Part 11: Chapter 61 (Part 1)

Welcome to Chapter 61, Alice Edition.



Here's our team for today. Notably, Alice is force-deployed without a partner.

I love that you get the vampires on a day stage, separated from Rumia who can alleviate their weakness.



Only reason I'm not pumping up the Prismrivers here is cuz they don't need it.



As a reminder, combiner units like the Prismrivers get the average of their component units' upgrades. That means they effectively have 3x the upgrade costs as an average unit.

This stage can be surprisingly rough though, so it's worth it. Anyway, let's go.



BGM: What's the Strategy?

...You're really blooming today too, aren't you Sue? Maybe that's why I'm in a good mood. If you stay in full bloom forever, then I'm sure my power would also-

Definitely Not Yuuka posted:

Heh. A flower that blooms forever is no flower at all.

Oh, that voice...

It's been a while, Medicine.

You came to see me, Yuuka.

It seems the suzuran flowers here are blooming one step ahead of the rest. I wonder if their poison has matured your power any?

Of course it has. I'm not the same as I was when we first met.

Good to hear. I see you're still as tiny as ever though.

Don't call me tiny! You always tease me like that... Anyway, Yuuka, I've been talking about this with Sue, but I was thinking about leaving the flower field soon.

Oh? At long last?

With Sue in bloom like this, I'm sure I can finish off the humans. And then I can free the suffering dolls.

Free the dolls, huh...? That's the only thing you've talked about since we met. Don't you have anything else you want to do, Medi?

Nope. That's all I ever think about, day and night.

So you're saying that's your entire world?

Anyway, since you're here let's practice danmaku together. You're the only person I ever see other than Sue.

Fine, fine, I understand. Always in such a hurry, little one.



BGM: Border of Regular and Irregular Days

It's this way, everyone!

Don't get too far ahead, Lady Flan!

Never seen a vampire so excited at high noon before.

Actually, are you okay with letting her out of your sight, Remilia?

It's fine. I couldn't get rid of her even if I wanted to.

C'mon, Remi! You were supposed to chase me!

...See?

I see, you've gotten skilled at handling her.

Still, I never thought the day would come when FLAN was leading the way.

We've been on walks here countless times. She should know the way.

Hardly anyone ever comes here, so it's a good place to get her used to being outside.

Now that you mention it, I don't think I've seen anyone else the whole time.

The Nameless Hill is a place that's easily forgotten, even for Gensokyo. And it's not just humans. Youkai rarely come here either.

That's weird. What's up with that?

Well you see, souls who've lost their bodies had come to rest here before the hill was even given a name. It's just an old story, but it's true that there are plenty of ghosts here, so you'd best be careful.

If you bring a doll here, it might even suddenly start growing!

Thanks for the warning. You be careful, Shanghai.

Shanghai!

...Now that you mention it, I've been thinking this for a while Alice, but your dolls sure have some cute clothes. Did you actually sew them all yourself?

What, are you saying you want to try them on yourself or something, Reisen?

Of course, how could I have missed it? She's been wearing her uniform this whole time, even after coming to the surface.

N-No! I was just thinking that since they're weapons used in combat maybe they've got some strange enchantments or something.

Weapons... Hm. I've never once thought of them like that. I consider both the Shanghais and the Hourais as precious friends.

That's bullshit by the way. Canon Alice packs them full of gunpowder and uses them like disposable bombs.

I, for one, think it's a good thing to treasure the things you've made yourself.

Is it? It just seems normal to me; I've never really given it a second thought.

Grah, it sounds like you're trying to show off your good breeding, but I won't have it!

But still, you have to make sure to tell them they're loved.

Shanghai, you're having fun, right?

Shanghai!

Heey! If you girls don't stop chatting we won't get there until nightfall!

It's only a bit further to the Nameless Hill.

What?! More walking?! I've had about enough of this.

This wouldn't be much of a search for Koishi if we just flew over everything. Try to bear it.

Then I'll ride, thank you very much. Inaba, where's the cart?

Or if we don't have a cart, a basket would be fine too.

Geez, stop being so lazy and get some exercise!



Chapter 61: Innocent Poison

Ha... Ha... Phew...

What's wrong? Out of breath already?

