oh I love this
Ohhh... Library Battle SIMULATION: Let's Play Library of Ruina
Book 49: Endgame—Chapter 9: My floor has no pathetic Librarians, Oswald!
So, they made it past our defenses in the end.
It seems these guests become books the same as the others before them. At this point, it makes the most sense to receive them…
So that we can finish your book, huh. Well then, I'll see who's waiting at my floor and figure out what to do about it afterwards.
Alright team, let's see which of them stayed behind.
Whoever it is, I'm sure we'll handle them.
Hey now, don't tempt fate.
VIDEO
Music: TipherethBattle01
Ah! Down there is… a river that looks like a very large stream containing blueberries and juiced mountain snake berries… An olfactory mixture of mint and clove… would make a stingy scent like this! This stage has a blindingly sparkly rust, a stark contrast from ours! Splendid! I couldn’t ask for a better place to prepare for a grandiose performance. Don’t you think so, Mr. Knife?!
What a noisy guest.
Oh, two yikeses and a half! My heart almost popped out of my eyehole!
Ah, now just one moment! Take a look at this! Ms. Mermaid is lifting her microphone high in excitement~
You’re getting nowhere with your frantic speech, so could you please stick to one topic at a time? And you’d be the guest here if we’re being pedantic.
A clown can’t be in charge of producing his own show, you know? Hahaha! That’s showbiz to you, miss!
I don’t get what’s so funny…
Now, now~ Why don’t we sniff each other’s wrists in a true fashion of clown-to-clown communication ritual? I wore a whiff of peppery scent today!
W—wait! You startled me! It’s rude to stick your face into others without asking… Do you understand?
Nyeh… How cold! People these days are waaay too stuck up! We’re entering a moist era where laughter runs dry! People get so easily upset over tiny things. Sob, sob, woe is me… If a clown can’t be filled with laughter, they’ll flop like a deflated balloon…
Anger is a natural human emotion, though.
Only those who carry some kind of hopes and dreams make such stinky candies~ Expectations for a bar of chocolate, a hamster, objects, the weather, other people… and for themselves. They arbitrarily entertain the expectations and make the candies without even getting a nod from the one they have their hopes on, and won’t even eat their candies themselves!
Because they know that their own candies taste awful.
So iiiiinstead! They put them in the mouths of others. More expectations means more foul-smelling candies~ They hold those balls of stench in their arms, looking to shove them in someone else’s stomach!
Then… How is one supposed to live a life without any expectations?
Did a blade of grass ask for you to have them? Did the gentle sun allow you to have them? Who in the world told you that it’s right to hold expectations? Hahaha! That tingles my mouth almost as much as a celery leaf does! Oh, how hilarious!!! When you don’t hold expectations~ You get to see more eyesores! When you don’t have anger, you get to enjoy zestier and bitterer flavors~ Treat everything like a rolling ball! You cheer for it wherever the sphere decides to go!
Everyone who lives here is a clown! Clowns can’t survive without feeding on each other’s smiles, you see?
…I see your point. You’re right. Holding expectations for someone isn’t always a good thing for them. While I can’t fully agree with your opinions, I admit that there are parts that I can’t completely disregard.
Ohohoh! I just want to make a world full of laughter! One where everybody can laugh without a care!!! Frowny faces are just too scary~
However, to hold expectations is to trust that person. You’re simply running from the fear of failing to meet the expectations of others.
Haha! Hahaha! Am I? Is it a crime to wish for happiness?! Since when was it a bad thing to wish for a world where all people can laugh? Hmph, whatever! I guess we have different kinds of laughters we want to display in our shows as performers!
You’re no different from us folks in that you run a show hoping to make people smile the smile you want to see! Let’s begin the performance to make another clown laugh!!! That’s enough introduction… Shall we begin playing on the tongue now? Hahaha!
Yeah. In your language, we have to fight to protect the stages we stand on.
So it's that clown… and he simply wants to laugh alongside everyone. In that case…
In that case, it's simple: We counter a clown focused on smiles with a jester focused on emptiness.
That strategy would leave every one of you dead on the floor.
Which would make for a fitting climax. It'll work. It has to work.
That's…
I think they have a point. This guy only cares about one emotion. Let's hit him with the whole rest of the spectrum.
And he's trying to avoid expectations, too. So we'll load ours onto you, so you can live up to them.
Alright… Fine. Let's go with your plan, then.
The rest of the gang today is built to lose a lot of clashes and die to enable Tiphereth's Lone Fixer and Remembrance passives. I actually messed up here, it would have been better if these guys had been much squishier than this.
Retry Count: 10. This did cost me a run, because I am still very bad at playing this game badly. I usually just steamroll over Oswald with conventional strategies.
Music: The Reverberation Ensemble (Briah)
New layer means new music.
Hm… HmhmHM! Five prodigiously smelly clowns have joined us on the stage, it seems..!
But that licoricey scent simply won't do! Oh no no no, you'll never get anywhere unless you let them steep out in the sunny sunshine!
There's no more time for clouds, dear friends! Let's bring happy smiles to the faces of the entire world!!!
Oswald as a boss is nigh-immune to conventional Stagger damage, between universal 0.25x resists and his ability to halve all SR damage—and he's got some decent Evade dice to quickly undo any Stagger Damage we may happen to get through those layers of defense. He'll periodically attempt to Stupify the highest-HP Librarian and power them up, which is a Bad Thing for us. However, if we manage to Stagger the Stupefied Librarian, Oswald will take a guaranteed 60 SR. After two cycles, he uses a Mass Attack, then the pattern repeats forever.
Mr. Knife and Ms. Mermaid are his fellow performers today, and each of them are very basic enemies who primarily exist to deal more SR damage to Oswald when we kill them, 40 each.
Now, let's look at their attacks on this first turn.
Let's Have Some Fun~ is one of only two conventional pages that Oswald uses. The rest of his normal combat pages all have an unusual gimmick to them.
Oswald, you see, is a consummate performer. Without holding any expectations, anyone who's on stage with him is expected to do their job—and when they do, they get congratulated accordingly. Pow~! Kablammo!!♣ is a pair of strong Evades covering for a relatively weak actual attack. However, if we win the clash against this attack then the Librarian who does it gets 1 Haste and Endurance next turn. We can't just ignore it, either, since if it hits us we'll lose a Speed Die next turn.
As for Shall We Somersault These?♦, it's a Ranged page with three decent-at-best dice. If we win a Clash against all three, then the Librarian who stuffed the page will get a 2 Light refund—it's basically begging us to use a giant single-hit attack like Violet Blade. A normal playthrough of this fight would take advantage of these bonuses to make a grand performance, but today we don't have the tools to stop any of these attacks.
