Ancient One of the Sun

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Ancient One of the Sun
Location	Downloadable content
Quest Giver	White
Reward(s)	White Pillar

"Ancient One of the Sun" is a downloadable Challenge Quest in Shin Megami Tensei IV. It features an exclusive boss, Ancient of Days, who becomes available for Special Fusion after completing the quest and receiving the White Pillar key item. As the Challenge Quest relates to the game's main story, the downloadable content recommends that players reach the post-game before attempting this quest.

The Challenge Quest was released for purchase and download on August 13, 2013 in North America, as part of a weekly wave of downloadable content for Shin Megami Tensei IV. As of the Nintendo 3DS eShop's closure on March 27, 2023, it is no longer possible to purchase or download any of the game's downloadable content.

Overview

	This section is in need of research.
	Reason: Research needed into what criteria triggers the in-battle event with Kiyoharu.

As with all other downloadable Challenge Quests, this quest can be accepted immediately after Flynn completes the "To My Fellow Samurai" Main Quest. However, Burroughs will warn Flynn if he attempts the Challenge Quest while not at a sufficient level. The Challenge Quest can be retaken multiple times after completion.

Upon accepting this Challenge Quest, Flynn is sent to the Blasted World's future by the White, in an attempt to have him witness Tokyo's cycle of despair and realize the futility of hope. Flynn awakes to find himself in an open desert, where he is immediately spotted and approached by Akira and his band of evacuees. Akira recognizes Flynn as their Messiah who had defeated Pluto. However, if Flynn did not already defeat Pluto during the game's main story, then Akira is surprised to hear otherwise and Burroughs adds that she has no past logs of Pluto. Regardless, Akira warns Flynn there is no time to talk and hurries him to safety. The group arrive at Pluto's Castle, now no longer under the overlord's control, where already many injured evacuees have gathered to seek refuge.

The survivors recognize Flynn from before and beg him as their Messiah to save them again. Akira pulls Flynn aside to speak with him privately. He explains that, since Pluto was defeated, the survivors believed they were freed from God's curse and had ventured to rebuild their new nation. However, as they gathered on the surface, an entity named the Ancient of Days had appeared from the sky and razed their cities to the ground. Having no other place to shelter at, the survivors were forced to retreat to Pluto's Castle as their last remaining stronghold. Kiyoharu then approaches the two men, who joyfully recognizes Flynn. He explains that he has been fervently praying to God to bring the Messiahs back and believes that Flynn's return means that God has not forsaken them. Akira is unconvinced and, once Kiyoharu leaves, confides to Flynn that they have been abandoned by God and are now powerless without anyone to turn to. Their conversation is violently interrupted when a blast ruptures through the castle and the survivors warn of the Ancient of Days' coming. Akira begs Flynn to defeat the entity while he leaves to tend to his people. If Flynn accepts, he runs outside to face Ancient of Days. If he refuses, then Flynn vanishes from the castle and is approached by the White before they return him back to his world, which abandons the Challenge Quest.

While outside, Flynn initially cannot see the entity and Burroughs's attempts to scan the area fail; she postulates that the Ancient of Days may be composed of material not of this world. A pulse within Flynn then reveals to them the entity. As the boss battle begins, the Ancient of Days vows to purge the world of the humans and to make way for a new humanity.

At certain point,^{[clarification needed]} Kiyoharu runs outside of the castle in a frenzy, perceiving the Ancient of Days to be the God that he has long prayed to. Kiyoharu believes that God has finally arrived to take everyone with Him and attempts to converse with the entity. However, Kiyoharu becomes deeply disheartened to learn that the survivors are not God's chosen and are only meant to be destroyed. He grieves over how he had spent the last 25 years praying out of ignorance after losing everything in God's Plan, before ultimately concluding that he had been wrong about God and alludes that Kenji had been right all along. Akira emerges to urge Kiyoharu back to his senses, but realizes that he has already turned despondent. Akira leads Kiyoharu away from the battle.

Upon the Ancient of Days' defeat, the survivors pour out of the castle and cheer on Flynn's victory. Akira thanks him for saving them again and resolves that they can finally rebuild their nation in earnest. However, that relief is shortly broken when both Flynn and Akira feel another pulse and hear the voice of God. The voice warns them that although one of His forms was defeated, His existence is eternal and that this momentary defeat will not change the world's fate. As Akira looks up to the sky, he suddenly realizes that the Cocoons from 25 years ago have returned. The voice informs them that the new humanity is about to descend upon this world, before fading away. Although Akira is worried by the implications of a new humanity, he is confident that there is hope and a way for everyone to live together peacefully. He thanks Flynn for a final time and turns to walk toward one of the Cocoons.

Flynn is then transported away by the White, who accost him for refusing to give into despair. They promise to return him back to his world, but warn that he has not rid the world of its despair and that the cycle will only repeat itself. This completes the Challenge Quest and rewards Flynn the White Pillar key item, which unlocks the Ancient of Days for Special Fusion.

Gameplay

Information

Client	Difficulty	Reward
The White	★8	White Pillar
Task	Defeat the Ancient of Days.

Stage	Quest Description
—	In a world consumed by wastelands and death... A small hope for freedom has begun to blossom, but a greater force seeking tyrannical order is reaching out to trample it. We shall send you to the future of this land, and show you a world where sorrows can never be healed.

Boss

	Name Level HP MP Ancient of Days 95 17775 7998	Strength 157 Dexterity 157 Magic 157 Agility 157 Luck 157
Race AlignmentFactored with certain skills EXP Godly Law —
Drop — — —
Resistances — — — — — — — — ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1
Ailment Resistances ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1
Basic Attack Element Hits(s) Target Effect Phys 1 Single enemy —
Skills Skill Cost Description

Nomenclature

Names in Other Languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	日の老いたる者 Hi no Oitaru Mono	Ancient One of Days