>>4585243
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RB2kuHHt7gA

You and Shouko catch your breath for a bit after that fight. You are a bit disappointed that your plan for these demons didn't pan out, but at least you didn't come out of the situation any worse. You'll just have to reassess and try something else.

Shouko seems to notice your thoughts by your expression, which slightly surprises you given your current demon form looks much different than you usually do.

"It's not a total loss." she insists, holding up her phone. "I have a demon now, so our fighting power has gone up. We're in a better spot than we were before. Plus there are still... these."

Shouko glances down to the two corpses of the demons you just killed.

"Like, the other people that were stuck here need food, right? These could be like bargaining chips to get them to work with us. Or I guess... you could eat them yourself... If you wanted..."

Shouko had seen you devour the corpses of a couple of demons now, but she still seemed offput by the whole idea. Which was plenty understandable. When you think about it for even a second, the fact that you're in a world where demon corpses are a valuable resource is insane. But they are, and it's not a good idea to let them go to waste.

>A. Let's take them to make deals with the other people in here
>B. We could use them as bait to lure in more demons
>C. I'll just eat them myself
>D. Other

You could also eat just one of the corpses, though that obviously limits what you can do with the last one slightly

>>4585253
>>D. Other
Eat one and use the other as bait.

>>4585253
>B. We could use them as bait to lure in more demons

Evening Laze

>>4585260
I'll back this one

>>4585260
You decide to spread out the benefits here. By eating one yourself, you get some Atma points and of course satisfy your own hunger. As for the other one, it could make fine bait for yet more demons. You do need to get some alive for your plan to work, after all. First thing's first, you go ahead and chow down on the first one. You also check how much you earned for beating these two demons.

>Got 4 Atma Points
>Got 800 Macca

Shouko looks away for the duration of this, then turns back to see one of the corpses left.

"We can use this one as bait to attract some more demons." you explain. "We can still get some alive and get tokens from them."

"Alright, it's safer than wagering our own tokens. On our part, that is." Shouko replies. "But don't forget that Chousuke and his sister are out there waiting for us. We don't know what might happen to them if we take too long in here. Them being forced to go back to his dad might be the best case scenario if we're stuck in here through tomorrow. We need to try and get out by morning I think, to expect them to be safe waiting for us."

She had a point. If it was just you two and your brother to worry about, all in this domain, then time would be less of an issue. But if you want to hold onto everything you've grasped in here, then you need to get progressing quickly.

You consider where would be the best spot to set up the corpse as bait. The hallway you came from was empty, but you haven't checked the one on the opposite side. They may be some demons lurking there.

There was also the pit, which seemed to be the source of the demons appearing in this domain. The slimy green demons stuck at the bottom were probably lost causes, but laying a corpse out at the edge of the pit would be sure to net you any new arrivals immediately.

Basically the choice came down to if you expected there to be demons in the West hallway that you could make use of. Either there are and you can get right to it, or you waste time doubling back instead of just setting up your bait at the pit right now.

You obviously weren't going to make Shouko carry a demon corpse, so you pick the thing up and take it where you settled on going.

>A. Try your luck setting it in the West hallway
>B. The pit could provide a more consistent haul

>>4585351
>B. The pit could provide a more consistent haul

>>4585351
>>B. The pit could provide a more consistent haul

>>4585351
>B. The pit could provide a more consistent haul

File: Mokoi.png (120 KB, 350x470)

120 KB PNG

>>4585358
>>4585362
You carry it right nearby and set it at the very edge of the pit. You don't know the exact means by which demons cross over to this world here, but Omoikane surely has some way to attract them, or its whole setup wouldn't make sense. And as long as demons were coming in, you know they'd jump to get a chance at this corpse. It's still just the slimes down there for now that can't get up, but whether it's by sight or smell, anything new that shows up should notice this corpse first thing.

You and Shouko back off just enough to not scare off any takers, sitting against a wall around a nearby corner and glancing over while resting. You return to your human form and de-summon your demons to keep your stamina up. You don't know how long this will take, but you're hoping it can't be more than a few minutes. Either way, you'll have plenty of time to transform or summon any demons you want before you jump your unsuspecting target.

The wait turns out to be excruciating, as a half hour passes by with no luck. However, you do eventually see two tiny green figures jump out from the pit and make their way to the demon's corpse. They're wary at first, but their temptation gets the best of them and they let their guards down as they set to eating. As small as they are, the two of them are human shaped, as well as holding boomerangs, so they are probably intelligent enough to get tokens from. They have no idea you're here, so you can prepare to attack them however you please with no worry of a counterattack, at least for this first set of attacks.

>A. Transform
>B. Fight with Persona

>Pick which demons to summon (Up to 3)

>Give orders to demons, and choose action for self

As I said, this is a surprise attack, so basically a free turn for you guys

>>4585512
>B. Fight with Persona Jorogumo

Angel: Hama, Toubyou: Zan, Moh Shuvuu: Zan. Just attack

>>4585512
I'll second this >>4585820

>>4585820
>>4585512
Thirded

Rolled 10, 7, 19, 12, 9, 4, 3 = 64 (7d20)

Alright, can I get a STR roll? Depending on how well all of these go, you might be able to straight up restrain one of them immediately with your action

Rolls are Angel, Toubyou, Moh Shuvuu, and Mokoi MAG, and Mokoi END

Rolled 13, 16, 6, 18 = 53 (4d20)

>>4586126
Forgot your allies, woops. Shouko and Gagyson STR, Mokoi END

Rolled 10 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>4586126

Rolled 2 + 2 (1d10 + 2)

>>4586126

>>4586149
You decide against transforming this time, instead calling upon your Persona Jorogumo. The boost in strength you get from it should be enough to restrain a demon this small.

You dash out from behind the corner after giving orders to all your demons, and SHouko is right behind you accompanied by her new demon ally. Said ally shows no external signs of misgivings about taking part in a plan that was originally meant to exploit it.

The first attacks to reach the enemies are Angel's Hama and Toubyou's Zan. And while the demons are surprised by the sudden offensive, they do just barely manage to avoid taking huge damage by the skin of their nonexistent teeth. One stumbles back just outside of the circle of talismans that would have obliterated it, only to then take a head-on blast of wind from Moh Shuvuu. The other one gets its arms up in time to block most of the wind from Toubyou, only to then get set upon by Shouko and Gagyson. You dive in on the one that Moh Shuvuu weakened, and without too much trouble, manage to get a hold on it. you pin its arms to its sides and hold it up in front of you, as it flails desperately trying to get free.

"Nooooo!" it squeals. "Let go of me!"

The other one makes similar demands from its place in Gagyson's claws as it's carried, but all you can think of is how satisfied you are with how this went down. These things also seemed to be weak to Force spells, so that may have played a part. Either way, you can now finally try out your idea. You and your entourage leave the partially eaten demon corpse for the lucky second group to stumble upon it and head back down the hallway you came from with your victims. You can't afford to waste time, since they may get enough strength back to break free if you take too long.

You eventually come to the main room of the arcade again and head for the registration mat. You and Gagyson throw the little demons down onto the mat and watch the screen come to life.

"Welcome to my domain!" Omoikane starts its spiel again, the same as when you and Shouko stepped forward. You don't pay too much attention though, as you're just waiting for the moment the token materialize.

The little demons get back to their feet and seem to be ready to make a break for it just as the tokens materialize in their hands and distract them for a moment. You don't give them any longer than that, and snatch the tokens away immediately.

As soon as the tokens are in your hands and not the demons', they fall right over to the ground. Rather than stumble around like the mindless person you saw earlier, they just seem to be dead. At least it saves you the trouble of actually killing them.

Omoikane seems annoyed that its explanation was interrupted as the screen goes dark again.

So that's it. Your plan worked.

