Shadow Hearts: Covenant Part #107

Part 107: Punishment

So, Minister Ishimura has a lot to answer for, apparently. ...Let's burn his house down!

He's here, right? The mastermind behind all this... Foreign Minister Ishimura!

Aw, no "I'm your worst nightmare" quips? You disappoint me, Yuri.

Hagawara: It's you! You're the ones! The rebels Lt. Col. Terada was talking about!

Nakamura: Do not take a single step further!

Yuri complies with the sentry's order. Unfortunately for our tin-plated friends, Joachim and Kurando do not.

Meanwhile, somewhere inside the house...

I think he's sitting on a rock somewhere, crying and writing in his journal.

Just then, another soldier bursts in from the opposite door.

Well? Has Minister Ishimura been safely evacuated?

What?!

Asakura: His family is leaving through the back.

Just how many of these idiots are there?

Ah, Kasama! What's the situation down below?

Kasama: Sir! Boar Team at the entrance has been completely eliminated! Captain Yamazaki of Stag Team is leading a counter!

Back near the entrance, Yuri has taken out one guard and another challenges him. The whole building here is one long hallway with a handful of rooms on either side. There aren't any branching paths, so I'm not bothering with a map.

The guard rushes us.

The only "monsters" here are the Titanium Soldiers. There are several fixed encounters with them, and you can also face them in random battles.

Let's check out the room he was guarding.

Ah, crap.

A short time later...

We go back to the hall and turn the corner, only to find more soldiers.

Let's just move on.

There's another room here.

Looks like it's a locker room.

Ishima's upstairs... We just can't get to him...

What are we going to do?

We can't retreat now that we've got this far. I wanna see who we're dealing with face to face... As long as he's alive, the war and the lies will never stop.

With the pep talk out of the way, we can pick up a Lottery Ticket from the corner. Unfortunately, we can't get in any of the lockers at the moment.

A bit further down the hall, we come to a group of soldiers guarding the stairs.

They aren't guarding them for very long.

There's another soldier at the top of the stairs, but he runs away.

He keeps running, right to Terada.

What?! Yamazaki's out?!

Okay, you take backup here!

Kasama: Sir!

..."Butterfly Team"?

It's up to us now! We're not gonna be beaten by these kids! Let's show them what the Titanium Soldiers can do!

There's a Save Point at the end of the hall and three doors. We'll check out the door on the left first.

Oh, hey, one of them had a Locker 5 Key!

We go back out and then enter the room on the right.

This one had the Locker 1 Key.

There's also a chest in here with a Seal of Strength

Before we go through the doors at the end of the hall, let's use the keys to rob the lockers. We get another Mind's Eye from this one.

We get a Pure Extract over here.

Oh, I also get Kurando's Tsukiyomi up to level 10.

We go all the way back down the hall and enter the last set of doors.

Terada is waiting for us.

It's only Ishimura I want.

Attaaaack!

Before we get a shot at Terada, we have to defeat yet another group of Titanium Soldiers. How ever will we survive?

There we go.

Just one more thing before I go...

I pull Karin, Lucia and Anastasia into this fight because Mecha Lord is a cheater that's immune to physical attacks.

I also get a Snap Shot to give Anastasia her "Power Cannon" Album.

He really seems to hate Lucia, for some reason.

It's harder to keep Combos continuing with magic attacks than physical ones, but they go a long way toward ending the fight.

We get some Ashra's Earrings (+20% max HP) and a Seal of Force for winning.

His warning comes too late, of course.

So, you've finally come.

You're Ishimura? The Foreign Minister?

I am he.

I wanted to meet you.

You're Hyuga's son, aren't you?

Yeah.

And who has hired you to kill me? Russia? China?

Nobody.

Then *cough* why is it that you seek to take my life?

'Cause you're nothing but a murdering son of a bitch!

Hm. *cough* Nonsense.

You're planning to use Nicolai to set off a war in Russia, aren't you?!

To protect Japan from the West, yes; that's correct.

What do you mean?!

Unless someone in Asia stands up to them, *cough* the Western powers will take over here. China, Korea and Japan, all will fall. But I will not allow my beloved homeland to suffer such an ignoble destiny!

That's a load of bull! Why do you have to stir up a war in Russia to do that?!

China capitulated, gave in to the West one hundred years ago. Among all the nations of Asia, only Japan has been able to take a stand against them. But in order to successfully continue resisting, we must become bigger and stronger!

We must plant the seeds of future power now on the Asian continent. And when the moment finally arrives for us to hurry to the aid of the beleaguered Russia, it will be Japan that will become the supreme ruler of all of Eurasia!

So...that's why you've done all this?

Correct.

Is that why you used Kato to kidnap Nicolai?

It was always my firm intention to have him become the ruler of the new Russia.

That's insane! If you do that, it's gonna set off a whole new war!

All wars end eventually. Suffering is merely temporary.

What about all the people that will die?!

An unfortunate necessity.

Bastard!

You can kill me, but my plan will not end! Someone will take my place!

Yuri starts walking toward Ishimura. He's so mad he can't even speak at this point.

It looks like we're not the only audience here. Ishimura's family was supposed to be evacuated, but it looks like his grandson came back.

The kid opens the door and runs into the room.

Ah! No! Stay in there, Kosuke!

He runs in front of Ishimura.

No, kid, you're getting in the way of my righteous asskicking!

Kosuke, get away from here!

Leave my grandpa alone!

Yuri's not about to hit a little kid.

Don't you dare touch my grandpa, you hear!?

He is not, however, above shoving one.

Out of the way!

AH!

Kosuke!

Ishimura throws himself at Yuri's feet.

Please! My grandson is innocent! Don't kill him!

Lucia and Anastasia help the kid up while Ishimura grovels.

Don't kill him! I'm begging you... Please...

Yuri shoves Ishimura away.

Don't you DARE beg for his life!! What about the people you've sent to KILL in your name?! What about the children whose lives have been snuffed out by your soldiers?! How many parents have begged, just like you, for their children's lives?!