Sphinx

Sphinx is the guardian of the Pyramid and the first Queen of Sabasa. One of the Guardians of the Directions, she wields the Yellow Orb. She is also approximately over a thousand years old and due to this she is immune to sealing.

A thousand years prior to the events of the game, she loved a human male and the two founded the Sabasa Kingdom. However, Sphinx’s husband eventually grew to death; he refused his wife’s offer of turning into a monster to prolong his life and wished to die as a human. Overcome by grief and sorrow, Sphinx was immersed with loneliness; she had considered turning into a human as a means of dying along with her husband, but feared he would be forgotten. Since then, she founded the Dragon Seal Trial, a test that supports marriage between human and monster (and by law, dragons can only marry to humans who have passed the trial).

Defeating Mummy Girl, Cobra Girl, and the Nefertiti Lamias, Luka and Sara finally meet the Sphinx and answer her riddles, although she shows discomfort before she asks the last one.

Sphinx then reveals her backstory, having loved a human male but was forced to watch him die, and reveals that Sara is her descendant. She then asks what Luka would have done.

Getting back to the main point, Luka and Sara have passed the Dragon Seal Trial, and a dragon-like symbol is engraved on the back of their hands to prove it. Luka is rewarded the Yellow Orb. He then asks Sphinx about the kidnapped Sabasa princess, and Sara reveals to be her all along; clearing that misconception, Sphinx wishes them well and disappears.

Encyclopedia Entry
''“A mixed beast monster that guards the Pyramid, believed to be older than 1,000 years old. Through her long life, she has come to wield powerful magic. Through various circumstances, she has become the judge over the [Dragon Seal Trial]; however, it seems she despairs at her role and lives her life in immersed hopelessness.''

''Those who fail the trial are violently raped, then eaten. She forces her prey to be entranced by pleasure as she swallows them whole and slowly digests them inside her gigantic stomach.''

Her enormous magic, built up over hundreds of years, renders her all but immune to any type of sealing magic.”

Riddles
The final portion of the Dragon Seal Trial is to answer her riddles; she states that it would be impossible to overcome her in battle.

If Luka answers incorrectly, Sara falls down a trapdoor while Luka is forced to battle Sphinx.

First Question
What goes on four legs at dawn, two at noon, and three at dusk?

You can either answer [Human!] or [Me!]. Answering [You!] leads into a battle.

Second Question
Why am I asking you riddles?

Again, there are two correct answers here. Either [To understand man’s transience?] or [It’s just a bad habit?].

Third Question
Why are you taking this trial?

The only good answer here is to [Leave it to Sara.], the other two answers will lead into a battle.

Attacks
Finger Offering: Normal attack that damages three times.

Mouth Offering: Normal attack that damages three times.

Isis’s Lovemaking: Normal attack that damages three times and triggers trance status.

Kiss of Death: Normal attack used as a preparation on the first turn. When not guarded, this leads to a one hit KO on the second turn.

Ancient Law of Ecstasy: Binding attack which leads to a one hit KO via instant follow-up.

Battle Overview
Even though her battle is “impossible”, her health can be lowered all the way down. One issue with this battle are her Isis’s Lovemaking which can put Luka in a trance, so Sylph is required. The other problem is her Kiss of Death, which instantly kills Luka if he does not Guard. Keep using Sylph, Meditation, and Death Sword Chaos Star until Sphinx’s health drops to 0.

However, even if Luka manages to whittle her health down, she becomes unsealed; with that she uses her ultimate technique: Ancient Law of Ecstasy, which one shots Luka. That said, the achievement Took Sphinx’s Ancient Law of Ecstasy is rewarded.

Failing, Luka is held in the lion’s mouth of the Sphinx as its tongue stimulates him, and is then eaten afterward.

If Luka is hit by Kiss of Death, he dies instantly and no rape scene occurs.

Normal difficulty
Premise: Guard when Sphinx is about to attack with her Kiss of Death.

Turn 1: Summon Sylph.

Turn 2-3: Attack.

Turn 4: Use Death Sword Chaos Star.

Turn 5-8: Attack.

Turn 9: If your HP are above 150 use Death Sword Chaos Star, otherwise use Meditation.

Turn 10+: If you used Death Sword Chaos Star, then build enough SP to kill Sphinx with your next skill, otherwise build enough to summon Sylph and do so.

Keep attacking/guarding/healing as necessary.

Hard difficulty
Premise: Guard when Sphinx is about to attack with her Kiss of Death.

Turn 1: Use Thunder Thrust.

Turn 2: Summon Sylph.

Turn 3-6: Attack.

Turn 7: If your HP are above 170 use Death Sword Chaos Star, otherwise use Meditation.

Turn 8-9: Attack.

Turn 10: If your HP are above 95 summon Sylph, otherwise use Meditation (attack to build SP if necessary) and summon Sylph as soon as possible.

Turn 11: Attack until you have 4SP.

Turn 14/15: If your HP are above 170 or if Sphinx would die from it use Death Sword Chaos Star, otherwise use Meditation.

Turn 15/16: Attack until you have 4SP.

Turn 18: If your HP are above 60 or if Sphinx would die from it use Death Sword Chaos Star, otherwise use Meditation.

Keep attacking and using attack techniques as you see fit until you win.

Hell difficulty
Her Kiss of Death is nearly unavoidable and used frequently, making her unbeatable.