KalosKagathos
Learned
Update 7: Ikebukuro
Having learned our lesson from Matador, we hit the Cathedral in order to get demons who have buffs in their disposal.
A Slime is fused with Datsue-Ba into a Bicorn.
Bicorns are a manifestation of adultery and prey exclusively on devoted and faithful husbands.
The Bicorn is then fused with a Shikigami into a Pyro Jack.
Pyro Jack (or Jack o' Lantern) is the soul of an Irish farmer who somehow (there are several versions of the story) tricked the Devil into promising not to take him to Hell after death. When he died, his soul was deemed too sinful for Heaven, and he was forced to wander around the land of the living as a spirit until the end of the world.
Mou-Ryo + Pixie = Choronzon
Hua Po + Pixie = Apsaras
Choronzon + Apsaras = Sudama
Sudama + Nekomata = Koppa
Koppa are a type of Tengu who are associated with leaves and serve as messengers.
With more demons in the party, we can venture further into the underpass.
Soul: If you're going back to Ginza, head east.
Beyond the spot where Matador ambushed us lies a small terminal.
Yes.
Soul: Ikebukuro's right there after you get out of this hall. But, there hasn't been a single being that's escaped the Mantra's clutches once they've been caught! ...Gozu-Tennoh isn't a pushover. You'd better be careful.
Soul: This place'll be toast in no time.
On level 21 Reggie learns Fog Breath. Fog Breath to Sukunda is what War Cry is to Tarunda: double the MP cost, double the fun. This is an exceptional skill that allows you to get on the giving end of the hell that Matador put you through and quickly reduce the enemy's accuracy and evasion rates to nothing. From now on, almost all boss fights will be started by casting it twice.
After hacking our way through countless Sudama, Kodama, Fomors, Slimes and Isora, we come across another small terminal. This is a good time to use it to teleport back to civilization for healing and more fusion because the party's MP reserves are getting dangerously low.
We fuse Minakata and Isora into Taraka.
Taraka was an Indian woman who was turned into a Rakshasa by a hermit for an unspecified transgression (knowing the short temper of Hindu hermits, it could have been something incredibly minor). She made her home at a forest near the Ganges river and was eventually killed by Rama. Her ability to bind enemies will come very handy in Ikebukuro.
The fusion of an Apsaras and Datsue-Ba yields a Momunofu.
A Momunofu is a servant of an old Japanese deity Arahabaki, associated with rebellion and treachery. Their heavy emphasis on physical damage means they aren't very good in random encounters, but their access to Focus will make them useful for fusion of boss killers.
Forneus is fused from a Sudama and Nozuchi. Stun Bite is a good physical attack for now (moderate damage + a chance of stunning), but he doesn't get any offensive spells unless you invest heavily in leveling him up. Fusion fodder.
The Pyro Jack is fused with Isora into a Unicorn. Now we're talking. A defense buff, an AoE Ice spell and party-wide healing? This guy is truly majestic.
I don't think I have to tell you this, but a Unicorn is a horse with a horn on its forehead that has a thing for virgins.
All that fusion gives us enough firepower to finally make it to the opposite end of the Great Underpass of Ginza.
Soul: All the Mantra demons are there. May their souls rest in peace...
Soul: ...Some of them'll attack just for talking to them!
And we're here. Gozu-Tennoh's seat of power.
Mantra demon: Are you here knowing that this is Ikebukuro, home of the Mantra?
Of course I did.
"Did"? I'm not a native speaker, but shouldn't it be "am"? :grammarnazi:
Mantra demon: Whoa! You've got some balls! But, that just ain't gonna cut it! Guts don't mean shit you ain't got the power to back it up!
The Mantra greet the party with a fight.
Oni are ogre-like humanoid creatures from the Japanese folklore. They are brutish, love fighting and have a special fondness for alcohol.
Oni resist physical damage, but are weak to Nerve-based status effects. Taraka's Shibaboo spell allows us to keep him paralyzed for the entire fight.
BGM: Ikebukuro
With the Oni dead, we can go in. Let's walk around, talk to the locals.
Soul: They're a group of ruffians that have nothing but brawn. Their boss is Gozu-Tennoh. He's in the headquarters.
Soul: Thanks to him, the Mantra finally look like an organization.
Demon: ...I can't wait!
The Mantra are driven by instinct and believe that the strong should be able to do whatever the hell they want - as long as their strength is enough to back up their desires. This naturally puts them at odds with the Assembly of Nihilo, which attempts to create a world built entirely around reason.
Male Manikin: Woe is me! Life's too short...
Demon: Hyahahahahaha! Might makes right!
Yomotsu-Ikusa are servants of Izanami, one of Japan's oldest goddesses. After she died giving birth to her son, her husband Izanagi attempted to retrieve her spirit from the underworld, but reconsidered once he saw her rotting flesh. Ikusa were among the creatures that Izanami ordered to chase down fleeing Izanagi.
Male Manikin: A lot of my friends are being drained right now.
Like the Assembly, the Mantra are stockpiling large amounts of Magatsuhi for currently unknown reasons. The Nihilo simply take it from the Amala Network, but the Mantra found a less sophisticated way of gathering it.
