Nanashi: Well we need to get over to that party. I shouldn't keep everyone else with me waiting; Asahi really wants to get there. That Tamagami stuff... yeesh, hard to chew on.
Adramelech: And he was terrible at crossdressing.
Nebiros: Be quiet Adramelech; people like you are an embarrassment to the community.
Abaddon: HELLO.
Nanashi: Gah! Another head from the ground, like Alciel! And that guy over there looks kinda like Nandou.
Beiji Weng: Hm. Well met, Nandou. Is this the child?
Lord Nandou: Indeed, Beiji.
Beiji Weng: Judgment nears for one of this group...
Character notes: Formally Beiji Xian Weng, he is the Taoist god of the Big Dipper; his name means "Wise Man of the North Star." He is the counterpart to Nadou Xingjun (Lord Nandou), governing death as Nandou governs life. He decides the destinations of people in the afterlife. He's an Ice and healing user who is the first demon with Glacial Blast, a very powerful randomly-hitting Ice skill.
Personality notes: As Nandou, but a bit more dour.
Character notes: Another apocalyptic manifestation from the Book of Revelation, Abaddon is a wrathful angel (you'd think he'd be in Herald, but no) who leads an army of giant, human-faced locusts to torment the wicked at God's behest, prior to the end of the world. His name means "bottomless pit." He is a Phys and support user; excellent for de-buffing.
Personality notes: Pops up out of the ground when you least expect him and says odd things.
Head to the second floor of Kasumigaseki to find the party in full swing. Fujiwara and Skins greet us as everybody gets to hobnobbing. everyone seems to be getting worked up...
(Cut to: MELCHOM, approaching BRIGID, OSIRIS, and ISIS)
Melchom: Ah, hello, yes. Wanted to run a pitch by some of the bigger-name gods on the board, hmm, yes...
Brigid: Hmm? Well, out with it.
Melchom: Right. Well, meeting between me, Legal, and Human Resources have convinced me that NPDRFQD, LLC should really have a company uniform. So I threw together THIS little beauty!
(MELCHOM pulls a T-shirt from his pouch. It's sickly green like his skin, bordered by purple. At the top it says NPDRFQD, LLC; below this is a picture of MELCHOM giving a thumbs up, and below this the slogan "We do stuff so lazy humans don't have to!)
Melchom: Well?
Isis: So let me get this straight... you're making you and only you the face of the entire company? When was the last time you actually fought, before he fused you away for I-can't-even-remember?
Melchom: Well, I'm the face because I do all the actual work. Are you implying the fighting demons do even a plurality of the real hard stuff? Aha. Ahahahahahahhhhhhhhhhhhh... Why do I exist?
(Cut to: MASTER THERION and FENRIR sampling a buffet table)
Fenrir: SO YOU'RE A DREAD BEAST PROPHESIED TO BRING ABOUT THE END OF ALL?
Master Therion: Verily.
Fenrir: WHAT A COINCIDENCE; SO AM I! AWOOOOOOOOOO! HOW'RE YOU GONNA DO IT?
Master Therion: I shall take over the government by setting myself up as the Saviour and usher in a great war. AND HOPEFULLY BANG SOME HOOKERS TOO.
Fenrir: SO YOU'LL END THE WORLD WITH POLITICS? BOWOOOOOOOOOOOOORING. I'M GONNA EAT THE SUN.
Tonatiuh: What?
Master Therion: Doth not concern thee.
Tonatiuh: Well I'll have you know I am the current steward of this world, and it shall not end until the great earthquake!
(They keep on arguing)
(Cut to: HORKOS devouring everything on another table TAOTIE is beside him, with CHUPACABRA still stuck to TAOTIE)
Mithras: Stop eating you embarrassment, listen to me!
Horkos: BUT THIS HUMAN FOOD IS MOST BUONO! IT TASTES LIKE TASTY HUMAN!
Asura: WHY DO WE STILL HANG OUT WITH HIM? IN ANY CASE, LISTEN, THERE'S AN ENERGY IN HERE THAT IS MOST DISTURBING.
Mithras: We haven't felt this signature since Ikebukuro - in fact it had completely gone out. This shouldn't be possible, and yet-
Suddenly the microphone flares up and Flynn steps to the podium. Only... according to Fujiwara, he wasn't planning on speaking...
