Chapter 821: Players' Collective Depression

Still replaying the scene of Zack lying there in his mind, Song Ren was on the verge of depression.

At this moment, the opening scene of Advent Children flashed in his mind: Cloud driving his motorcycle back to Midgar. Then Kadaj and his brothers appeared, kicking away the Buster Sword.

Back then, he hadn't paid any attention to that close-up shot, but now all those doubts had answers. Because the place where that Buster Sword lay was precisely where Zack sacrificed himself!

"And why did Zack have to die?! These mobs can respawn infinitely! This isn't scientific, isn't it just cheating?!"

Thinking about the scene of Zack's sacrifice, coupled with that sad music, and Zack's flashback scene where he transformed into an angel, Song Ren felt a slight sting in his nose again. He absolutely couldn't accept it!

It wasn't just Song Ren; countless players who reached this part of the content completely broke down in tears after experiencing Zack's death.

For some more rational players, they understood that Zack's sacrifice was inevitable. After all, if Zack hadn't sacrificed himself, how would the Buster Sword have returned to Cloud's hands later? And with Zack's personality, he would never be the type to abandon Cloud. If he didn't die, wouldn't Cloud be irrelevant, with the whole story becoming Zack's grand show?

But for some more emotional players, at first, many people's main sentiments were actually invested in Cloud. After all, from Midgar to the Gold Saucer and then to Cosmo Canyon, Cloud had already won over many players along the way.

However, in Zack's storyline, while it couldn't compare to Cloud's in terms of game length, it was equally unforgettable. Angeal, unable to let go of his honor; Genesis, seeking revenge due to honor and eventually wanting to self-destruct; and the inherently optimistic Zack. These players reloaded their saves again and again, trying to find a way for Zack to survive, but no matter what, the outcome was the same. This was a battle that could never be won.

Although it was just an interlude in the game, a DLC content that completed Zack's story, a few hours were enough to leave an incredibly deep impression on players. Moreover, Zack's story also gave players a complete understanding of the entire Final Fantasy narrative, answering all previous doubts.

Whether it was Tifa or Aerith approaching Cloud, at first, they just wanted to understand what had happened to him. Aerith had seen the Angeal's greatsword that Zack carried, and she also saw Zack's shadow in Cloud. But as she adventured with Cloud, Aerith realized that Zack was Zack, and Cloud was Cloud. From initially seeing Cloud as Zack's shadow, she later saw him only as Cloud.

Tifa, at first, also only wanted to understand what had happened to Cloud, which is why she joined Cloud and Avalanche. Meanwhile, Zack's catchphrases about wanting to be a mercenary and how important money was, mixed with Cloud's own memories and Jenova's memories, merged into a state of mental confusion.

Without the DLC content, from a functional perspective, Zack would have just been a tool-man. But the story in this DLC allowed players to experience Zack's unique charm.

Aside from showing his vulnerable side after personally killing the Angeal he admired, Zack was always full of sunshine, with a smile on his face. The calm expression on his face when surrounded by Shinra soldiers, raising the Buster Sword in prayer, and that still-sunny phrase – "Welcome."

As he departed, sunlight, rainwater, and blood mingled on his face, yet he simply smiled. When Cloud finally came to his side, he raised the Buster Sword in his hand, entrusting his last hope and honor to Cloud, moving countless players.

From Angeal to Zack, and then to Cloud. Honor, dignity, dreams, hope...

And it was when he handed the great Buster Sword to Cloud that Zack finally became the hero he had always dreamed of being. Perhaps Zack wasn't the strongest among the Shinra 1st Class SOLDIERs, but he was certainly the most special.

The three Shinra 1st Class SOLDIERs, none of them were heroes, and even the current Cloud isn't a hero. The only one who truly became a hero was Zack.

Genesis, who was the first to discover Jenova's truth, was not a hero, because he chose to escape when faced with the facts. Angeal, full of honor, was also not a hero, because he was lost in the face of the cruel truth. Sephiroth was also not a hero, because he chose compliance and destruction.

Cloud is not a hero either, introverted, even doubting himself, and somewhat insecure. This is Cloud's personality, but like Zack, Cloud has the potential to become a hero. In Cloud's hometown, when he saw Zack and Tifa severely wounded by Sephiroth, he unhesitatingly picked up the Buster Sword from the ground to confront his former idol, the terrifying man Sephiroth. From that moment, Cloud's transformation had actually begun, but he was still too raw and immature.

Only Zack truly stands as a hero now. Angeal called the single wing that grew on them a monster's wing, but Zack called it an angel's wing. Knowing everything behind it, only Zack was still willing to face it with a smile, and willing to love and protect. This was a talent unique to Zack, and only Zack could achieve it. In the end, Zack fulfilled his wish and became a hero.

As more players experienced this DLC content, they collectively fell into depression. And online discussions about Final Fantasy grew even more intense.

"I can't take it anymore, I really can't hold it in. Is anyone going to the Nebula Games Headquarters?"

"The razor blades are ready, brothers, let's go!"

"The plot's mysteries are completely solved! Because Cloud ran with Zack through the Mako and had Jenova cells implanted, just like Sephiroth. But because of the Mako's side effects and his self-doubt, Cloud wasn't fully awakened before, so he could be influenced by Sephiroth, right?"

"I thought after Jessie and Aerith died, and the rest of the protagonist's party was still there, it wouldn't be heart-wrenching, but I couldn't escape Zack's sacrifice!"

"It was all planned out! All the hints were in 'Advent Children'!"

"By the end, my mentality collapsed, and I couldn't stop crying. It was just a little bit, just a little bit more, and Aerith could have seen Zack!"

"No, why can someone be so cruel!?"

Because of Zack's story, countless players discussed it in forums and communities, and their final words condensed into one sentence: "Damn you, Mr. Chen!"

However, what these players didn't know was that, although they were already in great pain, there were still some "desserts" to come after their "meal." (End of Chapter) <>