage combined with Moonless Gown is a bad idea—the latter reflecting 500 damage back at anyone that hits it, and rage forcing the afflicted party member to attack twice, this is guaranteed to kill anyone who gets hit with it.

Tristram: Yup, this is the infamous move that led to so many “Diarahan” memes before P3P added the ability to control your party members. Yes, the game could literally put you in a situation where you grind the final boss down to the tiniest sliver of health, charm your healer, and go right back to full. They literally got so many complaints about it (and also Marin fucking Karin thanks Mitsuru) that from P4 onwards controlling your party members and being able to decide what skills their Personae could learn and keep became a default.

Chris: As it fucking should have.

Empyrea: I’m one of those who complained! That happened to me, dammit! Of course, you can always just use Armaggedon on this boss and end it right there, too. But you can’t get the Personas needed to do that at lv 65-ish.

Shinjiro: But of course, the Nyx Avatar goes down anyway. If Margaret couldn’t stop you, it’s no use pretending Ryoji could.

…Only for her to get back up, and start floating backward towards the moon.

“Such a pity… You understand fate, yet you still fight against it with all of your will. If more people were like you, then perhaps the Fall could’ve been prevented… But it’s too late now.”

Chris: Then the fucking moon opens up. Or rather, it sheds itself like eggshell, the outer crust breaking away to reveal an enormous metal sphere with a red eye underneath, which Nyx Avatar floats backward into. Wait, no, that’s not it—it’s actually the moon getting closer to us.

Akihiko realizes something horrible: the moon itself is Nyx. Aigis realizes it’s going to “descend upon us all”. Man, didn’t think the Fall would be so literal. Did they rip this off of Majora’s Mask?

Shinjiro: Wouldn’t surprise me. What with that game’s moon having a giant face and the final boss floating up into it for the last confrontation. I could be playing that right now, you know. Can we play that, later?

Chris: A wonderfully-written game about growing up and emotionally maturing, while granting hope in the face of certain doom? Sure, but for now let’s get back to Persona 3. Zing! Damn, I’m good.

Point is, this is bad news. But while this is happening up on top of Tartarus, let’s check out what’s going down on the ground.

Despite the Dark Hour not having come to an end, people are un-transmogrifying. They look around them and realize, terrified, what’s around them: green light, bloody water, a giant tower, and an enormous red-eyed moon that’s getting closer. Most people are horrified, but one lunatic cultist gives a crazed laugh at having been right about the end days. He promptly bleeds from his facial orifices and explodes into a shadow, attacking those nearby. As the game text describes, all hell has broken loose. With doomsday bells for added measure!

Calm Down There, Edgelord: 54

But! At least one person is neither screaming nor exploding! And that’s Natsuki! Remember her, Fuuka’s friend?

Shinjiro: She thinks back to another time when she was scared out of her mind and unfamiliar, scary things were happening, and how calm Fuuka was when she saved her, so her memory’s come back. Thinking of that helps her keep her focus, and she knows that wherever Fuuka is, she’s hanging in there. She’s scared, but she won’t give into it.

Back on Tartarus’ peak, where SEES can hear the commotion from below, everyone’s still staring up at Nyx. A pulse rings out, crushing everyone with some sort of intense gravity.

Chris: While SEES try to shake it off and keep their feet underneath them, Takaya walks up out of the depths to yell. You’d think he’d turn into a shadow too, but having a Persona I guess makes him immune to it. At this point, it really does feel like not just a broken record when he hams it up with his death talk, but an ugly tumor that won’t go away.

Villainous Cancer: 43

Dude, you should’ve been dead twice now. I’m sick of this game keeping you around for nothing but more pointless death ranting!

Tristram: Takaya you do realise that the instant this stupid speech is over you disappear from the game forever, right? Yes, he’s literally so unimportant to the story that we never even find out whether he survives long enough to see his hopes and dreams crushed.

Empyrea: I call it poetic justice for killing best boi Shinji.

Chris: Another gravity pulse smashes down on SEES, and Nyx’s voice rings out.

“Why…? What good will it do to rise up? Give in.”

SEES refuse, but the power is too strong. Ken, Akihiko, Yukari, Fuuka, and Junpei fall one by one, crying out. Mitsuru alone refuses to fall to her knees through sheer fucking willpower, even as two more gravity pulses rain down. Aigis is the only one to notice us falling unconscious.

Aigis I’m Stuck With You: 49

Chris: We have not yet gone sweetly into that cold embrace. Not yet, anyway. We’re in the Velvet Room. You guys picked a damn fine time. Igor asks us to listen to the voices of our bonds, who will be our strength.

