The miasma has spread this far...!
It's worse than I thought.
This is...
The mining town, Akzeriuth.
How horrible...
Everyone's suffering.
Where's Master?
He should have arrived already.
Mommy!
Are you all right?
Hang in there!
Hey, don't touch her, Natalia.
She's dirty and you might catch something.
What is dirty?
What might I catch?
Don't say such stupid things!
We should help too.
Yes.
Yeah.
All right, I will too.
I'll help too.
Darn it...
Don't blame me if something happens.
That's strange...
Dorian General Grants and the vanguard are nowhere around.
Hey!
Are you the ones from Kimlasca?
Huh? Um–
Yes, we are.
I am Natalia, the Princess of Kimlasca.
We have come to offer help by the request of His Majesty, Emperor Peony.
We've been waiting for you.
I'm the supervisor of this place.
I've heard about you from Dorian General Grants.
So, where is he?
He went inside the mine.
That's where the miasma is coming from, isn't it?
What shall we do?
Well... we probably should head in there as well.
I'm the goodwill ambassador, I get to decide that.
Looks like it's this mine.
We've been waiting for you.
Excuse me.
H–Hey!
I've received orders from Grand Maestro Mohs to guide you to what we suspect to be the Seventh Fonstone.
Good work. Let's go right away.
Is it your mission for the Order?
It seems like it.
I don't know the full details though...
Well, it can't be helped.
Then, we'll go on ahead ourselves.
Where are you going?
She has other work to do. Let's go.
Is her work more important than saving Akzeriuth?
As expected, the miasma is thicker here than outside.
Hey, are we going to be okay?
It's full of miasma in here.
We should be fine as long as we don't inhale it for a long period of time.
It's likely to be worse deeper inside the mine.
No way...
As we thought, the source is probably deep in here.
Then, should we go further in?
No, let us tend to these people first.
That would be best.
The miasma here is especially dense. It's dangerous.
Strange...
The vanguard isn't here either.
Just where is Master?
Luke!
Give me a hand.
Huh? Why me?
Taking care of sick people isn't the job of the goodwill ambassador.
You... Do you honestly think that?
Luke...
We won't get anywhere by just carrying them off one at a time.
With my hyperresonance, I can neutralize the miasma in an instant.
This is...
How was it?
We were wrong.
That's not the Seventh Fonstone.
It's not even a fonstone, it's nothing but a fake.
What's the meaning of this?
Please come with us quietly.
The Tartarus!
Are you okay? Let's get you over there.
Master!
Huh?
You won't give us a hand, Master?
Shut up! Just get lost!
Hey, let's go deeper in already.
No, we don't know what could happen.
Giving them shelter comes first.
Damn it...
If we go further in, we'll probably meet Master Van.
We don't wish to cause you harm, Lady Tear.
Please just listen to what we have to say.
What's going on?!
Don't go any further!
Damn it, they're making fun of me.
Ow, again...?
Stop! Don't go any further!
Shut up! Stop it! Shut up!
Luke!
Stop it...!
Luke...
Ion, why are you here...?
I saw you walking away alone, so I...
More importantly, what's wrong?
It's nothing—!
If you continue what you're doing, you'll regret it!
Shut up!!
I won't let you give me orders!!
Luke!
Are you all right, Luke?
They're all making a fool out of me...
I'll show them all, by saving Akzeriuth!
That idiot!
Master!
Luke!
You're finally here.
And Fon Master Ion is with you. How convenient.
Van.
Where's the rest of the vanguard?
I have them standing by somewhere else.
More importantly, Fon Master, could you please open this door?
This is a Daathic seal.
So this place is a Sephiroth as well.
But there's no reason to open it...
No.
It is necessary for Akzeriuth's revival.
Please, do it.
If you do as Master says, everything will be fine.
But...
Please, Ion!
I beg you!
All right.
Great!
All right!
Let's go.
Stop! Don't go!
Do you intend to destroy Akzeriuth?!
What are you talking about?
I'm just going to neutralize the miasma.
You're being deceived!
Shut up!
Luke, what are you doing?
Ah, sorry.
Now you'll be able to neutralize the miasma with your power.
Neutralize the miasma?
Is that even possible?
It is.
That's because I'm a hero.
It's terrible!
The surface! The Oracle Knights are at the surface!
Wow...!
What's that?
Luke,
walk toward that fon machine, the Passage Ring, and concentrate.
Yes, sir.
Will this really be all right?
This is...
Colonel!
What in the world is going on?
The vanguard has been exterminated.
The Oracle Knights ambushed them.
What did you say?
It was a trap, a trap to lure me away.
Why you?
It was my brother!
He doesn't want me to get involved.
He's planning to do something terrible!
Hey!
If you have time to stand around talking, then do something about that dreck!
Or we're all going to die!
Asch!
He told me all about it.
My brother...
My brother...!
He intends to destroy Akzeriuth!
Something is wrong.
This is dangerous. Van, let's stop.
Good, keep focusing.
Van!
"Foolish replica Luke,"
unleash your power.
S–Something inside me is...
Luke.
Listen closely to my voice.
Focus your powers, like that.
When I order you, you will open all of your fon slots and cause a hyperresonance.
The trigger phrase is...
"Foolish replica Luke."
You were finally of use, replica.
M–Master...
Damn!
I didn't make it.
Asch, I told you not to come here.