Soul: But, they made Thor angry and were kicked out. I hear they've become thieves! Those four were real strong. ...Ever heard of them?
:foreshadowing:
Inugami are dog spirits that are supposed to serve and protect their master. However, since they're capable of existing on their own, it's not uncommon for them to turn on their owners to secure freedom.
I absolutely love killing them, as they have decent chances of leaving Chakra Drops. Other enemies commonly encountered in Ikebukuro include Nekomata, Momunofu and Yaka, but you've already seen those.
War Cry is learned on level 24 and replaces Tarunda.
From now on, use this compendium to your advantage.
The Demonic Compendium is now available for use.
Any demon we've ever previously owned can now be re-summoned at any Cathedral - for a price. The price depends on the demon's level, but you can work around that by giving low level demons good skills and then using elemental and mitama fusion to transfer them to high level ones. Welp, it's time to fuse a new party for an onslaught of bosses we're about to face.
First, the Unicorn is downgraded back to a Pyro Jack by fusing it with an Angel. Hey, we got Rakukaja out of the Unicorn, so it wasn't a waste. The Pyro Jack and Forneus are fused into a Dis.
Disir are a host of Norse goddesses of fate and luck. A Dis is a great demon to have around. Tetraja is a party-wide protective spell that voids the next Expel- or Death-based instant kill spell the enemy casts. This will come in handy during future boss fights. Another reason to keep her is that she'll evolve in 4 level ups.
Uzume and a Hua Po are fused into Kikuri-Hime.
Kikuri-Hime is the Japanese goddess of negotiation and mediation. What she brings to the table is charming of enemies and advanced single-target healing.
Last, but not least, Taraka is fused with a Sudama into Raiju.
Raiju is a companion of Raijin, a Shinto thunder god. It's a beast whose body entirely consists of lightning. Brainwash is lost in this fusion, unfortunately, but that Electricity draining is highly desirable.
Manikin: You shouldn't go near it.
Of course we should.
Heeho: ............But, I'm too scared to go in, hee ho! The fire's hot, too...
The shopkeeper from Shibuya decided to join the Mantra. I wonder how well he's going to fare here.
Voice: ...What the hell?! I didn't do anything...........................
You cannot hear the voice anymore. Will you enter the Mantra's headquarters?
OK, that doesn't sound too promising, but we'll have to if we want an audience with Gozu-Tennoh.
What? The hell is he doing here?
I didn't do anything! You hear me!?
H-Hey... Is that you, Reginald!?
Mjöllnir time.
The guy wearing the chain mail one-piece who just drained Isamu of Magatsuhi is Thor, the Norse god of lightning. Armed with his hammer Mjöllnir, he is the gods' strongest asset in their neverending battle against giants.
Any who enter the territory of the Mantra will be tried. Lock him up!
BGM: Mantra Troops
Demon guard: A trial decided by power... If you claim to be innocent, then pound your enemy into the ground! When he is just a quivering mass of flesh, you'll be set free.
Objection! First, you must force us in a 15 minutes long conversation sequence full of stat checks, then tell us that violence is the only option.
And so we end up in jail for looking funny in Thor's general direction. It's like that thing Chaos Hero was talking about in SMT I.
In a surprising display of humanism, the Mantra left us a good healing item in the cell.
Voice: Oh, a newcomer? You were probably thrown in here for a crime that you didn't commit, right? But, reason won't work with those Mantra guys! You probably figured that out already. If you want to get out of here, you'll have to impress them with your brute strength.
Voice: Let me out of here! The Mantra are crazy! I can't fight. Someone, save me!
The guard comes back after you talk to both cellmates.
You regain a limited freedom of movement at this point and can talk to guards and other prisoners.
Demon prisoner: I don't wanna be locked up in here... I wanna fight! I want the blood of a young man! Blood! I want BLOOD!
The composed (well, relatively speaking) prisoner is Rangda, the witch queen of Bali. She is a personification of evil, and her mortal enemy is the legendary beast called Barong. Carnivals depicting their struggle are the cornerstone of Bali's tourist industry.
Manikin: I'm innocent! Let me out of here!
Predictably, the cowardly prisoner turns out to be a Manikin.
Demon guard: Your entrance is on the other side. Or, are you trying to bribe me and get info outta me?
Exactly.
Demon guard: WHAT!? I can't believe you!! What the hell are you thinking!? You need to pay up before I spill the beans! C'mon, before anyone comes! Gimme 200 Macca...
[Pay up.]
Demon guard: The way we handle disputes is with three battles. If you lose even once, you're dead. You better make sure that you're prepared.
Demon guard: Then gimme another 200 Macca.
[Pay up.]
Demon guard: First off...
Demon guard: You're not up to shenanigans, are you?
Demon guard: This guy... That's it! This guy got lost, so I was tellin' him off!
Demon guard: Hmmm... Is that so... Well, alright then..................
Demon guard: I didn't hear him sneak up, since he doesn't have feet.
Demon guard: Your first opponent is a demon that uses fire. You know what fire's weak against, right? The next is a lady that uses attacks with Force. And you know what? She's hot!! Maybe there'll be some electricity between you two!
