Part 62: Episode LVII: Your True Home

Episode LVII: Your True Home




NEW Music: Ladder to Heaven (Only five major fights in the entire game use this special boss theme. You should probably listen to it! Also it's a jam. Amon fucking LOVES his House music.)



Amon has absolutely zero chill and begins the battle by immediately blasting off a third of Yuri's health with his patented sentai posing special technique -- Demon Rays.



While Yuri is getting blasted by the demonic Special Beam Cannon Makankōsappō, it should be mentioned that, much like in the first game, Amon is a rare non-elemental enemy with a, thankfully smaller than the current boss health trend, 765 HP pool. Being Non-Elemental means there are no advantages for any particular elemental class against him nor does he resist any class. It's just base damage all the way down with no modifiers. In addition to that, Amon is not tolerating any sort of debuffs or status effects of any sort as he's immune to everything as well.



With that in mind, Amon doesn't care if we use some buffs to our advantage so we're going to immediately have Karin juice up Yuri with Rage before she falls back to a supporting role. We can probably let Yuri tank two turns against Amon but he definitely needs healing after that. It could be just confirmation bias, but it seems like Amon HEAVILY favors targeting Yuri overall. I restarted the battle and just defended the entire time and the god of destruction didn't even look Karin's way until he had firmly sent Yuri to another dimension.





Since Amon is non-elemental, our Fusion of choice is pretty much up to preference. I am going with Orexis since it has the best spread of speed, strength and being fairly sturdy. Plus, it seems appropriate to battle a big freaky gargoyle-like demon with another freaky gargoyle-like demon. From there Yuri is just going to go hog punching Amon. As is his way of doing things.





Karin can play a supporting role in attacking with Combos as well but we need to be sure to pull them off correctly because Demon Rays can hit multiple targets in a line.





To make no mention of Amon's other returning attack, The End, is a rather sizable AOE and it's probably best not to have our back-up healer getting nuked alongside our damage dealer.





Beyond that, Amon can... just punch things. Like really hard. Like hard enough to take off nearly half of Yuri's total HP in a single turn. I might have cut it a little close there in keeping Yuri's health in check. We almost had our first proper in-battle KO not counting a mechanical failure that wiped the whole damn party. Still looking at you, Lucia. Yes, I'm never letting that go!





Given it is still two on one against an enemy that mostly targets a single character at a time, as long as we keep health topped off and the pressure on, Amon proves to be a much lesser challenge than when we fought him when he was hanging out in Albert Simon's body back in the day. Remember the original Albert Simon fused version of Amon was like a centaur without the front horse legs? That would be awkward if that form were the marque Fusion they focused on in this game.


Music: Result ~ Victory





Defeating Amon nets us a healthy payout. Especially, a nice amount of Soul Energy. We might be pumping that into a certain new fusion in the quite near future named Amon. But for now...

Music: ENDS



<approaches the mirror>
Yuri!
It's okay! I've got a feeling...
Not a *good* feeling. But...

Yuri and Karin approach the mirror and...




NEW Music: Field of God-Dog ~ Village of The Dog God (This is a real chill tune we probably won't hear again until Disc 2.)





Albert...
Aww, frick...
...Who is this guy?
Remember that warlock that tried to summon an alien god to destroy world and did a ton of over the top bad guy crap last year? And then it turned out he was friends with the Bishop and was actually against Rasputin...?
You don't mean that...
Yuuuuup...



It's this guy.
He's waving to us. He... looks friendly enough.
The first time I met him he murdered an entire train cabin full of Japanese soldiers, chopped off my arm and laser-eyed me through two train cars.
Wait, did you say he chopped off your arm?!
Yeah, but I punched a hole through his head and got a girlfriend out of the deal. So I guess we're even.
.....
<sigh> Wait here. I'll go talk to him.

Albert sits back down on the bench as Yuri walks over and joins him.





Welp.
Welp, indeed.



I never thought I'd see you again.
Yeah.
After you killed me and all.
Yeah.
Nice place, isn't it? It's so very quiet and serene. A place of pure peace.
Hmm...
A far cry from that drafty Neameto Float, or that dreary mental hospital or heavy forbid that dreadful flat back in Kowloon.
I still have nightmares about that last one, Albert.
Indeed. But this... this is nice...



It's quite beautiful. It's your home within you. It is, in fact, your true home.
My home...?
Yes.



