Part 88: Triple Battle Action

Naniwa is back at his regular post.

Thanks for the concern, but I'm fine. I just had a little fright, that's all.
We're going out for a little while. You make sure you get plenty of rest.
Ha ha ha... People heading into danger have a distinct smell about them... And you guys reek of it! Now listen up! I won't stop you, but don't do anything stupid, all right?
Yes, sir.


...Alright, looks like we're taking Blanca, Kurando, Karin and Gepetto. Everyone else just... just stay here. And for God's sake, don't touch anything!

CRASH!

Oopsies!

*sigh*




The next area is open now, but we're going to wander around Tokyo for a bit first.

Professor: Anyway, we've got to put it out of our minds and get on with rebuilding the city.



Okatsu: I can't stop thinking about him!



Hikosaburo: The Iron Soldiers saved the town, but there's a rumor they weren't the ones who defeated the monster.


Jeez, what's his problem?




Hey, kid, why don't you say that a little louder so the half-naked guy by the mat can hear you. I've always wanted to find out if shrimp can fly.


There's two commentators set up by the ring. I, however, am more interested in their table.


I could have gotten this earlier, but I held off because I wasn't sure if having the whole party would make a difference in this scene. It doesn't.

Hmm. Nice emcee's desk...
He doesn't really care what he picks up anymore, does he?
Many a fierce battle this folding desk has witnessed...sometimes even breaking the fall of a thrown wrestler... And then one day during a free-for-all, forgotten and left behind by the commentators and audience alike...
I wonder if he's going to cry again?


Joachim is no longer taking just abandoned stuff; he is now taking things people are actively using. I'm waiting for him to rip out a railroad tie, damaging the tracks and derailing an entire train in the process, killing everyone on board.

You got Emcee's Desk


I like how the namecards and mikes are apparently glued right to the table itself.

I think he's remembering something! Something in his past!
Well, let's go, everybody. Say, I know! Instead of using the top as a bludgeon, I should chop the enemy with it! Yeah, good idea...






The commentators just go on as if nothing out of the ordinary has happened. Then again, I guess they do hang around Gama a lot. Maybe they're used to this kind of thing.

Tatsuichiro: This is Tatsuichiro Furui, reporting on today's events. Now over to Hirotoshi Yamamoto for the commentary.




Big surprise, these two are hanging out in a park filled with half-naked, oiled up muscle-men.

We came all the way along the Silk Road! Don't say we've come halfway around the world to be told you're not buying!


They don't have anything different than the last time we saw them.


Time to get Joachim's next Muscle Art.

What's this? Ready for another practice session? Step on up whenever you're ready, my boy!





Hee hee! Keep your eyes open! Today I'll be hitting you with an even deadlier attack in the fifth turn! Graaahhh!!




The new move we're trying to learn from Gama is Artem Buster, which he'll now use against Joachim in this fight.


The attack is Gama jumping into the air from a magically appearing pole and then belly-flopping on Joachim from about thirty feet in the air.


Gama will use a Fifth Key on his fifth turn, dealing a massive amount of damage. There are a few ways to survive this: you can wait and come back at higher level, use Joachim's Golden Bat form and defeat Gama before his fifth turn or make sure Joachim has nearly full health and Defend.


Or you can do what I did and equip Joachim with a Replacement Man.


This will bring Joachim back with 1 HP, although the Replacement Man is destroyed in the process.


It's enough to win the fight.


We get the Fifth Key for winning.



Whenever you want to test your skills, come back to me, my boy. The open-air ring will always be waiting for you!
Phew! I'm wiped out...!

You learned Artem Buster!




Unfortunately, despite what Gama just said, Joachim has now learned all his Muscle Arts and can't spar here anymore. But what's this talk about a festival...?


On the way to the other park, I stop to talk to a man that wasn't here before I fought Shoki.

Lottery Member 7: You're into it too, right? Gambling and stuff? You wanna play?




This one's a Random Ring; the needle randomly speeds up and slows down.



You won Warning Device

Lottery Member 7: Come anytime you wanna gamble!

The Warning Device is a unique item only available from this guy's Lottery. When equipped on a member of your battle party, it stops you from starting off a fight surrounded. Normally, it's no big deal if you end up surrounded; it doesn't happen very often anyway, but this thing will be very useful for a very specific purpose in an upcoming area (not the lab).


Over in the other park, a few things have...changed.


There's a treasure chest with a Seal of Wisdom in the corner now.


There's also this, um, this thing here. This is a thing.

Awroo, awroo... (At last we meet. Oh, how I've waited for this day!)


Blanca doesn't know what the fuck, either.

*pant* Awroo, awroo... (As soon as I saw you, I knew, ...I knew you were my prince!)


...
......
.........






Grrr... Awroo! (Look, you. Knock it off! I'm not interested in you!)





Awroo, awroo! (How could I? I just barely met you this second!)





Awroo... Awroo! (I'll never forgive you! And if you can't be mine, nobody will have you!)








Eleanor isn't too bad of a fight. She can cast Hail Crash for about 60 damage, her physical attacks hit at about 90 damage, and she's got a decent amount of HP.


She doesn't have very good defense, though. All of Blanca's attacks will hit for around 160, so it doesn't take long to bring her down.


We get another Frilly Apron and the Stolas Crest (Cure Plus, Arc Heal) for winning.









Awroo... *whimper* (You'd rather I stayed home and raised the kids, right? I understand...)







*whimper* (Hurry home every night after work, okay? You don't want me to worry...)






Oh, yeah, Sarah has followed us to Japan, too. She doesn't have any new fights available, but I send Anastasia through Monk 4.


The only reason I do this is to take a picture of Oscar, giving Anastasia the "Remove" Album. Remove nullifies an enemy's buffs. It can be somewhat useful in boss fights, but there really aren't all that many enemies that buff themselves.


For our next stop, we go back to the Foreigner's Cemetery and check out the red flowers just before the path turns left.


Now there's someone we haven't seen for a while.



Oh... You...?
What's up with you? What's wrong? Isn't it going well with Miyabi?
I don't know! Every night she's out until dawn. When I ask what she's been doing, she says it's work. ...But she can't be at work all the time! She's always saying she was a daddy's girl. She hates work! And she never talks to me when she comes home. Says she's tired. But she used to talk non-stop. You just couldn't keep her quiet. I don't know...
Pretty bad, huh?
And I can't work when I'm feeling like this everyday. I think I'm gonna have to give up this job.
What?! No! You can't! Who else could do this job?!
Why does it matter? It's not like you can't finish the game without me.

My precious fourth wall...all in pieces...

You can't think like that!
Oh, Miyabi! You've got a younger man, haven't you?! I'm trying to please you, but I'm not as young as I used to be. I wish I still had it...
What exactly are you referring to?!
Here, this is for you.

You got Attack Boost

Thanks.
I was really good when I was younger. Oh, I hate getting old! Bye, then...
Hey!


This time, Ring Soul just fades away instead of bursting into a shower of sparks like usual. Poor guy.




There's a couple of old guys in the cemetery now.



Azama: I guess it should be owned by someone who knows its value. Someone who travels overseas.

You got Nibelung Scene 6

Extra Bullenfogel power!

Yes! Our enemies shall perish in a river of fire, thanks to the power of German opera!


There's also a Soul Drop hidden by the graves.


This time, I used it to unlock the Max Water Fusion.


The Water guardian is Pripegala. Since the guardians don't scale to Yuri's level, the fight is a bit of a joke at this point.



You got a Veneficium Soul!!

Your Power of Water has been completely resurrected.




Laser Dragon acquired. Only one more to go!