Update 6: Ginza and the Great Underpass
BGM:
Ginza. An arrangement of
Arcade Street from SMT I.
Demon: Make sure you don't make any trouble here.
Eligor (or Eligos), a Great Duke of Hell and a master of warfare, favored by nobility.
Ginza is the foothold of the Assembly of Nihilo, the first major faction we're introduced to. Obviously, this is a good place to gather basic information on their beliefs and goals.
Demon: It is a world without pain, because it is not controlled by emotion. ...It is far different from the state of chaos that Tokyo is in right now.
Demon: He may be human, but he is very intelligent and dependable.
A Karasu Tengu. Tengu are bird-like beings in Japanese folklore who may serve as both protective spirits and adversaries of humanity.
Demon: The Assembly of Nihilo is using terminals to suck Magatsuhi from the Amala Network. The Commander is a clever one... Ha ha ha!
Queen Mab. Romeo and Juliet, act 1, scene 4. Look it up, faggots.
You can't have an RPG town without a bar.
Soul: She and the Commander are the ones holding Nihilo together. But, that's not saying much.
Madam Nyx: Hey kid. What're you doing in a place like this? I haven't seen you around before. Did you come to check out the Assembly of Nihilo?
Yes.
Madam Nyx: You probably have something for that Maiden, right? ...Nihilo's base of operations is right outside of Ginza. I'd tell you not to try it, but boys love risking their necks for girls. If it doesn't work out, come talk to me again.
Do I need to remind that the "girl" in question is the main character's teacher? Stop it, game, just... stop it.
Finally, a being from the best mythology ever. Nyx is one of the Ancient Greek elder deities, a child of primordial Chaos itself. Despite being of equal birth to Uranus, neither she, nor her numerous children (Hypnos and Thanatos are the most famous, but she had others) never played a prominent role in the pantheon. She didn't take part in Titanomachia and kept her position as a goddess of night even after the Olympians kicked their ancestors' titanic butts and took over.
Loki: Whaddya want in here? Did you come in for a drink? Sorry kid, but I don't think they serve milk or juice boxes in this place.
Loki, one trickster deity to rule them all. Oathbreaking, stealing, killing, getting buttfucked by Odin's horse - this god has done it all and would do it again. Well, maybe not the horse part. Eventually he was caught and chained, but when Ragnarok comes, he'll be set free and fight in the final battle against gods.
Loki: That's my room. Don't even think of touching it!
I wonder what's inside.
Soul: ...Hold on now, don't expect me to become a sacrifice!
The strength of the resulting demon will reflect the level of the demon that was sacrificed. ...Also, in some cases, you may end up with a completely different demon than you expected. I recommend that you experiment with various combinations. However, be forewarned that this type of fusion harnesses the chaotic power of Kagutsuchi. Therefore, it can only be performed when Kagutsuchi shines brightest. Why don't you give it a try next time?
From now on, we can perform sacrificial fusion on full Kagutsuchi. By sacrificing a third demon, you can give the resulting demon bonus XP. Some things to keep in mind:
1. Bonus XP does not depend on the level of the sacrificed demon. Instead, it depends on the amount of XP that the demon gained in combat. So if you sacrifice a brand new level 95 Shiva while fusing a level 1 Will o' Wisp, you'll still get a level 1 Will o' Wisp.
2. Upgraded demon will not gain new skills that it qualifies for until it levels up in the field. I have absolutely no idea why it works the way it does.
3. Certain demons can only be fused through sacrificial fusion.
4. Fusing on full Kagutsuchi greatly increases the chances of a fusion accident. When that happens, you get a random demon. This demon
may exceed the protagonist's level, but the odds are stacked against you, and the chances of getting a demon crappier than the one you hoped for are far higher.
5. Entering a Cathedral on full Kagutsuchi changes the music to
Heretic Mansion - Shining Heaven. One of the best tracks in the game.
While here, I fuse a Jack Frost I recruited while exploring Ginza and the Apsaras into a Shiisaa.
A Shiisaa is a Japanese guardian spirit that looks like a cross between a dog and a lion. Their statues can often be found in pairs guarding the entrances to temples and common houses.
This is a must-have demon, as it learns two very good skills on the next two level-ups.
The Lilim and the Datsue-Ba are fused into a Sudama.
Just like Kodama, a Sudama is a nature spirit, but one that is associated with rivers and mountains, rather than plants.
