Our Final Fantasy XIII-2 Walkthrough Final Episode Academia 500 AF explains how to complete Academia –500 AF- and the final episode featured in Final Fantasy XIII-2.
Academia -500 AF- is the zone you must explore after you complete New Bodhum -700 AF-, and as most regions included in the game, it is well known by players, since it was visited before during the game; however, this time, Academia -500 AF- is a maze.
As soon as you arrive in Academia -500 AF-, you will unlock the Promise Keeper achievement trophy.
Now it is time to move forward and face the final bosses.
The first objective appears after you reach the starting zone.
Objective 1: Stop Caius
Pick up the Determination’ Gate Seal inside the cube to the right, then move forward and jump to the next platform. Continue and you will see Chocolina on the next platform, to the left.
Near Chocolina to the right are a sphere, and a panel (green statue). Activate it and then move west, by jumping on the moving platform (I-shaped). When you reach the next platform, continue all the way north until you reach another green statue.
Activate it as your next checkpoint and go east, using the I shaped platform. Examine the sphere to get the Map of Academia 500F.Now, go back west and follow the stairs to your right (N).
Wait for the next platform to move (L-shaped) and go right, to reach the objective marked on your map.
Approach the exclamation mark and watch the cutscene, but get ready for the first boss fight.
Objective 2: Defeat the Pacos Amethyst and the Pacos Luvulite
This battle features in fact two bosses. The Pacos Luvulite and the Pacos Amethyst. Before engaging them, here is what you should know. Both bosses can revive their fallen ally, but when the Pacos Luvulite revives the Pacos Amethyst, the boss will have the same amount of health as his ally.
In other words, if you manage to bring the Luvulite health to 1.000, when he revives the Amethyst, this boss will also have 1.000 HP. Use this in your advantage, and take out the Amethyst first and then try to inflict as much damage as you can to the other boss.
Practically, this fight has three phases, but it depends on how you have leveled up your characters, and the tactics you use.
Additionally, you should know that Pacos Amethyst boss is vulnerable to fire attacks, while the Pacos Luvulite boss is vulnerable to ice attacks. Use these hints to set up your strategy during this fight and take them out.
After the fight, you will get the Amethyst and Luvulite Fragment and you will be able to advance in the game.
Objective 3: Stop Caius
While standing on the platform where you have killed the bosses, go south and jump on the I-shaped platform.
Go E, on the L-shaped block, then go E again, until you reach a platform and on it you will see a green statue. Activate it, then follow the stairs to the N, then follow the L-shaped platform to the right.
Activate the checkpoint, then follow the stairs down and examine the red cube. Touch it, and make sure, it turns blue, then go back up on the stairs and use the L-shaped cube to move north.
On the next platform, use the stairs to the left to reach the next block where you will see the yellow exclamation mark.
Near it are a statue and a cube. Touch the cube and make sure it changes its color to purple, and then activate the statue.
Hop on the T-shaped block and go west to activate the cube, then using the same block, go east. Pick up the ‘Sisters’ Gate Seal inside the cube, and continue east, using the stairs.
On the next platform, activate the statue, then the cube, and go north on the L-shaped platform, then NE. while standing on the edge, jump down and get the hidden sphere, then jump off so you can return to the last checkpoint.
Now, use the cube again, and change its color to green, and using the same L-shaped block, go west and jump on the T-shaped moving platform.
Wait until the block connects to the next platform and jump, and then continue west. Hop on the next T-shaped platform and wait until it moves and lets you advance west, on the next block. Jump on it and advance until you reach the exclamation mark. Activate the cube first, then the checkpoint.
Now turn back and stay on the T-shaped block until it connects with the platform to the north. Jump and go west, up on the stairs.
Hop on the next L-shaped platform and go north, following the next set of stairs. Continue to follow the stairs up until you see Chocolina. Here you should stop and get ready for the final boss fights.
Note: At this point, you can continue to investigate this place, or you can move forward to the final boss fight. If you activate the large red statue to the right, you will be teleported to the beginning of the maze.
Pick up the ‘Final Battle’ Gate Seal inside the cube to the left, then activate the green statue, as your last checkpoint. Approach Chocolina and purchase any necessary potions, items and other materials needed to upgrade your monsters.
When you are ready to begin, go north towards the exclamation mark.
Watch the cinematic and meet your first opponent featured in the final boss fight: the Chaos Bahamut.
