Part 75: Black Rider

Update 75


Well, then let's head to Shinoda and get things sorted out.



But before... Forgot to do this. Yes.



Crossdresser transformation: Achieved.



Can't be checked due to no Skill demons being summonable at the moment.



" I see... In order to defeat this Apollyon, then... You must enter the Confinement Chamber where the Shukukon-Seki is held. You have correctly deduced its location... This Chamber is located in the Capital's center. It is used to confine a god who once openly worked at cross purposes to us."





Ah, so Gouto/First Raidou is familiar with the entity.

"The Confinement Chamber holds this nation's darkest secrets... Hence, it is kept beyond a powerful seal. If you are to enter there and meet the dark god, Raidou, you must enact the Ritual of Unsealing. It is a ritual perdormed by the caster treading a particular path. You must walk the Dark Realm in a deliberate pattern... Your steps will trace the lines of a pentagram. When the shape is drawn, the ritual is complete. At each of the five points, a strong spirit will challenge you. You must demonstrate your power to these five keepers and walk the pentagram across the Capital. It is the only way to gain access to the Confinement Chamber, and to the Shukukon-Seki."




"He was a god who rebelled in days long past... He was a glorious star, equal to the sun, though in truth he was a star of death that rained acid. The demon who shines the star of death upon your back... His formal name is Amatsu Mikaboshi. Mikaboshi is now imprisoned in the Confinement Chamber. He should possess the SHukukon-Seki you seek."

Since nothing else provides new information, it's time to say that nothing else needs explaining.


"The path described by the Ritual of Unsealing will be long and arduous. Prepare yourself appropriately before undertaking the ritual. If you deem yourself ready now, we shall begin... Are you prepared?"




No time like the present, as they say.




Harumi Cho shall be the first point then?


"We trust that you will meet our high expectations, Raidou Kuzunoha the 14th."





And there it goes. Transported to the Dark Realm.




Baek Yong: "Very well, son of man. I shall be your first trial... TO ensure you are worthy of the task.I shall wait for you where sons of man pray to the Great Will."




"To make the five-pointed star, it sounds like we'll ahve to go through five trials. At every stop along the way, there'll be a powerful demon there to test the Ritual's caster. That oughtta tell you how serious this Ritual really is. So let's get started."




Thought-Form: "Would you like to put the Ritual on hold for now and return to the Nameless Shrine?"


hell no.





Kurama: "Do not let arrogance guide thee, human. 'Twould seem thy noble exterior dost not reflect thy baser interior. "





Notice: This is what happens when one happens to not have Cuchulainn in order to get more loyalty from two unloyal demons at the same time (Utai-Gaikotsu and Raiho are both unloyal at the moment)



Damnation.




End result, for matters of conversation, Cuchulainn is best.


Let's try the second one.



Kurama: "Yet I am extraordinarily busy this day. Make it quick, child of man. "




Kurama: "Thy confidence is indeed impressive, but I am nto swayed by the weak bravado of a child... "




Let's see what he thinks of this.




it worked!



Kurama: "We demons too enjoy the consumption of good meals. The pleasure of eating must surely be universal. We should negotiate. I know thou wast in search of something when thou beseeched me to talk."






And so negotiation happens. But oh well.




Oh, Ichimokuren, degraded from boss to random encounter.



This works exactly in the same way it did in the previous title.



Like so.



Hm, a Wind pathway. Will it lead to where we need to be?



Who knows? But in any case, Utai-gaikotsu became loyal. Hooray.



And before it could be tested, Raidou is challenged by a Fiend. Oh my, oh no.

BLACK RIDER.




Black Rider How unfortuante that you should encounter a Fiend on a new moon. Or is it fortunate... that you shall be granted a painless death?



Oh boy oh boy. Another fiend!




Even without boosting by Ice Amps or magic enhancers or ANYTHING OF THE SORT, Glacial Blast is goddamn brutal.




And as it was with Red Rider, his rushing attacks are extremely dangerous.






And he is a total asshole.





Damn.



A hugetastic Mudo field.



Fortunately, nulled by Raidou's Sword (there was a reason why that sword was needed)




His other attack is a major asshole move. It halves EVERYTHING.



Aaaaagh.



Black Rider: "This world will soon face a great famine..."




And I, stupidly, keep getting hit by it.




Mainly because I was attempting the "get behind the enemy and whack them from behind" maneuver (block in front, press X, if it is close enough, Raidou will quickly get behind the enemy)






Soul Balance is less horrid than Begin Starvation, seriously.







Fortunately, by then the effect of the first roulette was over/it was overwritten by the second roulette.




And Raiho decided to boycott, god damn it.



Eventually, the last hit is landed.




And a level up is achieved.




Hell yes. Even if he ain't loyal yet. It is weird, all skills unlocked BEFORE his loyalty is filled. Could probably use sakes there.




And speaking of sakes, he gives juuuust what was needed for that case file.




Posteriorly, a Kurama is recruited.





I don't know if being a Secret Agent boy is better than being a prodigy, but at least it is not horribly worse than the previous title.



So in order to see what is worth it, two Elementals are summoned.



I think I already have Sylph. If not, it was in Strange Journey. Using one could be good.



But most importantly, Decarabia is a Wind order demon.



Decarabia is ALWAYS awesome. Yes.



This is rather appropriate.



Baek Yong is the guardian of this segment. Hm.

And HE IS WEAK AGAINST FIRE. So yeah let's kill him with him.




Baek Yong: "I have turned mine back on the heavens, but I shall fulfill my contract with thee. 'Tis an honor to meet thee..."




Not enough skills


AND NOW BESTIARY ENTRIES.


"She hunts for humans by waiting near the water's edge, using her web to drag prey underwater."



"Their every act represents the will of God, and they seek to spread his word to the entire universe."



"He is well-versed in magic and has the ability to control humans he converses with."






"Durga was born to defeat the Asura Mahisha, and Gdon was granted to her to help complete the task."




"Said to have built the nation of Izumo with Susano-o's daughter, Suseri-Hime."



"Its white scales give off a holy shine that represents the nation of Korea itself."



"Accompanied by the flower faeries, she creates magic out of the moonlight."



"One of the greatest necromancers in Hell, he can control souls and corpses."



"With his cool body and burning passion, his goal is to inherit the name of Raiho the 15th..."




"The dragon kings Nanda and Takshaka of Buddhist myth fall into this royal category."



"He was cursed to die after spurning the war goddess Morrighan, and was impaled on his own mighty Gae Bolg."




"The most powerful and well-known Tengu, they have the power to fend off disease and bring good luck."