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[R^2]

I'm not really familiar with the series but isn't the point to prompt some hard moral decisions that are not themselves fundamentally right or wrong, only justifiable as being worth the cost?

[Classic]

Yeah, basically, but here's what I was originally going to post:

The only one in the series who seems to care about humans and just wants them to be humans is [spoiler]Lucifer aka. Stephen Hawking[/spoiler], but any charity pronoun bestows is suspect at best.

Of course, YHWH really lightens up when in devil survivor [spoiler]he taps back from nuking shibuya to stem the tide of demons[/spoiler].

[Brentai]

I can't argue for anime directors but game designers have one fairly obvious reason to pit the player against Christianity all the time.

The Judeo-Christian God is, by definition, the final boss of the Universe.

It's such an easy road to take that the only real reason Western designers don't do it too is because it's kind of a taboo over here, and even then they like to work around it (okay so Zeus is the leader of Greek pantheon; even though he's not technically peerless let's treat him as such anyway.)

[Koah]

Could've had Ialdabaoth (and they did in the X-Box SMT game), although Gnosticism doesn't lend itself well to the "Law versus Chaos" conflict seeing as, according to Gnosticism itself, the Demiurge is objectively wrong and misguided and the Serpent (whatever his name may be) was working on the true, unknowable God's behalf to bring wisdom to man.  That said... I don't know how they did it in the X-Box SMT game aside from that they did.

[François]

*: I didn't know the way to Shibuya, but then I remembered I'm playing a game where I can get directions by pulling up Google maps.



Southwest it is, then.

(Kichijoji is to the west along the rail line visible in gray/white, first exiting Shinjuku station to the north then curving west. Somehow I thought it was to the south, but I couldn't tell you why.)


Lv18 Mesian Zealot
The name just about says it all. They have mediocre stats, but they come in large groups and have passable attack power. They can also heal themselves with Me-Dia but ideally you don't let them live long enough to.

*: We run into large groups of Kokakuchou, the died-in-childbirth harpies I mentioned much earlier, but Kaneda can one-shot them with his shotgun. There are also groups of Wendigo.


Lv20 Kyouchou Furiae
The Furies are the Roman equivalent of the Greek Erinyes, being deities of the underworld in charge of punishing sinners, usually after their death, but occasionally before, in the case of oath-breakers. They are known to be cruel, but fair. They have a Venom Claw attack and a multi-hit wind-elemental move, but otherwise only have their Speed going for them. They're the first demons I've met who outright ran away from me during combat.

*: We pass Yoyogi Park and Sendagaya, and keep going south through where there once was a military roadblock. Soon enough, we reach northern Shibuya. There's an intact building in a forested area to the west. Hmm...

Looking at the map I posted above, it's probably the Meiji Jingû Shrine, dedicated to the deified Emperor Meiji and his wife, who presided over Japan's emergence from feudalism.





*: One round later...



*: Uh-oh.



Well, there we go. First death!

Lv52 Youma Tengu
The famous long-nosed birdmen of Japanese myth. They play many roles in folklore, from terrible and demonic to benevolent and protective, but they're usually said to be mighty in body and magic, and intelligent enough to be engaged in philosophical debate. I'd like to tell you about their prowess here, but about all I can say is, they's rapy.

Man I hope that's not where I'm supposed to go. I reload from where I saved at the Terminal before leaving Shinjuku, and decide to explore the area a little more instead of going to the first building I see.



Well, there really was more than one nuke, in case we had any doubt.

*: The ways west and east are blocked, and at the very south of Shibuya is a large desert peninsula that used to be Shiroganeda, Ebisu, and Meguro. Fortunately, I do find another building of interest in Shibuya proper.





*: There's a Terminal, a Healer's Dojo and a Junk shop next to the entrance, so at least I know I'm in a civilized area. The Terminal allows me to warp back to Shinjuku, which is nice.


: Kaneda! Can I? Can I can I can I?
: Like you've ever needed my permission before.
: Well, if I screw up with your accord, it's kind of not my fault, right?
: ...
: Hello! How's it going?
: Hey, don't you think I'm cute?
: Uh... Yes! Yes! Of course! Very!
: Even if you don't mean it, I'm happy to hear you say that!
: No, I swear, it's true!
: What is it you want?
: How 'bout you accompany me on my adventures? There's a wom... uhhh... a person I need to rescue.
*: She asked for about 3000 Makka, 800 Magnetite, and an Orb. Dang, high maintenance much?
: I'm all satisfied now. I'll do whatever you want me to do.

Lv28 Yama Lilim
According to Hebrew folklore, Adam had a wife before Eve, named Lilith. One day, Adam asked her to make one too many sandwiches, so she left Eden in a huff and later had sex with Samael, the angel of death. The children born of that union are known as the Lilim. As punishment for this transgression, it is said that God kills one hundred Lilim every day. Not a woman to take that sitting down, Lilith and her daughters take their vengeance by killing human newborns. In later Medieval folklore, Lilim grew to be associated with succubi. Here they are very good offensive spellcasters, with lots of MP, a high Magic stat, and Bufula. They also know Lullaby and Charm Bite, making them incredibly useful against any enemy vulnerable to either ailment.

: Are they, now?
*: Yyyyeah.
: Bonus! I just thought they were smokin'.
*: You would, wouldn't you.
: Can you blame me?



*: A bit further in, there's an unusual church.


: To tell the truth, it's mostly because of a rumor floating around that our Messiah has become possessed by demons.
: Yeah, I could see how that sort of slander could slow things down.
: It's a lie, of course, but because of it, trust in us has decreased and donations have been extremely low as a result. Please, in the name of God and those that seek his salvation, give us a small donation... Say, a thousand Makka?

I don't care much for the Church, but if these guys can establish a bastion of human civilization in the nuclear wilderness, then I think I can help out in this small way. And maybe I can get some info on that Messiah if I get on his good side.

Plus I bilked Temple Knights out of a few thousand myself, so eh.

: Oh, what dedication! God surely looks down on you with his divine favor! Thank you! We have taken one small step towards completing out church! May God's blessing be upon you...
: Now what about this Messi-

The guy goes back behind the curtains. Hmpf.


: When it is completed, God himself will descend from the heavens there, and bring an era of peace to the world... Long live the Mesia Church!
: That seems like an interesting place. Can you tell me where it is?
: Where is it? I can't tell any unbelieving heathens that.

Bah! Feh!


: Heyo, shorties.
: If you know what's good for you, you'll stay away from me, youngster!
>Dwarf is trying to intimidate you.
: Sorry, I can't hear you from up here. Care to climb on something?

There is a tense moment.

: Ha ha ha ha! You've got guts, kid! Tell me what you're after!
: I'm building a Dwarf army in Warhammer. Can you help a guy out?
: Arrite, take this.
>Francois got 521 makka. Dwarf left.

Like I can afford anything with that kind of money.

Lv26 Chirei Dwarf
They're freaking dwarves.
: Dude, just do the thing.
*sigh* Short beardy dudes from Norse legend, good with their hands, live underground, hate carp. Open a random book in a nerd's apartment and there's a 75% chance it's got either a dwarf or a spaceship or a dwarf on a spaceship. Happy?
: Marginally.
They're really strong and tough, and can boost their defense further with Raku-kaja; battles with large groups can take a very long time. They also know Critical and Hanma.

*: I soon find a Jakyou Mansion. Lessee...