I live in a small corner of your memory, one that you've nearly forgotten.
<continues to stand in awkward silence and wishing she were elsewhere>



So tell me... Are you still fighting these days, young man? <smirks>
I guess so.
It's kind of my thing.
You did enjoy your punching, didn't you?
Remember that time I punched a hole in your head on top of that train?
Oh, indeed. That smarted something fierce.
Heh.
It was Rasputin that I was actually after. He was my true enemy.
...Huh.
You went kinda overboard with that one, didn't you?
I admit the scale of my plans did get overblown somewhat along the way.
You forced me to fuse with a dark god that blew up an entire city.
Yes, but you overcame even that and became stronger for it, my friend.
I... never... actually resolved that. That crazy thing is still in here, somewhere.
That is... mildly disconcerting...
<nods> Mhm.
It is ironic that you, my former foe, should now be the one fighting him.



Yeah, it's pretty funny. Imagine me, following in your footsteps... But the way I am now, I don't think I can win.
I don't suppose you can teach me to teleport or anything?
I am afraid we do not have the luxury of the century it would require to teach such a technique.
Figures.



For Asmodeus, who spreads hate and malice among men, there is no greater joy than to see mankind slaughter each other. Order will be broken apart and chaos set in its place. That is the future that Rasputin seeks, my friend.
That's what you were trying to prevent him from doing. It's my fault he's made it this far. Is that right?
...It's true. But don't be discouraged.
Hm?
I was attempting to have a god destroy the world and remake it in my image. Given time to mull over it here, I see now that plan was a touch overcompensating for the problem...
...Yeah.

Music: ENDS



You defeated me and managed to expel a god.
Might I add, had I known that god I summoned would be... hmm...
An eldritch nightmare?
Yes, that'll do as a descriptor. I was expecting something much more, how would you put it...? Divine? Angelic, perhaps. I would have scrapped the whole summoning ritual at once had I known that abomination was going to show up.
Yeah, well. Hindsight and all that. I would have fused into Amon and bicycle kicked that Nicolai jerk's head into the woods if I had known he was going to curse me again.
You may still be able to change the future, if you can harness Amon's power.
Yeah, maybe you're right. But is this future I can create going to be a good one?
So are you questioning the worthiness of your struggle?


Music: Impatient Mood



Well, the thing is... I'm sure you'd have a better chance than I would.
I got de-leveled and all my new Fusions look kind of lame and, I just don't know...
<shakes head> You're wrong. Only you can do it, Yuri. That's what I think.
You killed me already, you are clearly more than capable, my young friend. And that was after I had transformed twice. TWICE! Are you truly going to give up without having even seen Rasputin's second form? Come now, that is not the Godslayer that I knew. Just remember how far you came from when I one-shot you with a Revelation from God on that train that fateful evening years ago.

Albert stands up.



Those who would wield power must also accept power's responsibility. If you see a tragedy in the making, my friend, it is your responsibility to try and stop it. There is no mistake in that.
You are a Rude Hero, there is no doubt. But make no mistake, the "hero" part is the one that needs emphasis.
......
Albert...



Well, it's time for you to leave.
Every minute that passes here is a week in the real world, I'm afraid.
Wh-what?! But that's like...
Hoho. Just a little joke, my friend.
Aww geez. Don't scare me like that!
Come now, lad. You did kill me. Let me indulge in a little bit of fun at your expense.
Heh. I suppose that's fair.

Yuri stands up as well.



Well, I... umm... I'm glad we got the chance to talk.
<nods>
Enjoy yourself, umm... being a ghost hanging out in my soul, I guess...?
<nods> I will, young man. I will.

Music: ENDS



Oh god, are you finally done? This has been the most awkward five minutes of my life!
Chill out, Karin. I had a weirdly positive pep talk with the ghost of my old rival. I'm freaking out a little bit, OK?



Yuri! May I ask you one thing?
<turns back> What?


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



<looks around and smiles> Where is this? I think it must be Japan.
It's Katsuragi. It's called the Forest of Wind.
Hmm.
If I remember, they got the dankest kush in all of the east just down the path here.
<smirks> Oh, I am aware. As I said, this is a place of peace.





Thank you.





And thus concludes our weird chat with the chilled the fuck out Ghost Albert Simon and Yuri re-obtaining the second most powerful Fusion from the previous game. All in all? Weird ass day.






Video: Episode 57 Highlight Reel (You should definitely watch this!)





Albert Simon Official Art - One day he'll actually use that cane.



Amon Concept Art - Definitely been lifting since the Shadow Hearts 1 days.