>A. Eat the corpses
>B. Leave them, they may prove useful. Just get one of these tokens to your brother
>C. Other

>>4586554
>B. Leave them, they may prove useful. Just get one of these tokens to your brother

>>4586554
>B. Leave them, they may prove useful. Just get one of these tokens to your brother

>>4586554
>>B. Leave them, they may prove useful. Just get one of these tokens to your brother

>>4586554
>B. Leave them, they may prove useful. Just get one of these tokens to your brother
Is this the peak strategy? Bait demons, gank them, render them helpless, throw them onto the mat, spawn coin, steal coin, use dead demon for more bait and food, repeat? We could get every human out of here at this rate, but who's to say some demons won't catch wise and attempt the same shit later on... or set up traps to gank humans right at the entrance to the arcade? More reason to spread the word and put up fucktons of warning signs for others

>>4586564
>>4586587
>>4586661
>>4586730
You decide to leave the corpses. There's a chance you could repeat this strategy for even more tokens in the future. But for now, you focus on your number one priority.

You pocket one of the tokens, since you're not decided yet on what to use it for, but the other one is going straight to your brother. You and Shouko head over to where you saw his squad before and find them in the same situation you left them. It's only been about an hour since then, but the two that are still up are looking worn out. They've probably been on high alert with their hands on their rifles the whole time, in case any demons showed up. Along with the general stress of the situation and no food or sleep in sight, it's understandable. You call out to them as you approach.

"I got a token!" you tell them, holding it out. "I'm gonna give it to my brother, so get ready to untie him."

They're surprised to see you back, so they must have doubted your chance to succeed. But they still undo the ropes around your brother while leaving the other mindless soldier tied up. You place the spare token in your brother's hand and watch as the dumbstruck look drops from his face and his reason returns.

"Huh? I'm back?" Tadashi mumbles to himself as he shakes his head and blinks a lot to come to his senses. He looks up to see you standing there, and immediately stands up to hug you.

"Hideo! What are you thinking coming into a place like this?" he chastises you mid-hug. "If you didn't just save me, I'd be kinda pissed, you know. It's too dangerous in here."

"But thanks." your brother says, breaking the hug. "No we just have to actually get out of here."

>A. Talk with Tadashi and his men about your plan to escape
>B. Pull your brother away to talk in private about everything that's happened first
>C. Other

>>4587390
>B. Pull your brother away to talk in private about everything that's happened first

>>4587390
>>B. Pull your brother away to talk in private about everything that's happened first

>>4587390
>Pull your brother away to talk in private about everything that's happened first

>>4587474
>>4587512
>>4587781
You motion to your brother's squadmates that you're going to be stepping away, then head around the corner. Your brother immediately follows, and after a second of consideration Shouko does as well, willing to butt in on the family reunion given the circumstances.

"Alright, we know what this is." your brother states plainly once the three of you are suitably far away. "You have to tell me how much you know. I know you know a fair amount, since you're here. You wouldn't be alive otherwise. You got your hands on it, didn't you? The Demon Summoning Program. Did you bust up the apartment using it? I went there to check it out and saw blood. Was it yours?"

"Some of it." you reply. "The rest was my friend Wataru's. But the damage wasn't us. We got attacked by a demon. Wataru happened to have the Demon Summoning Program and used it to summon a demon that healed us. We'd probably be dead otherwise."

"So this Wataru is the one who got the program, huh..." Tadashi mutters. The two have never met, so obviously he'd be curious, but you wonder if maybe you shouldn't give away everything about your friends without running it by them.

"Was that your first encounter with demons?" your brother asks. You nod in response. Shouko had run into them before that, but you were answering for yourself, not her. She could probably explain for herself. "Alright, well enough of the specific questions. Just give me the whole rundown."

>A. Tell him every single bit of information you know, leave nothing out
>B. Focus on your main goal here, Tell him about what happened to you and Chousuke and how you need his help to get the siblings out
>C. Let Shouko tell him as much of the Student Council related info as she sees fit
>D. Other

You can choose any particular thing to not tell Tadashi right now, and perhaps do so after consulting with someone else, or with the person in question present, such as what happened to Akari for instance. It's up to you guys

>>4587867
>A. Tell him every single bit of information you know, leave nothing out, except for what happend to Akari (for now) or that Chousuke's sister killed their mother.
>C. Let Shouko tell him as much of the Student Council related info as she sees fit

>>4587867
>B. Focus on your main goal here, Tell him about what happened to you and Chousuke and how you need his help to get the siblings out

>>4587905
Read this again:
>but you wonder if maybe you shouldn't give away everything about your friends without running it by them
A warning
>"Was that your first encounter with demons?" your brother asks. You nod in response. Shouko had run into them before that, but you were answering for yourself, not her.
Outright lie. Are we going to play it safe or all in? We should discuss this first. Tadashi is JSDF, and he might be ordered to turn on us later against his own wishes. What then?

>>4587867
>>B. Focus on your main goal here, Tell him about what happened to you and Chousuke and how you need his help to get the siblings out

>>4587905
>>4587975
>You can choose any particular thing to not tell Tadashi right now, and perhaps do so after consulting with someone else, or with the person in question present, such as what happened to Akari for instance. It's up to you guys
We should talk this over and do a write-in for this. He knows Wataru has the DSP, that makes him a target. Let's stop and think this through

>>4587867
>B. Focus on your main goal here, Tell him about what happened to you and Chousuke and how you need his help to get the siblings out

I suppose we can have a proper heart to heart once we are safe and out of the Quarantine zone.

>>4587975
>>4587978
>>4588485
You figure that you don't have to tell him everything right now. It's not just you that's involved in all of this, and it may be more prudent to leave matters that aren't urgent for later anyway. What is urgent is the information concerning why you need your brother's help. Chousuke and his sister followed you because you were confident that you could get them out, and that largely depends on getting Tadashi on board.

"Well Tadashi, this is the biggest thing." you start, pulling the bandages off your hand and exposing the mark on it. "I was here when the virus bomb went off. I had come to this very arcade to hang out with Chousuke. We went our separate ways afterwards, but that's when I saw some suspicious guys setting it up in their truck. I ran back to meet up with Chousuke at an underpass nearby, and that's when it went off. When we got turned into demons."

"Y-you got infected with the Atma Virus?" Tadashi's eyes go wide at the sight of the Brand. He takes a deep breath and grits his teeth, calming himself down before he says anything. "Are you okay? The virus... It compels you to eat human flesh, right? You aren't going to go mad and attack anybody, are you?"

"I'm fine." you reply. "I can control my hunger. Besides, most of the people infected are getting by eating demons instead. It's not like the ward has just turned into a cannibal zone with everyone eating each other."

It's true. Nearly everyone you saw was trying to do anything not to eat other people. That at least deserved some recognition.

"And you seem fine..." Tadashi looks over you again. "You're my little brother, so I can trust you. Virus or not. So you said you were with Chousuke? Your friend from all those years ago that you wanted me to look for, right? Weren't there three of you? With that other girl?"

"That was me." Shouko chimes in from a few steps away. "I'm Shouko. It's been a long time, Tadashi."

"I didn't even recognize you, I'm so sorry!" your brother throws his hands up and bows his head a bit in apology. "You're so much bigger than back then, you understand. Are you... infected too?"

"Oh no, I'm not. I wasn't here." Shouko insists.

"We've been coming into Ojiri ward looking for Chousuke and his sister since the day after the bomb went off." you explain. "And this may be a bad time, with us stuck in here and all, but I need your help to get them out of Ojiri ward. It's too dangerous here for them."

You can see your brother's features harden. While he would no doubt bend the rules for you, two more on top of that would be a tough sell.

"Hideo, you know I can't do that. If they got out and hurt somebody, it'd be my ass." he tells you. "And more than that, how could I live with myself? I mean, if it was you that did it, I'd already be crushed, so no reason not to double up there and let you go. But I'm not supposed to be taking these kinds of chances."

You expected that it might take some convincing to pull this off.

