Welcome back, viewers! ...Well, one viewer that actually left a comment since the last update, and X amount of viewers content with just reading along without contributing. And for all I know, X = 0 in this particular case. But as long as there's at least one person willing to put up with me, and as long as I have fun writing about this game, then the show may as well go on. And speaking of having one known viewer, it's truly great to hear from you again, MFM! Your comments always gave me a chuckle before, and it looks like I can look forward to more fun statements in the future. Now, let's find out how Matsuri's decision to remain a Power type and wield Kotomaru as a halberd will affect the rest of this skirmish, shall we?
When the option comes up, we first pick Power as the release type of Matsuri's Zanpakuto. The game asks if you're sure when you make the selection, and once confirmed, we cannot go back and re-select a type. We then get taken to the screen where we can rename our weapon, with a picture of Matsuri wielding our choice on the upper screen. After we choose to go with the default name of Kotomaru, the story resumes, with an even bigger picture of Matsuri wielding her Zanpakuto as the background for the next two lines.
Matsuri Kudo: MOW 'EM DOWN, KOTOMARU!
Fujimaru Kudo: FLASH! RYUJOMARU!
Arturo is surprised that the twins could stop his Fenice. We then get taken back to the Party Selection menu, and our only options are the Kudo twins. However, since their blades have transformed from training Asauchi into actual Zanpakuto, we can now upgrade them further! We can upgrade Fujimaru's Ryujomaru all the way to Max (allowing for 15 out of the 21 possible enhancements, with certain enhancements only available to select after previous ones have been chosen), while Matsuri's Kotomaru reaches a limit around LV 08, hinting that the twin we've chosen as our protagonist will get a Mid-Season Upgrade later down the line. As both twins have been stockpiling Skill Points in preparation for this, I'm able to pick out some new abilities. Compare the information below with what was given in the previous update:
- Matsuri, Level 11, Power-type, Kotomaru LV 06, Attack + Support, 3 Mobility, 3 Co-Op Slots
- Abilities: Gemstone (Boosts initial Pressure and earned experience), Burn 2 (Adds Burn to attack. Upgrade to improve chance to burn enemy.)
- Skills Learned: Byakurai (Shock-type, 100 power, 20 cost), Shakkaho (200 power, 20 cost)
- Supporting Fujimaru, Aizen, and Kyoraku
- Fujimaru, Level 11, Speed-type, Ryujomaru LV 06, Accuracy/Evasion Support, 4 Mobility (1 Boost), 2 Co-Op Slots
- Abilities: Gemstone, Shock 2 (Adds Shock to regular attacks. Upgrade to improve chance to shock enemy.)
- Skills Learned: Sai (Hold-type, 0 power, 15 cost)
- Supporting Matsuri and Kaien
With Matsuri, I'd like to focus on Skills, her Burn Abilities, and Co-Op Slots. While she may not end up as fast as the other characters we'll fight with (including some of the other Power types), she also won't outpace the characters she can perform Team Attacks with, and most of her skills have quite a large range. Plus, Matsuri's Burn can be raised to 4, and only one character in this game can surpass her in that aspect. For Fujimaru, while I'd like to focus on things such as Abilities and Mobility, I may have to invest in Skills just so the Power Boosts I'll have to acquire to access the other Mobility upgrade won't go to waste. Fujimaru's Shock can only go up to 3, but there are only two other characters in this game with that Ability, and its effects can be quite advantageous. If anyone has any objections or suggestions to these developments, feel free to leave a comment below. I made sure to save in-battle before killing the Menos Grande in the previous update, and while I cannot undo upgrades from before then, I can change anything above that was in bold. If you don't mind spoilers when it comes to future party members, the Character FAQ on GameFAQs could help in this situation. Now, back to the battlefield!
Fujimaru and Matsuri are at the sides of a kneeling Kaien, while Arturo stands a few spaces away. Yoruichi pops in and congratulates us for doing well, before telling Arturo that she's taking us out of here ASAP, carrying Shiba while the twins follow her. Arturo's a tad angry at this interruption, but Yamamoto himself pops in to take over our position and fight off the Arrancar while the twins withdraw. The twins have never actually seen Shigekuni Genryusai Yamamoto before and don't know who he is, but Arturo can shout out his whole name and tells the Squad 1 Captain to prepare for defeat. Yamamoto once again urges the twins to retreat to a safe distance, and after the screen scrolls to the part of the map we must head to, Yamamoto dares Arturo to follow him and teleports away. Arturo decides to follow, but not before he orders Mad Eater to block our escape. The Hollow appears with a bunch of subordinates, and boy is he glad to go yet another round with the twins that escaped his grasp oh so long ago. Yoruichi says that she'll leave Mad Eater for the twins to handle, and since they've just unleashed their Zanpakutos, Matsuri and Fujimaru are ready to finally finish this. The battle begins, and we can take a good look at our enemies and allies.
