Part 100: Episode XCIV: Unlikely Alliance

Episode XCIV: Unlikely Alliance



......
Is he OK...?
I am starting to doubt it.
Yuri! Snap out of it, already!
......
...Eh? What?!
You've been staring at that creature muttering the same thing for what feels like three months! Are we going to fight this thing or not?!
Oh... huh... Sorry. I just kind of spaced out there. My does my back and my fist hurt all of the sudden...?
Yuri! Monster! Focus!
Right, right... Let's do this!




Music: Deep in Coma ~ Battle in Japan



This offspring of Shoki is the Koshoki. Which just means Child-Shoki. It is a Light elemental enemy, much like its parent, but has a mere 244 HP. I'm also curious where they come up with these odd ass digits for enemy HP. Why not a nice 245 HP? With few exceptions, it's been just like mash a number pad and call it a day since all the way back in the Koudelka days.





Speculation aside, Koshoki is only capable of spamming Bright Light and will go down in one or two physical combos. We are basically curb-stomping an infant when you think about it. That's not exactly a real match.





Somewhere out there in the Shadow Hearts universe, there is an EXP, Cash, and Soul Energy calculation for being the shit out of a human baby. Think about it.


Music: Crisis



A gunshot is heard in the distance.


<Looks toward the west> Over there!

The party advances into the street. The rest of our allies arrive.



Is everybody all right? Nobody hurt?
W-we're just fine, Kurando!
Yuri spaced out for a really long time, but he seems good now...
Hey, I said sorry!
The whole city's in an uproar! What in the world is going on?!
There was this monster that showed up...!
And then it squeezed out another monster. Not sure if that's an ongoing thing, or...
...This is more information than necessary.
<steps forward> Look, over there! Soldiers!
Damn! What's with this country, anyway?!
You're from here originally, aren't you? It explains a lot.
<glares> Cute.



The Megimel Twins have shown up in the Japanese capital and it seems Amanda has also migrated to Japan for the second disc of the game. Gerard has some new inventory for us while Piere's quest will remain stalled out until the endgame.



Oh, Yuri! Quick, before they eat you! You've got to buy something!
I'm glad you're so concerned about my safety.
You AND your precious wallet could be dissolving in the belly of a mighty beast at any moment, Yuri! Hurry!!
Okay, I'll buy! Just chill out!



We have a whole new slew of weapons available for purchase and we will be doing some combat fairly frequently coming up, so let's make some purchases. It's not as though we're hurting for Cash at the moment.



Never trust a Turtle Worshipper. But do trust in the +143 Physical and +128 Special Attack.



I feel like it's a little pretentious to have a dragon motif on your sword when you're a self-described "dragonhunter." But what do I know? Physical +137 and Special +135 Attack.



Rarely for item descriptions, Minamoto no Yorimitsu was a real dude from the 1000s. A large amount of legends are based on him. Particularly, the Xbox Original (Xbox's naming scheme may be the stupidest thing of all time) games Otogi. +153 Physical and +118 Special Attack.



Well is it Adamantine or Diamond? Make your mind up! But this grants Blanca +135 Physical and +137 Special Attack.





While Amanda has migrated to Disc 2 she has yet to produce any new Trials of Solomon at this point in the game. We need to run through a few more major story beats before she'll produce another segment of trials. But, sadly, we are far from done with this sidequest.



Before venturing forth into the fray, we are going to once again want to do a short amount of pre-show prep by equipping Leonardo's Bears. I'm not saying instant death attacks are coming, but...



Sure, let's move!

With all our prep sorted out we're free to speak with Karin to move on to the next setpiece.


Music: Strain ~ Assault



Elsewhere, the Iron Soldiers are making themselves useful attempting to contain the super-science abomination their superiors created defending the city. Which is a real change from their usual activities of attempting to abduct children, doing drive-by shootings, and making already tedious dungeons take even longer to complete.







It's going about as well as the usual masked Resident Evil special forces team trying to contain a mutant outbreak scenario. Which is to say a 100% team casualty rate within no less than two minutes. It's a good thing they don't have a 1910s helicopter flying around or there would be even more collateral damage.



Meanwhile, our newly introduced villain team The Mutant Apes are vibing out on a nearby rooftop. As you do when watching your allies get burned alive and devoured by a dark-god infused abomination.

Kato teleports onto the rooftop and approaches his subordinates.



