Qing Niuguai: Out of my way! The nerve of some demons; I was the mount of Laozi himself! A contract has been issues by this holy one, Gabby, that requires returning to the Unclean Streets. I deserve better than this! I was once an Emperor, for the sake of Heaven! All right, that didn't really work out very well, but I am not to do odd jobs for humans! HRNFF!
Proceed to the Monastery to fing Jonathan, Walter, and Isabeau already there. Sister Gabby appears and assigns the new quest: three allies of the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado are being held prisoner by the demons, at the tower in Shinjuku National Park. The Prentices are to head there to rescue them.
Flynn: Merely a rescue mission, then? This is a noble goal; I fear I was beginning to have doubts in the Monastery.
First, though, we can do some Challenge Quests. First up, "Samurai and Hunters United." This one is the sequel to "Deliver the Film," and involves the same character, Nozomi. Meet her in the Ameyoko District of Ueno, the same place you fought the Pirate Hordes.
Incubus: Slobber... look at them curves! You guys weren't kiddin'!
Night Stalker: I got pictures, m'friend, goin' at 5000 Macca!
(Suddenly, both are clubbed on the head by...)
Minotaur: I shall not have a lady's honor besmirched. Son of Aquila, as your King's most loyal companion, I renew my pact here and now with you! You wish to save this world? Well, show me what you've got!
Flynn: Awesome! ...wait, what does that word mean? I have heard it several times here in Tokyo...
Your destination is to the north of Ueno, and you must pay to take a boat there. In the desert you will find several treasures as well as a "red" demon. Save and heal, then challenge it!
=MINI-BOSS: ASURA=
Level 30. Resist Phys, Null Gun, Repel Fire, Weak Ice, Null Force
This is something of a Trick Boss, really. He's not nearly as hard as he was in SJ, but to complete the quest you need to keep Nozomi alive... and she fights mostly with Gun and Fire moves. It goes without saying that this means Smirks for Asura, so kill him quickly! With Bufula or better on everyone, he should go down in two rounds max But just to be sure, i brought in reinforcements...
Black Frost: Hee-yes! We kicked his ho ass-ho!
Jack Frost: How mean. Is that... me-ho?
Minotaur: There are things demonkind was not meant to know.
Next up, "Isis's Search for the Coffin." This is the demon-talk quest for Ueno and Kasumigaseki, but it actually takes place in Naraku. Mythology fans should find this one familiar. Speak to Isis, who is in the formerly-empty room. She informs Flynn that her nemesis, Seth, has killed her husband Osiris and buries his sarcophagus somewhere in Naraku.
The coffin is beyond the waterfall on the Fourth Stratum. Pick it up and you're in another situation like the one from the Missing Child Search quest: since he's carrying the coffin, Flynn can only run from battles, but his demons can fight. Hike back up to the Second Stratum, dodging seth, who appears as a red "bird" demon on the overworld, as you go. There are some places where it's very hard to avoid him, particularly when he spawns right in front of a door on the Third Stratum. The best thing to do here is wait until he de-spawns, then immediately run right across where he was before he spawns fully again. Return the coffin to Isis.
Flynn: It always feels nice to do a good deed. I wonder if we shall meet again?
Next, "Cu Chulainn's Training." This is Shinjuku's demon-talk quest, and is a request from Scathach, Celtic goddess of war, to humble her arrogant student, Setanta, who is at the Kasumegaseki arena. Head there and challenge him!
=MINI-BOSS: SETANTA=
Level 31. Repel Force.
Ouchies. This boss has some nasty tricks up his sleeve, including Javelin Rain, a multi-strike, medium-strength Phys move that's almost as annoying as Blight. He can also Charge, and a Charged Javeli Rain is usually enough for a wipe. So, there's only one demon to bring in here!
Makara: Zat would be me, yis? I zhall protect you!
Makara is the first demon available with the amazing Tetrakarn, which automatically repels any Phys or Gun moves to the entire party! He only has enough MP to cast it twice, but that should be more than enough to get Setanta to basically cripple himself. When you win, Scathach turns Setanta, who has lurned his lesson, back into his older form, Cu Chulainn, and grants Flynn the right to summon him!
Tam Lin: The great Cu Chulainn was more powerful than me even as a child... I can only imagine how strong he must be at full power!
Next, we've got "Demon Guarding the Shrine." This one is from the Shinjuku Hunter Association, wherein Flynn is assigned to eliminate a demon that has been attacking people at a shrine in Kasumigaseki. Head there to challenge Okuninushi, who claims he will wreak vengeance upon all humanity for the destruction of the "Field of Autumn Leaves."