I-I'm just getting warmed up! I'm just shouting because I'm so excited! Ha!

You've released too much poison, Medi. Not only does that needlessly exhaust yourself, it also hurts the nearby flowers.

So? I don't care about anything but Sue.

Good grief, and you were planning to leave the suzuran field like this?

...? I know this presence...



And we're here! Close enough anyway!

Is this a flower field? I never noticed it when we were here before.

Isn't it a bit early in the season for the suzuran to be blooming?

...! Someone's coming from over there!

So I see. I wonder what brings them to a place like this?

Ah! Yuuka spotted with an unknown youkai!

Yuuka! Heeey!

Wh-What?! You know them, Yuuka?

More or less. This is the first time you've met any youkai other than me, is it not?

It's been a while, Yuuka. Never thought we'd run into each other in a place like this.

I don't mind you going touring around looking at flowers, but could you please contact us now and then? It's been crazy while you were gone, Yuuka. Shiro went and made a big mess.

Oh really now? That fuzzball did?

No need to dance around the truth by calling her a fuzzball. We know she's a sheep youkai now.

Meeko, servant of the youkai who controls dreams: Makura Muwatari. Now don't say you're unfamiliar with that name.

Well now, I may have a vague recollection.

Then tell us what you know. I'm tired of this game you're playing.

So I take it you're planning to pick a fight too then? I'll simply be watching from the sidelines, waiting eagerly for the results.

So you're still not helping us then.

When you find an unfamiliar plant, don't you just have to see what it will grow into? Will it bloom into a flower? Can it coexist with the surrounding plants?

So you're not going to answer us, but it sounds you have SOME kind of conviction anyway.

Then I fear we may need to rely on brute force to get her to talk.

W-Wait, please! You're going to fight here?!

Oh yeah, this is the first time we've seen this little shrimp, isn't it?

You're the shrimp! I'm Medicine Melancholy! If you're going to bully Sue, then I won't let you!

Huh? Sue?

She's right in front of you! All these suzuran! You say you're going to fight Yuuka, but you're really here to to destroy this place!

What are you talking about? We just want to ask Yuuka Kazami some questions.

Hmph! I won't fall for that. Oh, I know Yuuka! If I can beat these outsiders, I'll feel confident enough to go outside!

By all means, do what you please.

So not even you're gonna stop this, Yuuka? Not that I expected you to...

Either way, it seems the time for dialog has passed. We accept your challenge.



Medicine and Yuuka move into their respective positions.



And here's how we're deploying. If you can't guess from the layout, this is a bit of a recreation of Chapter 10.

Eeek! I can't believe we're fighting Yuuka!

But we can't exactly betray our comrades either... Darned human decency!

Oh, I know, let's show Yuuka the power of our burning friendships!

Yeah, that's the spirit!

...Is it really a good thing to get so fired up about fighting your boss?

Looks like they're completely used to being on our side, at least.

That's all well and good, but who's this Medicine chick anyway? Even I've never seen her before.

That's no surprise. She's lived her entire life in this field, never once leaving.

Her entire life?

Yes. And before that, she just a doll.

A doll youkai then? And one who's never been outside at that...

You can't tell a youkai's power from its age. Be careful!



Victory: Defeat Medicine.
Defeat: Alice is defeated.
Bonus WP: Alice must fight Medicine and Yuuka at least once.

In previous versions, Alice also couldn't get hit ever for the Bonus. She's pretty fragile, so you still want to be careful with her.



Reisen takes a quick long-range shot at a fairy to the west...



And then everyone forms up on Merlin for 5 extra Power from her MAP.



These fairies are assholes. They're evasive, accurate, have just enough HP to be a problem, and have a laser barrier to boot. Honestly, this stage might be the hardest of the three not because of Medicine or the Bonus, but because of these guys.

They still don't hold a fucking candle to Kappa though.



Ow.





gdi



gah



Save me Alice.



On the first Enemy Phase:

So what kind of youkai is she... No, this isn't the time to be wondering that. For now, prepare yourself for danmaku please, Shanghai.

Shanghai

A doll?! And you're controlling it! Are you a puppeteer...?

That's right. I'm sure you've never seen it, but outside there are-

Bleh! I'll never forgive puppeteers!

