Part 14: Update XII

♪ BGM: Absolute Despair Girl ♫

Alright, that little shit there has our key! We have no idea what it does, really, but god damnit, it's our key, so we're going to pursue this bastard to the ends of the earth to get it back! Or, well, to the ends of this level, to be more accurate.







We pursue up some shipping containers...



...and don't think I don't see you there, you bombing bastard...



...and after heading down the containers, we are once again led towards a particular door.



But before that, some more collectibles.



This is a new type of collectible - Socki the Sock. Throughout the game, we'll find more pages of this story and learn more about our wonderful friend Socki.



♪ BGM: DSO_Beautiful Dead ♫

I guess one of the kids must have dropped it. With them controlling the Monokumas and killing adults, I forgot there was even a child inside.
Maybe it's just a phase we don't understand. Is this what's "in" right now?

Komaru, I don't think "using killer robots to murder all the adults" is a phase. Anyway, our next stop is that door, which leads to another construction site.



M-m-maybe he's hiding somewhere around here?



Hey! Come on out! I know you're in here!





Surprise!



Toko doesn't take it well and lands flat on her ass.



And then gets laughed at for good measure.



Th-th-th-that brat! Acting all high and mighty just because he knows we won't hurt him!



Let's go around back to get that kid. Then he'll be caught just like a rat in a trap!
Y-y-y-yeah, you're right...

Well, again, you can see those doors in that screenshot, and that means only one thing.



♪ BGM: It's a Monokuma World ♫



More puzzles!



♪ Jingle: Monoku-Man Activate ♫



This one isn't too hard either. We have a bunch of Monokumas walking up and down in a straight line, a Bomber amongst them, and a Siren at the end that doesn't move.



The play is easy - use Dance on the Siren...





♪ Jingle: Monoku-Man Success ♫

...then blast the Bomber, leading to the explosion taking out everybody else. No fucking about with an electric car this time.



♪ BGM: We Can't Change The World ♫

We're pointed towards this building under construction.



However, the only thing we find is...



...this.



Th-This little brat! Does he think we're his playmates or something!? Argh! This is so frustrating that... That my eyesight is getting better!
Huh? Frustration leads to improved vision?
Of course not! Don't take everything I say so literally! Come on, let's just go!



The only way forward we have is through this door...



♪ BGM: Wonderful Dead 001 ♫

...which leads here. This is an additional little gameplay feature:



Blasting Bombers near these wooden barriers breaks them, letting us pass.



That object floating above you as if it's always been there is called a Guiding UFO. It's your friendly ally that will guide you by shooting Move at it. Asking for directions is embarrassing, but getting lost is more embarrassing. So use it!



This is basically a backtracking helper. When we end up looping around to an area we've already been, this guy - which looks a lot like Minimaru, looking at it - will show us where to go. Handy!



And after backtracking a bit, we make our way back to the hospital.



♪ BGM: Alice in the Children's Land ♫





We start out by finding a new collectible that wasn't here before.



And it's another Socki page.



After backtracking more, we run into the kid again.



Which then proceeds to get away this time, running into an area that was locked off the last time.



Along the way, we have some more collectibles.



So the children's paradise is straight-edge, then.



Our pursuit then leads us to the operating room, where the entrance area has been undergoing quite a bit of redecorating.



♪ BGM: Silence ♫







This room is creepy... like something might pop out any second.
W-w-what do you mean, "pop out"? Don't say something creepy like tha-



But suddenly, they are startled by a pounding noise...



...coming from this closet. And then...



Uaaaaaah!
It popped out!

Jesus Christ what the fuck is that.



Oh. Thanks for clearing that up, I guess.



Th-this is your fault! You just had to say something, didn't you?



The door's locked shut!



The brat from earlier must have done it!



I hope everybody has nice dreams tonight.



♪ BGM: DSO_Living to the Fullest ♫

Alright, so now we get to deal with this abomination. It's a miniboss of sorts at this point, taking a lot more fire to take care of. It will generally charge at us and also has a leaping attack.



Thankfully, it's still vulnerable to getting shot in the eye, which makes dealing damage easier. Eventually, it goes down. And after that...





♪ BGM: We Can't Change The World ♫

Let's chase after that brat! I've got a whole lifetime's worth of trauma to give him!