- Hollow’s Side
- Familiar, Tech, Lv. 8
- Familiar, Power, Lv. 4
- Familiar, Speed, Lv. 8
- Grand Savage, Tech, Lv. 7
- Grand Savage, Power, Lv. 7
- Grand Savage, Speed, Lv. 7
- Mad Eater, All, Lv. 10
- Guest's Side
- Yoruichi, Speed, Lv. 13, Hakuda LV 01, 2 Movement (it would be higher, but Kaien is weighing her down)
The goal of this battle (which takes place on the same map as the previous fight) is to charge from where the Menos Grande was stationed back to the riverside we started from, charging through two large (as in, they take up 4 spaces) Grand Savage Hollows and Mad Eater while the other foes chase after us. To make up for the fact that we're fighting with two fewer controllable characters, we have Yoruichi assisting us, and both of the twins begin with full spiritual pressure. Did I ever mention that more pressure equals hitting harder with regular attacks, higher likelihood of an extended attack even if you do not have a type advantage, more Team Attacks per skirmish, and dodging more often in fights? Anyways, as Fujimaru has slightly higher Movement and begins in a slightly better position, he's able to start on the offensive immediately, dealing 215 damage to the Speed-type Grand Savage (including unleashing a flashy new extension) and only taking 3 damage in return. Matsuri at least attracts a pair of Familiars and quickly deals with one, though the Tech-typed one somehow survives the first turn with about 10% of its HP remaining. She then heads towards Fujimaru's old position while Fujimaru breezes past and tackles on the other Grand Savage in his path, blissfully ignoring the fact that it's a Power-type and he should be at a disadvantage. He fairs fairly well, even when he steps into Mad Eater's attack range and has to deal with two powerful opponents at once (thanks mostly to the fact that they kept missing him). Matsuri does some clean-up work by finishing off the nearby Familiar and utterly annihilating the Speed-type Grand Savage with attacks dealing 350+ damage. Matsuri is then able to head to her brother's side and help him defeat the Grand Savage with a Team Attack. It takes a teeny-weeny bit more effort to finish off Mad Eater once and for all, but Matsuri was able to burn him, and after one Team Attack cut out over 700 HP, a second Team Attack came close to atomizing him. Mad Eater whines a bit about how this wasn't supposed to happen before finally fading away into nothingness, and then the twins take a turn or two sauntering over to the exit. It would've been all over on Turn 7, except that the slow-moving Yoruichi needs to reach the exit as well for the battle to end, and that took until Turn 9. Still, it was an excellent battle overall.
Back with Yamamoto and Arturo, the Reaper has decided that they're far enough now and that he's done playing with the Arrancar. Arturo asks if he plans to run like the other cowards, but Yamamoto instead reveals a muscular physique under his robes, and asks if Arturo ever gets tired of hearing himself talk. Yamamoto's weapon then turns into flames, and...
Yamamoto: All things of this world, turn to ashes. Ryujinjakka!
Arturo: This wall of flame...What did you—?! Hmph! Insignificant obstacle!
Yamamoto: You won't find my flame so easily extinguished. I'll leave you to amuse yourself with that for a while.
Arturo: GRRAGH! YAMAMOTO!
As Yamamoto's technique is bound to stop Arturo for a while, the Soul Reaper decides that now's a good time to withdraw. We then get a save prompt, and the chapter ends.
Back at Soul Society, Yoruichi tells Yamamoto that nearly everyone has finished withdrawing. Yamamoto congratulates the Kudo twins for their hard work, and while they're honoured, they also wonder what brought Captain Yamamoto out. Yoruichi tells the twins about a discussion she and Yamamoto had earlier over Central 46's plan to use the Shisui Mirror against Arturo. In a flashback, Yoruichi states that it's an unreliable weapon, but Yamamoto informs her that Urahara was making preparations for it. After Yoruichi is surprised at hearing that Kisuke's involving himself, Yamamoto tells her that they both need to go to the battlefield and buy him some time. Back in the present, Yoruchi is telling the twins how they needed to make an evacuation to prepare for their trump card, and that she and Yamamoto were overseeing the most vulnerable part. Now that the Kudos have been informed, Yamamoto wishes to leave and explain things to the other squads, especially since some are letting their anger get to them.
