Part 38: Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne: Update One

Actually, y'know what? I'm bored of Devil Survivor 2 now. This thread is now for the far better SMT 3: Nocturne.

Update One



The same goes for anything depicted in this LP. Anything posted by dudes that aren't me though? The views and opinions probably reflect on those posters.

Lookin' at you Requisite Law Crew.



If such is the fate of this world, then I shall return it to its mother's womb.
The world must first die, for it to be born again...
That is the only way to salvation, as recorded in an ancient prophecy.





But, I don't want you to meet the same fate. I want to help you hold on to your life.
To do so, I need to know your name. Will you tell me who you are...?



Naoki Kashima's one of two possibilities that are the closest thing there is to a canon name. It comes from a drama CD and is the name I would expect more people to recognise. The alternative would be Shin Managi from the light novel Nocturne Konton which probably isn't that great and not a lot of people would recognise anyway. Also it looks dumber, so there's that.

Hito's just short for "Hitoshura." Makes more sense than Demi. If y'got anything better, feel free to suggest it. I'll probably ignore it though unless it's really good.



As of now, your will to live shall be sustained. Believe in it...and live.
I will.

Much like every other SMT protagoist, Naoki here speaks exclusively through dialogue choices. Can assume that whenever he pops up, it's thanks to that.

I'm glad that you understand. The time is near...it will take place very soon.
I am the nurturer of the next world.



Now, I want you to say my name out loud.



Yuko Takao's the default name. For every name input from this point onwards, we'll be running with the defaults. No exceptions.



...Naoki. I won't shed another tear, not even at the world's end. I'd like to see you in the next world though...
Go ahead and wake up. It's time...



Please do not rush onto the train. The door is now closing.



Man, this might just be the first time I've seen an RPG protagonist who looks both like a regular person and also like something who does real exercise.





You haven't forgotten that we're going to visit Ms. Takao, have you?
Hurry up and get over to Yoyogi Park. You're wasting my quality time!

> It's from your classmate.



Oh yeah, you better make sure you look nice for her.
How about the jacket you bought the other day... Y'know, the one with a demon graphic on it?
You're just the mood maker. Don't forget that.

Sadly, we can't put on any different jacket right now. We can however move around at this point albeit not very far.



If we tried to continue, this dude'd stop us so let's willingly talk to him instead.



EMPLOYEE: After that incident, we've had a lot of lookee-loos, but not so many customers.
EMPLOYEE: Man, I've had a lot of free time on my hands...
EMPLOYEE: ...Huh? Are you saying that you haven't heard the news?
What's going on?



EMPLOYEE: If you want the details, you can check the giant screen.
EMPLOYEE: A buncha people were killed. You could hear the sirens wailing all night long.
EMPLOYEE: I'm sorry about that...I shouldn't be talking on the job, even if I'm not busy...



There's nothing much else going on here, so let's just leave.

Oh, right, there's a vending machine I could've gotten an item from but I forgot about it. So, uh, oops?



Ah, good ol' classic SMT world maps. Quite the far cry from the menu based navigation we've come to know, isn't it? The blue circle-and-triangle is us. Green ones are NPCs. Let's talk to the one directly above us, shall we?



YOUNG OFFICER: We ask for your co-operation.

Looks like we've found the park where we're meant to meet up with our buddy already. Let's not head there JUUUUST yet, though.



We've got a news report to check out first. That guy at the train station did mention it after all.



The demonstration got out of hand, and there have been several deaths and injuries reported.



Stay tuned to see what the weather forecast has planned.

> The news continues...



Okay, I think that's enough messing around. Let's go to the park already.





I won't be able to get a single picture of the scene... Just my luck.



What happened here
Well, this is what they said on TV: 'The clash between a well-known company and a civic organization results in deaths'...
But, those who live on the fringe say...



> Your cell phone started to ring.

...Huh? Isn't that your phone ringing?



*sigh* I finally got a hold of you. What have you been doing all this time?
I could see if it was Isamu, but you're never late. Did something happen?



Well, since you didn't show up on time, Isamu and I left without you... We're almost there.
So yeah, I'm sorry, but can you come directly to the hospital?



Just go east from Shinjuku Station, and you can't miss it.
Oh well.
I wanted to talk to Ms. Takao about what I should do after graduation anyway.
I'll be there ASAP.
Thanks, I'm not planning on staying there long.
Okay then, see you later.

> Chiaki hung up.



...That's where I'm headed, too. What a coincidence.



You don't know what happened here, right?
Then, you probably don't know what kind of place that hospital is, either.





