Part 7: Chapter Six: Hot Pursuit
Music: 02 - My Home Sweet Home000.png)
: Okay then, time to get you out of here.Bosch now follows behind Ryu in the rubbish bin. He’s also no longer in the active party, so Ryu will be making the trip over Mt. Futabi alone. As such it’s a good idea to hit the Weapon Shop and see about properly equipping him before beginning the journey.
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I buy a Copper Sword, some Tanned Armor and an Iron Band. Together with some Healing Herbs from the item store they should be enough to get Ryu across the mountains with minimal trouble.
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:…Garbage? You know, what normally goes in these things? It’s full and I need to empty it. Come on, let me through. It’ll be real quick.005.png)
: Sure thing.Yes, it is possible to tell the guard that Bosch is inside. Luckily he turns out to be a total bro who doesn’t believe Bosch did it and will let you out either way.
Music: 06 – We’re Rangers
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: Nearly there…009.png)
: At least you weren’t downgraded to ‘Imprisoned’, Bosch.
: Ha…that’s true.010.png)
: That’s what friends are for, Bosch.011.png)
: Say, that puppy friend of yours is looking mighty tasty…: Forget that for now! I need a place to lay low for a while and you’re my first, last and only hope! So lemme explain why we’re here…012.png)
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: Ain’t that the funniest thing! Like somethin’ outta one of those corny zenny dreadfuls!: Ryu’s gonna look for the real crook while I hide out here.014.png)
: You don’t have any problems with this, do you?: Shoot, ‘course not! Yer sense of fine cuisine might leave a little wantin’, but yer sense of timing couldn’t be any better!015.png)
: Holy crap, the roof’s collapsing!: Whew! That were a close’un!016.png)
:…and I’ve been hankerin’ for somebody to help patch ‘er back up. : I have a feeling I’m not going to like this punchline.: Congratulations, Bosch! You get to do some honest work for once!017.png)
: ‘Cause if you don’t put those furry hands of yours to good use in patchin’ up my roof…018.png)
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: At least he’s not threatening to stew me while I’m sleeping…: I dunno, he’s been eyeing you pretty hungrily…: Oh, very funny.: Shoot, why would I do that? It’d be a different story if yer friend came here with the deal, but there ya go!020.png)
: (Psst! Ryu! You gotta find that bat-burglar, and fast! If I stay here too long he’ll probably blackmail me into doing the plumbing, too!): Now, I don’t know about you fellers…021.png)
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: Sorry about all this, partner. I’ve always been dragging you into this kind of crap, haven’t I…023.png)
:…Sure. Like I said – that’s what friends are for.Music: Face Your Destiny
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:…Alright. The woman I bumped into earlier is probably the thief in question. After she bumped into me, she headed east…hm. The only thing down that road is the town gates. Which means she’s not in Newhaven anymore. Looks like my best bet is to head east to Colossea and begin my investigation there.025.png)
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Our next destination is Colossea, a town to the far east of Newhaven. Colossea was called ‘Corsair’ in Capcom’s original script. To get there we have to cross a small bridge and then head northwards a little bit. Unfortunately this means running into some newer, tougher enemy encounters.
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Meet the Lil’Devil. These guys are very fast and will continue to attack first even when Ryu and co. have significantly outlevelled them. Their physical attacks pack a punch even with Ryu’s newly bought armor, capable of doing around 10 damage per hit. They also tend to defend when their HP gets low.
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Tsetse Flies are another new enemy beyond the bridge. Although they’re weak and die in one hit, they come in groups, usually attack first due to higher speed and can poison Ryu.
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Bilbulls have large amounts of HP and hit like a truck, dealing around 15 damage per hit. They’re also fast and normally attack first. Oh, and they can counterattack as well sometimes. Encountering two of them at once is a truly miserable experience this early in the game.
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Man Eaters are probably the worst enemy thus far. They have an ability called Dream Breath that puts your characters to sleep. You can kiss goodbye to any attacks you had lined up on that turn, and probably the next one too. Luckily they go down in two hits.
Thankfully Ryu levels up after a few battles and learns Heal. Ryu’s AP pool is rather low compared to Bosch’s, but the extra survivability will go a long way to helping Ryu pull through on his own.
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: Ah, Colossea. Time to begin my search.035.png)
Like Newhaven, Colossea has all the standard RPG options available.
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We have item shops, weapon shops, and Inn and a church.
: People often congregate at churches. Perhaps I should start my search there – the priest may have heard something about this thief.Music: Please God
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Churches in Breath of Fire II perform a number of functions.
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First of all, you can save here, just as you can at a Dragon Statue. Second, you can talk to the priest about a number of topics, including your companions, your current objective or yourself. The priest will provide his opinion on these subjects and basically acts as the game’s hint system when it comes to your current objective. Thirdly, you can make a donation of 100 zenny to the church. There is a point to doing so, but we currently don’t have enough money to donate the necessary amount to trigger it.
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: Thank you, but I am not on any particular journey. However, I am currently tracking a thief. She has hair of a similar colour to mine and wings akin to a bat. Have you seen anyone like that recently?
: I am afraid I have not. However, I will keep an eye out for such a person and will make an effort to contact you should I find her.: Many thanks, priest.With the new building thusly explained I decide to visit the weapon shop next.
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A new weapon type, staffs, have become available. Since neither Ryu nor Bosch use staffs it’s fairly clear there’s a new character around the corner. I buy a Ranger Suit, which is far lighter and sturdier that Ryu’s current armor. I can’t afford anything else yet, but I’ll be back here soon.
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: Okay, so the church doesn’t know anything. Now how about the local Pub…044.png)
: Hey, uh, excuse me. I’m looking for a girl, about so tall, with wings like a bat. Do you know anyone like that?045.png)
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:…Yeah, sure. Worth a shot I guess.048.png)
And that’s the end of the update. Tune in next time for guest appearances by future party members, medieval cable car systems and crazed hillbilly action.