Wha-?

You all just use dolls however you like and throw us away when you're done! I'll beat you all and free the dolls!

Wh-What are you talking about? I don't-

Wait, "free the dolls"?

We can talk later, you two! She's getting serious!

She's completely focused on Alice. Let's all support her.



Patchouli takes a nasty hit, but kills the jerk fairy in return.



Lots of insects beeline Alice, but she can handle them no problem.



Here's how we look on Turn 2.

Incidentally, here's some cut dialogue:

Maybe I learn Reflector Tile here?!

The animation sucks so we're leaving it out for now though...

The original release was clearly cutting some deadlines, cuz a bunch of attack animations were either shitty, or non-existant. Hopefully Ryza has old versions of the game lying around to capture some of the worst offenders.



These fairies have decent range, but they can't step to Reisen.



Part of the reason why everyone here is so annoying to hit is cuz they have +15% evasion from the terrain. There's no movement penalties, so there's no reason to fly. The 5% MP regen is nice too.



Tewi can contribute!



Alright.

That's it.



I was trying to save my resources, but fuck it. These enemies are way more annoying than Medicine can even hope to be. That's a lie but I know how to deal with her gimmick.



Decombine!

Merlin, give people some Power!



Lyrica, give Alice and Lunasa some Hit/Evade!



Recombine and roll out!



You know, I've tended to avoid using them in the past, but the Prismrivers really are super good.



Another good reason not to fly on this stage: the background is really pretty!



It's almost enough to make me not furious at this shit.

Almost.



Thanks to their central location, the Prismrivers get attacked by a bunch of fairies on the Enemy Phase. I'm glad of it, since they're very strong.



Between their massive MP pool, the Mini-Reactor I put on Lunasa, and the terrain, the Prismrivers are gaining 60 MP a turn, so I'm not too worried about blowing costly finishers on mooks.



So many insects charged Alice that she runs out of ammo for Dolls War.



So instead she just kicks like 4 of them to death.



Here's how we look going into turn 3. Yuuka spawned a bigass danmaku field with an annoying effect: if you're in it, then all attacks deal Graze damage whether you're focused or not. Aside from Alice's Bonus WP adventures, we're not going to want to enter that.





Thanks to the Scan spirit, here's Yuuka. She's as monstrous as you'd expect - over 2000 Armor, and she has the same 65% auto-dodge trick that Sakuya can do, on top of massively jacked Parry and Shield Block rates. She has Guard L2 (so -20% damage), and her Power can get all the way up to 200, just to make things even more annoying. Oh, and she has 2 actions a turn.

I've never bothered trying, but apparently she regens to max HP if you bother putting damage into her. She does have a conversation for killing her here (which I'm listing below), but I'm not sure it's even mathematically possible.

Not bad at all. You might even be able to keep up with my full power.

Tee hee hee, you feel like getting serious now?

I won't fall for your provocations. Going all out here would merely injure the flowers. I've played with you enough for today. I think I'll go get some rest.

She would cast Guts here to go up to max HP.

...She's being completely passive. I suppose she didn't want a final showdown after all.

We can't do a thing to her. Let's just do something about this doll youkai for now!

I guess if you were a big dick G (or a cheater) you could infinitely farm Yuuka for points, but, uh, good luck with that.



Instead we'll be taking Nitori's advice and just killing Medicine. By comparison she's not very impressive, although her SS size will make her more annoying to hit than her 152 Mobility would suggest.



Remilia skirts the edge of Yuuka's danmaku to finish off this fairy.



Here's a fun trick. I put the Mystic Memory on Merlin for -20% SP Costs, which she benefits from when they're decombined. Then when I recombine them, the benefits apply to Lunasa instead. That lets me effectively have two units equipping this powerful item at the same time.



These kinds of shenanigans are why it's worth loading up the combiners with good items, like the Mystic Memory or Mini-Reactor. I can get their already impressive spirit lists to go further, and I can get some serious mileage out of their MP.



And between their various stat-pumping PSes, they have literally the best numbers in the game in every stat but melee (which they don't even use).

The Prismrivers... are quite strong.



Looking at Medicine's stats earlier reminded me that I don't need to hold back on MP, so Flan can annihilate fools without regret.