Subtle.
Demon guard: And lastly... The Mantra's number two. His lightning packs quite a punch! So, look out! Bad news about that guy is that he has no weaknesses. ...............That's all the info I have. Hurry up and get ready. The door's over there. ...Hope he doesn't suspect me.
Let's prove our innocence by beating up anyone who says otherwise.
Demon judge: I call upon the defendant, Reggie. Please come to the arena.
Demon judge: On top of that, demons saw you in the Great Underpass. You may be a Nihilo spy... I further charge you with being a little sneak. Ikebukuro is the territory of the Mantra! Even if you are a newcomer, it is crime enough that you've shown us such flagrant disrespect!
This Oni would make Yama proud.
Orthrus: CAPITAL PUNISHMENT! THERE IS NO OTHER CHOICE. THINK OF HOW YOU WANT TO DIE. I'LL GIVE YOU TIME.
Are you ready?
No.
Your opponents here are courteous enough to give you time to switch Magatama, use items, summon different demons or just run around to advance the Kagutsuchi phase for Dark Might to kick in.
Having been warned that the first opponent will use Fire, we replace Raiju with a Chatterskull who can drain Fire. Kikuri-Hime, weak to Fire, stays in the party because she's the only healer.
Are you ready?
Yes.
Orthrus, Cerberus' brother, slayed by Heracles. He attacks with Fire Breath and Agidyne (second most powerful single target Fire spell in the game), but is weak to Ice. This weakness makes him very likely to be frozen by Ice Breath. Result: dead in 2 turns.
Yaksini: Your sentence is death... Ahh... I want to cut you up right now! But, I'll give you some time. Make it fun for me.
Are you ready?
No.
Raiju is brought back (weak to Force, but has Zionga to make up for it), the Dis is replaced with the Koppa we fused way back in the underpass. Reggie equips Hifumi.
Are you ready?
Yes.
A Yaksini is a servant of Kubera, the Hindu god of wealth. We do a War Cry in this fight, as her Force attacks can be quite powerful. The Koppa casts Rakunda 4 times, reducing her defense to nothing and making Raiju's Zionga deal over 300 damage to her. Another easy victory.
I commend your ability to fight. But... Will your power work against me? My hammer shall be the judge. I will give you time to prepare.
Are you ready?
No.
The party is back to the original configuration. Reggie consumes 2 Chakra Drops to restore his MP.
Are you ready?
Yes.
Show me your strength!
Thor is pure damage. His physical- and Electricity-based attacks are powerful, but he completely lacks buffs, debuffs or any way to remove them. In a couple of turns, 2 War Cries, 2 Fog Breaths, 4 Rakukaja spells and 4 Rakunda spells are set up. Then the beatdown begins.
Thor casts Diarama in the middle of the fight, an act which I believe is supposed to instill despair in the heart of the player, but after all that preparation this is the amount of damage our demons deal with their basic attacks.
Eventually, Thor loses it and goes crazy with his basic attack. Which, at this point, deals about 25 points of damage - if it connects at all (I love you, Fog Breath).
You have done well. It seems that you have something other demons do not. ...This is for keeping me interested.
You obtained the Magatama Narukami.
Narukami nulls Electricity, but is weak to Ice. It teaches Electricity spells and, much like Thor himself, is heavily offense-oriented, boosting your Strength and Magic.
Our leader, Gozu-Tennoh, aims to build a utopia where only the strong may live. Gozu-Tennoh is at the top of this building. Your power may change the world. Remember that.
Demon judge: Huh!? Innocent? ...O-Okay!!
Demon judge: By the order of Thor... No, out of respect for your power, Reggie... I hereby declare you innocent!
Sweet, sweet freedom.
Demon guard: You lucked out, fool. I can't believe Thor approved your release... Now, get lost!
Demon guard: Thor says that you've proved your strength. You're free to enter our headquarters anytime. That really pisses me off!
Finally, nothing more stands between us and Gozu-Tennoh.
Well fuck, I stand corrected.
Male Manikin: He was looking for a demon named Reggie. ...Do you know anything?
BGM: Enter MYSTERIOUS MAN
Kids, don't try this at home.
BGM: MYSTERIOUS MAN Battle
...I'll give you ten minutes to decide. Which would you rather end up in... a coffin or a dumpster?
The mysterious man is a tough one. Like most bosses, he gets 2 APs, but unlike most of them, he uses them intelligently. You see, he has 2 attacks. The first one is Rebellion, which deals good damage and, more importantly, has an insane critical hit rate. The second one is E & I, a handgun attack that has higher base damage than Rebellion, but normal crit rate. So he uses Rebellion to get extra actions and then spends them on E & I. This way, 2 APs effectively turn into 4. None of our demons can take more than 1 hit, so we'll have to counter it somehow.
The counter is pretty simple. Another quirk of the mysterious man's AI is that he never, ever lets debuffs last. Debuff him, and on the following turn he is guaranteed to spend one AP on Holy Star, his unique version of Dekunda (the name is the only version different about it, though). This halves his potential damage output and gives us much needed breathing space.
