Part 70: Episode LXV: The Third Devilman

Episode LXV: The Third Devilman



Following recent explosive events, the gang has reconvened back in Anastasia's room in the Winter Palace. I cannot help but notice the trio of stuffed animals on her bed also having a heated discussion.



Looks like the castle of Satan himself.
It's unbelievable!
Ehh... I've seen it before.
Of course you have.



Well, are we going in there?
What else?!
Hold on! We can't afford any mistakes with this guy. We need to prepare.
Okay...
I guess now is a good time to do some sidequests, huh...
That isn't really what I meant.
I can't stop progress.


Music: Town of Twilight ~ European Town



We are not quite done with our Petrograd Part 2 chapter of the game. There is still a number of cutscenes lurking about before we can leave town. But before we get to that, there are some points of interest in the Winter Palace now that the Emperor is back and Rasputin is chilling out in a floating doom castle. First up is talking to that guard wandering the halls. That one. Right there.



I don't wanna let it go, but you gotta take it off me. Don't tell anyone about it, though!
What the heck are you going on ab—oh... Crud... One of these again...
There are more out there?!
Unfortunately.



This is a VERY specific fetish on display here... Well, I suppose we'll have to hit up the Magimel brothers and acknowledge Gepetto's sidequest tomfoolery again. Before we get on that, let's return to the throne room and see how the rest of the royal family is fairing after the assassination attempt and the shonen anime battle over their city.



By "stand and fight" he means he'll just stand in this room and fight the urge to do anything useful.



And devoutly trusting the man who tried to kill our family.
When you're back safe and sound, I'd love to hear all about your travels. I'll be waiting for you!

We are never coming back here to talk to the mother of the year.



Mother said I'm not supposed to leave my room. It's so boring...
But you almost never leave your room.
Yeah, but at least I had a choice!

And thus ends any and all relevance to the royal family outside Anastasia. Though to be fair, Alexei never had relevance.



So now that Rasputin has been evicted from the Winter Palace and Veronica is dead, we can finally go check out Rasputin's bedroom. Which contains two items of note.



A box of Tissue right next to the bed which umm... I am just going to hope Grigori just had allergies. But we all know in our hearts the truth...





And also Veronica left behind a spare suit of Purple Bondage gear. She won't need it since, you know, we killed her and all. You'll notice this is a Key Item and not a questionable piece of armor for female characters like the similar one in the first game. Well... umm... you know how we just got a Stud Card out of the blue just down the hall from here...? Yeah, well... You are not going to like where this is heading...



Speaking of Veronica, if we return to the rooftop where we murdered her and check in the very corner depicted here, we find...



Anastasia has been with us a number of hours and has yet to gain a sidequest involving going out of our way collecting some bullshit/fight extra crap to upgrade her specific character. Guess what this is tied into? If you go back to Edgar the watchmaker's profile it specifically mentions Silver Angels. We might need to return to him to see what that's all about. Assuming he's been freed since Rasputin was found to be behind recent plots. I personally could see the Tsar just forgetting they locked the guy up for treason and he is still rotting in a cell somewhere.



Prince Yusupov, having served his purpose of letting everyone into a sewer level, will return to his chosen path of standing around doing nothing.





Prosperous Gorby, on the other hand, has decided to make himself useful and has opened up Gorby's Shop. Sorry, Magimel Brothers. You've broken into the Winter Palace twice and have failed to produce any new goods. Gorby, meanwhile, has all new inventory with a full complement of weapon and armor upgrades. And since we are approaching the end of the first disc, it's a good time to upgrade everyone. I'll even buy something for Gepetto! Lucia is getting left out since she is actually getting a free weapon in the next dungeon.



I don't know if clawed gloves with a direct line to the Blood Dimension are the most hygienic thing imaginable... but they do provide +85 Physical and +74 Special Attack Power.



The fastest-known attacking speed until the next sword we find our purchase. Also, I am uncertain what the hell a "Harque Foil" is meant to be. The Japanese name for this weapon is Wanderfalke which is German for a Peregrine Falcon. In any event, +81 Physical and +79 Special Attack Power.



I almost forgot Anastasia rolled with weird Faberge eggs as her weapon. Her first upgrade comes with +75 Physical and +84 Special Attack Power.



A superb file! We do need to keep Blanca competitive. After all, we have one final Disc 1 Wolf Bout to take care of coming up soon. +79 Physical and +81 Special Attack Power for this one.



No blade can cut this string we're buying off some rando hanging out in a hallway. Fine, Gepetto. We'll buy you a weapon upgrade for you. Enjoy your +72 Physical and +87 Special Attack Power that will go to waste.



I don't think we need to worry about anyone getting shot anytime soon. We are going to grab three of these for Yuri, Karin, and Joachim. As they are the only characters that can wear it and enjoy +76 Physical and +68 Special Defense.



Meanwhile, Anastasia and Blanca both get one of these to protect themselves from ghosts for a nice +69 Physical and +75 Special Defense. Lucia and Gepetto can have hand me downs.



Now that we're stocked and kitted up, we can leave the Winter Palace and I do not believe there is a reason for us to ever come back here. But as soon as we depart the royal home, events transpire elsewhere...

Music: ENDS



Oh hey, look who actually decided to show up to work today after calling in sick for his boss getting revealed to be at the heart of an assassination conspiracy in the middle of a public forum and then his ass kicked by a Rude Hero Devilman.



Speaking of devil men... Rasputin has somehow managed to look even eviler now that he's gone through with the whole Soul Pact fulfillment thing. The bone throne is a nice touch. Really adds to the aesthetic.



...What do you want?
Veronica is dead.
I see. You may leave now.
Unless you would like to tell me of more events I was present for...



