Part 21

Update 21


"Narumi's already gone. Looks like he dicided to get out and do something for a change.
No reason to panic, though. We don't have any proof he's actually on a job."




Then the phone rings.




"Would you mind coming to pick it up? I want to make sure he gets it as soon as possible.
I'm paid in advance you know, so I don't like holding onto merchandise that's already sold.
Hurry on over; there's no value in dallying!"


"Great. The one time Narumi's not sitting here, his order comes in.
It looks like Kaya's left the building as well.
*sigh*
Raidou Kuzunoha and Gouto, professional errand boys."




Notice. A) Narumi is not in. That is strange.
B) Gouto did not refer to Raidou as "Brian". That is also strange. It is the first time he calls him by his new name.
C)What the hell? Narumi should be there!



"Tell Mr. Narumi it needs to be handled with care, all right?"




... The hell?
Why does Narumi want ammo? Couldn't he just get Raidou to do the dirty work, as always?

WHAT. IS he actually GOING to work himself?
Surely, the world should end soon. That is happpening, and it is a SMT game, after all.

"Geez... What on earth did he order, anyway?
Oh well, he can fill us in later."




Oh delicious loot turning into delightful money for summons.


First, Ichimokuren.


Tempest is a Force spell. Equivalent to Agidine and such. Quite useful. Frenzy is a physical skill that hits quite hard. Also useful.



His hobby is reading. Same lines as Oboroguruma.


Oh hell yes. Better than the Gashadokuro, I believe.


Mudo is NOT an instant kill. It is a death attack, yes, but does not kill instantly. Instead, it has a black/purple aura. Useful.
Makara Aura increases magic power.
His inherent nulling of phys and death attacks is sure to come in handy.


"Thou hast shown good judgement in choosing me. I shall remember this."



Then, the Tengu.



Well, what. Tempest. Similar to Zandyne, more like. Both are high power Force/Wind skills.
Patra removes ALL ailments.


"Thou hast shown good judgement in choosing me. I shall remember this."


He gets the same lines as Nebiros.




Oh yes. Sword Fusion could be useful later.

Let's go back to the Agency.

Going back and what happened there (youtube)
It is a comprehensible action.




Scissors. Why would she want scissors?
61!






Raidou will know.




That's a mess.






Oh dear.



"Me? Oh, I just went out to get some fresh air.
What's the matter? You look all balled up.
Oh, it's my hair, right?
Um... Do you like it?"




Raidou is a gentleman.


"Thank you! I was afraid you were going to laugh at me.
A lot of things have been happening, so I thought a change of pace might do me some good.
I'm so glad you don't hate it.

Say, Raidou? Mr. Narumi told me you had another name.
Would it be all right if you told me what it was? I'd like to call you by your real name.
"




"Brian... It's a nice, simple name.
I have something I'd like to tell you too, Brian.
Could you spare a minute?
Back when I was being held captive by Munakata...
I overheard him talking to someone.
He mentioned an object he needed for his Super Soldier Project.
And, once he's gotten a hold of this thing...
He can eliminate millions of Capital citizens. Just like that.

That's the kind of thing we should take care of, don't you think?
To stop his scheming?
We should look for it together, Brian!

If we can find it before they do, we might be able to stop them.
Munakata described it as... As a crystal ball full of spiritual energy.
It was enshrined a long time ago in order to protect the Capital.
But, he said nobody knows where it is anymore.
I bet we could find it though, Brian.
Let's start tomorrow!"



Why not that very day?


"Rise and shine, Brian.
Are you all set to hunt for that crystal ball thing?"

"So the girl's keen on this crystal of infinite power which we don't have a clue where to find.
Thanks for nothing, dollface.
But, if the Capital is really in danger, we don't have a choice.
C'mon, Brian. Let's see what we can do."




And so, Raidou gains a new sidekick!



Let us check the recap.







Damn that MechaRasputin.




So, Gouto can type?


"Though, the owner of Konnou-Ya is always handy in a pinch.
He knew about that camera, right?
How different could a powerful artifact be, really?"



"It'd be a pain if someone reported me. Let's go look for the crystal."

Okay, let's visit the old fart.


