Part 93: Episode LXXXVII: Do You Have Your Passport?

Episode LXXXVII: Do You Have Your Passport?


Music: Hatred ~ Hojo Research Institute



Hien and Raiden have now joined with Ouka and now The Mutant Apes team has fully assembled... for exactly one boss fight before this dungeon ends. We should immediately equip either Hien or Raiden with that Judgment Ring Add-On we got from the previous encounter. As the boss is... literally just the next screen over. And having that on will help! So before we gather the party and venture forth, let's take a look at our two new compatriots' gear and stats.



The other two Mutant Apes are also Level 50 with all their stats being within a few digits from one another just shifted around slightly. Anyway, it's good to see Grobyc from Chrono Cross is still getting work.



The hell is "tektite"?

Tektites (from Greek, "molten") are gravel-sized bodies composed of black, green, brown, or gray natural glass formed from terrestrial debris ejected during meteorite impacts.

...Well then.



You could have just said "meteor material" to begin with. Come to think of it, wasn't something like that that a crafting item in the first Witcher game? Boy, that is a game that has aged like warm milk left out in the sun for a season.



For some reason, this guy always reminds me of Spark Mandrill from Mega Man X. Probably the tubing going to his back, looking like an ape and being electric parts.



The intersection of honorability and sensitivity is a giant grotesque hulking man-gorilla.



Note that five million volts would instantly vaporize someone like War of the Worlds lasers or some shit. The maximum stun gun voltage is 30,000 volts. Most electric chairs were around 2,000 volts. Beyond that, it should be noted that both Raiden and Hien area also wearing form-fitting power suits. Though none have the zero waist hourglass figure of Ouka. Or genitals anymore given you'd think at least Raiden would have some gorilla dick bulge.

The trio advance into the next room.



I've got another performance report coming up at the end of this fiscal year and I need a good rating, OK? Please don't beef it!
Of course I won't
<looks behind them> ...Here we go!




Music: Hardcore to the Brain ~ Mid Boss in Japan



The final boss of this dungeon already. Meet the Armored Fighter. I'm not sure what spurred Japan to get all in on advanced robotics in World War 1 but they're doing a fairly impressive job of it, all things considered. Armored Fighter or Machine Amor Soldier: Minazuki (Another World War 2 ship reference the localization straight up said bollocks to doing) has a modest 2500 HP and is of the Light element, not that such will help us much.



Similar to the fights against Hien and Raiden, there isn't much to this brawl. Much like Ouka, Hien and Raiden just have a physical attack chain and lobbing grenades as their only abilities. The sole advantage we get now is that we can put together Combos.



We should just stick to physical attacks here as they're almost guaranteed to inflict the Judgment Ring add-on effects every turn. Armored Fighter has some of the weakest defenses against those types of debuffs in the entire game. It's like it's a weird bonus dungeon with a guest party or something.







It should be noted if we pull off a full party combo, even with just the three characters here, they have a unique Combo Magic for 64 MP in the form of Lightning Flash. It hits 15 times with Non-Elemental Damage and takes off a good quarter of Armored Fighter's HP. Highly recommended!





As for Armored Fighter themself, it has a cannon attack similar to the one we saw with the bootleg Tachicoma back in Battleship Mikasa only it is MUCH more damaging, depleting nearly a third of any of the targeted Mutant Apes' HP.



On the other hand, you may notice Armored Fighter has two absurdly oversized chain guns as "hands", for lack of a better term. Yeah, 1915 Imperial Japan has made incredible progress in advanced AI-based robotics, super soldier tech, and what have you. They're still hurting for the whole "bullet" thing beyond common rifles so those guns are, much like with the Flying Drone, just for show. Armored Fighter only uses them to bludgeon its targets awkwardly. Maybe bullet manufacturing was what the Japanese government was negotiating with its Russian alliance with Rasputin and Sapientes Gladio...





In any case, Armored Fighter just gets hit a lot by everyone in combos. It eventually breaks and explodes in a magical glyph. Which I'd personally be concerned to see in a robot failing but it's Shadow Hearts so we'll just roll with it.


Music: Result ~ Victory



Their souls are burning.
Don't take it personally.
They die too easy!

(Only one of them actually speaks at victory but I checked to beat the boss with each of them for a different win quote.)

Music: ENDS



You three have done well.

All turn to face their master. Hien and Raiden bow.



Yes, Master!!

Ouka approaches Kato.



Ouka, how do you feel? Is anything hurting you?
I was slashed with blades, punched with crushing blows and hit with artillery at close range several times. But beyond that...
<holds her head> I have a slight headache...
That's not uncommon. It will go away soon. You're not yet finished, but you can still work with the other two.



Do your best. Soon you'll have your full powers.

Ouka backs up and bows.



Yes, Master.

Meanwhile, back at the Battleship Mikasa dock...





