Lilith: This is quite the shock; while I don't delude myself into believing I'm an expert I've worn a DEMONICA for quite some time and I've found that they generally don't simply offer quests of their own accord. The artificial intelligence is advanced, true, but not THAT advanced. These quests must have had a commissioner, and whoever that is must be powerful indeed to have influenced the Gauntlet, as they say these Gauntlets can do, well, almost anything! Oh, and in case you're wondering why I'm still sticking around here as Sir Flynn goes after my master, the lord Lucifer... well, I simply want to see if he can do it! An underdog toppling a champion at the eleventh hour... that too can be Chaos!
The two quests I'm going to take on now are two of the DLC Bonus Boss quests that can be bought in the e-shop. These quests are not mandatory, but tie up a lot of dangling plot threads and give access to some of the best demons and skills in the game, so let's get cracking!
Flynn: The Archangels? This quest interface says the Four Archangels are back? How is that possible? We destroyed them as Merkabah! This quest was sent by someone named "M"... curious, a name with only one letter. Well, no harm can come in accepting it, I suppose... GAAAAAH!
Accept the quest "Clipped Wings 1" to be whisked off your feet and deposited back in the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado... 1500 years in the past!
Seth: Gnarly, positively gnarly!
Flynn: ...the HELL? Where'd you come from?
Seth: Just cruisin', thought I'd pick up a contract, you know the drill.
Anubis: "Cruisin'", you say? As the humans say, "Cruisin' for a bruising' is more like it!"
Osiris: Peace, my son. Seth appears to have taken Flynn's contract. As of now, he can do us no harm.
Seth: OSSY! No hard feelings, brah? Figured I'd crash here for a while.
Matador: Klahklahklahklahklah! We're here, too!
Kaso: Oh n-n-o! It's those h-horrible things that beat you up so badly before! They're b-b-back to do it again!
Chemtrail: I SSSSSSHHHHHEEEERTAINLY WISHHHHHHHH I COULD SHHHHHHAY I WASHHHHH HERE TO BEAT YOU UP!
Matador: Klahklahklah! Where's your sense of fun, Chemtrail? Certainly we couldn't put on a show twiddling our thumbs in the Underworld, now?
Yep, the Fiends have begun to creep into my party. Be afraid, Lucifer!
Flynn: Someone's coming!
In this quest you will be greeted by a hooded man, "M," who gives Flynn the score. Aquila has already died (so unfortunately you won't get to meet him, but you'll probably have already worked out who he is) and the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado has been established. The Four Archangels are causing trouble, and what's more, at least according to M, they are doing so in direct violation of God's orders!
Flynn: That sounds... familiar somehow.
Murmur: Blarhar, this kid's thick, ain't he, Asmodeus?
M conscripts Flynn to whack Uriel and Raphael, who are doing various evil things at Shinjuku National Park.
Flynn: So the Archangels aren't at large again, this is the past? So I'm defeating the Archangels before they were released from the tower? I am VERY confused...
M, who evidently has formidable magical powers, zaps Flynn down to Earth to meet with the Archangels. Sure enough, a thunderstorm brews and and a sinister figure descends!
Kazfiel: Uwaaah! Lord Uriel!
Aniel: This isn't what it looks like, we swear!
=BOSS: URIEL=
Level 67. Null Fire, Repel Elec, Weak Force, Null Light, Null Dark
This is another boss that was probably meant to be fought earlier on, but he can still prove a challenge to the unprepared, much like Lucifuge and Belial. He has two unique moves. One is Lightning of God, a heavy-damage Elec move which is the first move you're likely to have encountered with a "pierce" effect. What does this mean? Well, if you happen to Resist, Null, or Drain Elec, the move will do normal damage (though if it strikes a demon with Repel Elec it'll still be repelled for some reason). This can be annoying, but what you really have to watch out for is Kannuki-Throw. This is his other unique move, and Phys attack that can strike up to fifteen times with "weak" Phys damage. Needless to say, despite being nominally weak, this can easily add up to more damage than a "severe" move.
Matador: Klahklahklahklahklah! Is there anything more thrilling than a duel to the end? I should think not!
With half his health gone, Uriel will enquire of Flynn why, as a Mikado resident and thus a "chosen one," he wished to fight for the people of Tokyo. The correct response is "Because I wish to fight you." Uriel will be amused by this prospect and actually power Flynn up!
