[FEMALE NARRATOR] A gaming juggernaut
that boasts over thirty-million players
and counting,
the fully-immersive VR MMO, Shangri-La Frontier,
is the definitive triple-A experience.
Here, players can encounter a class of unique monsters
called the Seven Colossi.
Lurking in the darkness is one such monster.
Lycagon the Nightslayer.
[RAKURO] I'm not the same newb I was last time we fought!
Time for you to get a taste of a maxed-out,
level ninety-nine gamer!
♪
[EMUL] Please! With all due respect,
I urge you to listen!
I must request that you wait for his arrival
in the Palace of Rabituza!
[AKANE] Don't you worry!
Running will be faster than waiting, most likely!
[wincing]
It's no use!
Not with this lass!
Mind is made up, she ain't likely to budge!
Ye sure?
This be the selfsame fella?
You know 'im?
[AKANE] Not one-hundred-percent sure.
It's like.
More of a hunch based on what Emul said!
But I think it's the same Sunraku!
Trust me!
[REI (PSYGER-0)] I didn't think we'd ever get this far
facing Lycagon head-on.
But,
Hizutome, when I fight with you, I feel..
unstoppable!
[REI (PSYGER-0)] Apocalypse!
[growls]
[grunts]
[rumble]
♪
EMBRACE THE LAMPLIGHT OF AMBITION, PART 3
[groans]
[REI] How does he do that?
I keep watching Hizutome dodge
like it's nothing,
but I can't seem to do it myself!
[RAKURO] Yo, Rei! I need you to heal up!
[RAKURO] Luckily, Lycagon knocked you out of the way.
[attacking grunts]
[RAKURO] If I'm relentless with my attacks,
I should be able to pull aggro from Rei.
♪
[RAKURO] How's that feel, mutt?
[rumbling]
[gasp]
[RAKURO] Wait, did she just completely ignore me?
[Rei gasps]
♪
[REI] She's not giving me a chance to heal,
and my sword feels way heavier than usual.
My armor, too.
[rumbling]
It's like I'm weighted down.
If Lycagon kills me,
we lose all of our offensive power,
then it's game over, for sure!
[panting]
[RAKURO] Come back!
Rei!
[REI] Stop that.
If Hizutome was in my position,
he wouldn't just turn around and run.
I'm a top-tier player, the freaking Attack Master!
Moping around like this,
it's an insult to my new friend!
[power yell]
[gasp] I can't move.
♪
[REI] There's her clone!
This is how it ends.
All I do is keep dragging him down.
[growl]
[RAKURO] Rei, no!
[gasps]
[clatter]
[RAKURO] Huh? A log?
[AKANE] Hagakushi Secret Art.
Utsusemi!
Pretty cool, right?
Wouldn't be a classic ninja technique without a log.
You stopped just in time, too!
I was able to hit the sub!
♪
[REI] I survived it?
No, this girl saved me.
A random ninja, who is she?
Hey, uh, thanks.
[AKANE] Yeah, no prob!
Pardon me for changing the subject
but your name's not Sunraku, is it?
You don't seem like him.
[REI (PSYGER-0)] Uh... No.
I'm Psyger-Zero.
Oh, that must mean Sunraku is the player
fighting over there!
[chuckle] Based on the rumors,
I assumed I'd arrive to see a half-naked whirlwind
in a silly-looking bird mask,
but that looks a lot more like traditional armor to me!
[REI] Hang on,
she knows Hizutome, too?
[RAKURO] Uh, who the heck just log-jammed us?
That is a player, isn't it?
[screaming]
- -Sunraku! - [Rakuro grunt]
I'm here to help!
- -[giggle] - [RAKURO] Oh great!
She's got backup! Wait, Emul?
The dynamic duo, reunited at last!
You ventured quite a long way, you know that, right?
Uh yeah, I'm keenly aware!
I thought I told you not to leave the palace, though!
[EMUL] Well, you're not the only one
who has things suddenly hop up!
[sigh, panting]
Dearie me, young Lad,
it seems we finally caught up to ye, have we?
[sigh]
[RAKURO] Ah, another rabbit?