Apsaras + Momunofu =

Lv30 Touki Yakshini
Yakshini are the beautiful female attendants of Kubera, the Hindu god of wealth. They are specifically described as shapely and busty, probably to make them appear as treasures themselves. They're generally considered to be peaceful and kind, but according to some traditions they're actually dangerous seducers who kill men and drink their blood. Here they are fast physical attackers with massive attack power and decent defense. If that wasn't cool enough, they know Diarama, Posom-Di, and Sexy Dance. It's their only skill, even, so it's always guaranteed to come up when selected, unlike Ame-no-Uzume, who has a chance to do Happy Song instead.

Bucca-Boo is getting outclassed now that I have Yakshini's monstrous strength and Lilim's Bufula and bottomless MP, so I fuse him with Ame-no-Uzume to make a replacement Momunofu.


Lv26 Yousei Elf
: ...
Yeah, alright, okay. Elves are semi-divine beings from Norse and Germanic mythology, often associated with fairies but also occasionally difficult to differentiate from dwarves or even goblin-types, depending on the story. The modern fantasy tall foresty elf is mostly a Tolkien invention, though certainly inspired by the old legends. Here, they are jack-of-all-trades magic-users, fragile but with a decent physical attack. They know Dolminer, Zionga and Diarama.


: Energy...?
: How on earth do they plan to do it, and where is that energy going to come from...


: If only I had that, I wouldn't need to fear them...

Wait, the crazy guy who returned from Roppongi mentioned something about "the count" fearing "the pot". Hmm.


: What with that forcefield surrounding Roppongi, I can't even get close.


: Teevee! Teevee! Teevee!

: Ozawa's tyranny has finally been put to an end!
: Holy crap, we made the news!
: Witness! This is an act of God! God has brought this miracle to show his worshippers that he has not forgotten them! He is always watching us from on high!
: What the HELL!? How did FOX NEWS survive the fucking apocalypse!?
: Cockroaches, man. Cockroaches.
: Le sigh.

*: My pain is eased slightly when I find Intelligence and Luck Incense in chests. I hire an Elf a bit further, and find some stairs up. This was the first floor:



A few steps inside and...



Darkness! Kaneda's Mapper spell still works, fortunately. There's probably an item that'll light things up, but I don't have one.

...the dark corridor leads to a small lit area that is the exit for a one-way door. I'm confused for a moment, but I realize there's a branch in the darkness that leads further in. I don't think I would have noticed that without Mapper.


: It's true. He's a friend of mine, actually.
With that ability, maybe he can defeat the demon that has possessed our Messiah...

*: A little further, I stumble into a pitfall in a dead end. ...It returns me to the first level. Usually I'd be pissed off, but it drops me not too far from the Dojo and I could use the MP restoration.

On the way back up, a Rusalka gives me a Lotus Whip (25/19, hits 3-8 times, only females can equip it). That's... really spectacular! I hope I'll have someone to give it to soon.


: Not that I really care. Since I'm blessed by God, I don't need to worry.

*: We run into several large groups of Temple Knights, but most of the time, they end up killing each other over Yakshini, Rusalka and Lilim's affections. One of them drops a Plasma Sword (40/20, hits 2-4 times, can only be equipped by Lawful males).

: Kanedaaaaaa~?
: What is it now?
: Would you like a lightsabeeeeer?
: I always knew you cared!

*: It's a colossal upgrade, no doubt about it.


: This has to be the work of the Gaian church... It couldn't be anyone else!
: I'd like to tell you not to jump to conclusions... but you're probably right.
: Please! Save our Messiah!

*: And through the door next to that girl...


: K... Kei? Is that you, Kei?



>A woman's voice echoed within the recesses of Francois' mind....

She can't move. She can't even speak. I turn to my best healers, Kaneda and Rusalka, but they only shake their heads. We can't do anything to help her.

But I know someone who can.

It's time to collect on a favor.

One last psycho dive.

[Classic]

I... you're googling those images, right?
I'm a little worried you're an even huger SMT fan than I thought.

[Brentai]

Yeah so I happen to own a Pixie figure, by fortunate accident.

That Lilim figure has a pretty good camel toe going there.

[François]

Heh, I suppose a more detailed explanation may be in order.

A while back, my brother got into his head to have a full set of the SMT figures that were coming out at the time, because he loves the series too. Problem is, those came individually in opaque boxes, so you couldn't tell what you bought until you opened it. So he imported like a couple display boxes of each set to make reasonably sure he got at least one of each. Logically, he ended up with many duplicates. Given that he's a generally awesome bro, he offered to give me one of everything that he had at least two of.

I ended up with 24 SMT figures and (after a similar binge) 3 colossi from SotC. I'm not gonna go through all of them in the LP, most don't show up in the first game, or show up in different forms (I have a Thor, but it's the Nocturne design), but hey, when I have one that fits, I might as well show it. (Though I just realized I forgot to put up the Nekomata. She's got a top on, so no kung fu nipple action there, thank God.)

So when I say I got them by accident, it's entirely true!

Also, if that's a thing, I use the macrophotography setting on my camera, so maybe the figures look bigger than they really are. They're like 10cm tall, so it's not like they take up a lot of room.

[François]

*: Before going back to the first floor, I complete the second floor map.



For every group of Temple Knights or Zealots I have to wade through, I run into a group of Elves or Rusalka or Lilim that just plain leave me alone. This place would be a nightmare otherwise. As it is now, it's tough, but as long as I pay attention I'm not in any real danger. I do notice my Rusalka's getting a little fragile though; she almost spends half her MP casting Diarama on herself.

I reach the Terminal soon enough, then teleport back to Shinjuku and return to the bar where Psycho Diver hangs out. Hopefully he won't have died of cirrhosis by the time we get there.



I haven't noticed anything special about the full moon, but I'll play along, I guess.

: Uh, yeah.
: Whoever's calling you has something that's invading their mind. Maybe another psychic like me, maybe a demon. At any rate, because of your connection, whatever is messing with her mind is affecting yours as well.
: I suppose that makes sense.
: Let's have a look-see.

A moment passes. I have to wonder if he's in some sort of booze trance.

: ............Looks like the voice you've been hearing is a girl in Shibuya.
: That's what I figured.
: You rescued me, now it's my turn to help you. Perhaps there's something I can do about this. I'm going to go ahead to Shibuya. You should come as soon as you can. If your minds are connected it will make a prognosis a lot easier to have you nearby.

...and he's gone.

While fighting the demons here in Shinjuku now, I notice they're not as dangerous as the ones in Shibuya, even without the Mesian patrols trying to keep a lid on things. The place may not be as safe as it once was, but it's still not nearly as bad as out there.

*: Before I go, I hit the Armor shop to modernize Kaneda's equipment. With all the fighting in Shibuya, I've made over sixty thousand Makka, and it'll cost about a tenth of that to bring Kaneda's stuff on par with mine. His defense is finally high enough that I don't have to hide him behind Yakshini.

At last, I warp back to Shibuya and fight my way to Kei's cell again.


