Part 8: The Great Underpass of Ginza

: Aight guys, it's infiltration time. Play it cool. We gotta Solid Snake this.

Whew, okay. There's the entrance, I can do this.

I am a shadow. I am the essence of stealth. I am-



-screwed.

: This is the Assembly of Nihilo, the place for those who seek silence.
: Silence sounds pretty good to me! Now, do you mind if I just...
: I cannot let anyone see our commander or the Maiden. Leave these grounds immediately!
: Okay! Okay! I'm going. The Maiden expects me, I'll be back later and you'll feel pretty silly for not letting me in, but I'm not going to hold it against you today. You're welcome!



Okay, that could have gone better. Madam Nyx clearly suspected this might happen though, so I have to believe this isn't a complete dead end yet.


: Bad news.
: What? You couldn't get inside the base?
: I don't know how, but they caught us.
: *fart*
: You're a ghost! You don't even have a digestive system! How does that work?
: ...duNnO...
: Ha! I didn't think you'd actually be crazy enough to try and go there.

: Someone's waiting for me in there.

: I see... Then, let me tell you something. Go see Gozu-Tennoh.
: Who?
: Gozu-Tennoh is the leader of the demons in Ikebukuro. He's no friend of the Nihilo, so he might help you out. You can get to Ikebukuro from the Great Underpass of Ginza, just across the bridge from here.
: Huh. Alright then, that sounds like a plan, and it's the only one I got. Thank you, Madam.
: Good luck... You're gonna need it.

If these demons are opposing Nihilo, they're probably not too keen on that whole "silence" idea. Maybe they'll hear me out.

*: We go heal up and save before our journey.


: You sure you want to hang out with pyromaniac fairies? We got an opening right here, if you like.

> Jack Frost is thinking.
*: 300 or so Macca later...
: Hee hmm ho... I still can't decide! Hee hee ho ho!
> Jack Frost is still hesitating.
: Then answer me ho... this last question, hee ho... I've been thinking, hee ho! I think that there'd be no fighting if no one talked, hee ho! Isn't that a great idea, hee ho?
: Nah, that's ridiculous. If I hadn't been talking, I would have gotten in a lot more fights.
: HEE HO!!!
> Jack Frost seems to be offended.
: I'm not listening to you, hee ho!! Make do with this, hee ho!
> You obtained Chakra Drop.
: Bye-bye, hee ho!
> Jack Frost left.

quote:

Fairy Jack Frost
This adorable (?) little guy is Atlus' mascot. Well, technically he's more or less Old Man Winter, but screw accuracy, look at his widdle hat! They use ice spells, are weak to fire, etc. etc.

At least he had the courtesy not to take my money and run.

*: Chakra Drops cost 600, so this was actually pretty nice. Zed levels up a couple fights later.



You might have noticed our stats are a little lopsided. Here's why.

Agility governs accuracy, evasion, and turn order. Due to the Press Turn system, hitting for a small amount of damage 90% of the time is much, much better than hitting for a large amount of damage 50% of the time. Vitality is near-enough indispensable that I also invested in it several times. and Luck helps a little in several domains, so I like dropping points there as well.

The game's damage calculations take into account not only the character's relevant damage stat (Strength or Magic), but also the character's level. So even though I was not investing in either St or Ma, we have still been gradually hitting harder and harder. However, we have reached a point where Zed's current damage output is becoming a liability where it should be a great asset. Dude needs to start doing real damage, and for that, we need to start investing in a damage stat. However until now I had not decided yet if I wanted to turn him into a physical damage powerhouse, a dedicated magic-user, a support caster, or something in between.

Well, that has changed. I've decided to invest in Strength. We're gonna hit things until they stop moving, and if we need elemental damage, we'll adjust our crew accordingly. There are plenty of spectacular physical damage skills down the road, so we certainly won't be missing out on fireworks; SMT1 this ain't. Besides, my first playthrough ended up plenty wizardy, so this'll be an opportunity for me to explore a playstyle for the first time.

