Part 39: Wednesday's Changes (I)

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Okay, so we're in the weird basement. Yes, that's blood on the floor. No, it's totally not ominous.



Let's just head on deeper in, and see what we can find down here. There's probably something in the basement if its gated off like this, right?





Yep, this is defnitely the morgue. We should probably remember this room for later. There's nothing here right now, but...



The only other door down here is locked too, so we have to head back to the only one we passed up. Time to bite that bullet and head in I guess.





That... that's a Baphomet. We're level 1. This thing is very obviously much higher. We're so boned if we don't get out of here n-

Oh, Isamu said to run in these kinds of situations. Let's get out of here!






















Wednesday's Changes (I)



[Music: Exploration]



Kuze, I'm coming in... I-Is that all right?
Pervert!
Wh-Why!? I haven't even entered the room yet...!

Makoto is agitated...

What is it?
R-Right... Come to the hall once you've dressed. I'd like to speak to everyone.
...I'll be waiting there.

Makoto seems to have left.

You get ready and leave your room...



Ah, good morning. Manage to wake up on your own?
I'm still sleepy...



...Looks like everyone's here. I'm sorry to call you out when you're all still tired.
Ah, good morning, Makoto... Um... Did something happen?
No... Nothing's happened. I just have some news to relay to you.
Relay to us?



...Yes, it's that time.

Huh...? Physicals?
That's right. We've pushed you pretty hard, and we're worried about your health.
That's great!
Hm...? Ah, I'm happy you agree to it so readily.
Um... Will we be the only ones taking it...?



Oh! So everyone's coming... Thank goodness... I thought I'd be the only girl.
The Osaka and Nagoya members have been contacted already and should arrive soon.



Separate exams? Awww... I was getting my hopes up.
What? What are you talking about? We'd never let the men and women take it together.
Of course not.
Haha... That's right, Hibiki. It does seem a little lonely, though...



Ooh, Joe knows what's up! Right!?
...I don't get the implication, but no matter, as long as you're willing to be examined.
Well, gather at the assigned location when the time comes. Until then...

As Makoto continues, Daichi walks by...



(I can hear you.)

[Music: A Moment of Rest]

(We're gonna check this out, right...?)



(Ahhh, you've got a dirty mind, huh? Io will be there! It's a boy's dream come true!)
(I'm definitely going in! Nothing ventured, nothing gained...!)
Hm? Is something the matter, Daichi?
Uh--! No, nothing at all, Captain!



Whew... She fell for it. Oh, by the way, there's something serious I wanted to discuss...
Serious? You?
Hey, that's mean! I can be serious once in a while too, you know.

[Music: Connected Hearts]

Where to begin... You know how we've seen Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya, right?
Right. So?
After what we've seen and heard, some things are starting to make sense.
Like... those monsters being related to the disaster, and the purpose behind Nicaea.
So I thought if we keep finding out things like that, we might prove Yamato right...



So... let's keep it up, okay?
Okay.
Hehe... That's all I had to say. It's the best someone like me could've come up--

[Music: Silence]



[Music: Countdown]

What...!?
Whoa...! Wh-What the!?



Goddamn, that's early. Well, at least we're getting it out of the way now?

An enemy?
Indeed... You've faced Dubhe, Merak, and Phecda... This will be the fourth.
Awwww... Why's this one have to be so impatient...
Let's intercept it.
A team is intercepting it now, but that doesn't mean they can win. You should go as well.



Until then, all personnel are on standby. I'll be with you, too... I'm counting on you.
Um, yes... Understood. Let's go once we're ready, Hibiki.
Maaaan... I wish it could've waited until after breakfast.



Makoto's similar to Io. Both can punch stuff good or cast spells well. Difference is Makoto puts her early stuff into punching things, whereas Io puts it in spellslinging.



That Weary Daichi event's the only sidetracking we can go do right now. There'd be Joe's here as well if we didn't do it last night.

The new free battle's nothing stellar. Might as well see what we can crack today tho-



Oh. Well, um, let's just grab this, get Makoto the couple of levels she needs to catch up and then...



Go beat it up this new thing.





Dammit...! What's going on!?
Are you all right?
You're-- Ah! I'm okay, but the enemy is all over the place!
All over... Like Merak back in Osaka?



Leave this one to us.
Alright... Sorry, but you'll have to handle this one! Makoto's already up ahead.
I'll start directing personnel. Be careful, guys...!
Multiple locations, huh...? If there's as strong as Merak was, I'm a little worried.
We have to do it.
Well... either way, we can't do anything if we don't know what it can dish out.
Yeah... We'll be all right. And it sounds like we'll have Makoto helping, too...
G-Good point... Then let's go check it out! It's just up ahead, right...?





