The Unnecessary Balance VII

I don't know bout c there's only a 60% chance and that's only slightly better than a coin toss. And if she does get convinced she could die depending on how vindictive Anna wants to be. Let's go B that way we aren't under Heart affect and we don't risk Terra


Also Neo is this the same Terra from FF VI

C is locked. Will roll the RNG and update in a bit.

"Let's try contacting Terra," you say finally, after some thought. "I don't want to send someone I barely know into a potentially dangerous situation but... I trust her. And I don't see much of a choice..."

Stars above, don't ask me why I trust a complete stranger... Truthfully, you aren't really comfortable making such vital decisions anymore, not since what happened to Lazzy... But you truly believe this is the best option...

"It's alright Leah," Lazzy says suddenly, tightening his arms around you. "I can tell how you feel. Remember what I said before? Don't let the fear of making a mistake cloud your thoughts. I believe in you, Leah. And that's not something I say lightly, or to just anyone."

Oh, Lazzy... How does he know just what to say to you, every time? For the first time in your brief relationship with him, you lean up and initiate the kiss first. It is only a brief kiss, but you hope it's enough to show Lazzy how much you appreciate him. As you pull away, smiling, Lazzy leans down to kiss you again. However, the moment is ruined by an ungodly sound; the sound of millions of claws tearing at rock and stone.

"Uh... Leah?" Kara asks hesitantly. "I think it's safe to say we all believe in you. Can we run now? Please?"

Yeah... Okay. "Lazzy, I don't think your barricade is going to hold much longer..."

"Then I'll just have to buy us some time and hold them off," he replies grimly, his voice dead serious.

"The hell you will," you snap, stepping out of his arms. "Over my dead body. I'll get no more heroics from you, mister." You turn to Dol, but you don't even get a chance to open your mouth.

"I already know," Dol says, cutting you off. "Belial's study is this way. Follow me."

He doesn't have to tell you twice. Dol takes off at a dead run, and you're not far behind.

Terra's shimmering face smiles in the Darthan Orb, though for some reason, she looks a little... Tired. "Lord Lazareth! Leah! How wonderful to see you all again! To what do I owe this pleasure? I doubt you would have contacted me by such means if all you wanted was a social call."

"I see you're as astute as ever Terra," Lazzy says politely, smiling. "Actually, I do have a favor to ask. It's a bit of a long story, so bear with me..."

While Lazzy explains the situation, you notice Dol looking around, and decide to join him. "What you doing?" You ask curiously, genuinely interested.

"Looking for Belial's key box," he replies.

Ooh, you like the sound of that... "What for?" You ask, your eyes glinting.

"To open Belial's treasure room," he replies a bit hesitantly, giving you an odd look.

You practically purr at the sound of that. "Ooh, can I help? I like treasure."

"Hey Dol! Stop trying to steal my kitten!" Lazzy shouts from behind you.

Poor Dol looks very confused, while you just ignore Lazzy's outburst. "So, can I help?" You ask again, so excited you're nearly jumping in place.

He gives a slow nod. "Uh... Sure. It's a small golden strongbox. It should be in here somewhere."

Oh, it's gold? Well, this will be easy. You can smell gold from miles away.

------

As it turns out, the strongbox is only gold plated, not actual gold, and it throws your nose for a loop. After all, you only hunt for the real thing. You have no clue what fake gold smells like. Still, you find the strongbox eventually, and inside, is a large key chain with several ornate keys, a couple precious stones, and a particularly large chunk of gold. You're quite pleased with your find, and when Dol asks for it, you narrow your eyes and hide the box in your cloak. "Touch it and die," you growl dangerously.

Dol's eyes widen at the very serious threat. "I could have told you that was going to happen," Lazzy says, laughing, as he and Kara walk over. "Leah is very... Protective of her treasure. She wouldn't even let her husband get close to her gold, much less a stranger. Er, no offense Dol."

You stick your tongue out at him and make a very crude noise. "My husband would know better than to ask."

"No offense taken," a very bewildered Dol replies. "So, how did it go?"

Lazzy breaks out into a wide grin, which can only mean it went well. "A stroke of luck. It would seem Terra is in the area, for what reason she wouldn't say, and has agreed to lend us a hand. She assures me if it comes down to a matter of survival, she will use her powers, so we have nothing to worry about."

Dol seems interested by this. "This... Terra. Is she really so powerful?"

Lazzy gives a serious nod. "More than you could possibly imagine. So, with that taken care of... What now? Do we pay Belial a visit?"

Dol shakes his head. "No, not yet. First, I believe we should raid Belial's treasure chamber. There are many items in there that would aid us greatly, and we should minimize the time we spend near the Heart."

You're all too eager to agree, and you look at Lazzy expectantly, jumping up and down in excitement. He only sighs. "Good advice, though it's not like we have a choice. If I said no, Leah here would go anyway, and then she would never speak to me again."