Now even a Fist Puncher like we aim to become can make use of some magic. Stat buffs and debuffs never miss and are equally effective regardless of how good their users are at slinging spells, so I'll probably keep some of those around. Getting a basic healing spell slotted in will also prove useful when we can pick one up. And when we meet enemies that nullify or absorb physical damage, we might keep one damage spell around, otherwise that's why elemental attack items exist.

We've had Shiranui still equipped for this level, and it wants to teach us Fire Boost, a passive skill that increases inflicted fire damage by 50%. However, our eight skill slots are already taken. We have to discard an existing skill to learn a new one, and discarded skills are Absolutely Gone Forever. For now, this means I pass on Fire Boost. Our only fire skill at this point is Fire Breath, and the plan is to use it mainly to exploit weaknesses and gain extra turns; if I relied on it for raw damage, we'd be in bad shape as we don't really have the stats for it.

In the end, Fire Boost is the first skill we discard, and certainly not the last. Zed ingests Wadatsumi, which will teach it Ice Boost next, and which we will discard also.

I plan to leave soon, but the fact that we only have one open ally slot worries me somewhat, and I decide to perform several fusions, one of which Zed needs to level up once to perform, and the other which I will perform once a couple allies have gained a level. It's less than a thousand experience points each, so I grind it out here in Ginza for a bit. Will o' Wisp still has Riberama, it shouldn't take too long.



: ...!


> Angel is extremely agitated.
: ............

*: Demons lose their shit on Full K, so it's extra hard to predict what it is they want to hear. We're fortunate she would even hear us out at all.
: I... I suppose once or twice I've been accused of being the center of my own universe. Looking back, maybe it's been the case.





> Angel is ecstatic.
: Very well! I am Angel the Divine. Let us go together!
> Angel joined your party without your consent.
: "Without your consent". Right.

quote:

Lv11 Divine Angel
...
: What's the hold up?
Just waiting for your inevitable salacious quip.
: I got nothin'. I mean, what can I add to this? I actually can't wait to see how you explain that one.
The regular Angels are still the bottom rung of the angelic hierarchy. They're the least free-willed among the least free-willed beings in all of creation. They live to serve the other angels above as well as the mortals below, and even then, only under God's all-encompassing direction. I'm not going to pretend this specific depiction isn't intended to be edgy and controversial and just plain show a lotta skin... but the symbolism checks out. They're blind slaves, existing only to obey.
: Huh. Alright, I'll buy that. It's kinda creepy but it makes some sense.
Whew, thanks. I'm surprised at how much this means, coming from you. Anyway, they're basically support casters, if you count Hama's expel-type instant death effect as a support spell. Detain is an interesting conversation skill in that it activates randomly if a demon you're already conversing with is attempting to leave, sometimes allowing you to continue the negotiation a bit further.
: Also, underboob.
God dammit.

The Divine race used to be the Tenshi, and are still the various members of the rigid Judeo-Christian angelic hierarchy.

*: Did I say something about having a free slot? Now I really need to grind this out.

Further encounters with Angels are heart-pounding. I want Mou-Ryo to get experience so he can learn Deathtouch and pass it down to his descendants, but he's weak to expel. Additionally, if the spell hits Zed, it's Game Over.

Night Lilim + Haunt Choronzon =

quote:

Lv14 Yoma Isora
Isora is the name of a Japanese god of the seashore, which, considering Japan's geography, makes him a relatively big deal. He's a fairly well-rounded demon with respectable offensive power and, with a few levels, a variety of useful spells, including Media. Kidnap is a recruitment conversation skill, which works a lot better on demons with a childish personality.

*: I couldn't do a Sacrifice Fusion because it would have pushed Isora's level above Zed's, and that's a no-go. Alright then, just a bit more exp!

Oh crap, High Pixie gets Hama'd. That's 400 Macca down the crapper in the blink of an eye.

quote:

Lv17 Haunt Yaka
Yaka are Sri Lankan spirits of disease, likely a demonization of the Hindu Yakshas and Yakshinis. Shamans carve masks in their likeness to make it easier to communicate with them.