: I had gathered that. What kind of help does she need, exactly?
: Someone, or something, has burrowed into the deepest recesses of her spirit. In order to free her, whatever it is has got to go. In thanks for saving me, I'll use my psychic powers to astrally project us into her mind. Let's go on in!
: Okay... Do I have to-



: -do anything... uh.
: ...Eh? Something's odd here... there's like a... a black mist floating in the ether around the center of her soul...
: Can you tell what it is from here?
: I can't do it! I'm too afraid to go any further! Sorry, but you'll have to go it alone from here.
: That's quite alright. It's the least I can do for her.
: Be careful, though! While at the moment you're just an astral projection, if you die here, so does your body back in the real world!
*: !!!
: What is it?
*: N... never mind! Carry on!
: I'll wait for you here where it's safe. After all, if I die, you're stuck here for good!

The thought of our bodies rotting alongside Kei's in that awful cell crosses my mind.

: If you want to go back to the real world, come on back and I'll take you out.

First thing we meet inside Kei's mind? Lilim! I did not expect that.

And then?



Dang, girl's kinky!

: Hey baby, wanna get metaphysical?
>The demon is ignoring you.
: I'm Francois. If you've been here a while, I'm sure you know about me already.
: Oh, so you're Francois. Now I'm interested...
: So, uh, is there currency around here or something? I'm not sure how that works.
: Instead of money, I give you terror! Here I come!

Lv33 Kijo Lamia
Lamia was a Libyan queen who fell in love with Zeus. Zeus' wife Hera didn't care for that, so she transformed her into a half-woman half-snake monstrosity, then killed her children; she also made her unable to close her eyes, so she couldn't sleep and therefore couldn't stop thinking about her dead children. Zeus, ever the kind and benevolent god, brought a measure of comfort by changing her back to... Haha, yeah, right! No, he just gave her the ability to REMOVE HER OWN EYES AND THEN PUT THEM BACK IN SO SHE DIDN'T HAVE TO SEE ALL THE TIME. What a sport! Anyway, Lamia kind of got fucked up by the whole ordeal and started kidnapping other people's children to drink their blood. Here, she has tons of HP, decent attack, speed and defense, and knows Zio, Raku-kaja, and Charm Bite.

Kijo are powerful females entities associated with war and destruction. They're often of divine origin, or even actual goddesses themselves. They are Neutral-Chaos.



Okay, this guy makes more sense.

Lv24 Yama Nightmare
Originally the nightmare is a (usually female) goblin-type creature that sits on people's chests while they sleep, giving an explanation for episodes of sleep paralysis; the word later evolved into the meaning we give it today. The creepy child with a knife isn't a bad way to depict it, I think. In any case, they are ANNOYING AS FUCK. They are fragile and don't pack much of a physical punch, but their Intelligence is fairly high, and both their Sibabu and Dolminer seem to last incredibly long. They also know Zanma, and have a fair Magic stat to go with it. Nightmares are not particularly dangerous by themselves, but they can put portions of your party out of commission for several later battles.

*: We run into seven Pishasha, and a botched conversation leads to them summoning an eighth, officially making them the biggest random group so far. A bit later we meet Lemures and several Yaskhini (!).



*: They hurt us so bad that I have to return Lilim to the computer for her own protection, and after three rounds Kaneda casts Torafuri to get us out of there. Wow.

Lv35 Datenshi Orobas
Orobas is a Great Prince of Hell, commanding twenty legions of demons. Appearing in the form of a horse or of a man, he answers truthfully to questions asked about events of the past, present and future, and can cause one to find favor among his enemies and friends. He is also said to be very loyal and protective towards whoever summons him. Here, he is a raw, mighty brute, with lots of HP, attack and defense. He also knows Taru-kaja, Taru-nda, and Plinpa.

I replace Lilim with Atsuyu; I haven't seen enemies use fire yet, and I want to take it for a test drive anyway.

A little further, we're attacked from behind by two more Orobas. I'm a little surprised that this is the first time I've been ambushed.

...Holy crap, it's not an ambush, I don't lose a round. It's just that my battle order is reversed. Rusalka is so screwed.

No, wait, I can spend my hero's round to reorder my party anyway. False alarm. We beat them.

I just realized that Atsuyu got Bound by a Nightmare the first round I had him, and he's stayed that way for the last several fights. What a useless lump. He better be damn amazing once he recovers, otherwise he's getting fused posthaste.

Okay, he's back.

...he gets Bound by another Nightmare right away. Oy! Then he gets put to sleep, and a Zanma takes half his HP away. Worst. Demon. Ever.

We meet a lone Apsaras. Huh. I hire her for a Magic Stone; I think I have something in mind for her. And maybe I'll need her to heal soon, because Rusalka's MP is running low and I'm not sure Elf will be up to the task for long once she's called in.

I find a crew of Man-Eaters, and while I try to avoid a fight as usual, she tries to intimidate me, and I glower at her.



Okay, that's a first.



We get a surprise round. Wow!



Huh... Is this a memory of hers?
: Oh my god! If that's true, then... ...Aaaargh!



: I'm still here. I'll do it again.
: I wasn't scared though. I had known for a long time that you were going to save me. I just knew it...

*: That happened in a little room with two exits, but it returns me back the way I came in every time. It won't let me reach the other side. Hmm.

A little further, down another path, we run into four Nightmares, and everybody gets bound except for me. I luck out and put them all to sleep with my rifle, twice. When that's done, I replace Rusalka and Atsuyu with Elf and Momunofu. And then we get mauled by some Furiae after half my party gets Paralyzed by Man-Eaters.

Dang.

How far in am I, exactly?



Oh.

...I need to get out of here.

I eventually reach the other side of the memory room, through another passage, and it boots me backwards from there too. Turns out the entire outer perimeter of the area loops back to the beginning, with several points of entry towards the center. I was worried I'd have to go the long way back to get out, but I just had to press forward a bit.

Just before we get back to Psycho Diver, five Orobas show up.

: I'VE HAD IT WITH THESE MOTHERFUCKING DEMONS IN MY MOTHERFUCKING GIRLFRIEND'S HEAD

*: I spare no expense to kill these assholes. I even use Kaneda's new Maha-Zanma to excellent effect. I have to summon Apsaras to patch up what's left of us, but we kill them. Man that felt good.


: Let's just say this is a temporary setback.
: All right then, we're leaving her mind.


: It's only a matter of time before the demons in this girl's soul break down the last of her defenses and completely possess her body. They need to be defeated as soon as possible.
: Yeah, I know. It's just... Soon. Very soon. You hear that, Kei? I'll be back before you know it.

Dammit. I hate leaving her like this, but I'm no use to her if I die in there. I can't take any chances. I'll regroup, and then come back.

*: HOLY SHIT



THIS TOOK ME TWO HOURS

[François]

*: Fair warning: I don't make progress in this update. It's all post-mortem and preparations. I personally love to read this sort of mechanical stuff so I figured I shouldn't skip it, but your mileage may vary.

Okay, so. Given that I have the best equipment money can buy, and that levels provide exactly one stat point each, I can only reach the conclusion that grinding isn't gonna solve all my problems.

Excellent.

It's time for a debriefing.