> A mysterious mass of energy is gathering in Igor’s hands…

> The powerful emotions of your friends are flowing into your heart…

We hear Hidetoshi, telling us that he knows there’s a difficult obstacle in our path, but we’re stronger than it is. Bunkichi and Mitsuko are scared, but they won’t give up, knowing it’s not what we’d do. Saori can feel in her heart that we’re doing all we can, and resolves to help us the way we helped her. Rio, too, is scared out of her mind, but won’t give up, and tells us to believe we’re not alone. Maiko? She’s not scared at all. We showed her how to be tough, so she won’t give up. Bebe is here to support us too, like we did for him. President Tanaka can’t even wonder why he’s thinking of us in such a dark time, but he knows we taught him something about loyalty. Mutatsu’s out there too, and tells us to embrace the lesson we taught him while we’re fighting for our lives: we can’t win anything if we give up and run away. Akinari is there, telling us not to give up even if we’re suffering.

Igor asks again if we can hear them, and says that though weak individually, together they’re powerful enough to change us. The ball of energy transforms into a card, one Igor says he never thought he’d see with his own eyes: the Universe Arcana.

Tristram: *hssssssssssssss*

Shinjiro: Err….World Arcana?

Chris: Shhh, this game’s trying to be Better Than You. Yes, the Universe Arcana. Igor calls this the last power he and we will unveil, the power to bring about a new beginning—or the ultimate end. With this sort of power, it might now be possible to defeat the undefeatable. Nothing is impossible now.

Tristram: They just couldn’t leave it with screwing up the Death arcana, they had to decide to create a New and Better version of the World Arcana just because. Never mind that the World represents infinite possibility. Fuck you, writers.

Empyrea: I wouldn’t call this a screw up...for the most part. The Universe is the World Arcana in the Thoth deck, in the same way that Aeon replaces Judgement in that deck. What I personally take beef with is that Atlus couldn’t just stick to one deck. They do this with P4G’s extra Arcana for Adachi’s Social Link, too.

Chris: Theodore pipes up, saying we’re soon to reach our destination. Igor muses on us being dealt not only the Death card, but the Wild card. We have to accept our destiny, he says, and the contract has been fulfilled. He calls us a remarkable guest, as the walls of the Velvet Room’s elevator slow to a stop and glow with light from outside.

Back at Tartarus’ peak, we wake up. Everyone in SEES is still trying to fight the steadily growing power of the Nyx moon crushing them down, but we don’t feel it. Yukari voices her shock as we not only move, but get up to our feet like it’s nothing.

> Your body feels light…

We turn to face the moon, and Akihiko calls out our name. A glow surrounds us as we float towards Nyx.

He begs us not to go alone, joined by Aigis, and Yukari and Junpei curse their inability to get to their feet. We’ve been through too much together, Yukari says, but their pleas do no good.

The screen goes black.

> You began to float toward the coruscating pool of power in the sky…
> Into Nyx…

We float along in what seems to be the ether, a vivid galaxy-like display.

We approach what seems to be the true form of Nyx, or its core, a large golden egg-like light surrounded by skeletal hands.

It’s either hostile, or attacking mindlessly, but it doesn’t make a difference at this point. The golden egg-like thing gathers energy and sends down a massive explosion at us, labeled “Death”. We’re assaulted by 9,999 points of damage, but we withstand it.

Behold, Burn My Dread.

Tristram: Doesn’t slap quite as hard as Battle for Everyone’s Souls but it’s still pretty damn sweet.

Chris: Our only option is a direct attack. It is answered with another blast of Death, which this time criticals and knocks us down, but we withstand it again.

We hear the voices of our friends, echoing in the chamber.

Ken asks if there’s nothing they can do. Akihiko says not to give up, and to “believe in her”. Mitsuru yells to give us their strength, and to take her life if it must be done. Glowing lights surround us, and we get back up. Another blast of Death is sent at us, but this time we stay on our feet, blocking it. Yukari’s voice rings out, agreeing that if it takes her life to save ours, that’s okay. Fuuka yells that we’re facing it all by our self—but Junpei responds angrily that we’re not alone, and he won’t let us die. More glowing lights surround us, restoring us to full health.

Again, all we can do is lunge with that trusty naginata. A measly 7 damage, to be answered with a fourth blast of Death, now blocked completely. We hear Koromaru’s bark, and Aigis yelling that she won’t let this world be destroyed. And what voice do we hear last, presented without a portrait, but perhaps shocking us the most?