So here's the plan: the Dis and Raiju set up 4 Rakukaja spells in 2 turns. Reggie casts Rakunda during them, Kikuri-Hime heals. After the defenses are running, the Dis helps Kikuri-Hime heal, Raiju Rakundas, Reggie spams Tornado, which can deal up to 700 damage.
This is getting good! You're having fun, aren't you?
After a while, his pattern changes. The mysterious man stops using Holy Star. Instead, he starts every turn with Provoke, his custom version of Taunt that on top of reducing your defense (and bumping your physical offense) also restores his MP. The good news is that you're free to use Fog Breath and War Cry now, as he's not going to remove them.
Kikuri-Hime is critically hit twice in a row near the end of the fight and doesn't make it.
BGM: SHOWTIME!!
You look like a demon... but you don't seem like one.
Who could have thought?
I'm a demon slayer. This old guy asked me to hunt down guys like you, but...
I need to find out what that guy really has in mind. Depending on how things turn out, maybe we'll meet again. Until then, try and keep yourself alive. ...Who knows? Maybe I'll have another chance to kill you.
So yeah, I should probably stop playing dumb. The mysterious man is obviously Dante, the star of Capcom's Devil May Cry games. I always thought that he was a very weird pick for a cameo because SMT and DMC, despite both featuring a lot of demon slaying, don't really have much in common. DMC demons are mostly mindless killing machines, while Megaten demons have always been potential allies and had clearly stated agendas that go beyond "Kill all humans!"
In return for Dante appearing in Nocturne, Kazuma Kaneko (the guy the "Kaz" signature you can see in some of the concept art I've been posting belongs to) designed Dante's and Vergil's Devil Trigger forms in Devil May Cry 3. If you ever wondered why they looked like something out of Digital Devil Saga, this is why.
You know what else would be cool? Atlus vs. Capcom. Always wanted to Shoryuken God, and Raidou could make a great fighting game character.
Let's move on and enter the headquarters.
Demon: Humans are a great source of Magatsuhi, but it's hard not to kill such a weakling. ...Check him out sometime.
Isamu is tougher than he looks. Checking out the prison sounds like a good idea.
Demon: Don't do anything funny! Gots that? Don't do anything funny!
A Nue is a Japanese monster, similar to Chimera, that has the head of a monkey, the body of a raccoon dog, the legs of a tiger and a snake for a tail.
Manikin prisoner: They drain the Magatsuhi out of you at the prison. It's bad. It's torture.
Another reference to a Magatsuhi draining facility.
Reginald! So you're here...ugh...! ...Damn those demons. How long do they plan to keep me locked up? I heard the news. You won the trial by combat, huh? I've managed to stay alive, too... Well, sorta. I don't think they'll kill me just yet. I'm gonna find a way out, but I need some more time. My back's still sore, so...
You know Nihilo has that Maiden, right? That's Ms. Takao! There's no time to lose! The Mantra are about to launch a full-scale attack on Nihilo! If she's caught... She'll be killed!
You can do it with your powers, right?! I can't do anything... Please, Reginald!
Nothing we don't know, but it was good to see a familiar face.
Demon prisoner: I'll tell ya somethin' good! The Mantra keeps something real valuable behind the door in the back.
This is the door that the Incubus mentioned. If I'm not mistaken, you need about 25 points in Strength to open it, and Magatama stat boosts don't count. Behind it lies Gaea, a great physical Magatama.
Nothing more to see in the jail. Back upstairs.
Left guard: You're not getting past this Great Gate.
Right guard: The Mantra's most important facility is beyond this gate.
Left guard: Yeah. We can't let you get to Kabukicho.
This alternate exit from the headquarters leads to the Kabukicho Prison where the Manikin are drained. We can't go there yet.
Reggie learns Shock, which replaces Ice Breath because resistance to Electricity is less common than resistance to Ice.
A Kelpie is fused from Raiju and a Momunofu.
A Kelpie is a spirit of the dead originating in the Scottish and Irish folklore. They take the form of a ghostly horse and haunt lakes and rivers. A Kelpie can shapeshift into a gorgeous woman to seduce men and lead them to drowning.
Mantra demon: Just because Thor pardoned you, doesn't mean that I have. I'll show you that I'm stronger than you!!
A lone Oni guard found on the second floor decides to challenge us. He doesn't live long enough to take a turn.
Demon: ...The wrong match-up, and you're dead in one hit...
This is a nice touch. Certain demon races appear to favor specific factions. The Mantra have Brutes, Beasts and Femme demons. The Nihilo are supported by Fallen, Vile, Yoma and Night demons.
Male Manikin: And, I clean up after them...
Good thing we didn't lose.
Ex-guard: They found out about me leaking info to you, and tossed me in here. Hey, can you tell me who's my opponent?
C&C, bitch.
Demon judge: Gozu-Tennoh is on the top floor. You can use the elevator just past the fighting arena to meet him.
Pro tip: If you see a phallic structure, the leader of the faction occupying it will always be found on the top floor, no exceptions.
This is going to be a long, long elevator ride.
Nice vista.
A very welcome discovery.
Badb Catha, the Irish goddess of war, known for her ability to transform into a crow. Resistant to physical, but weak to Electricity. Shock makes short work out of her.