-Yakshini is my best ally right now. She hits hard, Sexy Dance is still incredibly useful, she can heal in a pinch, she's cured poison a couple of times, and she keeps the other Yakshini out of our hair. She stays.
-Rusalka's still a good healer, but she takes way too much damage and the only other thing she can do is cast Marin-Karin, which is a hit to her MP in a situation where lasting power is critical. I can't blame her: she's level 18. That she's even of any use at all by now is miraculous. However, there are occasional groups of Rusalka in Kei's mind, and I really don't want to have to deal with them. She stays.
-Atsuyu's pointless. He's got less HP than Rusalka and doesn't have much more defense, his magic defense is horrible, and he doesn't hit as hard as Yakshini. He probably has some elemental resistance or other to justify his level, but the only elemental attacks I have to deal with right now are Lamias' Zio and Furiae's weak-ass Wing-Flap. If I can't fuse him into something decent, I'm going to fire him.
-I overestimated Momunofu's effectiveness. He was deadly when I was fighting seven of him and half of them buffed the other half, but alone he doesn't have the power or the durability I require from a fighter-type. He's got to go, though I should be able to rank him up soon. Lessee... Yeah, the next Youki is level 34, which is about 2000 EXP away. I'll drop by Rag's shop and get an appropriate Seirei, then see how it goes.
-Elf is on the fragile side, but she hits hard for a spellcaster and her magic is very good. Unfortunely, Zionga costs 9 MP and she only has 110 to begin with, so it doesn't leave much for healing. I'm thinking I could fuse her, but on the other hand I might keep her in my pocket and unleash her on whoever the boss is.
-I don't care much for Apsaras as such, but the next Youma is also level 34, so I'll rank her up as well. An Aeros will do... and I can get that by fusing Elf and Rusalka! Those shouldn't be too difficult to recruit again. I think that's a plan.
-Lilim's easily my second most valuable ally; both her skills are always welcome, she can spend her massive MP on Bufula with no regrets, and there are lots of other Lilim around. She definitely stays.
-...hey, wait, that's only seven. I already have a free slot! Wow!

As far as recruiting goes, getting a Nightmare on board will be a priority. (Fortunately, Yama are Neutral-Chaos, so I'm glad that's even in the cards at all.) I cannot afford to have half my party sleeping or bound at any given time, and if I can use him to disable Lamia or Orobas, so much the better. Other than that, Orobas itself is out of reach for now, but if I have space to get my own Lamia as well, I think I'm in business. I might pick up a Dwarf too, just on account of how robust they are, but that's lower on the list.

Finally, I've had some trouble with Man-eaters causing Paralysis. Kaneda knows Parala-Di, but if he's the one afflicted then I have a problem. I'll stock up on items to remedy to that.

Alright, enough planning. First stop: Jakyou Mansion.

The only things I'm willing to spend on Atsuyu turn him into either a Slime (bah!) or...


Lv44 Youjuu Tamamo
Tamamo-no-Mae is said to have been a young woman of extraordinary beauty and intelligence, who served as Japanese Empereror Konoe's favorite courtesan sometime in the middle of the 12th century. One day, Emperor Konoe fell gravely ill. Many priests and fortune-tellers failed to find a cause for this illness, but an astrologer revealed to him that Tamamo-no-Mae was actually a nine-tailed fox working for an evil warlord and that she was the one making him sick (though Tamamo herself was supposedly kind). Tamamo-no-Mae ran away, but the Emperor sent warriors after her, one of which eventually killed her. Her body became a stone that killed anyone who touched it, until a Buddhist priest convinced her spirit to depart in peace; apparently one can still see this stone in the town of Nasu. It's hard to evaluate her abilities without comparing her to something, but given her very appropriate choice of spells, she's clearly a support spellcaster first.

Very nice, but far out of my league. I did say I needed one level anyway, so I'm gonna try to get a Dwarf to join me in the meantime; maybe a Chirei will make it into something I can use. If that doesn't work, then fuck him assways.

Before I leave to get my EXP, I fuse Elf and Rusalka (two Yousei) into Aeros. That way I start working on getting one back right away, and if negotiations turn sour, then hey, extra EXP.

So yeah, I do have to grind a little. But in Shibuya, I'm dominating enough that I can let the auto-combat do the heavy lifting most of the time, so it's basically painless.

...surprisingly, Atsuyu starts justifying his existence by dealing interesting amounts of damage with his Bash and Bite skills. Unfortunately that's against the Shibuya demons, who don't kill him in two hits. He's still fragile. Too little, too late.

Dang, both a Rusalka and an Elf literally throw themselves at me. So yeah, my Aeros was free, but I won't be able to hire a Dwarf until I level up and make some room. Oh well!

...

Woo, level 34, at last!

Aeros + Apsaras =

Lv34 Youma Isora
A Shinto god of the seashore, somehow related to the Azumi. It's got immense HP, good MP, and surprisingly high Speed, and therefore makes a decent healer and tank. Its attack power is merely decent, but it can hit several times, and it knows Zionga on top of that.

With my new empty slot, I warp to Shinjuku and drop by Rag's place. I give him my only Onyx, one of my three Amethysts, and one of my two Opals, in exchange for...


Lv8 Seirei Earthies
An elemental spirit of the Earth. It has buff spells and passable defense, even now, but let's face it: at face value, it's garbage. You only want him around long enough to fuse him to something else.

Speaking of which...

Earthies + Momunofu =

Lv34 Youki Phurski
Phurski (or Purski) is another name for Airavata, the flying white elephant who serves as steed for the Hindu rain god Indra. His task is to plunge his seven trunks deep in the waters of the underworld, and spray it into the clouds, where Indra transforms it into life-giving rain. He's a tough customer, a wee bit stronger than Yakshini, with lots of HP and okay MP. He knows Zanma and Diarama, though his Magic stat is only average; he's mostly remarkable for his Bind Voice skill.

Now we're playing with power. Both Phursky and Isora have a high CP, but I've had so many groupies throwing their magnetite panties at me in Shibuya that the stuff's coming out of my ears by now. (Haha, I'm kidding. Rusalka clearly don't wear panties and Lilim are in leotards.)

And looking at the fusion chart in the manual, fusing a Youjuu (like Atsuyu) to a Chirei (like Dwarf) will give me a Youki, which means either a Phurski or another Momunofu. I kind of wish I had thought of that before trading at Rag's, but eh, whatever, I've futzed around for too long already.

So I'm keeping Atsuyu around, but only until I get a Nightmare to fill my last slot. Right afterwards, with any luck it's gonna be goodbye useless green cow, hello nekkid snake lady.

Before I forget, I drop by the Junk shop to pick up eight Dis-Paralyze. They're 50 a pop, and I just broke the 100000 Makka mark.

I'm ready to go back to Kei. My starting party is Yakshini (for beatin' and charmin'), Isora (for healin' and tankin'), and Lilim (for charmin' and sleepin'), and I've got excellent backups for all of them.

We're coming for you, asshole, whoever you are.

Next time.

: Wait, that's it? I don't even get a line?
*: Actually, you get two.
: Huh? What's the... oh. Haha.

[François]

*: Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more!

In the second encounter...



*: He asked for stuff like six times, but it amounted to about 500 magnetite and 3000 makka. Small change!

In the next few encounters, I run into 18 Nightmares total.

It's the full moon.

I have to slaughter all of them.

By the time the waning moon comes around, everyone is bound except Isora.

A bit later, an Apsaras drops Tomoe's Naginata, a female-only weapon that's not nearly as good as the Lotus Whip.

A Lamia insists on joining me, but my party is full. Hmm. I'm thinking about getting rid of Elf so this won't happen again, but the girl's got tons of MP and I can't afford to just throw them away. I summon her for healing instead of Isora, and replace Lilim with Phurski. Once she's out of MP, I'll let her go.

I thought there were several paths into the central area, but it turns out all of them were dead ends, except one. Well, that last one's also a dead-end, but it's also a teleporter.



