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We can unlock Gouto now that we’ve done more Destruction, but…
We’ll save that for later. We’re going to finish Megumi’s story today.
Chapter 106: Megumi Yakushiji 7
Music: Beyond the Memories (Rikako Watanabe)
…Oh, uh… hey, Chihiro. What’s up?
You by yourself?
I am. Are you by yourself too?
Can you stay and talk ‘til then?
Of course. I’ll stay here until they come get you.
Where’s your friends?
Well, I have some at school.
Hm? What’s wrong. You look like a scared kitten.
Run, Megumi! It’s a trap!
Music: Emotional Storm (Yoshimi Kudo)
D-Code? Do you mean the Deimos Code?
Yep. I know it wasn’t you. Tell me who it was.
Huh?
A fluffy black cat. With a white-tipped tail.
Well, this looks like the end for Megumi. She’s had a good run.
Renya Gouto…
You’re late, Gouto-kun.
Do you understand what you did to me?
I sealed your powers as a witch… To fight the kaiju. That’s what I was told.
I thought you’d be able to see through the ruse a bit more.
It was nanomachines!
Of course it was!
They added code to the ones already in their bodies.
The code expands the kaiju’s capabilities. How strong it will allow them to become… We have no way of knowing.
Huh? Wait, is this Shiba’s program to unlock the rest of the game features? But… it makes the kaiju stronger too!?
The one behind all this, the one who manipulated you… It seems they are trying to take control of the D-Code. If they succeed… They will also have control of the Sentinel dock in the factory. In other words, we lose all our means of defense.
(to Gouto) Are you aware of who that cat is?
That seems bad. He must have known this would happen. He had a plan. That’s why he used the girl. So we couldn’t trace it back to him!
But that very cleverness is what proves it was him.
So who is he?
No one you’d have heard of… He’s a criminal from the future.
A criminal…
(I won’t forgive him. Not ever!)
Time to go get revenge on the cat!
You seem mad. But I haven’t lied to you.
I’ve been saying that from the beginning.
Haha! Oh, Fluffy! I’m gonna miss you after Megumi rips your head off!
Music: Deafening Silence (Mitsuhiro Kaneda)
All that about ancient civilizations and curses… You’ve been playing me for a fool the whole time!
I haven’t been lying. There IS an ancient civilization. This may look like the 20th century, but it’s not. Humanity actually died out in the 22nd century. It’s been millions of years since then. So, in reality, the 22nd century is an ancient civilization.
So you’re saying… this isn’t the real world?
No more lies? No, more lies!
I’m done being used!
Use Magical Gun on Fluffy
And now you’re in control of the kaiju and the Sentinels. Was that your goal all along? To end humanity?
I’ve already told you. This is a game. I’m only making preparations.
A game where our lives are on the line!?
Not if things go the way I want them to! I can get you all out of here alive!
Suddenly, the TV turns on.
Cat, if you could turn on the TV on this whole time why were you always such a bitch about Megumi changing the channel?
Music: A Clause With Claws (Rikako Watanabe)
You’ve really turned into a dangerous girl. Although, I guess that is my doing…
Use Juro’s Memories on Fluffy
Ah, right. That… Those are my memories, actually.
…!
It’s not my fault though!
Fuckin’ really, my guy? “It’s not my fault!” That the best you got?
You really think I’d believe your lies again?
No. I don’t imagine you would.
You were using Juro too, weren’t you?
It was not my intention. But in the end, that is what happened. You need to give up on trying to bring him back.
*shoots*
Christ, this cat!
But you don’t have to meet the same fate as the rest of them.
*shoots*
Wah waaaaaaah! You hate to see it, folks!
Music: IMMINENT (Yoshimi Kudo)
I forced everyone into battle. But the only one who really deserves to die…
It must have really been driving you mad. But don't worry. If you don't fight, there's no way you'll survive. You did what had to be done. ……
Music: Staring Into The Void (Yoshimi Kudo)
I want to apologize. About his memories. There were things that happened… I didn't expect… But none of that matters to you. There's no excuse. I boasted about how I could bring him back. It may seem like I tricked you, but I really did all that I could. I had no ill intent… Well… Maybe a little. I just wanted him to become the Juro of my world. I wanted to control his feelings of love. Almost like a parent to their child… I wanted my desires to become his own. I guess I hesitated, once I saw the depth of your feelings. There was still some human left in me after all… You might not believe me, but I really have become fond of you.