Soul: Do you know about Rag's Jewelry, the shop that will trade gems for items? The merchandise changes every time I go in there. It's so hard to choose!
Broker: Mmmm, you smell strongly of gems. You have come to the right place. Heh heh heh...
Rag's Jewelry is another recurring establishment in the series. Here you can exchange gems you find for items and demons. Let me overview the options:
1. Items. Self-explanatory. The jeweler can sell you various one-shot items. It can be quite useful at the beginning of the game, as items are your only source of certain spells at low levels.
2. Elementals. This is where things get interesting. Demons of the Element race (Erthys, Aeros, Aquans and Flaemis) are nothing to write home about in actual combat. However, they behave in an interesting manner in fusion. When fused with an elemental, a demon becomes either a weaker or a more powerful demon of the same race. Another way to obtain an elemental is to fuse together two demons of the same race.
3. Mitama. Mitama demons are normally obtained by fusing two Elements. Like elementals, they're kinda rubbish, combat-wise, but do fun things with fusion. When fused with a Mitama, a demon gains bonus stat points. It can also inherit new skills from a Mitama.
I buy a Dekaja Rock at Rag's in futile hope that it will make a certain upcoming boss fight easier. It doesn't work.
On the new enemies watch we have Angels.
Angels hold the ninth rank in the angelic hierarchy. One of these is assigned to each human at birth as a guardian, but they don't do anything particularly spectacular beyond that.
Hama is the basic Expel spell that has a set small chance of instakilling anything that isn't immune to Expel. It misses a lot, so I use the Angel to patch up the party after combat is over instead of summoning it in battle.
This is a Yaka, and I don't know who they are. Sorry.
Let's try meeting Ms. Takao.
Soul: That's the Assembly of Nihilo.
Berith, a Great Duke of Hell who knows all about past, present and future, and can turn metals into gold.
Berith: This is the Assembly of Nihilo, the place for those who seek silence. I cannot let anyone see our commander or the Maiden. Leave these grounds immediately!
Turns out you can't just walk through the front door and request an audience with one of the Vortex World's most powerful political figures. Who would've thought? Nyx mentioned she could help when the stupid approach failed.
Madam Nyx: Ha! I didn't think you'd actually be crazy enough to try and go there! ...Is there a reason why you need to infiltrate the Assembly of Nihilo?
Yes.
Madam Nyx: I see... Then, let me tell you something. Go see Gozu-Tennoh. Gozu-Tennoh is the leader of the demons in Ikebukuro. He's no friend of Nihilo, so he might help you out. You can get to Ikebukuro from the Great Underpass of Ginza, just across the bridge from here. Good luck... You're gonna need it.
Before we go dungeon crawling there's another part of Ginza I haven't showed yet.
Demon guard: This is Master Loki's room. Dirty punks like you go over there!!
Loki's room has another entrance. Could be a useful thing to know.
A Soma Droplet: like Soma, but not as good. Partially restores HP and MP of a demon.
Higher level demons spawn on the other side of the highway. It's a good place to power level on the Normal difficulty, if you're into that sort of thing, but I won't risk it on Hard.
Fomors are the Ireland's answer to Greek titans: wild and brutish primordial deities who ruled the world before the Tuatha De Danann brought them civilization.
This is where the differences between main terminals and small terminals become apparent. S-terminals only offer partial access to the Amala Network: you can use them to travel to the main terminal they're tied to, but if you want to go back, you'll have to go on foot again.
We warp back to Ginza for healing and a bit of fusion. The Sudama and a Jack Frost (yes, I recruited another one) give birth to Isora. Isora is a very minor Japanese deity, but I can't find anything of substance on it. The Choronzon that joined us back in the Network and the Angel are fused into another Sudama.
Back to the warehouse. This is a Chatterskull, yet another demon of indiscernible origins.
Soul: ...It's a loooooong tunnel full of poisonous demons!
Despite the warning, poison isn't that common in these tunnels, at least for now. Most of the time you'll be fighting Slimes, Sudama, Kodama and a new enemy type: Blobs. Blobs are tougher, redder Slimes. Other than having a different weakness (Ice instead of Fire), they aren't that distinct.
Man on the left: A demon...? Is he a Mantra demon?
Man on the right: ...Huh!? Mantra!? Ummmmmm...... Anyway, let's report this to everyone!
As we explore, we run into these guys. Following them leads us to a small town.
BGM:
Manekata
Old man: ......It's over.........It's all over...
