Wicker Man: Hn hn hn hn... I figured if I bided my time in that cave one of these would come along. This Samurai, Flynn, seems to be one of a rare stock indeed. There are tales of those like him from around the cosmos: the ones that can bridge the gaps of human and demon, devil and angel, order and chaos. If my divining is correct - and it usually is - this is one of those not bound by the Cycle; he's detined to do great things, and, more importantly, I've got a front-row seat! Hn hn hn!
Proceed to the end of the Hall of the Minotaur and down the stairs to reach Naraku's Sixth Stratum. Or rather, the "Excavation Worker Quarters." Surrounding the four Prentices and their demons is a strange, metallic chamber, clearly built with technology far beyond anything in Mikado.
Flynn: How strange... clearly this place has known civilization. Until yesterday it was illegal for any Mikado citizen to proceed this deep, so... whoever built this came from below? I find that very hard to believe...
Camazotz: SAY, CHIEF, CAN I TAKE THAT BULL DUDE'S HEAD? NOT LIKE HE'S USIN' IT ANYMORE, HEH HEH...
Flynn: No.
Walter points out a room that looks like it would be excellent to take a rest in, so the group heads inside. The room turns out to be a strange changing room of sorts, and the group discovers here a new weapon, identified by Burroughs as a "gun."
Jack the Ripper: Ooh! Gimme! Gimme!
Flynn: A mystic relic that may be used for combat? Truly, the powers of the Unclean Ones are strange...
Agathion: ...
Flynn: Hm?
Agathion: Go away. I'm a jar.
Flynn: I know of no jars that can talk...
Agathion: Did I say something? Umm, I mean... jar! Jar! Jar!
Harpy: How... special.
Agathion is a new recruitable around here. Like Stonka and Lham Daerg, he's a specialist in inaccurate, high-critical moves.
Wicker Man: I smell something... No! My nemesis! FORTUNA!
Fortuna: You're just mad I do your job better and look better doing it!
Fortuna is the first Special Fusion demon available in the game. This means that her Fusion combination is always the same, and requires more than one demon. As long as you have these demons in your Compendium, the fusion can be performed, though a fee is requited if they are not in your active party at the moment. Fortuna herself is basically Pixie Plus; a healer and a wind-user, the latter of which will be quite important in a smidge.
Fortuna: So, Samurai, word on the grapevine is you might be one of those that the whole future's been entrusted to. Thought I'd tag along to see for myself.
Flynn: That's odd... that man in the wheelchair said the same thing... No. Certainly a coincidence. I am a servant of my Kingdom, nothing else.
The alcoves aroung here house treasure chests with Incenses, items that can permanently increase Flynn's stats! Beware, also, of the Wildfire Hordes - they're fast, take two turns each fight, and have a multi-strike Fire move, meaning they can end the battle quickly if they take the first strike.
Aeros: Wsssshhhhh...
Flynn: Hmm, another Elemental. Wonder what he can do?
Vodyanik: Are you really that thick-k-k, kid? What does he l-l-look like?
See how I'm stockpiling Wind-users? Yeah. It's also important that Flynn should be at least level 15 by this point, and for that, it's time to take a bit of a detour into the first DLC quest.
Flynn: That's odd... I don't remember accepting that quest... "The Jailers of the River Styx?" Whoa... WHOOOOOOOAAAAAAH!
This quest is called "Experience of the Afterlife," and can be purchased in the DLC shop. Accept it to be transported to a ruined world where the Jailers of Styx greet Flynn. They tell him that Styx has become so bloated with new souls that they intend to reduce the amount of people who die by giving them more "experience." In this world, which is apparently beyond saving, they task Flynn with killing the demons that dwell here; whatever they drop is his reward.
Pixie: This place had no one to guide its future...
Flynn: Have I... been here before?
Fight the Mitama enemies, which are the game's Metal Slime, resistant to everything and prone to running. The super-secret trick here is that the more damage multipliers are on Flynn's skills (that is, the greater the amount of times the skill has been passed to Flynn in a demon whisper), the more damage they will take; this is true for all enemies, but significantly moreso for the Mitamas.
The Mitamas drop the Grimoire items in light and heavy sizes. The Light Grimoires give a small amount of experience to whoever uses them, but the Heavy Grimoires give exactly enough experience for the user to gain a level! Use these sparingly if you don't want to break the game. There's also a door here that you can go into, to find...
Flynn: Egad! That man's green!
The green man will trade his demon, Oread, for ten Light Grimoires. Take it! This is the only way to get this demon in the game!
Napaea: Hmmph, my idiot big sister finally shows up...