>>4588613
>A. Let the topic go for now and breach it again once you've escaped Omoikane's domain
>B. Insist that two more people getting out is inconsequential since so many people including you had time to get out before the lockdown in the first place
>C. Reveal the existence of Persona and your plan to use it to curb Chousuke and Erina's hunger
>D. Make a heartfelt request that Tadashi believe in you, as his brother (Requires CHA roll)
>E. Other

>>4588614
>>C. Reveal the existence of Persona and your plan to use it to curb Chousuke and Erina's hunger
>"I don't know how many I can save with this method, but I at least want to save those two."

>>4588614
>>C. Reveal the existence of Persona and your plan to use it to curb Chousuke and Erina's hunger

>>4588615
>>4588893
Just words won't be enough here. You need something substantial. You do have a plan that you're sure will keep Chousuke and Erina from eating anyone, you just need to convey it.

You pull out your Evoker and look in Shouko's direction. She instantly realizes your intention, and is a bit hesitant, but nods. Your brother on the other hand is alarmed.

"Woah, Hideo, where did you get a gun?" he flinches back slightly before getting a better look. "Wait, that's not a gun. There's no way to load the chamber. So what, that's like a replica?"

"It's called an Evoker." you explain. You put it up to your temple and fire, materializing the ephemeral figure of Marut next to you. Tadashi actually stumbles back this time, completely caught off guard. "They're used to summon Persona. That's what this is. I was told that it's like a manifestation of my psyche. Anyway, it's because I have this that I can fight the hunger from the virus. I wanted Chousuke and Erina to get Personas too. I don't know how many I can save with this method, but I at least want to save those two."

You thought you explained that well enough. It was concise, and you didn't bring up any details that you didn't have to. Hopefully that will be enough.

"Persona... I knew about demons and the Atma Virus, but somehow I'm still able to be taken completely off guard." your brother shakes his head to come back to his senses. "I believe you, of course. If you tell me that you can live normally and that thing is the reason, then I accept it. But to take a chance on even more people..."

Tadashi puts his head in his hands and takes a deep breath before looking back up, resigned. "Screw it. If you can help get us all out of here, then why would I ever doubt you? If we manage to escape, I'll help you and those two sneak out. But that's it, alright? I can't be doing this kind of thing all the time, or I'll wish being out of a job is all that happened to me."

"Well that's that done. Good work." Shouko praised you. She seems like she would have been willing to chime in, but is glad she didn't have to. "Tadashi, you were trying to win at the arcade machines, right?"

"Yeah. The first time around half of us won, so it seemed like good odds." he explains. "But after that round, when I was going at it by myself, it was suddenly way harder. I was barely able to pull off one win. Against my better judgement, I tried one more time to get my last squad member's mind back, but I failed."

>A. It might be worth trying the machines with your spare token
>B. It will take longer, but repeating the strategy from before with jumping the demons is the safest play
>C. Investigate the machines further and grill Tadashi more to see if there's some kind of trick to it
>D. Other

>>4589800
>>C. Investigate the machines further and grill Tadashi more to see if there's some kind of trick to it
Glad to see demonic arcade machines are the same, bullshit difficulty curve to take all your fucking quarters.

>>4589800
>C. Investigate the machines further and grill Tadashi more to see if there's some kind of trick to it

>>4589800
>>B. It will take longer, but repeating the strategy from before with jumping the demons is the safest play

>>4589883
+1
Time to fish gentlemen.

>>4589883
+1
The machines are a huge fucking trap

>>4589883
>>4590350
>>4590570
You consider the possibility that the machines may have some sort of trick that you could figure out and exploit, but you decide that it's too risky.

"The machines are a trap." you say bluntly. "So we'll keep going with the strategy we had."

"What was that strategy, exactly?" your brother asks, confused. "You mean you didn't get a spare token from the machines? Did you steal one from somebody?"

"From a demon." you explain. "Beat it up, threw it on the registration mat, then took the token."

"Huh." Tadashi looks down at the token in his hand. "I guess that's one way to do it. You guys must be pretty strong to be able to pull it off. We can barely fight the demons by shooting them full of holes, much less keep them alive to move them where we want."

"Hideo. You're right that that's the safest thing to do." Shouko chimes in. "But it would also take a long time. I'm worried about Chousuke and Erina outside. They don't have anything to eat, if they wait there too long they may lose their minds and attack each other. Even more than escaping, that's the thing I want to avoid the most."

"Well it will depend on how fast we can get through this whole process. And more of us working at it means we're finished sooner." Tadashi adds. "My men and I could help too, we've got plenty of ammo for our rifles. Should be enough for what, a dozen more demons? Oh, but we should leave one guy behind to guard over Yamamoto. He's still mindless."

A dozen demons at the rate you've been going means six more hours. The actual number you need isn't quite that many, but it still comes out to a long time. And that's assuming you can keep up that pace without any problems. Plus there was the question of if you even wanted to fight alongside your brother's squad. With what they'd see,that could just be more people with leverage over you.

>A. Give the other token to the last soldier, everybody works to get tokens from demons as fast as possible
>B. Send Shouko out with the spare token and one of the demon corpses to keep Chousuke and Erina held over until you can all get out
>C. Other

The Other option here can consist of any half measure between those two, like Shouko staying but only the two of you hunting demons or only bringing your brother along and leaving his squad behind

>>4591902
>B. Send Shouko out with the spare token and one of the demon corpses to keep Chousuke and Erina held over until you can all get out

>>4592034
Honestly I'd rather sens Big Bro and keep Shouko around to help us, but I feel the siblings would probably avoid Big Bro or any of his men.

>>4591902
>B. Send Shouko out with the spare token and one of the demon corpses to keep Chousuke and Erina held over until you can all get out

>>4592090
this

>>4592034
+1

>>4592034
>>4592147
>>4592362
First thing's first, the ones with the most to lose right now are Chousuke and Erina outside. Shouko's right. Even if it means you and your brother will be in here even longer, you have to keep them safe. So that's where your spare token is going.

You take the spare out of your pocket and hand it to Shouko. "Take this and meet up with Chousuke outside. Take one of the demon corpses too, try to hold them over until we can join you."

The three of you head over to the screen in front of Omoikane, and Shouko grabs one of the corpses. Luckily it's a small one and she can manage. Though she is quite disgusted. She endures however, for the sake of her friend and his sister.

"Omoikane, I want to leave!" she says, from her spot on the mat. "I have the fee, one extra token!"

"The transaction shall be made." the brain announces as its figure appears on the screen. "Congratulations on your freedom, and thank you for your cooperation."

You watch as Shouko disappears in a flash of light, leaving just you and your brother present.

"So you had another token, huh?" he sighs. "I'd have said to give it to my squad member, but it made sense to use it for that, if your biggest concern was for your friend. So I can't really be upset."

Tadashi reaches behind him to work out a crick in his neck that he probably got from the mindless slumping he did. "But that begs the question, did you want any help for this at all? I was going to offer to gets my squad on it as soon as we all could, but it's occured to me that you probably want to keep your secrets where you can. If that's what you wanna do, then I'm okay with it. We are basically all depending on you at this point. Conventional arms are only getting us so far in this world of demons."

>A. Sorry, I should get this done alone. You keep your team hanging back
>B. I really want your help. Come with me by yourself
>C. It's worth getting out of here as fast as possible. Let's get help from your soldiers as they become able, and maybe even get help from the other people trapped here
>D. We should work seperately. I'll try ambush strats again, and you guys comb the rest of the place for stragglers
>E. Other

>>4593414
>E. If you feel we can trust your squad with what I just told you let's get them

>>4593414
>B. I really want your help. Come with me by yourself
Just stay back and take shots when it's safe bro

>>4593414
>>B. I really want your help. Come with me by yourself

>>4593553
+1

>>4593553
>>4593560
>>4593669
He was right, you'd rather not take the risk of letting those other guys in on the situation. But that didn't mean you wanted to go fight demons alone.

"I really want your help." you tell your brother. "You can have your men hang back here and come with me yourself."