We're primed to be the single greatest disappointment this poor clown has ever worked with.
Ms. Mermaid's attacks are all Ranged pages as well, and tend to have some kind of supporting effect. Horrendous Pitch deals bonus Stagger Damage, while Aria of Courage will give 1 Strength to the lowest HP ally. This is usually Mr. Knife.
Mr. Knife can also use a mix of Ranged pages and melee ones. Guillotine, specifically, will break the second die on a page if its single hit succeeds, while Casual Toss is just kind of… there.
While we aren't likely to win many clashes against them, we don't really need to, either. We want to lose clashes, slowly have everyone but Tiphereth die off, and try and keep Tiph herself healthy.
He's expecting a performance out of us, eh?
Yeah… I don't think it's happening. 
That's perfect. If fighting between magical girls is a dialogue… in this case, not performing would be the best way to make our point.
I'll admit that the Jester was related… but do you really expect me to believe that every clown follows those same rules?
Yes. Because they do.
So clowns are magical girls, now… Fine. Whatever. It doesn't change anything either way.
Now then, my fellow clowns, it's time for the most peppery-splodey performance of any lifetime!!! Don't volunteer all at once now, or you may make my lungs burst with laughter~!!
You'll do nicely! Lace your most stunning sneakers, and try this out!
You want me to jump through the rings..?
Ah-ah-ah, I'm no chowder-brain!! That would be an expectation, you'll do whatever you'll do, won't you~?
Oh, good… because I can't jump worth anything.
Hahahahahaaaa!!
Ghh.. They hit pretty hard, but I feel like we could have taken them if we fought normally.
It's not about winning or losing, here: It's about making sure to send the right thematic message.
To be clear: it is about winning.
Well… Fine! We'll do both! We can do both.
That blueberry-smelling fellow of yours has the right of it! It's all about the performance, don't you know? The minute-by-minute existence in search of the grandest stage of all!
There's more to life than living hand-to-mouth. Or foot to stage, as you'd put it.
Such a sickly lemony smell from you! Making sour candies and firing them like warheads, don't you know there's a reason no one buys those cookies?!
…Well, at least it'll be easy to call on this power.
The plan goes off without a hitch, entirely because we're playing terrible decks for this point in the game.
Oh my, what's that my dear Ms. Mermaid?
I agree! It's far too languorous in here~ I'm so happy to see that it's driven you to sing your very best!
I think the fish is about to do something.
Just look out for it, whatever it's doing.
What it's doing is Resonating Terror, Ms. Mermaid's Mass-Individual page that deals bonus Stagger Damage on hit. Its rolls are just high enough to be a problem, but since we're playing to lose with everyone but Tiphereth I don't care much about this thing right now.
Mr. Knife is using Knife Barrage this turn as well, a 4-die Ranged attack just begging to be crushed by a Celestial Spear or some other big single-die attack.
From Oswald, we have a pair of new pages. The first is Here, Catch~!♣, a single large die that will break all other dice on our page should it win. It will give any Librarian who breaks that first die in a Clash 1 Strength on the next turn.
Lastly, there's We Need You, You Know~?. This page is Oswald's best trick, as it will instantly Stagger its target, before inflicting them with Stupefy for the next two turns. We really don't want this to hit Tiphereth, but since all his Speed Dice are set to 1 on the turn where he uses it it's trivial to redirect.
Boksi can eat it this turn.
Your windpipes are blazing hot now, Ms. Mermaid? Then perform to your heart's content! Hahahahaha, and I'll find a lovely accompanist!
Resonating Terror is two of those wavy ripple effects over the screen, and only Tiphereth has any luck blocking it.
Geez… Is everyone else okay?
I'm fine, I'm fine!
I'm still standing. Ears are ringing, but… it's fine.
It'll take a lot more than that to take us down, ma'am!
You. You'll do! Get over here, it's time to perform! That mossy smell of yours will complement Ms. Mermaid's voice perfectly!
Um… what? But…
Don't let the daisies grow from your ears, boy! It's time for a performance!!
What's he doing?
It's some kind of limited mental manipulation ability.
Such mealy-mouthed meandering minds always follow after speaking of 'expectations.'
The stage stretches out before us like a grand stream of excitement! Keep your brains to the current, or they'll be on the floor!
You're really starting to get on my nerves.
Everyone's so upset when no one wants to eat their disgusting candies. Simply breathe, the smell will permeate in either case!
…We're running behind. What's the deal?
It looks like Boksi didn't get a chance to generate any more emotions. And now he's…
Performing. I'm performing. Just like every day, I'm doing my part and doing it well!
Well, you see it.
I think I might hate this guy.
That could be the Abnormality's power talking.
No, it really isn't.
Now that we have a Stupefied Librarian, let's talk about what it actually does. Put simply: Boksi is fighting for the enemy for the next two turns using the same Key Page and Combat Pages he had. While this is going on, the music in the background fades somewhat and the circus theme plays alongside it.
We can fight him like any normal enemy, and our attacks deal damage to him like normal. However, any time Boksi loses a clash he will also lose 5% of his maximum SR on top of it—and if we ever Stagger him, then Stupefied will be cleared immediately.
Right now, we just need to clash with him to make sure that we can keep upping our Emotion Levels.
The only new attack this turn is Cross Cut, coming from Mr. Knife.
So what's the plan?
You guys just keep throwing yourselves at Oswald and his buddies. I'll handle Boksi.
The flowers are growing… Their hope sings eternal. Bow before the prowess of a nestborn!
The sooner the better.
Why… are the knives… so big..?!
Seriously, just look at the size of that thing. These should be taking our entire limbs off.
…Good thing they're just clowning around.
Well this is… disappointing.
There you go again! Breathing in your own misery and breathing out that depressing miasma, doesn't it get boring~?
Add some spice to your life!
I do want to shout out the game's artists here, Oswald's sprites are great.
Boss, I'll have to ask you to stand down. I can see things clearly now.
Can you? Or do you just think you can?
Don't try and talk me out of things!
Fine. Your funeral.
Oof..! You could hold back a little!
Would you?
Despair comes along just as planned. Things seem messy, but Tiphereth is still packing plenty of HP. As long as we don't get Staggered and beaten into the ground, we're still right on schedule.
At this point the fight would normally be in a bad place: We're outmatched in action economy with the enemy getting far more dice than us. We're also taking on damage and there's a very real possibility that Tylana dies this turn.