: Hey, buddy, come here. You too.
: THE TIME HAS COME.
: sKUB???
: This isn't my first time anymore, but it still feels kinda weird.
: YOUR POWER WILL INCREASE. MY POWER WILL INCREASE. THIS IS AS IT SHOULD BE.
: Yeah, you got a point. I guess I just don't like thinking about it this way.
: IT HAS BEEN GOOD TO KNOW YOU. IT WILL BE GOOD TO KNOW YOU AGAIN.
: I hope that's how it works. And, uh. Before I forget... Hell, I never really was any good at this stuff, but...



: UNNECESSARY.
: I know, I know, but, it's not much, so, just take it, alright?
: THANK YOU.
: No, thank you. You had my back, and we conquered Shit Town together. That counts for a lot. See you on the next page, aight?
: whAT i GEt??
: Err... Thumbs up, pal! Keep up the good work!
: aPpROvaL!! yAAaAaaaYyY!!



















Huh, a badass horse. I think he would have liked that.

*: Brute Shikigami + Foul Mou-Ryo =

quote:

Lv15 Wilder Bicorn
Possibly originating from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, the Bicorn is the evil two-horned counterpart to the Unicorn. Story has it that the Bicorn grows fat by feeding on honest and faithful husbands, and that a similar creature called the Chichevache eats honest and faithful wives and is accordingly malnourished and skeletal.

...what?

Dang, Chaucer, issues much?

The Mana Aid this one inherited from Mou-Ryo restores a percentage of its MP after every battle, and it's easily among the most desirable skills in the game to have for long dungeons.

*: Foul Will o' Wisp + Yoma Apsaras =


: NOW CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHY I WANT TO EAT A WIZARD?

quote:

Lv 14 Snake Nozuchi
The Nozuchi is a Japanese earth spirit, dwelling in places where the shadows of trees and plants touches the ground. It's neither particularly benevolent nor dangerous if left alone, but it can grow to become violently and fiercely defensive if it thinks humans are a threat to its home. Here it's a slow-but-powerful warrior type, though I've given it a few basic spells to make use of its relatively high MP. Toxic Cloud does curse/poison element damage to the entire enemy group, and Counter grants a 50% chance to strike back when hit by a physical move.

We knew the Snake race as Ryu-ou, being various snake-like spirits, deities or other mythological beings.

*: No one under level 11, and three free slots. We're good to go!



That's the bridge Nyx mentioned, we're on the right path.



Huh, two ways to go from here. Let's try north-east.


: Demons with the Lucky Find skill can supposedly find stuff by just walking around outside. So, i was trying to do that. I mean, I could use the treasure! But, I guess it's not working.





*: A dead-end with treasure. Eh, could be worse. We use up a bunch of MP on the way back, and a Zhen insists on joining up in exchange for its life, so I return to Ginza to get topped off and see if I have any more fusion options worth considering. Spoiler alert: not for now.


: Ha! There's a bunch of dangerous demons on this end of the highway too. Step aside.











Hey, there's the Assembly of Nihilo. I think that's a back door up there. We won't have to bother with this Gozu-Tennoh after all!


: The security here is super-tight.
: We'll see about that.




> The door is tightly shut.
: ...oh. Well, let's look around some more, this place must be important for a reason.



Hmm, at least Tokyo Tower remains, for what it's worth.



Ooooh, so that must be what the security is all about. This cube must be real important!



Whuh-oh.



: Level 37? Nice knowing you, kid.









: ...right.
: Holy crap, high five!
: ...
: Yikes, okay, blindfold, sorry. Still, nice work.

*: The Succubus drops a Ruby, which I presume would be the content of the Cube.

quote:

Lv37 Night Succubus
Y'all know what a succubus is. Their Eternal Rest skill instantly kills all sleeping opponents; try not to lose your bricks when three of 'em pop in and the first opens up with Dormina.

And further north...