At this point, I'm just gonna assume
you're one of Emul's siblings, right?
Aye!
Ye done right by me, carin' for my wee sis.
This is my big bro Ceecrue!
The one I told you about, remember?
CEECRUE
[CEECRUE] That headstrong bonny is Akitsuakane.
It was her unyielding goal to come find ya,
and my unyielding duty to escort 'er.
[RAKURO] Uh, Akitsuakane?
That's kinda familiar.
Ugh. What the heck?
It was her, wasn't it?
She's the other player
who made it to the Palace of Rabituza!
[thud] [rumble]
[growls]
[roar]
Awe, is that a really big dog?
Like, the biggest dog I've ever seen?
[REI (PSYGER-0)] I, uh, never got the chance to fully express
my gratitude earlier!
We cool, man!
[REI (PSYGER-0)] By the way, um, if I may inquire,
how do you and Sunraku, uh, know each other?
[AKANE] Oh, well.
How can I put this.
He's a veteran player I admire.
He's so cool!
[REI (PSYGER-0)] Oh? Admire?
[AKANE] Look out!
Hagakushi Secret Art: Utsusemi!
[rumbling]
[paper rustle]
That was way too close!
[REI] That's a hard move to time right,
and she's done it twice.
She's good.
Real good.
[RAKURO] Akitsuakane.
First she gets to Rabituza,
now she's mixed up with Lycagon.
She may not be doing any damage,
but she's managed to stay one step
ahead of a colossus without dying.
[CEECRUE] Not just one.
She's a warrior recognized to be worthy
by the Golden Dragon King Siegwurm,
the Sky Ruler of the Seven Colossi himself!
[RAKURO] Right, of course.
- -How could I forget? - [rumbling]
Hold up, is that a Mark on her face?
Cursed by Siegwurm like I was by the Nightslayer?
While I appreciate her bailing us out,
why does she wanna talk to me specifically?
[Emul wincing]
I mean, under these circumstances,
I wouldn't turn down the help.
But she's the only other player
skilled enough to unlock a unique scenario
I had a monopoly on.
There's gotta be another motive, here.
[RAKURO] Hey, hey!
Quit trying to sabotage yourself, dumb-dumb!
Think about the bigger picture!
Pull yourself together, Sunraku!
Akitsuakane!
You mind giving Rei some back-up
for a little while?
Sorry for the short notice,
but you're all I've got right now!
♪
[chuckle]
♪
Roger that, boss!
I've got your friend covered!
♪
[Rei gasps]
[REI] Wow.
I know I should be grateful she's helping me right now
but for some reason, I'm feelin' kinda nervous!
[thud]
[AKANE] Oh, yep.
I think I finally understand what's going on.
This angry doggo is on the attack,
and it's got its sights set on you!
[REI (PSYGER-0)] We have to find an opening to try
and get a few hits in!
♪
[CEECRUE] Us and the "Night Emperor,"
havin' a bit of a tussle!
Never thought I'd see the day, myself!
[EMUL] Hard to tell what's next with my pal Sunraku!
[RAKURO] Honestly, I was just as surprised as you guys!
But we've got a big problem.
We need Rei, and they've got the aggro.
Lycagon sniffed out the damage dealer real fast.
Or, this angry ball of muscle
and fur figured out our strat.
Oh, what is this "Strat?"
[RAKURO] It doesn't matter.
Bottom line is,
if we can't get Lycagon off Rei,
we don't stand a freakin' chance!
- -Ceecrue! - Um.
[RAKURO] Get out there and help those two, ya hear?
Loud and clear, laddy!
♪
[RAKURO] Okay, Emul, we're up!
Let's go!
Righty-o!
♪
So.
What do you want me to do, then?
[RAKURO] Good question!
Let's start with a Magic Chain
to lock our wolf-friend down.
Very well!
I shall give it everything I've got!
[rumbling]
[RAKURO] Now!
Magic chain, go forth!
♪
[RAKURO] You got her, Emul! Nice shot!
[scream]
My chain was no match
for the Night Emperor's strength!
[RAKURO] Maybe not, but it bought me
all the time your boy needed!