But we're playing for Nix, meaning that all of this is going exactly according to plan.
Ms. Mermaid uses Aria of Auspice this turn, giving 2 Protection to the lowest HP ally. Outside of that it's yet another Ranged page with all that entails.
Meanwhile, Oswald is showing us the last of his normal pages: Ready for a Surprise?!♥. The block dice on this page will restore HP if they win a Clash, but the Counter die can inflict Paralysis with every hit and is also dangerous. Because this is almost always played as the last page in a turn, if we're faster than his slowest die it's possible to completely avoid dealing with the Block dice, preventing him from healing with them.
Hey, Miss Tiphereth?
What.
I know we're two Abnormality powers into things, so it might be a little late, but… Since you're doing a super powerup…
I'm not doing any catch phrases, Chinely.
But… It's like, a rule, you know?
"When magical girls have a true battle, it's as much a conversation as it is a fight." You said it, right?
You remembered..?
I'm drawing on their power. It seemed handy to keep in mind.
Listening to such rabble… this is why you're no longer worthy to lead.
Don't interrupt!
Gh-!
Anyways, I thought about it, and this guy's all about performances. So: I'm not doing any of it. I'm going to do my job, and leave it at that.
Such dedication to your performance! A tragic clown, with tears on her makeup~ But don't you understand the very most basic of the basics?! An object is thrown by a First!
And it strikes a Thirteenth!
What did I even do?!
Subverting expectations is child's play for any great performer!! Of course, this too only holds sway because you have any at all~ A proper showstopper could deflect such a ball with the stems of their wrists!
Uhghhh… Oh. I'm still alive. Great.
We're all still alive. Boksi, are you done being stupid?
…Um. Yes. Very done. My head hurts…
Deal with it. I'm only missing the Servant, so the next one is going to make life hard.
I grab Gold Rush here. Blind Rage would also be good, but either one is helpful once we go off.
The next turn is another Resonating Terror/We Need You, You Know~? combo attack. It's Chinely's turn to eat this one.
Such a delightful aria, Ms. Mermaid~ Your beautiful pipes never fail to bring a smile to my face! Now, who shall accompany us this time… Who do you think, Ms. Mermaid?
Hmmhmm! I hear you, yes, they'll be a fine fellow to accompany us for a bar or two. Just long enough for the poinsettias to sprout from their hair!
Wha-?
If you would! That blueberry scent of yours wants nothing more than to perform, so let me give you a chance to live as you truly like!
Oh… hell..!
We should be able to fix him with the power of friendship…
No such thing exists. You could bludgeon him until he returns to his senses.
White damage, then.
Destroying the hopes and dreams of magnificent beings who want only to perform and bring smiles to everyone… Such thorny vines have wrapped around your heart! Doesn't the friendly sun shine on all equally?
It's true… The vines… I've let them go, and now I can see the truth!
The truth?! All you're seeing are the lies of the masked clown!
Don't try and stop me, Omni… I feel so light. It's the first time I've felt this happy during battle!
Boss, we might be in trouble.
Yeah, I recognize the line. It should be fine, he's using it wrong.
Wait, you do?!
Don't ask questions!!
Anyways, Tylana's already dead-
Sorry boss.
-because she's overachieving as usual, so it's down to the rest of you to get killed asap.
Oh… or not?
Because Tiphereth is already at Emotion Level 4 and soon she'll be getting a ton of Emotion Coins anyways, I slow down with her. The others continue with operation "flail around and die."
Your stupid knives aren't going to hit me.
Tylana dies right on schedule, giving us a glut of emotion coins.
This bookish stage is really such a bother, you know? People are led to their moments of purest excitement, and they contort into parchment instead of blooming for the audience!
We don't even have an audience in the first place!
But still, the actors must play their parts.
Because the audience expects them to?
Hardly! Because that is who we are! Every one of us is merely twirling on someone else's stage!
The stage may not be mine, but we're ultimately here because its owner expects something from us.
But since you're just living in a world where only happiness is allowed… I'll serve as a reminder of the other emotions, now.
We're going to be losing control of Tiphereth until we hit max Emotion. This is the trickiest part of the fight, and ideally most of our team would be dead already. Udjat is way too tough for proper Tiphxodia strategies, Tylana actually had around the perfect amount of tankiness.
Related note: I would have loved to have gotten Blind Rage last level, as right now it can't do anything for us until Tiphereth regains her senses. Oh well!
Clowns… Even after I'm finally done dealing with those honking bastards, here we are. Back again. Dealing with clowns.
Let me TELL YOU how absolutely SICK AND TIRED I am of CLOWNS!!
While the boss is addled, I guess we'll have to take care of things, huh..?
The way I see it, you could be over here.
That's not happening.
Our job for now is to try and prevent Tiphereth from taking one-sided attacks in her rage. She'll recover some HP back with her Haulers, but we don't want her to bleed dry.
No matter WHERE the stinking things show up, it's the same mess! Honking! Running all over the place! Murdering clerks and MESSING WITH THINGS! And if not that, then they roll all over the damn place and FLATTEN PEOPLE!!
And now, just when the clowns are gone forever, there's this masked WEIRDO who's on my floor, talking nonsense and STEALING MY LIBRARIANS!
You're trying to kill us all, though, aren't you?!
AND IF YOU WERE BETTER AT YOUR DAMN JOB, YOU'D BE DEAD BY NOW!!!
I've taken advantage of the opportunity, ma'am. The enemy's stunned!
In that case, I'll dispense right and proper justice! An eye for an eye…
Ah, dammit..!
And a Stagger for a Stagger!
Chinely… This isn't what you should be doing!
Poppycock!!
What every single one of us should be doing is whatever we were up to before some stinky fellow came along and told us we need to earn our place!
YOU ARE A CLOWN WHO SNIFFS WRISTS TO SAY HI! YOU DON'T GET AN OPINION!!
My my, you've gone from a nasty-smelling licorice to something soured and truly foul! This is what happens when you leave chowderheads unattended in the sun! They go off, I tell you!
She's doing this to beat y-
NO TALKING!!
Geh-! Yes'm!
Uuugh… what the hell did I-
You had ONE JOB, Chinely. Just the ONE. Don't get brainwashed. HOW HARD IS THAT?!
Uh… too hard, ma'am?!
THAT'S IT, I'M DOING THIS MYSELF!!
Wasn't that always the plan..?
RRRRRGH!!!
My my! Such a dedicated group of performers. I think, yes, I know that I feel like showing the audience something truly grand and exciting!! EVERYONE! ALL TOGETHER! LET'S BRING A SMILE TO THESE TRAGIC CLOWNS!!
