Part 77: 10/28/09 - 10/30/09

So, we have just under a week before the full moon...

When the Moon's Reaching Out Stars (Reincarnation) / Way of Life -Deep Inside My Mind-



Real quick first things first, now that we have Thor we can make another unique Fusion weapon. At this point, this one ends up being exclusively for Makoto... it's pretty good and powerful and is the Elec equivalent of Gae Bolg/Laevateinn, but man 80% hit rate. That is not just bad, that is actively the worst.

...Still making it, though.



He must be one stubborn guy to follow anyone around that much.
He'd make a great detective...



She helped the cat that those brats were picking on!
Then she fed it some real high-class, gourmet cat food!
It's just a stray cat. Why's she making such a fuss over it...?

This sure is still a thing that is happening. It's kind of amazing, honestly.



Anyway, my napkin math says we should talk to Yuko sooner or later. So, uh, let's do it now. Sure.

Joy



C-Can we just forget about that?
Forget about what?
Oh, if you don't remember, that's even better!

Dangit Yuko, the real response there is "exactly."



Maybe my motherly instincts came out after coaching those kids...
...It's so embarrassing just thinking about it.
Do you remember what I told you at Wild-duck Burger?
How Mr. Ekoda reprimanded me about my Classic Literature quiz?
Back then, I just wanted to graduate and go to a community college...
But after coaching those kids, I started to realize something...



Guess what I wanna be.
An instructor?
Close! You've almost got it, Mr. ex-Assistant Coach.



I'm thinking of becoming an athletic trainer.
You have to monitor each athlete's diet and help them plan their training schedule.
I'll go to professional school once I graduate, and work towards earning my certification.
Between the general education requirements and the class for my major, it adds up to over 350 hours.
That's why I'm gonna start studying right away.
...Improving my writing is my first goal. It took me three nights to finish that three page essay.

That's... yeah, uh, that definitely could use some work.



I was thinking about how I would teach my own kids one day... and I didn't have the slightest clue.
Well, that all changed.
If you haven't been there with me, I'm not sure if I would've been able to coach those kids.
And I would have never thought about my future, either.
...So, thank you.

> Yuko seems appreciative.

> Your relationship is stronger now!





...Wish me luck, Makoto-kun.

> After saying goodbye to Yuko, you decided to go back to the dorm.

Iwatodai Dorm



Yes, yes, that's very good. I will be looking forward to celebrating our victory.

On some level, it's honestly remarkable just how quickly everyone bounced back after last month. But at the same time, it does make sense.



The battles with Shadows are coming to an end...
We will avenge the death of Koromaru-san's owner in this next operation.



So, what about you, Makoto-san? Are you nervous?
Nope, not at all.
You're amazing... No wonder you're the leader.
I get chills when I think about the Dark Hour disappearing...

Yes. That's why I'm the arbitrarily decided leader. Yep, sure.



I think so.
So do I. Koro-chan has animal instincts.

...what. what are you even on about



He's not afraid of battling Shadows, even though he's so small.
I'm taking out the next Shadow for Koromaru!



You should have a better strength training regimen.
We don't want to have any regrets, so train as much as you can.

Akihiko, we just went to Tartarus last night. Akihiko, you were there. You're level 50!



Needless to say, we weren't going to go to Tartarus last night unless it ended up being absolutely necessary.

Changing Seasons / Sun



Don't worry. You're already familiar with the main places where enzymes can be found... your own body.
Let's see if you can tell the class, Makoto...
Consider milk, which contains lactic acid.
One type of enzyme's function is to break lactic acid into glucose and galactose...
What is that enzyme called?
Lactase.
Yep, you got it.
Some people get stomachaches from drinking milk, because their bodies can't produce enough lactase.
The same thing happens for some people and alcohol, if they lack enzymes to break the alcohol down.
But if you're wondering if you have that particular enzyme... don't try to find out until you're 21, okay?

For what it's worth, the real legal drinking age in Japan is 20.



Anyway, uh, we did just reset that pesky time limit thing so let's spend the afternoon with Yukari. Mostly because Yuko's not available today.

Troubled



...Wait, lemme see how much money I have...



But, when...? I had it when I pulled out my ticket at the station...
Wait... Someone bumped into me right outside the train station.
Sorry, I'm gonna go back there and look around. It'll just take a minute!
Wait here, okay?
I'll be fine, so don't come after me!
I'll be right back!

> You are alone now.



> It doesn't seem like Yukari is coming back...

Crisis





Lackey: Can I get a piece of that, Bro!?







> Yukari seems appreciative.

> Your relationship is stronger now.

Troubled





Hey, why'd you come after me?
Didn't I say to wait?