You wouldn't normally associate a hospital with the occult, but...
That place is different.
...Heheh.
False info is pretty common in the occult industry. If it does turn out to be wrong, just laugh it off, okay? Well, I'd better get going.



We'll head right to the hospital. Might as well. No point in sticking around here.



Though on the way there, we run into this guy.

YOUNG MAN: He had a sword on his back, and looked dangerous!
YOUNG MAN: But, I swear I've seen him before... Hmmm...

So, yeah, if you know anything about this game then it's probably who this kid is referencing!



But, no matter, let's head on in to the hospital.



Unlike with the park, we're not immediately thrown into a cutscene. But it doesn't really matter since we get it as soon as we approach the obvious lady just up ahead anyway.



You know, this hospital... It's a little strange.



Look, even the reception desk is empty.
Isn't it creepy here? I don't like it...



He hasn't come back yet, though. He'd better not be off fooling around.
...Hey, what's that magazine?
Do you want to read it?
Knowing your taste, it probably wouldn't interest me.



...Not that that stops her taking it anyway. Oh, Chiaki~.



...Well, I guess it might help me kill some time.
Naoki, can you go look for Isamu?
If we can't find Ms. Takao, then I don't wanna stay here another minute.



I'll wait here.
...Oh yeah, let me borrow this magazine. Thanks!



We have two ways of getting up to the second floor, and it doesn't matter which one we bother with. We can take the fire escape which only leads to the second floor hallway and the lobby, with no fire door exit (for some reason).



Or we can take the lift. We'll take the fire escape, because it actually leads to another hallway.



Wherein we can see that Chiaki was right. There's absolutely no one here. No cars parked either. That alone is pretty shady.

Ah well, let's go find that Isamu.



...I think we found him already. Now we gotta go grab him.



We can actually enter more than one room up here if we wanted to. No point, mind, since all the ones without Isamu are empty. Not even stock healing items or anything.



Dude! You scared the crap outta me, Naoki! Why'd you startle me like that!?
You come here late, you cause trouble... Geez.
Ah, forget it.



I called Ms. Takao and double checked, though. She said, "Shinjuku Medical Center."
Maybe something happened.
They could've at least put up a notice or something, so visitors aren't clueless.



I checked out most of the this place. I don't know where else Ms. Takao could be...
Oh well. I'll go back and see how Chiaki is doing.
She's probably all mad at me 'cuz I've been gone so long... *sigh* It's hard to please a girl with her upbringing.
See ya in a bit, Naoki.
I really hope that this is nothing we should be worried about...



Now that Isamu's gone we can search this room, and find the great vast amounts of nothing that are lying around.



This place is fucking barren as shi- ...where's Isamu? He set off back here before us. Goddammit, Daichi Isamu.



Um, Naoki...
You know that special report at the beginning of the magazine?
Well, it says some things that are a little disturbing.



They're a stock SMT cult, yeah. They're the generic Chaos Dudes.

They're right here in Japan.



In that book, it says that chaos will befall the world, and these people are actually trying to make that happen.
The reporter was unable to learn what is meant by 'chaos'...
It could be worldwide terrorism, or some other tragedy. But...



I even checked the men's room.
*sigh* I don't think we needed to know that.
We're in the middle of a conversation, so please save the details for later.
Now, where were we? ...Oh yeah, read this part.



Let me guess...It ends with, 'More to come in our next issue,' right?
You know, this could be the hospital that they're referring to.
I've heard weird stories about this place.



There was also one about the hospital being under the influence of some cult...
...Really?
I haven't heard those things before. Maybe we shouldn't have come...



There's definitely something wrong with this hospital.
I'm worried about Ms. Takao.
Hey, let's look around some more. If we don't find anything, then at least we'll know that there's nothing bad here.



Looks like we have our next destination, we'll just go a-

I'll go take a look.



> You obtained an [ID Card].

Isamu, where did you get this? How did you get this? I don't think an ID Card would just be lying around.

Why don't you search the basement yourself?
...You're not scared, are you?
O-Of course not!
I'm sure she's not down there, that's why I'm having Naoki go!



It's my duty to see her in person.



Something bad is totally gonna happen, isn't it?

*sigh* I can't believe him sometimes.
But now, I'm worried about Ms. Takao. We should make sure she's okay.



Okay, fine, I'll head into the hospital basement all on my end. If I know anything about anime hospitals, its that the basement usually doubles as the morgue. And anime hospital morgues usually get weird. We can deal with that next time, I reckon.