So this whole Labyrinth business wasn't even in original release Nocturne? But the Lady in Black explains so much stuff... That's a big reason I keep doing it as quickly as possible. She told me about Hikaa and now about Aradia and none of that is in the original game. That version is pretty dumb.
 
Also in the third Kalpa they have an NPC who I think reads your alignment or "soul wavelengths". I'm a turtle on its back right now which I take it means I have no path. Seems fitting, I've just kinda been going hither and thither without much thought beyond the immediate. All I really know is my old school chums have abandoned me to go be dicks, Ms. Takao is off being controlled by some god of false promises and the Lady in Black is probably the nicest person I know.
 
 Unsure of the significance of the "Shadow conversation" but I gave my name, said "..." about if I liked solitude and then said I could live on my own. I mean, me personally, there are times I like to be alone and there are times I like to be with other people. Probably more of the former than the latter but that doesn't really mean I like solitude. I simply am uneasy around strangers. And of course my Demi-Fiend is way strong so of course he can live on his own.  i think Chiaki was full of crap but the truth is the truth when it comes to needing power for self-sufficiency.
 
I said "no I don't think so" when it comes to Isamu's question about wanting to create my own world. I don't. I mean, what would it be a world of? Chiaki went crazy because...uh... Isamu was a nerd who wants to validate the isolation he experienced and Ms. Takao wants freedom after all her time in bondage. What do "I" want? I have no idea.
 
Ya know, I think Yuko is my favorite character in this game. It's like, I met with Hikawa at the Mantra HQ and he talked about his god and I really liked the fire metaphor for human greed. But his character and his motivation just do nothing for me. I was just clicking through his dialogue in a detached, uninterested way. Same for Isamu. But Yuko....I dunno, she promised me the Magatsuhi so what do I care about the Stone thingy? I agreed to let her have it. She's just...special. I actually care about her.
 
Gave the Thingamabob to Yuko. Got commended for it by another Fiend. Then she died.
 
 Sold the Spyglass I had from the Obelisk. I wanted that Magatama that cost 120,000 Macca  Broke me to do it but it was the only Magatama he sold that was fitting my playstyle.
 
Wondering if Chiaki is feeling really pathetic now, getting off-screened by a minor villain. In the world of the strong, random Japanese schoolgirls don't fare too well.
 
Hijiri: I can only assume Isamu died. Oh well.
 
I like this guy more now.
 
And now Chiaki is just straight up MWAHAHAHAHA Evil villain.  Gotta admit, I never saw this coming back at the start of the game. Also IMMEDIATELY after her transformation, the Mantra HQ gets inhabited by Dominions. I wish the game went more into the detail of demon clan lore. WHY are Divine spirits hanging out in  a place like that? Reminds me of how the Law-abiding Divines in Strange Journey were rubbing elbows with the Chaos bastards. It doesn't make sense.
 
But man, this game REALLY hates demons. Like, a lot. Whether it's the Harlot asking if I wanted to give into my demonhood which apparently entails accepting boundless despair (because when I think of infinite sadness, I think of Jack Frost or maybe one of those Fairies) and when Gozu was talking to Chiaki he said he could never have won because he didn't have a Reason. A REASON IS JUST AN IDEOLOGY. Demons can smurfing have ideologies. The silent "old man" vis-a-vis Lady in Black has an ideology. It's just his "Reason" is the negation of all other Reasons. To quote a Soul in the Third Kalpa quoting some random demon, there will be a death to death itself.
 
See, that's what I was complaining about in Strange Journey. Anything, no matter how horrific, can sound like the best thing in the world with the right spokesman or spokeswoman. Chaos had nothing going for it except Jimenez. You can see why it was unappealing. Here, it's actually alluring and interesting.  Then again, it's very different from the crap going on in SJ's Chaos side....
 
Also I think I just spoiled myself... The Lady in Black is the lady with the kid? That was all I got when Googling something and then I immediately stopped. Or rather it said "she appeared as a young woman and as an old woman with" and then I jerked my eye away. Goddammit.  I guess that's irritating but I'm more confused than anything. Now my head is full of wild new ideas. I kinda hope some of my speculation is wrong.
 
Anyway, continuing on, the game wouldn't give me much of a choice about why I went into the Amala Network after Hijiri. I said I was there to save Hijiri but only because, weighing him and Isamu, I like Hijiri more.
 
So ends Hijiri. He was...a dude. Isamu is a dickhead, who knew.
 