Old Man: ........................? ......Huh? ............Hey, he's not a Mantra! Never seen a demon of the likes of him in their army! ...I was worried for nothing. Now, I can get back to my rocking chair.
Old man: ...What? Are we that peculiar to you?
Actually, yeah.
Old man: You can probably tell a lot about us just by seeing where we live. ...Now, go home! Everyone else, do the same.
Manikins: I guess he's not a Mantra demon...
Manikins are a race of demon born of mud and clay. Because of how hard they suck at fighting, they get pushed around a lot, especially by the Mantra, a demon faction led by Gozu-Tennoh.
A large terminal is here. It will see a lot of use because the Manikin village does not have a Cathedral or a Fountain.
Manikin shopkeeper: I thought you were one of those scary monsters... A handsome demon like you deserves a major discount! I hope we'll have a long-lasting relationship! *wink*
What the village does have, unlike Ginza, is a Junk Shop.
Three Magatama are on sale here: Ankh, Hifumi and Kamudo. Ankh voids Expel, makes you weak to Death and teaches healing spells. Hifumi voids Force, is weak to Fire and teaches you some seriously overpowered Force-related abilities for this early in the game and one of the best debuffs. Kamudo makes you weak to status effect, but resistant to physical damage and, among other, lesser skills, grants you Focus. We'll learn what Focus does the hard way near the end of the update.
Ankh is the only Magatama we can afford at the moment, but saving up for Hifumi is probably a smarter idea.
Old Manikin: Is it bothering you that much?
Yes.
Old Manikin: ...............We're Manikins. Our destiny is to be slaves to the demons. ...But, we can also feel pain, you know. That's why we live in hiding in this underpass. ...Get it? So, please leave us be.
Female Manikin: ...Um, the Mantra are a group of demons based in Ikebukuro. Dunno if you knew...
Male Manikin: They have different ideas of how Tokyo should be run, you see.
BGM:
Playing the Fool
...Hey. Are you that demon everyone is talking about? I'm a collector of many things, especially things that have to do with humans. So, I leave the underpass every so often, convincing the gatekeeper to let me through. Well, if you need some advice, I'll help you. ...Maybe you could help me collect 'stuff'...
Manikin gatekeeper: This path leads to Ikebukuro, the base of the Mantra. It would be real bad if the Mantra came, so I can't open the gate.
The only way to Ikebukuro is blocked. Good thing we just met someone who could help.
...............The gatekeeper is preventing you from passing by to get to Ikebukuro, huh? Would you like me to persuade him to let you through?
Would you like to advance the plot?
Yes.
But, only on one condition... You have to find something that I'm looking for. I want a Bill. It's a small portrait painted by humans in a greenish color. It's small, yet detailed, and it uses watermarking technology that changes patterns... It had value at one time, I think. I heard that some humans valued it more than their lives! I'd like to find one, but I have no clue as to where I can find it. I heard that there were plenty where people crowded together. ...A city, perhaps?
Anyways... I entrust you with finding that Bill.
Searching for cash is a perilous quest indeed. So perilous, in fact, that embarking upon it without proper preparation would be foolishness.
Shiisaa learns the first of the two highly useful skills I referred to when we fused it: War Cry. War Cry effectively allows you to set up two Tarunda spells as a single action for the low, low cost of 40 MP.
The Shiisaa attempts to change a skill, to which I reply with a firm "Fuck, no!". While allowing it to continue upgrades one of the demon's skills with a decently high probability (Bufu can turn into Mabufu, for example), sometimes the skill is replaced with something completely random. Not bad, mind you, random. While it can allow you to get great skills earlier than you could otherwise, it can also fuck up your combat plan quite a bit if the skill that changes is the one you fused the demon for in the first place. Some people love this feature, but I prefer to play it safe.
The main character learns Rakunda. Berserk has to go to make room for it.
Time to get our hands on the fabled bill. It is said that Loki is a bit of a collector.
Loki: Is there a Bill in my room? Bill, as in human money? It might, it might not... Heheheh... You want a Bill?
Bill me.
Loki: You wanna cut a deal?
Loki: Whaddya think? Will you pay me 20000000 Macca?
No thanks.
Loki: Then, there's nothing to talk about. Go home.
Demanding 20000000 Macca for a scrap of paper is an outrage. I suggest we stick it to the Man by removing the bill from the inventory and then claiming moral high ground.
Heavens smile upon us: Loki's pet troll is nowhere to be seen.
In addition to the bill, there are gems to be found in Mystical Chests just lying here unprotected.