Well, too bad.
That sister you tried to save is coming as well.
Damn it, let me go!
I had intended to save Ion, but I can't afford to lose you here.
Brother!
Luke!
Master Ion!
Master!
You betrayed me!
Didn't you tell me you were going to preserve the Outer Lands?!
The Outer Lands?
Mystearica, you will eventually come to see the folly and ugliness of this world.
Live on until you understand that.
You have the fonic hymns. Use them.
Brother!!
This is bad! The tunnel is...!
Gather around me, quick!
kuloa riou zwe tue riou lei neu riou zwe
Tear.
Tear!
Are you all right?
Yes.
Let's board the Tartarus.
The emergency buoy is operational.
It should be able to stay above this mud.
The Tartarus...
Where...
What was I...
Ah, it's Master!
Tear, Master is awake!
What the hell happened?
Where are we?
We fell from up there, apparently.
Huh?
We landed on some fallen land and boarded this ship which was floating nearby.
We're the only ones who survived.
If it weren't for Tear's fonic hymn,
we would have been...
It appears the engine is still operational.
But without the proper repairs, it likely won't run for long.
That's all right.
If we head west, we should reach a place called Yulia City.
We should at least be able to get that far...
Wait a minute!
What are you talking about?
I didn't understand a thing you just said!
I believe it's about time you explained things to us.
This part of the world is called the Qliphoth.
The Qliphoth?
The part of the world where you all live in is called the Outer Lands.
The Outer Lands is a floating land in the sky,
supported by pillars known as the Sephiroth Trees, that rise from the Qliphoth.
I do not... understand what you mean.
Long ago, the Outer Lands were here in the Qliphoth.
Two thousand years ago,
a miasma of unknown origin invaded Auldrant and contaminated the atmosphere.
In order to escape from destruction, Yulia read the Score and made a plan to raise the land using the Sephiroth.
And that became...
the Outer Lands.
So the land on which we live is in fact floating in the sky?
Unbelievable!
The only ones who know are those of the maestro rank and above in the Order of Lorelei, and...
the inhabitants of the Qliphoth.
Then you're from the Qliphoth, Tear...?
But how did this happen?
You said Akzeriuth was supported by a pillar, correct?
Well...
The pillar was destroyed.
How?
Huh?
I–I don't know anything about it!
I just tried to get rid of the miasma!
He said that if I used my hyperresonance there, the miasma would disappear!
My brother deceived you.
And you destroyed the pillar that was supporting Akzeriuth.
No way...
I couldn't have...
Unfortunately, that's what happened.
The pillars are produced by the Passage Rings.
And Luke's hyperresonance destroyed that Passage Ring.
I was careless. I didn't realize that was Van's intent.
Master Ion...
I wish Luke had at least talked to us about it beforehand.
Neutralizing the miasma could have waited until the residents were evacuated
That's true.
Akzeriuth disappeared in an instant,
along with thousands of lives...
A–Are you saying it's my fault?
But Master told me.
He said I'd become a hero if I did that.
Right... Master told me to do it.
It's not my fault!
I'm returning to the bridge.
If I stay here, I'll just get irritated by some ridiculous ranting.
What?
I was trying to save Akzeriuth!
You've changed so much.
Ever since you lost your memories, you've been a completely different person.
You guys...
You guys couldn't do anything either.
It's true, I'm powerless.
But...
Master Ion, let's just go and leave that loser alone.
It's all Master's fault! It's not mine!
Right, Guy?
Luke...
Don't make me think even less of you.
Ah, Tear–
And I thought...
I thought you at least had some good in you.
M–Master.
I understand how you feel, Master.
I caused trouble for my friends in the forest too.
So–
Shut up!
Don't compare me to you!
Don't compare me to...
Master...
Tear,
should we continue through here?
Yes.
Yulia City is over there.
A sea of mud, miasma everywhere, and a strangely colored sky...
I can't believe there's really a city here.
Anyway, let's go see the mayor.
Aren't you coming?
Everyone's just going to blame me anyway.
I don't want to go.
You're despicable, you reject.
Asch!
How? Didn't my brother take you?
A single griffin is nothing to me.
Master... Where's Master?
You still call him Master after he just betrayed you?
Then he really did...
If only I had realized Van's plans earlier...
And you!
Why didn't you think before using your hyperresonance?!
Are you saying it's my fault, too?!
I...
I...!
You've got to be kidding me.
It seems even your brain is defective, replica!
Asch!
"Replica"...
Master used that word, too...
Why...? I feel like I've heard it somewhere...
With fomicry, a technology that was researched in the past, we can create isofons.
That is a technique that can create copies, replicas.
C–Copies...
So you still haven't figured it out?
Now this is amusing.
W–What? What the hell are you talking about?
Stop it, Asch!
Why do you think you and I have the same face?
H–How should I know...?
I'm a noble who was born in Baticul.
Seven years ago, I was kidnapped by a villain named Van.
Y–You don't mean...
Exactly! You're nothing but a copy of me,
a mere replica!
You're lying...
It's not true!
It's not true! It's not true! It's not true!
Luke!
Stop it, Luke!
That promise.
You will remember it one day, won't you?
Tear! Are you saying you choose this reject over the Commandant?
To think this piece of trash is my replica...
I was robbed of my family and my home by this dreck?!
Die!!
Luke!!