> The entrance is closed tight.

Ah. Oh well. Gozu-Tennoh, the name was, eh? Let's head back to the underpass.





: Oh crap. This area is well-guarded.
: Try to Hama this one, will you?
: Yeah, no, we're running.

quote:

Lv28 Divine Principality
Where the rank-and-file Angels watch over individual mortals, the Principalities watch over groups of people; they also inspire art and science. Diarama is the upgraded single-target healing spell, and Hamaon is Hama, but with a better hit rate.

*: Fortunately we manage to escape on the first attempt.





: Now these guys we can take. Hold nothing back!

*: Exploiting their weakness to electricity serves us well, but they get a couple solid hits in. It's definitely time to leave.

quote:

Lv23 Beast Badb Catha
Badb Catha is one of a trio of ancient Irish war goddesses, along with Macha and Morrigan. Taking the form of a crow, she bears witness to battles and announces doom for one side, and sometimes even causes disorder and disturbances to grant victory to whoever is fortunate enough to be in her favor at the time; if a sudden gust of wind blows your archer's projectiles off target, you know who to blame.

quote:

Lv18 Night Fomor
The Fomorians are demonic, goat-headed, minotaur-like giants from Irish folklore, said to have settled Ireland long before anyone else showed up. Legend has it they were savage and brutal, and it took several attempts by various mythical groups, culminating in a great war effort by the more civilized Tuatha Dé Danann, to put an end to their control of the island.

*: These guys are more our speed, but we still gotta go back to Ginza to heal up once again before we return to the area just before the highway.

: *sigh* Okay, thanks.







The Service Entrance to the Harumi Warehouse, eh? If this doesn't connect to the Underpass, we're out of luck.

*: There are a couple Cubes here, with a Muscle Drink (restores HP, inflicts a mysterious "side effect") and a Makajam Rock (inflicts Mute on one target). It looks like there's nothing else, but...





Here goes nothing.





*: That's a Small Terminal, like the one we've seen just before the Forneus battle. We can use it to return to a Large Terminal, but the trip is one-way only.





A ladder down, this must be it.










: Boy am I glad to hear that.
: ...It's a loooooong tunnel full of poisonous demons!
: Markedly less glad to hear that.

*: High Pixie and Zhen both know Posumudi, the antidote spell, but the former is also our main healer and her MP isn't spectacular. We do have Dis-Poison items, and Chakra Drops in an emergency, so we're not turning back. Or, well, we're not turning back right away.

Oooh, Zhen and Bicorn both naturally resist ailments, they'll probably be worth taking along. I switch them in to replace Angel and High Pixie.





*: We can hear water rushing behind that door. An actual sound effect, too!


: Eh?



That strange guy sure made himself scarce quickly. He... looked human? Human and scared. I gotta track him down, but gently, I suppose.



This isn't very inviting, but it might not be a bad place to hide from demons.




: Hey! I'm not gonna eat you!
: THAT'S ALSO WHAT YOU WOULD SAY IF YOU WERE GOING TO EAT HIM.
: ...crap.

*: The dude was on the other side of the water, but we might as well check out the doors down here anyway.



So, dead end on this one. We run into Slimes and large groups of Kodama around here, so it's nothing we can't handle.





*: Little mofo didn't want to come with us, but he healed Zed before he left. The next one we run into does join up, though.

quote:

Lv13 Jirae Sudama
Sudama are nature spirits that have a lot in common with Kodama, but they dwell in rocks and mountain trees instead of just any old tree. They're thought to be peaceful and occasionally quite benevolent, if somewhat limited in actual power. Legend has it that if you're walking around in the mountains and suddenly feel like you're being watched, it means a Sudama is keeping an eye on you.

Gah, we reach the door where the person was, but then I notice a Cube accessible from where we were earlier in the room. I hope it's worth backtracking for.



Ehh... Might see some use. I could have seen the Cube a bit earlier had I looked carefully behind myself. Gotta keep your eyes open!

quote:

Lv16 Foul Blob
It's a blob o' goop. Whatchuwant from me, people?

