Nanashi: That was how I died... but that wasn't the end of me. It was like going to sleep and then waking up... in the most bizarre sort of dreamscape I'd ever seen.
Obviously, that wasn't the end of the game. Nanashi awakens in the absolutely beautifully-rendered Yomotsu-Hirasaka, the Japanese underworld, which hear takes the form of islands floating in an otherworldly vortex, connected to each other by train tracks. There's nothing else to do but follow them forward to a light in the distance.
Nanashi: Typical of my life... I get what I've been dreaming about for years and on my first day out I cack it. Please let Asahi get away...
You can interact with some of the other wandering souls, but this sequence doesn't end until you reach the final island, where a tall, brown-armored demon with red hair and a skull-like face awaits you.
Nanashi: Oh for shit's sake, even in death I can't get away from demons? This guy looks even stronger than the horse thing, too...
Fortunately, Dagda isn't here to fight. After insulting the ultimate pointlessness of Nanashi's life and how he's accomplished nothing, Dagda offers him a deal: he will return Nanashi to life and help him save Asahi, who is still being attacked, if Nanashi will serve him.
Nanashi: I've read stories about stuff like this biting people in the ass, but if it gets me back, helps Asahi, and lets me accomplish something with my dumb life, then Hell yeah!
Accept the deal, and Dagda gloats that Nanashi is now his "Godslayer," and his personal toady. I'm not sure this is going to end well, but for now, Nanashi is infused with Dagda's power, promoting him to level 4!
Nanashi: It's like I'm on fire! Alright, horse-face, prepare to have that fancy-ass tail of yours kicked in!
Back in the physical realm, Nanashi's wounds heal - and so do those of the broken smartphone from last time; Dagda's face appears on its screen. Asahi is shown desperately trying to unlock the dead Nikkari's phone as Adramelech and his horse bear down her...
Nanashi: YO HORSE'S ASS! Finish fights you start first!
MINI-BOSS: HORDE LUCIFER'S MINIONS
Drain Fire, Weak Ice, Resist Dark
Did somebody say "payback time?" This fight is a Horde, composed of Adramelech himself, Legions, and Decrabias. If you don't remember from SMTIV, Hordes are large groups of demons that get two actions per round, but conversely are extremely vulnerable to multi-target skills, though we don't have any of those right now. What we do have, though...
Centaur: Nihihihiiiiiii! Summoned at last! Nihi, what a strong-looking young fellow, greatly reminiscent of the heroes of old Mycenae! Look upon the glory of your new master and together we shall slay this fiend!
Yep, Dagda's given us our first demon, a Centaur, just like in Vanilla. And wouldn't you know it, he comes equipped with the basic Ice magic, Bufu, excellent for wearing this Horde down!
Nanashi: Freakin' sweet, I'm an official summoner now! How about some of this!
This battle should be no real problem. The Horde will most commonly attack Centaur, so just pile on the Bufus and head Centaur with items when you need to. After losing four minions, Adramelech will retreat, sensing the power of a god more powerful than himself at play here.
Nanashi: Hey wait a minute, get back here you, I wasn't done!
Character notes: Centaurs are the famous legendary half-man, half-horse creatures of Greek lore, famous for their... interesting social dichotomy - about half of them are wise and studious, the other half are drunken fools. Their mother was a cloud, too, because Greek mythology. In-game, Centaur is your starter mon and your basic Ice mage.
Personality notes: A semi-Know-Nothing Know-It-All. He bills himself as a great mentor and does have some good advice, but... he's also Level 4, y'know? Not exactly super-worldly.
All that's left now are Nanashi, Asahi, and the mangled corpses of Manabu and Nikkari. Asahi breaks down crying; you're given the option to comfort or ignore her, which seems as good a time as any to talk about this game's offbeat alignment system. See, in this game, while Law and Chaos routes exist, they're actually early bad endings, like the White ending was in the original. In Apocalypse, there are only two full endings, known as Peace and Anarchy, which can be compared to something like the Paragon-Renegade system in Mass Effect - essentially, be a nice guy to get Peace and a Jerk to get Anarchy. As you can imagine this is one of those divisive details I mentioned earlier - many detractors see it as an attempt to inject concrete good and evil into a traditionally morally gray franchise. And since I don't like being a dick to fictional characters, Peace route it is then!
Nanashi: God dammit... what do you even SAY to something like this?
Asahi calms down and texts the Hunter Association to report Nikkari and Manabu's deaths. Head back there yourself to be rewarded with some EXP for compl;sting the quest... and a severe tongue-lashing from Boss, who decides to prohibit Asahi from Hunting duty. Obviously not pleased, she runs off, taking Nikkari's phone with her.
Meet up with her in the hallway and she decides that if her dad won't let her be a Hunter, she's going to force him to acknowledge her as one - let's go hunt some demons.
