: I've finally got a decent gym, and showed up that pansy Haneda! Not only that, I'm finally out of debt and can buy stuff around town too. Keep winning and make us both rich! If you keep winning, the Madam'll take notice and call us to her mansion. Hehehehe...
: Coach, tell me you don't think she'd call us to get it on with you.
: Oh, Madam...
: Aw man!
: H-Hawk! What the hell are you looking at me like that for?
: No reason!
: Oh yeah, and not only all this, but you get to become an official resident of the Center!
This should probably mean a lot, especially after hearing Red Bear's dying words, but I'm afraid it's not such a big deal to me, and I kind of feel terrible about that. Maybe I'll change my mind once I actually get there.
: ....Eh? Looks like someone's here to see you.
: Hiya. Do we know each other?
: My name is Julia. I've come here from the Center.
: ...!
: Oh? And what would a Center resident like yourself want with us?
: As the new champion, I need your help. I need your help to find someone. About six months ago, there was an accident in the Center where there was a large explosion.
*: I wonder if that was the incident Steven was talking about.: In the confusion, a little boy disappeared. Actually, it turns out that the accident really wasn't an accident at all. It was deliberately set up by two scientists named Mekata and Hanada, both of whom disappeared right afterwards. After the explosion I searched for the little boy, but couldn't find any trace of him anywhere. I think the two scientists took him with them. Through some digging around, I discovered that one of the scientists, Hanada, has been hiding in Madam's mansion in Valhalla. The security of Madam's mansion is really tight, and she never lets anyone in normally. But they say she always summons new Champions there to congratulate them on their victory. Please, take me with you! I can't get into that mansion any other way!
Hmm. Something smells fishy here. I'm not particularly inclined to do this... but her name's Julia. This is risky, but I have a feeling I'd regret turning my back on this woman.
*: Besides, we've got a little Princess Gwaelin here. Okamoto forces us to take her if we refuse.: Alright, let's go together. It's no trouble.
: R-really!? Thank you, Champion!
: Hey now, the Champion's too busy to be bothered with your missing persons hunt!
: Don't screw this up for me, coach.
: ...Ah, what the hell, I guess it's all right.
: Looks like you've got another visitor.
: So this is what being a celebrity feels like!
: I am a messenger from Madam. She would very much like to meet you. Please come to her mansion when you are free. Here. This is an invitation from madam. Please do not bring more than one guest with you. We will be waiting for you at the mansion.
: Aw, you gotta be kidding me! Only one guest? Ah, don't worry about me though. You promised the girl you'd take her, best not to go back on it.
: Besides, you could just use this as motivation to train another champion without throwing your money away at the casino.
: I'll be here if you ever need me. Go ahead, have fun!
Ha! This is Haneda's old gym.
*: Those are pretty crappy stats for a level 18. She comes equipped with a Scorpion Whip, a Beretta, plain Bullets, a Fritz Helm, Highleg Armor, Rivet Knuckles and Titanium Boots. She knows Mapper, Dia, Jio, Patra, Doluminer and Media, which is a decent selection all things considered.
Before we go to Madam's mansion, let's go check out all the places we've been before and see if we're treated differently. Who knows, we might even pick up new critters on the way.
First stop: the Virtual Battler in our new gym.: Like a champ!
: I'm really sorry to ask this, but president Okamoto told me not to let anyone use the battler free... even you. Sorry!
Huh. Well, it's alright, I got my prize money, I can afford it. How much did I make, actually?
Aw, man, what?
: Okamoto Gym is the gym that the new Champion, Hawk, belongs to. Since his victory, this gym has become really popular...
: I didn't need all this fancy crap though, all we had were punching bags and a bunch of weights.
: Ah! Y-you're the new Champion!
: Ah! You're the Champion! I enrolled in this gym because I want to become just like you!
: So you're the Champion now... I want to know, what's the secret of your success? What is it that makes you so strong?
