Part 28: Kuihai Tower, part 1

Kuihai Tower, part 1


I've put this off as long as I can. Time to rescue Alice.


This time, nothing comes out when we open the front door.


This is another simple dungeon that doesn't need a map. Like Kowloon Fortress, Kuihai Tower is crawling with several different monsters, listed below.

Water Tiger - We've reached the point where former bosses are now everyday monsters. This guy hasn't gotten any new powers since the sewers.

Man-Snake - These things are pushovers. They never lasted long enough to use any special skills.

Shadow - Shadows cause Blind Ring, but other than that, they aren't very strong.

Rage Demon - There are three penis monsters roaming around. These can cause Silence.

Vengeance Demon - This one casts Falcon on itself.

Mournful Demon - And this one casts Exorcist Arrow. Now excuse me while I scrub my corneas with bleach.


That's better. Back in the entrance chamber, if you go up the central stairs and follow the path around the column, there's a chest at the end.


Now we exit this room by going up the staircase on the right.


There's an altar up here, but first we're going to head over to the far left side of the room.


To pick up a hidden pure extract in the corner. I've always though it odd that, as beautiful as the rest of this place is, this one area is so heavily damaged. A remnant of the fight between Dehuai and Ben, perhaps? Then again, there are cables everywhere. Maybe it's from Dehuai's "Spirit Machine".


And we just happen to have a Votive Picture of a turtle! How...convenient.



Which Votive Picture will you insert?


Nice of it to give us a choice among our vast collection of 1.




The door that was unlocked was very close by.


It leads out to an exterior walkway. Which we could have reached by just crawling past one of the open shutters, instead of mucking about with altars and votives.


Still, it's got a great view.


Poor Li Li and Sea Mama.


We can't get through those doors by the chest, so it's back down to the entrance and through the doorway behind the column.


Well, this is odd. Usually, when there's a hidden item, Yuri gets a question mark over his head.


Oh. Ewww...


This altar already has a votive in it.


Snatch!

You've received R. Phoenix VP.

You know, we never went to whichever place the Red Phoenix was taken from, unless it was always in Shanghai.


Taking the votive out makes a barrier spring up across the entrance. We don't have the White Tiger yet, but any votive will open up the barrier, so we'll just plop in the Blue Dragon for now.


And the barrier shuts back off, letting us leave.


Up the left staircase this time.


A bird, huh? In goes the Red Phoenix!




This time, the door in the center became unlocked. What wonders await inside?


A chest with the White Tiger and another barrier. I wonder what happens when you touch those things?




Ouchies.


Well, that was fun. The last barrier won't open until all the votives are in the proper place. So it's back to Dehuai's porn vault to take out the Blue Dragon and insert the White Tiger.




The last one goes into the first altar we saw, right in the entrance chamber.



All the seals seem to have been broken.


All right! Time to kick some old man ass!





What took you so long?!

I'm sorry Alice! We just...had some really important stuff to take care of, is all...

Sorry!? Do you know what he did to me while I was waiting for you? He.. he... SOB!!

Alice...

He made me watch his vacation slides of his trip to the Great Wall!! It was horrible!

You- you MONSTER!!



Congratulations. You've made it all the way here, despite rather heavy security! No matter. You are too late to stop my Demon's Gate Invocation, the ultimate Nine Heavens magic!

You never change, Dehuai. I'm ashamed to have a brother who's twice strayed from the right path.

Brother?!

So, I figured I'd deliver the last rites I failed to deliver fifteen years ago. That's why I came all this way to see you.

Ha! Still alive, eh, Zhuzhen? You will lose, just as you did 15 years ago. I'll make you beg for mercy -- if you survive. This Demon's Gate Invocation is quite different from last time, you see. Hee hee hee...

Sorry, pal, but there won't BE any Invocation.

Detestable Harmonixer boy...son of that monster, Hyuga! You think you can stop me?! Heh heh. Like father, like son. Kuihai Tower will be your grave! Take this!!




This is the Badger Devil. It's element is Fire.


Fight fire with fire I always say. Yuri fuses into Inferno and casts Fighting Spirit.


Right after we fight this guy, we have to face Dehuai with no chance to heal in-between.


I'll have to fight this battle very carefully to conserve HP and MP for the gang.


I'll also have to use Zhuzhen to keep everyone's health up so it isn't too low at the start of the fight with - huh?


Oh, I guess it's over already. vv.



Ah, but it wouldn't be any fun if I didn't try!

Speaking of fun, who wants to see a trick? Pick a card, any card!


Yuri's in no mood for parlor tricks.



In truth, you should be on your knees giving thanks for the chance to witness such an event!

I've seen your porn stash, buddy. I ain't goin' on my knees anywhere NEAR you!

Wait a second! Valorization went out of style a long time ago, old timer!

Nice try, I guess.

Alice! The time to unleash the power that sleeps within you has come!! The four gods are sealed! I call thee with storm, fire and quake! Let the Valorization commence!!


At this point, the screen starts shaking worse than a junkie with DTs.





It's too late. The Spirit Machine of Kuihai Tower will siphon off all of Alice's life energy. The Mandala of Hell shall open, and the Seraphic Radiance will be summoned!



The Seraphic Radiance?! You mean you're NOT plotting to carry out the Demon's Gate Invocation?!

Correct. This magic is far more complex than the simple Invocation used to summon an Earth spirit!

I am so lost right now.

I-it can't be!

I suppose I should keep you entertained while the tower fills with Alice's life energy.

You're not going to bust out pictures of the grandkids, are you?

Now...you shall taste the wrath of Earth Sage Dehuai, True Ruler of the Nine Heavens! Wah hah hah hah!!


But I don't wanna taste Dehuai!


Dehuai is Fire-class, which means that with Yuri fused to Inferno, only Margarete is vulnerable to his two spells: Magnard and Blaze. It also means that he's vulnerable to her skills, most notably the Aqua Edge I had her cast on Yuri. For the most part, I just kept pounding with Yuri and Margarete while Zhuzhen was on healing duty. When Zhuzhen didn't have to heal, I had him cast Life Sucker on Dehuai, hoping it would cause Silence. It didn't. I also tried Zhuzhen's new spell, Corpse Arm.


Eventually, Dehuai falls, but he fades away rather than shattering, so you know we're not done with him.





pant, pant...Give it up, Dehuai!

Fool! You think you've won?! Time is on my side. The girl's spirit has filled the tower! We are but moments away from the final act! Heh heh heh...







No one ever listens to me.



Yuri... You came... And everybody...



I-I'm okay. We must stop Dehuai... and the Demon's Gate Invocation...

But how?! Isn't it too late?!




Oh, hey, it's our friend again!





Wh-what was that light? And that voice!!

Ohh...!! Alice, you've...you've regained your strength?!



The voice...gave me back my power... with that gentle light...

I can fight!



She's watching over us. Let's go!

All right! Let's form a party, then.

Please select a party to fight Dehuai.


And half the game is over before we have enough people to pick our battle party. I trade Alice for Margarete (you have to keep Yuri and Zhuzhen) because I'm going to need her healing abilities. She also doesn't have Margarete's weakness to Fire spells.




Next time on Shadow Hearts:


Kuihai Tower, part 1 on Viddler
Video 1
Video 2 (boss fight)
Video 3


NPC Scorecard