For a moment I mildly freak out because I figure it sent me to another floor, but no, it's a different area on the same floor. Whew! Relief!

On the other hand, teleporters. Oh crap. Can I even go back to the exit now? I want to turn back and check if it's two-way, but by the time I think of it, I really don't want to backtrack. I gotta forge on ahead. I will never be more ready to do this than I am now, so screw retreat.


: I'm getting closer, Kei. Hang on!

*: We run into tons of Lilim, Nightmares and Yakshini. I don't know how'd I go through this without them on my side.

Another teleporter takes us to a new part of the pink area.



I wonder if the map design is supposed to look sort of like the folds of a brain. It'd make sense, given that we're inside a mind and all.

Aaaand back to the blue again. I'm getting closer.


: This is... This is Kei as a child!
: You were born specifically to become the Messiah that will save this torn and sundered world. It is your destiny to become the Messiah and lead the people in the name of God. Like it or not, that is the path that you must follow...

So Kei was raised to be the Messiah? It doesn't make sense, she fought Thor at my side!

Maybe this isn't really a memory, maybe it's just some Mesian brainwashing or memory implant that happened after the war. I don't know why they'd pick her to be the Messiah, though.

*: And finally...



This should be it.

I'm surprised that Elf still has half her MP left. Daaaang, the girl earned her keep. She can stay. I even have Kaneda restore some of her MP with his Makatora spell (costs 10 MP, restores 10 MP to someone else) so she can Zionga whoever comes next.

All things considered, we're in spectacularly good shape. The real threats came from large groups of Kelpies, Lamias and Orobas, and whenever things were starting to get even slightly out of hand, I had Kaneda use Torafuri. It's costs 2 MP, and it's not like he hasn't had it for a while.

That's where the game's balance strikes me as even more impressive. The escape spell is incredibly useful, and not in a way that breaks the game; if I used it for every encounter he'd run out of MP before long.

Alright. I still have Phurski, Yakshini and Elf out, and my other allies are in tip-top shape. Let's get this ordeal over with.


: What. The. Fuck.

*: Okay, that's all kinds of wrong.

: But... uh... never mind that. I'm Francois. And I don't care who you are, I'm not about to let you keep hanging butt-webs all over my girlfriend's head.
: Humans? Well, that's certainly not what I expected. I was just about to get this girl under my complete control. I won't let you interfere at the moment of my triumph!
: I think you underestimate our chances!



*: She opens up with Maha-Zanma, causing 30-40 damage to everyone. That barely dents most of us, but Elf is hurt.

Elf casts Zionga and shocks Arachne, but only deals 4 damage. I use a Hell-Soul (an attack item that casts Agirao), but it also only does 4 damage. Looks like we're meleeing this one.

...Arachne casts Marin-Karin on Francois, the same turn I decide to return Elf and get Isora instead. That does not bode well.

Kaneda gets Charmed as well. Arachne proves she can melee decently too, and she hits up to four times. Ouch. Yakshini dies.  For like five turns, Phurski keeps the three of us alive with his weak Diarama while Francois and Kaneda bonk each other over the head for the love of a naked woman hanging from the ceiling by her anus silk.

Never change, SMT.

Francois snaps out of it, and summons Isora and Rusalka. We're back in business. Man I wish I could cast Marin-Karin on my own allies, but no such luck. I'd need a Patora spell to get rid of Charm, but I haven't seen anyone who knew that since Tetsuo. At least when demons get charmed I can just replace them.

At last, Kaneda returns to his senses just in time to deliver the final blow.

: Eat lightsaber, bitch!



: You gonna teabag this one?
: Ha! I think I'll pass.

*: We both get enough EXP to ding up two levels. Sweet!

Lv? Kijo Arachne
In Greek mythology, Arachne was a weaver of extraordinary talent, who claimed that not even the gods could match her skill. Athena, goddess of, among other things, weaving, took offense at this, and challenged Arachne to a contest. Athena made a tapestry of herself beating Poseidon; Arachne wove an epic tapestry depicting several of the gods' legendary acts of infidelity committed while transformed into animals. Athena was outraged at the subject matter. After all, it was about her buddies and relatives yiffing mortals behind their wives' backs. But she was also jealous of Arachne's work, so she broke her loom and cut up her face and turned her into a spider. You know, you can say whatever about Old Testament-era God, but the Olympians were some grade-A douchebags themselves.


: I'll be right along! Don't go anywhere!

WOOOOOOO YEAH!

*: There's a nearby teleporter that brings us back to the an earlier pink area, but we're not quite to the exit already.

...I thought I'd have to fight my way out, but all the demons are gone! Finally I've done something right!


: P.Divvy my man, it is time to take us home.
: All right then, we're leaving her mind.


: Thank you ever so much! Goodbye!


: Well, what do you know? Turns out I really would do anything for a pretty face!
: It looks like... I was reborn into this world again. My memories of my past life are all but gone. However, the one thing I remember was you.
: ...but I haven't forgotten. I remember how you saved me. I thought you had sacrificed yourself! And, in a way, that's just what you did.
: My fate is... inseparably intertwined with your own. I must accompany you on your path, wherever it may lead.
: I'm happy to have you back by my side, Kei.
: No matter where you go, I will follow, and be there with you.
>Kei joined the party.

*: Haha, wonderful!

Now let's see if the Mesians are going to let us elope with their Savior.

[François]

*: So, Kei!



She comes in at level 36, which again matches Francois'. It's a shame I didn't get to choose her stat gains, but it looks like the game upgraded her to keep the balance I had chosen at the beginning. I would not have increased her Luck like that and I probably would have put some of that Intelligence into Stamina because her HP is rather low, but all in all it's not too bad. Her Intelligence gives her an acceptable MP pool for a human and I'm certainly going to put that massive Magic to use.

Speaking of magic, she knows Mapper, Dolminer, Marin-Karin, Makajama, Penpatora (yes!), Posom-di, all Zio spells except Maha-Zionga, Me-Dia, Diarama, Diarahan (!!!) and, as she demonstrated during the nuclear strike, Toraport.

Her equipment is the same as when we last saw her. Her machine gun is on the weak side now, but I can afford to remedy to that soon; I'll probably buy her a SPAS12 like Kaneda's since it's gonna be her main source of damage. Finally, I give her the Lotus Whip, which would make her into a beast if she had higher Strength, but right now is only decent.

I've given some thought to the memory with young Kei and the nun, and from that I figured that when she later said she was reborn, she meant it literally. Her new child self must have been taken in by the Mesians after the war, and they saw in her whatever it is that makes her so special. Or at least that's my theory.

Plus, there's no way that's a fifty year old woman.



Alright, now to escape from Shibuya. I've got to get Yakshini revived, too.

...wait. Kaneda learned Samaricarm after the Arachne fight! It costs 24 MP but that's still a great deal!

Okay, that's taken care of. Let's go.


: Look, I have no doubt Kei's Messiah material, but I don't think she's the one you've been waiting for. Just don't give up yet.


: Huh? Oh, you must have met Psycho Diver on his way back. Yeah, he sure can put away a lot of drinks for such a little dude.

*: We run into Zealots and Temple Knights on our way out, but they don't seem to notice I'm smuggling out their Christ figure. Oh well. Other than that, we can just walk out of the place.

Where to next?

