Knocker: Mister Jimenez is kinda scary! He's not being nice to the Commander even though he sacrificed himself to save him! But Mister Jimenez is actually a nice guy, right? I remember he liked us demons, or did I make that up? I think something bad happened to him last time, and it's up to Team Drake to change that!
Jimenez is quick to make enemies with the Red Sprite's crew, as he believes all of them will soon die as the Commander did and it would be best if the team aborted the mission and went home. He does, however, express gratitude to Drake for saving him in private, and is willing to accompany him to salvage the Blue Jet's motor to restore the Red Sprite to full power. This is another cakewalk of a mission (just backtrack to the wreckage and watch the cutscene), but aboard the Blue Jet some significant plot details are revealed.
For one thing, the Jet's command module (as Arthur is to the Red Sprite) survived, but, now useless, he asks Jimenez to transport him back to the Sprite to upload some important data to Arthur. Meanwhile, Drake salvages the motor, and returns it to the Sprite. The restoration of power allows for Irving to make a breakthrough with the Lemegetonite, discovering it may be used to enhance the DEMONICA to detect other rare minerals in the Schwartzwelt, called "Forma."
Oni: Wow, da DEMONICA really can do anything, eh?
Dybbuk: Dude, you're not on yet.
Oni: Sowwy.
Irving requests Drake find another rare Forma to enhance the DEMONICA further, and thus begins out next mission. For this mission I decided to use the Compendium to call up the Antila residents I would otherwise be unable to recruit at this stage to help me.
Dybbuk: Finally we get some action!
Okiku-Mushi: See, I knew he'd come around. So, how about it, Drake? They do say real women have curves, after all...
Drake: There's a difference between "curvy" and "literally segmented," Okiku. Umm, still no offense intended.
Slime: Killlll allll humaaansss...
Onmoraki: We're not supposed to say that anymore, doofus!
Okiku is the first instant-death user available using the Mudo spell, but we're early enough in the game that we probably won't need to rely on that. Dybbuk is a sleep user, and the most basic status ailment user in the game; I got some mileage out of him. Slime can only use physical attacks; he's really only here so I don't have to go back for his source later. Onmoraki is a fire-user.
The Forma Irving wants is called "Feather Flock" (why it's called that I don't know as it looks like a rock like all the others). Like most things at this point in the game it's easy to find, right in the center of the largest room on the map at this point. Using it, Irving adds yet another app to the DEMONICA, this one granting the ability to unlock doors. So, go and do that. At this time Arthur finishes processing Verne's information, revealing two important clues: first, via a lot of Techno Babble, he explains escape is possible, but only through acquiring a certain energy source at the very bottom of the sector.
Onmoraki: I don't like the sound of that... NOT THAT I'M AFRAID OR ANYTHING!
Second, you now have access to Demon Fusion. You need to master this if you want to survive.
With that in mind, you can use the Unlock function to access the stairway to the lower level. Here you'll meet another Pixie, who assigns the first EX Mission in the game: give her a Bead to heal with. On a New Game Plus you'll have like fifty of these left over so you can literally complete this mission without moving an inch, but you can also get these from drops or bartering with demons.
Past a few more locked doors, Drake discovers a truly strange sight indeed. Apart from being infested with demons, Antila had otherwise seemed like a normal Antarctic cavern until this point, but now you're face-to-face with a blasted, ruined city straight out of World War II. It seems the demons do indeed have a society.
Speaking of, there's many potential new recruits skulking about this place. The Hua Po is the deadliest opponent around here, as she has the first multi-target spell in the game, the second-tier flame spell, Maragi.
Hua Po: Are you calling me hot? EEW! PEDO! HELP!
Drake: Do we have to do this every time?
The Kaso is another fire-user, though not as strong as the Hua Po. The Sandman and Koppa Tengu are your basic thunder and wind-users, which is helpful as several of the stronger demons around here are weak to those. Then there's Melchom, Paymaster of Hell, who in terms of level is the strongest thing on this floor. Non-recruitable demons here are the Poltergeist and the Gremlin, but both of them can be easily made through fusion.
Sandman: 'at's right, never mess with the Antila crowd or I'l' give yer a lickin'!
Melchom: Do we get paid for this? If not, I'm going on strike.
Gremlin: Yeah, like you've had any patience for strikes before, jerk.
Hua Po: He's just standing up for his rights, man!
Kaso: Mister Drake is a nice guy, right? I think I remember him from before...
So, as you can see, Drake kind of helped himself. Speaking of fusion, I used that to add Preta and Itsumade to the team as well. There's nothing much to do on this floor except recruit demons, find Forma, and locate the stairs to the next floor down.
On this floor are some of the best demons in the level: Angel, Archangel, and Oni. Be sure to get Angel, as she's the first dedicated healer in the game.
Angel: Oh, p-please, stop making me sound more useful than I am...
Archangel is a Lightning Bruiser, and Oni a Mighty Glacier with the most useful (on your side) and most annoying (on the enemy's side) skill at this point in the game: Rampage, a multi-target physical attack! He's another must-have.
Itsumade: Dearie, that's your cue.
Oni: OH! Oh.
Speaking of Oni, you'll find a few extra-powerful ones as minibosses on this floor, who mention the'yve been modiefied by a "Master Morax." These guys can be annoying if they get off too many Rampages, but they're weak to thunder and combos can be easily set up as such.
Melchom: Master Morax... I haven't thought of him since... well, last time loop.
Preta: Hhhheyyyy, cannn I borrrrrrrrow ssssome moneyyyyy?
Melchom: No.
Up ahead, the DEMONICA detects a powerful demon presence in the same area as the energy source we need to acquire...
Poltergeist: Dun-dun-DUNNNNN!
Who is Master Morax? What is the mysterious energy source? Is all this energy source nonsense just technobabble for "boss battle ahead?" And should we be worried about Preta wanting money? Stay tuned to find out!
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