Skill!
Unbroken Light Dance!
[grunts]
[RAKURO] The cold shoulder, yet again.
Guess it'll take more than that to get your attention!
[AKANE] It didn't work, but it still looked super cool!
Totally reminds me of Berserk Online Passion!
That Quick-Draw fist you used!
[RAKURO] Not cool!
Don't compare that beefer with a move
from some trash game.
Berserk Online Passion?
♪
Hold up.
You're telling me you're a BERP player as well?
Huh?
Uh, yeah! You and I fought each other
when I was logged in as Dragonfly, remember?
It was a pretty sweet match, if I do say so myself!
[RAKURO] Dragonfly, eh?
Oh!
You're the player who found that new bug, right?
That's me!
[RAKURO] Uh, so, h-hang on.
You came all this way on the off chance
I was that Sunraku?
I did, with the guidance of Emul and Ceecrue, of course.
They helped power me through the three areas
after Thirdrema!
[nervous chuckle]
[RAKURO] She seems kind of intense,
but like, different than Katzo and Pencilgon.
[thudding]
[REI (PSYGER-0)] She admired him as a "veteran player"
in a different game is all.
Satanael.
Reversal, Satan!
[REI] Which means I'm not out of the running yet!
There's no way I'm giving up my chance!
Catastrophe!
[growl]
[thud]
[REI (PSYGER-0)] Yes!
I just need one more hit from Apocalypse!
And then, if I can hit one more time
with Catastrophe, I'll meet the requiremen...
♪
[roar]
[REI (PSYGER-0)] The clone again?
Hagakushi Secret Art: Utsusemi!
[thud]
♪
[REI (PSYGER-0)] Sorry!
I let my guard down.
Well, if that was her shadow clone attack,
it would be pretty hard to dodge,
especially since she's aggro'd onto you.
[grunts]
♪
[RAKURO] I can't believe someone
I fought in another game swooped in to save us.
Huh?
She's different, unlike some other morons I know.
She seems focused, more like an athlete.
[thuds]
The type who sets clear goals for herself
to keep improving as she plays.
And, man, has that wooden decoy technique
saved the day or what!
Even with Waning Mirror,
I'm having a real hard time pulling focus.
So I'm not able to do much right now!
Hey guys, to use my technique,
I've got to have an item on hand.
It's a consumable that's called a "Substitution Log."
I hate to be this way,
but I just used up the last of my logs!
[RAKURO] Say what?
It's not as though we were prepared
to face the Night Emperor
in her throne of darkness, y'ken?
[rumbling]
[gasps]
Lady Akane!
[clatter]
♪
'Twas quite a close scrape, that one!
Thanks for the assist, Ceecrue!
Hey Sunraku!
I'm sorry, probably should have mentioned
that I'm only level forty-three!
I'm afraid I'm not gonna be much help
when it comes to DPSing!
[RAKURO] Got it! There's no need to push it!
No more substitutions.
In that case.
I'm gonna have to find a way
to draw aggro myself!
[EMUL] And how do you propose we do that?
[RAKURO] Ugh.
Well, I have an idea,
but I need to check something first.
Hm?
[RAKURO] Not only is Lycagon the Nightslayer
a member of the Seven Clossi equipped with some bangin' AI.
She's strong-as-hell, too.
But, even with all that,
there's one thing that doesn't add up.
In SLF, damage is represented
by a visual spray of polygonal blood.
And so far, in this battle,
I haven't seen those polys from Lycagon once.
At first, I thought she was just so tough
that I wasn't able to deal real damage.
But then, I'm watching the Attack Master wail on her,
and I can see they're not drawing blood either.
That can only mean one thing.
Emul!
[EMUL] Yes sir?
You've the Mana Shaker spell, right?
Hit the big girl with that one!
Righty-o!
But, I don't know if that's...
[RAKURO] Just trust me!
I have a feeling it's gonna work against Lycagon.
Go on! No time to waste, my furry friend!
Uh. Yes, if you insist!
Let's Add Spell!
Go, Mana Shaker!
♪
I've only just grazed her!