Will you enter?
Manikin: when the almighty descends from above: god's coming echoes across the land...
You know you've made it in life if your every public appearance is announced by an ecstatic priestess, bound by chains.
BGM: Masura
Having a sinister theme song helps.
I am Gozu-Tennoh. As the head of the Mantra, I lead the demons that gather here.
The emergence of a new, mighty demon... It is remarkable indeed. But first, let me reward you. Please accept this gift.
You can now employ 2 additional demons.
If you choose to serve me, I shall grant you even greater power...
What say you? Time for the first vote. Mantra is one of the two factions that currently have plans for the Vortex World. A war is about to begin. Gozu-Tennoh offers us membership and increases the amount of fusion fodder we can drag around by 2 as a sign of his good intentions. We can join, reject the offer outright or wait for things to unfold.
I'll post Gozu-Tennoh's response along with another Fiend battle on Tuesday. Sunday will see a sizable update that will cover the next dungeon.
Having learned our lesson from Matador, we hit the Cathedral in order to get demons who have buffs in their disposal.
A Slime is fused with Datsue-Ba into a Bicorn.
Bicorns are a manifestation of adultery and prey exclusively on devoted and faithful husbands.
The Bicorn is then fused with a Shikigami into a Pyro Jack.
Pyro Jack (or Jack o' Lantern) is the soul of an Irish farmer who somehow (there are several versions of the story) tricked the Devil into promising not to take him to Hell after death. When he died, his soul was deemed too sinful for Heaven, and he was forced to wander around the land of the living as a spirit until the end of the world.
Mou-Ryo + Pixie = Choronzon
Hua Po + Pixie = Apsaras
Choronzon + Apsaras = Sudama
Sudama + Nekomata = Koppa
Koppa are a type of Tengu who are associated with leaves and serve as messengers.
With more demons in the party, we can venture further into the underpass.
Soul: If you're going back to Ginza, head east.
Beyond the spot where Matador ambushed us lies a small terminal.
Soul: Ikebukuro's right there after you get out of this hall. But, there hasn't been a single being that's escaped the Mantra's clutches once they've been caught! ...Gozu-Tennoh isn't a pushover. You'd better be careful.
Soul: This place'll be toast in no time.
On level 21 Reggie learns Fog Breath. Fog Breath to Sukunda is what War Cry is to Tarunda: double the MP cost, double the fun. This is an exceptional skill that allows you to get on the giving end of the hell that Matador put you through and quickly reduce the enemy's accuracy and evasion rates to nothing. From now on, almost all boss fights will be started by casting it twice.
After hacking our way through countless Sudama, Kodama, Fomors, Slimes and Isora, we come across another small terminal. This is a good time to use it to teleport back to civilization for healing and more fusion because the party's MP reserves are getting dangerously low.
We fuse Minakata and Isora into Taraka.
Taraka was an Indian woman who was turned into a Rakshasa by a hermit for an unspecified transgression (knowing the short temper of Hindu hermits, it could have been something incredibly minor). She made her home at a forest near the Ganges river and was eventually killed by Rama. Her ability to bind enemies will come very handy in Ikebukuro.
The fusion of an Apsaras and Datsue-Ba yields a Momunofu.
A Momunofu is a servant of an old Japanese deity Arahabaki, associated with rebellion and treachery. Their heavy emphasis on physical damage means they aren't very good in random encounters, but their access to Focus will make them useful for fusion of boss killers.
Forneus is fused from a Sudama and Nozuchi. Stun Bite is a good physical attack for now (moderate damage + a chance of stunning), but he doesn't get any offensive spells unless you invest heavily in leveling him up. Fusion fodder.
The Pyro Jack is fused with Isora into a Unicorn. Now we're talking. A defense buff, an AoE Ice spell and party-wide healing? This guy is truly majestic.
I don't think I have to tell you this, but a Unicorn is a horse with a horn on its forehead that has a thing for virgins.
All that fusion gives us enough firepower to finally make it to the opposite end of the Great Underpass of Ginza.
Soul: All the Mantra demons are there. May their souls rest in peace...
Soul: ...Some of them'll attack just for talking to them!
And we're here. Gozu-Tennoh's seat of power.
Mantra demon: Are you here knowing that this is Ikebukuro, home of the Mantra?
"Did"? I'm not a native speaker, but shouldn't it be "am"? :grammarnazi:
Mantra demon: Whoa! You've got some balls! But, that just ain't gonna cut it! Guts don't mean shit you ain't got the power to back it up!
The Mantra greet the party with a fight.
Oni are ogre-like humanoid creatures from the Japanese folklore. They are brutish, love fighting and have a special fondness for alcohol.
Oni resist physical damage, but are weak to Nerve-based status effects. Taraka's Shibaboo spell allows us to keep him paralyzed for the entire fight.
BGM: Ikebukuro
With the Oni dead, we can go in. Let's walk around, talk to the locals.
Soul: They're a group of ruffians that have nothing but brawn. Their boss is Gozu-Tennoh. He's in the headquarters.
Soul: Thanks to him, the Mantra finally look like an organization.