Dude's probably miles away now.



Wait, never mind that.

: Hey!


Man on the left: A demon...? Is he a Mantra demon?
Man on the right: ...Huh!? Mantra!? Ummmmmm...... Anyway, let's report this to everyone!

*: The far end of the tunnel leads to a couple dead ends and a Cube containing two Mahama Rocks (group-targeting Hama), which will probably pull our asses out of the fire somewhere down the line. We return to the intersection and follow the gray-robed survivors.

Music: Manekata


: I COME IN PEACE, SETTLE YOUR BUTTS DOWN.

: I'M NOT A... OKAY IT'S PRETTY OBVIOUS THAT I AM A DEMON, BUT...


: I don't even know what that means, just let me get a word in!
: ......It's over...... ...It's all over...

*: Every single person here does a strange full-body twitch every few seconds. It's rather unsettling.


: ............ ............? ......Huh? ............
: I haven't eaten you yet, don't you think that's a good sign?
: Hey, he's not a Mantra! Never seen a demon of the likes of him in their army!
: At least one of you appears to have a brain.
: ...I was worried for nothing. Now, I can get back to my rocking chair.

: What's going on in here exactly?


There is definitely something wrong with these people. It's not just the twitching; they all seem to look at a spot a few centimeters above your head when they're talking to you.

: I've certainly not seen the likes of you since... since I got here.
: We're Manikins. You can probably tell a lot about us just by seeing where we live.
: Ouch.
: ...Now, go home! Everyone else, do the same.

:: I guess he's not a Mantra demon...




Huh. Everything went better than I expected. For once.



What a craphole. Still, maybe one of them can tell me the quickest way to Ikebukuro. They don't look like they're the ambush type, so I'll take some time and look around.



*: Convenient!



Extra convenient!




: Yeah, there's definitely something off about you. No offense.
: We were made to look like them, for some reason or another. It can't be helped.


: I'll be on my way soon enough, I'm just curious.
: Is it bothering you that much?
: I just didn't know what to think when I first saw you. I thought everyone was dead. And now, well... I guess I'm back to thinking that.
: ...We're Manikins. Our destiny is to be slaves to the demons. ...But, we can also feel pain, you know. That's why we live in hiding in this underpass. ...Get it? So, please leave us be.
: Don't worry, I have no reason to tell anyone about you. And I'll be gone before long.



*: The encounter indicator in the bottom right remains blue when we stand on the dry platforms, telling us that we will not run into random encounters. It immediately turns yellow if we get in the water though, and if we keep running around in there, it will turn orange then red to signify the countdown to the next battle. Appropriately enough, the only creatures we can meet here are Isora.









: I sure haven't been called that in a long time.
: I thought you were one of those scary monsters... A handsome demon like you deserves a major discount! I hope we'll have a long-lasting relationship! *wink*
: You know, I much prefer this to being viewed with fear and suspicion. You're a rad fella.


: I think this was called... a Magatama?
: Yup.
: It's too yucky! I hate how it looks like a bug. Hurry up and buy it!
: Don't mind if I do!

*: The Manikin shopkeeper carries some basic healing items, and is notable for only offering Dis-Poison and Sacred Water as far as ailment cures go.



Float Balls protect from floor traps temporarily, and Divining Water tells us if a demon is capable of transforming, and if it's close to doing so. Of greater interest at this time are the three Magatama: Ankh, Hifumi, and Kamudo.

Ankh is the healing Magatama that Pixie could have given us at Yoyogi Park. It has basic healing spells and would be fairly useful even for us. However, I skip it for now. I pick up Kamudo right away instead, and I'll get in a few fights in the water for the 164 Macca we'll need to purchase Hifumi as well. There's no Fountain down here, but we can use the Terminal to reach Ginza's easily enough.

: Thank you for buying sooo much! Here, have this Lucky Ticket. Get ten of them, and I'll give you a special present!
: Ha, I see what you're doing there. Alright, I'll take it. Thanks!
: Come back again!