When you are ready, exit through the underground tunnel. This quest can be repeated as often as you like, which is just as potentially game-breaking as it sounds.
Flynn: What an odd experience... ...is there a bird perching on my head?
Suparna: Yes.
Flynn: Could you please get off it?
Suparna: No.
Shiisa: I'll get him down! I'll get him down because I love you! ROWF!
Suparna: Beast. I was enjoying myself.
Two more Wind-based demons join up. Where am I going with all of this? You'll see...
Further down the hall, the other Prentices notice an odd-looking door that Isabeau feels is somehow important. Enter to find a huge, dome-shaped room with a lone console at the center. Burroughs analyzes it as something called a "Terminal," which can be used to instantaneously travel from place to place!
Flynn: Unclean wizardry at its finest, it seems...
Gremlin: Can I break it? Pleasepleaseplease!
Abbot Hugo then calls and reveal that there's a Terminal in Aquila Plaza, too! They'd never had another one to link it to until now, but as of today we can travel between Naraku and Mikado instantly! Hugo surmises there may be more Terminals in the Unclean Ones' country, and assigns a quest to find them all...
Proceed into the next area, the Outer Scaffolding. This area is one big square, with a few relic spawns, as you descend deeper. At the end, you'll find another door, beyond which is a staircase, beyond which is the Second Observation Platform!
Flynn: It seems like I can see for miles here. The stars are beautiful. But wait... are we not looking down? Those stars... are on the ground?
The other Prentices are similarly perplexed, until they remember the legends of the Unclean Ones state that they can use their magic to light their cities. The group notices another, strange door, which Burroughs identifies an an "elevator," a device used to move people up and down. The electricity is one, so the Prentices are free to use it on their journey.
Naga: These Unclean guys should be more careful what stuff they leave lyin' around, in my opinion.
The elevator leads to the First Observation Platform, which has been taken over by a Domain. Surely enough, Burroughs detects a powerful demon nearby.
Flynn: Another one? King Aquila's defenses are mighty indeed...
Suparna: Excellent view up here.
Flynn: Yii! Get off!
This area is a big circle with a few chests and demons about. To proceed, we want to head to the other stairwell, on the other side of the loop. Take note also of the strange human-shaped sculptures about.
Dwarf: Damn high-quality stuff, this. I could swear you can see the pores of their skin...
If you're level 15, you'll also want to make the demon Toubyo here, who comes with Zanma, the "medium"-level Wind attack and likely the first "medium" elemental spell you'll get.
Toubyo: Ah Ssssssssssamurai, eh? Ressssst assured I have been around a long time and known many massssters... let's see how you sssstack up...
Heal and save, and proceed to the second stairwell. The four Prentices hear something slithering about, and soon an evil-looking woman with snakes for hair appears from the shadows raving about how she will make up into her latest pieces of "art." Obviously, we're not going to let her!
=BOSS: MEDUSA=
Level 15. Resist Gun, Drain Elec, Weak Force, Null Light, Null Dark.
Agathion: Err, I think we know why those statues looked so realistic now... Oh! I mean jar! Jar jar jar!
Yup, after five chapters of no major bosses, Atlus drops two on us back-to-back! Medusa, as the final challenge of the most challenging level of the game, is accordingly quite challenging herself. Every single one of her attacks does medium-level damage, while you will only likely have Tetanus Cut and Zanma at this point. Her unique skill is Snake's Fangs, a random-strike Gun move that will always be used as her last attack in a given round. This isn't quite as devastating as Labrys Strike, but makes up for it by being able to "Bind," the target, leaving them unable to move! She has Tathlum Shot, a single-strike Gun attack, and finally, Mazionga, a multi-strike Elec move.
Flynn: Uggghhh... is this demon another one of King Aquila's defenses? What was he so eager to hide from us?
Fortuna: This one... her Aura tells me she has not been here nearly as long as the other...
Fight back with Wind. Toubyo, Shiisa, Fortuna, Suparna, and, if properly outfitted, Aeros are excellent choices here, so I made a point of getting them all. Toubyo's Zanma makes the fight much easier. And like Minotaur, she will also ask questions. To the first, when she asks what you think of her "statues," respond that they are beautiful to make her drop her guard. When she dares you to look into her eyes give her a side glance instead to shake her composure. Pile on the wind, and heal when you need to, and she'll eventually go down.
Toubyo: Thankfully, there is no rule against sssssssnake killing sssssnake.
This was Naraku's last light of defense. Proceed down the stairwell to breach the land of the Unclean Ones...
What will Flynn find in the Unclean Ones' country? Who sent Medusa? Did Agathion's jar impression actually covince anyone? Stay tuned to find out!
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