CLIMAX!!! is a single decent Mass Summation die, but the real problem with it is the random nature of its ability. All targets get either +2 or -2 to Strength, Endurance, or Protection on the next turn.
…Honestly, as far as super attacks go it's not bad. Oswald isn't a particularly threatening boss.
Now then, all together! Let's march towards the fields of smiles, flowers blooming with every merry step we make!!
I'M GOING TO SMASH EVERY DAFFODIL YOU PLANT, CLOWN!!!
Oh never daffodils! Never even once daffodils! Those are for sprouting from the neck, you know?!
JUST DIE ALREADY!!!
I know I said it wasn't bad, but I can't control Tiphereth's plays right now and the others don't have anything that can match a 20 since I want them to die… so it hits everyone.
It's time for the climax at last, ladies and gentlemen! As we one and all know it's the very best part, sure to bring a smile to everyone's faces!
BUT IT'S NOT FOR YOU GAWKERS FROM OUTSIDE!!!
Pardon?
Can you smell that lemony scent?! Can you feel the wind blowing through the sky?! Can you paint with your blood and tears upon the stage until you've reached the ultimate performance?! Come on now… let's see what you can do~!
ALL TOGETHER! ALL AS ONE! MY MANY MERRY LAUGHTER LOVING FRIENDS!!!
And now, take a bow~ For all your hard work~!
I hate you with all of my hate.
Our magnificent climax has come to an end, dear viewers! As for what's left… "falling action," it was called. Such a literary story, perfect for a library such as this!
Gh… Are you trying to make me jump?! The hell am I doing that!
Oh, of course not, miss clown~ I'm just performing, and come whatever you give me, I'll simply laugh!
Even as Ms. Mermaid ends the performance of another of your dedicated friends! Ah, it's such a shame, such a shame that your head is filled with fluffy meat product!
There's more to life than simply being happy, you know?! It's the bad times that make the good!
Is that so…? Is it true..?
IT IS NOT!! All those feelings you're stewing in your brain all come from something being dumped in the pot! You've got rancid veggies stewing with your candies and making you all angry or sad or hateful or greedy! But if those expectations are all withheld, then what's left once those disgusting smells are washed away?
A deliciously spicy scent of happiness! The one emotion you can feel without a reason!
Gh-but that's not…
…You've got it wrong, clown.
Oh my! How threatening~!
Hate… Despair… Greed… Wrath… The emotion I was seeking was beyond them. None of them are really your opposite at all. But now, just now, I can finally grasp it.
The opposite of a clown of happiness isn't a magical girl of anything.
It's the Jester of Nihil.
My my… it seems my nose is runny all of a sudden.
Yes… I'd imagine it's hard to smell now, isn't it?
Don't worry, my dear performers! She's just a poor Staggered Susan, talking all high and mighty while that same terrible stink seeps out of her!
Then kill me, if you can.
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
When we activate Nix properly, every other combatant ally or enemy gets the Jester themself weighing down on them from behind. Tiphereth may be Staggered, but she's got 4 Protection on her from her Udjat allies and the opponent is getting all their rolls reduced. She's perfectly safe.
…I'll keep this short. I don't think we're needed on the stage any longer.
Oswald and his fellows do their very best…
But no matter how much they hit Tiphereth…
They fail to deal her even a single point of damage.
Are you done?
The climax has already ended, my fellow clown! There's no more room on the stage for us to one up one another endlessly!
I agree. What was it you said? After the climax is the falling action?
So this is the part where you fall.
HAHAHAHAHAA!!! An encore, then, is it? Very well!
Hey, boss. I'm betraying you again, by the way.
You think it's more "anime" if you try to betray me and fall dramatically, right?
Eheh… Something like that.
Our merry troupe accepts all comers, regardless of their reasons!!
That's fine.
I don't know how to aim these things, anyways.
My one regret… is that I'll miss the best part..!
One down. Four to go.
I'll try this one next.
Such a hurried existence… You should really savor the moment more, you know?!
Meh.
I don't feel like it.
I still can't say you're completely wrong... But all of them have trusted me to defeat you. Boksi, Tylana, Omni… Even Chinely.
Not right now I haven't!
Quiet, Chinely.
Those expectations keep me moving. Even when I don't feel anything anymore. Even when I don't want to feel things. Those candies, even if you call them disgusting, keep you going long after smiles have left you.
MS. MERMAID! MR. KNIFE!! HOW COULD YOU SLAY INNOCENT BEINGS WHO WISH ONLY FOR LAUGHTER?!!
They were in my way. How could I not?
Ah… how sad! You've simply forgotten what it is to smile!!! A funny little fellow, falling off the path of the clown. Come, have a whiff of this!
With Chinely freed after this turn, Oswald will spam We Need You, You Know~? every turn until it lands. However, a Mass Attack can break it before it can activate and keep him from getting any more help.
I don't want any.
Looks like… that's it for me, too…
It's finally just us. The argument in its purest form. You, who wants to perform to make another smile. Me, who has nothing left inside to smile with.
So go on. Make me laugh.
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?! All we've ever wanted was to bring smiles to others! You're ruining it with that oppressive air you're forcing in here!!
Huh. I thought you were supposed to deflate.
Just because you've let the air out of my tires doesn't mean… it doesn't mean that you can… You can't..!
Oh. Finally run out of lines?
I guess that's that, then.
I don't feel sad… But I can't even feel proud right now, either. This Abnormality…
You've done your job. Clean up as you can.
Right.
Oswald is not a hard fight. He's really not. A normal set of decks can beat him without running into any real trouble, and a properly executed Tiphxodia can make things work much faster than this. Once we finish the setup, Tiphereth is an invincible behemoth bouncing between +10 and +15 total Power advantage over her enemies. She can't really lose.
Just… maybe don't use Udjat on the sacrificial Librarians.
Music: Result
Uugh. Okay, we won, right?
Of course we did! Good work, you guys.
You were so cool. It was like all the feelings drained out of your whole being!
Seriously 10/10 stuff, boss.
It's all good as long as you two had fun, huh..?
And as long as we win, which is what matters the most, right?
Yeah… guess so.
With that done, there should be a moment to—
Hey, director! We got a problem!
A problem? What's going on?
Haah… what's going on indeed? Don't tell me your famous leader isn't even here.
This junkyard bitch got here before Gebura did.
Bold words for a bloodstain.
Why don't you play fetch somewhere else before I have you spayed?
…I understand the gist of it. Gebura?
I'm working on it! There's too damn many of these stairs, and my leg's still busted up.