Shinjiro:

All right, let's do this.

Tristram: Single best moment in the game right there. Even at the end, Shinjiro’s got our back.

Empyrea: Shinji being best boi until the very end.

Chris: More glowing light surrounds us, and we get a textbox saying a new power is ours. When we next get control, our skills panel is opened. The only one within it is “Great Seal”, requiring 999 HP, and described as “Unleashes the power within you to seal Nyx.”

Yep. This is the part of the game where we die.

DEATH IS INEVITABLE: 84

But, what else can we do at this point? The answer is nothing. With no choice left to us, and our friends willing to give their lives for us, let’s show them what it really means to us.

Glowing blue light surrounds us, and we raise an arm upward, only for white light to fill the screen.

What we next see is SEES, standing in the ether.

Yukari wonders where they are, and Mitsuru wonders if Nyx created this place, or maybe us. Akihiko turns to Fuuka, demanding to know if we’re alright and what happened. Fuuka can only say that everything was engulfed in a bright light, and that she can’t sense us. Ken fears the worst, but Junpei angrily insists that it can’t be so and yells for Fuuka to try again. When Fuuka looks grim, his face loses its color.

Akihiko cries out “Dammit… Not again…!” Mitsuru asserts that they all decided to put their lives on the line, and knowing they’d most likely die. Aigis despairs at her own powerlessness, and her failure to prevent this, but Yukari calls out to us.

She yells that she refuses to believe we’re gone, and tells us to answer her—she knows we can hear her. Aigis joins her, pleading for some sort of answer.

> “It’s alright…”
> “What happened…?”

Aigis and Yukari gasp. What do we hear but a familiar….annoying voice? Akihiko hears it, too. Ryoji’s voice, which is announcing that s/he will “sleep once again”. Things will go back to normal now, for them, and for us.

Tristram: Shut. Up. Ryoji! You are the last person we want to hear from right now or indeed ever! Way to ruin a touching scene!

Chris: The voice goes on, that we’ve found the answer to life’s greatest question. We don’t get to hear what question that is, because Atlus doesn’t want to tell us, but the answer seems to be what just happened. He describes it as happening sooner for us than the rest of them. Ryoji’s voice calls out to Aigis that she’ll find the answer one day as well.

Aigis I’m Stuck With You: 50

Empyrea: They never tell us the answer, either. Not even in the segment for it. Maybe that’s just me, but we’ll get there once it’s relevant.

Chris: It's death. The answer is always death.

S/he assures her that she’s “a precious living thing” that just needs to realize how the bonds of friendship have changed her. Hint hint, FES. Ryoji’s voice goes on to say that the Dark Hour will disappear, along with Tartarus and all related phenomena—SEES has reached their goal. The last thing the Ryoji voice says is that they’ll meet again someday.

The scene changes, and suddenly SEES are standing at the entrance to Tartarus, just in time for the tower to disappear, disintegrating and floating up into the sky. The moon, now a normal moon, changes from its green glow to a white one. Gekkoukan High School is back where it’s supposed to be.

It’s finally over, and just before anyone can grieve, Aigis directs their attention somewhere: to us. We appear to have been laying unconscious at the entrance to the school. Relief and joy wash over everyone, exclaiming that they thought they’d never see us again.

How soon you declare.

Akihiko, eyes full of tears, says it’s not something we should be crying about. Mitsuru makes a comment about the gang all being here, and Koromaru barks, but it is again Aigis who takes center stage. Just look at her special portrait!

Aigis I’m Stuck With You: 51

Tristram: Ladies, Gentlemen, and those who know better, you did just actually see that. Aigis stealing our thunder for… not quite the last time. God she is one of the three worst things about this game.

Empyrea: Honestly, they might as well have made Aigis the protagonist. At least then, the Journey will be about her understanding bonds and such. Her shedding a tear makes no sense, though. But that’s the least of the...oddities with her.

Chris: Yeah, those are tears running down her face, even with her still being a robot. No explanation for how this is possible is given for this.

Ill Logic: 107

They took the whole “gaining the human condition” a tad too far. Even Aigis doesn’t know how she’s somehow crying.

> In the midst of your warm welcome back, the Dark Hour is quietly coming to an end…
> This time, never to return…

The screen fades to black and the music to nothing along with it.

> The battle has ended.
> By an unexpected miracle, the world was saved from the Fall.
> Peace was restored, and people resumed their busy lives.
> No one remembered anything about the extraordinary turn of events.
> And so, the season changed…

I will see you guys next time for the last part of the finale before the Answer.

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