Nanashi: You know demons just killed our mentors, right? But on the other hand I kinda want some too... Screw it, I'm in.
You can now exit the underground district through either the north exit, leading to the park, or the western exit, leading to what was the shopping district back when the above-ground was inhabited. The guards at both posts initially refuse to let our heroes through, but Asahi guilt-trips them using Nikkari's death at leverage and they relent.
Nanashi: Man, she's kinda hot when she does this... why am I thinking that about what's basically my sister?
Centaur: Perfectly natural where I'm from, nihihihi...
Nanashi: Was I asking you?
Now it's time to grab some demons. You only need to get three to complete this sequence, but as there's over 400 in this game and all of them have something for you, it's best to try to get everything an area has. At this stage, concentrate your App Points (you get ten with every level, so we've got thirty now) on getting the "Expand Stock" apps, which are cheap and increase your demon capacity (on a very first playthough, though, your priority should be Skill Expanders instead, though these thankfully carry over to the next New Game+ cycle so you only need to worry about them once).
Alright let's meet the locals!
Centaur: Pay close attention, my young apprentice! Truly, the highest art of heroism is the turning of enemies into allies!
Katakirauwa: Snurt snurt! A tasty human! Take me with you and I'll yum yum yum your delicious Magnetite! You humans yum yum yum me people so it only fair!
Nanashi: Oh, of course, one of those pathetic pig things... He'll sure be useful.
Character notes: A strange pig monster of Japanese lore, the first of many, many weird critters from the Land of the Rising Sun to join our party. He tries to kill humans by running through their legs. In battle he has crippling weaknesses, but gets the quite good Bouncing Claw, the first multi-strike move in the game.
Personality notes: Typical Messy Pig, with the Verbal Tic "YUM YUM YUM."
Decarabia: Human is to be contracting of Decarabia! Chicken-lickin' good! Tower am's piercing of Heaven, but is Heaven or Hell? Be care!
Character notes: One of the many demonic nobles supposedly captured by King Solomon, as documented in the Goetia. He specializes in magical plants and gems. In-game, he learns both the basic Fire and Ice skills.
Personality notes: Speaks in garbled statements that are actually foreshadowing, inspired by RuneScape's Chaos Elemental.
Mandrake: Like, faaaaaar ouuuuuuuut, I've been contracted... eh heh heh heh, I kiiiiiiinda broke my last summonneeeeeerrrrrr...
Character notes: The famous magical plant with a human for roots. They can cure any disease, but their screams kill anyone who tries to uproot them. In-game, she's your basic ailment mage - and, as mentioned, ailments are very powerful in this game.
Personality notes: Perpetually-baked hippie chick.
Nanashi: Oh God they won't stop coming.
Goblin: Dat's right twinkle-toes! Now we're gunna follow you eeeeeeeeeverywheeeere! You fuses us, gets rid of us, don't matter, cuz we're data in dad phone! You's never gunna be rid of us!
Character notes: Ubiquitous little beings found throughout European lore. They're technically members of The Fair Folk but are a lot uglier and more mischievous than is typical. In-game, he gets Gram Slice and Lunge, two basic Physical moves.
Personality notes: Every little guy who really loves to fight but is woefully outmatched pretty much everywhere - Scrappy-Doo, for instance.
Nanashi: Well at least I seem to be pretty good at this.
Unlike the original SMTIV, where responses to demon negotiation were completely random, here each demon has responses they prefer, so keep track. It's also possible for a demon you've spoken to many times to simply invite itself into your party.
Caladrius: YOU RECRUITING DEMONS? THAT GOOD! ME AM REALLY GOOD HEALER! YOU HOLD STILL WHILE ME PECK YOUR HEAD, GET OUT OUT ALL BAD JUJU!
Character notes: A mystical bird from Roman myths who can literally drain illnesses out of people through its beak. He's the basic healer demon, getting the first healing spell Dia and the poison cure, Posumudi. Make sure to pass the former to Nanashi ASAP.
Personality notes: Has a huge, loud voice despite his size and proposes painful-sounding "cures" to the others, of which they're less than enthused.
Legion: Uuhhhhhh could you maybe fix me fiiiiiiiiirst... I don't -hurk- feel so gooooood...
Character notes: The famous conglomerate of evil spirits exorcised by Jesus himself in the New Testament. He's usually at or near the top of the Spirit race, yes here, he's the weakest! He's your first Wind mage.
Personality notes: Hypochondriac, because I can't imagine being a ball of tortured should would be conducive to one's health.
Sudama: Don't throw up here, good Legion! I speak for the trees! This world has suffered enough!
Character notes: Yet another Japanese critter, he's a spirit that protects trees and mountains. A relative of the more well-known Kodama, who were made famous by Princess Mononoke. He's your first Electricity user.