Demon: ...I can't wait!
The Mantra are driven by instinct and believe that the strong should be able to do whatever the hell they want - as long as their strength is enough to back up their desires. This naturally puts them at odds with the Assembly of Nihilo, which attempts to create a world built entirely around reason.
Male Manikin: Woe is me! Life's too short...
Demon: Hyahahahahaha! Might makes right!
Yomotsu-Ikusa are servants of Izanami, one of Japan's oldest goddesses. After she died giving birth to her son, her husband Izanagi attempted to retrieve her spirit from the underworld, but reconsidered once he saw her rotting flesh. Ikusa were among the creatures that Izanami ordered to chase down fleeing Izanagi.
Male Manikin: A lot of my friends are being drained right now.
Like the Assembly, the Mantra are stockpiling large amounts of Magatsuhi for currently unknown reasons. The Nihilo simply take it from the Amala Network, but the Mantra found a less sophisticated way of gathering it.
Soul: But, they made Thor angry and were kicked out. I hear they've become thieves! Those four were real strong. ...Ever heard of them?
:foreshadowing:
Inugami are dog spirits that are supposed to serve and protect their master. However, since they're capable of existing on their own, it's not uncommon for them to turn on their owners to secure freedom.
I absolutely love killing them, as they have decent chances of leaving Chakra Drops. Other enemies commonly encountered in Ikebukuro include Nekomata, Momunofu and Yaka, but you've already seen those.
War Cry is learned on level 24 and replaces Tarunda.
The Demonic Compendium is now available for use.
Any demon we've ever previously owned can now be re-summoned at any Cathedral - for a price. The price depends on the demon's level, but you can work around that by giving low level demons good skills and then using elemental and mitama fusion to transfer them to high level ones. Welp, it's time to fuse a new party for an onslaught of bosses we're about to face.
First, the Unicorn is downgraded back to a Pyro Jack by fusing it with an Angel. Hey, we got Rakukaja out of the Unicorn, so it wasn't a waste. The Pyro Jack and Forneus are fused into a Dis.
Disir are a host of Norse goddesses of fate and luck. A Dis is a great demon to have around. Tetraja is a party-wide protective spell that voids the next Expel- or Death-based instant kill spell the enemy casts. This will come in handy during future boss fights. Another reason to keep her is that she'll evolve in 4 level ups.
Uzume and a Hua Po are fused into Kikuri-Hime.
Kikuri-Hime is the Japanese goddess of negotiation and mediation. What she brings to the table is charming of enemies and advanced single-target healing.
Last, but not least, Taraka is fused with a Sudama into Raiju.
Raiju is a companion of Raijin, a Shinto thunder god. It's a beast whose body entirely consists of lightning. Brainwash is lost in this fusion, unfortunately, but that Electricity draining is highly desirable.
Manikin: You shouldn't go near it.
Of course we should.
Heeho: ............But, I'm too scared to go in, hee ho! The fire's hot, too...
The shopkeeper from Shibuya decided to join the Mantra. I wonder how well he's going to fare here.
Voice: ...What the hell?! I didn't do anything...........................
You cannot hear the voice anymore. Will you enter the Mantra's headquarters?
OK, that doesn't sound too promising, but we'll have to if we want an audience with Gozu-Tennoh.
What? The hell is he doing here?
Mjöllnir time.
The guy wearing the chain mail one-piece who just drained Isamu of Magatsuhi is Thor, the Norse god of lightning. Armed with his hammer Mjöllnir, he is the gods' strongest asset in their neverending battle against giants.
BGM: Mantra Troops
Demon guard: A trial decided by power... If you claim to be innocent, then pound your enemy into the ground! When he is just a quivering mass of flesh, you'll be set free.
Objection! First, you must force us in a 15 minutes long conversation sequence full of stat checks, then tell us that violence is the only option.
And so we end up in jail for looking funny in Thor's general direction. It's like that thing Chaos Hero was talking about in SMT I.
In a surprising display of humanism, the Mantra left us a good healing item in the cell.
Voice: Oh, a newcomer? You were probably thrown in here for a crime that you didn't commit, right? But, reason won't work with those Mantra guys! You probably figured that out already. If you want to get out of here, you'll have to impress them with your brute strength.
Voice: Let me out of here! The Mantra are crazy! I can't fight. Someone, save me!
The guard comes back after you talk to both cellmates.
You regain a limited freedom of movement at this point and can talk to guards and other prisoners.
Demon prisoner: I don't wanna be locked up in here... I wanna fight! I want the blood of a young man! Blood! I want BLOOD!
The composed (well, relatively speaking) prisoner is Rangda, the witch queen of Bali. She is a personification of evil, and her mortal enemy is the legendary beast called Barong. Carnivals depicting their struggle are the cornerstone of Bali's tourist industry.
Manikin: I'm innocent! Let me out of here!
Predictably, the cowardly prisoner turns out to be a Manikin.
Demon guard: Your entrance is on the other side. Or, are you trying to bribe me and get info outta me?
Demon guard: WHAT!? I can't believe you!! What the hell are you thinking!? You need to pay up before I spill the beans! C'mon, before anyone comes! Gimme 200 Macca...
