" ": You talking

' ': You thinking

* *: Narrator/Voice-off

Your POV:

'We're in a bit of a predicament here... A dead end, three enemies, in a tunnel...'

"I take it that you guys aren't completely uninvolved with whatever is making that turtle going berserk, are you ?"

L'Arc: ... We-

Rishia: F- Familiars ?! FROM THE WALLS ?!!

"Battle formation ! Filo, deal with the one in the front ! Rishia, make sure they don't overthrow us from behind !!

Filo/Rishia: Yes ! /Y- Yes !!

"As for you guys, don't even think you're out of this ! [HIEROPHANT GREEN] EMERALD SPLASH !!"

"In the end, they still got away..."

Filo: Did they deflect it ?

"No, Filo, they got covered by a wall of familiars... We really didn't needed that on top of everything else..."

Rishia: But... If the familiars helped them escape, then...

"We have the certainty they at least know what's going on... For now, let's reunite with the others, they need to know what's going on..."

Naofumi: You're kidding, right ?

"I wish I was..."

Naofumi: L'Arc and Co...

"What is beyond me is how they managed to escape without running into any of you... Where did they disappear in a straight path..."

Shadow: There may be some hidden passages around here.

"Hidden passages... Filo, were you able to smell the presence of the familiars ?"

Filo: I smell it everywhere. The walls, the floor...

Elrasla: It may be because we're inside the turtle.

Eclair: So even miss Filo's sense of smell doesn't work here, huh.

"Wait. In that case, is there a place where it's stronger ? You know, a place that feels weirder than the rest ?"

Filo: Mmmmm... Here... Maybe ? It feels just like a little bit stronger though... It seems soft.

Ost: Now that she mentions it... It gives a different feel than the rocks surrounding it.

Naofumi: Let's test it then. Filo, throw this at that spot. It's a strong acidic liquid. It's just my guess but it should-

Raphtalia: NAOFUMI !!

"L'ARC ?! Where did he come from ?!!"

Raphtalia: You... ARE A FAKE ?!

"Quick thinking, quick thinking... FILO, THROW THOSE VIALS AT THEM !!"

'L'Arc': Guh...GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

*Reiki's familiar (Mimic form)*

Eclair: Familiar ?!!

Rishia: So they were mimicking them...

"One last round, Filo !! THROW IT AT THAT SPOT !!"

Familiar: GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !!!

Naofumi: So the walls were also mimics...

Shadows: So that means... Down there is the real route !!

Mirellia: Well done, heroes. Then, everyone. Take care of the rest !

Naofumi: So that means all of the true routes were closed off by the mimics.

"Now that makes sense how L'Arc and the other disappeared. They must've take a hidden passage as well. We'll go first and assess the situation down here."

"I must say, this is closer to what I was expecting..."

Naofumi: Yeah. We're finally "inside" the turtle...

Filo: It looks just like the inside of Filo's mouth !

"I'm not hugging you before you wash your hands. Let's continue."

Naofumi: T- This is...

"A dragon Hourglass ?! What is it doing here ?"

Filo: The sand is blue.

Ost: This is... A vessel to collect souls. All those who are sacrificed by the turtle turn to sand. And when it fills, the barrier should be up again... Or it should have been.

Naofumi: So this is the turtle's energy source. 'But there is very little sand. Even if it is to maintain the barrier, there doesn't seem to be enough.'

"Blue sand... Just like that hourglass... "

Ost: We're getting closer to the heart. let's go. We're almost at our destination !

"OUT OF THE WAY, EVERYONE !!"

Naofumi: UWAH !! Is everyone okay ?!

Raphtalia: Yes !

"There's no possible error here. This definitely..."

"The turtle's heart !"

Naofumi: As expected, it is full of vitality. Well, it should be expected that it'd try to protect itself.

"But bringing the sealing squad here... Is it possible to weaken it beforehand ?"

Naofumi: I wonder.. Would normal attacks work on it... If we don't know, then let's try it out.

"Test it... I like the sound of that."

Ost: If that's so... Please go at it with the intention to "Crush it".

Naofumi: If it's a heat ray of this level, my shield should be enough.

"It's isn't nearly as strong as the head, and it doesn't even have the type advantage. Let's close the distance at once !"

Ost: Please stop ! If you get hit with that... !

Naofumi: G- Gravity magic ?!

"Enough of this bullshit ! FILO !!"

Filo: Okay, master !! SPIRAL STRIKE !!!

"Good job ! Since it seems to launch these attacks with these eyeballs, destroying them should help !"

Naofumi: Why destroy the eyeballs, when you can slice the whole thing up ? Raphtalia !

Raphtalia: Please. Quiet down.

Ost: ... Guh...

Raphtalia: Are you okay ? Miss Ost ?

Ost: It... It would have been better if I wasn't okay...

Naofumi: So it's no good unless it's sealed, huh. Let's head back to the base camp and return here with the magic squad in tow.

Ost: No, we did get something out of it. I've found the location of the one who is behind all of this...

"What did you just say ?!"

Ost: When the heart stopped for a moment, I felt the flow of energy... The turtle's rampage, it's abnormal regeneration... Everything makes sense now. The hero's script as well, everything... Let's head back, repair the seal, and then... Go toward the one who is behind all of this.

Eclair: They're here !

Naofumi: We found where the heart is.

"Make preparations, we're heading back there at once."

"Core ? The core is separate from the heart ?"