You stick your tongue out at him again.

*You received Belial's Master Key! You received Flawless Diamond x1, Flawless Emerald x2, Flawless Sapphire x2, Flawless Ruby x1, and 1 Super Bullion!*

Note: The 'Flawless' stones can be sold to any merchant for 10,000 gold a piece. Flawless Diamonds can be sold to Jim or Helga for 20,000 gold. Super Bullions are, you guessed it, worth 15,000 gold.

Sure, I don't see why not. You can either ask Helga or Jim to forge you an accessory, or you can craft it yourself. But to do the latter, you need the Craftsman's Kit, and that can be tricky to find. Let me know what kind of accessory you guys want. Still need at least two votes however, as you'll be missing out on 20K.

..... Not that you really need the gold anyway, you rich bandits you.

Status Update.

Lazareth Lv 9 Balrog
HP:112-10
Str:72
Mag:31-5
Skill:52-5 (Capped)
Speed:50-5 (Capped)
Luck:46-5
Def:73 (Capped)
Res:55-5
Avoid 99-20 ATK 100

Skills: Rightful God, Pavise, Aether, Awaken, Meteor Storm, Immortal
Special Skills: Lava King
Weapon Level: Axe S, Lance A, Sword A
Items: Gaia Cleaver(-/-), Elixir(3/3), Gaia Plate, Heavenly Helm, Might Tonic(3/3)

-------

Temporary new character!

Terra Lv 18 Phoenix Tribe
HP:68 (132)
Str:32 (64)
Mag:45+10 (90)
Skill:40 (80)
Spd:40 (80)
Luck:28 (56)
Def:35 (70)
Res:50+5 (100)
Avoid 82 (150) ATK 90 (120)

Skills: Ascension(Command skill. Allows this unit to assume the form of a True Phoenix) Instant Transmigration(Allows this unit to bypass an enemy's def/res completely and deal full ATK damage. Trigger%= Mag Stat+Skill Stat÷4) Rightful Sovereign(Grants 20% activation rate to all proc skills) Shadowgift

Weapon Level: Tome SS, Sword B
Items: Purgatory(-/- Mt 30 Hit 80 Crit 0 Rng 1-2 des- The ultimate fire magic, surpassed by none. Said to incinerate any who touch it, save it's Wielder or Maker. Mag+10, Res+5), Goetia(-/-), Elixir(3/3)

Will update the story in a bit.

"Are you sure about this, little one?" Ganesha asks, his voice brimming with concern.

Terra nods, smiling. "I'm sure, Gan-Gan. Believe me, I more than anyone know how risky this is. But I owe Lord Lazareth a blood-debt. I can't turn him down."

The kind demon doesn't seem pleased, but he concedes. "Alright lass, I trust your judgement. This Blood-Debt must be really important to your people, to spur you into action."

Terra's smile fades a bit. "It is, it's important to all Laguz."

Terra steps out of the wagon, landing on soft earthen soil. "We can take you back north!" Skarda offers hastily.

"It's okay," Terra assures her. Skarda had been like a mother to her, and she knows all too well how fond of her the hippo had grown... "It will be much faster if I simply fly."

Ganesha gives a grim nod, and with one final goodbye, he pulls his caravan away, lightning ponies and all... Terra sighs wistfully. Alone again... But that's something she's grown used to, ever since leaving the village... Sighing once more, she steels herself. Right now, she needs to focus. She has a Blood-Debt to repay.

From miles and miles away, a great pillar of flame and light could be seen piercing the sky. A giant bird of flame rockets into the sky, her wings stretching from horizon to horizon. The Phoenix's cry can be heard throughout all of time and space; the cry of time itself. A blood red harvest moon hangs in the eternally dark sky, providing a fitting backdrop for the Phoenix's first flight in over a century. A mere second later, a meteor hurtles towards the distant coast, towards the distant outline of a dark temple.

------

"What is your real plan?"

"To open the Gate and create a beautiful world of madness."

"No, I meant your true plan."

"Why, to resurrect the Chaos Dragon, of course."

"But the old Chaos Dragon still lives."

"Not for long. And you misunderstand me... I have no need of that fossil Yormungand."

"Who are you? Truly?"

"Now you're starting to ask the right questions..."

What in the world... Is that?

"Find something?" Lazzy asks as he joins you.

You nod, pointing to the collection of arms and armor. Lazzy's eyes widen as he notices what you do; a giant axe, shaped like a dragon's head, a great winged spear, a beautiful sword of midnight, a shield emblazoned with rubies and sapphires, another piece of the Heaven Set, and more... And that wasn't all... Lazzy directs your attention to the nearby wall, a wall covered in magical glyphs, and ancient writing.

"Here lies the wisdom of the ancients," Lazzy reads. "The knowledge of words, the power of the elements, and the gift of the stars. Prove your worth, but check your greed, as the dark star heralds doom."