Ogun: There's some dark stuff here; like a vortex... I feel like I'm getting pulled in!
Flynn proceeds to give a grandiose speech - while the war may be over, humanity's fight is just beginning. We can no longer be stagnant, as we were before the war. We must rise up above ourselves and build a new destiny for the planet! The crowd, including Asahi, goes wild! But then Dagda calls.
Dagda: Show's about to start, kid!
And when Nanashi looks back up... all the partygoers are lying on the floor. Eyes glazed over, as though their very souls have been ripped out!
Nanashi: ...what the fuck...
And what's more, the cause... was Flynn! He gloats that the souls of all the people are now in his stomach... because he's not Flynn, he's Shesha! Flynn's face transforms into a hideous visage with green skin, red eyes, and a too-wide mouth full of way too many blood-red teeth. Shesha thanks us for killing him - every time he comes back, he evolves, and now he has true intelligence AND can remove souls without first devouring the human. What's more, Krishna and Odin faked their own deaths as well. Shesha reveals that he's now absorbed enough souls to become the Cosmic Egg, which will hatch the new universe at the full moon, but first, he has somebody he needs to remove from the board...
Nanashi: I saw the snake lunge for me, his mouth opening wider than should be possible. I felt Asahi's hand on my arm; she had such soft hands. My name was the last thing she said before those horrible jaws closed around her. I heard every crunch as those teeth crunched her flesh, her bond, everything that had BEEN my oldest and sweetest friend, to pulp. All that was left was a pool of blood. Some strips of flesh... and her goggles. She'd had those since she was four... since she was...
Asahi's gone. She obviously disappears from our available list of support characters. Shesha leaves with a smile and a wave; the group follows him upstairs and watches as he takes a flying leap off a building, but before he lands... his body erupts into a MASSIVE, organic-looking sphere!
Applause rings out as Krishna and Odin appear at the top of the sphere. They still have the real Flynn, and intend on turning him into a Godslayer. They reveal that one the new universe is born tomorrow, they will be able to break into the Creator's citadel and destroy Him! They furthermore state that everyone is still alive in there, their should being used to people the next world.
Nanashi: Whatever...
The pair retreat with Flynn into the sphere. Fujiwara calls us and tells us to head back in, as there's information he needs to impart to us. He tells us that we need to stop Krishna no matter what, as well as rescuing Flynn and destroying the Egg. The Hunters are short-staffed at the moment due to, well, most of them getting their souls sucked out, so he entrusts this mission to us.
Hagen: Bah. As if anyone ELSE does anything around here...
He furthermore reveals that the tests came back on the old gauntlet from Mikado, and that it belongs to his old comrade, Akira, who, yes, is indeed King Aquila of Mikado. It seems that dream Akira had was no mere dream - Fujiwara and Skins really did make a deal with Akira, them to keep the peace in Tokyo, him to found Mikado, with the promise that their two peoples will eventually reunite! Fujiwara entrusts the Gauntlet to Nanashi.
Nanashi: ...whatever...
We head back up to begin our quest, but a mob of demons then shows up, led by a Pales and a Fafnir, the last two from the horde that introduced the Powers, incidentally. This is another one of those scripted "random encounter with slightly more HP" battles, not a boss.
Nanashi: Whatever. Waste them.
Even after those two fall, however, the mob remains. They reveal they're here to forcibly collect the souls of people who resisted Shesha's Life Drain, and it seems like there's so many of them that the remaining Hunters don't stand a chance... but then triumphant music starts playing and the demons start dying?
Barbatos: Ey wot? Some blighter's stealin' our poke!
It is, of all people, the Ashura-kai, who have come to reinforce their brand new boss, Hallelujah! What's more, Mii and Kei (remember them?) call us, and tell us that the Ring of Gaea owes us one for reclaiming their temple! And the Samurai arrive, led by Hope, who has decided that he must fight for the people rather than the rulers! Lastly, the remaining Hunters all assemble. It seems all of Tokyo's now fighting back against the Powers! The lead Hunter tosses us a keycard for the other underground warehouses in Kasumigaseki, giving us leave to take whatever we want.
Nananashi: Yeah, I mean... whatever... I... I... GAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! I'm sorry. I quit. I just... just... everything I know vanishes...