Like you'd hope from an archer, Eirin is very accurate. It helps that she has the Genius skill pumping her accuracy by 20%.



Oh yeah, I forgot I even put the Eternity Exceeded on Reisen. You have too many good items to realistically use on these route splits.



Even without a partner, Alice has been one of my major contributors on this stage. It helps that she is both very accurate, and sufficiently evasive.



Starting on the third enemy phase, Medicine starts moving. True to an earlier conversation, she beelines Alice, although she'll still attack other people if Alice isn't in range.



We don't have many enemies left (just 3 fairies scattered around), so it's time to start thinking about the Bonus. The Medicine part isn't a problem, she'll figure that out for me. Yuuka, meanwhile, isn't very aggressive, so it's better to send Alice on a solo mission. The problem, of course, is that Medicine will be chasing her, and we really don't want to be fighting Medicine in Yuuka's danmaku.

The strategy, therefore, will be to lure Medicine a ways away from Yuuka, then surround her, and send Alice off.

[url=https://lpix.org/2962183/54.png[/img]

The few remaining mooks get finished off firstly.



This is going to take a while, so I might as well spam Merlin's MAP to max out my Power. If nothing else, she gains a lot of EXP from it - I think she gained like 5 levels this chapter.



Y'know, I never really noticed before...



Those two explosions are right where Reisen's Lunatic Red Eyes show up. What a cute detail.



She levels up and gets a new PS, Sniper. It makes the Snipe spirit (+2 range for the next attack) also boost her damage by 20%. It's not Valour, but she doesn't have Valour, so it's better than nothing.

Eirin actually learns TWO Personal Skills. Cage of Eternity makes a pair immune to damage for a turn (but they won't gain any Power), while Lunar Incense maxes out a pair's Power for a turn, but then sets it to 100 afterwords. The latter seems too specific to me, but the former could be pretty good for rushing a unit into a crowd.



I'm not expecting this to hit, but it's not like she can hit back.

Good idea, Sue. Let's murder them!

Are these flowers really that important? You even gave them a name.

Hey?! What if Yuuka heard that?! She'd twist you in half!

Save the idle talk for later. That doll is surrounded by highly concentrated poisons. If you touch her carelessly, I can't guarantee even a youkai would suvive.

P-Poison?! Why would she be-?

Sue gave me poison, so now I can use it however I want. All of you should just die!



BGM: Innocent Poison

I guess that arrow had enough force to almost knock her over.



Alice summons some dolls to help Support Defend for her, and the baiting commences.



You came, puppeteer!

Hold on, Medicine. Why do you hate me so much?

Who gave you permission to call me by name? You use dolls as tools and make them suffer!

No I don't. Shanghai and Hourai are important to me...

Hmph! You think you can trick me just by saying whatever you like? I hate you! Killing you here will be the first step of my doll liberation!



Shanghai gets some purple stink gas in the face.



Ok so to be honest I stopped recording at this point because I took like 10 turns moving around, but I also forgot to capture a conversation that happens a couple turns into this process.

...Looks like Alice and the others are busy with Medi. In which case, I'll just sit back and enjoy their fight.

Imagine there's a screenshot here of Yuka casting a bunch of spirits.

Yuuka's being completely passive. Looks like she has no intention to fight us.

We can't do a thing to her. Let's just do something about this doll youkai for now!



Skipping ahead awkwardly, here's a convo from when I finally moved Alice far enough away that Medicine had to attack other people.

You're the one who called me a shrimp!

Well, you are. I'm just telling it like it is.

Then you have you say that you're a shrimp too!

I'm just shorter than my sisters. I don't have to take that from someone even shorter than me!



Anyway, here we are on turn 14 or so. Thanks to Merlin, my units are all at max Power, and thanks to Lunasa, Medicine has been stuck at 100.



I cast Focus here as insurance, but just casting Alert was enough.



Despite all the talk about not destroying the garden, Yuuka has no problems busting out The Spark.

We finally caught you... Or so I'd say, but it seems you have no intention of fleeing.

And here I was sure you'd be scurrying away like that sheep.

And why would you think that? There's no reason for us to play cat and mouse. More importantly, I'd like to observe Medicine's condition just a bit longer.