…It seems she'll be a little longer.
Whatever. I'm not waiting around for some former legend who can't be assed to show for the main event.
Permission to engage?
Do it.
HELL YEAH!
Next time, on Library of Ruina: A fight based entirely around using the Red Mist's unique mechanics.
Videos
Oswald Battle
VS Oswald (Unedited combat footage; may cause distortions. Watch at own risk.)
New Key Pages
New Combat Pages
So, they made it past our defenses in the end. It seems these guests become books the same as the others before them. At this point, it makes the most sense to receive them… So that we can finish your book, huh. Well then, I'll see who's waiting at my floor and figure out what to do about it afterwards. Alright team, let's see which of them stayed behind. Whoever it is, I'm sure we'll handle them. Hey now, don't tempt fate.VIDEO
Music: TipherethBattle01
Ah! Down there is… a river that looks like a very large stream containing blueberries and juiced mountain snake berries… An olfactory mixture of mint and clove… would make a stingy scent like this! This stage has a blindingly sparkly rust, a stark contrast from ours! Splendid! I couldn’t ask for a better place to prepare for a grandiose performance. Don’t you think so, Mr. Knife?! What a noisy guest. Oh, two yikeses and a half! My heart almost popped out of my eyehole! Ah, now just one moment! Take a look at this! Ms. Mermaid is lifting her microphone high in excitement~ You’re getting nowhere with your frantic speech, so could you please stick to one topic at a time? And you’d be the guest here if we’re being pedantic. A clown can’t be in charge of producing his own show, you know? Hahaha! That’s showbiz to you, miss! I don’t get what’s so funny… Now, now~ Why don’t we sniff each other’s wrists in a true fashion of clown-to-clown communication ritual? I wore a whiff of peppery scent today! W—wait! You startled me! It’s rude to stick your face into others without asking… Do you understand? Nyeh… How cold! People these days are waaay too stuck up! We’re entering a moist era where laughter runs dry! People get so easily upset over tiny things. Sob, sob, woe is me… If a clown can’t be filled with laughter, they’ll flop like a deflated balloon… Anger is a natural human emotion, though. Only those who carry some kind of hopes and dreams make such stinky candies~ Expectations for a bar of chocolate, a hamster, objects, the weather, other people… and for themselves. They arbitrarily entertain the expectations and make the candies without even getting a nod from the one they have their hopes on, and won’t even eat their candies themselves! Because they know that their own candies taste awful. So iiiiinstead! They put them in the mouths of others. More expectations means more foul-smelling candies~ They hold those balls of stench in their arms, looking to shove them in someone else’s stomach! Then… How is one supposed to live a life without any expectations? Did a blade of grass ask for you to have them? Did the gentle sun allow you to have them? Who in the world told you that it’s right to hold expectations? Hahaha! That tingles my mouth almost as much as a celery leaf does! Oh, how hilarious!!! When you don’t hold expectations~ You get to see more eyesores! When you don’t have anger, you get to enjoy zestier and bitterer flavors~ Treat everything like a rolling ball! You cheer for it wherever the sphere decides to go! Everyone who lives here is a clown! Clowns can’t survive without feeding on each other’s smiles, you see? …I see your point. You’re right. Holding expectations for someone isn’t always a good thing for them. While I can’t fully agree with your opinions, I admit that there are parts that I can’t completely disregard. Ohohoh! I just want to make a world full of laughter! One where everybody can laugh without a care!!! Frowny faces are just too scary~ However, to hold expectations is to trust that person. You’re simply running from the fear of failing to meet the expectations of others. Haha! Hahaha! Am I? Is it a crime to wish for happiness?! Since when was it a bad thing to wish for a world where all people can laugh? Hmph, whatever! I guess we have different kinds of laughters we want to display in our shows as performers! You’re no different from us folks in that you run a show hoping to make people smile the smile you want to see! Let’s begin the performance to make another clown laugh!!! That’s enough introduction… Shall we begin playing on the tongue now? Hahaha! Yeah. In your language, we have to fight to protect the stages we stand on. So it's that clown… and he simply wants to laugh alongside everyone. In that case… In that case, it's simple: We counter a clown focused on smiles with a jester focused on emptiness. That strategy would leave every one of you dead on the floor. Which would make for a fitting climax. It'll work. It has to work. That's… I think they have a point. This guy only cares about one emotion. Let's hit him with the whole rest of the spectrum. And he's trying to avoid expectations, too. So we'll load ours onto you, so you can live up to them. Alright… Fine. Let's go with your plan, then. The rest of the gang today is built to lose a lot of clashes and die to enable Tiphereth's Lone Fixer and Remembrance passives. I actually messed up here, it would have been better if these guys had been much squishier than this.
Retry Count: 10. This did cost me a run, because I am still very bad at playing this game badly. I usually just steamroll over Oswald with conventional strategies.
Music: The Reverberation Ensemble (Briah)
New layer means new music.
Hm… HmhmHM! Five prodigiously smelly clowns have joined us on the stage, it seems..! But that licoricey scent simply won't do! Oh no no no, you'll never get anywhere unless you let them steep out in the sunny sunshine! There's no more time for clouds, dear friends! Let's bring happy smiles to the faces of the entire world!!!Oswald as a boss is nigh-immune to conventional Stagger damage, between universal 0.25x resists and his ability to halve all SR damage—and he's got some decent Evade dice to quickly undo any Stagger Damage we may happen to get through those layers of defense. He'll periodically attempt to Stupify the highest-HP Librarian and power them up, which is a Bad Thing for us. However, if we manage to Stagger the Stupefied Librarian, Oswald will take a guaranteed 60 SR. After two cycles, he uses a Mass Attack, then the pattern repeats forever.
Mr. Knife and Ms. Mermaid are his fellow performers today, and each of them are very basic enemies who primarily exist to deal more SR damage to Oswald when we kill them, 40 each.
Now, let's look at their attacks on this first turn.
Let's Have Some Fun~ is one of only two conventional pages that Oswald uses. The rest of his normal combat pages all have an unusual gimmick to them.
Oswald, you see, is a consummate performer. Without holding any expectations, anyone who's on stage with him is expected to do their job—and when they do, they get congratulated accordingly. Pow~! Kablammo!!♣ is a pair of strong Evades covering for a relatively weak actual attack. However, if we win the clash against this attack then the Librarian who does it gets 1 Haste and Endurance next turn. We can't just ignore it, either, since if it hits us we'll lose a Speed Die next turn.
