Recommended Level: 45
The second chapter of Agnea and Hikari's joint story has two preprequisites:
- First, you need to have completed the first chapter of the story, which can only be started once you've finished the second chapters of their respective stories.
- Second, you need to complete the final chapters of both Agnea's and Hikari's stories. This chapter begins in Ku, and Ku is inaccessible until Hikari wraps up the fifth chapter.
Per usual, you can begin this chapter by entering Ku with Agnea and Hikari in the party and choosing to start, or by speaking to the Tavern Keeper in town. The Tavern is west of Ku's entrance.
The pair arrive in Ku, and Agnea stops to admire the paper lanterns hanging overhead. Benkei, one of Hikari's retainers, will rush up during the ensuing conversation, suggesting that everyone celebrate the liberation of Ku. Hikari is hesitant, but Agnea convinces him to hold a 'ritual of remembrance' to mourn the passing of the dead.
Benkei requires three items to prepare the festival:
- A Wine Offering. You can Entreat it off of a Citizen in the Tavern.
- Sacred Wood. A Carpenter to the east of the entrance is carrying some.
- A Dancer's Mask. Head to the Castle Ku: Entrance, in the north of Ku, and check the building on the left. An Official inside has the mask.
Take the three items back to Benkei, who's waiting near the Armorer. Hikari points out that they still need music for the occasion, and Benkei mentions the sounds of a lute coming out of the nearby Tranquil Grotto. As good a prospect as any.
Tranquil Grotto
Enemies
- Dire Skull Roller - Weak to Dagger, Bow, Staff, Lightning - Drop / Steal Dual Flower
- Flame Remnant - Weak to Sword, Polearm, Axe, Ice - Drop / Steal Fire Soulstone (L)
- Flame Revenant - Weak to Sword, Bow, Staff, Ice - Drop / Steal Inspiriting Plum Basket
- Headless Horseman - Weak to Sword, Fire, Lightning - Drop / Steal Olive of Life (M)
- Venomous Scorpion - Weak to Dagger, Bow, Ice, Wind - Drop / Steal Healing Grape (M)
- Woolly Spider - Weak to Polearm, Knife, Lightning - Drop / Steal Sticky Flower
A dungeon that you're most likely to come across if you're on your way to the meeting point for Hikari's final chapter, the Tranquil Grotto is a high-level area in the Eastern Ku Sands, a short ways east of Ku's front door. You'll find the entrance to the Tranquil Grotto by looking along the east side of the Eastern Ku Sands for a stone archway. Go through the archway to find the dungeon.
Hikari and Agnea will share a short cut scene upon entering. Follow the main path east, past the save point and up some stairs. After a short while you'll be standing between stairs to the north and to the south. Go down the south stairs and you'll find a chest containing an Olive of Life (L). The path continues east and then north, and if you follow it to its conclusion you'll discover another chest. This one contains a Mysterious Dagger.
Head back the way you came and go up the stairs to the north. The path beyond will lead you around to several floors of stonework ruins. Go east on the first floor and you'll find stairs down to a chest containing Reinforcing Jam. Go north on the first floor and you'll find a path to the top of the ruins. Head east here and you'll see the rear of the cave to the north. Look east first to find a chest containing 25,000 leaves.
In the rear of the cave Agnea and Hikari will find none other than Yomi, the musician from the first chapter of their story. It turns out that Yomi and Hikari have some shared history - sort of, anyway - and Yomi has some, erm, things to get off her chest. Challenge her. Yomi is a bit of a threat, but her attacks don't hit that hard and she only has four shields. Use Hikari's Polearms to cut through her defenses and bring her down. You can also use Vengeful Blade to counter Yomi's attacks and get rid of her shields.
You'll receive an Ice Soulstone (L) for defeating Yomi, and Hikari can learn her Forlorn Requiem Skill, which is a pretty solid Ice-based attack. The battle will end Yomi's grudge, and the rest of the story will play out in melancholy fashion. Story complete!