ED.5 — A Fleeting Life (Hidden Ending)

A Fleeting Life is the bittersweet hidden ending. It is not a “failed ED.1” — it is a Day 7–8 chain that most optimal ED.1 charts deliberately skip. Plan a dedicated run if you want the Steam ED.5 crystal and achievement.

Use written steps below — community clips rarely label the ED.5 merchant loss correctly.

Hard Prerequisites

Campaign calendar is only 9 days. ED.5 branches on Days 7–8.
Do not let Micoco destroy the slavers' hideout on Day 5 (Villain Breaker raid). If that clear already happened, start a new run.
Day 7 daytime: visit the Slums general store and trigger returning Albert's pendant.
Same day in the Great Underground Hall while rescuing Sara: obtain the Amorphous Construct and meet the Mysterious Merchant.

Ver.1.0.5 added missing text to the ED.5 Memory Room crystal — read it after any ending if you are unsure which flag failed.

Day 8 — Lose on Purpose, Then Cut to 70%

Day 8 daytime, find the Mysterious Merchant in the Slums and start the one-on-one fight.
Lose that fight. Winning routes into the normal slave-rescue quest instead of ED.5.
The same day, re-enter the Great Underground Hall alone.
Reach the lowest floor event, then reduce the boss's HP to below 70% to lock ED.5.

Full ED ranking and Conditions 1–3 live on All Endings. For a normal true clear, use ED.1 True Ending and the Optimal Chart.

Why Optimal Charts Miss ED.5

Popular Day 1–9 ED.1 charts clear the Day 5 hideout for the Villain Breaker achievement and fight the merchant to win on Day 8. Both choices are excellent for Legend of Gadola trophy hunting — and both block ED.5. Keep a save before Day 5 if you want both routes from one early week.

After any clear, Ver.1.0.14 lets ED.1 clearers preview other endings in the Memory Room.

Last updated: July 2026 — Ver.1.0.15.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get ED.5 after ED.1 on the same save?

No. ED.5 needs the Day 5 hideout left standing and a deliberate merchant loss. Use a new run or an early branch save.

Is ED.5 a Game Over?

No. It is a full ending with a Memory Room crystal and Steam achievement, separate from ED.4 Human Ranch.

Do I still need Conditions 1–3?

ED.5 is its own branch. Focus on the Day 7–8 chain and the hideout restriction rather than the 50,000 G ED.1 gate.