Ost: The heart is merely an organ to make use of the energy the core produces. It is by no mean the most vital organ. Until we destroy the core, the heart will keep regenerating itself. But as long as it keeps on regenerating, we cannot reach the core.

Naofumi: So that's why it's necessary...

Ost: We will destroy the turtle's head and heart at the same time, and put a seal to obstruct its regenerative abilities.

Mirellia: It's head and heart... !

Shadow: Our sources do reference something like that.

"The heroes script... 'Heart, head, same'..."

Ost: It feels quite strange. I can feel it, like some kind of fog has cleared up. I can feel "myself" quite clearly...

Raphtalia: Even so, to destroy the heart and the head at the same time..

Elrasla: For the head, we have no choice but to ask the filolial queen...

"Filo ?"

Filo: Yeess. ... ... ...

*BROOOOOOOOOM*

Filo: She said okay.

"Good."

Ost: We have arrived. Past this point, the heart will attack us.

Naofumi: Okay, let's confirm it. How much time does the magic chanting take ? Can we chant it beforehand ?

Mirellia: It is possible but it comes with a range limitation. We can chant magic beforehand, but only for point-blank range magic. If we begin a group chant here, then we can't move fro this spot.

"... Raphtalia and Filo, vanguard, and attack the heart directly."

Naofumi: Eclair and the old lady, you will support them. As for the magic squad, I'll protect them.

Mirellia: The shadows and I will act as rear-guards.

"Good."

Rishia: E- Excuse me... What about me...

"You... Stay at the rear too. If anything unusual happens, report to me immediately."

Rishia: Okay.

"I'll stay in the middle of the formation to provide mid-range magic support."

Ost: is that alright ?

"Let's go !!"

Ost: Ugh... EVERYONE, WAIT-

"What are those ?!"

Shadow: My... My energy has...

Elrasla: Not good. It sucks your energy !! Don't touch the white mass !!

"Easier -WHOA- Said than -GUH- done !!"

"SHIT !! [AEGIS] ACT II !!"

Elrasla: It's getting bad. It's counter attacking with the energy tat it stole. At this rate, group chanting will be the least of our worries...

"These white blobs absorb our SP and MP upon contact... Naofumi, you think it works too when they hit a barrier ?"

Naofumi: How should I know ? You're the mage, experiment.

Ost: Kuh... This- This method of using the energy...

Filo: How mean... using Filo's powers to attack master... UNFORGIVABLE... !!!

"FILO ?! C- Calm d... On second though, continue !"

Rishia: The power's flow has...

Elrasla: As expected of the heavenly bird... For her to reverse the method of the Peerless transformation style... !

"She's absorbing all the power in the area... reverse... I see."

Mirellia: Do not falter ! Begin chanting !!

"It hadn't crossed my mind before then... But if I can create a spell with an effect, then... Obtaining the opposite effect should be just as easy ! Reverse spell, [HIGHWAY STAR] magic diffusion !!"

Fitoria: FILO !! LET'S DO THIS !!

Squad: As the source of thy power, we order thee. Decipher the laws of nature, and become a bond to stop the calamity turtle. Right here !

"NOW !!"

Squad: HIGH-CLASS GROUP RITUAL MAGIC, "SEAL" !!!

"..."

Naofumi: ...

Filo: ...

Mirellia: ... It's a success.

"Thank god..."

Naofumi: As expected, everyone is exhausted... But still...

"Yep... The real deal begins right now."

Ost: I, Ost Hourai, command the heavens and the Earth. Break and rewrite the laws of nature, expelling forth the impurities from within... Oh, "Me", open a path to the deepest parts of myself !

"... Gross."

Ost: This is the path to the core. Inside here, we should find the mastermind who is manipulating the turtle. Please be prepared. From the things that have happened so far, the mastermind specializes in stealing other's energy. Even if you're the holder of one of the holy weapons...

Naofumi: What about it ? You think we'd just turn back after coming this far ?

Ost: ... What I want to say is, please give the highest priority to destroying the core. If you can do that, the turtle should return all the energy that it has gathered to the world.

"Alright... Waiting here won't do us any good anyway, so, let's proceed."

Raphtalia: Naofumi... Once we defeat the turtle, she'll die, right ?

Naofumi: After coming this far...

"To be fair, I'm surprised she's still alive right now, with the heart destroyed..."

Raphtalia: But, she said "Be prepared", that's why... I was just thinking how prepared she is to hope to die for the world and actually be granted that hope.

Naofumi: ... Raphtalia.

Raphtalia: I- I'm sorry. It was just some thought that I had...

'For the world's sake, or for life's sake... Making sacrifices, or accepting oneself death... To run away or to fight... It won't happen, now that I have things I need to fight for.'

Filo: Master ?

"Get ready, Filo, this will be a tough battle for sure."

Naofumi: That's it... The core... !

Ost: Please be careful. Somewhere here...

Rishia: L- LORD ITSUKI !!!

"Wait, Rishia !! [HIEROPHANT GREEN] !!!"

Naofumi: A sheet of paper... ?!

???: GYAHAHA ! What's with this stupid face now ?! Just a moment more and she would have become black charcoal~. But I'll praise you for making it this far. The three heroes who came before, they didn't notice the irregularity until they were too weak. So, I brought them here !

???: Welcome, do you have any thoughts regarding this place ?

Naofumi: HAH ! I'm relieved, that you're a piece of shit that I won't regret killing.