Flynn: Eh? This fellow doesn't seem so bad...
Fight him with Wind attacks. Eventually, he'll go down, but you're not out of the woods yet, as Raphael will tag in!
=BOSS: RAPHAEL=
Level 72. Weak Fire, Null Ice, Repel Force, Null Light, Null Dark
Raphael is probably the easiest of the Four, due to his unique moves being the weakest; the biggest challenge is you can't change parties between Uriel and Raphael. As for moves, Raphael packs Tornado of God, which is the exact same thing as Lightning of God, but with Force damage, and Serpent of Sheol, which drains an absurd amount of MP but is really more annoying than anything. No, what you really have to watch out for is Stigmata Strike, and Phys damage move that inflicts the ailment Brand. This ailment is unique to the DLC bosses and prevents HP and MP from recovering. Even worse, it can't be removed by moves like Amrita; whether this is a programming oversight or a technique to make the bosses harder, I do not know.
Again, at half health Raphael will engage in Boss Banter with you. He will ask whether or not the existence of such a corrupt place as Tokyo makes Flynn melancholy.
Flynn: Of course not! Mikado has just as many problems if not more than Tokyo does!
Answering in the negative to this question will disturb Raphael (evidently he's more of a hardliner than Uriel) and cause him to lose a Press Turn. Fight him with Fire magic and eventually, he will fall.
M will arrive and congratulate Flynn on his victory. Before heading back to the present, he will present Flynn with two "Shining Hairs:" the mediums of Uriel and Raphael. You can now call upon them to fight alongside you!
Surt: Oh hoh hoh... vengeance is sweet!
Flynn: But I have a feeling I know what this next quest is. I should contract a few more demons before I go in... Hmm...
Xi Wangmu: Gruuuuuhuuuu! I sense a delectable human! Oh? You're the one with the audacity to destroy me last time! Gruuuhuuuu, I'm having trouble deciding whether you'd be a better meal or ally!
Nekomata: Nyikes! You're that crazy old bag from Nyakebukuro!
Qing Niuguai: HEY! Watch your mouth there! Along with her husband, the Jade Emperor, Xi Wangmu is second only to my master, Taishang Laojun!
Kama: Fufufufufu... mother? This is getting interesting...
Lakshmi: Oh how wonderful! KAMA! And my sister Sarasvati and... oh, hello Kali. No hugs, thank you very much. We are to challenge the Archangels, yes? I can do what I can, but I wish my husband were here... he is even stronger than I!
Michizane: We shall help, too!
Yaso Magatsuhi: Yaso Magatsuhi!
Flynn: Oh, hey, it's you guys! Sorry about, y'know, killing you and all.
Tenkai: It was simply the way the magnetite aligned. Plus none of us liked Tayama very much.
Yaso Magatsuhi: Yaso Magatsuhi!
Chi You: 'GROOOOOOAAAAAAR! THOSE PUUUUUUNY ARCHANGELS WON'T KNOW WHAT HIT 'EM! THIS. MEANS. WAAAAAAAAAAR!
Ares: Who the Hell is that? I must say even I find him excessive...
Flynn: I found him in Lucifer's Palace. He's... colorful, isn't he?
Chi You: I ONLY JOINING UP WITH YOU FOR A SHOT AT THAT WHINY LITTLE PIKER HUANG DI. HE THINKS HE CAN BEAT MEEEEEEEEE JUST CAUSE HE CAN INVENT STUFF? FIGHT LIKE A MAAAAAAAN ON THE FIELD OF WAAAAAAAAR!
Xi Wangmu is the top Lady and Lakshmi is the top Megami; they're more or less Law and Chaos counterparts to each other. They're decently powerful depending on what you give them, but they can make something much better later on. Chi You is the third-best Tyrant (there are a lot in this game, aren't there?) and Repels Ice, which is good for where we're going next. And National Defense Divinities are always good to have.
Flynn: Alright, let's take this second quest...
Accept "Clipped Wings 2" to be transported once again to Mikado's past and meet with M. This time, the targets are Gabriel and Michael, who are at the cocoon in Shene Duque.
Flynn: You know something? There seems to be a connection between Shene Duque and Shinjuku. The Archangels have bases at both, and in reality where the cocoon never took flight, it was at the same scaffold at Shinjuku National Park where we fought Uriel and Raphael. Gabriel said it was once holy ground... could the Archangels have begun their plan there?
Seth: Well, DUH!