By morning, Petrograd will be reduced to ashes. Do you have plans after that?
It appears as though you triggered all of our standby backup plans last night. Quite literally all of them. Sapientes Gladio's staff is now down to... well, you and I. Should we discuss a recruitment campaign of some sort, or...?
No, I couldn't care less. Soon, my demon servants will bring death to all of Europe. After that, Asia, then finally we will destroy America.
Africa has it coming too, but that is further down on the priority list. Those dreadful penguins in the Antarctic must also be purged as well.
Have your goals changed so much, Master?
Goals?



<laughs> I have no goals. There's no longer any need to rush. One hundred years, two hundred years... It doesn't matter at all. Time doesn't matter at all.
I have only had it for a day but immortality is delightful.
<looks to the floor> ......
What's wrong? You should be happy. You no longer have to toil in the dark like a thief. You'll soon have revenge.
No more dealings with grotesque foreigners and their monstrous chins. Direct destruction and gleeful laughter are all we need.



After my mother died and I was orphaned, it was you who had the Vatican accept me, Master. I have done my best since then to try to repay that debt.
I robbed the Vatican, got excommunicated and cursed the Godslayer. That was a pretty big deal...
Is that so? A sad story. But what of it? I saved you to use you as my tool, not because I had any love for you.
I am your employer, not your father, Nicolai. Do well to remember that.
......
So you have no desire to rebuild Russia... after all the effort you spent... in destroying her?



Irrelevant. Why would I ever concern myself with such paltry matters?
It is what you have been plotting for the past decade...
I told you. Time has no meaning to me anymore!
You were to succeed to the throne of Russia and become king of all Europe. What about those plans?
The King of Europe title was to come later... You always said one step at a time.
You really are dense... I've disposed of such petty human concerns. For me, snuffing out human life is nothing more than an amusement.
Seeing those bombs fall on the city really did it for me. I could use an encore performance... once I figure out the controls to this fortress.


Music: Suffocation ~ Grim Atmosphere



You've been possessed by Asmodeus.



<leans forward and growls> Huh? Why did you come here? Was it to anger me? Your little plan, I've known of it for a long time. To kill me after I become Emperor. You were planning on making yourself the new Tsar instead, isn't that right?
Always the coattail rider, eh?



<nods> Yes. It is true I am merely a bastard son, but it is still my right to inherit the kingdom.
<laughs> Who will believe you?
My father.
The man is remarkably dense. I won't even need to provide a strong case.



<leans forward> ......
So it's revenge for your mother, eh?
Yes.



Rasputin is LOVING this shit!



You're a fool.
<stops laughing and glares> Eh?!
I came here to tell you something that you should already know.
<leans forward> What is that?
<turns up the smug by closing his eyes and smiling> I'm more certain now than ever.
I ASKED WHAT IT IS!



Nicolai should point out it is only Disc 1 of 2 and Rasputin has managed to accomplish pretty much fuck all compared to his Disc 1 predecessor, Dehuai. As easy as it was to clown on that dipshit sorcerer, he did have a fairly high body count, including Yuri's parents, and a not-insignificant number of named, portrait possessing characters during his tenure as first half villain. And Dehaui already had a swanky doom tower he was chilling in the whole time and was the de facto ruler of the city he was based within.

Meanwhile, Rasputin I guess has bombed some civilians and managed to get most of his forces killed.



<leans back annoyed> ......
Huh?! Very well. And what makes you say that?



He's just a human. A human, but he conquered Amon's soul.
Meanwhile, I am looking at you with your newly blue complexion, milky eyes and face tattoos and... hmm...



Do you understand what that means?
......
His willpower is simply extraordinary.
Extraordinary, you say?



The willpower of a human, and the destructive power of a demon.



It's those two things that make him worthy of his name "Godslayer."



You may have the power of a demon, but your will is weak. And that is why... you cannot win.
<strokes beard> Interesting... And you think that you can win?
<nods smugly> Yes.
Unlike you, I am not... a bitch.
Excuse me?!
You heard me. A bitch. You're a mid-level fuckboi, at best. We all saw the Godslayer punch you so hard it could be seen all the way in Siberia. And he is going to come here and he's going to do it again. And that will be that for you. Meanwhile, I'll still be standing.
<angrily sits up> Why are you so sure? What do you really think a PUNY HUMAN LIKE YOU CAN DO, EH...?



Oh, hey... Remember that whole Astaroth thing that's been brought up as the third of the big tough Soul Pact demon trifecta with Amon and Asmodeus? Guess what Nicolai was doing in that dungeon they added to the Shadow Hearts 2 Director's Cut.



Oh, I see... So that's it!
<nods and smirks> So you finally understand?
<laughs and flops back into his chair> Good. So my true enemy was right here with me all along.
Perhaps it is you who are dense... You can consider this my resignation.
We'll settle things between us later.
<walks away>
You're going to do another pompous speech and I no longer feel obligated to indulge you.
But first... we'll have the Godslayer as a blood offering!
<continues walking away> _{He is going to beat you again next time.}
No he is not!
_{Keep telling yourself that.}



OK. In summary, Rasputin is just a full-on Demon Lord now possessed by Asmodeus and has gone full JRPG, destroy the world because of Bad Guy. Nicolai is the bastard son of Tsar Nicholas II, which would technically make him Anastasia's half-brother, and has a Soul Pact with Astaroth and that will likely be a problem in the future. I am sure this will all work out well for everyone involved. Tune in next time where Nicolai very confusingly pivots to getting horny on main as Shadow Hearts: Covenant continues...






Video: Episode 65 Cutscene (Click for scenery chewing and smugness.)







Rasputin-Asmodeus Concept Art - This isn't even my final clearly evil form!