[RAKURO] No, you nailed it, Emul!
It wasn't much, but you broke through!
Mana Shaker has no destructive effect on physical targets.
But, let's say, you bust it out on mobs
made of pure magic.
Well, you're gonna do a boat-load of damage!
Especially against an immaterial creature,
like a ghost wolf.
One like you.
Because that's what you really are.
Right, Miss "Slayer of the Night?"
Makes a lotta sense when you think about it.
The way you bolt through the shadows,
just like your little clones.
You're all built from the same stuff!
Pups don't fall far from the ol' wolf tree,
as they say.
And lemme guess, a weak little graze
like that doesn't even leave a scar.
Plus, you've been using your ghostly powers
to heal from the damage Rei dealt, isn't that right?
Ugh.
[screams]
[RAKURO] Way to go, Emul!
Lycagon's got you pegged as one dangerous bunny!
[screaming]
This "dangerous bunny"
would very much like to go home, now!
[REI (PSYGER-0)] He just pulled aggro!
Attack while we can!
- -Copy that! - [CEECRUE] I shall lend my aid!
[scream]
[RAKURO] That worked better than I thought it would!
She's coming right at us, Sunraku!
[RAKURO] [laugh] Us?
She's only got eyes for you!
My well-being is not a laughing matter,
I'll have you know!
[RAKURO] You're right.
If I'm not careful, I won't be laughing for long.
[screaming]
By any stretch, using Emul to draw
aggro is a risky maneuver.
When NPCs meet their maker.
They don't have the luxury of respawning
like players do.
If I can't dodge an attack
and have to bail into the Inventoria,
I might save myself,
but Emul, on the other hand.
[rumble]
[RAKURO] In this fight, losing ain't an option.
Okay.
Now that you guys are here,
I've finally made up my mind.
Huh?
[RAKURO] When an event happens
that triggers an adrenaline rush,
gamers hone in and sharpen up!
Don't you worry, Emul!
We'll finish this fight before you know it!
I've got news for you, fur-ball!
Rei might be a powerhouse,
but they're not the only one with an Ultimate!
Wait, what?
Suzaku's power is already down to five percent?
How much juice does it take to burn away
a few clouds?
At this rate, I doubt he lasts another minute!
Suzaku! Cut your boosters and dive down!
Standby in low-power mode as long as you can!
[SUZAKU] Yes, sir.
[RAKURO] I've still got a big job for Suzaku to do.
Can't let him run outta fuel just yet!
You said Suza-what?
I'm so confused, who were you talking to?
[RAKURO] We've got us a classic race against the clock!
Hey Rei!
Ball's in your court!
[yell]
[REI (PSYGER-0)] Catastrophe!
CATASTROPHE
♪
[REI (PSYGER-0)] All right, just one more!
Reversal.
[growl]
[CEECRUE] Psyger-Zero!
Keep yer distance!
Get too close, and you'll draw her ire!
[RAKURO] Emul! Use Mana Shaker!
We need to keep all her aggro on us!
I'm afraid I'm cooling down,
I can't use it a second time so quickly!
[RAKURO] Pivot, whip up a Magic Chain, then!
[EMUL] Righty-o!
[RAKURO] Firing up!
[rumbling]
[smirks]
[REI (PSYGER-0)] You're open!
Apocalypse!
[wind gush]
Did she just dodge it?
[REI (PSYGER-0)] No.
The Apocalypse hit registered.
[growl]
And now, the conditions have been met.
[RAKURO] Nice, Rei!
That was a tiny opening, but you were on-target!
Now, leave the rest to me and get to casting.
[REI (PSYGER-0)] Right!
[clang]
♪
[REI (PSYGER-0)] I am the holder of chaos.
I am in heaven--
[AKANE] Now this is a fight.
Should we do something while she winds up?
Seems to me we're right covered
in the damage department.
♪
[RAKURO] The casting time on Rei's
ultimate is absurdly long,
which makes them extremely vulnerable to attack.
I've gotta keep Rei safe, or we're all screwed.
Hey, pup, it's climax time!
You ready to tango?
- -[growl] - Let's dance!
♪