=MINI-BOSS: OKUNINUSHI=
Level 45. Weak Ice, Resist Light, Resist Dark
Take-Minakta: Oh, great. It's my lousy dad. Butting into other people's business as always.
Flynn: This demon is your... father?
Okuninushi is pretty much the same as Setanta, though I actually find him slightly easier, despite his higher level, due to actually having a weakness, namely Ice. Makara will be your MVP again here, though Okuninushi trades multiple "medium" strikes for a single "heavy" strike, Berserker God. Ice Breath is also an asset as it can easily get Smirks. When you defeat him, a Hunter arrives and explains that the demon was angry that the Ashura-kai destroyed the Akibahara district. The reward is the awesome Bushi Tasogare legwear, which you can easily take to the end of the game, and the right to fuse Okuninushi.
Flynn: These Ashura-kai seem sketchier and sketchier the more I hear of them. Apologies for your father, Minakata; I am beginning to suspect he may have been in the right here...
Take-Minakata: He'll pop up again somewhere. Maybe even as an ally. He's never been one to stay down.
Next, "Phantom of Madness," also from the Shinjuku Association. Accept it and head to Shinjuku; you're looking for Insane Hordes here which show up as red "man-"shape demons on the overworld. When you beat one, Burroughs will automatically lock on to the others.
=MINI-BOSS: INSANE HORDE x4=
Level 28. Resist Gun, Weak Ice
These are the phantoms of the law enforcement officers who died in the Bad Thing 25 years ago. As such, you may feel kinda bad fighting them, but they're beyond help now. Just pile on the fire. Win and...
=MINI-BOSS: CHERNOBOG=
Level 28. Weak Light, Null Dark
DUN DUN DUN DUN DUN DUN DUN DUN DOOO-NEEEEER, DOOO-NEEER... sorry. Chernobog is the one who conjured up the tortured spirits and he's not going down without a fight. He's pretty tough, too, having Fatal Sword and everyone's favorite, Blight, as well as Mamudo. Basically, he's David Plus. Use whatever you want on him, and you may want to use Tetrakarn. He concedes the ability to fuse him upon defeat.
Zombie Cop: I salute... my fellow officers... I shall bring the one responsible for the incident... to justice...
Next, "Sunset for a Demonnapper." This is Ikebukuro's Demon Talk quest, and is only available after completing the Wu Kong quest. Head to the shrine at Ikebukuro to meet the Lady Hariti, as well as Wu Kong again. Hariti's son, the Prince Priyankara, has been kidnapped and Flynn is hired to find him.
Flynn: Lost child? Well, I HAVE dealt with this before.
Priyankara is at the Ikebukuro West Entrance, in a previously-empty building you may have seen on your first trip here. Turns out the Prince has been kidnapped by two starving soldiers who want to eat his delicious demon flesh! Eew. They summon their own demon, Kanseiteikun, and attack.
=MINI-BOSS: KANSEITEIKUN=
Level 31.
Kanseiteikun has no resistances but no weaknesses either, so this is another "hit it until it dies" boss. The two soldiers also fight and will only target Priyankara, who is hiding behind Flynn. Fortunately, the kid's really tough and they can only shave off splinters of his health. Kanseiteikun apparently only targets Flynn's party, which is probably good for Priyankara, as he has the same Berserker God skill as Okuninushi did. Win the battle with Priyankara alive and Hariti will reward you. You may now fuse both her and Kanseiteikun, whose fusion requirement is... interesting, but we'll get to that next time.
Flynn: I certainly could not let them eat that child. They were no better than that Kuebiko...
Finally, we've got "A Grudge from the Streets," which you can do without even leaving this area. Hunt down the Killer Hordes, which are a large collection of Jack the Rippers. As before, once you defeat one, Burroughs will automatically lock onto the other two, a big help in this large area.
=MINI-BOSS: KILLE HORDE x3=
Level 31. Weak Fire, Null Dark
These Hordes are a pain. Mostly due to having Javelin Rain, which they seem to always use as the first move on their second turn. Use this to your advantage just as you did with Setanta.
Makara: Iz my cue, yis?'
Flynn: Go wild.
Fight back with Maragi and Tetrakarn. When you are done, head for Shinjuku National Park. There are a couple demons to recruit here that you may not have been strong enough for last time.
