Part 113: Episode CVII: Faith or Fate

Episode CVII: Faith or Fate


Music: Holy Mistletoe ~ Graveyard





We rejoin Yuri face down in the Graveyard. I'm guessing being fisted by Nicolai isn't doing wonders for Yuri's whole Holy Mistletoe Curse thing. Yes, I am keeping that phrasing because I am a child. Bite me.





Yuri groggily climbs up and notices he's in front of one of those locked gates in the northern end of the Graveyard. If you can't recall, it's the same area where Karin and Yuri traveled to the Mirror Castle to go talk to Albert Simon's ghost. There were two gates there and this is the other one. Perhaps, The Truth lies beyond this one. Why does Full Metal Alchemist keep getting brought up? I'm not rewatching Brotherhood, universe. It's already taking me a hundred years to find the time to get through Hunter x Hunter. I can only do one long anime at a time and I already watched that one!



Yuri...
Alice?!



Yuri decides that hey, perhaps the one locked gate in my mind palace Graveyard I've yet to go through perhaps has some relevance. Canonically, he was just lazy and never did go through the weird locked gate in the back of his metaphysical headspace in the last adventure. And, well... You know how that turned out last time.



Hey, Alice? Are you in there?
Aww, geez... Albert was one thing but... You can't be a ghost in my head too! That's gonna be REALLY weird and depressing for me.
<presses ear against door>
Yuri...
Fffffuuuuuuuck!!



I've... I've got to get in there...
<yanks on the door> Huh? It won't open...
<puts his foot against the other side of the door and pulls harder> Why won't it open?! Argh! I've got to get in!!
<falls back and pants> What the hell is this?!
What do I need to do?! Collect all the Fusions? Do an obscure sidequest?! Get to max level?! Just tell me, dammit!!



Yuri takes a few steps back and rams the door. Maybe you have to push instead of pull, right?





...This is not the solution.



<pants> Why?!



BITE MEEEEEEEE!!

Music: ENDSs







<gasp>
He's awake!!
Bite me?
What's that?!
He said it!
Hmph.
Well pay up! He lived so I win the bet! 1000 Cash!
...But you bet he would die.
<grits teeth> I don't see your wallet opening!
F-Fine...



Yuri?!
Where am I...?
The Fountain of Sukune.
...Where?!
The place we fought your possessed aunt.
Oh... right. I knew that.
<quickly tries to get up and fails> ?!
Hey!! Stay still!
<lays down again>



Don't try to get up.
You've got a cutscene injury and that is no joke.
<smiles and nods>



They're right. You've been out for three days. You've got to take it easy!
<lifts himself to a sitting position> Three days...? What about Kato...?
.....
Is he dead?
The last thing I remember was him punching Nicolai and Nicolai trying to stab him with some wack-ass crystal thingie...
<shakes head> No. But we were the only ones who got out of there.
But he can teleport so he was probably OK.
I see...
There was an exhilarating escape sequence where we fled from the mountain as its chambers filled with magma! It is a shame you missed it.
I'm not really big on those honestly.



You also missed Nicolai's head getting popped like a grape by Kato.
...Wait, WHAT?!
Ouka of the Mutant Apes shielded him from Nicolai's attack. He did not take it well.
And he killed him?!
Super killed him. Crushed his entire face with one hand.
A grizzly sight.
And I missed that?! Awww! C'mon. That sucks! Nicolai is dead?!
Very dead...
It was something else!
Why are you so thrilled sounding about that? Wasn't that technically your half-brother?
<whistles> Not anymore!
Let's not discuss this further.
<makes squishing sound>
......
But, Kato...
He said that if you lived, you should come to the Foreigner's Cemetery....
Foreigner's Cemetery? In Yokohama?
<smiles and nods>
......
<nods> I got it.




Music: Field of God-Dog ~ Village of The Dog God



Looks like I caused you all a lot of worry... But I'm fine now.
The curse thing is flaring up again and I might be haunted by my dead girlfriend but ehh... It happens.
......



<turns to Karin> Huh? You really did that?
Yeah, well. You know...
I like our party but I'm maybe the only one responsible enough to take care of someone when they're down.
Meh.
Awroo. Awroo. Awroo... (I do not have the means to care for a human. I am a wolf. The most I can do is lick your face...)
I can only improve muscles. Not health.
Not it!
Let him eat cake.
I would have provided assistance but nobody asked me...
Oh, I'll assist you if you need it Kurando! Just ask me anything!
.....
...I am OK being in the background.
Yuri!
Yes?
And everybody else too! Listen to me!