(MELCHOM comes up and taps NANASHI on the head with his rolled-up paper. It doesn't work)
(OROCHI comes up and smacks NANASHI with a leftover firework. It doesn't work)
(TITAN comes up and smacks NANASHI with his steel beam. He doesn't even flinch)
Nanashi: Was something... just hitting me? I don't know... I don't even FEEL anymore. We've known each other since birth... she was my sister... apparently she wanted to be more? I don't know... feels like a million years ago now... I just want to sit here and rot...
Adramelech: Well you know when I'm down I like to-
Nanashi: OH SHUT THE FUCK UP ADRAMELECH! This is your fault, all of it... Is what I tell myself so I can sleep at night. Because it's mine. If I'd never been so eager to get out and fight they'd all still be alive... Nikkari, Manabu, Boss, Asahi... they all died for me. Because of me. If I'd never gone out that time, Flynn would've just killed the angel and demon leaders and everyone would've been... just fine... better than fine...
Hagen: She was pathetically weak and des- BAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWW! Why are you all crying, you're getting your tears in my eyes! Stop that right now... BAWWWWWWWWWW!
Peri: Th-this is all so horrible. Wh-what do we do now?
Mithras: This is all so... I don't even know. Even by our standards... this is rough...
Horkos: NOT BUOOOOOOOOONOOOOOOO! TOO SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!
Nanashi: Stop crying for me you pieces of crap! How would beings like you know what loss means to an individual? Civilizations have fallen around you - you can't possibly know how I feel!
Centaur: Nihi... Did you really just listen to yourself? We saw civilizations fall and yet we DON'T know loss?
Nanashi: ...what?
Ishtar: My dear, our original worshipers' grandchildren's grandchildren's grandchildren are nothing more than dust now! Nobody lives today who even remembers they existed! Except us.
Quetzalcoatl: My people were slaughtered in thousands by the forces of the Creator God. Any who survived were converted at swordpoint! We lost those we loved orders of magnitude worse than you did! We were reduced to, well, what you saw of me when we were first introduced, to maintain ourselves!
Ictinike: I feel ya, Quetzal-bro. My people got the same treatment, maybe even worse!
Zhong Kui: Mine were massacred down to the smallest child by the predecessors of those like Tamagami, for no more than amusement!
(One by one the DEMONS share their own stories of loss with NANASHI)
Thoth: So what're ya gonna do, kid? Let one loss break ya? Remember what we said about Magnetite? It's the strong-willed that have as much as you do!
Nanashi: Yeah... you're right... thanks guys... What I'm gonna do now is raid some warehouses, and then crack some Divine Powers skulls!
We can enter the two other underground bases now with the keycard we got. There are several good items about, including an ever-precious Great Chakra and stat-boosting Incenses, and there are, for some reason, demons that can only be found down here. We've met a few, like Hresvelgr and Jarilo, already, but others present include...
Huoniao: Heyyyyyyyy summoner dude. If you take me outta here I can help ya buuuuuuuuuuuuurn stuff...
Nanashi: Well, admittedly, burning stuff is useful where I'm going, but this kid kinda scares me...
Hanuman: No need to worry - he's harmless! Permit me to introduce myself - I am the Monkey King Hanuman! You smell like somebody on a great quest. Mind if I assist?
Wu Kong: Wait, I thought I was the Monkey King?
Taowu: Hey summoner kid. Head about you from my buddy Taotie and- whoops, did I break that?
(MELCHOM is lying on the ground, looking as though every bone in his body is broken.)
Character notes: Meaning "fire bird," it's a bird said to carry the sun in Chinese lore. There were ten originally, and they'd take turns crossing the sky, but one day all ten appeared at once and threatened to burn the Earth to a cinder. The archer hero Houyi killed nine of them, leaving just one sun. He's the next-from-top Raptor, who is encountered AFTER the top one, Hresvelger, for whatever reason, and is a Fire user, naturally.
Personality notes: That one unsettling kid who you're sure is going to burn down the school one day...
Character notes: The great Hindu monkey god, Hanuman! Perhaps the Ur-Example of a loyal adventure sidekick, he is one of the protagonists of the epic Ramayana, where he aids Vishnu's avatar Rama in his quest against Ravana, king of the Rakshasas. He has basically every superpower under the sun and his skin is said to shine like gold. Wind and Phys user.