As for Shall We Somersault These?♦, it's a Ranged page with three decent-at-best dice. If we win a Clash against all three, then the Librarian who stuffed the page will get a 2 Light refund—it's basically begging us to use a giant single-hit attack like Violet Blade. A normal playthrough of this fight would take advantage of these bonuses to make a grand performance, but today we don't have the tools to stop any of these attacks.
We're primed to be the single greatest disappointment this poor clown has ever worked with.
Ms. Mermaid's attacks are all Ranged pages as well, and tend to have some kind of supporting effect. Horrendous Pitch deals bonus Stagger Damage, while Aria of Courage will give 1 Strength to the lowest HP ally. This is usually Mr. Knife.
Mr. Knife can also use a mix of Ranged pages and melee ones. Guillotine, specifically, will break the second die on a page if its single hit succeeds, while Casual Toss is just kind of… there.
While we aren't likely to win many clashes against them, we don't really need to, either. We want to lose clashes, slowly have everyone but Tiphereth die off, and try and keep Tiph herself healthy.
He's expecting a performance out of us, eh? Yeah… I don't think it's happening. That's perfect. If fighting between magical girls is a dialogue… in this case, not performing would be the best way to make our point. I'll admit that the Jester was related… but do you really expect me to believe that every clown follows those same rules? Yes. Because they do. So clowns are magical girls, now… Fine. Whatever. It doesn't change anything either way. Now then, my fellow clowns, it's time for the most peppery-splodey performance of any lifetime!!! Don't volunteer all at once now, or you may make my lungs burst with laughter~!! You'll do nicely! Lace your most stunning sneakers, and try this out! You want me to jump through the rings..? Ah-ah-ah, I'm no chowder-brain!! That would be an expectation, you'll do whatever you'll do, won't you~? Oh, good… because I can't jump worth anything. Hahahahahaaaa!! Ghh.. They hit pretty hard, but I feel like we could have taken them if we fought normally. It's not about winning or losing, here: It's about making sure to send the right thematic message. To be clear: it is about winning. Well… Fine! We'll do both! We can do both. That blueberry-smelling fellow of yours has the right of it! It's all about the performance, don't you know? The minute-by-minute existence in search of the grandest stage of all! There's more to life than living hand-to-mouth. Or foot to stage, as you'd put it. Such a sickly lemony smell from you! Making sour candies and firing them like warheads, don't you know there's a reason no one buys those cookies?! …Well, at least it'll be easy to call on this power.The plan goes off without a hitch, entirely because we're playing terrible decks for this point in the game.
Oh my, what's that my dear Ms. Mermaid? I agree! It's far too languorous in here~ I'm so happy to see that it's driven you to sing your very best! I think the fish is about to do something. Just look out for it, whatever it's doing.What it's doing is Resonating Terror, Ms. Mermaid's Mass-Individual page that deals bonus Stagger Damage on hit. Its rolls are just high enough to be a problem, but since we're playing to lose with everyone but Tiphereth I don't care much about this thing right now.
Mr. Knife is using Knife Barrage this turn as well, a 4-die Ranged attack just begging to be crushed by a Celestial Spear or some other big single-die attack.
From Oswald, we have a pair of new pages. The first is Here, Catch~!♣, a single large die that will break all other dice on our page should it win. It will give any Librarian who breaks that first die in a Clash 1 Strength on the next turn.
Lastly, there's We Need You, You Know~?. This page is Oswald's best trick, as it will instantly Stagger its target, before inflicting them with Stupefy for the next two turns. We really don't want this to hit Tiphereth, but since all his Speed Dice are set to 1 on the turn where he uses it it's trivial to redirect.
Boksi can eat it this turn.
Your windpipes are blazing hot now, Ms. Mermaid? Then perform to your heart's content! Hahahahaha, and I'll find a lovely accompanist! Resonating Terror is two of those wavy ripple effects over the screen, and only Tiphereth has any luck blocking it.
Geez… Is everyone else okay? I'm fine, I'm fine! I'm still standing. Ears are ringing, but… it's fine. It'll take a lot more than that to take us down, ma'am! You. You'll do! Get over here, it's time to perform! That mossy smell of yours will complement Ms. Mermaid's voice perfectly! Um… what? But… Don't let the daisies grow from your ears, boy! It's time for a performance!! What's he doing? It's some kind of limited mental manipulation ability. Such mealy-mouthed meandering minds always follow after speaking of 'expectations.' The stage stretches out before us like a grand stream of excitement! Keep your brains to the current, or they'll be on the floor! You're really starting to get on my nerves. Everyone's so upset when no one wants to eat their disgusting candies. Simply breathe, the smell will permeate in either case! …We're running behind. What's the deal? It looks like Boksi didn't get a chance to generate any more emotions. And now he's… Performing. I'm performing. Just like every day, I'm doing my part and doing it well! Well, you see it. I think I might hate this guy. That could be the Abnormality's power talking. No, it really isn't.Now that we have a Stupefied Librarian, let's talk about what it actually does. Put simply: Boksi is fighting for the enemy for the next two turns using the same Key Page and Combat Pages he had. While this is going on, the music in the background fades somewhat and the circus theme plays alongside it.
We can fight him like any normal enemy, and our attacks deal damage to him like normal. However, any time Boksi loses a clash he will also lose 5% of his maximum SR on top of it—and if we ever Stagger him, then Stupefied will be cleared immediately.
Right now, we just need to clash with him to make sure that we can keep upping our Emotion Levels.
The only new attack this turn is Cross Cut, coming from Mr. Knife.
So what's the plan? You guys just keep throwing yourselves at Oswald and his buddies. I'll handle Boksi. The flowers are growing… Their hope sings eternal. Bow before the prowess of a nestborn! The sooner the better. Why… are the knives… so big..?!Seriously, just look at the size of that thing. These should be taking our entire limbs off.
…Good thing they're just clowning around.
Well this is… disappointing. There you go again! Breathing in your own misery and breathing out that depressing miasma, doesn't it get boring~? Add some spice to your life! I do want to shout out the game's artists here, Oswald's sprites are great.
Boss, I'll have to ask you to stand down. I can see things clearly now. Can you? Or do you just think you can? Don't try and talk me out of things! Fine. Your funeral. Oof..! You could hold back a little! Would you?Despair comes along just as planned. Things seem messy, but Tiphereth is still packing plenty of HP. As long as we don't get Staggered and beaten into the ground, we're still right on schedule.
At this point the fight would normally be in a bad place: We're outmatched in action economy with the enemy getting far more dice than us. We're also taking on damage and there's a very real possibility that Tylana dies this turn.
But we're playing for Nix, meaning that all of this is going exactly according to plan.