Demon guard: What were you doing while I was gone!? Hmmmmmmmmmmmm!! It's time for you to die!!
As expected, things don't go perfectly smoothly. The Troll can be a very easy boss to defeat if you exploit his weakness to Mind, which our party, unfortunately, is incapable of doing. No biggie, though, he's still easy to bruteforce because of the wide assortment of debuffs we have at our fingertips. About half the way through the battle he starts casting Mabufula (Note the "la" suffix, it does more damage than the plain Mabufu), but that's what the Wadatsumi Magatama is for.
We had a deal, right? C'mon, c'mon! Oh, this is great!!!
You handed over the Bill.
As I said, a deal's a deal. Hold on a sec.
You obtained the Manikin's letter.
But we won't go there just yet, as the first truly challenging boss fight in Nocturne is just on the other side.
Finally, Hifumi can be ours, all ours.
Reggie was less than 100 XP away from a level up at the time of the purchase, so the benefits of buying Hifumi become apparent very soon. Tornado is a great spell. "Remains a valid choice even in the final dungeon" kind of great. What it does is deal heavy Force damage to random enemies. That's a lot of damage. For comparison, demons only start getting spells that deal medium damage around now-ish (Mabufula was one of them). And because Tornado targets random enemies, the same one can be targeted 2 or 3 times per casting. Better yet, Force Boost is the next skill Hifumi teaches, and it's a passive that boosts all Force damage by 50%. High MP cost (25, I think) stops you from spamming it at everything (for now), but it's still an amazing skill to have.
Next, the Shiisaa learns Brainwash. This is the mother of all conversation skills. It provokes a positive response from all demons (they ask for less stuff), and if the level of the demon being brainwashed is significantly lower (by around 10, I think) than the one of the demon doing the brainwashing, the brainwashed demon flat out joins you for free. Gathering fusion materials just got a whole lot easier.
Now we should fuse a party that can challenge a boss we're about to face.
The Shiisaa brainwashes a Pixie and a Lilim who are fused into a Nozuchi.
No idea who this is.
The Nozuchi is fused with the Shiisaa itself into Minakata.
Minakata (or Take-Minakata) is a minor Japanese guardian deity, whose arms were cut off after he lost a sumo match (not just any sumo match, it was the first sumo match ever) to another god.
A Nekomata is fused from Isora and the Sudama.
This is where it gets a bit complicated. Another Pixie is fused with a Shikigami into a Lilim. The Lilim is fused with an Apsaras into an Angel. Finally, the Angel is fused with the High Pixie into Ame-no-Uzume.
Uzume is a goddess of dawn, who is infamous for making Amaterasu return from a self-imposed exile that followed after her temples had been desecrated by Susanoo with the power of stripping. Has Media, the first party-wide healing spell.
Manikin gatekeeper: ...............What's this?
You gave the gatekeeper the Manikin's Letter.
Manikin gatekeeper: ...? A letter from him? ........................? ............! ...............I got it. If that's the case, it can't be helped. ...Go ahead and pass.
Just around a corner...
Mommy, I want to go home.
Manikin: Up ahead! Up ahead!
Oh gods, not
him. Anything but
him.
Mysterious voice: The flames of the candelabrum beckon me to the battlefield! I do not know who you are, but... If you have a candelabrum, it is our destiny to fight. Let us duel to the death within my realm, where no one can interrupt us!
Oh fuck, here we go.
BGM:
Talk
Mysterious voice: The victor shall claim the loser's candelabrum, and return in triumph.
Only the greatest warrior is worthy of such power.
one who, amidst blood and applause, has put an end to countless lives... That warrior is I, Matador. It's unfortunate that we have no spectators, but I believe this will be an excellent show regardless, as you and I contend for the candelabra.
You should give it to someone more deserving, like myself... But, since it's unlikely that you'll heed my advice...
No, I'm cool with it, man. Can I go now? Pretty please?
to see which of us is truly worthy of the candelabra... I swear, by my sword and capote, that I will once again prove victorious!! Now, let the battle begin!
BGM:
Demons. I believe this track was first used as the Fiends battle music in the PSOne remake of SMT I.
This is Matador, the bringer of butthurt. Red Capote is what makes him one of the most difficult bosses in the entire game. Essentially, he can cast 4 Sukukaja spells on himself as a single action. Which means that, unless you bring yourself to a comparable level with Sukukaja and/or Sukunda, you'll be hitting him maybe 33% of the time. As you remember, missing takes 2 APs, which is bad news.