"Well of course." Tadashi grins. "What kind of older brother would I be if I just let you go off and fight demons on your own while I lazed around in this room? Let me just get my rifle, the others took it off me when I lost my mind."

Your brother heads off while you stay put, as you'd rather not try to explain to the other soldiers what you're going to be off doing. They were probably still assuming you got the token off the machines.

In a couple of minutes Tadashi is back, with his rifle slung across his shoulder. You're not sure how he'll stack up to Shouko helping with her Persona, but every bit helps.

The two of you head to the hallway you travelled before, with you carrying the demon corpse. You set it in the same spot as the previous one, then take up the same waiting position with your brother at your side.

"Last time it took about half an hour." you explain. "But this corpse is a lot smaller. We may only be able to pull in one demon this time."

A couple of minutes pass in silence as you watch your bait from your hiding place, and since it doesn't look like anything is happening right away, Tadashi takes this opportunity to speak.

"Hideo. You've probably been living moment to moment since that demon attack on Monday, I'm sure." your brother starts. "And that's reasonable. You gotta do what you can. Protect the people important to you. I don't know if it's just because I'm working as part of an organized group or what, but I've been thinking a bit about the long term. Can things ever really go back to normal now? Tons of people have died. Demons are real, they're here, and some people can even control them. Can we even prevent that? My life may have not had very much direction, but I still think about this stuff. What exactly is the goal we're working towards, here?"

That's a pretty heavy topic all of a sudden. But it's not out of nowhere. You had to console Akari over never being able to go back to normal. What is the answer here? You wrack your brain while you have the luxury of time to think.

>A. We can go back to normal. Track the demons and the virus to their sources, and a solution will be there
>B. We might have to adjust what our understanding of "normal" is
>C. I honestly think that's not for me to worry about. I'll just keep doing what I can to protect my friends and family
>D. Other

>>4594738
>>B. We might have to adjust what our understanding of "normal" is
>"Who knows? Maybe the mailman will be a Gagyson or the ice cream parlor will be run by a Jack Frost."

>>4594738
>>4594819
>B. We might have to adjust what our understanding of "normal" is
>"Who knows? Maybe the mailman will be a Gagyson or the ice cream parlor will be run by a Jack Frost."
I'll second this

>>4594819
+1

File: Vodyanik.jpg (522 KB, 1280x1854)

522 KB JPG

>>4594819
>>4594820
>>4594870
It was a huge shift, to be sure, but you are still managing despite being infected with some demon transformation virus. People directly involved wouldn't forget that all of this happened, even if things did somehow go back to the way they were before. It might be for the best if people rolled with it instead and did their best to make things work.

"We might have to adjust what our understanding of what 'normal' is." you tell your brother. "Who knows? Maybe the mailman will be a Gagyson, or the ice cream parlor will be run by a Jack Frost."

"Wait, what?" Tadashi loses his composure for a second and is dumbfounded. "You mean just straight up live with demons? Talk about a jump!"

True enough, you even surprised yourself a bit when you said it. It was the kind of thing you'd have expected to hear from Wataru. But by now you couldn't see this leading any other way.

"Well... I'm not sure how comfortable I would be with that." your brother admits. "I think a lot of people are the same. In particular the ones I work for. You just know the government will want to head off any threat to their power structure. But if all those misgivings are futile, then there's no choice but to come around eventually, I guess..."

Before your brother can continue, the two of you glance around the corner of your hiding spot and see a lone demon, some freaky aquatic monstrosity with a face like a rat, crawling out from the pit and poking at the corpse you left. It's only one, but it's been less than ten minutes, so you're making good time.

You prepare once again to jump the creature and take it alive. Like last time, this will probably not devolve into a full-on battle, but that's not your concern at this point. Rather, you're concerned about your stamina. If you don't capture this demon at once, it could wear you down with a couple of attacks. Repeated over ten more demons, you might not survive to collect all the tokens you need. Ideally, you'll be able to end all these encounters with a single surprise attack so you don't get the chance to be worn down at all.

>Plan your attack. You have your usual options, between your demon form and your Personas, as well as the attacks of your demon allies

>>4595968
>Atma: Rakunda
>Moh: Zan
>Toubyou: Zan
>Garm: Attack

>>4595982
+1

>>4595968
Yeah >>4595982 works for me

Rolled 10, 14, 14, 13, 8, 17, 20, 15 = 111 (8d20)

Rolling Moh Shuvuu, Toubyou, and Vodyanik MAG, Garm STR, Tadashi DEX, and Vodyanik END

>>4595982
You start off by summoning your demons and giving them their orders before transforming into your demon form. You cast a spell to lower the enemy's defenses as you jump out of your hiding place, followed immediately by Moh Shuvuu and Toubyou who blast the creature with their Force magic. The demon is damaged but not down, as Garm lunges in to bite at it but has trouble. It lashes out at Garm, causing some damage to the demon dog and threatening to break free and escape.

Before it gets that chance, you hear a series of gunshots from behind you and watch as all of them hit the demon's torso. You're glad your brother is such a good shot, but you still worry that Garm could have been hit.

Either way, the demon is now writhing in pain and easy to subdue. You pick up the creature and bind it with the strength your demonic form provides as you carry it back to the arcade's main room.

"I kind of got interrupted back there." your brother says as the both of you walk. "I was gonna add... that no matter what ends up happening, I've always got your back."

Tadashi grins as he points his thumb at himself. It was pretty convincing coming right off of him landing that shot and saving you a lot of trouble. Not that you ever had any doubt in him.

"Thanks, bro."

>Social Link Rank UP! Personas of the Chariot Arcana will now have two skills

After arriving in the center room, you repeat the process from before of throwing the hapless demon onto the mat to force register them, then taking their token and leaving them a lifeless husk. Tadashi watches the whole thing and winces.

"Ouch. Pretty brutal. But it is us or them." your brother looks to the token in your hand. "By the way. Are we going to give those out so people can escape as we go, or are you just gonna hold on to all of them until we have enough to get everybody out at once?"

You hadn't actually thought about that yet. You're not sure if letting people out as you go would cause any problems, though there is at least a slight danger of leaving them in here over time. Tadashi doesn't seem to feel particularly strongly about it one way or the other, so you suspect he is pretty confident that his team can handle themselves either way.

>A. No reason to hold onto the tokens, let's get people out of here as soon as we can
>B. We should stay focused, let's grab that demon corpse and set up some more bait while putting the matter of the tokens aside
>C. Other

>>4596603
>>B. We should stay focused, let's grab that demon corpse and set up some more bait while putting the matter of the tokens aside
I'm fond of a big group, one trip out.

>>4596603
>A. No reason to hold onto the tokens, let's get people out of here as soon as we can

That way we can occasionally let the others know we're still okay

>>4596603
>C. You know your squad better than I do, I trust your judgement, if you think any of them need to get out of here first then take the extra token too them.

Gonna move along later today, if the votes stay the same then I'll just roll a d3

>>4596603
I'll swap out for
>A
so we can move on

>>4596981
>>4599134
While the people in the arcade seem to be relatively safe as long as they stay in the main room, this is the domain of a demon. It's an inherently unsafe place to be. Plus, if Shouko sees people leaving periodically, then she'll know you're okay.

"No reason to hold onto the tokens." you tell your brother. "Let's get people out of here as soon as we can."

"Alright, but can I give that first one to Yamamoto? My teammate that still doesn't have a mind." Tadashi asks, and you see no reason to deny him. Leaving someone to sit around as a mindless zombie is even worse than just leaving them in here.

"I'll take it to him, I don't want my guys getting on your case." you brother tells you, as you hand him the token. "I'll just tell them to keep the left entrance secure. We're not using that one, right?"

After a couple of minutes your brother returns, giving you a thumbs up. Everything went well, so you pick the demon corpse up and head back out.

You set up in the same place as before, since it showed no signs of failing to work any time soon. However before the two of you could get back to your hiding place, you hear a very disturbing sound. A repetitive clanking, unmistakably metal.