Well that's... Interesting. "So... What does it mean?"

"Hmm... I'm not sure," Lazzy says thoughtfully. "But I have my guesses. You might be able to draw power from here, but you'd only be able to choose one... That line about a 'dark star' worries me. And as much as I know you'll hate me for suggesting this, but we can't carry all of this. Especially not when we're heading into unknown territories."

You whimper, knowing he's right. "B-But... But... Oh fine. Can I choose at least?"

"Of course," Lazzy consents, smiling. "I wouldn't dare suggest otherwise."

---------

So, here's the thing... You can only choose 1 weapon, 2 pieces of armor, and 1 new 'power'. These powers are new classes for Leah, but you don't have to class change her right now. Remember, you'll get the Astral Shade class at the end of this quest.

A: Behemoth Axe(-/- Mt 30 Hit 60 Crit 0 Rng 1 Weapon Rank S des- An axe of extreme power once wielded by the king of the Frost Giants. Str+10. Deals bonus damage to dragons and animals)

B: N'jonir(-/- Mt 18 Hit 90 Crit 0 Rng 1-2 Weapon Rank S des- A Lance once wielded by a legendary monarch. SPD+5, Def+5. Deals light based damage. Can strike consecutively)

C: Night Emperor(-/- Mt 20 Hit 100 Crit 10 Rng 1-2 Weapon Rank S des- A sword of unholy power, once used by a leader of a legendary band of assassins. Spd+5, Skill+5. Deals dark element damage. Grants the skill Lethality)

D: None

1: Heavenly Armor(HP+20, Def+40, Res+20. Grants immunity to all status effects, and negates all dark element damage.)

2: Ethereal Armor(Def+15, Res+15, Magic+10. Halves all magic damage, and grants immunity to Silence)

3: Stygian Warden Helm(Def+10, Luck+5. When attacked by an enemy at Rng 1, has a 40% chance to inflict Berserk on the enemy)

4: None

AA: Runemaster
BB: Elemental
CC: Astronomer
DD: None

New classes

Runemaster: Physical and Magic based class with an emphasis on Speed, but below average defense. A Runemaster has an innate knowledge of lore, and has a 100% success rate to remove any and all Runes.

Skills- Lv 5 Inscribe(Command Skill. Can place an explosive rune anywhere in Range. Deals 30 set damage to the first enemy to step on the tile. Can only be used once per turn. Rng 10), Lv 15 Aegis+, Lv 25 Arcane Knowledge(Passive skill. Magic is permanently boosted by 10, and all spell damage now has a 10% higher Crit Rate. Can now Inscribe up to 10 Runes per turn, instead of 1)

Elemental: High physical attack and defense, with an emphasis on Magic and Speed. The Elemental is the ruler of nature. All elemental damage is naturally halved, and has a passive +30 Avoid and +10 Crit when fighting outdoors.

Skills: Lv 5 Rejuvenation(Passive skill. When outdoors, regain 40 HP per turn), Lv 15 Planet's Wrath(When below 50% HP, all attacks have Fire, Water, and Earth damage, and all attacks are critical), Lv 25 Lord of Nature(Command skill. Assume the form of a true Elemental Being for one battle. +20 to all stats. Attacks become Dark Lightning, Brutal Wave, Inferno, Earthquake, and Shadowflare. Grants the Immortal skill when in Elemental form)

Astronomer: A more powerful version of a Sage in terms of stats. Avoid+30 and Magic+5 during nighttime.

Skills- Lv 5 Starcloak(Negates all damage and end the battle. Trigger%= Luck Stat÷4), Lv 15 Comet(Invoke the power of the heavens on a single foe. Automatically kills/Kos the target. Trigger%=Magic Stat÷4), Heavenly Gaze(All attacks now have a 50% chance to paralyze an enemy)

Also, remember that you will get Leah's Diamond Weapon quest soon for her Diamond Weapon class. However... The Weapons are extremely difficult bosses, so keep that in mind.

No, but it would come pretty darn close. It would simply halve the damage again. So, say an enemy uses Bolganone against you, and it's supposed to do 30 DMG. Being an Elemental would bring that down to 15, and Ethereal Armor would bring that down to 7. You could potentially trivialize the Chapter 13x Boss Fight even further with that combo though, as the Lava Primordial only has fire elemental attacks.

Also, you wanna know why Leah is really so OP? Her form changing skills can stack and combine, to create even deadlier forms. She's the only character that can do that. For example, if you changed her to an Elemental and then got her Avatar of Dhaos special skill, you could use them both at once, turning her into a gravity defying, galaxy destroying, black fire goddess. It would be epic. Or, you could combine Elemental with Diamond Weapon, or Diamond Weapon with Avatar of Dhaos, turning her into a massive titan that could go toe to toe with a certain Space Demon. Awesome, huh?