Shadow Hearts Part #25 - Shanghai, part 4

Part 25: Shanghai, part 4

Shanghai, part 4

We finally get to find out what happened to Alice. Dehuai is a sick, sick man.

Hee hee hee... Are you awake, Alice?

D-Dehuai!

This is my Kuihai Tower laboratory!! What do you think? Impressive, isn't it?

...You bought this second-hand from a James Bond movie set, didn't you?

Hey, even an all-powerful master of the Nine Heavens has to cut corners where he can. World domination doesn't come cheaply, you know.

But before we begin the Demon's Gate Invocation, I must test your power...just a little. Hee hee hee...

Wh-what do you think you're going to do to me?! I'll never, ever cooperate!

Hah! We'll see how long that sassy little attitude lasts. You'll soon give up and do whatever I wish.

Ewww...

Well then, shall we begin? Hee hee hee... I hope you enjoy this. Now, answer me!

(They'll come for me, I know it... I just need to buy some time...)

Alice will have three chances to respond. Answer the "wrong" way, and she'll get shocked, eventually passing out. It's quite disturbing. The correct answers are always the first ones.

Hee hee. I like stubborn girls.

Wh-what's going to happen to me...?

Okay, here it comes!

(Wh-what should I do?!)

Heh heh. You don't want to see my face?! Aww, that's too bad.

S-stop, please...

Okay, one more time!

(Wh-what should I do?!)

D-d-don't you dare ignore me, you little brat!! And...and yet, how beautiful your profile is...

Help... Help, Yuri...

Such a stubborn girl...! Do you really believe that brat will come to save you?! That damned, filthy Harmonixer! Wugui's sure to have sent him to hell by now...

...Where is Wugui, anyway? I don't think he'd return to Kowloon without telling me...

Hmm, I wonder...

Bear witness, lowly maggots! I shall soon show you the face of God!!

Let's just leave the laughing psychopath alone for now.

Ostentatious.

Well well. It's a whole lot bigger than it was fifteen years ago.

Just wait, Alice. I'm coming for you.

The two platforms to either side of the entrance each hold a chest.

The keys are good items. This one let's you spin the Judgement Ring for an attack three times as long as you don't miss, giving you nine hits in one turn instead of three. Each spin of the Ring is slightly faster than the one before. There are also Fifth Keys and Seventh Keys, and one Eternal Key, in the game.

Oh, quit it. Even an idiot like Dehuai wouldn't use the same tactic again.

Heh heh... Well, there's one way to find out.

When you use Yawang Gate Key, the gigantic, heavy door slowly opens...

As it turns out, Yuri was sorta right. Instead of a horde, we get a single boss, Yamaraja: Stone. He's Fire-based. And fugly.

I turn Yuri into Inferno and cast Fighting Spirit. The only skill this boss uses is Wall of Resistance, which increases defense against special attacks, so the best thing to do is hit him with physical attacks. With Alice gone, Zhuzhen is our healer, and is very much needed, because Y: Stone hits hard.

The bosses are starting to get harder, which mostly means they have more Hit Points. He eventually falls, to Margarete of all people.

Margarete also learns one of her best skills, Snipe. We'll see more of it later, but the best part of it is that it has a small chance to cause Instant Death.

I guess both you and Dehuai think on the same level, sonny boy! No, I'm kidding.

Y'know, just 'cause you were wrong, it's no reason to be a big meanie.

All right! This is it!

Wait!! There's something on the ground. Huh? What's this? There's, like, a turtle on it.

Damn, if it isn't the Black Tortoise Votive Picture!!

How remarkably convenient.

So, this the one Dehuai took?

That's right. I never expected we'd get it back in a place like this.

You've received B. Tortoise VP.

Great! All we have to do now is storm the tower, kill Dehuai, and rescue Alice!

...Later. Alice will be fine while we wander around Shanghai, right?

Back in the city, the soldiers are gone. We also get an important clue from this guy that you'd miss if you just ran straight through.

Tipsy Miha: Mirror Bracelet can protect against Petrification, but we won't get any for a while...

Did I say clue? I meant we'll be told exactly what accessory we need to equip for the boss battle.

That still sounds like something you need a special shampoo to get rid of.

Despite all the talk about his shop, this guy never sells anything.

Only one person in this section has anything new to say.

This guy has a bunch of dogs running around. You can bet 300 bucks, pick out a dog, and watch them scramble. Afterwards, you have to pick out your dog. It is not made easy by the fact that the dogs often clip through each other, leaving it up to guesswork which of the two is yours when they separate.