Ms. Mermaid uses Aria of Auspice this turn, giving 2 Protection to the lowest HP ally. Outside of that it's yet another Ranged page with all that entails.
Meanwhile, Oswald is showing us the last of his normal pages: Ready for a Surprise?!♥. The block dice on this page will restore HP if they win a Clash, but the Counter die can inflict Paralysis with every hit and is also dangerous. Because this is almost always played as the last page in a turn, if we're faster than his slowest die it's possible to completely avoid dealing with the Block dice, preventing him from healing with them.
Hey, Miss Tiphereth? What. I know we're two Abnormality powers into things, so it might be a little late, but… Since you're doing a super powerup… I'm not doing any catch phrases, Chinely. But… It's like, a rule, you know? "When magical girls have a true battle, it's as much a conversation as it is a fight." You said it, right? You remembered..? I'm drawing on their power. It seemed handy to keep in mind. Listening to such rabble… this is why you're no longer worthy to lead. Don't interrupt! Gh-! Anyways, I thought about it, and this guy's all about performances. So: I'm not doing any of it. I'm going to do my job, and leave it at that. Such dedication to your performance! A tragic clown, with tears on her makeup~ But don't you understand the very most basic of the basics?! An object is thrown by a First! And it strikes a Thirteenth! What did I even do?! Subverting expectations is child's play for any great performer!! Of course, this too only holds sway because you have any at all~ A proper showstopper could deflect such a ball with the stems of their wrists! Uhghhh… Oh. I'm still alive. Great. We're all still alive. Boksi, are you done being stupid? …Um. Yes. Very done. My head hurts… Deal with it. I'm only missing the Servant, so the next one is going to make life hard.I grab Gold Rush here. Blind Rage would also be good, but either one is helpful once we go off.
The next turn is another Resonating Terror/We Need You, You Know~? combo attack. It's Chinely's turn to eat this one.
Such a delightful aria, Ms. Mermaid~ Your beautiful pipes never fail to bring a smile to my face! Now, who shall accompany us this time… Who do you think, Ms. Mermaid? Hmmhmm! I hear you, yes, they'll be a fine fellow to accompany us for a bar or two. Just long enough for the poinsettias to sprout from their hair! Wha-? If you would! That blueberry scent of yours wants nothing more than to perform, so let me give you a chance to live as you truly like! Oh… hell..! We should be able to fix him with the power of friendship… No such thing exists. You could bludgeon him until he returns to his senses. White damage, then. Destroying the hopes and dreams of magnificent beings who want only to perform and bring smiles to everyone… Such thorny vines have wrapped around your heart! Doesn't the friendly sun shine on all equally? It's true… The vines… I've let them go, and now I can see the truth! The truth?! All you're seeing are the lies of the masked clown! Don't try and stop me, Omni… I feel so light. It's the first time I've felt this happy during battle! Boss, we might be in trouble. Yeah, I recognize the line. It should be fine, he's using it wrong. Wait, you do?! Don't ask questions!! Anyways, Tylana's already dead- Sorry boss. -because she's overachieving as usual, so it's down to the rest of you to get killed asap. Oh… or not? Because Tiphereth is already at Emotion Level 4 and soon she'll be getting a ton of Emotion Coins anyways, I slow down with her. The others continue with operation "flail around and die."
Your stupid knives aren't going to hit me.Tylana dies right on schedule, giving us a glut of emotion coins.
This bookish stage is really such a bother, you know? People are led to their moments of purest excitement, and they contort into parchment instead of blooming for the audience! We don't even have an audience in the first place! But still, the actors must play their parts. Because the audience expects them to? Hardly! Because that is who we are! Every one of us is merely twirling on someone else's stage! The stage may not be mine, but we're ultimately here because its owner expects something from us. But since you're just living in a world where only happiness is allowed… I'll serve as a reminder of the other emotions, now.We're going to be losing control of Tiphereth until we hit max Emotion. This is the trickiest part of the fight, and ideally most of our team would be dead already. Udjat is way too tough for proper Tiphxodia strategies, Tylana actually had around the perfect amount of tankiness.
Related note: I would have loved to have gotten Blind Rage last level, as right now it can't do anything for us until Tiphereth regains her senses. Oh well!
Clowns… Even after I'm finally done dealing with those honking bastards, here we are. Back again. Dealing with clowns. Let me TELL YOU how absolutely SICK AND TIRED I am of CLOWNS!! While the boss is addled, I guess we'll have to take care of things, huh..? The way I see it, you could be over here. That's not happening.Our job for now is to try and prevent Tiphereth from taking one-sided attacks in her rage. She'll recover some HP back with her Haulers, but we don't want her to bleed dry.
No matter WHERE the stinking things show up, it's the same mess! Honking! Running all over the place! Murdering clerks and MESSING WITH THINGS! And if not that, then they roll all over the damn place and FLATTEN PEOPLE!! And now, just when the clowns are gone forever, there's this masked WEIRDO who's on my floor, talking nonsense and STEALING MY LIBRARIANS! You're trying to kill us all, though, aren't you?! AND IF YOU WERE BETTER AT YOUR DAMN JOB, YOU'D BE DEAD BY NOW!!! I've taken advantage of the opportunity, ma'am. The enemy's stunned! In that case, I'll dispense right and proper justice! An eye for an eye… Ah, dammit..! And a Stagger for a Stagger! Chinely… This isn't what you should be doing! Poppycock!! What every single one of us should be doing is whatever we were up to before some stinky fellow came along and told us we need to earn our place! YOU ARE A CLOWN WHO SNIFFS WRISTS TO SAY HI! YOU DON'T GET AN OPINION!! My my, you've gone from a nasty-smelling licorice to something soured and truly foul! This is what happens when you leave chowderheads unattended in the sun! They go off, I tell you! She's doing this to beat y- NO TALKING!! Geh-! Yes'm! Uuugh… what the hell did I- You had ONE JOB, Chinely. Just the ONE. Don't get brainwashed. HOW HARD IS THAT?! Uh… too hard, ma'am?! THAT'S IT, I'M DOING THIS MYSELF!! Wasn't that always the plan..? RRRRRGH!!! My my! Such a dedicated group of performers. I think, yes, I know that I feel like showing the audience something truly grand and exciting!! EVERYONE! ALL TOGETHER! LET'S BRING A SMILE TO THESE TRAGIC CLOWNS!!CLIMAX!!! is a single decent Mass Summation die, but the real problem with it is the random nature of its ability. All targets get either +2 or -2 to Strength, Endurance, or Protection on the next turn.
