Part 86: Justice Has Not Been Served
So, anyway, Tartarus! We're not heading to Harabah today, though. No, in a rare twist, we're taking the regular stairs.
Oh thank God, I was not looking forward to waiting around for 15 minutes for this. Now it's just like 5.
Just gonna hang out by the stairs until Fuuka's half-awake state chirps in letting us know something imoprtant.
Not gonna video this one, because you don't want to watch like 10 minutes of the most boring fight ever.
Since this is Hard, he gets the first move by sheer default. He's not gonna get any other turns for this fight, so let's see what he can do!
After School
Kotone-san...
...Oh, th-thanks for the food!> Ken begins eating vigorously...
Yep, it's delicious. *munch munch* It's really good!> As Ken happily tears into the food, he gets ketchup all over his face...
> ...Seeing how happy you've made him makes up for the effort.
Thank you very much, Kotone-san.
*munch*> You feel that you've gotten even closer to Ken...
I'm full.> After finishing the dish, Ken finally relaxes...
> ...?
> He suddenly falls silent, though...
D-Do you... cook for other people like this, too?
...Do you have one? Oh, um, well! I saw on TV that all high school girls have a boyfriend, so... Um... I was wondering... if you had one too, Kotone-san. It's that... If you did have one...
..... Wh-What am I saying!? A kid like me shouldn't be butting into personal stuff like that! .....
Unfortunately, I don't have one. I-Is that so? ...I see. Oh, then...
Nobody! I-Is that so.
..... Oh, um, nothing.
..... Um, if I... If I said... that I liked you, would that bother you? Not at all. .....
..... Oh... Thank you for the food. Um... It was delicious. Um... .....> You quietly chatted with Ken until late into the evening...
After School
Anywhere you want! I'll pay.
Huh...? ...Ah. Oh, he's one of my classmates...> A boy about Ken's height walks by...
Ken's Classmate: What're you doing?
Uh... nothing! I'm just about to go to dinner...
Huh?
...Oh, n-no!Ken's Classmate: Wh-What're you getting mad at me for!?
Because... ..... I'm not her younger brother! Kotone-san is... She's my...
We're friends, right?
Wh-What's so weird!?Ken's Classmate: I mean, she's way older than you.
...! Sh-Shut up!
Ken's Classmate: Your face is stupid! Dumbass! Hag!
Silence> Ken's classmate runs off...
> ...Did he just call you a hag...?
Warm Feeling
Um... I'm sorry he said that stuff... I'm sorry... It didn't bother me. ......> Ken hangs his head low...
I know that already... That's a fact that can't be changed... ..... So... Why are you bothering with a kid like me? The guys at the dorm are older than me, and you have lots of friends, right...? Then... why me...?> Ken looks downwards, but he has a serious expression...
> You must be honest with him...
It's because I like you. Kotone-san... I told you... don't tease me.
I'm not lying! ..... Can I... really believe you?
.....
I like you... I know I'm still just a kid, but I'm serious about how I feel about you... I really like you...> Ken's small fist tremble...
> You sense a strong bond has formed between you and Ken...
My heart's... all pounding. I just can't believe it... Um... let's go out to dinner some other time! W-Well then!> Ken ran off, his face bright red.
> ...You decide to return to the dorm.
Warm Feeling
Um... .....> Ken's face is bright red...
C'mon, let's talk. Y-You're right. U-Um, I'm starving. ...Wait, I'm eating right now... Oh... Um...
Um... Are you sure you're okay... with me...? ..... Sh-Shall we get going!?
Was the dorm always this close...? ..... Once we go in, we're just friends.
It'll be a secret to everybody. That would probably be best... ...But, if I think about the chance that there might be somebody else who likes you... I don't think... that I could compete. .....
> Ken mutters under his breath...
..... Whoa!> Ken tripped over something...
Wanna hold hands? Huh? ..... Y-Yes.
> You held Ken's hand.
> His small hands are cold...
.....> ...?
I-I'm sorry. I... ...I'm sorry!> Ken ran back to the dorm...
> ...You decide to go back as well.
Warm Feeling
A-About when we were holding hands... It didn't bother me at all. ..... Um... I cheated... .....
I...
S-So, I l-lied... I'm sorry! I'm so sorry...! I didn't mind at all. Kotone-san...
I wonder... how much longer I'll be a kid. I want to be an adult now... I want to be a man, worthy of you...> Ken hangs his head low...
You're fine the way you are. Kotone-san...
Kotone-san... Please wait for me... I'll try and catch up as fast as I can... I'll get taller in no time, and I'll be stronger than everybody else...! So, please... Wait for me, Kotone-san... Don't worry, I'll wait for you. ...Yes.
> You sense a strong sense of affection from Ken...
I want to stay with you more... But it's dangerous for us to stay out too late.> You returned to the dorm with Ken.
Ken Amada: J... Justice...? Warm Feeling
..... Oh, I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't be staring. Something catch your eye? Everything catches my eye. Especially when I think about how all these things belong to you.
I-I want to give you this. ...Please, accept it.
I m-mean, my house is long gone. But I've been holding onto that key all this time. I can't accept this. No, I really want you to have it.> Ken looks serious...
After all this time, I've suddenly started remembering things.
I never thought about it until recently. I tried not to remember.
But, I... I began to think about what it means to be "left behind..." I still think that my mother must've had regrets.
But I had a lot of good memories about that house. My mother left them for me... That key... is filled with those memories. I wanted to give it to you, because you mean that much to me.
I know I'm much younger than you. I've been hating that this whole time. But, there's some good things about it... ...I'm not gonna die before you.
So please... smile for me. Please live for me. Please... Let me into your life.> You can sense Ken's strong determination and deep affection...
Silence
> Ken's lips are trembling...
P-Please swear to me too. Swear that you'll stay with me... That you choose to let me be there for you... Please swear it, right now... I swear. I heard that. ...Kotone.
It's okay... if I take a little more of your time, right? Can I... stay here for a little longer? ...Can I?
End
And then we just repeat that cycle of preventing him from getting turns over and over and over again. This doesn't work anywhere near as well in Portable, of course, because removing Knock Down doesn't use the Reaper's turn and considering what we saw him do in his FIRST turn...
And that's how you beat the Reaper early! It's long, it's slow, but it works. You can theoretically do it earlier, but good luck with that in practice. Your damage output will be balls (thanks to the level difference) and you'll run out of SP for Makoto way too early. Fusion skills cost being proportional is what makes it really unfeasible to do it earlier than this.
Well, this was a nice diversion. Let's see what's at the top of (this half of?) Harabah... later. Pretty much just came here to finally beat up this guy, really. Wasn't even worth it in the end! 12k EXP and no sweet loot? Don't even bother dealing with him. Just treat him like an environment hazard, rather than a real enemy until Elizabeth asks you to for a request, when he's even more dunkable.