Go ahead, but once we win you'll tell us everything you know about the mastermind.

Hmm, I'd prefer not to start the play without all the actors present.

Even if you think so, it's still our first good chance to test our skills in a while.

We haven't fought in forever, so try to make this fun!



BGM: The Beauty of Nature

FWIW Yuuka also has Counter. It doesn't matter, since you needed a plan to survive her attacks anyway, but it's there.



Bunshin is going to be such a pain in the ass later on.





By the way, it's inadvisable but Yuuka has a full set of battle quotes with most characters here. I'm not going to bother c/ping every single one, but here's a few of the more interesting ones:

Out of season suzuran flowers... There's no way you're behind this, right Yuuka?

Of course not. It seems these flowers just couldn't bear to wait for their cue.

Their cue...?

More importatantly, isn't she just fascinating? She's never even set foot outside of this feel, but she still views you and the humans with such hostility.

It can't be good for her to hate so many people indiscriminately. She looks up to you, so why haven't set her straight?

It's simply something she should experience for herself. But to think her life would become entangled with yours, Alice... This certainly promises to be interesting.

More of that nonsense then. We'll never get anywhere like this.


To think the arrogant people of the moon would stoop to consorting with surface dwellers. So, have you come to understand the beauty of flowers yet? Even a little?

These suzuran are fascinating. Depending on your intentions, they can be effective as both a poison and a medicine.

So that's what interests you? Can you feel no love for the flowers themselves then?

The more I hear you speak, the less honest I feel like being.


It's been a while, Remilia. Have you been getting along well with Flan?

See for yourself. And I see you're still following your whims as usual... Just talking with you is making me want to go on a rampage like the old days. Looks like you don't feel the same way though.

I'd hate to hurt these flowers. I'd be happy to help you with some warm-ups though.

Good enough for me! Try not to run out of breath stretching!


So it's another blonde girl this time, Yuuka?! I know being hard to contact is normal, but could you at least take us with you sometimes?

But then you wouldn't be able to help Reimu and the others, would you?

Er, I guess...

If there's something you want to do, then consider its implications. And surely you know what it means to spend time with me?

...Are you saying I'd have to fight you?

Now wouldn't that be lovely. I don't mind, if you don't.


Whazzup, Yuuka!

Oh, whazzup, Kurumi.

Tee hee hee, you did it!

I doubt you're satisfied with just that. So have you two been imposing on Remilia's household again?

Actually, we've been doing okay by ourselves. Surprisingly. Me and Elly divide up the cooking and cleaning and stuff. In theory.

Well, isn't that nice? So you don't need me there anymore then?

Oh! That's not what I meant! Please come home, Yuuka!



Back to your regularly scheduled beat down.

Your sound is... to be honest, I can't hear it well. In contrast to your strong words, your sound is faint and indistinct.

What are you talking about...? You're just trying to confuse me!

Not at all. It's just that you're of a rare type, so it piqued my curiosity.



The long-range crew are sitting comfortably outside of Medicine's attack range.



Even a doll youkai is still a youkai. That's different from an autonomous doll.

A... what?

A doll that thinks and moves on its own. The subject of Alice's research.

What?! She's planning to make a bunch of slave dolls or something?!

If she only wanted them to do as she says, then there's no reason to give them autonomous functionality. What Alice is seeking is something more... honestly, I'm not sure myself.


With all this poison floating around, I'm worried about it soaking into the books. I'd better be careful...

What's wrong with that? Poison makes things more charming.

Well, let's see here, first of all it might be harder to understand if you're getting light-headed from the poison... Wait, what am I even saying?! Is this also the poison?!



The power to control the poison of suzuran flowers? How interesting. I don't suppose you could control other poisons as well?

Other poisons...? But there's only Sue here.

So there are many as-yet unknown variables at play. How intriguing.

B-Back off already! Are you trying to bully Sue?!

I'm a doctor, so naturally I have an interest in poisons. I daresay I know more about their properties and uses than you.

What?! I won't lose to you!


You must be quite an enthusiast to live in a toxic place like this.

Enthusi-what?

Er, someone with praiseworthy tastes. I can't believe you love suzuran flowers so much, of all things...