What's going on? We're locked up for three days and then suddenly they let us out?!
I still don't understand why we didn't fight those men after battling five other fiends in the same room.
You know how it is.
<stretches> They didn't even investigate us. I guess they don't care anymore.
<smiles> I thought for sure we were all on the hook for multiple homicides.
H-Homicides?!
Of course, silly. All those soldiers we beat up are sleeping with angels now.
I only beat my foes into submission with a KO!
Tee hee. Yeah, maybe you and your fists. We killed everyone without a character portrait. Yuri turns into horrible monsters with huge claws. Karin and Kurando have swords. Blanca bites out throats. Anastasia has powerful magic. I have a bladed fan like Kitana from Mortal Kombat.
...I don't get that reference.
Hehe. It's lethal!
Where have you been? We killed all of Sapientes Gladio other than Nicolai.
<looks at hands and trembles> ...What have I involved myself in?



That was pretty cold-hearted of Kurando to take off on his own like that.
He gets out two days early and doesn't even try to do a jailbreak? I thought that guy was OK. He can bite me.
<runs up to Yuri upset> Kurando is not that kind of person!



Huh? What's that? What'd you say?
.....
Hoho, I get it. I get it.
<blushes> Why are you looking at me like that?!
<chuckles> You're turning all red!
What's this? Did someone hit puberty in the last three months?
_{I'll kill you!}



Cut it out, you two.
We all know she's horny on main for the samurai boy. You couldn't telegraph it more. Don't tease her, Yuri.
WHAT?! I... I... I will call my dad and END all of you!!
<points past the group> Look over there.



Oh, it's him!
Kawashima, right... dang, that's weird.
You've been acting strange. I feel like there's another story we're missing.
...Yeah, there is. Maybe later.
Your baggage is getting impressive.
You do not need to tell me...
<waves> There you are! It took a while to get you out. I'm sorry about that.
It was most unfortunate you decided to do your raid on a Saturday. Municipal buildings closed the weekend and all that.
You were the one who got us out?
Yes, I vouched for you all. It's my way of saying thank you for saving my daughter.



Well, actually we...
<holds up his hand to stop Yuri and motions to Anastasia> Yes, I know. Your Anastasia here was carrying papers that list her as a goodwill ambassador from Russia.



<smuggest child squeal ever>



Plus she had her passport and that was key to getting you all out. You all have your passports too, I trust?
Of course!
Yep.
I renewed it earlier this year.
Naturally.
Awroo! (Right here!)
...The hell is a passport?
You... don't have your passport?
Why the hell not?!
Yuri!
I don't know what that even is!
It's the identification you need to go to different countries!
When did that become a policy?!
It's ALWAYS been a thing, Yuri!
<shakes head in disappointment>
No one told me that! I traveled from Manchuria all the way to Wales last year and didn't hear about this!
Ergh... I'll look into helping you there... But that's a bad situation... Try not to get into any more trouble, yes?
...Whatever.



Goodwill ambassador?
You had papers saying that?
<cute smug pose> My father gave me them. In case I ever traveled overseas!
I did go adventuring with you all. I needed to have my papers in order. Unlike some members of this party...
The fuck is a passport?!
Language!
<grumbles>
Anyway, you can thank me later!
<claps hands> Now, that's an emperor!
<nods> Yeah, a real superman.



Yeah, other than detecting assassination attempts...
Hmph! That was an outstanding circumstance!
Also Superman wasn't invented until 1938. Could you quit it with the anachronism?
We just fought robots and drones on that ship!
Yeah, but DC will sue us for that one and I don't need another legal battle right now. I'm already in it deep for my portrayal in Chaos Wars. I'm not made of Cash!
...Fair enough.



Well, shall we go? Yuri, Anne, and you are...
Hmph... Snowball... The large fellow. The old one... the large breasted one...
Anne?!
I don't recall an Anne here...
<crosses arms> That's your new name, Karin. I didn't want 'em to know that you're German.
You know, since you're the baddies in the current world war and all...
Excuse me? I feel the German military was fully justi—
<apprehensive neck chop motion>
<cringes>
Hmph...
<smiles> Germany is full of war criminals.
.....
OK. Fine. But...



Anne?!
That was my mom's name.
She got killed by zombies sent by a Chinese warlock my dad tried to kill when I was little.
...Oh.
It made me go into a blood rage and I can do Fusion now because of that. So, you know, it could have been worse.
R-Right...



Anne. ...That's not your name?
Err, no. It's Karin.
Hmm. Well, either way. Come on! <walks out of the area>
<runs after him> Come on!



And that concludes another chapter of this game. Tune in next time for... well, going straight back to Battleship Mikasa for a couple of sidequests but then things getting otherworldly weird. Shadow Hearts 2 gonna do Shadow Hearts 2.





Sure, the party was involved for only the last three minutes. But we did make some new friends and foes along the way.

Monsters:



Most foes are weak to being slashed by a four-foot blade, as it turns out.



Jerks off with his right hand.



Still no bullets for those Gatling gun arms though, sadly.

Characters:



His awesome agility a staggering FOUR points above the hulking monkey man.



He knows when you're talking shit.



Kato... why are you like this?




Video: Episode 87 Highlight Reel (You should probably check this out.)





Hojo Research Center Concept Art - I don't know who this 1915 Hojo is but he's undoubtedly less creepy than The 3rd Birthday Maeda's Dad found in the FF7 Remake.