Okiku-Mushi: My my my, what a big manly hunter this is. Have you ever had a woman with real curves before?
Flynn: Actually, I was saving myself for-
Orias: Get thee hence, trollop! I shall not have debauchery on this sacred ground!
Okiku-Mushi: Feh, you're just mad because I dumped you!
Orias: Yes...
Okiku and Orias are Gun and fire-users respectively. I used Okiku more, but Orias leans the multi-strike "medium" fire attack, Maragion, so he's useful for fusion, at least. Remember that wall of fire from before? The Hexagram Rosary, a trinket given to Flynn by Gabby, is able to disperse it. You may also have noticed that you can go into the interior of the park and talk to people there. One of them says something very interesting: the "ceiling" over Tokyo has only been there since the Bad Thing 25 years ago!
Flynn: I-impossible! The Eastern Kingdom of Mikado is on the back of that Firmament, and it has been for 1500 years! How old are these people?
The entrance to the tower is in the south part of the park, past the wall of fire. Before you can enter, though, you're going to have to deal with the Ashura-kai thug guarding the place.
=MINI-BOSS: BALOR=
Level 31. Null Fire, Resist Force, Null Light, Null Dark.
Like Qing Niuguai from before, this is a miniboss that I find more annoying than the actual boss. Same reasons, too: no weaknesses and a penchant for getting lucky critical hits. He has Megaton Press and Mamudo, yeah, not fun. Use Ice or Elec until he drops. Afterward, the thug runs away and you are free to enter Kagome Tower...
...which isn't much of a tower. It's only two floors with a couple treasures and two new demons to recruit.
Samyaza: Egad! Be stil my heart! Look at that redheaded human goddess; I would do anything for her!
Incubus: Hey, chickie, steer clear; I know that guy, and he's a creep even by my standards!
Dantalian: And he carries exactly 32,887.2 sexually-transmitted diseases!
Samyaza: You wound me, Sir Dantalian; I have changed!
Danalian is really good, coming with Mazanma and Makarakarn, the magical equivalent to Tetrakarn. The people you are supposed to save are inside the doors in the tower; enter them to be greeted with... a naked man in a birdcage?
Flynn: ''I must say I have never seen an odder sight. Regardless, he looks in dire straits, so I should do my part!
=MINI-BOSS: MURMUR=
Level 33. Weak Fire, Weak Ice, Repel Elec, Repel Force, Null Light, Null Dark.
The cage is, of course, defended, and the fallen angel Murmur isn't going to let its prisoner go without a fight. He has Axel Claw but if you go in with Fire and Ice, he shouldn't even get an attack in. When he goes down, Jonathan frees the man from the birdcage. It turns out the man is wearing a mask that has wiped all his memories, which may only be removed by a "kindred spirit"... but, of course, since his memory's been wiped, he has no idea who it is. Jonathan decides to leave the party to carry the poor sap home.
Flynn: How horrible. Whoever did that to these men is a sadist indeed.
Horkos: HE HAD A STRANGE AURA...
Proceed to the second floor and enter the door here to find another birdcage with another naked man in it. This cage, too, has a demon guardian, the demoness of love, Gemori!
=MINI-BOSS: GEMORI=
Level 34. Drain Fire, Weak Ice, Null Light, Null Dark
Spam ice and it dies.
Walter frees the second man and caries him home, leaving Flynn and Isabeau behind to free the last one at the very top of the tower. The opposition here is tougher, to be sure. A really, really big demon comes out, declaring that if the prisoner were to be released, doom would be upon the world once more. Regardless, you have to challenge him.
=BOSS: ASMODEUS=
Level 33. Null Gun, Drain Fire, Weak Force, Null Light, Null Dark
This boss can hurt if you let him. He usually starts the battle with three casts of Spirit Drain and then his unique skill, the nasty Almighty attack Hell's Torment. Since it's Almighty, there's no way of guarding against it, and it can easily shave off more than half the whole party's health. You might expect due to his resistance to fire and use of fire moves he's weak to ice, but he's not, it's wind. Dantalian is an asset here, as is, well, anyone else with Zanma. Winning nets you the right to fuse him. Isabeau takes the final man back to Mikado, and Flynn heads back there too.
Minotaur: That demon seemed... familiar somehow.
Gabby commends Flynn's work upon his return, but brings grave news.
In the time since he has left, the Black Samurai's body has vanished!
What has become of the Black Samurai? Who are the masked men? Why did Minotaur recognize Asmodeus? Stay tuned to find out!
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