Beyond the Beyond: Update 45.5: Violence in Courtliness City

[ladyabaxa]

Beyond the Beyond: Update 45.5: Violence in Courtliness City

When last we saw the team Sir Bison was about to arrest Advisor Glade. Let's catch up to him and see how that's going.

What's this? A tiny little... So tiny...so tiny...I love you little pill...oh I love you so...Let me swallow you, little friend...together we will make history!

Advisor Glade swallows a small pill.

Everyone comes to a halt as Advisor Glade downs the mystery pill.

A... drug of some sort?
Sir Samson do you have any idea what is going on?
Hrmm. Let's wait and see what happens.

Gyaaaaah... Aaagh!

Glade starts to shake and tremble violently.

Ahhh! Shutat! You said it would relieve my suffering!

Shutat?
It seems Glade wasn't the only one with betrayal on their minds.

Glade suddenly increases in size. Don't think too hard about how a pill also makes his clothes grow. It just does.

No! This is my body! My kingdom! My world! You can't have it! Noooo!

His body glowing in the standard there-be-magic-here effect Glade again increases in size.

What?! What is happening to him?!

And just like that Glade is no more. In his place stands a huge... thing that defies any easy explanations.

Sir Bison and the king have the good sense to quickly retreat as the creature walks forward.

Glade?! What is happening here?

A metallic-scraping sound constitutes the creature's "voice" in game.

GuHaHa! Do you want me to tell you? Glade sold his soul to Lord Shutat.
How does that even work? Is there like a contract or something?
Look, kid, I don't make the deals. I just do what Lord Shutat tells me to do.
And that is to be a creepy as hell demon thing.
You could have the creepy old man back instead if you prefer.
Seriously?
*laughs* Naw I'm just messing with you. Glade's gone. Now I must finish the work he started. I must see to the downfall of Marion and Zalagoon.
Glade betrayed his kingdom to that twisted Shutat?
Just who is this Shutat guy?
I don't think we really have time for twenty questions.
That's true, little lady. We don't. *moves forward* By the way, who is Finn?
WHAT?!
Hey, Finn, a demon knows your name! You're famous!
Ya know I'm perfectly fine with not being famous in the underworld or wherever this thing came from.
Hmm... just a little kid! I guess it's a simple request. Lord Shutat no longer wishes for you to live. I'm sorry, but I must destroy you here. Nothing personal.

Thus the second real boss battle of Beyond the Beyond begins. Despite the fact that the game makes it pretty clear that whatever took over Glade's body is not Glade the game goes ahead and calls this boss 'Glade.' I'm just going to call this abomination G.

You are remarkably calm for such a young child.
Yeah you're not the first demon who's tried to kill me.
Oh?

A water demon beat you to the punch.
'Beaten to the punch.' Nice one, Finn.
Wha...? I wasn't making a joke.

G's defense is pretty damn high so unbuffed melee attacks aren't going to do a whole lot. It's hard to tell but G might actually be in the back row.

The attack power problem is somewhat taken care of by having Tont buff Finn and Edward buff Samson with the Attack spell. Finn's at a disadvantage in this fight, however, because he's so much faster than Tont (even though Tont is using the Tempest Ring!). That means of the two Finn acts first in the rotation and because of the quirky way buff timers work that turn counts against him even though he doesn't yet have the Attack buff when he attacks.

The basic strategy is the same as with the Water Demon: buff Finn and Samson, keep Annie on healing, have Tont and Edward defend when they don't need to buff anyone or use items to patch heal or restore MP as needed. Just like the Water Demon G gets two turns per round and we need to be careful not to let damage add up.

Finn and G quickly come to blows.

So you're the ones who killed Lord Shutat's sentinel. I'll make sure you pay for that.
Aargh! I'm not going to let some weird-headed demon freak beat me!
Typical bluster. Bah, I'll silence you soon enough.

Despite losing a turn on the timer the boost to Finn's attack power is still pretty nice.

I don't think so! We're going to send you to join that other demon.
Prryar. Finn, you almost sounded brave right then.
WHAT?! I'm no coward!
I seem to remember otherwise back when you were shaking in your boots in the water shrine.
I think he's got you there, Finn.
Just because I was a little nervous does not mean I was a coward.

Sir Samson's not resting on his laurels either as he makes some nice critical hits early on - the best time for criticals since they get the most advantage of the Attack boost.

Less arguing, more focusing on the enemy in front of us you three!

Oh no that's quite all right. If wish to have a merry discussion with your companions I won't stop you.
Then how come you just bit me?
Oh please, that was merely a little love tap.
Love tap my ass! You're just like all the other monsters out there, trying to kill me!
Now Finn sounds kind of paranoid.

G and Finn continue to beat the hell out of each other with double attacks and counter attacks.