Head to Shene Duque. M reveals he can bypass the wards on the cocoon that allow only angels entry. Dun dun DUNNN! Enter to confront Gabriel.
=BOSS: GABRIEL=
Level 80. Repel Ice, Weak Elec, Repel Force, Null Light, Null Dark
Whoo boy. Uriel and Raphael were the appetizer; Gabriel and Michael are the main course. They are, if anything, harder than the Fiends. Gabriel has three unique moves. The one you're least likely to see is Makaracoerce, which just removes any Makarakarns you may put up. Hopefully, though, you know not to 'karn at all against Bonus Bosses by now. Next up we have her piercing move, Hailstorm of God, which, as you might expect, pierces through Ice resistances.
Chi You: BLAHAHAHAAA! HER PUUUUUUUUNY POWDER-SNOW BOUNCES OFF MY IMPENETRABLE HIDE!
Michizane: Speak for yourself... BRRRRR...
Yaso Magatsuhi: YASO MAGATSUHI!
The one you really need to watch for, though, is Lamentation. This move is Ancient Curse on crack, in that it inflicts every status ailment at once including Brand! Yes, you're going to have to deal with that again. The best thing to do here is the same way you combat Ancient Curse: equip Flynn with an ailment-nulling accessory, which, since the move inflicts all ailments, will cost Gabriel a Press Turn. At the halfway mark, she will engage you in Boss Banter. She will ask you if destroying the corrupted Tokyo for the idyllic Mikado is wrong, and the correct response is to "Remain silent;" this will cause her to lose a Press Turn.
Flynn: All right, let's give it all we've got!
Yaso Magatsuhi: YASO MAGATSUHI!
Spam Ziodyne and Thunder Reign, making sure to clear off status ailments, until she falls. Unusually, she doesn't die, and instead a "Majestic voice" bids her leave...
Mithras: Very bad. Very very bad... This is the same power I sensed before!
=ULTIMATE BOSS: MICHAEL=
Level 85. Repel Fire, Weak Ice, Repel Elec, Null Light, Null Dark
No breaks, no party switches, no time to heal. Michael immediately takes Gabriel's place in the battle, and while she was more of a status mage, Michael simply elects to beat you senseless, and is he ever good at that. He has three main moves: Inferno of God, his pierce skill. Fallen Grace, which always hits for exactly 666 damage; it cannot be powered up but hardly needs to be, as this will almost always cripple your demons. And Archangel's Law, the outright deadliest, which gives him a free Smirk. Yes, really. Also adding to the fun: Charge and Javelin Rain! Seriously, if that connects, press reset.
Yaso Magatsuhi: Yaso MAGAAAA-
Flynn: Grrgh... even a National Defense Divinity couldn't... Huh?
Red Rider: Klahklahklahklahklah! Hold your head high, Human! This is the battlefield! You cannot afford to be disheartened; if you are, you've already lost!
Flynn: Another Fiend?
Aww yeah. Red Rider is perfect for this battle. He Repels Fire, which shuts down Inferno of God, and can debuff with Antichthon. I highly recommend bringing him with you when you fight this boss. Debuffing is essential here, as is Ice; Glacial Blast shuts Michael down right and good.
Flynn: Is that it? We destroyed him? But that one, Gabriel, is still alive... I so want to kill her, but... it's against the Samurai code to kill anyone who can't help themselves.
Norn: We believe that was a good call. Who knows what would have become of time had you done that...
So Gabriel gets away, and M spirits the other three to Kagome Tower in Shinjuku. There, he fits them with the same memory-wiping masks and imprisons them in the same birdcages Flynn himself would free them from 1500 years later.
Flynn: So there one who imprisoned those Archangels was... me!? I was played for a sucker; can any of you forgive me?
Asmodeus: Oh, sure, now he gets it! Gweh. The signs are there all along; I guess humans really are just that dumb...
M then reveals his true identity: none other than Mastema! He thanks Flynn for punishing the Four for betraying God, and rewards him, giving him the data of the Tyrant Aeshma, one of Aquila's trusted companions along with the Minotaur, and two Shining Hairs, the mediums for Gabriel and Michael.
Minotaur: Aeshma, the young upstart of our group. I hope he will do you proud under this new master... Akira...
Asmodeus: Haven't heard that name in...
Bidding Flynn farewell, Mastema sends him back to his own time. Lucifer awaits...
To be continued...
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