Part 85: Episode LXXIX: The Young Swordsman

Episode LXXIX: The Young Swordsman



Well here we are. We've finally made it to Disc 2 of Shadow Hearts II. I wonder how late into putting this out some marketing schlub decided on the whole "Covenant" subtitle and dropping the sequel number because again, literally everything in-game is just "Shadow Hearts 2." Regardless of that, buckle up for the second disc of the game which is... well, kind of actually Shadow Hearts 2. Disc 1 was pretty much just Yuri gathering a new band of weird dinguses and going on some side adventure with very little connection to the original game outside that Albert Simon retcon business toward the back half. Disc 2 is way more about the fallout of events of Shadow Hearts 1. Mostly about the people who died and men coping with grief making the worst decisions possible. As you do.


NEW Music: Grey Memories ~ Map of Japan (New disc, new world map music!)



Three months after Nicolai released the pent-up malice of Apoina Tower...



The war's brutality escalated quickly with the use of chemical weapons.



But the battlefield changed little, with both sides becoming more and more entrenched.



Meanwhile, Yuri and his friends followed Special Agent Kato back to Japan to stop Nicolai, now possessed by Astaroth.



And so, the stage shifts to the East...



Ladies...

So Nicolai Conrad, the secret bastard son of the Czar of Russia, releasing the Catholic Church's supply of Malice into the world triggered the use of chemical weapons in World War 1. That is a sentence I just wrote summarizing the events thus far in a video game. Also, it's taken the party THREE MONTHS to make it to Japan and get back to adventuring? Didn't we have a goddamn jet the last time I checked? And Yuri, put your shirt back on. Stop giving everyone a show.



In any event, we have arrived in the port city of Yokohama, where we will be spending a good portion of the early Disc 2 game. Specifically, we are camping out in the Brick Warehouses. What? You think our band of goofy hobos can afford a proper inn? In this economy?! Surely you jest. We cannot see the full Asia world map yet. But what we can do is check in with our Score thus far starting fresh on the second half of the game.



Still a cartoon skeleton, huh? Well. It could be worse.



One day I'll remember the useless shortcut function and use it once just to see the next rank name. (No I won't.)



Prfct.



It's really odd they still list Nicolai the entire 70-hour game when he's only in playable form for all of two hours.



Before we jump into our first location of Disc 2 we do want to make sure specifically Blanca is tooled up with decent Crest Magic and equipment. He may be the star of the show again in this early segment and we won't have the option to kit him out past this point. But Blanca has been a mainstay support character the whole LP thus far so he's good to go like the good boy he is.

Music: ENDS



I am going to assume this is supposed to be May 1916 because it was already at least spring of 1915 when the game began and it was at least two months later by the adventures in Italy, it was implied to be after Christmas by the time we were in Petrograd and there's been another three month time skip since then. Or they just don't care about maintaining any kind of timeline and it's not like the game just consistently does whatever it feels like. The first use of chemical weapons in World War I was April 22, 1915, when the Germans dumped chlorine gas on a Ypres, Belgium battlefield. So that fits but... not with everything else. It doesn't really matter. Don't worry about it.



What does matter is the party is squatting in a random warehouse in Yokohama because we need to make sure Nicolai umm... well, the guy has been beaten and is now in the custody of the Japanese Empire via Kato and that is a problem because... uhh... Honestly, it's not clear why Kato taking Nicolai is a problem. Yeah, he's the heir to the throne of Russia -- a monarchy that is going to be overthrown and purged in a revolution in a couple of years. Sure, we don't know that but it's not like that's a big deal worthy of pursing all the way to Japan to take him out even if he is a huge dick. And it's not like Kato indicated he had any evil machinations. Well, it's probably fine. I'm sure we'll find a plot thread of villainy if we stick around long enough. It's not like Imperial Japan were portrayed as good dudes in the previous game, outside of Kawashima and Kato being OK.



Well, how is he?
He's sleeping. But I don't think he's getting any better.
He's not ripping his shirt off again is he? That was weird.
Y-yeah... weird...



We've come all the way to Japan and yet there's nothing we can do.
What if... What if he dies on us?! Mmmm?



What if... you shut the hell up, Lucia?
Why do you always have to say things like that?!



Oh c'mon! Show me somebody that's in danger of dying from seasickness?!



I did not add this arrow in post. Also yes, Yuri is scratching his ass.



He was fine in the airship.
He's an odd one, all right!
He was fine taking the ship back and forth across the English Channel all those times we had to travel back to Wales.
Yeah, he was wasn't he? Weird.



That stupid airship didn't have any "oomph," anyway! It wasn't my fault!
<shakes head and whines>
But you were the one who crash-landed the ship!
It's called an "emergency landing"!
And we're all here and fine, aren't we? Besides, if you didn't want that to happen you shouldn't have let me drive the thing.
You threw a tantrum and demanded to commandeer it under royal authority.
You peasants backing down at the slightest bit of blowback is the real problem to me.