While Yoruichi and the twins take Shiba to the Squad 4 sick bay, Yamamoto deals with Shigen Suzunami, Shunsui Kyoraku, and Juushiro Ukitake. Yamamoto knows they want to know why he had sacrificed many men by ordering an evacuation that left the Rukon District undefended, and he tells the captains that he did so because of a surefire plan to bring down Arturo. Yamamoto then tells them of Central 46's plan to use the Shisui Mirror, but he doesn't have the time to explain everything then and there, and requests that they gather their squads and take up purely defensive positions at the four Seireimon (the gates to Soul Society, if my memory's correct) until the Mirror is ready. Ukitake doesn't want to use his men as shields again, and Suzunami interprets going on defense as Yamamoto not trusting in the might of Seigen and the other captains. But Yamamoto tells Seigen if he thinks that impetuous and impatient young men that act without knowing what's in the enemy's hand should be trusted, which shuts the Squad 5 captain up.
Over at the Squad 4 sick bay, Matsuri and Fujimaru are looking over an unconscious Kaien. Unohana tells them that he had deep wounds that will take time to fully heal, but they treated him in time and he will eventually make a full recovery. Yoruichi once again tells the twins that they did well and that the very fact that they survived an encounter with Arturo is amazing. Matsuri asks Yoruichi if she and the other captains have the power to stop Arturo, and Yoruichi reminds the young Reaper of Arturo's self-assurance, and that he might have tricks up his sleeve that they need to be cautious about. She tells the twins that their defeat means the end of Soul Society, and they must win no matter what it takes. The twins agree, and Matsuri tells the unconscious Kaien that they'll be back soon.
And now, we are brought to a Party Select screen, where I shall end this update. Why here? Because for the first time, we actually have the option of selecting who will go into this grand battle! Five units are required: the Kudo twins, Captain Suzunami, Captain Yoruichi, and Captain Yama-freakin'-moto! It's already a cool party, but we have room for two more characters, and we have four to choose from. Our choices are as follows:
- Lieutenant Aizen, Level 15, Tech-type, Kyokasuigetsu LV 02, B Defence Support, 4 Mobility, 2 Co-Op Slots
- Abilities: Res SP Atk 1
- Skills Learned: Shakkaho (200 power, 20 cost)
- Can Support: Matsuri, Fujimaru, Seigen, Kaien, Urahara, Ukitake
- Retsu Unohana, Level 13, Non Com-type, Minazuki LV 01, C Defence Support, 3 Mobility, 1 Co-Op Slot
- Abilities: None
- Skills Learned: Minazuki (Releases Zanpakuto into its true form, Max Pressure required, can be used after moving, 41 cost), Keikatsu (Recovery, 150 power, 20 cost)
- Can Support: Matsuri, Fujimaru, Yamamoto
- Shunsui Kyoraku, Level 13, Power-type, Katenkyokotsu LV 01, C Attack Support, 3 Mobility, 2 Co-Op Slots
- Abilities: Absolute Def
- Skills Learned: None
- Can Support: Matsuri, Yamamoto, Ukitake
- Juushiro Ukitake, Level 14, Tech-type, Ryujomaru LV 01, C Defence Support, 4 Mobility, 2 Co-Op Slots
- Abilities: Dire Focus (Raises Accuracy if HP < 30%), Dire Evasion (Raises Evasion if HP < 30%), Reliable Hit (Boosts Accuracy at the expense of other abilities if HP < 30%)
- Skills Learned: None
- Can Support: Matsuri, Yamamoto, Aizen, Kaien, Kyoraku
Note that, instead of listing which characters they were supporting at the time I checked their stats, I listed all of the characters that they can possibly support with. As for the stats of the required characters, they will be included in the next update. Who shall be a part of the next battle, which will almost certainly feature the Shisui Mirror in action? It'll be history in the making, so make sure that your favourite character is there to see all of the action! Thank you for reading, and have a spectacular day!
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