"What is that?" Tadashi asks aloud. "Is it a demon?"

The two of you take a moment to pinpoint the source of the echoing noise, and find yourselves looking down the opposite hallway that you arrived here from. The one you haven't been in at all yet.

"Should we check it out?" your brother asks. "We could just go that way on the way back after this round. I'm pretty sure my squad can handle it if something does happen, anyway. They've got more than enough ammo for demons like the last one."

>A. If you say it's not urgent, then let's keep to our plan for now
>B. It takes a bit for the bait to get taken anyway, let's check it out
>C. Other

>>4599372
>>B. It takes a bit for the bait to get taken anyway, let's check it out

>>4599372
>B. It takes a bit for the bait to get taken anyway, let's check it out

>>4599372
>B. It takes a bit for the bait to get taken anyway, let's check it out

File: Ippondatara.jpg (660 KB, 900x1547)

660 KB JPG

>>4599373
>>4599478
>>4599648
For this bait to actually work in the time it took the two of you to go check out the left hallway would take much better luck then you've ever had. Or worse rather, since you would miss it. You figure you're losing nothing by trying.

"It takes a bit for the bait to get taken anyway, let's check it out." you insist.

"Alright. It's cleaner if we deal with it ourselves, anyway." Tadashi shrugs. "Might even get lucky and snag another token."

You and your brother cautiously head down the hallway towards the metallic ringing. You can hear it getting louder and louder as you walk, the confined space doing you no favors. It gets to the point where you're pretty sure the two of you couldn't hear each other over it even if you wanted to. You'll be more than happy to take out the source of this noise just to give your ears a rest.

Eventually you lay eyes on the source of the clanging, and it's a demon as expected. A human shaped one with its head covered save for a single eye. It stands on a lone leg as it hammers away at what looks like the smashed remains of a vending machine. The noise must have been this thing using its tools to destroy it.

You try to stay unnoticed so you can get a surprise attack in like the last couple of times, but you're the one surprised when it suddenly stops pounding and turns its head straight in your direction. It looks ready to attack at any second, so you start preparing to fight immediately.

>A. Fight in Atma form
>B. Fight with Persona
>Also, pick demon loadout

Forgot that you guys ate a Gagyson, so here are stats for that real quick

>Gagyson
Devil Arcana
Mind: Res, Elec: Res, Force: Weak
STR+2
MAG+2
Skills: Zio

>>4600229
>Atma
Doesn't resist Fire, but has all our buffs and Debuffs.
>Angel
Weak to Expel, so perfect.
>Garm
Fire Resist
>Toubyou
Not weak to Fire like Moh is.

>>4600381
+1 and try to call out to it in the fight, assess if it has a mind or not. If no mind, more bait if we aren't going to eat. If mind, more token and bait fodder

>>4600381
Thirded

Rolled 8, 19, 10, 16 = 53 (4d20)

>>4600381
>>4600507
>>4600637
While you have time, you call out your demons. You go with Angel, Garm, and Toubyou this time. Then, you take on your demon form. You see your brother take up firing position behind you, so things are looking all set for a fight. Though before that, you want to know if the demon you're dealing with actually has a mind. That will determine whether you can use it to get another token.

"Hey you, demon!" you call out to it. "Trying to pick a fight?"

"Uooooh..." the demon merely groans in response. Hard for you to make an assessment with just that. However, the one-legged creature immediately turns its attention to Tadashi. More specifically, his gun. The demon lunges forward with its single leg, lifting its hammer in preparation to bring it down.

You'll have to focus more on fighting. You prepare for a round of attacks.

>A. Zio
>B. Rakunda
>C. Matarukaja
>D. Bufula
>E. Standard attack

Also give orders to your demons

Rolls are Ippon-Datara STR, Tadashi DEX, and Ippon-Datara END

>>4601039
>>B. Rakunda
>Hama
>Tarukaja (Angel)
>Zan

>>4601932
Seconded

Rolled 5, 16, 9, 19 = 49 (4d20)

Rolling Angel, Toubyou, and Ippon-Datara MAG

Rolled 19, 2, 6, 8, 16 = 51 (5d20)

>>4601932
The demon's attack comes down right over your brother, but he manages to roll out of the way and fire off his shot. Unfortunately it seems that trying that maneuver threw off his aim, as the bullet glances harmlessly off the edge of the demon's metal mask.

In the meantime, you use Rakunda to make the creature more susceptible to attacks while ordering Garm to use Tarukaja on Angel. You then have Angel use Hama to try and eliminate your opponent with one shot.

It comes close, but the demon notices the talismans emerging from the ground as the spell is cast and hops aside in the nick of time to avoid getting obliterated. He takes a light hit from Toubyou's Zan, but looks not much worse for wear.

The creature continues eyeing Tadashi's gun, gripping its hammer tightly enough to shake. your assumption based on that vending machine is that it has a thing for smashing metal objects. However this time it seems to recognize that it can't ignore everyone else present. It begins casting a spell and unleashes a wave of fire.

>Ippon-Datara used Maragi!

>A. Block (Roll MAG)
>B. Dodge (Roll AGI)

Rolls in this post are Ippon-Datara MAG, Tadashi DEX, and Angel, Garm, and Toubyou MAG

Rolled 14 + 5 (1d20 + 5)

>>4602430
>>A. Block (Roll MAG)
Damn, Angel.

Rolled 5 (1d20)

>>4602430

>A. Block (Roll MAG)

>>4602442
The demon's spell surprises you with just how strong it is, as you get in a nearly perfect stance to weather it and still take a decent chunk of damage.

>Lost 2HP! Current HP: 12/14

Toubyou also only takes minor damage, but that's all the good news for your side. Garm resists fire and manages to take a direct hit alright, while Angel gasps in pain from taking the blast of flames.

The worst part however, was that your brother attempted to dive out of the way of the attack but failed completely.

"Agh!" he screams while dropping his rifle, which probably got too hot to hold. Some of his uniform catches fire, which you're pretty sure is an extremely bad sign, since it's supposed to be highly fire retardant. He's able to put out the flames quickly by rolling and patting them down, but after it all, you can still see that he's in pain. He's probably got some nasty burns.

It occurs to you that this is the real issue of humans fighting demons. Even you with a bat could fight that Oni and deal some damage, but humans are far too frail to keep up if they start to take hits.

You see the demon take its eyes off of your brother and focus on the dropped gun. It could be a good thing if he lets up off of Tadashi at least for a bit. You get ready for another round of attacks before the demon can get a chance to follow up.

>Choose Hideo action
>Choose demon actions

>>4603374
>>Choose Hideo action
>Life Stone (Tadashi)
>Dia (Self)
>Attack
>Zan

>>4603378
Second

>>4603378
+1

Rolled 1, 14, 6, 15 = 36 (4d20)

Rolling Garm STR, Toubyou MAG, Ippon-Datara END, and Ippon-Datara MAG

>>4604456
GARM.

>>4603378
You have Angel cast Dia to heal itself while you head over to your brother and pull out a Life Stone. You hold it against the burns he just received and watch the skin repair itself.

"What the hell..." Tadashi winces slightly during the process. "What is that thing?"

"It's a Life Stone. Glowing rock that heals wounds." you explain. "Make sure you look through demon corpses when you kill them, they can have stuff like this sometimes."

You finish up and turn back to the fight to see things still not going in your favor. Toubyou's Zan has once again been mostly shrugged off, while Garm dived in for an attack and completely whiffed it, falling on its face. The demon looks little worse off than when the fight started, and probably has plenty of fight left in it. You would be willing to bet that it may be the strongest demon that Omoikane has lured in so far.

Your opponent stays still for a bit, casting a spell on itself.

>Ippon-Datara used Sukukaja!

After which, it could hop around way faster than any one-legged creature had any right to. Your brother picked his rifle back up, ready to take aim again, and you prepared for another set of attacks yourself.