Demon guard: The way we handle disputes is with three battles. If you lose even once, you're dead. You better make sure that you're prepared.
Demon guard: Then gimme another 200 Macca.
Demon guard: First off...
Demon guard: You're not up to shenanigans, are you?
Demon guard: This guy... That's it! This guy got lost, so I was tellin' him off!
Demon guard: Hmmm... Is that so... Well, alright then..................
Demon guard: I didn't hear him sneak up, since he doesn't have feet.
Demon guard: Your first opponent is a demon that uses fire. You know what fire's weak against, right? The next is a lady that uses attacks with Force. And you know what? She's hot!! Maybe there'll be some electricity between you two!
Subtle.
Demon guard: And lastly... The Mantra's number two. His lightning packs quite a punch! So, look out! Bad news about that guy is that he has no weaknesses. ...............That's all the info I have. Hurry up and get ready. The door's over there. ...Hope he doesn't suspect me.
Let's prove our innocence by beating up anyone who says otherwise.
Demon judge: I call upon the defendant, Reggie. Please come to the arena.
Demon judge: On top of that, demons saw you in the Great Underpass. You may be a Nihilo spy... I further charge you with being a little sneak. Ikebukuro is the territory of the Mantra! Even if you are a newcomer, it is crime enough that you've shown us such flagrant disrespect!
This Oni would make Yama proud.
Orthrus: CAPITAL PUNISHMENT! THERE IS NO OTHER CHOICE. THINK OF HOW YOU WANT TO DIE. I'LL GIVE YOU TIME.
Are you ready?
Your opponents here are courteous enough to give you time to switch Magatama, use items, summon different demons or just run around to advance the Kagutsuchi phase for Dark Might to kick in.
Having been warned that the first opponent will use Fire, we replace Raiju with a Chatterskull who can drain Fire. Kikuri-Hime, weak to Fire, stays in the party because she's the only healer.
Are you ready?
Orthrus, Cerberus' brother, slayed by Heracles. He attacks with Fire Breath and Agidyne (second most powerful single target Fire spell in the game), but is weak to Ice. This weakness makes him very likely to be frozen by Ice Breath. Result: dead in 2 turns.
Yaksini: Your sentence is death... Ahh... I want to cut you up right now! But, I'll give you some time. Make it fun for me.
Are you ready?
Raiju is brought back (weak to Force, but has Zionga to make up for it), the Dis is replaced with the Koppa we fused way back in the underpass. Reggie equips Hifumi.
Are you ready?
A Yaksini is a servant of Kubera, the Hindu god of wealth. We do a War Cry in this fight, as her Force attacks can be quite powerful. The Koppa casts Rakunda 4 times, reducing her defense to nothing and making Raiju's Zionga deal over 300 damage to her. Another easy victory.
Are you ready?
The party is back to the original configuration. Reggie consumes 2 Chakra Drops to restore his MP.
Are you ready?
Thor is pure damage. His physical- and Electricity-based attacks are powerful, but he completely lacks buffs, debuffs or any way to remove them. In a couple of turns, 2 War Cries, 2 Fog Breaths, 4 Rakukaja spells and 4 Rakunda spells are set up. Then the beatdown begins.
Thor casts Diarama in the middle of the fight, an act which I believe is supposed to instill despair in the heart of the player, but after all that preparation this is the amount of damage our demons deal with their basic attacks.
Eventually, Thor loses it and goes crazy with his basic attack. Which, at this point, deals about 25 points of damage - if it connects at all (I love you, Fog Breath).
You obtained the Magatama Narukami.
Narukami nulls Electricity, but is weak to Ice. It teaches Electricity spells and, much like Thor himself, is heavily offense-oriented, boosting your Strength and Magic.
Demon judge: Huh!? Innocent? ...O-Okay!!
Demon judge: By the order of Thor... No, out of respect for your power, Reggie... I hereby declare you innocent!
Sweet, sweet freedom.
Demon guard: You lucked out, fool. I can't believe Thor approved your release... Now, get lost!
Demon guard: Thor says that you've proved your strength. You're free to enter our headquarters anytime. That really pisses me off!
Finally, nothing more stands between us and Gozu-Tennoh.
Well fuck, I stand corrected.
Male Manikin: He was looking for a demon named Reggie. ...Do you know anything?
BGM: Enter MYSTERIOUS MAN
Kids, don't try this at home.
BGM: MYSTERIOUS MAN Battle
The mysterious man is a tough one. Like most bosses, he gets 2 APs, but unlike most of them, he uses them intelligently. You see, he has 2 attacks. The first one is Rebellion, which deals good damage and, more importantly, has an insane critical hit rate. The second one is E & I, a handgun attack that has higher base damage than Rebellion, but normal crit rate. So he uses Rebellion to get extra actions and then spends them on E & I. This way, 2 APs effectively turn into 4. None of our demons can take more than 1 hit, so we'll have to counter it somehow.
The counter is pretty simple. Another quirk of the mysterious man's AI is that he never, ever lets debuffs last. Debuff him, and on the following turn he is guaranteed to spend one AP on Holy Star, his unique version of Dekunda (the name is the only version different about it, though). This halves his potential damage output and gives us much needed breathing space.