*: Aaaand that'll do it. I return to purchase Hifumi, leaving us with 31 Macca. It earns us a second Lucky Ticket. You have to spend a minimum amount in one go to receive one, but the several thousand a Magatama cost us more than qualify. In fact, if I had enough money to buy both at once, I would have left the store between purchasing each just to accumulate extra tickets.



Hifumi is another elemental-aligned spellcaster Magatama. Nullifying force damage is what will make it the most useful for us in time, but its first skill, Tornado, is a multi-hitting spell that causes heavy force damage to random targets and would actually be pretty good to use even with our low Magic stat. In fact, it's easily one of the strongest force-elemental attack in the entire game and can legitimately stay with you until the end. I think it costs like 25 MP, though, which is a lot for us.



Kamudo is our first specialized warrior-type Magatama. As you might imagine, resisting physical damage is a big deal, but a weakness to ailments is a tough proposition. Still, it gives us more Strength than any other until now, and a good amount of the other stats we value most. And it'll teach us Heat Wave very soon, which is the first Big Boy physical attack skill we can get our mitts on. So for now I'm gonna chance putting it on.

I'll definitely want to pick up Ankh once we get another 2000 Macca together, but that's all we're purchasing at the moment, and we go back to exploring the Manikin hideout.


: ...Um, the Mantra are a group of demons based in Ikebukuro. Dunno if you knew...
: I knew of the group, but I didn't know that's what they were called. Thanks.


: I'm cool, don't worry.
:: ............ Oops... Wrong demon.

*: The same room that guy was in has a cube with a Poison Arrow inside, which does light curse/poison damage to an entire group.


: Sure is a bitch to get anywhere though.

*: In fact I decide to go heal up before we get any further in, and we have to get in a couple fights just to earn enough money to restore everyone.



There's no music in here, just the rushing water, a weird echo-y brushing sound, and this occasional undescribable resonating drone reminiscent of a gong hit without the initial crash. It's creepy as hell. This place really doesn't feel like somewhere anyone would deserve to live in.



Especially not children.


: I know of him. So, not really, no.
: You blow. Gozu-Tennoh is the leader of the Mantra!
: That much I had pieced together.



Okay, that's unusual.

Music: Playing the fool




: Heyo.
: ...Hey. Are you that demon everyone is talking about?
: In the flesh.
: I'm a collector of many things, especially things that have to do with humans.
: I'm not selling you my clothes, if you were gonna ask.
: So, I leave the underpass every so often, convincing the gatekeeper to let me through.
: Gatekeeper, eh?
: Well, if you need some advice, I'll help you. ...Maybe you could help me collect 'stuff'...
: Aight, if I come across anything interesting, I'll let you know.


: They have different ideas of how Tokyo should be run, you see.


: Yeah, actually.
: You did?
: He's just downstairs, with the big barber pole. He's hard to miss.
: He's weird...

*: An the far end of this section of the tunnel, underneath a ladder and across the water...



I decide to get into some more fights. I could run out Kagutsuchi where it's safe, but we need the money pretty bad. Still, I can tell we'll make another healing run to Ginza before we get in the deeper parts of the underpass.

In the meantime, Zhen learns War Cry, a 40 MP sumbitch that applies two stacks of physical/magic attack power debuff. It's pretty much another of those skills that can prove useful for the entire game, so I'll be looking to pass it down if I can. Zed also levels up and learns Heat Wave, which hits all enemies once for physical damage that increases as you gain more HP. We're gonna be using it for a while, so I drop Fire Breath in its favor. Its utility partially overlaps with Berserk's, but I'm pretty sure Berserk's ability to hit the same enemy more than once can make it more useful in certain circumstances.

Kamudo's next skill doesn't pop up for a while yet, so I ingest Hifumi for now.

Aaaand the chest contains a Bead Chain. Not bad. Alright, back to Ginza. There's something else I want to get now that Zed's level 18.