Master.
How are things?
Not good. Our soldiers are being wiped out.
Bullets seem to do nothing against the creature. Additionally, our soldiers shooting it exclusively in the shins seems... tactically unsound.
What is your wish? If this continues, many people will die.
Master, I believe the three of us together could stop it.
Hmm...
I believe master made it quite clear we are not to engage the creature.
This is no longer the case.
But... You...
That order was reserved for avoiding combat in the laboratory. We are already well over budget with the project. We cannot afford to replace equipment this fiscal quarter.
...I see.



Master, over there!
A strange group is approaching.
What manner of strange?
Two men entirely dressed in leather in '80 degree weather. An elderly wizard. Two ladies of the night. And a child alongside a white wolf. A samurai is also present.
Hmm... It's them...





?!
These are... the Yokohama soldiers?!
These guys aren't very good at fighting anything, huh?
<points down the street> Yuri!!





Another Iron Soldier makes a bold stand by panicking, firing wildly, and immediately getting roasted for their trouble. Is there a term for that stammering murmuring that every nameless soldier in anime and video games do when they're starting to panic? It's like generic gasping crowd noises but a flavor exclusive to groups of military men. You know the sound.





Having had run out of soldiers to immolate, Soshi turns its sights on setting the neighborhood on fire. You would think it would go after the group that already beat it up once. But it's clearly not yet time for a proper boss battle.



It'll destroy the city!
What do we do?
I'll figure out something!
Is it going to involve punching it?
...How'd you guess?



I can feel Nicolai's spirit in it.
Also the Nicolai face on its chest is giving away a solid connection.
That's... disturbing.
Little bit.





Yuri runs in to for a rematch against the boss beast. However, its offspring mama... Papa? Parent. Let's just say parent.



......
......
<looks to the Mutant Apes> Come.



<nod>

The group teleport off the rooftop.



Huh?!
Eh?
It's you!!



......
Do you know who the heck these guys are...?
No!
Then why'd you act like you did?
I got excited!
I'm Ouka of the Mutant Apes!
...OK?
She's see no evil! I'm Hien. Speak no evil!
I'm Raiden! Hear no evil.
Good for you all, I guess...?
<leans over to Karin> _{Seriously, who are these guys...?}
I think a couple of them were there when they kidnapped Nicolai.
Huh... Must have missed that.
<hides behind Joachim's leg> That monster! Are you responsible for it?!
No.



Eh?
Huh?
<gasp>
Kato!!

Yuri angrily starts marching toward Kato.



<raises hand> Stop! I have no desire to fight you now.
That's never stopped me from punching someone before. But, fine...



You mean to say, first we stop the monster, eh?
Yes.
Hmph...
We'll take care of the weaker enemies. You handle Shoki.
...Is that the big one?
That is correct.
Tch. I guess that works.
You mean we fight together?
Yes.
...Fine with me. After that, you start talking!
Very well.



Mutant Apes, get us an opening!
Yes, Master!




Music: Crisis



For the second and final time, we get to once more play as the Mutant Apes trio against a small horde of Koshoki.



Spoilers: We completely trounced a Koshoki in less time than it took to load the battle off the disc with our core party. Level 50 guest characters are just overkill here.



You shouldn't have underestimated me!



In typical Shadow Hearts: Covenant tradition, despite the fact there were three enemies in the cutscene we just fought three enemies in the ensuing battle, which only counted as a single one of the cutscene critters. On to Round 2!



...Oh, come on! This just mean spirited now. At least give the monster babies a fighting chance.





Or lob grenades at them while they're powerless to retaliate. I suppose this is technically a villain team.



Come back any time!





Twenty seconds later and... Job's done! And somehow all of this experience and Soul Energy are graciously transferred over to Yuri's party. Don't ask me how that works.



True strength comes from the mind.





Master, we did it.
Good.



Darn, they're strong...
They must have done some serious training.
Eh. Anyone can grind for a few hours. I'm not too impressed.
<kicks Joachim in the leg>
Oww!!
Okay, let's go!!





Watch their battle very closely. They are our ultimate opponents...
Yes, Master!



Tune in next for the real battle against Soshi. Which is... mostly the previous battle but it now has its full health bar. But, at least the Mutant Apes will be able to collect precious <COMBAT DATA> on their foes. And that's the real reward. One day I'll learn what the hell combat data actually does or is useful for beyond plugging into sci-fi anime computers. One day...






Video: Episode 94 Highlight Reel