"What? A crystal ball?
Actually, I did recently receive an order of these 'snow globes' from the West...
Uh? Spiritual energy?
No, I'm afraid I don't have anything that fits the bill.
Why don't you ask Victor, downstairs?
There's a small chance he might know something about it."

Well, Victor probably does know something.




"You wish to find a crystal ball of spiritual power, here in the Capital?
Hm....
I have been conducting research in various areas since my arrival in Japan.
At one point in my studies, I did come across a document regarding a monk who built the Capital.
He placed statues in a number of locations to act as protection for the Capital.
These five statues were called the Goshiki Fudou.
However, the document hinted at a sixth, hidden statue.
It did not correspond to a color, like the other statues, and was called Mushoku Fudou.
It was said to hold a crystal ball with the power to ward off evil.
I will admit, the document was quite old.
I have no way to know if that Fudou is the crystal you're looking for.
However, you're welcome to search for it, if you believe it could be.
If I remember correctly, the Mushoku Fudou was placed near an inlet.
It was cross referenced as the Irie Fudou. I do hope I've been of some assistance."










And who do we know about thatk nows the Capital well? Hm.
Let's go and check the newspapers.





Oh that Tae. She is gonna get in trouble for that.

A new area in the Training Hall is open, and money is needed for... Something. There is no rush to find the Fudou, is there?
Let's visit the Training Hall.


In the fifth floor, when it is full moon, in the northwestern corner, this happens.







Looks easy, doesn't it?
Well, it isn't.
Why?
Because there are like 300 enemies in this freaking encounter. There are a lot of them. Too damn many.
And what is the reward?



FUCKDAMNIT.



That ain't too bad, though.


The... Demon lord?
Hm.





This Tengu kicks ass.



And so does Nebiros.



Grind grind grind.
The main need was money, though.



To get this damned thing.




And then MORE MONEY for this guy.


Just look at those stats.


Then, since the blockades are gone, Raidou can get those shinies over there.





Woo. All of it very useful. Money and stats.


"Sharp-looking girls with a quick wit are just the old guy's type."



Who is she talking about?


"life is long. Be patient.
Mindread: If the bird doesn't sing, I'll wait until it does."

Who does Raidou know that knows all about the city?
Why, the resident Yakuza mobster with a heart of gold, Satake.


"This is the birth of a big romance! Don't forget ta invite me to your wedding."



"Fukagawa-Cho hasn't changed much since the Edo days, so my sense of time gets... Anyway."
That didn't make much sense. Why would a 16 year old girl get confused about the year? Why did she need a confirmation? Hm.




"Munakata personally leaned on the papers so's they'd clam up."




"So wait, you sweet-talked TWO Ouran girls? You're a machine, kid."


"Ah, it's someTHING this time. You're certainly a busy man.
So, what do ya need?

Irie Fudou, huh?
Never heard of it.
Sorry, kid. Afraid I can't help you out on this one.


Look, there's this guy in Senju-ku...
He's sort of an odd duck, but he's a real know-it-all.
I'd suggest you pay him a visit.
He lives at this joint he calls the 'Amazing Science Lab.'
Your guess is as good as mine.
Youldn't hurt to ask him, anyway."
Well, time to go back there. Maybe there's someone there who can give information.




"That guy come to pay homage to the Boss before, so he's all right in out book. Don't overdo it, okay?"





"He can guess the color of a passing girl's underwear with a 70% rate of accuracy.
He does it by analyzing their looks and gestures. It's all very scientific."
Great. He uses the power of science for the sake of perversion. Or something.
Oh well. Let's get the info.






Hm?




That's... The scientist?
Looks funny.





Well, Kaya certainly catched his attention.



"I can tell you anything you want to know about rockets and space travel!
First thing's first... You need to know there's no oxygen in space.
This, of ocurse, makes it difficult for human beings to survive on their own.
Which is to say, in other words--"



"What? You didn't come to learn about space?"




"The Irie Fudou, eh?
Yes! I remember!
It was placed at a beach long, long ago.
It's uh, where Ginza-Cho is now.
Honest Ainu! I heard all about it as a child...
So, why'd you wanna know?"






Well, the same could be said about Raidou and Narumi... But then again, Raidou is HARDLY a normal person, right?
And Narumi is just weird.


He certainly is enthusiastic about space.
That is probably completely irrelevant.