Hey, Makoto? Are you serious about that new--



Not a problem.
Check you out, talking like a boss. But... Huh... It doesn't look very strong.
It looks like that other one... The one I hit with the truck on the first day.
Yeah, Dubhe. The shape is similar, but...



There's only one real option, let's be honest.

I'm naming it "Dead Meat."
Spoken like a true leader! You're so gung-ho about this. Wowza!







As usual, a couple of regular demons spawn in. Only one team is potentially threatening, and it's that Hamsa oddly enough.

Oh no, guys... I think it noticed us!
Time to kick ass.

[Music: Septentrion]



Well, let's take out Wednesday's boss shall we?



Since Joe hit Fate level 2 we can get two of Petra Eyes, Ice Boost and Anti-Ailment. All three are only on Megrez, so one's gotta be left behind.



I chose to forego Petra Eyes, since I wouldn't use it much. We can get a better version of it later today anyway.

Assassinate is fantastic, and a giant threat, so we want it. Fortunately, there are only 2 enemies on the map that can use it and they're both in the same team. Remember that Hamsa I pointed out? Yeah, that one. The way it works is that you deal bonus damage if you hit the enemy team leader with it, AND you ignore the defence boost from anything else still being alive.

Oh, right. Hasn't come up much, but when the demons on the left flank/right flank/both are alive the leader takes less damage. Easiest way to see it in action is to use a multi-target attack that hits everything. The leader will take noticably less damage. That doesn't happen with Assassinate.



Megrez itself is kinda eh. Petra Eyes is the only major threat it has, but it lacks Grimoire so it won't petrify you that much. Mow Down's pretty whatever and Bufu's just... why.

The attack range of 4 is annoying but nothing we can't deal with. It just makes navigation kind of troublesome. Like Phecda, he has 900 HP. Unlike Phecda, he doesn't have a dumb gimmick that makes him unhittable half the time. Of course he also has no weakness, but we can still tear through 900 HP like it's nothing.



We can deal with it by luring demons down towards us and taking them out here. The Power was kind enough to drop in right next to our starting point, so let's give it a warm welcome.



Charm might not be the gamebreaking machine it is in other SMT games, but it still makes for fantastically easy skirmishes at times. I'll replace Sexy Gaze eventually but for now it's giving us easy times.



...On the other hand, it was potentially the whole reason Io didn't overwhelm the enemy party.



Thankfully Makoto's right there and able to fix this nice and quickly.



Animal Leg also lets her move up a bit more and lure the Ictinike into attacking her.



Which was actually intentional. Considering its entire team was weak to Ice, I'd be foolish to not exploit that.





Megrez doesn't move on its turns. Instead it just does this. Diastrophism is annoying, but unlike Circumpolarity or Dark Thunder it's not a major threat on its own.

It hits everyone on the map that isn't an Avian or a Flight demon. Well, everyone except enemy demons. Somehow they're immune to earthquakes no matter what.



I don't get how that works either, but at least it means we don't have to worry about losing out on skill cracks from AI teamkilling.



Oh, right, the Ictinike. Again its whole team was weak to Ice when Hibiki has Ice Dance and the King has Mabufu. It was asking for trouble.



Speaking of trouble, let's get rid of some. While we're at it, might as well pick up a new skill.



I guess Kumbhanda's hit sort of hard, especially compared to most thing we've fought? Not that it makes much of a difference though.



Doubly so when it fires its attacks at Orthrus who more often than not counters it. That's the second Kumbhanda done and dusted.



And the Hamsa being what it is, we take it out nice and quickly. Not much left to do now; we could go and beat up Megrez at this point, finish the fight and only miss some EXP.



But, well, even if it is only "some" EXP, it's still EXP. No point leaving it behind if we can get it now.



Especially when Mezuki can do some surprisingly good numbers with its Mazio. Elec Boost helps, yeah, but I wasn't expecting all 3 to wipe to this.



We don't even get a pick on who gets the fight with the Nozuchis. They opt to fight Joe which is, uh, something?



Mezuki got poisoned. Again. That's twice in a row now he's been taken out because of poison. That mystic/curse weakness is really annoying when it leads to stuff like that.



Surprisingly enough, no reinforcements spawn in so let's go beat up Megrez.

[Music: Break Out]



900 HP don't mean shit when Leanan Sidhe can deal over 300 in a single Fire Dance. Hibiki's stuck using Drain or his noodlepunches (so Drain, of course) and the King does whatever the King feels like.



Leanan might take out 2/3rds of its HP in a single skirmish, but the other 2 didn't contribute enough to help out much sadly. The King missed with half its attack, and Drain doesn't deal phenomenal HP damage.