Personality notes: Environmentalist and something of a neat freak, drawing especially from the Lorax.
Onmoraki: Shove off you tree-hugging pansy!
Character notes: Still another Japanese creature, he's a bird ghost that haunts monks who fail to observe proper funerary rites. He's the first fire mage in the game.
Personality notes: Bratty little kid, borderline child sociopath.
Slime: KILL ALL HUMANSSSSSS...
Character notes: Mythology is replete with foul, amorphous beings representing disorder or decay; DND mainstreamed this type of being as the lowest of the low in most fantasy settings. He has the same weaknesses as Katakirauwa but gets Life Drain in addition to physical moves
Personality notes: Can only say "Kill all humans," but he's actually making statements the other demons understand.
There's one demon around here that you should absolutely get, but, conversely, avoid until you can recruit it, and that is the very dangerous for this level...
Fomorian: MEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHH! I SMEEEEEEEEEELL TUATHA DE DANAAAAAANN ON YOU, BOOOOOOY! IT SMELLS REEEEEEEEEAAAAAALLY BAAAAAAAAAD!
Character notes: Evil giants that inhabited the Celtic isles in primordial times, they were cast down by the gods of the Tuatha de Danann. Given who's possessing Nanashi here, expect him to be a recurring character. We'll meet his boss later on too.
Personality notes: Same personality as the plot-relevant one in Strange Journey; speaks with a bleating voice.
Fomorians are the strongest demons in Kinshicho and know Head Crush, a powerful-for-early game physical attack that inflicts Dizzy, a new ailment that renders a demon unable to move for at least one turn. Ailments have received a significant buff here - they're now guaranteed to last at least one turn, and bosses are now vulnerable to them. This'll be important later.
Once you're done collecting, you'll receive a message that Angels have been harassing Hunters at the Sky Tower. Asahi, jumper-at-the-call that she is, is eager to help them in order to prove herself.
Nanashi: I swear that girl's going to be the death of me one of these days. Again.
Oh yeah, and Asahi's managed to get Nikkari's phone to work, too, so she becomes your first human Assist Character! Each of these characters has a different specialty, Asahi's being healing, and if defeated in battle will return three turns later. These partner characters are also largely permanent throughout the game, unlike the more sporadic assistance Jonathan, Walter, and Isabeau provided in the original.
Centaur: Fear not, apprentice! I feel things will go far better for you this time! You have a troupe of worthy demon allies now!
Legion: Achoo.
Sudama: No no no no, not on the soil!
Katakirauwa: YUM YUM YUM!
Slime: Kill all humanssssss...
Nanashi: Worthy. Right.
The way to the Sky Tower is through Kinshi Park. There are several demons there that aren't in the shopping district, as well, so be sure to recruit them. Oh, and on the way to the exit to the park, you may notice a strange green glowing funnel of sorts growing out of a nearby wall.
Nanashi: I... don't remember that being there before.
Mandrake: Whoooooooaaaahhh, far ouuuuuuut, mysto-spacial energy disturbance...
Nanashi: Macaroni what now?
Goblin: Demon energy leaking' inta da mortal realm. Getting' more and more common deez days. Dey say dere's special stuff, items 'n' crap, dat some bigshot demons have dat let 'em use dat energy. I wouldn't know where ta get one, though...
In the park...
Strigoii: Blehheheheheh! Fear me! I am a vampire, bleheh!
Porewit: Thubbledubbledebubble.
Strigoii: What do you mean I'm not scary? You, boy, I vant to drink your blood!
Centaur: Both of you get in his phone and you can have his Magnetite! It's among the most abundant I've ever seen!
Strigoii: You don't need to tell me twice, bleheh!
Poriwit: Dubblebubble.
(I actually did recruit these two in the same battle)
Character notes: A type of vampire found in Romania, the Slavic countries being the heart of vampire lore. Have blue blood and two hearts; ain't mythology weird? He's your first Dark-user - remember, Light and Dark are ordinary attacks this time.
Personality notes: Tries really hard to be a scary vampire and utterly fails.
Character notes: A remote Slavic god of whom little can be said definitively. He had many heads, was worshiped as part of a trinity with two other multi cephalic gods, and may have been some sort of avatar of the thunder god Perun as their names are related. The actual story cited in his Compendium entry, though, is something of an SMT fandom white whale as it's only been traced as far as some books on folklore in Japanese - no English source is known. If you have one, drop these gents a line: https://kanekocribs.tumblr.com
Personality notes: Speaks in a bubbly language only other demons can understand.
Kabuso: Nyaaah, did someone say lotsa Mag-nya-tite around here? I'd rather siphon it directly from somebody's head; eaten' corpses is getting' nya-rly to me.