Anyway, there was a cute little mother and baby bear. I wanted to see them. Hehe. Hehehehe.
Well, Roger is probably still busy fixing it, surrounded by those bears.
Deep in the woods of Hokkaido...
It's not my fault Yuri decided punching a bear was on his bucket list. That has nothing to do with me.
It wasn't his best decision... But poor Roger...



Yeah, he may already be dead...



Why are you like this?!
What the hell?
Not cool.
Awroo? Awroo? (Why is she still even here with us?)


NEW Music: Rising Sun ~ Japanese Town (New disc, new town music!)



......



We seem to have all gotten kind of down.
Remember that time we beat up Rasputin? That was fun... I heard they finally finished picking all the bodies out of the rubble in Petrograd.
......
...Now I'm feeling down again.



Hmm... You're right.
Anyway, we don't have any reason to think that he's dead.
I heard him throw up at least in the last hour.
Besides, there's nothing we can do. Let's just take it easy until Yuri is back on his feet!
It's not like there is actually any crisis at the moment.
<nods> Mhm!
<looks down> Uh-huh.
<nods>



Since Yuri is out of commission with seasickness after a ship ride from Hokkaido to Yokohama, Blanca is stepping up to take the lead for a bit. We can chat with the rest of the party buuuut... one must have priorities and there is a treasure chest just sitting and waiting to be looted in our hobo pad.



It doesn't appear the Harunyudo gang is a real thing, which is par for the course for Shadow Hearts item descriptions, but it does provide +99 Physical and +90 Special Defense and yes, Blanca can equip it. The mental image of which I enjoy immensely. Blanca going full weeb immediately. How many more will follow this dark path?



We can now speak with the rest of the gang. Yuri is still decommissioned due to his seasickness flaring up again after about two years.



Awroo... (Meh...)



Or else... you know... stuff... could happen...



It's true. This is the first time we've seen a muted grey and brown structure... on Disc 2.



It is cold up there. My nipples could cut glass in that climate!
Awroo. (Too much information.)



Child, you have no dominion over Blanca's will! Blanca will do as Blanca pleases.



And Blanca wants to leave this stuffy hobo squat warehouse and get some fresh air. No amount of Lucia's perfume is going to mask the musk of that band of misfits that definitely haven't bathed in a vague 6-8 month period.

Music: ENDS





Unfortunately, Blanca only manages to make it to the end of the first warehouse before being interrupted by rowdy interlopers.





We come upon a young apparently displaced from time swordsman being surrounded by the fucking Kerberos Panzer Cops. Yep, we're in anime Japan, alright... Established!



Once again I have to cut a worthless object.




NEW Music: Deep in Coma ~ Battle in Japan (New disc, new battle music!)



So this is an introduction to the final party member of the game -- Young Swordsman. I'm sure he will receive a more fitting title in the future. But for now, he is just Young Swordsman. As you can see he is equipped with Hanzo Steel and not much else. Indeed, he has no abilities other than attacking with a three-hit physical combo and a meager array of generic consumable items.



Our opponents are Kerberos Panzer Cops Akagi Soldiers which are Earth elemental foes with a trifling 82 HP.



Young Swordsman can take down any single Akagi Soldier in like two out of the three hits from his physical strikes. So not a problem at all. He seems to be fairly strong.



Likewise, Akagi Soldiers just dump their entire magazine into Young Swordsman for a rather minuscule amount of damage. The only way you can make bullets work correctly in this universe is if you're a French spy that is terrible at their job or are historically bound to be shot to death.



Better luck next time.



Our new samurai friend only managed to take out three of the near platoon strength soldiers riding his ass and is in for another fight. At this point, Blanca is given the option to intervene. If he just decides to hold back and watch, Young Samurai will have to do the next battle by himself. There is zero point in doing that, so...









I would really like a group reaction from the Young Samurai and the enemy soldiers at a white wolf jumping in and setting everyone ablaze with pyromancy out of nowhere. That's got to warrant an advanced level "NANI?!"





Unfortunately, there is one last crowd of exceedingly brave soldiers who after seeing a samurai effortlessly cut down one group and a dog set another group on fire still see fit to carry out their mission. I can respect their dedication.





May they rest well in the afterlife.



Tune in next time as we kick off something resembling a plot and see why the hell Young Swordsman is being attacked by random army stormtroopers in the dead of night in a warehouse district as Disc 2 of Shadow Hearts 2 gets underway.






Video: Episode 79 Highlight Reel (You should watch the disc opening.)







Yokohama Brick Warehouse Concept Art - Much nicer than that trash wood warehouse district.