The days we spent together were surprisingly fun. It gave me an odd feeling. As if I were on holiday with a cheeky daughter. You left me some nice memories. And now it's up to all of you. I've made all the preparations I could. Since I was unable to hold up my end of our contract… This is goodbye. If our plan succeeds… I want you to live out the rest of your life with Juro.
In case it wasn’t clear, all the different forms of 426/Adult Juro/Fluffy have the same voice actor, Ben Diskin. This is the only instance in the game where the adult version of a character has a different VA than their younger self, as Young Juro is played by Chris Hackney. Anyway, Diskin is a favorite of mine and his Fluffy performance is especially good and funny. I mention this because the first time I played this game I recognized him instantly in every form, but still got blindsided by the twists because I just assumed they were skimping on hiring different voice actors instead of, you know, them all being the same guy.
What happened?
Did you… Shoot yourself in the stomach?
Megumi turns to walk away.
Just hear me out.
Music: A Brave Gene (Hitoshi Sakimoto)
I’ve been thinking about the dreams I had.
None of that matters now…
I dream of myself inside the Sentinel. I’ve seen it over and over. I fight in the Sentinel… Taking down kaiju after kaiju, struggling in pain… Fighting like some kind of possessed demon.
Pilot must cease control.
Abnormality detected in life support. Emergency release of Sentinel pilot. Initiating…
No! Cancel release! I’ll continue to pilot. Overwrite command. I won’t let them destroy Megumi’s city. This place is home to all our memories…
Life support limit reached. Emergency release procedure. Initiating…
No! Cancel the release! I’m not done yet…
Juro, buddy…
The only one who has experience piloting Sentinels… Is the Juro Izumi you know. These are his memories.
In battle, he was always calling out someone’s name. I didn’t realize it at first, but… I know it now.
I’m not Juro Izumi anymore. But my feelings are the same.
……
Maybe it’s because of his memories… But even so. None of that matters to me now.
(blushing) …… Do you not feel the same way?
Thank you, but…
Consider Juro’s Memories
(Fluffy really was trying. Just like he said. He was trying to get his memories back. What do I…)
I may not be as strong as him. But I don’t care.
I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Does that mean…
Aww…
Look at him sleeping up there. I hope he’s warm.
I know you’re not him.
Music: Lonely Struggle (Rikako Watanabe)
I just wanted to say… I’m sorry. And I—
For you, Fluffy.
But you still went without me.
Music: To the Final Battle (Yoshimi Kudo)
This time it will be different. This time, it’s my turn to save you.
And that’s Megumi’s story finished. Time to finally update that board! Ugh!
We’re first going to remove these two mysteries from the board, because they’re pretty conclusively solved. We know Fluffy’s agenda, even if that phrase is almost too funny to allow to leave the board.
We also add a line about the self-repairing probes from the last Gouto update. That’s not the important part of that cutscene, but I felt it was worth including. I notably forgot to include a bit here about what was the important detail there, Morimura being Okino’s biomom, but I’ll have to include that in the next board update because I’m not going through all this hassle again today!
No close-up shots of the board this time, because I made a lot of changes to pretty much every corner of this thing, a lot of which I should have added long, long ago. I added every instance of someone being shot with the nanomachine injector. I added Megumi shooting Juro (which I’m going to assume was real since she also shot herself), as well as a lemniscate indicating her self-shooting. I added white links between Megumi and Ryoko/Ei because she must’ve just gotten them offscreen or something. I added a friendship link between Ei and BJ. I added a familial link between Okino and Chihiro. I added a purple “murder” link between Juro Izumi and Megumi (though that probably should have been 426 and Megumi, eh). I added a romantic link between Ida and Miyuki Inaba. I also added a romantic link between Juro Kurabe and Megumi, natch. Is that everything? I feel like I’m forgetting at least one, but oh well. That’ll do it for today.