…Honestly, as far as super attacks go it's not bad. Oswald isn't a particularly threatening boss.
Now then, all together! Let's march towards the fields of smiles, flowers blooming with every merry step we make!! I'M GOING TO SMASH EVERY DAFFODIL YOU PLANT, CLOWN!!! Oh never daffodils! Never even once daffodils! Those are for sprouting from the neck, you know?! JUST DIE ALREADY!!!I know I said it wasn't bad, but I can't control Tiphereth's plays right now and the others don't have anything that can match a 20 since I want them to die… so it hits everyone.
It's time for the climax at last, ladies and gentlemen! As we one and all know it's the very best part, sure to bring a smile to everyone's faces! BUT IT'S NOT FOR YOU GAWKERS FROM OUTSIDE!!! Pardon? Can you smell that lemony scent?! Can you feel the wind blowing through the sky?! Can you paint with your blood and tears upon the stage until you've reached the ultimate performance?! Come on now… let's see what you can do~! ALL TOGETHER! ALL AS ONE! MY MANY MERRY LAUGHTER LOVING FRIENDS!!! And now, take a bow~ For all your hard work~! I hate you with all of my hate. Our magnificent climax has come to an end, dear viewers! As for what's left… "falling action," it was called. Such a literary story, perfect for a library such as this! Gh… Are you trying to make me jump?! The hell am I doing that! Oh, of course not, miss clown~ I'm just performing, and come whatever you give me, I'll simply laugh! Even as Ms. Mermaid ends the performance of another of your dedicated friends! Ah, it's such a shame, such a shame that your head is filled with fluffy meat product! There's more to life than simply being happy, you know?! It's the bad times that make the good! Is that so…? Is it true..? IT IS NOT!! All those feelings you're stewing in your brain all come from something being dumped in the pot! You've got rancid veggies stewing with your candies and making you all angry or sad or hateful or greedy! But if those expectations are all withheld, then what's left once those disgusting smells are washed away? A deliciously spicy scent of happiness! The one emotion you can feel without a reason! Gh-but that's not… …You've got it wrong, clown. Oh my! How threatening~! Hate… Despair… Greed… Wrath… The emotion I was seeking was beyond them. None of them are really your opposite at all. But now, just now, I can finally grasp it. The opposite of a clown of happiness isn't a magical girl of anything. It's the Jester of Nihil. My my… it seems my nose is runny all of a sudden. Yes… I'd imagine it's hard to smell now, isn't it? Don't worry, my dear performers! She's just a poor Staggered Susan, talking all high and mighty while that same terrible stink seeps out of her! Then kill me, if you can. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaWhen we activate Nix properly, every other combatant ally or enemy gets the Jester themself weighing down on them from behind. Tiphereth may be Staggered, but she's got 4 Protection on her from her Udjat allies and the opponent is getting all their rolls reduced. She's perfectly safe.
…I'll keep this short. I don't think we're needed on the stage any longer.Oswald and his fellows do their very best…
But no matter how much they hit Tiphereth…
They fail to deal her even a single point of damage.
Are you done? The climax has already ended, my fellow clown! There's no more room on the stage for us to one up one another endlessly! I agree. What was it you said? After the climax is the falling action? So this is the part where you fall. HAHAHAHAHAA!!! An encore, then, is it? Very well! Hey, boss. I'm betraying you again, by the way. You think it's more "anime" if you try to betray me and fall dramatically, right? Eheh… Something like that. Our merry troupe accepts all comers, regardless of their reasons!! That's fine. I don't know how to aim these things, anyways. My one regret… is that I'll miss the best part..! One down. Four to go. I'll try this one next. Such a hurried existence… You should really savor the moment more, you know?! Meh. I don't feel like it. I still can't say you're completely wrong... But all of them have trusted me to defeat you. Boksi, Tylana, Omni… Even Chinely. Not right now I haven't! Quiet, Chinely. Those expectations keep me moving. Even when I don't feel anything anymore. Even when I don't want to feel things. Those candies, even if you call them disgusting, keep you going long after smiles have left you. MS. MERMAID! MR. KNIFE!! HOW COULD YOU SLAY INNOCENT BEINGS WHO WISH ONLY FOR LAUGHTER?!! They were in my way. How could I not? Ah… how sad! You've simply forgotten what it is to smile!!! A funny little fellow, falling off the path of the clown. Come, have a whiff of this!With Chinely freed after this turn, Oswald will spam We Need You, You Know~? every turn until it lands. However, a Mass Attack can break it before it can activate and keep him from getting any more help.
I don't want any. Looks like… that's it for me, too… It's finally just us. The argument in its purest form. You, who wants to perform to make another smile. Me, who has nothing left inside to smile with. So go on. Make me laugh. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?! All we've ever wanted was to bring smiles to others! You're ruining it with that oppressive air you're forcing in here!! Huh. I thought you were supposed to deflate. Just because you've let the air out of my tires doesn't mean… it doesn't mean that you can… You can't..! Oh. Finally run out of lines? I guess that's that, then. I don't feel sad… But I can't even feel proud right now, either. This Abnormality… You've done your job. Clean up as you can. Right.Oswald is not a hard fight. He's really not. A normal set of decks can beat him without running into any real trouble, and a properly executed Tiphxodia can make things work much faster than this. Once we finish the setup, Tiphereth is an invincible behemoth bouncing between +10 and +15 total Power advantage over her enemies. She can't really lose.
Just… maybe don't use Udjat on the sacrificial Librarians.
Music: Result
Uugh. Okay, we won, right? Of course we did! Good work, you guys. You were so cool. It was like all the feelings drained out of your whole being! Seriously 10/10 stuff, boss. It's all good as long as you two had fun, huh..? And as long as we win, which is what matters the most, right? Yeah… guess so. With that done, there should be a moment to— Hey, director! We got a problem! A problem? What's going on? Haah… what's going on indeed? Don't tell me your famous leader isn't even here. This junkyard bitch got here before Gebura did. Bold words for a bloodstain. Why don't you play fetch somewhere else before I have you spayed? …I understand the gist of it. Gebura? I'm working on it! There's too damn many of these stairs, and my leg's still busted up. …It seems she'll be a little longer. Whatever. I'm not waiting around for some former legend who can't be assed to show for the main event. Permission to engage? Do it. HELL YEAH!Next time, on Library of Ruina: A fight based entirely around using the Red Mist's unique mechanics.
Videos
Oswald Battle
VS Oswald (Unedited combat footage; may cause distortions. Watch at own risk.)
New Key Pages
New Combat Pages