On the way back, a fight with multiple parties of Isora leaves us well near death.



Notably, our tattoo's outlines glow red when we're about to die.

Oh, and while I think of it... Heat Wave is a weapon-based skill; it can be learned by demons, but only if they are carrying a weapon of some sort. But we're not carrying a weapon at all! "How does it work?", some of you say. "It can't. It doesn't", others answer.

What is the truth of it?





: ...wow.
: I. AM. AWESOME!
: I think I have a new best friend.
: Hey!
: You're half-worm. This guy makes his own damn lightsaber.
: Yeah, you're right. I can't be mad at you. I did tell you being a demon was pretty sweet though.
: Really? Have you already forgotten how you died?
: I reject your reality and substitute my own. It was super cool and smart and it was totally worth it and it wasn't even a little bit infinitely painful.

*: So yeah, we will our own weapons into existence. That is the truth of it.

Aight, enough of that. Straight to the Cathedral of Shadows.

: Hey, girls, a word please?
: I beg to serve.
: Ha, I knew you'd ask for this sooner or later.
: No no, no no no, I was gonna talk to you about fusion!
: Right, exactly, that's what I meant. What did you think I meant?
: Fusion!
: Reallllly?
: I dated a goth girl for like a week, but getting double-teamed in a cathedral is where I draw the line.
: Are we still talking about fusion?
: Aaaabsolutely! You okay with it?
: Yeah. But you're putting me on the machine whether I like it or not, aren't you?
: ...
: The master commands, the servants obey. It is the proper order of things.
: That's not as comforting as you think.
: You are still such a softie.
: You think so?
: I hope it doesn't get you killed someday.
: I'll... I'll get used to this sooner or later. I have to.
: I'm staying with you either way, right?
: Yeah, you are.
: It's not goodbye, then.
: See you soon. Have a pleasant trip.
: Later!
: Farewell.









: I'm well counting on it!

quote:

Lv18 Megami Uzume
Ame-no-Uzume is the Shinto goddess of dawn and partying. The sun goddess Amaterasu Omikami once hid into a cave to escape her brother Susano's violent rampage, therefore plunging the world into darkness. Ame-no-Uzume, taking matters in her own hands, started dancing and stripping in front of the cave. The rest of the gods enjoyed this so much and caused such a commotion of revelry and laughter that Amaterasu couldn't help but peek out to see what the fuss was about. A bunch of other gods sealed the cave behind her and convinced her to stay. Here she gets a variety of useful white-mage type skills, as well as Stone Gaze eventually because why not.

Megami haven't changed, still being relatively benevolent goddesses, among the most powerful light-aligned races.

*: We make our way back to the Manikin hideout, to the only door at the western end.




: This path leads to Ikebukuro, the base of the Mantra. It would be real bad if the Mantra came, so I can't open the gate.

*: The dude straight up won't let us pass. Hmm. The collector Manikin mentioned sneaking past the gatekeeper, so this must be who he meant. Let's ask him about it.


: Yeah, I need your help to get past that western gate.
: ............ ...The gatekeeper is preventing you from passing by to get to Ikebukuro, huh? Would you like me to persuade him to let you through?
: That's what I was hoping for, yeah.

: But, only on one condition... You have to find me something I'm looking for. I want a Bill. It's a small portrait painted by humans in a greenish color. It's small, yet detailed, and it uses watermarking technology that changes patterns... It had value at one time, I think. I heard that some humans valued it more than their lives!
: You want... you want yen? Wow.
: I'd like to find one, but I have no clue as to where I'd find it.
: Man, if only I didn't put my wallet in my jacket pocket.
: I heard that there were plenty where people crowded together. ...A city, perhaps?
: No one seems to use yen anymore though. Haven't seen a single bill since I got here, in fact.
: Maybe you'll be able to do it. You're a demon, after all. Anyways, I entrust you with finding that Bill.
: Aight. Glorious. I'll be back in no time.

Or so I hope.

Man, even after the demon apocalypse, it still all comes down to looking for some dosh.