So here's the plan: the Dis and Raiju set up 4 Rakukaja spells in 2 turns. Reggie casts Rakunda during them, Kikuri-Hime heals. After the defenses are running, the Dis helps Kikuri-Hime heal, Raiju Rakundas, Reggie spams Tornado, which can deal up to 700 damage.
After a while, his pattern changes. The mysterious man stops using Holy Star. Instead, he starts every turn with Provoke, his custom version of Taunt that on top of reducing your defense (and bumping your physical offense) also restores his MP. The good news is that you're free to use Fog Breath and War Cry now, as he's not going to remove them.
Kikuri-Hime is critically hit twice in a row near the end of the fight and doesn't make it.
BGM: SHOWTIME!!
Who could have thought?
So yeah, I should probably stop playing dumb. The mysterious man is obviously Dante, the star of Capcom's Devil May Cry games. I always thought that he was a very weird pick for a cameo because SMT and DMC, despite both featuring a lot of demon slaying, don't really have much in common. DMC demons are mostly mindless killing machines, while Megaten demons have always been potential allies and had clearly stated agendas that go beyond "Kill all humans!"
In return for Dante appearing in Nocturne, Kazuma Kaneko (the guy the "Kaz" signature you can see in some of the concept art I've been posting belongs to) designed Dante's and Vergil's Devil Trigger forms in Devil May Cry 3. If you ever wondered why they looked like something out of Digital Devil Saga, this is why.
You know what else would be cool? Atlus vs. Capcom. Always wanted to Shoryuken God, and Raidou could make a great fighting game character.
Let's move on and enter the headquarters.
Demon: Humans are a great source of Magatsuhi, but it's hard not to kill such a weakling. ...Check him out sometime.
Isamu is tougher than he looks. Checking out the prison sounds like a good idea.
Demon: Don't do anything funny! Gots that? Don't do anything funny!
A Nue is a Japanese monster, similar to Chimera, that has the head of a monkey, the body of a raccoon dog, the legs of a tiger and a snake for a tail.
Manikin prisoner: They drain the Magatsuhi out of you at the prison. It's bad. It's torture.
Another reference to a Magatsuhi draining facility.
Nothing we don't know, but it was good to see a familiar face.
Demon prisoner: I'll tell ya somethin' good! The Mantra keeps something real valuable behind the door in the back.
This is the door that the Incubus mentioned. If I'm not mistaken, you need about 25 points in Strength to open it, and Magatama stat boosts don't count. Behind it lies Gaea, a great physical Magatama.
Nothing more to see in the jail. Back upstairs.
Left guard: You're not getting past this Great Gate.
Right guard: The Mantra's most important facility is beyond this gate.
Left guard: Yeah. We can't let you get to Kabukicho.
This alternate exit from the headquarters leads to the Kabukicho Prison where the Manikin are drained. We can't go there yet.
Reggie learns Shock, which replaces Ice Breath because resistance to Electricity is less common than resistance to Ice.
A Kelpie is fused from Raiju and a Momunofu.
A Kelpie is a spirit of the dead originating in the Scottish and Irish folklore. They take the form of a ghostly horse and haunt lakes and rivers. A Kelpie can shapeshift into a gorgeous woman to seduce men and lead them to drowning.
Mantra demon: Just because Thor pardoned you, doesn't mean that I have. I'll show you that I'm stronger than you!!
A lone Oni guard found on the second floor decides to challenge us. He doesn't live long enough to take a turn.
Demon: ...The wrong match-up, and you're dead in one hit...
This is a nice touch. Certain demon races appear to favor specific factions. The Mantra have Brutes, Beasts and Femme demons. The Nihilo are supported by Fallen, Vile, Yoma and Night demons.
Male Manikin: And, I clean up after them...
Good thing we didn't lose.
Ex-guard: They found out about me leaking info to you, and tossed me in here. Hey, can you tell me who's my opponent?
C&C, bitch.
Demon judge: Gozu-Tennoh is on the top floor. You can use the elevator just past the fighting arena to meet him.
Pro tip: If you see a phallic structure, the leader of the faction occupying it will always be found on the top floor, no exceptions.
This is going to be a long, long elevator ride.
Nice vista.
A very welcome discovery.
Badb Catha, the Irish goddess of war, known for her ability to transform into a crow. Resistant to physical, but weak to Electricity. Shock makes short work out of her.
Will you enter?
Manikin: when the almighty descends from above: god's coming echoes across the land...
You know you've made it in life if your every public appearance is announced by an ecstatic priestess, bound by chains.
BGM: Masura
Having a sinister theme song helps.
You can now employ 2 additional demons.
What say you? Time for the first vote. Mantra is one of the two factions that currently have plans for the Vortex World. A war is about to begin. Gozu-Tennoh offers us membership and increases the amount of fusion fodder we can drag around by 2 as a sign of his good intentions. We can join, reject the offer outright or wait for things to unfold.
I'll post Gozu-Tennoh's response along with another Fiend battle on Tuesday. Sunday will see a sizable update that will cover the next dungeon.