Although, to bring it back to what I said earlier, judging by the Power and Dominion that came to the Amala Temple, Chiaka actually does, from a story perspective, have angels serving her. What the hell.
 
And then she massacred all the Manikins. Eh. I told her servants I didn't disagree with their scoffing at the Manikins' fantasies but Chiaki's brutal slaughter is a whole other level. What a bitch.
 
And with the Trumpeter's fall, I can finally go and meet him .I won't lie, I'm super excited. My rationale for my Demi-fiend doing all this is because he finally wants something to go his way. Yuko got her Stone, Isamu makes you release all the Magatsuhi at the Amala Temple and Chiaki just now got a bunch of the stuff too. Basically everyone is using "me" and getting ahead. Well, I have my own back-up plan. I have someone in my corner too.
 
I DID IT. I BEAT BEELZEBUB. Fighting that guy was like pulling teeth because his defense is so huge that you need to buff a bunch just to do vaguely respectable damage. But between me and my ever eliable Tornado and the Mothman's super Almighty attack and a lot of luck, I pulled it off. I had ended up using all my Chakra Drops (I should have bought more but whatever) and a couple Chakra Pots even. Eventually I was like "smurf it" when he started to do his Focus trout again. I was all nice and ready for him to kill me but I was determined to go out in a blaze of pathetic fury. I had everyone just plain old Attack him. Yes, just normal attacks on the super tanky asshole. And then...then he is dead. From one hit from Clotho. My mage healer killed him with one regular attack. I couldn't believe it.
 
Although it appears that story about the Candelabras all being stolen is a deception. A falsehood from THE PRINCE OF LIES? Why I never. That has all long since ceased being important. All that matters is that I "get to the bottom of this." The Lady will anwer all my questions and I can finally speak with "him."
 
Although, can I proceed with the Fourth Kalpa now? A demon told me the key I need to unlock the golden doors is held by his buddy in Tokyo. Do I need that key to get to the fifth kalpa or is it just for treasure?
 
How much more game is there? A random NPC pretty much just said the endgame is nigh and now everyone is chatting it up about Yosuga, Musubi and Shijima.  I have to go through the latest Station and Tunnel stuff to get to some place for reasons I'm not sure of. It's a new area sso I figure I have to go there, basically. Impressive everyone knows Musubi's name since Isamu just made him up....
 
"With your demonic strength, you can no longer be human. You are more dangerous than a wild animal...."
 
And so I have completed the Labyrinth and slain Metatron. I know he said he IS God but you'd think the Big G could show up on his own if it was that important.  I mean, I kicked Metatron's ass. He was way easier than Beelzebub. I guess part of it is me being a higher level and having a better party. Kali is awesome and why I hate using her, Lachesis has buffs I need. I'm gonna use her long enough to get all her skills then find a better demon. I am very picky about my demons - no birds, no blob things, nothing like that. But I couldn't afford to be particular here.
 
I am profoundly curious about the differences between the Demon Ending and True Demon ending. Please don't tell me, it's just something I keep wondering about. I have a save file from before I completed the Labyrinth and I think I should be able to use that to get a different route? Maybe?
 
The thing is...I only like Yuko. What can I say? This game wants to play up your lost humanity that we never saw, lost friends that we never got to know. I have spent this entire game excpt for maybe 30 minutes as a demon. I think of "myself" as a demon. The only people who like you are the Lady and those demons who cheer you on through the Labyrinth.  Even still, I like Yuko and would help her but I dunno how. I gave her the Stone, that's all I've been able to do so far. As for my fellow classmates, they can all go to that prison of souls on the Fourth Kalpa. Bunch of nuts and unlikable jerks.
 
My none-too-subtle segue about the prison though is because I rescued two "powerful souls." Is one of them Futomimi who is now in my party? I have no idea who the other one is.... Trying to think of important people who have died....
 
I guess I am on the TDE route now though? I don't really know what to do... Do I just continue the story by going through the latest tunnel? The one where I had to give up a demon?
 
Think I'll stop for now.  I'm not sure how much game is left, I'm at 66 hours. I defeated Black Frost and I will check up on the digging soul to get my reward. But man, there are still a lot of missing Magatama...
 
On a different note, Metatron's boss theme was okay but it wasn't special. The Fiend boss theme remains by far the best and really the only good one. I wonder what sort of themes the various final bosses will have. Hope they're good. Strange Journey had a really good final boss theme.