Xenoblade Chronicles: Rise of the Skywalker

Chapter 17

Junks lands in Colony 6, Sora unconscious in the infirmary. Ikaruga places a Monado Replica EX+   made for Her by the Machina beside her. As everyone discusses their options, Claire sees Ikaruga leave and follows her outside the colony, where Ikaruga confides that her new body's time is limited now that Meyneth is gone. A siren sounds and they rush back to Junks, where they learn a swarm of Telethia is approaching. The party reaches the main entrance in time to see the Telethia arrive, led by Dickson.

Sora again finds herself floating in empty space, and wonders whether her life has been pointless, having been dictated by Zanza. Akise appears and tells her only he may decide that; Zanza's need for a physical host limit him, and he must perpetuate his existence by the destruction of the world. Sora resolves to stop Zanza, and Akise tells her he knows what she must do. Sora places a hand on her own chest, and a white light spreads from her hand across the scene.

At Colony 6, the party fight the Telethia, but find themselves surrounded. Sora arrives, fully awake and competent even without the Monado, and Dickson sends his own Sureny Telethia to attack them. When they defeat it, Sora tells them she could still see the future. Dickson calls for Akise to join them, revealing him to be another of Zanza's Disciples, who sends another Telethia to attack the party. When the party defeat it, Dickson and Akise flee.

The group uses Junks to reach the Bionis' Interior through the wound from Egil's final attack. When they reach the heart they find Loritia, who taunts them by revealing that Judal is still alive, albiet an unconscious Telethia. Loritia fuses with Judal's Telethia and the party fights and defeats her. During Loritia's death throes Claire has a vision, where she speaks with Judal's spirit. She apologizes for failing to protect her people, but Judal reassures her that the High Entia's transformation into Telethia was inevitable, that she would not suffer the curse of their people, and that she was the hope of the High Entia, thus he and her father were happy to sacrifice themselves for her. He then explodes into light along with Loritia and tells Claire she must now live her own life and make her own choices, for that is the hope of the High Entia. Darwin hears the words, and Claire hugs him. Dickson arrives to tell the party that he is waiting for them at Prison Island.

The party then travels back to Prison Island to fight Dickson. After chasing him throughout Prison Island, and slaying all of the monsters he sets on them, the party finally reaches the top, and encounter him as turns into his true form: a Giant. The party initially struggles and Dickson reveals to Sora that since Ikaugra lost Meyneth's Monado, she has little time to live. However, she convinces Sora that she is fine, and will fight with her until the end. This, along with the encouragement of their friends, allows Sora and Ikaruga to unlock the remnants of Zanza's and Meyneth's power and they defeat Dickson, much to his surprise. He reverts back to his Homs form before dying, and the party leaves as he dies from his wounds smoking one last cigar, but not before expressing pride at how far Sora has come.

Meanwhile, in space, Zanza attempts to look into the future, where he sees the Telethia attacking the Homs, the Bionis in a state of stagnation, and finally, Sora and her friends engaging him in battle - but the vision cuts off after that. Zanza wonders why he cannot see past that point, stating that with both Monados in his possession, he should be perfectly connected with the passage of fate. He realizes that both Dickson and Loritia have died, and wonders if the Telethia weakening if they are continuing to be felled. He recalls Meyneth's dying words: wishing for Sora to create a world with no need for gods. Zanza scoffs at this, as no world can exist without a god. He declares that the world belongs to him before imbuing himself in a mass of energy.

Upon transporting from Prison Island, the party find themselves in what appears to be a simulation of the Solar System, in which they fight silent ghosts of important encounters; Munkhar, Xord , Akise Telethia, and Gaiza. At the end of the simulation, they catch a brief view of the planet Earth before facing Zanza, now a god-like monster representing the Bionis, and wielding his and Meyneth's Monados. He tells Sora that he had planned to use his body as a dwelling place for the next millenium, but thanks to obtaining Meyneth's Monado, he can proceed immediately. He thanks Sora for this, and offers to make Sora a new Disciple of his. Claire calls out his arrogance and treatment of his creations, but Zanza shows no understanding, as High Entia are just Telethia given sentience Telethia are his own cells; he feels they should be grateful for what existence they had. Sora rejects the offer of immortality, as she simply wants to live in a world without Zanza. Zanza expresses disappointment that Sora thinks this way, but believes that the vision of mortals will remain limited. He expresses disappointment that Homs have become disobedient and in need of destruction as he deemed the Machina, saying that he had longed for friendship, but now believes that granting intelligence to his creations was a mistake. Sora refutes this; Meyneth was able to exist with them, that she saw them as her friends; Zanza could not as he never saw his creations as anything more than food. Zanza brushes it off, saying the Telethia will eliminate every being from Bionis, and that he will create a new world as he has many times before. Sora insists that the party will stop him.

In the ensuing battle, Zanza transforms into a third form; a god-like monstrosity, taking on the form of a Bionis/Mechonis hybrid with Telethia wings. He tells the group to behold the true form of a united world before the fight continues. Throughout the fight, Sora still has visions, confusing Zanza as Sora is without a Monado. Ikaruga tells Zanza that even if they can see the future, it is not set, for there are infinite possibilities depending on what path each individual takes, then tells him that he should know of this more than anyone else, for that is how he has existed. Zanza replies that such a right is reserved only for gods, which Sora refutes; their destiny is their own. Suddenly, light erupts from each of her friends' weapons and directs itself to Sora's Monado Replica EX+. Upon the light dissipating, Sora gets back on her feet, now wielding the Monado III. Fiora tells Zanza that he is not the only one that has the right to decide people's fates; every living being does. Zanza is shocked by the appearance of another Monado, having believed he and Meyneth held the only two in existence.

she and her party overcome Zanza; Akise' disembodied voice tells Zanza that the world's providence has limited Zanza, and Zanza berates him for disobeying him. Akise says that he - Akise - is the Monado; he existed at the beginning, and will proclaim the end, to Zanza's disbelief. Akise asks again if the world belongs to Zanza or Sora, to which Sora says that that decision was made long ago. With a mighty cry, Sora raises the Monado III into the air as it is enveloped by light once more. Once it fades, the Monado III displays a 神 (God) symbol. Sora declares that today, they use their power to fell a god; she charges at Zanza and swings the Monado III full force at him. The God-Slaying Sword cuts through Zanza's body, splitting him in two in an explosion of light.