But an even greater crisis, a profound sorrow, threaten to darken the sky. A feeling of empty destruction...
Is it him...?
...Frick. Did his weird sexy clone of Kawashima die? I didn't even think to ask about that after hearing she took a stabbing for him.
Yes. She didn't make it. He... did not seem to be taking it well.
Aww beans.
I hear the screams of a heart stifled by sorrow and anger. Anguish that no one can heal...
I know that feeling.
I spent months fighting Germans off to try to put grief out of the back of my head.
And drinking all my hooch!
C'mon. We both know you were drinking too much old man.
That's beside the point!
Are you going to put an end to it?
...For a friend, yes. And he's a good friend of mine.



Go to your destiny. Be careful!



Fine! We will!

Music: ENDS



There is literally nothing to be done now other than going back to Yokohama and the Foreigner's Cemetery. So let's just hop on Roger Bacon's airship and mosey on over there.



Only Karin, Gepetto, and Blanca bother to make this voyage. However...



<nods> All right. We'll wait for you at the Yokohama Inn.
Try not to force us into an endgame conflict. That Kato guy seems... to not be doing well.
Awroo! (Don't be an idiot around black magic!)





So, you're alive, huh?
Sorry. I was kinda unconscious for the end of that whole thing.
You too.
I heard you popped Nicolai's head. Would have liked to do that myself but if anyone is gonna stand in, I'm glad it was you.
It was the least I could do...
And Ouka?
<slowly shakes head>
.....
...I'm sorry.

Kato kneels down by a small gravestone.



It's the second time I've lost her.
.....
Love lasts for such a short time...
<closes eyes and rises> ...But misery goes on and on...



Now my path is an empty one. I have no love left, no dreams...
.....
Kato...



Kamiyashiki in Azabu...
It's probably listed on the map as Azabu Kamiyashiki. My apologizes.
That's where you'll find Minister Ishimura. Now on one will get in your way. You should go and talk to him.
Beat the stuffing out of him. Straight up kill him. I really don't care at this point. I've handed in my resignation.
And you? What will you do?



Kato reaches into his cloak and...



...hey, Yuri? Do you want the devil book that makes everyone miserable the entire series?



The... Émigré Manuscript?!
Yes. I give it back to you.
Hey, wait.
Wait, how did you get this thing?!
I was the contact with Nicolai with the whole Russian fiasco. He was betraying Rasputin and worked with me. Mistakes were made... But...
Don't you want to see Alice again?



OH FUCK THIS IS A BAD IDEA! WHAT THE FUCK, KATO?! THIS IS THE WORST IDEA! YOU LITERALLY JUST FUCKED THIS UP HARD!

DRAMA STING!


Music: Faith or Fate ~ Kato



If you follow the instructions in that book, then you can be with her again.
W-wait a minute! I don't know how to use magic!
Roger should be able to help you. He can bring her back to life. Exactly the way I did.
Y-yeah, but isn't that...?
Like... Ouka seemed nice and all but wasn't she just a weird clone and not actually Lt. Colonel Kawashima?
It was close enough to not hate myself for a while.
That is kinda bleak.
Look at the world we're in... Wouldn't you like a shred of less bleakness again?
.....
For the record, the huge breast, and rear proportions are baked into the ritual. I did not intend that and do not know why that was a thing.
...Roger did write the copy of that manuscript and hmm...
No matter...



Yuri. From now on, I'm your enemy.
Huh?!
This is the last time we'll ever speak as friends.
What do you mean?!
Are you doing a full heel turn?!
I am doing a heel turn. I just don't care anymore.
What do you mean?
The world as you know it will end. By my hand.
.....



If you really think you can stop me, my old friend, bring everything you have. Unlike Nicolai and Rasputin, I won't depend upon the power of some evil god. I'll do it with my own hands.
C'mon. Enough with the joking!
This is no joke!
......
I am standing at the grave of the only person I have ever loved and the grave of the clone of the only person I have ever loved. I am OVER this shit, my friend. And I'm going to do something about it.



If you want to know what my plans are, look inside that book. There isn't much time left...
Kato!!



Farewell, my friend.
Uh... Uhh...





Yep. So a LOT went down in that chapter. Nicolai is fucking dead. Kato is establishing himself as the final boss. Maybe we'll go resurrect Alice with the Book of Bad Ideas. Shit's all fucked! But we did gain several entries in the Library. So let's take a look...

Monster:



You probably shouldn't have devoured that phoenix chick. Just saying.



You probably shouldn't have tumbled into cursed lava. Just saying.



You probably should have bathed more and cared more about victory than taking life. Just saying.



You probably should have stuck to eating moss and so many of you wouldn't have died to Yuri and his gang. Just saying.



You probably shouldn't have thrown hands at the strongest party in this narrative. Just saying.




Video: Episode 107 Highlight Reel (You should probably watch this for Punished "Venom" Kato.)





Shadow Hearts 2 Keyart - The REAL Shadow Hearts 2 starts here.