: It's quite simple, really. First you drink until you forget your name, then you rely on what's left of your natural talent. Good luck!
*: We reach our starting area without incident, though the encounter indicator is still red.
A quick trip at the Appraiser reveals a few things of interest about our equipment. Notably, the Slicer hits twice and the Kaiser Armor resists Shock. This should come in handy.: Hey, you've got an Arm Terminal there, don't you? You won it in the Colosseum, didn't you?
: No, actually, I didn't.
: Man, I envy you... With that thing you can use the Terminals... Eh, the Terminals? The closest one's right outside and a bit to the east.
: Ha!
: Just look at me! Since you defeated Red Bear, my business has just shot through the ground!
He's probably just mad he can't afford his boys anymore. Eeeeesh.
: Ah! Welcome!
: Changed your tune, eh?
*: The shop menu now has an Explain command, which allows us to check out the basic stats for stuff on sale does before we buy it. It doesn't tell us about any special effects (stat bonuses, non-defense bonuses on armor, ailment resistance, etc.) like the Appraiser does, though, which sort of blows. There are a few things I'd like to buy, but the cheapest thing is like 500 makka.: Congratulations! Congratulations! Now that you're the Champion, you get to go to Madam's manor, right?
: Yeah. She didn't waste any time inviting me, too.
*: At the bar...: They say there's a strange place called the Jakyo manor in the slum district where you're supposed to bring demons... For what purpose is beyond me though.
: I wonder when the next tournament will be?
: Congrats, Hawk! The new Champion! You're so wonderful!
*: The Junks store sells, Ointment, Dis-Poison, Muscle Drink and a 5000 Makka Kintan, which restores life to the dead and dying. The Weapon store sells mostly stuff that's weaker than what we have, except for 1000 Makka shotgun shells.: Hawk! Congratulations! I knew all along that you weren't just any ordinary guy!
*: And last but not least, the Disco!: I thought that, if only I were stronger, I could join Haneda's Gym and become one of his warriors. But I'm glad I decided not to.
: For more reasons than you'd think, even.
: His gym is just a shadow of what it used to be. Now the best gym to join is probably Okamoto's gym.
: If you're still thinking about signing up, I recommend waiting until he hires a maid to clean the jizz stains off the walls. Not a good scene right now.
: He trained the new Champion, Hawk. Damn, but that guy's tough!
: You know it!
: He wouldn't be able to beat me at a dance contest though!
: The hell I would! You're on!
:
: I'm groovin'! I'm doin' it!
: Wevegotsomewheretobeletsgoletsgoletsgo!
: Aw, woman, you're no fun.
: You have no idea what I just rescued you from, do you?
: Victory, from the looks of it. Oh well. I'll win a dance contest some other time, I guess.
*: We go outside and check out the jumbotron and colosseum.: This is MNN, Millenium News Network. Here is the latest news from Millenium... And now, here's today's demon report. Things are pretty clear today, with no patches of demons reported in any areas of Millenium. The danger level is currently slightly under 1.0 and falling, and we expect it to reach a level of 0.5 by the end of the day. Let us pray to God that today will be safe.
*: Holy shit, they have their equivalent of the US Terror Alert level. This is actually kind of spooky.: Heyyyy!
: That was a hell of a fight back there, one of the best I've seen in a long time! Keep it up!
: You mean you don't often see fights that are more exciting than one guy putting a couple bullets in an idiot with a sword? Wow.
: So, have you gotten your cut from Okamoto yet? The full prize is a million Makka.
: OKAMOTO, YOU RAT-FUCKED SON OF A BITCH MOTHERFUCKER ONE-EYED CUNTFACED SHITHEAD SHIT-EATING SHITDOUCHE SHITSHIT BRONY!
: What? You haven't?
:
: ...That old weasel, he didn't just take it all with him to the casino!?
: If you'll excuse me, I need enough breaths of fresh air to make me forget how much I want to murder the man who saved my life.
