Chapter 819 - 819: Zack, Who Only Lives in Memories

Unlike the previous golden fruit Illa DLC, which changed the game's combat system, the DLC content for Final Fantasy focuses on maps.

Lucas didn't make many changes to the combat system.

After all, golden country Illa was released after the game's launch.

As for the DLC content for characters like Zack, although it can be played separately, it is unlocked and opened during the game, just like the DLC in Bloodborne and Dark Souls. This part is opened mid-game, and you can choose to play it or continue with the main game.

Of course, the freedom is greatly reduced, as Final Fantasy is a story-driven RPG.

"Is this Zack? His entrance is so similar to Cloud's!" Ben exclaimed as he watched the scene where Zack and the Shinra troops arrived at the Five Cities to carry out a mission after entering the DLC.

But Ben's attention was quickly drawn, because when Zack infiltrated the station, Sephiroth actually appeared.

He easily defeated Zack, but thankfully, at the last moment, Zack's big brother, a strong man named Angeal, saved him.

Did Sephiroth defect from Shinra at this point?

Ben was a little surprised, but before he could react, the game screen changed again.

It turned out that what Zack was experiencing was just a VR training session.

"So, I'm playing VR inside VR again?" Hearing this nested explanation, Ben was speechless.

This reminded him of the experiences of Cloud and his companions in Shinra in the previous game.

However, Ben then discovered something very special: Cloud's Buster Sword was actually on that special forces soldier named Angeal.

So, how did this big sword end up with Cloud?

Seeing this, Ben felt a bit of curiosity and anticipation.

Besides, before clicking on this DLC, his main focus was actually on Sephiroth and the mysterious Zack.

But when he truly revisited Zack's story, the big brother named Angeal here indeed gave Ben a good impression.

Compared to the burly and energetic Barret, Angeal here was much more reliable.

He was not only Zack's superior but also his mentor, constantly teaching Zack to remember the honor of a SOLDIER.

And this big brother also cared a lot about his friends. He had just said that the Buster Sword was a weapon left to him by his father, and he would rather use his fists than let the sword get dirty, damaged, or worn down, as that would be the most regrettable thing.

But when Zack was in danger, he decisively used the sword he treasured as if it were his own, and arrogantly stated that Zack was only slightly more important than the sword.

As the story unfolded, Ben found that many of his previous doubts could be explained.

When he was still a great hero, Sephiroth's personality was calm, brave, full of a strong sense of responsibility, and even possessed a hint of human empathy.

For example, during missions, Sephiroth believed that since he was stronger than everyone else, he should naturally take on the most dangerous and difficult missions.

But even though he wished he could solve everything himself, when he actually carried out these missions, Sephiroth wouldn't go solo. Instead, he would consider his companions' feelings and let those with weaker abilities deal with some of the weaker enemies.

Sephiroth was always proud and proud of his human identity.

This was the concept that Shinra had always instilled in him.

But at the same time, Sephiroth was also aloof. He didn't protect his companions because of the title of great hero.

He simply fulfilled his duty as a human, like a machine programmed with the command to protect his race.

Along with Sephiroth, there were other 1st Class SOLDIERs, Angeal and a person named Genesis. Soon after, the Shinra warrior Genesis went missing on the battlefield. Angeal and Zack went to search for him, but only found clones of Genesis, and shortly after, Angeal also disappeared.

At Sephiroth's recommendation, Zack joined him in searching for the reason behind Angeal and Genesis's disappearance. They also discovered the Jenova project, but at this point, the Jenova project did not yet include Sephiroth.

The plan that was exposed at this time was only the Jenova-G Project, and G referred to the name of a woman injected with Jenova cells. This woman was Angeal's mother.

Unlike Sephiroth, who was directly injected with Jenova cells in the womb, Genesis and Angeal, although experimented on in the womb, were incomplete.

So they deteriorated one after another and realized their monstrous nature.

Such a realization was a huge blow.

Honor, perhaps, was the most complex thing.

Even powerful individuals like Angeal, and fellow 1st Class SOLDIERs Genesis and Sephiroth, could not let go of it.

To use Angeal's story as an example, his hometown produced a delicious fruit called the "Foolish Apple."

His best friend's family had the largest fruit tree, which produced the most delicious fruit in their hometown.

But no matter how much he wanted to eat it, Angeal would absolutely not ask his good friend for it, because he couldn't let go of his dignity and honor.

Angeal was such a person who valued honor above all else.

Genesis was the same; he desperately wanted to surpass Sephiroth and become a hero.

Sephiroth, on the other hand, was indifferent to all of this. He was calm enough, but he also held responsibility more importantly than anyone else deep down. However, this responsibility was not controlled by emotion but by his identity.

He was human, so he had the pride of being human; if he were a monster, he would do what monsters do.

They possessed the honor of a 1st Class SOLDIER, and they fought with the honor of being human heroes.

But the truth was that they had long been stripped of their humanity by humans themselves.

Therefore, Genesis, who was the first to learn of his origins, decided to take revenge on Shinra and enlisted Angeal's help.

With the assistance of Dr. Hollander, a Shinra scientist filled with resentment, Genesis created clones to attack Shinra's headquarters.

In Hollander's secret laboratory, Angeal, standing before Zack, slowly raised the Buster Sword, twin white wings unfolding behind him.

"I've become a monster. Isn't a monster's goal to seek revenge or conquer the world?" Angeal said, looking at Zack.

"No! Wings are not proof of being a monster!" Zack walked towards Angeal.

"Then… what is this?"

"Angel's wings!"

"I see… Then what ideals should an angel have? What kind of dreams should I have? An angel has only one dream!"

"Tell me, Angeal!"

"That is to be human!"

Facing the enraged Angeal, Zack was defeated and fell from the upper plate of Midgar.

However, the following scene was eerily familiar.

Watching Zack awaken, called by Aerith, Ben blinked. It was almost exactly like Cloud's fall!

But unlike Cloud, who seemed to use coldness to mask his inner shyness, even inferiority, Zack was always full of optimism, sunshine, and passion.

In Angeal's words, Zack was like a puppy.

In the slums, Zack quickly became friends with Aerith.

And Zack promised to repay Aerith because she had saved him.

Although Aerith said she only woke Zack up and did nothing else.

Looking at the ground full of flowers, Zack quickly got an idea because flowers were a very rare commodity in Midgar.

"We can sell flowers in Midgar! Midgar is full of flowers, and our wallets will be full of money!"

Aerith was also quite moved by Zack's proposal.

But Aerith didn't sell a single flower.

Zack thought the reason the flowers didn't sell was that the flower cart wasn't pretty enough.

So Zack promised Aerith that he would make her a more beautiful flower cart in the future.

The following story was Zack going out on missions.

Afterward, he would go on dates with Aerith.

"So, Aerith sells flowers all because of Zack?"

"Then Zack…"

A bad feeling welled up in Ben's heart.

Because in Cloud's later story, and in Advent Children, Zack only existed in memories!

Moreover, when Cloud met Aerith in Midgar, she was carrying a flower basket, not a flower cart.

"But it's okay. Just like in Xenoblade Chronicles' golden country Illa, knowing in advance that a story might be tragic will make me feel better later," Ben consoled himself.

Isn't the reason tragedy is tragic the sudden stab?

Like the jump scares in horror games.

But now that he knew Zack essentially lived only in memories, the sadness he would feel later would be much less. And having experienced Aerith's tragic story before, his defense had leveled up. The Boss Lucas's blade might not even be able to break his defense later.

(End of this chapter)