[Zeromus_X]

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5.9 Core of the Moon (Part Two)
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In this lovely new crystalline environment, you’ll encounter extremely difficult enemies. The game even lets you know this by playing the boss battle theme when you get into a random encounter here. If you’re just trying to get through, use Edge’s Smoke Ninja magic, or use Exit to escape from the battles. However, the monsters here give unrivaled experience points, so if you feel the need to level up, you know where to go.

From the entrance, head right and go down some stairs. Then follow the ledge left all the way until you see a chest and more steps going down. Open the chest for a Fuma (Fuma Shuriken). Then go down the steps.

Go to the right, and you should see stairs up above you, leading down. But, take the path down and to your right, to another pedestal with a sword. It’s time to fight the final Lunar boss.

When you examine the weapon, yet another voice warns you:

“None shall ever bear the cursed sword Masamune!”

Prepare for yet another tough battle.

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BOSS: Ogopogo
HP: 50,000
Experience Points: 61,000
Gil: 0
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Ogopogo has a funny name. He’s also a Leviathan wannabe. He’s also not very nice. He begins the battle by using his special attack, Big Wave, twice. This will do around 700-upwards of 1,000 damage to your entire party. Use Asura or Cure 4 to recover from this. Ogopogo counters offensive summons with ‘Blaze’, a relatively weak fire attack, but don’t take anything for granted. Ogopogo will also use Big Wave and two Big Waves throughout the battle, another reason to be healing constantly. Another of Ogopogo’s attacks is his physical attack, doing around 1,000 damage to your characters in the front ranks. Edge’s Image and Blink is acceptable for this, but constant healing is adequate. Have Cecil and Edge attack, Rydia summoning Bahamut, and Kain Jumping. Rosa should be put to work as your wonderful healer, Cure 4 everyone every round. If someone dies, have someone else use a Life to revive them, and Rosa’s Cure 4 should get them back up to speed. Although you need to be healing constantly, this isn’t necessarily a tough battle, compared to the previous Lunar bosses.
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After winning, you’ll receive the Masamune, Edge’s best weapon. It paired with the Murasame make a wonderful couple of deadly katana. Now hike back to the Save Point on the seventh basement. Rest, save, and return to this area. Then, go down the stairs above you to reach the next crystal floor.

From the entrance here, head down the nearby steps below. Go right, and follow a ledge to a chest which contains an Elixir. Go down another set of steps below. Then go left, and go down another flight of stairs. Keep going right, and you’ll notice a chest. It contains a Whistle (Gysahl Whistle). Continue right along the path until you reach a teleport pad. Step on it and go on to the next area.

From the entrance to this next area, follow the path, left, down some steps, right, down some steps, open up a chest for a Fuma (Fuma Shuriken), left all the way, open a chest for another Fuma Shuriken, go down and right, then down to another teleport pad to the fourth area.

This next area hosts new monsters as encounters, ‘Breath’ (Zemus’ Breath), Zemus’ scout, and ‘Mind’ (Zemus’ Mind) which is a guard. Zemus’ Breath casts Scan and ‘reports to Master Zemus’, and Zemus’ Mind likes confusing your party members. Ignore them and run away, they have too much HP to deal with often. They are an excellent source of experience, however.

In this fourth area, head left from the entrance. Then go down a long flight of stairs. Then go right, and down another flight of stairs. Go left from here, and step on another teleport pad at the end.

You’ll now be in the final area. Don’t worry about healing anyone, you’ll see why eventually.

As the party climbs up the stairs, to an almost skull-like platform of crystal, they see Golbez and FuSoYa up ahead, confronting Zemus. Cecil calls out to them, but they’ve already begun engaging Zemus.

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BOSS: Zemus
HP: ?
Experience Points: ?
Gil: ?
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This is a story battle. FuSoYa will use all his debilitating White magic on Zemus, and Golbez will unleach all his offensive Black magic. Then, Golbez and FuSoYa both decide to finish Zemus by both casting Meteo on him. Zemus mocks them, telling them to die trying. They then unleash the ultimate spell, ‘W. Meteo’ on Zemus. Zemus then says that the body may die, but the spirit lives on, and then, perishes.
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Zemus then falls over, dead. Golbez says that it is finally done. FuSoYa says that it was a waste, that a man with such power should be consumed with evil.

The team, especially Edge, is overjoyed, and runs over to meet the two. FuSoYa says that they meet again. Edge is dissapointed that he was beaten to defeating Zemus.

Golbez is surprised at Cecil, and says his name. Cecil is silent. Rosa then says Cecil’s name.

Then, Zemus’ body starts twitching. It then bursts into flames, and a voice starts talking to the party.

“I am the incarnation of Zemus’ enmity...

Zeromus, the absolute darkness, the epitome of hate.”

The chamber starts shaking and thunder even flashes inside the core of the moon. The entire group, except Golbez and FuSoYa, is taken back and falls over.

FuSoYa says that death only increased Zemus’ hatred. Golbez says that he doesn’t care what if he calls himself Zemus or Zeromus, he will destroy him once and for all.

FuSoYa then announces that his hatred ends with them, and they engage with this new incarnation of Zemus’ hatred.

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BOSS: Zeromus
HP: ?
Experience Points: ?
Gil: ?
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FuSoYa and Golbez then engage Zeromus, who looks....’abstract’ to say the least. Golbez and FuSoYa both cast the ultimate spell, Meteo, but Zeromus just absorbs the spell. FuSoYa says that Meteo is useless, so they must use the Crystal. Golbez then uses the Crystal on Zeromus, but it does nothing. Zeromus says that the light of the Crystal is eclipsed in the hands of darkness, and that it is no use. Zeromus then casts Meteo on FuSoYa and Golbez, defeating them.
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Zeromus continues speaking...

“Agony...Death...The hatred will rage on until all dies.”

All seems lost for the crew, as the core of the moon begins flashing violently, as Zeromus’ madness and hatred rage on.

Then, the scene shifts to the Tower of Wishes in Mysidia.

Porom and Palom beg the elder to do something. The elder says it is time. He says they must pray for the team, and pray for the entire world. He tells Palom and Porom that they shall send everbody’s prayers to Cecil. Yang, Edward, Porom, Palom, the elder of Mysida, the mages, the Clerics of Troia, Luca and Giott, Cid, Cid’s engineers, and everyone else prays for the crew. Edward tells Cecil to show them his courage, once more. Cid says that they’re all waiting for them to return. Giott says to return peace to Mother Earth. Luca tells them all to stand up and fight. The clerics say that they’re their last hope. The twins encourage the team. The elder tells the moon of the heavens to receive their prayers.

Back in the moon’s core, Cecil stands up. He calls out his brother, and walks over to Golbez, who is on the floor. Golbez calls out to Cecil, and tells him to use this, and you’ll receive the Crystal.

Cecil tells Zeromus, that for all life, and those who gave their lives, that they won’t lose.