Final Boss Battle
Round 1: Defeat the Chaos Bahamut
Trying to stagger the Chaos Bahamut can be quite challenging. If Serah cannot cast Deprotect on him, you should opt for a COM/COM/MED formation, even if it takes longer to defeat the boss. This formation should be used only to attack him constantly.
If Serah can cast Deprotect, use the spell on the boss, and then attack him. During the fight, the Chaos Bahamut can fly around you and his Pulsar Burst will inflict massive damage, if you dont protect your party. When you see him ready to launch this attack, switch to a SEN/MED/SEN formation, or something similar.
After you cast Deprotect, use the normal COM/COM/COM formation to damage him.
Watch the cutscene and get ready to start the next round.
Round 2: Defeat Caius Ballad
By now, you should be familiarized with Caius and you should know his strategy as well as his abilities. Nothing changes, except for the fact that now, he can debuff one of your members.
If you reached this point in the, you already have a strategy to defeat Caius Ballad. Use it again on him, and you will have no problems in finishing this round.
After the fight, the next round begins.
Round 3: Defeat Caius Ballad
Before starting this round make sure, you have the following paradigms:
Saboteur/Ravager/Sentinel
Ravager /Ravager/Commando
Sentinel/ Sentinel/Sentinel
Saboteur/Medic/Sentinel
Commando/Commando/Commando
Medic/Medic/Medic
If you dont have them, when the battle starts, exit to main menu, select Retry, and then select Before the Last Battle.
Now, you are ready to fight Caius Ballad and everything that follows after.
This round has two phases. Keep in mind that if you manage to stagger him, the victory is yours.
During the first phase, Caius will debuff one of your characters. At this point, you should play with the Saboteur/Medic/Sentinel formation, and then go with the Ravager /Ravager/Commando to stagger him.
Hit him while in Commando/Commando/Commando formation and you will eventually finish the first phase.
During the second phase, Caius will use AoE spells, affecting all your units.
While the strategy remains unchanged, this time you should also switch to a Medic/Medic/Medic formation, when your health is low; or to a Saboteur/Medic/Sentinel formation when your health is medium, and you dont want to risk, and play as a Saboteur/Ravager/Sentinel. Stagger him again, with the Ravager/Ravager/Commando and you will win the fight against him.
After the cinematic, showing Noel and Caius fighting, the next round begins.
Round 4: Defeat the Garnet Bahamut, Amber Bahamut and Jet Bahamut
In this round you will fight against three bosses; however you will not be able to attack the Jet Bahamut, while the Garnet Bahamut and the Amber Bahamut are alive.
Using the same strategy as the one used to defeat Caius, take out the Amber Bahamut (the one to the right) first, and then the Garnet Bahamut (the one to the left). You will notice that you can stagger them faster than you staggered Caius.
Now, for the Jet Bahamut, you can adopt a similar strategy, but know that he will throw Ebon Seeds, on the platform you are standing. These seeds will explode after a period, so make sure your party has enough health. Additionally, the Jet Bahamut has two powerful attacks.
The first attack is performed when you will see Caiuss sword falling from the sky, while the second is performed when the Jet Bahamut rises from the ground, and fires a beam on the platform you are standing one (these attack is announced by a counter observed in front of the boss, and is a devastating attack).
You should always switch to a Sentinel/ Sentinel/Sentinel formation when these attacks are performed, in order to avoid taking too much damage.
Keep in mind that the fight against the final bosses is repetitive, meaning that from time to time, the Jet Bahamut moves back and one of the other bosses returns to the front line.
At this point, you should take out the nearby boss as soon as possible; otherwise, the other one spawns and you have to defeat them both.
After you kill the boss near the platform, focus on the Jet Bahamut and use the same strategy as you used until now.
Pay attention because after the Jet Bahamut falls, a Cinematic Action starts. You can opt to press the keys you see on the screen, or not, because the result is the same.
Watch the credits and you will receive the Paradox Scope Fragment as well as the ‘Hope’ Gate Seal, and you will unlock Valhalla ??? AF. Additionally, you will unlock the corresponding achievements for completing Final Fantasy XIII-2.
Congratulations for beating Final Fantasy XIII-2 !
Note: Even if you have finished the games main story line, there are various other zones to be discovered and bonuses to be found. Try to collect them all, and continue the explore the vast world of Final Fantasy XIII-2.