ASGHEIDKHJ!
So what if I am trying to kill you? It's not as if humans are fit to live in this world.

Unlike the Water Demon battle Annie's got something much better suited to handling all those double attacks.

Well at least you're being polite about murdering all of us.

It's still early in the battle and not everyone is hurt but as long as two people have taken damage Healing Rain will at least break even compared to individual heals. In this case though, since we had to trek through a dungeon to get to this fight, Samson has a little bit of damage that is also wiped away.

Hmm. A cleric, eh? That explains so much.

I guess it's a good thing I have a few tricks of my own.

G has Fire level 2 but it's not as dangerous as the Water Demon's Ice 2. G might groggy someone by combining stacked attacks and magic but with Tont and Edward vigilant in our back row there's little risk of that happening.

Here's a comparison showing just how much the Attack effect fades over time. His first critical was for 50 damage and this one at the end of the timer only managed 27 damage. Fortunately Attack is a spell that works on rounds instead of actions (well, not so fortunate when the enemy has the buff...) otherwise Tont and Edward would constantly have to recast it.

Don't count G out of the critical club as zie is perfectly capable of making such attacks.

Once you are dead your friends will quickly fall.

What was that? Please. Take a few lessons and come back then maybe, just maybe you can actually hit me.

Well G would be capable of such attacks if Annie wasn't so skilled in blowing them off.

Of course that doesn't mean she's any better at hitting back.

I could say the same to you little girl.

Hey, Edward, are we really just doing to stand around watching Finn and Samson do most of the fighting?
Well I suppose we could try a few of our damaging spells.

After more fighting I decide to have Tont and Edward pitch in some magic damage. They're at a disadvantage in this fight because I used some of their limited MP in random encounters down in the sewers. Edward's Thunder 1 spell doesn't exactly fill me with confidence. Aside from Attack his magic just isn't very useful against single targets with lots of health.

Finn does more damage with his counter attacks.

You're a persistent bugger, aren't ya?
I won't fail Lord Shutat!
You don't have a choice in this matter!

As for sheer damage output Sir Samson took the lead early on and never looked back.

When G's health drops to a certain point the use of a Healing Potion signals that the fight would soon be over.

Huff... Huff... Tougher than I expected.
That's right!
Finn, you're actually kind of aggressive today.
I'm not letting this bozo get in the way of going home.
Nor should you.

I am not dead yet!
Ok! Let's see how you like this then! *chants an incantation*

Tont summons a Succubus into the fray.

Tont... did you just summon one demon to fight another demon?

Well... I, uh...
Cat's got his tongue!

The Succubus casts Ice 2 for a reasonable 28 damage. This is actually cheaper than just casting Ice 2 directly - which Edward did immediately before Tont's summon but rolled slightly lower damage. Ice 2 costs 9 MP but Summon 3 costs 8. Tont clearly got the better deal... this time. Also, we've learned that succubi can cast Ice 2 which will be good to know when we eventually run into them as enemies.

G apparently took that summons a bit personally.

A child has no business using our power!

Then Samson finishes the battle by managing to top all of his previous critical hits with one for 71 damage. I feel no regret about all that micromanagement I put him through.

Power? The only thing you have is the honor of dying to my axe.

The battle bumps Edward up to level 20. Rather appropriate.

Zalagoon is safe!
For now.
I'll take it!

With the battle complete G manages to stammer out a few dying words.

Shu... Shutat.. Sir... don't take them... lightly...

Then zie explodes in a ball of light.

When everyone can see again the camera shifts to where the king is standing alongside the assembled troops of Zalagoon. I don't know whether to be annoyed they did nothing to help fight the demon-thing or glad that I didn't have to bother keeping them alive.

Ow, my eyes! Are all the demons we run into going to do that?
You say that as if you expect a horde of them to come running into the castle.
At this point it wouldn't shock me.
Yes it would. Don't even try to deny it. I've known you for too long, Finn.
Well of course more demons are going to come see you, Finn. Did you forget that you're famous now?
If it's all the same I'd rather get unfamous.
I wonder how Shutat even knows your name.
That is rather odd, isn't it? Maybe something to do with Lord Kevins?

The kids don't really have time to continue pondering the situation for the king of Zalagoon draws himself up to speak, signalling that everyone else had better be quiet if they know what's good for them.

How... terrifying. You defeated that horror. Well done!
Thank you, your Majesty.
All in a day's work I guess.
Our days keep getting weirder and weirder.
We will send our troops to clear the way to Marion.
Is there any way we can be of help?
You must be tired. It will take awhile to gather our troops. You should rest while you can.

With that the screen fades to black.

Next time on Beyond the Beyond - I guess we're going to find out what happens after the cut to black.

Update Forty-five | Index | Update Forty-six