*: We go to Church to calm down and maybe revive the Spartan who so valiantly died in one hit for us, but the priest won't even acknowledge his existence. Hmm.
We could try to go back to the upper level with our new party member, or see if the Templars in the tunnel will let us pass, but at this point I think I'd just rather get on with things and visit Madam already.: I said I'd be back, didn't I?
: Y-you're the new Champion, Hawk!
: In the flesh.
: Please, please, come in. Take the elevator upstairs.
There's not much of a choice.
Snazzy! I'd like to explore a bit, maybe see if we can find that scientist, but there actually isn't much to the place.
: ...huh?
: ...Give her an appropriate name.
*: I'm getting kind of annoyed at how the game keeps asking us to name people we know absolutely nothing about. At least the original put them in appropriately foreshadowing situations, instead of just sticking them in tubes.: Alright. Hmm... How about Elise?
: Elise. Is this all right?
: Yeah.
: Elise... Yes, that's a good name.
*: Alfred. Really.: Oh, err, right, yeah, that's me. Sorry I spaced out for a minute there. Pit fighters, brain damage, you know how it is.
: Madam is waiting for you. Madam, the new Champion has arrived.
: Pleasure to meet you.
: The officials at the Center have left the control of everything here in Valhalla to me. People have flocked to Valhalla to visit the Colosseum and casinos we have opened here, devoting themselves to the pursuit of all sorts of earthly delights. And as a result, peace has flourished in Valhalla. With all sorts of pleasures at one's fingertips, the residents here live out their lives without conflict. Do you not think this is a great accomplishment?
: I suppose... that people who don't want to fight don't seem to have to. And that those who do, can.
: I am very proud of Valhalla. I think it is an ideal place to live. Take a look at this.
: life in this city: the "Center." The officials in the Center intend to tighten their grip on the city and control people's lives to a greater extent. However, I plan on leaving Valhalla the way it is now, as a free area.
: Center isn't gonna like that, I wager.
: However, recently there was an incident which has caused me some trouble. There was a scientist that had been working for me here for the past while, but he ran away. He intends to open a portal to the Abyss, and summon a horde of demons to the surface. The reason I called you here to my estate is that I would like you to find him and bring him back to me. As you have won the tournament, I know that you are a capable man... Would you please assist me? The scientist's name is Hanada.
: Hanada!? Then Hanada isn't here!?
: No, he is not. He has fled somewhere in the slum district. Where, I do not know. I leave the matter in your hands, Hawk.
: Hmm, alright, I'll look into it.
: Oh yes, that's right. Let me lend you my pet to assist you in your search. Kerberos, come here.
: !!!
: He is quite powerful, and surely will prove a trustworthy and reliable helper. Kerberos, don't just sit there, greet the man!
: So, you're Hawk, the new Champion, eh? Normally I wouldn't associate with low-level weak humans such as you, but as Madam requests it, I'll go along with you.
: Err, alright. Glad to have you on board.
: I am at your service... for the time being.
>Majuu Kerberos became your minion.
: Very well, I look forward to hearing good news, Hawk.
Lv43 Majuu Kerberos
He's much like his old self, basically a powerful warrior-type with spectacular stats for this point in the game. Samaricarm is the same as ever, but his Bite attack costs 14HP now, his Fire Breath costs 8MP, and he actually gained an 8MP Bind Voice skill. And he starts out summoned for free. Not bad!*: Back outside, we run into some Zombie Dogs. Kerberos' normal attack only does 6 damage to them. That freaked me out for a moment, but it probably means that you can't deal more damage to a creature than it has HP.
I'm pretty sure the slums are to the northwest, beyond that elevator we took earlier. Before we go there though, I'm gonna see if the Temple Knights in the tunnel will let us through to Center now, just because.
...no, wait, I won't. Kerberos is eating up magnetite at an alarming rate. Straight to business, then.