Ascension (Final Fantasy XVI)

"Ascension" is a boss theme in Final Fantasy XVI. It was composed by Masayoshi Soken and arranged by Ryo Furukawa, with lyrics written by Michael-Christopher Koji Fox.
This dramatic theme is a condensed representation of the life of Dion Lesage, Dominant of Bahamut.https://twitter.com/sem_sep/status/1679771765650919424
When Soken thought about Dion's whole life, he saw him as a very sad person. For the music of the battle with Bahamut, the theme of "tragic" was inlaid throughout the melody and chord development. Soken had the impression that Dion was a dazzling prince, and that he was passionate, so he expressed that image in the melody.https://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/interview/1515635.html
==Lyrics==
The official lyrics were released via Square Enix Music's Twitter account.https://twitter.com/sem_sep/status/1679771931959250945 The lyrics were released again later on the Final Fantasy XVI Original Soundtrack.
:On wings of an angel forsaken
:Our destinies lie
:In courage, conviction (through the night)
:We find our redemption (find our light)
:That we might make our ascension
:Burden shouldered
:Seven worlds of teardrops falling to the sea
:Bitter seeds, these, e're yearning to be
:Free!
:Holy Mother set us free!
:Strike our irons, be our
:Solace
:Temperance
:Virtue
:Vengeance
:Firmament over us
:Fundament 'neath us
:Take flight into the starry heavens
:On high, celestial procession
:Fire on ruby mountaintop
:To guide us to the word of god(dess)
:Solace
:Temperance
:Virtue
:Ascension!
:Guide our spirits ever higher
:And higher and higher and higher, higher!
:On wings of Faith
:We'll rise again
:Ware ye the madness
:The breeds inside us
:Tides of fury flowing, ebbing
:Mists of malice whorling, wending
:Veil of nothing, never-ending
:Dare not seek what lurketh down beneath
:No!
:An evil hiding from the sun
:Blinded, he screameth eschaton immanent
==Game appearances==
===Final Fantasy XVI===
"Ascension" is the theme that plays during the Eikon boss battle between Ifrit Risen and Bahamut. It is track 21 of disc 5 on the Final Fantasy XVI Original Soundtrack.
"The Battle of Belenus Tor" is an arrangement by TomoLow that combines Dion's leitmotif with "The Riddle", the theme of Barnabas Tharmr. It plays in a cutscene where Odin clashes with Bahamut during the Battle of Belenus Tor. It is track 21 of disc 2 on the original soundtrack.
"From the Shadows" is an arrangement by Takafumi Imamura that plays in a cutscene where Dion and Joshua Rosfield discuss Ultima and the fate of the realm. It is track 11 of disc 5 on the original soundtrack.
"My Decree" is an arrangement by Justin Frieden that plays in a cutscene where Dion proclaims his half-brother Emperor Olivier Lesage and his mother Anabella to be traitors. It is track 12 of disc 5 on the original soundtrack.
"Beyond the Heavens" is an arrangement by Masayoshi Soken that plays during the third phase of the first battle against Bahamut, after the Phoenix engages Bahamut alone and Ifrit reenters the battle. It is track 20 of disc 5 on the original soundtrack.
"Heal" is an arrangement by Daiki Ishikawa that plays in a cutscene where Dion recovers from his injuries with Kihel's help. It is track 15 of disc 6 on the original soundtrack.
Motifs from "Ascension" alongside those of "Logos" (Ultima's theme) are incorporated during the BGM for the cinematic battle against Ultima Prime, "A Far Cry from Heaven", more specifically, the "Ascension" motifs occur during the portions where Dion, or rather, Bahamut unleashes his attacks on Ultima Prime.
===Theatrhythm Final Bar Line===
"Ascension" appears as a Battle Music Stage in the Final Fantasy XVI DLC pack, released on November 1st, 2023.https://www.jp.square-enix.com/t_fbl/news/2023/016629.html It features a difficulty level of 3, 5, 9, and 14 for its Basic, Expert, Ultimate, and Supreme Scores, respectively.
The stage's visuals are modeled after the arena in which Clive and Joshua Rosfield, united as Ifrit Risen, battle against Dion Lesage as Bahamut.
==Etymology==
In biblical cosmology, the is the vast solid dome created by God during the to divide the into upper and lower portions so that the dry land could appear. The word comes from the Latin firmāmentum which was used in the to translate the Ancient Greek στερέωμᾰ (steréōma) in the , which in turn was used to translate the Hebrew רָקִיעַ (rāqī́aʿ).
The doctrine or theory of holds that the divine encompasses or is manifested in the material world. It is held by some philosophical and metaphysical theories of divine presence. Immanence is usually applied in monotheistic, pantheistic, pandeistic, or panentheistic faiths to suggest that the spiritual world permeates the mundane. It is often contrasted with theories of transcendence, in which the divine is seen to be outside the material world. The word comes from the Late Latin immanēns, from immanēre, and from immaneō, which means "I remain in".
==Citations==
Category:Battle themes from Final Fantasy XVI