>Choose Hideo action
>Choose demon actions

>>4604466
>Matarukaja
>Hama
>Attack
>Zan

>>4604466
>Hideo: attack

>Angel: Hama
>Gam: Agi
>Toubyou: Zan

>>4604471
>Attack
>Attack
>Hama
>Attack
WHY WON'T HAMA HIT WHEN ITS WEAK FUCK YOU DIE ALREADY YOU BITCH

>>4605979
MEANT FOR >>4604466

Rolled 17, 12, 9, 12, 8, 1, 18 = 77 (7d20)

>>4604471
>>4605108
>>4605979
>>4605982
Okay, evened out this comes to: Hideo attack, Angel Hama, Garm attack, and Toubyou Zan. Can I get a STR roll?

Rolls in this post are Garm STR, Angel and Toubyou MAG, and Ippon-Datara AGI

Rolled 2 + 5 (1d20 + 5)

>>4606274

Rolled 7 + 5 (1d20 + 5)

>>4606274

Rolled 8 + 5 (1d20 + 5)

>>4606274

File: Goblin.jpg (345 KB, 1136x1924)

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>>4606894
You command another round of attacks from your demons, then dive in yourself to swipe at your opponent. The one-legged demon deftly jumps out of the way of the blast of wind sent its way by Toubyou, but isn't able to do the same against the attacks of you and Garm. Your claws only lightly scrape the creature's side, but Garm follows up with a brutal crunch of its jaws on the single leg keeping your opponent upright. In its struggle to break free, it desperately lurches forward out of Garm's clutches. It's then that the demon notices the other spell targetting it. A ring of light surrounds it, and talismans rise up in a spiral motion. It tries to dodge, but is too much off balance by the previous assault and vaults completely on its face. It has no hope of escape, and is subsequently vaporized by the Hama spell. Your struggle comes to a sudden but relieving end.

>Got 1000 Macca
>Got Life Stone
>Got Chakra Drop

There's unfortunately no corpse left for you to use, much less a living demon to extract a token from, but you're glad to have the fight out of the way regardless. Now you don't have to worry about anyone else getting attacked by that thing. You give an eager Garm a pat on the head for doing a good job.

"That's it? Wow." your brother whistles, impressed that things were over before he was even able to get another shot off. "Using demons to fight other demons really is no joke. After taking that fire, I was sure it was going to take us a lot longer to take that thing down."

"We did get a bit lucky." you admit. "It boosted its ability to dodge, so that could have gone on a lot longer."

Tadashi is a bit awestruck by how well you've acclimated to fighting demons like this. Although you're sure that expression has a bit of sadness, too.

You both head back to the pit to check your bait, and you happen across three little red demons all picking at the corpse. It seems a bigger corpse really does pull in the numbers you need.

You and your brother prepare to pounce again, both of you eager to have the chance to take demons out in one fell swoop instead of in a long confrontation.

>Choose actions to try and subdue all the goblins

>>4607520
>Zio
>Dia (Garm)
>Agi
>Zio

>>4607520
>> 4607521 sounds good to, supporting

>>4607521
this, let's go

Rolled 19, 4, 7, 7, 15, 11, 11 = 74 (7d20)

Can I get a MAG roll?

Rolls here are Garm, Toubyou, and Goblin MAG, Tadashi DEX, and Goblin AGI

Rolled 4 + 5 (1d20 + 5)

>>4608385

>>4608387
You send a blast of lightning at one of the goblins in tandem with Toubyou, who does the same. You also have Angel heal Garm, since its still hurt from the last fight. As for Garm, you command it to cast Agi and scorch one of the goblins. Meanwhile, Tadashi lets loose a hail of bullets in a semi-automatic burst on one of the goblins.

Your surprise attack would have gone off without a hitch if it were merely two opponents, but three proved to be too many to sweep at once. You and Garm are able to grab and restrain a goblin each, but your brother along with Angel and Toubyou are left to deal with the straggler. It's rough going, since none of them are suited for close combat, and they take a number of scrapes and blows before the little demon is weakened enough to be subdued by the snakes of Toubyou.

"Some demons of my own sure would be helpful right about now." your brother groans, holding his stomach where he was hit. "But we got 'em, that's the important thing."

Your group heads back to the center room and repeats the process that you've become familiar with by now to get three whole tokens this time. Holding them all, you think of how to distribute them. There's still one mindless person in here, so it would make sense to give that person a token, though you don't have to. Besides him, there is another man cowering here in a corner of the main room that you remember. There's those two guys chilling in the break room as well. And of course there's your brother's squad to round things out.

There's also the fact that you may have to convince whoever you try to give the tokens to that you're on the level and not trying to screw with them.

>A. Give the last zombie his mind back and send him out along with the hiding dude
>B. Get the guys goofing off in the break room out of here
>C. Actually, the JSDF guys should go first so they can get back to their jobs outside
>D.Other

>>4609727
>>C. Actually, the JSDF guys should go first so they can get back to their jobs outside
They can at least report back to HQ and perhaps get a group outside so they can protect the civvies .

>>4609727
>C. Actually, the JSDF guys should go first so they can get back to their jobs outside

>>4609727
>C. Actually, the JSDF guys should go first so they can get back to their jobs outside

>>4609730
>>4609973
>>4610888
"Here." you say, handing the tokens to your brother. "You should get your squad to take these and get out first. They can do the most good out there. Report back to HQ, or cordon the place off so no one else wanders inside."

"You've got a point." Tadashi rubs his chin before taking the tokens from you. "We already sent two guys back to get the word out, but the more the better if we want to be sure."

"I'm gonna take these." you tell him, as you pick up the three goblin corpses. "I'll stand out of the way so they can leave without seeing me."

You haul the little bodies just far enough to away as to be out of sight, then watch as your brother eventually comes back with his three subordinates. They talk for a bit, though you're too far away to hear what they say except for a loud "Yes Sir!" towards the end. Whatever he said seemed to convince them, and the three of them all leave one at a time. Your brother then walks over your way to help you by carrying one of the goblin corpses.

"Well that's that." he states. "Now we just gotta get all the civvies out of here. Though they are all demon shifters, I'm pretty sure. I might actually be in the most danger here at this point."

You both head back to your spot at the edge of the pit to lay the corpses out as bait, but you hear a door open from behind you. It's the one that was blocked off that you fought the trio of Gagyson next to. The two guys that were chilling in the break room emerge and walk towards you, looking famished.

"I thought I heard a lot of fighting back here." one of them claims, as he looks over the situation, corpses and all. "You guys look like you're really pulling in a haul..."

"So uh, the two of us have been in here since it got transformed into a domain." the other guy explains. "We've been making due with the food we had stocked up, but we ran out a bit ago and still have no hope of getting out. Would you guys uh, mind sparing some of yours? We're starving here."

As your brother mentioned, the only people left here to save are infected with the Atma virus. What you didn't think about was that that means they have the insatiable hunger. And the longer this drags on, the worse it'll get. Yu consider what to do.

>A. Give them one of the corpses and tell them to go back
>B. Tell them that you're getting people out and they just have to wait a bit longer
>C. Enlist their help for now to try and move things along quicker
>D. Other

>>4611247
>>A. Give them one of the corpses and tell them to go back

>>4611247
>. Give them one of the corpses and tell them to go back

>>4611247
>A. Give them one of the corpses and tell them to go back

File: Tuofei.png (559 KB, 1000x835)

559 KB PNG

>>4611301
>>4611371
>>4611500
"You can take one of the corpses." you tell the duo, after thinking about it for a bit. "Then go back."

The guys don't argue the point, just happy to get something out of this. They go over and pick up the closest goblin corpse, then resist their urge to dig in on the spot as they head back to the break room.

With that out of the way, you and your brother take up your usual hiding spot and lie in wait for your bait to take effect. It takes a bit longer this time, nearly an hour by the time on your phone, but eventually you get a hit.