Stop making fun of me! No flowers are more amazing than Sue!



Let's get this show on the road.

...I suppose this isn't the best time to ask you to elaborate on this doll liberation of yours.

Wait, do you want to free the dolls too?

Not quite, but since you could say I'm one of those "comrades" you mentioned I'm interested in what you have to say. Although since humans are involved too, I can't say I'm on one side or the other.

Then you're my enemy!

As I thought, we'll have to discuss this later.


Poisonous flowers, huh? Oh wait, I bet I could sell them to the Master for good money...

What are you muttering about?

I know a master pharmacist. I'm sure she could figure out a use for poison too. If you just lend me a corner of this suzuran field, then getting rich quick can be more than a dream.

Ew, no! I'm not giving you my precious flowers! Who cares about money?

Hmm, was that the wrong pitch?



BGM: A Certain Misfortune God's Song

I don't normally bother with finisher themes, but Hina doesn't get to play much, so here you go.

Also there's the part where she's pushing curse needles into a literal doll, which is funny to me.



N-Not bad!

Same to you. You're pretty strong for a newborn.

...Why do you say that as you back away, Tewi?

That's a lot of poison, you know. It's gotta be bad for my health.

But this is strange. If she's just a spirit possessing the doll, she shouldn't have this much power.

And not only that, I can't imagine she'd be able to control her body so freely.

So you finally realized my greatness then? This is all Sue's power.

The power of the flowers?

Before I was a youkai, I was abandoned here. I thought I'd be like that forever... but Sue's poison gave me life. It's thanks to that that I can move how I want, and think what I want. All thanks to Sue's poison!

So you're saying you're the soul of the doll itself, and the poison is a part of your body.

That's right! And I'll rise up to save my suffering comrades!

...So that's what you meant by freeing the dolls.

I think you're misunderstanding something Medicine. That's not how humans treat do-

Shut up! I'll defeat you and sound the signal of doll revolution!

Conparo, Comparo, gather, poison!





Enemy Spellcard
Ｆｏｇ Ｓｉｇｎ 「Ｇａｓｓｉｎｇ Ｇａｒｄｅｎ」

code:

Ally: Mobility -85
Ally: Movement -2

Man Medicine's poison was such a pain in PoFV.



Kaguya's a big slow fatty with that effect. Luckily she wasn't planning on dodging in the first place.



Wow, all these suzurans in full bloom are beautiful. Is it like this every year?

Dunno, I don't know much about the past. All I know is that this year Sue's happier than ever!

So it's unusual after all. Is there something going on with the weather or something then?


I wonder if I could use these flowers for sweets or tea?

You want to eat Sue's poison? You'd die, stupid.

It's not for me. I'm always on the lookout for something stimulating for certain acquaintances of mine.

I kinda feel sorry for them...



Medicine gets punched in the face for 11k damage.



Apparently she keeps all that gas under her dress.



I appreciate that they actually drew her doll joints.



For some reason I'm feeling hyped!

No way! Sue's poison is making you feel good?!

My head's spinning, and it feels like I'm on fire! It's the best!

Th-That's a weird reaction. There are people like that too...?





The Prismrivers aren't about to let Meiling out-do them.



So you've been here ever since you were born? So you've never desired to leave then?

Well, I have to go attack the humans.

In that case, why stay in this flower field until now?

Huh...?

If you want to leave, then it's simple enough. Were you perhaps waiting for someone else to reach out to you?

D-Don't make fun of me!

I enjoy Reformed Hikkikomori Kaguya giving people advice about getting out more.

A friend of Yuuka is a friend of mine!

So you're Yuuka's friend?

I'm sure she mentioned us, right? Something about me or Elly?

Nope. Not at all. She never really talked about outside stuff.

Gyah! How could you, Yuuka?!



Welcome to a world of ~sparkles~



SPELL BREAK



Ugh, so this is the strength of the humans outside?

I'm the only human here, actually...

Stop splitting hairs! And stop interfering with my doll liberation!

The little shrimp sure is stubborn. She's going this far for her comrades...

...I wouldn't be so sure about that. Something's been bothering me about this. This youkai has never left this place, correct?

So you're saying that even though she's talking about comrades, maybe she's never actually met any? Which means...