But if you noticed the turn thing earlier, you'd have seen that we actually get to go again before Megrez can do anything.



Naturally a third Fire Dance ruins its day, and we nab both skills at once. Thank you joint skill cracking.







That's a surprisingly nice amount of EXP all things considered. Not enough to help much on its own, but more than I would've expected.

[Music: Over the Brink of Death]



It did, yeah.
Indeed... I didn't get the sense I got from Dubhe or the others that it was a threat.
Uhhh, I guess not. Thought put another way, we've been through some hairy stuff so far.
Hm...? You mean... we've gotten stronger?
That's right.



That's a good thing, if it's true. Otherwise, I'd be nervous about it being so easy.
Hm...? Hibiki, your phone's ringing.



...Oh, huh. Yamato's using our first name for real, I guess. Apparently, he's warmed up to us a fair bit.

We only beat one of them.
That's fine. The rest are taken care of already.
I'd like to know your opinion on the battle...
It was easy.
Interesting... You noticed it too.



...I'll keep you posted as we learn more. Well done, Hibiki.



The mission's complete.
Complete...? Oh, does that mean the other Megrez have been dealt with too?
Welp... Mission accomplished! Good going, team!
Yes, well done. Let's return to HQ.



You leave the area...

[Music: Exploration]

Alrighty, so since we have some free time right now let's spend it fusing demons. Not all the level 28 demons though; they're not that great all things considered, but they get the job done.



Tlaloc's (Hamsa + Orthrus) probably the best of a bad bunch, honestly. His strength and magic are, uh, okay but nothing stellar. Fire Boost'll be nice when we get it at least and the Phantasm's never a bad thing.



Ghost Q + Mezuki gives us Nalagiri. Emphatically not good, considering he's the second Kishin and Ubelluris was a phenomenal introduction to them. Be worth putting up with just to get Anti-Phys onto some later demons.

There are 2 more level 28 demons, but they're not worth worrying about really. Level 29 has two pretty great demons, so we'll grab them instead of loading up on trash.



We also don't have quite as much freedom of choice as Makoto would have led you to believe. Our options are "go see Io and Daichi or go see Daichi twice." If we did Daichi's event there on Tuesday instead, then we'd be stuck with going to see Io and Daichi.

I'm sure you'd all prefer to see Io's stuff considering how consistently she's smoked Daichi in every vote ever, so not even pretending this time.



...We have a secure route for transportation. Can you do this for me?
Okay. I just have to carry food, right?
Yes. It'll be a big help. There just aren't enough people in JP's to do everything.
Sure... I'll be fine.
What's going on?



I'll email you the details later. Do you have any questions now?
None spring to mind...
What's the matter?



[Music: Connected Hearts]

I feel like they're running out quickly... And all the food in town is...
......

Makoto's expression darkens...

Oh... Sorry!
Never mind... Just a thought... Uh...
...No, it's all right. That's a rational question, really.
What do you think should be done, Nitta?
Huh...?



Uh... M-My opinion? Uhhh... That's...

Io looks at you with a troubled expression...

I'm sorry, I... What would you do, Hibiki?
Give it to them.
You're right... People will calm down if they have food, and there'll be fewer riots...
...The problem there is that JP's has limited resources as well.



Oh, right... Then what should we do?

Io falls silent...

We'll leave that judgement for later. For now, I just ask you to carry the materials.
Oh, right... Sorry.

While Io and Makoto continue their discussion, you walk away...

[Music: Exploration]



This would've been nice to have earlier, but no matter. It'll still come in handy later on.



We also now don't even have the illusion of choice. Full speed ahead, next stop Daichi Station!

[Music: In The Devastated Town]



Boo!
WAAAAAH! Huh!? Why'd you do that!? Geez!
I was just remembering how it was when I was captured... Man, it was scary.
You're all right now.
Yeah, thanks a lot. Seeing you guys made me feel a whole lot better.
But why are we getting dragged into these scary situations?
We've just been going with the flow this whole time, but is it the right thing to do?
We've almost died, more than once! It's like an action movie.
This is real life.
No, I know that. Still...
I mean, we fight and fight, but there's no end in sight.



Don't you think, Hibiki?
What "something"?
Huh? I don't know. Somebody. Anybody. Whatever.
...And we're not even adults! I wish they'd go easy on us...
...Sorry for making you listen to me rant like that.
I'm kind of stressed out, obviously. Nothing wrong with that!
I'm sure everything'll work out in the end! Haha!

Daichi's mood seems to have improved...



I can't believe I'm even asking this, but it does change the scene coming up. We can do what we're meant to do and head to the Health Exam, or we can follow Daichi/Joe to, uh, the Secret Garden.

...Which one?