Two demons that look like owls with human faces fly up out of the pit and land next to the goblin corpses. They start picking at the bodies, completely unaware of your presence. Tadashi takes aim with his rifle and waits for you to prepare your end of the attack.

>Choose Hideo action
>Choose demon actions

>>4612369
Weak to Gun, soooo
>Persona: Ubu, Needle Rush
>Garm, Tarukaja (Hideo)
>Moh, Zan
>Toubyou, Zan
We should hit up the auction for some new demons after this.

>>4612369
>>4612382
>Persona: Ubu, Needle Rush
>Garm, Tarukaja (Hideo)
>Moh, Zan
>Toubyou, Zan

Seconded

>>4612369
>Persona: Ubu, Needle Rush
>Garm, Tarukaja (Hideo)
>Moh, Zan
>Toubyou, Zan
thirded

Rolled 9, 16, 17, 10, 10, 15, 7 = 84 (7d20)

>>4612382
>>4612485
>>4612540
Can I get a DEX roll? Rolls here are Moh Shuvuu and Toubyou MAG, Tadashi DEX, and Tuofei AGI

Rolled 19 + 4 (1d20 + 4)

>>4613259

>>4613267
You have Garm cast Tarukaja on you to boost the power of your attack, then use your Evoker to summon Ubu as your Persona. You then send a storm of needles at the bird demons, accompanied by blasts of wind from Moh Shuvuu and Toubyou as well as bullets from your brother.

The creatures stood no chance, far too late in their attempts to dodge. They were beaten into submission easily, and you carried them back to the registration mat to repeat the process you had become familiar with.

As this was going on, you pulled out your phone again. It had been a while, and you had more Macca to work with. It might be good to check out demons offering their services. You go into the menu and pull up the current selection.

>100 Macca: Onmoraki
>200 Macca: Bilwis
>300 Macca: Itsumade
>400 Macca: Azumi
>500 Macca: Makara
>600 Macca: Nekomata
>700 Macca: Spriggan
>800 Macca: Caladrius
>900 Macca: Chupacabra
>1000 Macca: Nata Taishi
>1500 Macca: Mou-Ryo
>2000 Macca: Raiju
>2500 Macca: Pabilsag
>3000 Macca: Baphomet
>3500 Macca: Brigid
>4000 Macca: Dantalion

>You currently have 4200 Macca. Which demon/s will you buy?

>>4613521
>900 Macca: Chupacabra
>1000 Macca: Nata Taishi
>2000 Macca: Raiju

300 macca left

>>4613647
+1 but I think we need to start investing in more powerful spellcasters. Those last 3 demons and Caladrius are a start. We should check the demons list again next time, but hopefully we can scrape on by as we are now to that point

>>4613647
>>4613719
You decide to use your Macca to buy three demons, just like last time. You end up spending 3900 Macca, leaving you 300 leftover. You go into your demon list and check your new purchases' status.

>Chupacabra
>Race: UMA
>Light: Res, Dark: Res, Elec: Weak
>HP: 13/13, MP: 12/12
>STR 3
>MAG 2
>DEX 3
>END 3
>AGI 5
>CHA 2
>Skills: Life Drain, Sukukaja

>Nata Taishi
>Race: Genma
>Phys: Res, Gun: Res, Ice: Weak, Elec: Weak
>HP: 13/13, MP: 12/12
>STR 4
>MAG 2
>DEX 3
>END 3
>AGI 4
>CHA 3
>Skills: Oni-Kagura, Charge

>Raiju
>Race: Wilder
>Elec: Drain, Force: Weak
>HP: 13/13, MP: 13/13
>STR 4
>MAG 3
>DEX 3
>END 3
>AGI 5
>CHA 2
>Skills: Zionga, Mazio

You also notice an a new icon on the main menu of the Demon Summoning Program. "Cathedral of Shadows" it says. You click on it just to check it.

>You have recruited over 5 demons! You can now use the Cathedral of Shadows to fuse two of your demons into one new demon! The resulting demon will be stronger and can inherit one skill from each of the material demons

It's definitely something you want to keep in mind for later.

"So what about these two tokens?" your brother asks. "Do we give them to those guys from earlier? Or how about the guy who's still mindless?"

>A. Get those two guys out of our way now, since they could bother us again
>B. That zombie has been stumbling around long enough, let's get him out of here
>C. Other

>>4616097
>B. That zombie has been stumbling around long enough, let's get him out of here

>>4616097
>>B. That zombie has been stumbling around long enough, let's get him out of here

File: Sandman.jpg (22 KB, 350x404)

22 KB JPG

>>4616120
>>4616193
"That zombie has been stumbling around long enough, let's get him out of here." you tell Tadashi. Heading over to the man in question, you carefully place the two tokens in his hand without setting him off.

"Huh... What? I'm back?" the man looks himself over before noticing the tokens in hand. "Oh wow, thank you. I owe you bigtime."

"Don't worry about it." you wave the guy off. "Just get out of here and to someplace safe."

After watching the man be teleported out of the domain by Omoikane, you and your brother haul the bird demon corpses back to your regular spot by the pit to try and bait demons yet again. The repetitiveness of this plan is wearing on you, but at least you're almost done.

After nearly another hour, three demons crawl from the pit to feast on the corpses. Little person shaped demons with crescent moons for heads, holding bags over their shoulders. You and your brother get ready to try and take them out.

>Choose Hideo action
>Choose Demon actions

>>4617338
>Atma: Zio
>Garm: Agi
>Raiju: Mazio
>Toubyou: Zio

Rolled 4, 1, 11, 19, 18, 3, 17, 10, 8 = 91 (9d20)

>>4617419
MAG roll please

Rolling MAG for Garm, Raiju, Toubyou, and Sandmen

Rolled 16 + 5 (1d20 + 5)

>>4618864
RAIJU

Rolled 6 + 5 (1d20 + 5)

>>4618864

File: Gozuki.jpg (23 KB, 350x359)

23 KB JPG

>>4618868
You set all your demons as well as yourself out to cast spells simultaneously at your opponents, hopefully overwhelming them. However your group has troubles aiming correctly, Raiju in particular. The result is that it takes far longer than you'd like to actually get the three demons subdued, and your entire group is finally feeling the full measure of the fatigue you've built up in this domain.

You and your demons haul the creatures to get registered and then swipe their tokens, but throughout it all, your brother notices you exerting yourself.

"Just a bit longer, Hideo." he encourages you. "Just need tokens for you and me now, and then we're out of here."

You give one of the tokens to the man that was cowering behind a game machine, and he only manages to stammer a single word of thanks before he runs to leave as soon as he can. You then head to the break room to give the other two tokens to the guys there, and find them groaning over their hunger despite just being given some food.

"Huh? You're just giving us tokens to get out?" one asks bewildered, as you hand him his ticket out of this place. "Why would you do that?"

"Also, if we leave..." the other muses. "Are we actually going to be able to find demons to eat...?"

The two decide to take their chances, as they would rather not be trapped any longer. With that, you and your brother can easily take the short way between the main room and the pit, and you haul the three small demon corpses to the usual spot.

This last wait is longer than any of the others. It's well over an hour before you finally catch sight of anything, and when it comes, you feel a bit of a chill. Two demons emerge from the pit, each of them looking at least as strong as the one from before with the hammer. One in the form of an ox-headed man, and the other a horse-headed man. The ox-head wields an axe, while his horse counterpart wields a sword. The two of them stop to check out the demon corpses, but they seem to stay more alert than the other demons you've ambushed. This fight will not go easy.

You still have the advantage of surprise however, so you prepare your first attack.

>Choose Hideo action
>Choose Demon actions

>>4620591
>Atma: Bufula
>Garm: Tarukaja (Hideo)
>Nata Taishi: Charge
>Raiju: Mazio

>>4620591
>>4621072
+1
We should work on some tag team techs for our bro if we team up again.