Basically, Matador forces you into a buffing war. The problem is that you don't exactly have the means for waging one just yet. I bought a Dekaja Rock back at Rag's, hoping that the casting of Red Capote is a scripted event happening only once per fight, but it isn't. Matador can and will set it up again. Since the party doesn't have Dekaja as a spell yet, we'll have to do it the hard way.
During the beginning of the fight, Matador does his basic attack and casts Mazan. Mazan is nothing to worry about, as all demons in the party, except Minakata,
at least null Force. Damage done by his basic attack can be undone by Uzume's Media. Offense-wise, the plan is simple: Reggie and the Nekomata Sukunda him, Minakata attacks. Minakata is a proud owner of the Dark Might skill, so his basic attack is an automatic critical on new Kagutsuchi. Criticals = extra actions. So far, so good.
I alone can discern it!
Damage Matador enough, and shit gets real. He casts Dekunda (removes all our debuffs from him) and follows it up with Focus. Focus makes his next physical attack deal 2.5 times as much damage as it normally does. Reggie and the Nekomata cast Sukunda again, Minakata does a War Cry to reduce Matador's damage. On the following turn, Matador does a Taunt. Taunt is a funny skill. It Rakundas the enemy twice, forcing them to take a lot more damage, but it also Tarukajas them twice, which means that they deal more physical damage as well. Then, Andalucia Attack happens. It's an AoE physical skill that hurts a lot, with the Taunt having canceled out the War Cry and Matador being focused. Uzume dies. The rest of the party is reduced to about 33% of health.
On our turn, Taunt proves to be Matador's undoing. Minakata autocrits him for 150 damage, and the Nekomata finishes the job.
That was a close one. Looking back, I could have done better. While Matador can dispel debuffs, I think he lacks Dekaja, and buffs are fair game. Four Tarukajas at the start of the fight, and the party's damage output would probably have been enough to finish him off between the castings of Focus and Andalucia Attack. That would have saved Uzume's life, but oh well, that's what Revival Beads are for.
...So, those holding the candelabra did attract each other... Reginald, I have a favor to ask of you. There is no hurry, but could you bring your candelabrum to us? I will allow you access to the Labyrinth of Amala from the terminal. I will explain the details once you arrive. Until then, please make sure you do not lose the candelabrum...
You can no longer hear the lady's voice.
We can now warp to the Labyrinth from any terminal.
Reginald, you recovered the candelabrum from that Fiend... I knew I could count on you... even if the world changed. I believed in you... that you would always be my strength...
First Ms. Takao, now her. Is it the shorts? It has to be the shorts.
Here is what my master has to say... The candelabrum that you acquired... It was part of his prized collection. The candelabra are flames of life that control the flow of Magatsuhi within the Labyrinth of Amala... But, they were stolen by terrible Fiends.
However, that privilege is not intended for just anyone. This place is strictly forbidden to all but those my master has permitted entry.
Is it possible for you to retrieve the candelabra - the flames that light the floors of the Labyrinth - and return them here?
...to recover the eleven candelabra. If you are willing to accept the task, then you will be allowed to enter the Labyrinth of Amala. I believe that it is a fair offer, but it is up to you to decide. Will you do it, for my master's sake?
I will.
It's blatant that we're being suckered into something (one of the endings, to be precise), but we'll play along, at least for now.
As long, as you have your candelabrum, you will eventually come across the others.
I will reward you as you return them to their rightful places. If you hold your candelabrum to the spinning drum of Amala... the device referred to as a "terminal" in Tokyo... you will be able to enter and leave here freely. Please be careful. I wish you the best...
Let us see if our chosen Fiend will emerge victorious... if he is the one we have been waiting for.
The Candelabrum of Foundation can be used to access the First Kalpa of the Labyrinth of Amala. But we won't go there just yet (I think I can hear Overweight Manatee and Black Cat sneering condescendingly at me over the internet). First, it'll be very difficult to survive in there for long without returning back to recover MP after every 5 random encounters, slowing down the exploration to a crawl. Second, there's frankly no point to it right now. The most immediate reward for exploring the Labyrinth are Deathstones, which can be used to fuse previously defeated Fiends, and Matador, the weakest of them, is level 30. Coincidentally, level 30 is when we can fuse Sarasvati who has Mana Refill as a starting skill. That's when we'll enter the First Kalpa.
Next update: Ikebukuro.