What are you all muttering about over there?! You don't have time for that against me!



imagine a poogas sound effect here

Ugh, poison gas?! She has that much power?

Using that in THIS wind? She just doesn't know how to control herself. Stop this at once. You'll affect all the surrounding organisms too.

So what?! Sue and I will be fine!

Sheesh, she really is a brat.

That's right, Medicine. You need to consider other people. In the world outside, everyone lives by thinking of one another.

This isn't the time to persuade her; we need to do something about this or we'll be in serious danger.

Everyone who gets in my way, eeeveryone, sleep soundly in my poison!





Enemy Spellcard
Ｃｏｎｆｕｓｉｏｎ 「Ｉｎｔｏ Ｄｅｌｉｒｉｕｍ」

code:

Ally: SP-60%
-At the start of every turn (and at the start of the Spell) SP is reduced by 60%.

This spell changes depending on the order you do it in. First reduces your HP to 1, second reduces your MP to 1. I knew this effect was coming, so I cast all my spirits ahead of time, but if you didn't, it can be pretty fucking rude.

Also I think it only affects the front unit in the pair (since technically the unit in the back isn't "in the danmaku") so you could do some switcheroos to mitigate the effects.



This place is outdoors, but staying here by yourself forever sounds boring.

Not really. There's lots of Sue here, and Yuuka visits sometimes.

Really? But you can go anywhere you want. Just seems like a waste to me.

Wh-What?! Just because you know a little more about the outside than me!


So did Yuuka become friends with a cute little girl like you?

Well, she would come here sometimes and show me her danmaku.

That sounds so nice... And here she treats me like I'm nothing but lawn trimmings...

Sheesh, why is Yuuka so weak to all these blondies...?

But you're blonde too.

?!





Medicine gets torn almost in half.



A few more knocks later, and we're ready to end this.

An opponent who spews poisons, huh? I have just the thing! Now, uh, where did I put it...?

Tada! An anti-poison gas mask!

What is that creepy thing?!

It's a mask to block toxins of all kinds. We made them back when the river was being polluted. Never thought I'd need it here though!

You think a thing like that will stop my poison!?


Looks like she's using a powerful poison. I hope Sakuya will be okay.

Yes, fear my power!

Dangerousness has nothing to do with age. If anything, a lack of control can make someone even more dangerous. So, I wonder where you fit into that.

Such wisdom.



And just like a true wiseman, she sends the lackies to take care of her dirty work.



SPELL BREAK



Remilia levels up and gets Chain of Fate, which lets her Sense spirit (Strike+Alert) affect both units in the pair. Decent if you wanna use her as a backpack, but I dunno why you would.

Nitori in turn learns Water Carpet, which lets her turn the terrain around her in Water for a turn, 2 times per stage. I've never tried dunking enemies underwater, but all bosses have A in water anyway so I doubt it's worth trying.



20k in the bank.

Wh-What?! Me and Sue aren't strong enough...?

Thank goodness, we managed to stop her before the poison spread too far.

When it comes to tea, subtle flavors are best.

...You know, Sakuya, watching you fight is getting to be bad for my heart.

You lost, Medi. I hope this will be a good experience for you though.

No, I haven't lost yet! I just need more poison...!

?

Huh, she stopped? So, it's over?

Wh-What's going on?! My left arm isn't moving...

You used too much poison. It's finally reached your own body.

I guess you could say it's what you get for throwing around your power indiscriminately?

Wh-What is this... Then... I'm broken? No, Sue, stop. I don't wanna go back... I don't wanna stop moving again...

...



Alice moves next to Medicine.

Stop trying to move. That might make it worse.

Are you going to finish me off, puppeteer?

Of course not. Now show me your arm. Does it hurt? I should be able to repair it.

...I suppose I can leave her to you then.



Yuuka moves to the edge of the area.

Ah! You're leaving already Yuuka?!

Where are you going? We're not done with you yet.

I've said again and again that you won't be hearing anything from me. Surely you understand by now? I wanted to see Medi's fight with my own eyes, so I'm done here now.

Yuuka...

Yuuka...

I only came here on a whim to see the suzuran bloom. And now I'm off to the next flower. I'm sure Medi can leave this place without withering away, as long as she's with you.