Rolled 9, 13, 17, 13, 2, 5 = 59 (6d20)

>>4621072
MAG roll for Hideo, please

Rolls here are Raiju, Gozuki, and Mezuki MAG, Tadashi DEX, and Mezuki END

Rolled 17 + 5 (1d20 + 5)

>>4621457

Rolled 11 + 5 (1d20 + 5)

>>4621457

Rolled 17 + 5 (1d20 + 5)

>>4621457

File: Mezuki.jpg (25 KB, 350x400)

25 KB JPG

>>4621459
>>4621852
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGORm3P0F1w

You get the jump on the demon duo, but it isn't as great of an advantage as you would have liked. Raiju's lightning hits the both of them, but barely makes a dent. Your brother also fires off a shot at the horse-headed one, but it's only a glancing blow. While this is happening, Nata Taishi is storing up its power for a later attack. If it weren't for your spell, your opponents would barely have been injured at all.

However, your Bufula is boosted by Garm's Tarukaja and lands a serious blow on the ox-headed demon. It falls over and drops its axe momentarily before shaking its head and returning to its senses.

The two demons, now well aware of your presence, start by casting spells on themselves.

>Gozuki used Rakukaja! +2 to rolls to mitigate damage
>Mezuki used Sukukaja! +2 to rolls to avoid damage

"Gozuki, we got tricked twice in a row." the horse demon tells its companion. "I told you we should have stayed put."

"We just gotta kill 'em, Mezuki." the ox demon replies. "Then we can rest and find our way outta here."

Your side once again has a chance to attack. You are quite relieved that you picked up some fresh new demons, as you and Garm are more tired than you'd have liked to be going into a serious fight. Hopefully they can pull their weight.

>Choose Hideo action
>Choose demon actions

>>4622869
>Swap Persona: Wendigo
>Tarukaja (Hideo)
>Oni-Kagura
>Zionga (Gozuki)
I forgot Wendigo has Mabufu, that's what I get for not reading the bin.

>>4622894
>>4622869

>>Swap Persona: Wendigo
>>Tarukaja (Hideo)
>>Oni-Kagura
>>Zionga (Gozuki)

Seconded

>>4622869
>>4622894
Thirded

>>4622894
+1 let's bring on the ice and power moves

Rolled 15, 9, 4, 15, 4, 4 = 51 (6d20)

Making rolls for Nata Taishi STR, Raiju MAG, Tadashi DEX, Gozuki MAG and END, and Mezuki AGI

>>4622894
While you got a good hit in with Bufula, you remember that you have a Persona that could hit both enemies at once. You revert to your human form and pull out your Evoker, ready to summon Wendigo when you next get the chance. As you're doing so, Garm buffs your attack yet again.

Your brother fires shots off at Mezuki, but the horse's buffed agility lets him just barely dodge.

Your demons have better luck with Gozuki. While it manages to tough out the blast from Raiju's Zionga, the following strike from Nata Taishi is brutal. The robot-warrior-demon-thing sends the ox demon flying backwards and slamming into the nearest wall. It doesn't take it out, but you can see that it did a good amount of damage.

Gozuki becomes visibly furious, and winds up its axe for a sweeping blow that will likely hit you and all your demons. Your brother is out of range, but he has his own problems to deal with as Mezuki lunges toward him with its sword. You'd like to help, but the attack coming right at you can't be ignored.

>Gozuki used Heat Wave!

>Block (Roll END)
>Dodge (Roll AGI)

Rolled 3 (1d20)

>>4624611
>Block (Roll END)

Rolled 12 + 4 (1d20 + 4)

>>4624611
>Block (Roll END)

Rolled 15 (1d20)

>>4624611
>Block (Roll END)
Please no 1

Rolled 2, 8, 18, 6, 19, 17 = 70 (6d20)

Rolling Mezuki and Gozuki STR, Tadashi AGI, Nata Taishi and Garm END, and Raiju AGI

>>4624941
You brace yourself for the hit, and manage to get off only slightly nicked.

>Took 2 damage! Current HP: 10/14

Garm is in the same boat, while Raiju is able to zoom right out of the way and avoid the whole attack easily. Nata Taishi doesn't guard well enough though, and is knocked back a significant amount. Nothing it can't recover from, though.

You're also pleased to see your brother dodge the sword swipe from Mezuki. The horse demon fumbled its approach, and Tadashi was able to get away with plenty of room to spare. The fight seems to be going well in your favor so far, so this is the time to seize the advantage.

>Choose Hideo action
>Choose demon actions

>>4626102

>Mabufu
>Tarukaja (Hideo)
>Oni-Kagura
>Zionga (Gozuki)

>>4626215
+1, we're getting there

>>4626102
>>4626215 works for me. +2

Rolled 6, 2, 14, 7, 7, 18, 17, 10 = 81 (8d20)

Can I get a MAG roll

Rolls here for Nata Taishi STR, Raiju MAG, Tadashi DEX, Gozuki END and MAG, and Mezuki AGI

Rolled 11 + 4 (1d20 + 4)

>>4627143

Rolled 9 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>4627143

Rolled 6 + 4 (1d20 + 4)

>>4627143

>>4627144
Garm boosts you once more with Tarukaja, and you can feel yourself at maximum power. You fire your Evoker and unleash a Mabufu, hitting both of your enemies for serious damage. Raiju's Zionga and Nata Taishi's Oni-Kagura fail to get in serious hits, but Gozuki is on the verge of defeat regardless. In fact, this may be better. You did want this guy alive, after all.

After taking your ice spell head on, Mezuki fails another attempt to dodge, getting a bullet for its trouble. However, it is still well in the range to fight on.

If you want to get both of these demons back alive to register, Gozuki needs to be secured. You could probably do it in your Atma form, or you could have your demons take care of it. It might take all three of them, purely because of the size difference.

Whichever way you decide on, whoever isn't holding the ox down will probably get a free shot in on Mezuki, since the horse is too preoccupied with your brother. Hopefully, that will be enough to finish things.

>A. Hold Gozuki down yourself, give orders to demons
>B. Order demons to hold down Gozuki, go fight with your brother yourself

Whichever you choose, be sure to include actions for whoever is fighting

>>4628462
>>A. Hold Gozuki down yourself, give orders to demons
>Atack
>Oni-Kagura
>Attack

Rolled 18, 16, 8, 1, 12, 7, 2, 14 = 78 (8d20)

Need to finish this fight before we fall off the board, so I'm going ahead

Rolls are Mezuki STR, Tadashi AGI, Garm, Nata Taishi and Raiju STR, and Mezuki AGI

>>4628668
Dammit Garm.

>>4628594
You quickly change to your Atma form and grab the ox headed demon, preventing it from moving. As you do so, you command your demons to all attack the remaining enemy at once.

Before they can do so, your brother fails an attempt to dodge Mezuki's sword and ends up with a deep gash across his leg. While he grasps at it to try and quickly staunch the bleeding, your demons lunge in. Their attacks are unimpressive, with Nata Taishi fumbling and missing completely and Raiju barely making a scratch. Garm luckily comes in clutch, biting on Mezuki's leg with no intention to let go. With that shoe in the door, your demons had free reign to wail on the horse until it would submit, though they took quite the damage themselves in the process.

You and your demons then carefully hauled your captives to the main room, with your brother limping behind with his gun trained on them. They tried to struggle at first, but a few bullets through their extremities put a stop to that.

After the most harrowing trip back of them all, you dump the two demon warriors onto the registration mat and watch their tokens materialize. You snatch them up with the most enthusiasm you can muster, ready to get the hell out of this place.

"Woah there Hideo, calm down a bit." Tadashi pats you on the shoulder, ignoring his wound failry effectively. "I know you're tired, me too. No need to exert yourself this close to the end."

You check the time. It was nearly 4AM. You've really been in here all night long fighting. But you're just about done. All you have to do know is actually leave.

>End of thread 3

Well, we may not have gotten as much done as I would have liked, and that's entirely my own fault, but this mini-arc here is just about over. I'll get a new thread up within a few days, so keep your eyes out guys