Wendigo: HUA HUA HUA... IT'S REFRESHING TO FINALLY BE BACK AT HOME, IN THE BLIGHTED LANDS, OR DELPHINUS TO YOU HUMANS. SURE, THE SMELL'S TERRIBLE, BUT WHAT'S SMELL COMPARED TO FAMILIAR SIGHTS AND GOOD FRIENDS, RIGHT? HUA HUA HUA... I'D LIKE TO SETTLE DOWN HERE, BUT I GUESS YOU CAN'T SETTLE DOWN WHEN YOU'RE PART OF TEAM DRAKE... MAYBE WHEN THIS IS ALL OVER, AND HUMANS AND DEMONS STOP BUTTING INTO EACH OTHER'S DAMN BUSINESS...
Nue: Hooooome...
Unfortunately, we're not going to go to Delphinus just yet. There's a few sidequests that we need to look into first. The first one involves a well-hidden corner of Carina where a Jack Frost resides, seeking justice for his murdered family. If you give him an Ice Vest (made in the lab) he will transform into Frost Ace and award you the right to summon him (he's quite powerful, having the fifth-tier ice spell Bufudyne) and the amazing gun Frost Cannon, which can do ice, wind, or thunder attacks.
Second, we can head back to Antila to that mysterious device I mentioned earlier. You'll have seen this on a first playthrough, but it didn't seem to do anything then, but now...
Drake: A training simulator, huh? This could definitely come in handy. I wonder why this is different, though?
This device allows you to fight simulations of bosses you've previously fought (including on the last cycle). It's on a turn limit, though, so I was only able to beat Morax and Mitra at this point, but that's still enough for some significant grinding, so say hello to the new Team Drake!
Pabilsag: An excellent decision calling me, I must say. Thank you, ohsomuch.
Qing Niquai: Mrrrrrwwww, let's bust some heads!
Kuda: Wahaha, hope those punks are ready for pain!
Churel: Braaaaains...
Also beyond the same locked door you can find the same Pixie you saved in the first EX mission, now a High Pixie with a dream of starting a village of Fairies. The first one she wants is a Goblin, and you won't know it just yet, but this is one of the most important things you can do in this game.
Pele: We'll drop you off here, but don't punch anything, you hear?
Goblin: Aww man...
Finally, Dent has a few new assignments: you can play a much more fun game, Ten Rocks, with him, to earn Macca, or get a series of absolutely hilarious assignments from a crewman named Anthony, who keeps telling you to ferry messages from him to demon girls he keeps falling in love with. When you're ready, disembark at Delphinus.
Macabre: Guaaah! And I thought that supermarket was disgusting! This place absolutely murders my nonexistent nose!
Delphinus takes the form of a giant garbage dump representing humanity's Greed. The first floor is largely uneventful, especially since two doors are sealed off by higher-level hidden gates than the ones you've encountered so far. However, you encounter a crewman who seems a touch ornery. Homicidally so.
Kaso: This guy's scary!
Head up to the second floor, and Drake gets a call from Zelenin. Apparently she's been attacked by demons, but it's not goig to be so easy getting to her.
Drake: Oh no, not the...
Drake, Mitra, Pabilsag: CONVEYOR BELT MAZE!
Welcome to this level's gimmick. And, unfortunately, this is really hard to describe so I can't give y'all exact directions. Zelenin is in a big square room on the east side of the floor. You'll fight two Ghouls and two Nue here to save Zelenin.
Momunofu: If you ask me she needs to get off her high horse and recruit some of us already!
Power: Buffoonish, as always; she has my fellow with her, she needs nothing else!
Speaking of, demon roundup time! You'll meet the fully-powered Oriases here, which are wind users. The exceedingly-creepy Incubi and their codpieces as long as them; these seem to have a habit of inviting themselves over.
Incubus: Me-OW. Dat blonde single?
Pixie: Technically, I guess...
Nue, Wendigo, and Churel you've already met.
Zelenin tells Drake that she's been unable to get a Rosetta reading, but he can help if they set up two detectors at once on the floor above in rooms on opposite sides (you pick a side, which is actually pretty tricks since you come in facing south, so right and left are on opposite sides that your used to. Choosing wrong results in an awkward conversation with Zelenin).
Drake: GAH! I did this wrong last time too. I'm such a screwup...
Kuda: That would require having a personality.
Also, you'll run into the third member of the Power Trio here, Jimenez. He's not feeling very well. Actually, he wants to kill you two. He retains enough of his humanity, though, to warn Drake and Zelenin to escape. Beck to the Red Sprite we go!
Arthur spout off more Techno Babble...
Koppa Tengu, Karasu Tengu: HOORAY!
...that basically means Jimenez and other crewmen have been infected with a mental parasite unique to the Schwartzwelt, giving them a mentality similar to that of the demons'. Zelenin remembers this is just like what happened to Norris back in Bootes, so it's up to Drake and Zelenin to obtain a sample of Mitra's research from there.
Pixie: Awesome!
Acheri: Huh?
Pixie: You don't see it?
Hua Po: What?
Pixie: Mister Drake and Miss Zelenin? Come on, it's so obvious! And now they get to be alone together! It's our job to make sure they have a fun mission together and the Pretas don't get them!
Super Special Ultra Extra Filler Chapter 1 is go!
Pixie, Hua Po, Acheri, Ubu: HOORAY!
Mitra: NO!
Pixie: What?
Mitra: Don't do stupid things! What genre do you think we're in anyway?
Fomorian: Filler is always baaaaaad news...
You got a rare forma earlier that allows you to open stronger hidden gates; take this to the eighth floor of Mitra's palace to access his hidden lab, where you'll find a mysterious gem. And Mastema, who continues being creepy.
Pabilsag: Never let him near a women's bathroom...
Bring the gem back to the Sprite, where Irving reveals the Joint Project sent along a mind-control gun for whatever reason. That's pretty creepy. Irving, who can, of course, do pretty much anything (like the DEMONICA), syncs up the jewel to the gun to allow it to cure the parasite infection. Curing the Red Shirts gets you rewards, and the mission stops when you cure Jimenez. However, Zelenin makes you shoot him through Bugaboo, who was apparently trying to protect him.
Goblin: Brainless wench! Lemme-mmf!
Qing Niquai: This'll end well...
With the parasite cured, the Rosetta reading finally shows up, in the same room Drake saved Zelenin, no less! Inhabiting that room, however, is not an imposing boss demon, but rather a little blob. This thing is surprisingly sturdy, but shouldn't take too long to beat. Head up the the third floor once you're done to find...
Drake: Com-commander!?
Why is Commander Gore alive? Who is the mysterious demon? Will Drake and Zelenin ever just kiss? Will Power and Momunofu ever just kiss? Why am I asking this, considering there's no romance in this game? Stay tuned to find out!