I've heard a lot about Roppongi, but apparently there's some sort of forcefield around the place. It still might be worth checking out. According to Google maps, it's far southeast of Shinjuku. Before we go there though, I want to check out the old city hall, since it should be closer. Hmm.

Well, either way I'm going to Shinjuku first, maybe I can upgrade Kei's stuff. I could warp there, but eh, I'll travel overland, see if I can get a feel for the area, if I missed anything.

...nope.

Back to Shinjuku, everything is how we left it, except that Psycho Diver is back to his old bar. As far as equipment goes, turns out Kei's armor is still state-of-the-art, except for her Gauntlet, which I upgrade to Cyber Arms. Alright then, we're done here. I hit the Healer's Dojo and the Terminal, and we're away.



It turns out the city hall is inaccessible. Looks like we're off to Roppongi then.

A Fury tries to join me in the desert area between Shinjuku and the old American embassy tunnel, which reminds me that I still haven't fired Atsuyu yet. I don't know what my problem is. Well, that's done.

The tunnel that went under the railway in Yotsuya is gone, but, of course, so is the railway.



On the other side, we meet our first enemy Worms. Still mighty, but still fragile.

Finally, a bit further south...



Well, this about where Roppongi should be, and this strange area here is impassable. It must be the force field. I'll look around some, see if I can find someone to talk to outside.

The enemies around here are the Stonkas, Worms and Cocatrices we've met before, as well as large groups of Bucca-Boo, Furiae and Kelpies. We take some lumps, but I have a great team out. Phurski's Bind Voice is especially effective. I guess having a seven-trunked elephant screaming at you must be a traumatizing experience. We get Bound a bunch too, but Kei's Penpatora is the solution to all my problems.



There's this isolated building just northeast, but it's inaccessible from here; looks like I must be coming from the shielded Roppongi proper to get there.

But just a little southwest...



There's nowhere else I can go; this must be it.



As long as I don't get mauled like in the Meiji shrine, I should be alright.

...actually there doesn't seem to be anyone else in here. And it's just a short U-shaped tunnel leading to a second exit.



...huh.

That's some foolproof defense right there.

*: I can't get out of the force field, so there's no way to reach the northeast building at the moment, but at least there's somewhere to go inside.

Alright, here we are. Let's see whether this is a refuge for mankind, or a city of the dead.





Wow, haven't seen those in a long time. Huh.

We find a Terminal in a dead end not too far from the entrance, so at least there's a hint of civilization. There are several empty rooms, and... some not so empty!


*: The Black Baron!?



*: Right, probably not.
: They sound like classy guys.
: But I don't get why they act so high and mighty, what with all the time they spend around that little girl...
: Okay, forget I said anything.
: I wonder if they're just dirty old men, molesting her or something!
: Kaneda, are you thinking what I'm thinking?
: God no.
: I meant that we may have just found another injustice to correct!
: Oh! Of course! Yes!
: What did you think Francois was thinking about, Kaneda?
: Haha nothing I'm sure let's go let's go let's go!


: With that forcefield up, the demons can't get in. That's why this place is free of them.
: I hate to point out that sort of thing, but I did just walk in. Either this plan is stupid, or the demons are.

: Okay, that question is settled.

That said, other than those Bodyconians earlier, we still haven't had to fight anything. Hmm. Maybe things aren't so bad here after all.



I am the Chosen One. All right. Let's dance!




: I really didn't expect it to be this nice in here.


: That I'll believe when I see it.

*: The bartender here has pre-war drinks.

: This is Roppongi. It's an oasis of peace within the violent land that is now Tokyo!


: I bet she ain't having so much fun.
: Her name was... Kei, I think that was it.
: Wait, what?
: Poor kid's been possessed by a demon. They had to lock her up, otherwise she'd go on a rampage and tear up the place. I feel sorry for her, but there's not much else they could do about it.

Are they somehow talking about our Kei? I doubt it. Maybe it's Kaneda's Kei. Or some other Kei? Now I really need to find out what's going on.

*: In the back room of the disco...



: ...!
: That's... That's Kei! My Kei! She... She's alive! It's a miracle! But... why hasn't she aged? She looks exactly the same as she did before, but thirty years have passed since then! How could this be...
: Kaneda... Is that you, Kaneda? Kaneda! You're alive!
: Kei! Kei! I...
: No! Stay away! Don't come near me!
: What's going on? What's with that story about you being possessed?
: Even though I look the same, I'm... not. I didn't survive the bomb. I died in the blast. I know, it doesn't look like it. This town is nothing but a town of corpses... the dead, reanimated and kept alive by the Red Count and Black Baron.
: Dammit! I knew it was too good to be true.
: I, too, was one of the revived, turned into a Bodyconian.
*: That explains the earlier encounter. Bodyconians are artificial bodies powered by the souls of the dead.
: But unlike the others, my memories of my life as a human remain... That's why they've locked me up in here. Since I'm a Bodyconian, I cannot die, and am trapped like this...
: Is... is there anything we can do?
: Soul Incense... If only I had some Soul Incense, I could be freed. Please, kill me...
: I... Hmm.

Kaneda's not saying a word. Poor guy. I don't know what to say either. Of all the horrible things we've seen so far...

*: I think Soul Incense is a rare item that casts Samaricarm. I don't have one, but Rag will trade them for diamonds, and I do happen to have one of those.

Well, I think the best thing to do first is to ask around about an alternative solution.

: We can't help you right now, Kei, but if there's a way, we'll find it. And... and if that's what it comes down to, I have the means to do as you asked. So don't worry. We're all here for you now.

In any case, I may not have the first clue about freeing the dead from an eternity of misery stuck in a mockery of their old lives, but if I've proven anything by now, it's that I know a thing or two about kicking the ass of tyrants.

Whatever comes next, someone's paying for this.

*: Next time, we finish exploring Roppongi!

And just for fun, here's an approximation of the path we've traveled these past few episodes. That I can even do something like this is surprisingly cool; I can only imagine how I'd feel about it if I was actually from Tokyo myself.

[François]

We leave the disco and continue exploring Roppongi.


: ...

*: We find Weapon, Armor and Junk shops tucked away in a little corridor, but...



: Err... Hello? Anyone? I've got more money than common sense, somebody sell stuff at me! Come on! Capitalism ho and all that!

Nope, there's no one here. All the shops are empty. This isn't going anywhere, let's go.

*: There are stairways up and down, as well as an elevator that goes from B1F to 3F. I'll keep checking out the ground floor first, as usual.

This is just creepy. Other than the disco, and a few rooms near the entrance, the place is deserted. It's not even ruined, you can see the buildings are intact on the overworld. But there's nobody. Not even demons.

...no, wait.



*: Okay, someone turned up the creepy dial.

: I'm... well... I'm from Kichijoji, I guess. My name's Francois.
: Hey, hey, Mister Francois, do you like this town?
: It's... quiet. That's a nice change, I suppose.
: I want a friend. Will you be my friend? Pleeeease?

*:

: Err... Ssssssure, why not?

*:

: You know, this town, Mister Red and Mister Black made it for me!

She must have been the little girl we've heard about. It wasn't Kei.

: Oh! I know! You should meet Mister Red! I'll tell him to let you in!
: That's awful nice of you, Alice. Thank you!



*: Okay, that's the ground floor done. Let's check out the basement next.

Two steps in, we run into a trap that poisons me, Isora and Kaneda. It's not a big deal, Kei can cure us, but if there are many more of those, it might become a problem. I use one of the five Amulets I bought in pre-war Shinjuku; they're supposed to prevent damage from "Damage Zones".