Toko's gonna beat the shit out of that kid.



♪ BGM: Alice in the Children's Land ♫

Exiting the room, we again run into that kid.



Of course, he bails again.





I-I can see that!



We pursue him there, and again, he bails down an area that was previously locked off.

Jeez, how far is this brat gonna run!?



Next up, another collectible.









Welp.



Another collectible in the nearby sick room.



♪ Jingle: Skill GET! ♫



Hey, better healing! Not gonna argue with that.



Another collectible in a room further down the line.









♪ BGM: DSO_Beautiful Dead ♫

Doesn't look like it's gonna have a happy ending...
Let me guess. The main character wins in the end, and they stand up and say something stupid like: "We may be crazy, but at least we're happy!"
Yeah, that sounds pretty plausible.
Well, just because I can predict the ending doesn't automatically make it suck, I guess. But it doesn't really matter. Anything other than the purest literature is shit anyway.
That's rather cut-and-dry... Kind of a refreshing point of view, actually.
Speaking of predictions, I'm guessing your family was "normal" to a T, right?
Well, actually...we weren't really that normal at all. We're a family of four. My parents, my brother, and me, but...
What? Were you a family of cannibals or something?
D-Don't say something scary!
No, I mean... For example, Mom always watches the same variety show at lunchtime. Dad never shaves on weekends if he doesn't have plans, and my brother goes to an amazing school. When we're eating dinner and it's just the four of us, we basically just watch TV and small talk.
...Nothing you just said makes me think you're anything but completely and obviously normal.
But if that's normal, isn't it kinda...*not* normal, because it's *too* normal?
I'm really more interested in the relationship between you and your brother. Do you guys share a bed or bathe together like in those trashy light novels?
W-We're siblings! We'd never do that! We actually don't get along well at all!
The only time we even talk is when we're snacking together, or talking about manga we like...
...You guys get along better than most couples I know.
Really? I figured other siblings would be much closer than we are...
Any closer and it'd be illegal.
But now that...you mention my family... I'm starting to get worried... I hope Mom, Dad, and Makoto are all safe...

After that, our final stop is the director's room.



♪ BGM: Riddle Land ♫







A child challenging us to a battle of wits... He really doesn't think much of us, does he?
...Huh?



Y-You're just gonna go along with what he wants!?



♪ Jingle: Challenge from a Child ♫

Alright, Komaru is ready to own the shit out of some little kid again. But the first thing we need to do is pick up the present in this room.



♪ Jingle: Truth Bullet GET! ♫



Looks like you picked up Detect. Detect is a type of Truth Bullet that reveals things invisible to the naked eye. But not stuff like love or inner demons... That's not what it's for. Anyway, check out the graffiti art the kids made with the special type of paint. Things hitherto unseen can be viewed with your own eyes using Detect! Now before you get all angry and call me a liar, shine Detect onto the portrait. Now this is what real graffiti art is about. By the way, paint cans are seen in places where the kids have made graffiti. Where there is shadow, there is light. Where there are paint cans, there is graffiti.

Love, inner demons, or what is essential, that's not what Detect is about.



Anyway, we have four of these portraits...



...and four of these scribbles.



Going from left to right, if we examine the four portraits, we get told that this guy's name is Ichiro Soneda...



...this one is Barret Wong...



...this one is Heath Reed...



...and finally, this one is Antony Belfour. Astute viewers will notice that each of the four people has the letters to a number in their name - one, two, three and four. So we just match the scribbles on the paintings to the scribbles on the safe, assign the numbers accordingly, and...



...we have our solution.



♪ BGM: We Can't Change The World ♫

And the safe springs open!



Komaru is psyched about this development.

...You're rather excited for beating a little kid.
...Boo hoo.



And thus, Komaru owned a kid so hard it ran away crying. And she couldn't feel better about it.



And there's our key.

And with this, we can get into the subway!
W-We don't really know that... It could just be the key to some bicycle lock or something...
Huh... Then what do I do? I don't even know how to ride a bike...
...Oh... No, that's...not what I meant...
It's fine, let's just hurry up and try it. I've had enough of this hospital already.
Yeah, you're right.

And that'll be it for this time. Next time, we'll actually be finishing up the first chapter, and you know it's going to be exciting. And if you don't know, well, now you do. It's going to be exciting.