Character notes: Yet another member of the Yōkai crowd, this one a variant of the classic kappa that takes the form of a cat or otter to pull pranks on people. He's another basic Phys user gameplay-wise.
Personality notes: Makes really bad puns on "nya," Japanese for "meow."
Nanashi: Who said you could touch my head?
Nadja: Oh boy oh boy, a cute boy with lots of Magnetite! Tell me, handsome, you ever see the view from the Sunshine Building in Ikebukuro? Or provoke a pack of Manticores just for the Hell of it? Or-
Character notes: A literal Manic Pixie Dream Girl created by French surrealist Andre Breton; she's the heroine of his novel which bears her name. Gameplay-wise, she's a Wind mage and healer.
Personality notes: Is a Manic Pixie Dream Girl Up to 11.
Nanashi: Just get in the phone. Wow... I have so many already... I dunno what Magnetite is but apparently it makes it easier to make friends with you guys. I feel stronger already.
Centaur: Nihihi! You see, my apprentice, though we may be eccentric, we demons are the most powerful of allies! There is no human who compares to a truly loyal demon! Come, young hero - your comrades await you!'
Kabuso: Let's-nya-go!
Head out the exit to enter the much-improved overworld map. It's far brighter and more orderly than it was in SMTIV, and as I touched on last time, destinations are marked with a flashing flag symbol. There are some chests around here, some stronger demons to fight and recruit in the street (we'll get to them next time) and you may also notice there are some bridges over gaps under construction - these will open up, as the game progresses. For now, head to the tower entrance.
Inside, a confrontation presents itself. The Hunters who asked for help are squaring off with a pair of angels, who want to kill them for trespassing in "the Lord's" land. We can't let that happen, now can we?
Goblin: Da curvy babe on da right's a generic Angel. Da douche in da armor on da left's a Power; he's way stronger. Steer clear of him.
Nanashi: Yeah, she's pretty hot, but she's also headed right for us!
Legion: Can we not do thiiiiiiis... Angel dandruff's my thirteeeeeeenth worst allergyyyyyyyy....
MINI-BOSS: DIVINE ANGEL
Level 10. Weak Elec, Null Light, Weak Dark
Thankfully, the two older Hunters take on the Power (who would annihilate your entire party at this point), leaving you with the basic Angel. I'd say she's a decently annoying fight. She can heal herself with Dia, the basic heal spell (you can get this for yourself from Caladrius) and attack with Hama, the basic Light spell - which, for the first time in the series, is a basic attack with a chance of instant-kill rather than simply a low-accuracy instant kill - an improvement IMO. Her Elec weakness can be easily hit with Sudama's Zio, but to make extra sure I both had Sudama whisper it to Nanashi and used Demon Fusion for the first time to fuse Sudama and Decarabia for...
Pele: Yowza, surf's up dudes! Wow, someone tell that chickie over there this ain't a clothing-optional beach!
'Fomorian: HOOOOOOOW CAN SHE BE SUCH A MORAL CRUSAAAAAAADER WHEN SHE DRESSES LIKE THAAAAAAAT?
Pele: But also don't police women's clothing, you.
Character notes: The great goddess of fire and lava who sculpted the very islands of Hawaii itself and remains to this day revered there. So of course she's level 8. She's the earliest demon that has to be made by fusion, tied with another we'll meet next time, and I bet you can't guess her attack specialty...
Personality notes: Surfer girl, natch.
Much like the Lucifer's Minions fight, strike weaknesses and heal when necessary. Eventually, she'll fall.
And have her place taken by...
BOSS: HERALD ANIEL
Level 71. Drain Elec, Weak Force, Repel Light
Aniel immediately gives the two Hunters fighting the Power a good smiting and barrels straight toward you.
Nanashi: Gah!
Centaur: Not good, not good - that's the Seraph Aniel! His power surpasses even Adramelech's!
Nanashi: Mr. Centaur, you're the mentor type, any advice for this guy?
Centaur: RUN AWAY!
Sorry, not an option. Aniel immediately behind unloading Zyodynes, the tier 3 Electricity, spell, one-shotting Nanashi's demons one by one until all tha's left is Nanashi with a single hit point. Suddenly, reinforcements arrive...
...it's FLYNN AND ISABEAU, who also got the Hunters' distress call! If you can't tell, yes, this is a scripted fight. You simply have to stall for time until Flynn and Isabeau arrive, whereupon they'll proceed to do to Aniel what he was just doing to you.
Nanashi: ...wow.
Fomorian: I CAN'T FEEEEEEEL MY MOOOOOOST OF MEEEEEE, WHAT'S GOING OOOOOOOOOON?
Centaur: Nihihi! True heroism!
Aniel won't even be able to attack anymore, and eventually, the final blow will be struck, and the great Seraph falls.
Nanashi: Wow. Pleasant surprise, but... wow.
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