And it works. There's a white flash when you run into a trap, but they don't have any effect.

I find a Gushing Jar in a chest. I don't know what it does, but I don't think it's the Pot I heard about because you can get Gushing Jars at Rag's place.

The next chest I find...



...explodes.

I freak out for a moment, even more when I notice my party now has less max HP than current HP. Did that chest reduce our maximum? But no, it... overhealed us. Wow.

Another chest explodes. I'm not even sure what happened exactly.



We lost a bunch of health, but now everyone has more MP than their maximum. What a weird-ass place.

There aren't even any demons here, just traps, chests, and trapped chests. This is bizarre. I'm spending magnetite for nothing, but I don't dare return my summons just in case I get jumped by something.



This isn't a random encounter. A small room has this one Corpse in it.

Is this... is this raw material for the Bodyconians?


: Oh, it's... very nice, sir.
: Everybody here lives happily, just like they did before all this troublesome mess started.

*: Somehow I look at this guy and think of Morgan Freeman, soothing voice and all.

: The Red Count and I initially rebuilt this town for Alice, but the others here enjoy it as well, so it turned out quite well for everyone!
: You've managed to create the coziest little nook in all the wasteland. Keep up the good work!

In reality I am just getting more and more creeped out, but I don't see a point in antagonizing the man. Yet.

*: In any case, we're done on this floor.



On my way to the elevator, I run into many more traps. It's a good thing the Amulet lasts until I leave the floor.

Okay then, 2F. There's another poison trap, so I use another Amulet. It's a good thing I'm rich, those cost me like 5000 yen a pop.


: I wonder how much it's worth?

I need to get my hands on that jar.



*: A door in front of a 2x2 room in the middle of the floor. I bet the jar's in there. I have no idea how to get in, though.

Anyway, I find a Speed Incense and nothing else. We're done here.



Now for the third floor.

There doesn't seem to be floor traps here, though I find another chest that trades my HP for MP. Half my team are competent healers, so I don't worry about it.


: Huh?

: Oh, err, thank you!
: Mistress, you have my deepest apologies, but I have direct orders not to let anyone in.
: You won't listen to me!? No! No! No! No! NO! NO!
: Geez.
: Ah...... Very well, please wait here while I look inside.

A moment passes.

: The Red Count says that he will see you. Please, go in.
: Isn't that great!
: That guy sure knows who the boss is.
: OK, I'll go on ahead, I'll see you later!



*: We're in a large room with four small rooms at the other end. One holds a Strength Incense, two are empty. The fourth...


: To be honest, she wanted us to meet you as well. Though I do enjoy the opportunity.
: She's quite a lovely girl, that Alice.
*: ...
: We built this town and put a forcefield around it so that she could live in freedom, without the fear of being attacked by demons. Bringing that girl happiness is my one true joy. That's all I want in this world.

Did these guys reanimate all these dead people so Alice wouldn't feel lonely?

...Wow.

: There are less noble goals out there, I suppose.
: Now, I apologize, but I am an extremely busy man. If you'll please excuse me...

He leaves.

: Mister Red is pretty busy, you know.

Busy with what, I wonder?

: Hey, hey, can I ask you a question?
: Sure thing, kid.
: You know, I'd like a Hiranya. Hey, can you buy me a Hiranya?

*: I'm not sure what a Hiranya is. One guide's item list says it restores HP and MP for one party member, so I guess it's sold at the Healer's Dojo and I just forgot about it.

In any case, it probably would be wise to remain in Alice's good graces, and I'm still rich, so I might as well say yes.

: No problem, Alice. I'll go get one right away!
: Yaaay! I'm so happy! Come back with one soon!
: Alright, see you!

: You're leaving? Good bye.

That did not go the way I expected it to. Might as well go back to Shinjuku, and get a Soul Incense from Rag's while I'm there.

*: ... Okay, so it turns out I was thinking of "Hamaya", not "Hiranya"; the former is a Hama item. There is a HP/MP restoration item, but it's an Omikuji, which is something else entirely. Hmm. I'll hit the other healers and stores here.

Oh, so the Junk store has them. That's funny, I could swear they didn't have them before. Well, there we go. I stop by the Temple of Gaia to stock up on Amulets. Everything is much cheaper in Makka than it was in Yen; Amulets are just 480 now. Nice.

Finally, I get a Soul Incense for Kei, then return to the disco in Roppongi. I kind of want to walk there and get some magnetite from the overworld encounters, but I've got an unusually large amount of MP right now and I don't want to spend any of it on easy random battles if I can help it.

In any case, I don't have a clue regarding Kei. We haven't met anyone who knew of her, or of anyone like her. I guess the Incense is the only way.

I'll give her what she wants.

Wherever it is she's going to next, it can't be worse for her than what she's got here.



I unwrap the little cube of precious incense.

: Are you sure you want to go through with this?

She nods.

I almost let Kaneda do us the honors, but he doesn't look like he could handle it.

*: The Law theme is playing. I've always liked it, but I don't think it has ever felt more genuine than now.

I light it up.



: Kei! Kei! Are you alright? What's going on?

*: Her sprite starts flickering.

: Thank you. Now I can finally die.
: ...
: I feel... at peace right now.

: Kei... I wanted to see you once more... But... not like this...

*: And that's it. We're returned to the corridor behind the disco. Going back to the cell reveals nothing of further interest.

I'm now Neutral-Lawful. A quick trip outside reveals that my icon is very slowly spinning to the right, so I can't be too far in. Looks like I'm going to deliver some nasty beatdowns to Law monsters in the near future, and be unusually chummy with the Gaian chumps. Turns out the Chaos demon I have (Lilim) remains summoned, and Neutral-only Kamudo's Sword doesn't jump off my hand or anything, which is nice.

I could get the Plasma Sword off Kaneda. I'm not that much of a dick, though. I just euthanized his girlfriend, I'm not about to take away his lightsaber too.

Maybe the Count and Baron did all this for the happiness of a little girl, but that doesn't excuse what I just had to fix. Let's get that Hiranya to Alice and hope we learn something interesting.

*: We return to the Red Count's office on the third floor.

: Hey mister, have you brought what I wanted?
: Ye're darn tootin', missy!
: Hooray! Thank you!
: Glad to be of service.
: Hey mister, I have another question for you.
: What is it?



I knew this was going too well.

: What? No!! How could you even ask such a thing?


: Mister Red, listen! That big boy was so mean to me!
: There, there. What's the matter Alice?
: You see, *sniff* I... *sniff* ...asked the big kid... *sniff* to die... *sniff*... But he wouldn't do it!! *sniff* Waaaah! I wanted to be with him forever! Waaah! I asked him nicely! Waaah!

Holy shit, she wanted me to die so I could join the rest of the immortal zombies in here! That's so fucked up!


: Finally, a voice of reason!
: Mister Red will see to it that you get your wish!
: Wait, what?!



: Oh shit!



: Huh?



Way to keep your one weakness in your basement, free for any idiot to take, Belial. Demons are idiots.

*: So the Gushing Jar really was the rumored Pot, then.


: Waaah! Waaah! Waaah!...



What the hell?


: YOU! You should be dead!
: Though still, it's not right to make a little girl cry like that.
: Don't start talking to me about what's right.
: By the way, I'd like to take that jar you sealed Belial in off your hands, if you wouldn't mind. It's dangerous for you to be toting that thing around. Give it to me, I'll take care of it.