> Yukari seems annoyed.

Do you think it's funny?



I didn't need your help!

> Yukari is trembling. It doesn't seem like she really means what she's saying.



Not often I show these, yeah. The top option here is what we're picking, of course. The bottom one is notable for being the active worst, since it reverses the link.

Thanks, it's okay...



Sorry, I'm going home now.
See ya...

> You decide to go back to the dorm.

Iwatodai Dorm



That means we have five more days...

Basically four at this point, though. The day's pretty much over.



The only thing that's new in the dorm is that Lisa's back on the TV.

"Kaumena" means "Help!" Even I say "Kaumena" to those Apathy Syndrome victims.
That's all for this week! Back to the news!



Nothing else of note then, for better or worse.

Changing Seasons / Sun



Ms. Toriumi is feeling ill today... Again. I'll be her replacement today.
People tend to overstuff themselves during autumn. Mind your manners...



The topic at hand is magic used to summon angels and demons to our world.
First... what is summoning magic?
It's when a magician summons a spiritual presence and controls it to achieve his or her goals.
Like shamanism, summoning magic can be seen throughout the world in different eras.



Edogawa, please. The fourth-wall was generally pretty solid until now.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust was instrumental in the popularization of summoning magic.
There are many examples of summoning magic I'd like to share, but we don't have that much time...
But here are a few of them.
In the Middle Ages, John Dee and Edward Kelley joined forces in Europe to summon an angel.
Later, in the 19th century, the magician Eliphas Levi summoned the Spirit of Apollonius.



Aiwass is the name Crowley gave to a voice that he totally definitely heard, honest. That's it. It's not a mythological thing or an angel or whatever that he "summoned."

What else... There's Neoplatonism, focusing on the doctrine of summoning a guuding spirit called a daemon.
In Voudoun, the Houngan may summon a spirit called a Loa.
And in Japan...
An incantation in a religion called Vajrayana can be considered a summoning ritual.
By performing this ritual, the summoner tries to fuse with Buddha to gain his power.
I could go on and on... there are countless examples of summoning magic.
But by studying many different forms, you can begin to see a pattern.



...But summoning magic isn't always used for powerful spirits. It can also invoke everyday spirits.
Seances, for example, or Oujia boards.
These rituals are easy to perform, and thus very attractive, but...
As I've told you many times, do not try this at home! It may result in... unpleasantness. Eeeheehee...
That's it for today.

Whew boy, okay. So, before we do anything else...



We'll go and pick up this thing, I guess.



It's significantly stronger than the Gae Bolg, sure, but the accuracy hit is pretty bad. We'll give it a shot at some point, I guess, though. The Elec Boost isn't super-great in this instance, but it still has its uses.



Anyway, let's go back to Student Council. This is important.

Joy



I'm not trying to force everyone to change the way they dress; I would like to hear your opinion.

> You overhear several comments.



Vice President: Before, he didn't care WHAT we thought.
Liaison: Well... At least he's trying.

> The meeting is over.



Um... How'd I do?
Not bad.
If you say so... Anyway, it's a big weight off my shoulders.



I may have given people the impression that I'm selfish, but I'll win back their trust.
Look at this.

> Hidetoshi removed a lighter from his pocket.



And you know what else? He promised me that he'll never smoke again.
This lighter is proof of that.
I earned his trust by showing concern for others, just like you taught me.
Here, I want you to have this.
I'll hang onto it.
Please, do.



D...Did you just give me what is effectively evidence? Is this a confession of a different sort?

I've been looking down on people.
But, you taught me an important lesson.
I don't think I'll ever compare to you, though.



> You sense great respect from Hidetoshi.

> Your relationship is stronger now!

The Path is Open









Joy



Whew, finally. Odin is good. Very, very good. He's level 57 so we can make him pretty soon. Notably at level 63 he learns a skill that is straight up just Thunder Call But Better. At level 65, he gives Makoto a very special passive skill. He's the earliest source for that skill, but getting it is a bit of a pain unfortunately. Probably gonna do it, though.


Also, uh, Hidetoshi ended up being the 10th S.Link we've maxed. I guess that's something.



The man sent to prison was my father...
I see now that sincerity IS important, and I'm proud of myself for learning its true meaning.
I also realized what an amazing man my father is...
...It's time to go home.
You wanna go somewhere?
You know, we've never hung out outside of school.

> You decide to go with Hidetoshi. He seems really excited.

This isn't shown, (un?)fortunately. We just skip straight to the dorm.

Iwatodai Dorm



Just a shame there's nothing at all in the dorm tonight.

Now that we're halfway through the final run-up to the full moon, we'll take a brief respite here. See y'all on the other side.