Part 124: Three Strikes and You're Out

Back at Inugami Village, Saki has a new task for us.

An errand?
I've been getting a bad premonition coming from the Dog Shrine lately. We have to protect it. Could you check?
The Dog Shrine? That sounds serious. Yes, we'll have a look.
The Dog Shrine? What's that?
The Dog Shrine is where the legendary Inugami sword, the "Mumeiro," is housed.



Yes, but it's actually more like a maze. It's built to keep strangers out of its inner recesses.

Like a chastity belt!

Are you sure we're not going to get lost in there? You've been there before, right?
Uh, no... I've heard about it, of course, but I've never actually been in there.

Like a chastity belt!

Then what about you, Aunt Saki? Tell me you've been inside, at least!
No, never. Kurando's father has been there a few times, though...

Like a chastity belt!

You're joking, right?
Oh, I know! Wait a minute... I know it's around here somewhere... ...Here it is! Take this with you, Kurando.
What's this?

You got Dog Shrine Map

You got RIN Stone

You got HEI Stone

You got TOU Stone

You got SHA Stone

You got KAI Stone

Your father gave it to me. He said to bring it along if we ever have to go into the Dog Shrine. You should be fine as long as you have that map. It'll all work out, I'm sure, once you get in there!

Like a chastity...okay, I'll stop now.



*sigh* There isn't anybody like that on the Inugami side of the family...
Hey! You saying it comes from my side of the family?!




So, we start out with a map and five stones: RIN, HEI, TOU, SHA and KAI. We'll be getting more later. For now, let's head to the new dungeon.






Like the other personal quests, we control Kurando for this dungeon.


The first room contains a Save Point and an altar. Inspecting the altar brings up a cutscene that explains how to move through the shrine. This is accomplished through the medium of Yuri being his usual dense self.



This is a pedestal for placing stones. If we place the stones just right, we can create new paths.
Create new paths?
That's right. Here, let's take a look at the map.



The gray areas are blocked. We can open up paths to these areas by placing stones on the pedestals. There are nine stones altogether. They each open up paths in different directions.
What do the yellowish-green, stick-like thingies mean?
Those symbols represent connections that can be made between areas. In other words, if we place the stones just right, we can open paths from one symbol to another.
I dunno. Sounds pretty complicated...


We then get to play around with the pedestal. We can scroll through the stones we have and place them in different positions. The path the stone will open up is highlighted on it, so you don't need to remember which stone does what. First, let's pull up the map.


The white rooms are where the pedestals are located. Our goal is to reach each of the four rooms represented by one of the Celestial gods.


Each pedestal has a different number of slots. This one will hold nine. To start, we want to place the stones like this.


Now we go north twice and then west twice.


Of course, there are some fairly strong monsters guarding the shrine: Otoroshi, Waira and Dog Guardian.


There's a chest in here with the REI Stone and another pedestal.


This pedestal only has two slots. These are the stones we want to use.


We go north, west, south to end up in the red room. There are three chests in here with a Talisman of Mercy, a Strongoids and Poison 4. After collecting everything, we go back to the last pedestal and remove both stones. From there we go to the first pedestal.


We change the stones to look like this.


We go straight north until we come to another pedestal and a chest with the JIN Stone.


We place our remaining four stones like so. Then we go north, west, north, east, east.


This takes us to the blue room and two more chests which hold a Seal of the Urn and the ZAI Stone. Then we head back to the first pedestal again, grabbing the four stones we placed on the way.


We change the stones on the first pedestal to look like this. Then we go north three times and east twice.


There's an Ultra Belt in this chest.


We place the stones on this pedestal like so. Then we go north once and east twice.


No chest this time, just a pedestal.


This one holds only a single stone, so let's put this one on it. From here, we go south and west.


Two chests in the white room with a Mana Extract and the ZEN Stone. Now we go all the way back to the first pedestal again, picking up the stones from the two pedestals on the way.


Placing the stones like this (the ZEN Stone is the weird one with a line that stops in the middle) opens up a hidden room when you go straight north.


Bingo.


Moving forward, Kurando automatically opens the chest.

This is it...! The Mumeiro...!



It's incredible! I can feel the power surging out of it...



Hey... We've heard that disgusting laugh before...!


Oh, you have got to be shitting me.

There he is! That pillow ghouly guy!



...Anyway. I let my supernatural powers guide me, and look who I've found!
That bad premonition Aunt Saki was talking about must've been this guy.
This is a sacred Inugami shrine. If you leave quietly now, we won't have to get rough with you.


We're not really doing this again are we? I mean, is Garan really that stupid?

Now you're doomed! This time, I'll throw you into the depths of hell!!


He really is that stupid.


This form is called Hotoke Garan. The bastard is still pulling his "immune to magic" trick, hence the physical-heavy party. I picked Blanca because he's more support/healing oriented than Karin.


First order of business is to get rid of Garan's little friend.


The rest of the fight runs about the same as the last time we fought him. After some pounding, he goes down.


I may be a wee bit over-powered for this dungeon.





...It wasn't my doing. It was the power of the Mumeiro. Now I understand why it's been sealed away in the Dog Shrine all this time. It's too powerful for ordinary use...
That takes care of the errand. Let's go back and see Aunt Saki.
All right.



We purged the Dog Shrine of an evil spirit, Mother. And I have the Mumeiro here safe with me.
Yes, I know. I was watching.
You were? How?
Hee hee! I was dying to find out what was going on, so I peeked into the Fountain of Sukune.


Saki is a scary lady.

You were magnificent, Kurando. What a fine young man you've become!
I couldn't have done it without everybody's help.
That way of thinking of yours must be what made the Mumeiro allow you to pick it up. That sword chooses its own master. It won't allow anyone unworthy to wield it. I'm proud of you, Kurando.
Mother...
I'll allow you to take the Mumeiro with you until your journey is through. Knowing you, I'm sure you won't let its power go to your head.
I won't! Well, I guess we'll be continuing our journey now, Mother.
All right. Be careful out there!


They leave.



Can you see him, my husband? Ever since he met Yuri, our son has grown so much, and so quickly too.


And with that, the first of Kurando's personal quests is complete, and we have his Ultimate weapon.