: Like hell, bitch! You want a maou-in-a-jar, you get your own!
: *sigh* Why won't you listen to reason?



: There we go. Just give it over to me. Thanks, I'll take it from here!





GOD

FUCKING

Timesplitters Future Perfect: The Dammits

DAMMIT

[François]

Dammit.

: Let's... let's get out of here, guys.

We can hardly move, but we manage to drag ourselves out of the Red Count's apartments.

Or... nearly out.


: I didn't do crap! I just refused to die! Is that so hard to understand?
: You have just crushed the meager dreams of a little girl under the heel of your boot!
: I'm sure there's another little girl who would have liked to have her dreams fulfilled, but you cursed her and put her in jail!
: Belial and I... We only wanted to see her happy.
: Are you even listening to me, you monster?
: That's why we gave her eternal life... so she would never have to stop smiling...
: But in order to do that, how many people did you have to kill!? How many souls did you have to imprison!?
: Them? So long as they remain here, they get to live eternally, in peace and tranquility!

That almost sounds tempting, but... not this way.

: Eternally...

*: The music suddenly changes from the Chaos theme to the battle theme.

: Indeed! I shall give you the same gift, that of eternal peace and tranquility!
: Ah! Look out! Get back!







*: Holy shit these hands are some nightmare fuel.

: Kaneda!!
: Hmph, only one then? Very well, I suppose. The soul of Kaneda is mine now.
: Let him go, you bastard!

I still can't move! Aaaaaargh! Dammit!

*: The Black Baron leaves with Kaneda.

After him!



*: Well, looks like we're exposed to random encounters again. I hope this one isn't too tough, we're all still bound.

...whew, Isora takes one hit, then Kei shrugs off Yuriko's spell and casts Penpatora. We're back.

Lv23 Akuryou Larvae
"Larva", aside from its modern meaning in biology, is Latin for "mask"; in a mythological context, the word apparently designates either the same ghostly entity as "lemure", or a closely related one. They've got unremarkable stats, and know Death Touch, Sibabu, and Devil Sm(ile?), the latter of which I have no idea as to what it does.

*: My goal is probably the basement, but I'll check out the mysterious door on the second floor to see if Belial's sealing affected it any. On the way there, we meet Man-eaters, more Larvae, and large groups of Baykok.



Heck yeah!


: Dang, that must have sucked!
: ...
: ...
: Okay, okay, just this once, I apologize.
: He's gathering souls here, and turning them into energy. It's only a matter of time before my soul gets turned into energy too! Help me!
: Don't worry, we're getting there real soon!

(Kaneda): My body should be somewhere in town. My unconscious body is being controlled by the Black Baron like a puppet. Unless you defeat him, I'll probably be confined here forever...
: That bastard! Sit tight, Kaneda, we're gonna take real good care of him.

*: I go back to the elevator and return straight to the basement.


*: I took the battle screenshot, but ghost-type enemies tend to flicker and I caught a frame that didn't show it.

Lv29 Akuryou Phantom
A synonym for ghost, coming from the French "fantôme". Yeah. It has caster stats, but very little MP. I think it's the first we see of Tentarafu, which is a powerful and unusual spell in that it inflicts panic and causes a sort of magic damage which is affected by panic resistance. It's a better Plinpa, and is the only upgraded ailment spell.

And then, after hordes and hordes of Pishasha...


: I think you'll understand if I want to do for my friends what you would do for Alice.
: Well, I hate to disappoint you, but he is already dead, and his body is no more.
: ...!
: Though I must say, having you come straight to me certainly saves me quite a lot of time! More fresh, healthy young souls for me! Ho ho ho ho ho....



*: We have shitloads of MP, so I don't mind unloading the offensive spells right away. Isora's Zionga isn't too effective but successfully shocks Nebiros, Phurski's Zanma does alright, and Lilim's Bufula is nullified.

Lilim's not gonna be of much use in this battle, but I'm reluctant to part with one of my only two Chaos demons (the other being weak-ass Nightmare).

In any case, both Kei and Isora are faster than Nebiros so there's a good chance we can keep him shocked for the entire battle while Francois, Phurski and Lilim wail on him.

In one round, both Zionga spells miss, and Nebiros gets a hit in. Or rather, three hits, each for over a hundred damage. Yikes!

The very next turn, Lilim uses Charm Bite... and it works. Huh. Then Nebiros... casts Mudo... on himself.

It fails, naturally, but still. I take back what I said about Lilim, she probably just saved somebody's life. The following turns, Nebiros whups his own butt with Maha-Zanma and keeps trying to Mudo himself. The girl's got it going on!

The rest of the fight takes a while, but it's more of the same. We shock him a lot, charm him again once it wears off, and eventually kill the fucker.

Lv? Datenshi Nebiros
Nebiros is the greatest Marquis of Hell, commanding nineteen legions of demons. He bestows upon men knowledge and talent in all arts and sciences, and can restore lost honor and dignity. He appears as a three-headed dog, or a three-headed raven, and may or may not be actually a sort of Cerberus expy.


: We...needed their life energy... to project this illusory town... For Alice... It was all for Alice...

But Alice... Alice was Yuriko all along, wasn't she?

That woman has a hell of a lot to answer for.

: How was what we did wrong? What's wrong with putting everything into pleasing the one you love?
: ...


: Kaneda!
: I am forever indebted to you. Thank you... Now I can continue on to the afterlife...
: Don't talk like that! There's still so much left to do here!
: It is time for me to go. Farewell...
: KANEDAAAAAAA!

*: Kaneda's spirit disappears... but is immediately replaced.


: You again! Who are you?
: I will carry Kaneda's soul to heaven. Weep not, for he shall serve God in happiness forever.
: ...

They're gone.

Well... He must be with Kei now. I suppose he got what he needed my help for in the first place.

...

...oh no. Oh crap.

Oh no.

:
: I'm sorry for your loss, Francois. He was a good friend, I know it...
: Yeah, he was... but...
: What is it?
: ...

I'm never going to see that lightsaber again, am I?

[Brentai]

Trying to find a sketch on the internet.  It was something like "International House of Terror in 3D" or something like that, just this ridiculous trailer thing for a movie about a haunted IHOP where everyone kept shoving things into the camera like Baron Colored there.  I think it might have been Kids in the Hall, not sure.

[Saturn]

Alice wasn't Yuriko

Alice is Alice

[LaserBeing]

Dr. Tongue's Evil House of Pancakes

[Brentai]

Aha, it's Second City.  Easy mistake to make!

[François]

Alice wasn't Yuriko

Alice is Alice

I thought that because Alice suddenly disappeared and then there was Yuriko... Would it be the Alice then? Hmm! I'm so used to looking in the ancient past to identify elements in this game that it didn't even consciously occur to me that it could include such more modern mythology, so to speak.

Dr. Tongue's Evil House of Pancakes

Okay that just about took the edge off, heheh.

I kind of regret not making a gif of that sequence. The game really doesn't have much animation (therefore being an unusually good fit for a screenshot LP), so those hands took me by surprise in more than one way.

[R^2]

I think Alice was just some girl who actually lived in Tokyo when the nukes hit. I'm sure EVERYONE ELSE KNOWS THIS ALREADY but she's kind of a recurring character in the series, usually along with Red and Black there.