The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure (NSP XCI) ROM + v1.1.17 Update

The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure in Japan, is a 2011 role-playing video game developed by Nihon Falcom. The game is a part of the Trails series, itself a part of the larger The Legend of Heroes series. Trails to Azure serves as a sequel to Trails from Zero (2010), forming the second and final part of the series “Crossbell Arc”.

Trails to Azure was released in Japan for the PlayStation Portable in 2011 with no release outside of Asia until 2023, when it was published by NIS America for Windows, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch. The English release was based on the work of a fan translation. The destiny of a hero is intertwined with the destiny of a city.

In the aftermath of Trails from Zero, the Special Support Section discovers a fresh influx of members and responsibilities. Yet, escalating tensions within Crossbell, coupled with mounting pressure from neighboring political forces, endanger not only the security of their beloved home but also the unity of their team. The Special Support Section is back with more members and more cases to solve!

How will this rag-tag group deal with the oncoming threats to Crossbell’s political stability while maintaining their team’s foundation? The story of aspiring hero Lloyd Bannings continues in Trails to Azure! Set just a few months after the events of Trails from Zero, a temporary peace has settled over Crossbell and the Special Support Section finds themselves with newfound fame and status, thanks to their heroic actions.

PLOT

Trails to Azure is set a few months after the ending of Trails from Zero. The Special Support Section (SSS) is joined by recruits – Army Sergeant Major Noel Seeker and the former gang leader Wazy Hemisphere. Again, unscrupulous figures seek to use KeA as the sept-terrion of mirage, now adopted by the SSS and taking the surname of Bannings, for their ends.

They are led by the mayor, Dieter Crois, who declares Crossbell’s independence and seeks to ensure it through the powers of KeA, and his daughter Mariabell, who seeks to use KeA to rewrite history. The SSS has to brave civil unrest and occult intrusions to foil their plans. Both Dieter and Mariabell Crois are defeated, the former is arrested and the latter joins Ouroboros and KeA relinquishes her powers, but all of these events lead to Crossbell’s annexation by the Erebonian Empire, which leads to events seen in the second half of the Trails of Cold Steel arc.

Trails to Azure begins several months after the ending of Trails from Zero. Crossbellan politician Hartmann and his secretary Ernest Reis had fled to Erebonia, only to be exiled. They ultimately found shelter in the former D∴G Cult lodge of Altair, the westernmost city of Calvard. The political turbulence in Crossbell led to the formation of a special investigation group, consisting of Special Support Section (SSS) leader Lloyd Bannings, Crossbell Guardian Force lieutenant Noel Seeker, Crossbell Police Department chief inspector Alex Dudley, and A-rank bracer Arios MacLaine, all equipped with the new ENIGMA II tactical ornament.

Halfway through the lodge, the team discovers the two political refugees arguing: Hartmann expresses his willingness to turn himself in but gets dragged away by Ernest and the team is stopped in their tracks by the archaism cult leader Joachim Guenter left behind. The battle results in a cave-in, separating Lloyd and Noel from Dudley and Arios. They agree to meet each other at the end of the lodge and each group goes their way.

With Dudley and Arios hindered by ten more archaisms, the first to catch up with the refugees are Lloyd and Noel. In an attempt to attain “true awakening” like his master Joachim, Ernest takes an overdose of red gnosis and demonizes it. Dudley and Arios catch up and together they manage to hold off Ernest, whose consciousness is steadily fading. Lloyd tries to keep Ernest as sane as possible until the unexpected arrival of the Gralsritter’s fifth Dominion, Kevin Graham. With the power of the Stigma and the Septian Church’s Testaments, Kevin manages to subvert Ernest back into his human form.

Back in Altair, Dudley expresses his dissatisfaction with Kevin’s sudden appearance. Kevin explains his actions in Crossbell are closely guarded by Archbishop Eralda, who is known to loathe the Gralsritter’s methods, and only showed up because he owed Arios a favor. As Kevin sees Lloyd and Noel off, Gralsritter squire Ries Argent returns from shopping. Kevin suggests he rather join Ries during her stay in Crossbell, after which she reminds him of Eralda. Kevin’s hunch that Crossbell’s alias of “City of Sins” might live up to its name soon and asks her to resort to their ‘trump card’ if anything happens.

On the Transcontinental Railroad train bound for Crossbell, Noel entrusts Lloyd with how her personality reflects the strict parenting of her father Ozma Seeker, who died during an accident in S. 1194. Before long, they arrive at Crossbell Station where KeA comes running toward Lloyd, followed by section chief Sergei Lou, fellow SSS member Elie MacDowell, Noel’s sister Fran Seeker, and Testaments leader Wazy Hemisphere. Sergei reveals to Lloyd that Noel and Wazy will be joining the SSS for its restart in the second half of S.1204. Lloyd and Elie introduce Noel and Wazy to the SSS’s way of working.

After waving goodbye to KeA, who was playing with friends at Central Square, the SSS moves to the Crossbell Police Department for their request to confirm whether Lechter Arundel is indeed in Crossbell and reveal who he is. Grace, whom they bump into in the Back Street, claims she last saw Lechter in the Dragon’s Old Restaurant. Rather than keep himself concealed, Lechter welcomed the SSS and introduced them to the chef of the restaurant. During the chef’s talk, Lechter had disappeared. The SSS ultimately found him in the casino. They managed to verify the details of his stay before their talk was interrupted by Shirley Orlando, a member of the Red Constellation Jaeger corps. She bit into Lloyd’s earlobe and subjected Elie to sexual harassment, only to disappear without a trace alongside Lechter.

FEATURES

• Burst: A new gauge during the battle that can be functional when you have a full party. When the gauge reaches max, your party gains the full turn advantage till the gauge returns to zero again. During Burst, your characters have full dexterity, are cured of all status, and cast arts with zero chanting.
• Back Attack: Part of the field encounter where enemies gain the advantage. Watch your behind or the enemies will ambush your party, which randomly forces some of your support characters to enter.
• Object Break: there are breakable objects which might have some goodies.
• Master quartz: a special rare quartz that is center-slotted in the new ENIGMA module. It can level up per battle, boosting the equipped character’s parameters.
• Car Customization: The SSS now has a car for instant transportation, and can be customized with different parts and paint jobs.
• Data Import: If the saved data from Trails from Zero was kept, you can load the data into the new game. Some event scenes are altered to this effect if continue the storyline. In addition, the link events with other characters inheriting the same status and unlocking new events.