Personality notes: Hypercompetent Sidekick.
Character notes: One of the Four Calamities of Chinese lore; Taotie is another one. They are four evil animals that bring disaster wherever they go. Taotie is said to look like a flying tiger with a human face. He's an Elec and, weirdly enough, healing specialist.
Personality notes: Causes things to break and people to be injured with pretty much everything he does.
There are two bunkers; you may remember one of them as Red Rider's abode in IV Vanilla.
Ogun: Oh my, somebody else from by pantheon at last! How are things, Baron?
Guedhe: A dearth of new souls, as you can probably imagine, war god. Guehehehe... How do you do? Papa Guedhe, at your service! You look as though you have suffered a great loss...
Nanashi: You... might say that...
Dakini: Well there's no use in moping about it, ne? Accept what comes at you!
Ammut: THE LOSS WAS A PURE SOUL... I SPECIALIZE IN TELLING THESE THINGS... SHE WILL BE WELCOMED TO DUAT WITH OPEN ARMS...
Anubis: Ah, hello, Great Devourer. Her return sadly depends on our own ability to reclaim her soul...
Character notes: Papa Guedhe, Vodou loa of death! Also known as Baron Samedi, he's the head of a family of similr gods who guide the should of the Vodou faithful. He knows the life story of everyone he encounters and appears at the giant crossroads that is the gate to the afterlife to lead people to their proper destination. He's a Dark user who also gets Smile Charge to increase his odds of instant kills!
Personality notes: A perfect, gentlemanly psychopomp; Don't Fear the Reaper indeed.
Character notes: Wrathful female deities in Hinduism, said to work for Shiva and Kali, gods of destruction. Like their master and mistress they are alternately beneficial and detrimental to humans, helpful to them sometimes, eating them at others! Their name means "sky dancer." Fire and Phys-user.
Personality notes: A cool but slightly psycho old lady.
Character notes: The great destroyer goddess of Egyptian lore, she has the head of a crocodile, the body of a lion, and the legs of a hippo - the three animals that most terrified the Egyptians. It was her duty to devour the souls of the evil after death so they would not pass on to the afterlife, Duat. She's the next-from-top Beast, again appearing AFTER the top one, and is a Phys and support-user with War Cry.
Personality notes: Really loud, but dignified voice.
Once we're done looting essential supplies from the military, head for the entrance to the Egg. Gaston senses a familiar presence.
Nanashi: ODIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNN!
Yup, Odin himself is on security for the Egg's entrance. And obviously, he ain't letting us by, despite the fact that he attempts to get Dagda on his side.
BOSS: DEITY ODIN
Level 76. Repel Gun, Repel Elec, Weak Wind, Resist Light, Resist Dark
Odin is, in fact, essentially exactly as we left him at the "unwinnable" fight, only now we actually stand a chance. He's still pretty damn hard, though. This fight is all about having maximum buffs up at all times, as Odin's just a gigantic cannon of electrical death.
He tends to open the fight with Ziodyne twice and then Hades Blast. On his second turn, he'll use Will of Thunder, Concentrate, and Thunder Reign, which can easily take a party even at max buffs into the red.
Despite the fact that he's the one with a rivalry with Odin, Gaston still isn't the best partner for this battle; that would be Navarre. Nevertheless, at one-quarter health gone, Odin makes Gaston an offer - if the party defeats him, Gaston gets Odin's spear, Gungnir! And speaking of Gungnir, at half health he will begin using it to attack, doing tier four Phys damage and also piercing resistances. Karns cannot save you in this fight, only buffs can.
Three quarters health gone, he'll buff all his stats by two levels with his fighting spirit. We can choose to rely on our friends or Dagda in response to this. Asking out friends for help boosts the Assist Gauge but buffs Odin again, while asking Dagda buffs us.
Odin is not an opponent to be trifled with, and in my game he took out everyone but Nanashi and Beiji Weng. In the end, though, the Allfather will fall. He dies cursing Dagda as his body disintegrates, leaving only his spear. Gaston picks it up, giving himself a massive boost - all his attacks are now third-tier and pierce resistances!
Navarre spots something like a small glowing pillar in the entrance to the Egg. Nanashi pulls it out and the entrance to the last stronghold opens...