But what about us?!

Farewell, Medi. If you ever leave the flower field, please come visit ME next time. As for the rest of you, I'm sure we'll meet again, where the flowers bloom.

No, wait!



Yuuka...

She disappeared into the flowers. We'll never be able to chase her.

Even if we forced a fight, we'd have nothing to gain from it. Let's leave it at that.

Well for now, I guess we can breathe again? We have to deal with Medicine too.







BGM: What's the Strategy?

I'm glad we've all finally calmed down and have a chance to look at the suzuran. Up close, they're quite a reserved and elegant flower.

Please don't ask us to grow them back at the mansion. I've already had enough of their poison.

The poison user herself doesn't seem to happy about it though.

...

It must've been a shock when her arm broke.

Now now, calm down, blondie said she could fix it.

Hmph, I'm just annoyed that I didn't get to punish you all. I'm sure I could fix this on my own. I've always figured things out on my own.

...It seems her mouth works properly, at least. Would you mind sewing it shut while you're fixing her?

Your health is what counts. Now leave this to me.

Ugh, the puppeteer...

As I thought, as you ran out of energy your joints became damaged. If you're this beat up, I'm sure it hurts.

...Hurt? Me?

Yeah, you. If only you'd stopped a bit sooner...

Hmph. I'm a doll. I don't feel pain. So if you were hoping to force me to tap out, then too bad for you.

What? No, we were just worried about you.

Worried...?

It's called empathy. We sympathize with what you're feeling, and feel the pain ourselves. Maybe you wouldn't know, since you've lived in this flower field your whole life. It comes naturally when people interact with each other.

...I don't really get it, but it sounds like you're calling me stupid.

You don't need to get it right away. Everyone learns little by little. Anyway, for now I'll get working on this injury. This is all so sudden for you, so I'm sure you're in shock.

...

Looks like she's decided to behave herself and accept our help.

We haven't made any progress on the search, but I guess that's settled, at least?

So, while she's fixing you, can we ask you some questions? You mentioned freeing the dolls earlier. What exactly did you mean by that? It sounded like you thought the dolls were suffering.

It's just what it sounds like. I want to free my comrades from the tyranny of the humans. They just use us as they please and then throw us away.

...I see. So that's how you think.

What, you got a problem with that?

I think you're misunderstanding what dolls are. Which is no surprise, since you've been alone here all this time.

What are you talking about?

You haven't fully recovered yet, so let's save this for another time.

By the way, how's the repair going? If you need parts, I can disassemble my Extending Arm...

Don't worry, the first aid is complete.

No way! Already?!

I tied a ribbon infused with magic around it, so it should be back to normal by tomorrow. It was simple enough, so while I was at it, I also examined other places you've been injured.

Sh-She's amazing, Sue! The world is amazing! I thought fixing my broken arm would take a lot more time...

She did you a favor, so you have to say thank you.

Hmph! I never asked for her help.

...Antisocial to the end, I see.

Anyway, now that we've reached a stopping point, let's consider our options. At this rate, it doesn't seem like we'll find Koishi, and we let Lady Yuuka get away.

Maybe we should just disband for the day and regroup tomorrow?

Oh right, should we take the shrimp with us too?

Me?

Isn't this the perfect chance for you to leave the flower field?

Yeah, a friend of Yuuka's is a friend of ours!

I also happen to be well-versed in poisons. I could teach you to control your power if you like.

Why should I go with you?! You want to get beat up again?!

You're the one who's beat up. Shall I lend you a mirror?

It's not like we're forcing you to come.

...

You don't have to decide right away. I'll come see you tomorrow morning. If you decide you're ready to leave, we can leave right away. We'll keep a space open for you.

That's kind of you Alice. Or maybe you just like leading people around?

No way it's that, not even we know where we're heading...

Anyway, see ya tomorrow!

The crew walk away.

Hmph! What kind of idiots would take their enemies with them? Right, Sue? She said I'll be fixed by tomorrow, so that's good. What a sucker.

...

But I never imagined there'd be people like that outside... I... don't know anything about what's out there, do I?



That's it for this.

Next time...



The whole crew's back together again.

---

-Medicine's Attacks